“21. Dammit, don’t underestimate the bond of our family!”
Leon sprinted with Roswiser as they fled to the castle’s cellar.
“This place is a bit safer,” he said, propping himself against the wall.
After catching their breath, Roswiser looked at Leon and asked, “Are you seriously another lone wolf?”
Leon tightened his lips and nodded, “Yep.”
The Queen shut her eyes and sighed, “I even went out of my way to prove your innocence. If I had known, I would’ve let them throw you out!”
“Your Majesty,” Leon said, chuckling, “there’s a giant red demon outside trying to k*ll our whole family. How about we focus on taking her down first?”
At that moment, Leon truly understood the feelings of those Dragon Kings he had defeated years ago. That profound, helpless feeling at a time like this was no joke.
Isar’s smarts combined with her Doctor status made her a remarkably slippery player in this game. Meanwhile, General Leon found himself running away with his wife, trying to keep out of Isar’s kn*fe-wielding range.
“My sister must be using the antidotes we were given to launch a long-range attack after the ‘meeting ends,’” he pondered.
“And as a Doctor, the k*ll items she’s got surely work with the antidotes,” he continued.
“So, anyone who ate those antidotes in the beginning is toast. Being knifed by my sister is just a matter of time.”
Roswiser’s tone turned serious; even though this was a game, being pushed into such a corner was frustrating.
“Actually, I didn’t eat the antidote.”
“What?”
Leon pulled a small clear case from his pocket, inside which was an orange-flavored candy.
Roswiser eyed the candy. “If you didn’t eat it, then how did you avoid the infectious disease?”
“Used the mint tea you gave me,” he replied, tossing the candy aside. “Good thing I was cautious. Otherwise, I might’ve been knifed during that ‘meeting ends’ encounter.”
“But both Noia and I ate the antidote. We can’t get close to my sister. She can kn*fe us just like that.”
Roswiser added, “So… that leaves only you to take a shot at my sister.”
She was right. At this point, the only one who could take down the lone wolf was another lone wolf.
“But neither of us has a k*ll card. How do we take on the big sister in a kn*fe fight?” Leon sighed.
Back to square one! Want to fight? You need some weapons!
But General Leon was currently ‘unarmed’ and couldn’t call an emergency meeting to kick Isar out.
In summary, were they stuck in a cycle of despair?
“Wow, Mr. Lone Wolf, come on! How have you gone this whole time without finding a single k*ll card? How lame!” Roswiser couldn’t help but poke fun at him.
When it came to luck, Leon had hit rock bottom.
Thirty to forty hours, and not a single k*ll card in sight!
“If a person is down on their luck, they really are down,” Leon had to accept that.
The couple fell silent. They needed to devise a plan to deal with Isar, or it would all be over.
The Princess’s life was at stake, and their old friend couldn’t escape with the Black Holy Stone.
Everything would belong to that red demon, the Doctor.
Tick-tock—tick-tock—
The only sound in the cellar was the dripping water from a corner.
That deadly cake, capable of poisoning players, sat right between Leon and Roswiser.
The Queen’s gaze slowly dropped to it.
Suddenly, Roswiser’s eyes widened.
“Actually… I don’t care if I win.”
As she spoke, Roswiser pulled her main quest card from her pocket.
“My mission is similar to Claudia’s; the main task is to help the Princess retrieve the Black Holy Stone. But there’s also a hidden task—getting out of the castle with the Holy Stone! That’s my real victory.”
“Choosing an ending is entirely up to the player’s thoughts.”
“But from the very beginning… I never planned on completing that hidden task because—”
“Because you want our precious daughter to win, right?” Leon smiled, finishing her sentence.
Roswiser huffed, nodding, “Exactly. That kid finally got a chance to have fun with her sisters and friends. I want her to win. After all, Noia is very competitive!”
“But now both her sisters and friends have been knifed, and all the pressure is on Noia,” Leon pointed out.
“Then I want her to win even more!”
Roswiser said, “This isn’t just a game, Leon.”
“Just think, years or even decades from now when Noia reflects on this castle adventure, she will proudly say she saved all of us in the end.”
“She will gain not just a victory but also invaluable memories.”
“I understand what you mean, Roswiser.” Leon smiled gently, pausing to glance at the silver-haired beauty next to him.
“You’re starting to sound less like a mother.”
“Hmm?”
“What’s the difference between a mother and a mommy?”
“Of course, there’s a difference! Remember how happy Noia and Moon were when you told them to call you ‘Mommy’ instead of ‘Mother’?”
Roswiser paused for a moment, her thoughts drifting back in time.
After a while, she chuckled softly, “I get it.”
“So… you want to recruit me, the lone wolf, to buy you and our daughter some time until the meeting starts?”
Roswiser shook her head, “No, no, no! That’s too risky, and…”
“And?”
She looked straight ahead, her cheeks turning a bit rosy.
Roswiser buried half her face in her arm, mumbling hastily, “And I won’t let my kid’s daddy do that!”
“Can you replace ‘kid’s daddy’ with something a bit simpler?” Leon asked with a cheeky grin.
“Absolutely not! Shut up!”
Roswiser shot him a glare before continuing, “As long as you promise me you’ll let Noia win in the end, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?”
Roswiser seemed a bit shy, beckoning Leon closer with her finger.
Obediently, Leon leaned in.
“I’ll—”
Upon hearing that, General Leon sprang up from the ground.
“Seriously?!”
“Seriously.”
“Okay, honestly, I was already planning to help Noia win, but now with your condition, let’s just say—”
“Your sister must stay alive today! I’m telling you, even the Dragon God can’t stop it!”
Roswiser scoffed, “Alright, alright, just keep it down so you don’t attract my sister.”
Leon sat back down, “So, based on what you just said, you have a plan?”
“Yep.”
Roswiser picked up the poisonous cake lying on the ground.
“Your sister isn’t going to eat it, right?” Leon asked.
“No, no, it’s not for her. It’s… for me.”
…
At the top of the castle, in the corridor.
Noia was cornered by the “red demon” Aunt Isar against a locked wooden door.
“Uh-oh, looks like there’s no way out for you, Princess!”
Isar held a k*ll card, the effect of which was to eliminate any player within a five-meter range who had ingested the Doctor’s special antidote.
She casually waved the card, inching closer to Noia, who had nowhere to retreat.
Noia had never found her aunt so “terrifying” before.
“Hey, Little Light, don’t ever go to Auntie’s Red Dragon Holy Temple to become the next Dragon King! You’ll end up like this!”
“Auntie… we can talk this out, right?” Noia attempted to awaken Isar’s ‘conscience.’
“Oh, sweet Noia, let’s save the chit-chat for after the game. I need to eliminate you quickly and then find your mom and dad. Now, come over here and don’t make it difficult for Auntie.”
Don’t use such a gentle tone to say such awful things!
That’ll leave psychological scars on little kids!
Noia pressed tightly against the door. She only had one useful item card: the “Reincarnation Deadlock.”
But the “Reincarnation Deadlock” could only be triggered when only two players were left in the game.
From Isar’s words, it seemed that Mom and Dad were still “alive,” which meant Noia couldn’t use that item card.
What to do… what to do…
Noia bit her lip tightly, feeling overwhelming pressure, even knowing it was just a game.
Meanwhile, in the God Observation Room, three little dragon girls stood in front of an enormous Shadow Stone, watching Noia confront Isar.
“It’s over; my sister can’t escape,” Moon said sadly.
“I thought Uncle Leon and Aunt Roswiser were tough enough, but Aunt Isar… is even stronger,” Helena remarked.
Even the giggly little Fun Dragon looked worried for her big sister.
“Hang in there, big sis! The meeting will start soon, and we can vote Auntie out!”
“Useless,” Claudia, who had long been sipping tea in the observation room, said slowly.
“There are still over forty minutes until eight o’clock. Even Leon and Roswiser can’t last that long. It looks like the Red Dragon King is going to win this game for sure.”
The little dragon girls continued to stand in front of the Shadow Stone, silently praying for the figure struggling in the confrontation.
…
“Noia, come over here! No worries, Auntie will take you to the God Observation Room!”
Isar gradually closed the distance, soon entering the effective range of her item card.
Noia’s heart raced.
She knew there was no way to escape her aunt’s pursuit.
But even so, she wouldn’t simply surrender.
If it was Dad, he’d surely—
“Player—”
Suddenly, the worker’s voice echoed down the quiet corridor.
Noia quickly looked down at the Shadow Stone in her pocket. Was that her elimination notification?
But when she took it out, she realized it wasn’t reacting at all.
“Well, if it’s not mine… then what is—”
“Player [Doctor] has been ‘killed’; player [Doctor] has been ‘killed.’”
Isar froze, her delicate face filled with shock.
“Why… how could this happen…?”
Creak—
The wooden door behind Noia slowly creaked open.
The familiar figure stood behind her.
Avenger
When you witness a ‘k*ll,’ you immediately gain the ability to ‘k*ll.’
In his hand was a piece of cake with a small bite taken out of it.
