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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
ââââââââââââââ
âUgh, my head.â
He managed to land safely, but Hans immediately collapsed, clutching his head. The headache from the Time Deceleration penalty was stronger than he imagined.
He only used it for a short time, but the headache was this bad⦠he didnât know how he managed to use Time Deceleration for so long before.
Hans sighed and got up.
Perhaps because he hadnât used Time Deceleration for very long, the headache didnât last too long. That aside, how was he supposed to escape this forest?
Hans clicked his tongue.
He knew the orcs were crude, but he never imagined they would drop him like this. Had everyone who participated in the Warriorâs Festival until now been treated like this?
Hans felt his already low first impression of the orcs drop even further. But he didnât have time for this kind of escapism.
Hans started moving.
âThe forest of Aberka, huh.â
Hans didnât just ride the wyvern here. He asked Dezra various questions, and Dezra, who seemed to like Hans, readily answered them.
Using that valuable information, he would escape this forest and make the orcs his allies.
Of course, he also had to consider mediating between the 12 Tribes and the orcs, but that was a story for later.
According to Dezra, this forest was death itself. Literally, all the creatures inhabiting this forest were hostile to intruders. For example, the sap from that vine over there.
Even if that vine was the same type as the edible one outside, it couldnât be eaten here. Because it was poisonous.
Dezra called it the âwill of the forest.â
In other words, Hans was essentially surrounded by enemies. Even obtaining basic food was difficult, so naturally, escaping the forest would be challenging.
âFuck. Did I think this was too easy?â
Hans couldnât deny that he had been out of his mind. At this rate, it would be better to fight and win directly. Thatâs how hopeless it seemed.
But he quickly swallowed that thought. It was no use crying over spilled milk. Regret wouldnât change anything.
So, he would move forward. That was the one thought that had brought him this far, and he would continue to move forward.
Hans took a step.
Despite being surrounded by trees and grass, the cold north wind continued to blow. It wasnât offering any protection.
Well, if the forest rejected intruders, this wasnât surprising.
Hans looked around.
Surprisingly, everything around him looked similar.
It was as if he was walking through a maze made of mirrors.
He had no idea where he was. He didnât know if it was because of the snow piled up in the forest, or the intense light that was almost white. He couldnât pinpoint the cause, but he knew it was dangerous.
He had once heard that if a person stayed in a room with only white for too long, they would go mad.
He didnât know if it was true or not, but⦠experiencing it firsthand, Hans thought it might be true. He didnât know where he was or how much time had passed.
In the end, Hans used his ability.
âGasp⦠gaspâ¦!!!â
His head ached. Even though he hadnât used Time Deceleration, Hans was staggering from the intense headache. It was because the forest environment was attacking him. If he hadnât used his ability, he might have fainted here.
Was this what Dezra was talking about?
He said that if your mental strength was weak, you would be quickly consumed by the forest.
Certainly, he was far from mentally strong.
Unlike others, he couldnât help but know. While training together, he had seen how weak he truly was.
Every time, he would think, If I didnât have this ability, what would I be?
Nothing, probably.
I hate myself for relying on this disgusting ability.
Thatâs why I wanted to give up the Commander positionâ¦
â¦What was he thinking about?
Hans blinked.
He couldnât continue the thought.
It was partly due to the forestâs influence, but more importantly, the surrounding scenery had suddenly changed.
Just a moment ago, Hans had been in the forest. But the moment he used Time Stop, the trees and grass that made up the forest vanished, replaced by an old temple.
No, it couldnât even be called a temple. The foundation was crumbled, and the place was filled with broken stone fragments and remnants of shattered statues.
It was more accurate to call it the ruins of what was once a temple.
Hans could only blink, stunned by the sudden change. He had just used Time Stop, and the forest scenery had changed?
There was a limit to how powerful magic could beâ¦
No, no. This is beyond magic.
The veteran gamer knowledge in Hansâs head clicked. This game had places called âruins.â
They were similar to dungeons, and if you entered them and defeated the boss, you would obtain legendary items and a power-up, essentially a strengthening system for the player.
This was one of the reasons why this game, despite being an erotic game, was also considered an RPG. It had a proper growth system.
Compared to other erotic games that treated it as a side element, this game had implemented it as a core gameplay element. There were even sex scenes where you fought and won to then rape the heroine.
However, the ruins had to meet certain conditions to be unlocked.
According to the gameâs lore, they were power crystals left behind by ancient sages who foresaw this situation, intended to train the chosen one.
âBut is it okay for me to do this?â
Hans pondered.
To put it simply, the ruins were power-up events prepared for the gameâs protagonist.
If he didnât properly utilize the growth content, including the ruins, and if he couldnât unite the alliance, the only outcome was an ending where everyone was defeated by the Demon King, the final boss.
Even if it wasnât that, it would be a boring normal ending.
Well⦠even the good ending wasnât that different, butâ¦
Hans changed his mind.
Aberka appeared as a region in the game, and he could actually visit it, but the game didnât implement any ruins in this region. But that created a contradiction in the lore.
The ruins were prepared by the sages who foresaw this situation for the chosen one.
In fact, as you progressed through the gameâs story, you would naturally encounter the ruins.
Putting aside the hassle of clearing them, he remembered the 17 ruins prepared for the protagonist.
This meant that this wasnât a ruin prepared for the protagonist. But then why was this ruin here?
Hansâs head was filled with confusion.
âI have no choice but to try it now.â
âWhat do you think is the hardest thing to overcome in this world?â
Hans looked up.
He saw it rising from the crumbled ruins as it gradually took on a human form. However, before it could fully materialize, it spoke.
âStrength? Or fear?â
His vision blurred.
Just facing it, Hans felt like running away.
Fear? Terror? No, those were not the words to describe it.
It was something primal telling him to run away now. If he didnât want to die.
But paradoxically, that fear rooted Hans to the spot.
Soon, it appeared before him.
Its two arms looked as if they were covered in flesh. Its face was massive like a rock, and it was even wearing glasses. Not only that, but its belly protruded.
It was the very image of a middle-aged man.
âThe most fearsome thing is myself.â
ââ¦â
âSo, what do you think? Are you ready to kill your⦠â
âDie!! You trash!!!â
It was instinct.
The trauma of being betrayed by something he truly loved. That trauma drove Hansâs body to move. Even if it was just a game.
He had truly loved it. That game. Everything he had done. And now the cause of it all was right in front of him. He couldnât help but be enraged.
Hans instinctively moved.
It tried to move as well. It was a being that tested others, copying everything about them and making it its own. But even it couldnât grasp the true nature of its current opponent.
Of course, if the opponent was someone else, there might have been a chance of winning.
The power of Time Stop was that great. But unfortunately, his opponent was himself. Time Stop wouldnât work on him.
Hansâs sword pierced through its heart.
Shattered fragments scattered across the ground.
And in the end, all that remained was a single sword.
[Translator Notes]
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