*
Ash particles dance in the air.
Melted ice and snow from the heat.
The village ablaze with people’s screams.
‘Is this where it ends?’
Giseok looked at his mutilated body and let out a wry smile.
The pain felt like his body was being ripped apart by blades.
At first, he thought everything was going smoothly.
After getting sucked into the game by following a friend, he actually saw a character from the game he loved.
His first impression of Sophia Coltheart wasn’t great, but they managed to become somewhat friendly.
He proved he wasn’t a foe even while knowing the food was poisoned.
“P-Plints. Are you alright…? You’re losing a lot of blood! Hurry and heal….”
“I’m fine.”
He barely managed a straight face while looking at the black-haired girl behind him.
The daughter of the Ironblood Duke was on the verge of tears because of him. He didn’t want to see that.
He felt like he might be compared to the Black Knight who was somewhere out there.
Originally, he thought he just had to stop the northern invasion and treat Sophia’s heart disease to end everything.
If that happened, he could have prevented an unfortunate future.
But, it seemed the world wasn’t so forgiving.
The northern capital, Caprostia, was burning because of the sudden appearance of a white-haired magician.
‘…It was already weird to be sucked into a game character in the first place.’
Giseok realized this world wasn’t a game but reality during the fight with the Demon King.
What kind of game made you feel pain this vividly?
And even if they’re NPCs, it was strange that they had emotions.
Five years ago from the original [Night Heart],
Ten years ago in the future of [Black Heart].
The Demon King he just fought, judging by the cards and outfit, was definitely the final boss Magic Hat from [Black Heart].
So why was it taking on a female form here?
It had turned into a magician with a ponytail and wolf ears.
‘…No way, is the Demon King really a human?’
He was sure it was a man.
Everything from the voice to the appearance confirmed that.
In the sequel, he was portrayed as the typical Demon King with a dark look.
‘Damn that Saintess fetish kid. What the hell did he do?’
That was understandable; the Magic Hat he just saw resembled the Nameless Saintess.
Someone definitely got possessed first and caused this.
Originally, when Giseok wasn’t around, Licht had dealt with the monster invasion, and the Black Knight’s achievements in subduing the Demon King echoed through the North.
After posting an攻略 for Su-hyun in the community, Giseok spent time figuring out where he was and made thorough plans.
‘I got careless.’
Knowing the future didn’t mean he could do everything.
Confronting the Demon King of Truth was merely futile struggling.
“If I call the escort, we might survive. Just wait a bit…”
“Stop it, I’m about to lose consciousness from the power.”
All he could do was protect Sophia behind him.
Without the Holy Sword, he couldn’t face the Demon King.
By the time he gathered all the materials to create the treatment for the heart disease to pass to her, the Demon King had invaded the North.
That shouldn’t have been possible in the original history.
The North’s climate was harsh and inhospitable, and he had trusted that the Demon King wouldn’t invade.
“But who are you to go this far for me…”
The duke girl with black hair and bear ears.
The cold, icy girl trembles with her eyes and hands.
What could he possibly reply?
Seeing Sophia, who was pressing his deep wound with her palm, Giseok, possessing Plints, let out a long sigh.
Plints.
The vampire character with white hair and red eyes.
Unlike Licht, who had a skill boost in knights, Plints was specialized in magic circuits.
Magic circuits were like a person’s blood vessels.
Thus, he was a special character who could use all sorts of magic through blood.
Giseok had used this to obtain the hidden class of Spearman.
‘…Why did I come up with such a nickname?’
Using the nickname ‘Northern Duke’s Husband’ while playing the game, all he managed to protect was a single person—Sophia Coltheart.
What if this wasn’t possession but his original body?
That guy seemed to be active here under the name Licht.
“……”
Drops of blood fell to the ground.
His consciousness was fading, and his muscles relaxed, causing him to slump down.
‘…I saved the person I liked, so maybe it doesn’t matter.’
Even though borrowed a body, his feelings weren’t a lie.
Amidst the fading memories, something suddenly popped into Giseok’s mind.
“Your husband from the future?”
“…What kind of crazy talk is that? In this situation!”
Sophia, whom he could soon forget as well, was in front of him, but he tried his best to smile as if he was okay.
“….Why, it really could be true.”
The taste of blood in his mouth was metallic.
No matter what attack he received, even a vampire character couldn’t stop his bleeding.
“Being calculating, I thought you would abandon someone like me. Duke girl.”
“Seeing people in black and white… is not good. Plints.”
Sophia was struggling to help the bloodied man, wrapping her arms around him.
How did she figure out about the hereditary heart disease from her family?
The Demon King approached while she was alone in the palace.
How did he know? The man who risked his life to save her was Plints.
“You should repay me for the elixir you saved me with, right?”
Then the heart disease couldn’t be a lie.
The vampire spearman with white hair and red eyes was opening Sophia’s heart.
“..Is that so?”
“Maybe my divine power alone isn’t enough. If we go to the escort, surely the healing will….”
No, maybe they had been alike from the moment they met.
Dragging his heavy body like a stone, the two moved to the place where the escort was.
‘……This phrase, I heard it from Sophia Coltheart originally.’
Giseok recalled past memories, struggling with his fading vision.
With his last remaining strength, he tried to leave clues to defeat the Demon King.
*
People scatter in panic to avoid the flames.
Thick smoke obscures their vision.
“Over here!! That place is about to collapse!”
“There are people in this building!!”
The chilling sensation freezing them from their toes was nowhere to be found; only intense heat swirled in the North.
A horrific sight mixed with screams and ash. This is why I hated what I wrote.
“..Damn it, we’re a step too late.”
Having arrived directly in the North from the Pantos Shrine with Dennis’s 3D magic circles.
“Oh my God…”
Letting out a helpless breath as I gazed at the ravaged scenery of the North.
Considering that such an event took place and yet it wasn’t reported outside, it must be due to the Demon King’s mischief.
The powers of the Demon King stand in stark contrast to the Name of the Hero.
But the Head must be dead by now, so how did they miss the information war like this?
If it weren’t for the status window, we might have remained oblivious.
“What the hell is happening? Licht!”
“It’s this severe and word hasn’t reached the Empire…?”
Pina covered her mouth and surveyed the surroundings.
Structures were already ablaze, and buildings were crumbling.
Habitually lifting her hand to her chin.
I thought once the monster invasion ended, there would be no more major incidents.
‘As expected, it’s not a game, so there’s a gap.’
I started to grasp why the information I had known kept mismatching since last time.
The Demon King of Might being a twin, and the Demon King of Truth being a woman had to be due to such reasons.
Moreover, the Empire and the North appeared to be rivals but, in fact, collaborated.
It was evident from Pina and Sophia being friends since childhood.
If such a huge event transpired, they couldn’t possibly remain unaware.
“It must be the Demon King’s doing. Professor Dennis.”
“I know without you having to say it.”
Originally, a place like this should be a final bastion where the Demon King couldn’t invade. Whether it was me or Dennis, rain would fall as an attempt to douse the flames.
“Licht, I’ll go on ahead.”
“…Be careful, Su-hyun.”
Pina and Kainel seemed like true heroes as they hurried to evacuate nearby residents first.
Ariel attempted to douse the fire by lighting another blaze on a distant mountain.
When did they grow this much?
They’d truly become good allies and friends whom I could rely on.
“Determination, shared love.”
I pressed my hand to my chest and drew out my black sword.
Immediately, a clone sprang into being. This time, it wore the Black Knight helmet instead of the original.
The Ideology Helmet gifted to me by the Nameless Saintess.
All the clones bore striking black helmets reminiscent of the starry night sky.
I figured things like this wouldn’t be needed anymore.
It almost felt like it meant I didn’t have to wear this helmet just to protect her.
As we endeavored to save lives, a woman captured my attention, dressed in a long, dark coat and cape.
Her small, cute bear ears contrasted sharply with her attire.
“Pina..!! It’s you!!”
Sophia Coltheart appeared in the distance, leading the escort.
*
Proving the Demon King’s assault were the shattered windows.
We tidied up the situation that had arisen in the North with the escort members bearing bear ears, and moved toward the partially destroyed palace.
“Sophie, what on earth happened to make the North like this..?”
“Magic Hat invaded. Pina.”
Suddenly, Pina’s stride halted.
She must have recalled the trauma of almost losing Queen Bellin.
“Are you alright..? Sophia..?”
“Yes, I survived, but….”
The Duke Girl of the North guided us toward a specific door and instructed the surrounding escort members to step back.
The door appeared to be elegantly grand, as if a distinguished person were being hosted.
“But I couldn’t protect this person.”
According to Sophia, during the Magic Hat’s raid, a man had risked his life to save her.
“Licht. I want to return this person to their original state. Is there a way?”
“…..”
Upon opening the door, the sight revealed a white-haired man.
Around him, healers were working up a sweat to treat him, but the incredibly pale-faced man looked sick.
‘Clearly, that’s Giseok, the pillar of the group.’
Even if the name Plints sounded unfamiliar, it was the same Giseok I had seen in the game.
“….I’ll ask this favor of you. Hero of Conviction.”
Studying the man with dull eyes, Sophia looked at him with sad eyes.
That high-nosed Duke Girl was bowing her head toward me.
Just how close had they become?
Whether he could speak or not, Giseok was stretching his arm as if he wanted to say something.
He must have been affected by Magic Hat.
I noticed something at the end of his gaze, reminiscent of playing chess.
If he faced the Magic Hat and a problem arose, something must have blocked his ability to speak, so I needed to search for clues in chess.
“……If there’s a chessboard nearby, please bring it to me.”
A strategist and an action-oriented guy.
That was the difference between me and that fellow.
