Merciless Measures
Eve and I walked a short distance behind the group, keeping our distance as we followed them slowly.
"..."
Eve's expression was tight and unreadable, and she didn't speak.
I didn't either.
For some reason, I was reminded of the first time we'd ever spoken.
Back when I suggested we wait for Kals and Tyrbaen, who were pursuing the Vengeance Inquisition.
At that time, "Igral," wearing a Bubble Cloak to hide her true form, had treated me like I didn't exist—
but in the end, she had been the one forced to speak first.
Because she didn't like my plan and wanted to interfere with it.
But after a long argument, she'd had to admit defeat.
Just like now.
Me trying to initiate conversation first?
Sorry, that chance expired yesterday.
I wasn't the type of person who'd bow twice—or three times—to someone who'd already refused me once.
Negotiations are over. If you have something to say, you'll have to come to me.
That was the message I was sending to Eve now.
"..."
So I responded with silence.
All I had to do was wait.
The one who's desperate always reaches out first.
"Haa…"
At last, after a long stretch of silence, Eve finally spoke.
"Hey, Gilroshan."
But I shook my head.
"Shan Aledro."
"What?"
"Just like your name isn't Eve Wyler right now, but Eve L'gal."
"...?"
"My name isn't Gilroshan Valt either. It's Shan Aledro. Got it?"
"What kind of nonsense is that? We both know they're fake names. Who cares?"
"Of course it matters. How can you have a real conversation with someone who doesn't even know your name?"
"...!"
Her eyes wavered visibly.
She was clearly thrown off by my words.
Yeah, that's the natural reaction.
Because what I'd just said—
was exactly what I told her the very first time we spoke.
"How can you talk to someone whose face and name you don't even know? Try switching places and see how it feels."
"...Yeah. I guess that's true."
Her expression grew complicated, recalling that moment.
The time when she'd hidden both her face and her true name behind a mask and a pseudonym.
But I remained calm.
"If you don't want to make me your enemy from here on out, then at least remember my real name properly."
Eve frowned.
"And what if we do end up enemies?"
I stopped walking.
What happens if we become enemies?
Why would she ask something so simple?
"Then I'd have to take you out right here. Isn't that obvious? When will I ever get a better chance than this?"
"...!"
Her face twisted sharply, anger boiling over.
"I'm level 43. You're not even level 20 yet, are you?"
"Funny."
I smirked.
"You think PKs are decided by level alone?"
Eve was alone, but I had four teammates behind me.
Especially Kals and Tyrbaen—both hadn't yet reached their full bloom,
but even now, they were mid-tier guardians with formidable power.
And both started out with maximum affinity toward me—my most loyal allies.
If they saw me being ambushed, that wouldn't be a small event.
It would trigger Guardian's Rampage and Save the Disciple simultaneously,
doubling both their combat power instantly—
enough to wipe out an average player in seconds.
Level 43? Really?
A half-baked midnight assassin with a barely tuned setup?
Sorry, but I could say this with full confidence—
"You wouldn't last ten seconds."
Sure, I'd take some damage.
Assassins specialized in critical hits—losing a limb or two wasn't off the table.
But with the Guardian's Blessing and Gold Ingot Commission active…
I wouldn't die, that's for sure.
I was confident.
"...Bold of you."
Eve muttered quietly.
But surprisingly, her tone carried no mockery—
only a trace of sorrow on her face.
That caught me off guard.
What's this?
I couldn't make sense of that emotion, and my hand drifted to my sword hilt—
"Relax. I'm not here to make you my enemy."
Turning around, she smiled faintly.
"Like you said, I came alone, didn't I? If I wanted to fight, I'd have brought all my teams. But they're still back there, catching up."
Her teams.
She'd emphasized the word—
and indeed, Eve commanded five entire squads.
Twenty-four girls in total followed her lead.
Quantity has its own kind of power.
Even with Kals and Tyrbaen, fighting twenty-five players was impossible.
Eve jerked her chin toward the path ahead.
"Let's go. Your teammates are glaring at me like they're about to burn a hole through my face."
Sure enough, my team was staring our way from down the road.
"Shan, is everything all right?"
The words were casual, but Kals's expression radiated murderous intent—
as if he were seconds away from drawing his sword.
"So loyal. How touching."
Eve murmured quietly beside me.
A thought suddenly came to me.
"You had a handmaiden once, didn't you?"
If I remembered correctly, her name was Marie Ervois—
a maid as fiercely loyal to Eve Wyler as Kals was to me.
"..."
But Eve didn't answer.
And later, I'd learn why it was a good thing I hadn't spoken that maid's name aloud.
"No, Kals. Just a minor disagreement."
I waved a hand toward him, and we started walking again.
The forest's thick curtain finally thinned—
revealing what was left of the eastern cabin.
Eve exhaled deeply.
"You really went all out, didn't you?"
The cabin was nothing but wreckage.
A massive boulder had crushed it flat, splintering the logs that had once formed its walls and roof.
The girls wouldn't be staying here again.
Exactly as I'd intended.
"Damn it!"
Eve glared at me, anger flaring once more.
"Wha
t?"
I lifted my chin, unbothered.
If she'd just agreed to cooperate earlier, this wouldn't have happened.
There had been plenty of ways to keep the girls safe—
But you threw them all away yourself.
Still, I didn't say that out loud. Her reddened, trembling face looked too pitiful for it.
"..."
The sun was setting beyond the forest, its orange glow slowly descending across the ruins.
Eve stared at the ruins of the cabin for a long time before finally speaking.
"My teams will be here in about ten minutes. Let's finish this before then."
"Finish what?"
"The conversation we need to have."
"…Fine. If you've got something to say, go ahead."
I shrugged, and Eve's sharp eyes flashed.
"Your strategy—it's the Rapid Current route, isn't it?"
So she did know.
Yeah, it would've been strange if a player who knew about the detachment route didn't recognize this one.
I nodded.
"That's right. For this quest, Rapid Current is the best solution. No question."
Eve bit her lip and shook her head.
"No. It's not the best…"
I cut her off.
"Why? Worried the kids might get hurt?"
She pressed her lips together. Conflict was written all over her face.
So I started talking on my own.
"I guessed it when I saw you taking the detachment route. Out of all the possible strategies, why that one? It's complicated, time-consuming, and the rewards are stingy. Why insist on it?"
The Savior of the Sons quest had multiple ways to clear it.
There was the Boulder Rolling method—what I'd just used.
The Guardian route, which involved manipulating the officers observing from the fortress.
The Too Late route, where you let the kids die first and then hunt the culprit.
There were plenty of possible clears, depending on your approach.
But to insist on the detachment route meant only one thing—
"You're prioritizing the NPCs' safety above all else. That's my conclusion."
Unless she'd suddenly developed an obsession with achievements, that had to be it.
After a pause, Eve finally nodded.
"Yeah. You're right."
Then she lifted her gaze to mine.
"And that's exactly why I can't agree with your strategy."
"The Rapid Current route—"
"Oh, that? Sure, it's great. Tons of rewards, fat stacks of EXP, feels like real gameplay. But that was when this was still just a game!"
Her voice rose; she was nearly growling.
"You could get the kids killed trying that route. Maybe you can treat this like some experiment—'let's try it, and if it fails, oh well'—but I can't!"
"..."
"I have to keep them alive. No matter what!"
Her blazing eyes were filled with desperation.
I met her gaze calmly.
"Who said I was treating this like a casual trial run?"
I snorted.
"I don't know what kind of person you think I am, but I don't take this lightly. Did you already forget? You and the Eolem Priests once tried to cut off my head."
The Third Prince Assassination Incident.
No matter how you looked at it, she'd been a criminal back then.
"T-That was different! It was part of the quest—"
"Funny. This feels pretty quest-like too."
My smirk silenced her instantly.
"You think I'm doing this to trade their lives for loot? Give me a break."
Not a chance.
I'd risked my own life to clear quests like this and make it this far.
Every step was a leap across a thousand-foot cliff.
This wasn't a road you could walk halfheartedly.
"Think carefully. The detachment route might stop the Ultra Wave from happening. The kids will survive—just like you want. But what happens after that?"
"What?"
"I mean it. What happens next? You think the Kishiris Cult is just going to give up because their ritual failed?"
"..."
She couldn't answer that.
So I did it for her.
"They'll just try again at the next ceremony. And because of overlapping coincidences and instability, an accident will occur."
"...?"
"Result? Every child that year—boy or girl—dies. The rescue squads sent to save them? All wiped out too. That's the final outcome of your detachment route."
"T-That's ridiculous!"
She shouted, then froze and glanced back.
Kals was still watching us, so I raised a hand to signal that everything was fine.
Eve lowered her voice, hissing through her teeth.
"Don't make up crap like that! I've never heard of that happening!"
I nodded.
"Of course you haven't. It's mentioned in one of The World Abandoned by God's spin-offs—'Crimson Tempest.'"
"Then it's not even from the main story!"
"Maybe not. But it's a perfectly reasonable outcome, isn't it? The Ultra Wave doesn't happen, the cult's mastermind remains untouched, and everything's just… waiting to explode again."
"You're saying this could actually happen again?"
She shivered, imagining the worst-case scenario.
I met her deep-blue eyes and said quietly,
"That's why the Ultra Wave has to happen. We trigger it, take out the cult's leadership, and finish it properly."
Even if it's dangerous, we crush it head-on.
That's my strategy.
And also my EXP jackpot.
I was planning to milk this quest for every drop of experience it could offer.
My growth had been way too slow lately.
"Ha… are you sure about this?"
Eve swallowed dryly, trembling as she pressed a hand to her forehead.
"...Then what about the kids? Their safety?"
Of course. That was the real point for her.
"Don't worry. As long as they're not injured in combat, they'll all survive."
Eve fell silent, then nodded slowly.
I crossed my arms.
"Well, it's been more than ten minutes now. Your teams…"
I glanced sideways—Tyrbaen was over there, talking with some of the girls approaching from the forest.
"There they are. Need more time to think?"
I half-expected her to hesitate, now that she knew the kids might be in danger.
But surprisingly, her answer came instantly.
"No. I'll cooperate with your plan. Whatever it takes."
I smiled.
"Good choice."
If the Rapid Current route went smoothly,
I'd be bathing in EXP by the end of it.
At the very least, I'll break level 20… maybe even hit 23.
If luck held, perhaps 25—or 26.
Considering I was only level 14 now, that was insane.
But not impossible.
There was a reason it was called Rapid Current, after all.
"Wait… hang on."
As I ran through the calculations in my head, something struck me.
I didn't even factor that in…
"That means… double EXP?"
Oh, this was going to be good.
If everything went perfectly—
I might hit level 30 in one go.