Terminally-Ill Genius Dark Knight

175. Dark Clouds [1]

Swoosh. Dark clouds and heavy rain. Whenever a period of war begins to stir, the clouds and rain feel colder than ever. I sit, sipping already-cold tea, looking out the window for quite some time. The steady raindrops hit the ground, creating small puddles, which gradually grow larger, overtaking other puddles.

It reminds me of the factions within Inner Lunatic, and I can’t help but chuckle. As I’m once again struck by the frightening nature of human greed, thoughts of the third chapter’s approaching conclusion and storyline just around the corner flood my mind

‘In fact, I can’t say that the soldiers on the Prince’s side are that strong. Even though the Goff Merchant Guild has plenty of money, they don’t have even a fifth of Eleanor’s capital. The First Prince isn’t exactly overflowing with wealth either.’

But the problem isn’t there. The other side. specifically, this is all caused by Rick, a demonic human who served the demons.

‘Those demon troops he commands are dangerous. Even if they’re low-mid-level demons, they’re far too strong for regular soldiers to handle. Dangerous’

To fight demons, one must harness the elemental strength. And for this, a majority of soldiers must be graduates of prestigious continental academies. They don’t move easily no matter how much money you offer. Their convictions are strong, making it hard to persuade them.

That’s why large-scale wars in the Inner Lunatic are dangerous. Any situation could be flipped just because of a single persuasive word.

“It’s unavoidable.”

Despite days of worry, the results have come out.

‘Regardless of the situation, many people will die. It couldn’t be stopped.’

Either way, that’s how it’s going to be. In medieval wars where victors and losers are clearly defined, isn’t it just natural that countless deaths are lurking? But I’ve never really thought about deaths in such a large-scale war. Is it because I’m still young? I’m not so sure. People fall to swords and magic, countless others burn and are tortured, blood splashes and soak the ground. This is war here. A fight over power and interests between people.

Thinking about this, I close my eyes briefly.

You know, don’t you? You can’t save everyone.

It’s a phrase I’ve repeated to myself countless times in Chaders. If I can’t save everyone, I should at least protect those within my circle. Even if it’s hypocritical, it’s still the best I can do. And that thought is closely linked to the decision I have to make now.

While lost in thought, suddenly, ‘Oh’, along with this voice, I feel a girl quietly approach, not long after, a familiar scent spread around. Zitri gently settled beside me and began to talk.

“What’s matter, Young Master? Going to bed this early”

“Well, isn’t this typical of a ruffian?”

Taking naps and letting time slip by lazily is a privilege reserved only for fishermen and ruffians. Thinking this, I offer my seat to Zetri. She tilts her head slightly as she sits beside me, tucking her hair behind her ear before calmly speaking again.

“It’s been raining quite a while this time.”

“Right. I thought it would stop, but it’s still coming down.”

“Young Master…You look dispirited. Even your tone is weak… Is it because of that situation? The power struggle between the Prince and Princess…”

“That’s right.”

There’s no need to hide it. As I replied calmly, I couldn’t completely hide my uneasiness. Perhaps it’s because I know the conflict is about to start soon, or maybe I’m getting too caught up in the situation.

No, at least it’s not the latter.

‘I am Nox. Nox is me. The two are the same person’

I repeat the words I heard in that white room, my mental world. Nox von Reinhaver. That’s my name. There’s no denying it now. In this situation, I have to take responsibility and find a way to move forward. I’m no longer just an extra, I’ve become someone who has to find a reason for my life.

‘I have to improve’

With this thought, I take a deep breath and organize my thoughts once more.

“The war will begin when the rain stops.”

“Yes”

“This time, it’s especially dangerous.”

“I’m aware.”

“Are you not thinking of running away?”

I asked jokingly, but Zitri gave me a rather fierce look.

“You asked me to stay by your side. Are you discarding me now?”

“…..”

The people who trust me. This made me vainly excited. More than anything, I realized that they are completely mine, not Nox’s.

I didn’t bring it up to joke with her.

The First Prince, Louis, and the Goff Merchant Group. The First Princess, Penelope, and the Rivalin Merchant Group.

The future where two factions clash is already set in stone. In the game, I experienced it countless times, but it still doesn’t feel real. Unexpectedly, at this point, I find myself feeling a bit anxious, even if it’s just for a brief moment. I even start to wonder.

‘….Maybe the game Inner Lunatic was created as a tutorial to help me survive and adapt to this world.’

The thought crosses my mind just for a moment. Anyway. I’m back where I was. There’s still so much I don’t know, but I believe I can figure it out from here.

Just as I firm up my resolve. Suddenly I hear a familiar system sound, as if it pierces through my mind. I narrow my eyes and focus on the half-transparent window hovering in midair.

— You have 1 unread message in your mailbox.

— Would you like to check it?

‘Check it.’

Without hesitation, I accepted,

Next, a strong sense of anticipation fills me as the message appears. On the familiar parchment background, the tightly packed words catch my eye.

[Hello, YooChan… no, I suppose I can now call you confidently by your name. Nox von Reinhaver. Thanks to your recent growth, I can now reveal a bit more of the world’s truth to you. I can’t tell you everything yet, as there is still the world’s ‘promise’, that I hope you’ll understand. Nox. As you noticed recently, the world is slowly changing thanks to you. Even though just a little, it’s moving toward a ‘happy ending.’ Whether it’s truly a happy ending for you, I can’t say… Nevertheless, you are progressing, and I am so proud of you.

But with good always comes the dark side, and you know this too. The world’s original flow, Natural flow what you would recognize as [history], has finally started to distort. You’re going to face countless variables from now on. I’m sorry. I know this is sad news, but I’m also sending you something to help you along the way. I hope it’ll be helpful. With you always, ▢▢▢▢ ▢▢ ▢▢▢]

‘The world is progressing toward a Happy ending’

Another subject that’s difficult to comprehend. Of course, the voice is that familiar, same woman.

Besides, there was another part that made me uneasy.

‘History started to twist?’

I vaguely noticed this truth, but sensing this became reality. In addition, now when a major war was waiting ahead, even if it was me, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. I thought I was adapting quite well to this world, but… Maybe I still need to learn more about myself. I don’t even fully understand Nox’s past. If I can understand and analyze it quickly, it will help me break through the situation.

It seems the sender. The mysterious woman was in a situation where she couldn’t give me a lot of information. In the end, her name was hidden and broken as well

My thoughts were cut off by another message.

— The message has been deleted from the mailbox.

‘As expected.’

I feel I need to move more calmly. Variables. Those things have always been daunting to me.

— There’s an artifact attached.

‘Oh, right! She mentioned a useful item, no!?’

Returning to my gamer’s mode, I focus on the message. Soon, one of the items I need appears before me.

— You have received a Trait Lottery Ticket!

A small, popping sound accompanies a capsule. As if to make sure other characters around me can’t notice. Zitri is frozen in place, the clock’s needle stopped, the world tinted in gray. It’s like when I use Genius’s time.

‘The time has finally come for my Luck stat to shine!’

A trait lottery ticket! My lips curl up involuntarily. Although people might forget, I have a maxed-out luck stat of 10, which has provided huge boosts to enhancement rates. Thinking about how I’ll get to see that effect in action again this time brought a joyful smile to my face.

This is a game.

‘…No, is it a reality?’

Either way, lotteries always make people excited. With that thought, I’m drawn toward the lottery machine as if in a trance.

——————————————

Countless troops surround First Prince Louis. Seen from the towering royal castle, they appear like a mass of black dots filling the area below. Among the forces under Rick’s command, and his subordinates. There are also those with pale, purplish skin. They were demonic humans, or low-mid level demons. Rick had been granted temporary command of that force for the sake of this time mission. Of course, this temporary authority was given by Amdusias. One of the new Grand Dukes.

Realizing he’d reached a position close to what he desired, Rick smiled.

‘I’ve been blessed with more demonic blood. Blood that was given to me directly by Amdusias-nim. At this rate, not only Grand Dukes’ ambition, but I’ll also achieve my long-cherished goal.’

Rick’s desperate wish, even at the cost of betraying Eleanor, was to settle with his weak past. To put it bluntly and without any vague expressions… that’s how it was. To put it simply, he no longer wishes to be human. Becoming a Demon

Advancing to become one of the great demons, one of the 72 demons and to rule the world alongside the Grand Dukes was his ultimate desire. To make sure no one could ever disregard him. That relentless thirst for more blood was fueled by the same reason. Demonic blood aids the corruption of human nature, and makes them lose their intelligence after all.

But a human who, instead of losing themselves, becomes slowly addicted to it will eventually transform into a demon. That was exactly what Rick wanted.

“When this war is over, I’ll finally be able to deal with my damn little sister. Quite a long time.”

Louis said with a satisfied expression from beside him.

Rick simply grinned back. This time, he’s not wearing his usual newsboy cap, revealing his true appearance. Demonic human Rick, or rather, Arschultz, put a sinister smile on his fishy look

“That’s right… Really, it has been a very long time”

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