Level 0 Master

There was half a face of a child on the ground. The young and fragile face looked as though it was still screaming from the fear and terror of the moment.

"This pisses me off as well."

This was beyond the problem of a pro gamer or an Arc Master. He was furious as a human being.

When he saw people who won with fouls or bribery, it angered him because they were dishonoring the sport. This made him swear that he would win against them with his pure ability.

But… using the lives of children made him furious.

I'm sorry.

Sungjin silently apologized to the dead children.

"Do whatever you please. It is more challenging to win against such an enemy."

He shouldn't have said that.

He knew that Riad was a tyrant who sacrificed people to the magical sword. It was the reason why he decided to fight next to Ereka. But now, after witnessing this scene…

Hahaha. Well. Now I understand what a nasty feeling far beyond the incident with the Ministry of Gender Equality feels like.

Children were not binary data of 0 and 1 in a computer. He couldn't reload human life.

They were miserably abused and scattered under his feet.

He had experienced the kind of victory he could bring by defeating the three knights and saving the people. And now, he was realising what kind of darkness would occur if he couldn't.

He spoke silently to the children.

I promise. I can't revive you guys, but at least, I will take down the Blood Ruler to stop her from doing this again.

"But…!"

"Yes. A cold rage is also demanded from those who sits on the throne. You need to grow. But that side of you which lost all reason from those innocent children's deaths."

Sungjin lightly held Ereka's shoulder.

"I don't mind that."

"Sungjin."

"I will cover this mistake for you. Trust me."

Sungjin smiled softly.

He had articulated the importance of this plan multiple times, but the princess ruined it.

All the defense strategies he had planned were now useless.

Any average human would have exploded in frustration, and tremble at the loss. A month long project lost due to a computer's explosion would have caused less frustration than now. Especially when it involved the lives of others, instead of a mere project information.

But he still smiled.

His plate was large enough to embrace the princess of a country.

And relieve her from blame.

"Would it be possible?"

"Trust me and wait," Sungjin promised.

"Now. Let's bury the children. And then I will work on an attack strategy. Stop beating yourself up."

"Yes. Princess. Sniff... waaaaah... I will… I will help you! So… so… we will… we will..."

Jenna tried to stop her tears and lifted up her tail.

"Okay…. Sungjin. Jenna… thank you."

Ereka stood up with tears in her eyes.

They collected the pieces of the bodies and buried them. The Blood Ruler's ultimate skill destroyed most of them; she didn't even leave enough pieces to collect.

Sungjin started to think in front of the grave.

The Blood Ruler Riad.

Her strategy to kill a few dozen children to provoke Ereka was clearly valid and excellent.

She killed only a few dozen children in order to have the upper hand in a battle that could change the destiny of the kingdom.

She deserved the praise of being a strong enemy.

And that was why...

I will defeat you.

He was able to become a world champion fighting fair and square. But what about becoming an Arc Master?

Yeah. Thanks to you, I've realised something.

In this world, the risks of earning the prize was incomparable to the risks of the sport on earth. He needed a much bigger vision to become an Arc Master.

Incomparably strong enemies were going to try and stop him with evil methods beyond his imagination, and the stakes for victory were much bigger and heavier.

And the results of his victory was going to bring forth a stronger impact.

Countless lives were at stake.

His first fight was to stop the Blood Ruler. And now, he could see what needed to be his next step, including what he needed for the next victory.

His opponents were not just a team. His prize weren't trophies and money.

Sungjin engraved the feeling of the duck-imprinted shoe he had held once more.

Now, I know with certainty.

He desired victory all the same, but the path he wanted to walk was far from the path of the Blood Ruler.

Initially, he wanted to win because he was competitive.

Then, he wanted to preserve Ereka's smile since she had abandoned her happiness as a girl in order to devote her life to her people.

Now, there was one more reason. He wanted to defeat Riad. Ereka had to be the ruler. That had to be the first step of building his legend.

So, it was okay if he couldn't use his strategies for a defensive battle. He didn't care that the Blood Ruler's ultimate skill was not surpassable.

Since he had set a goal, he was going to achieve it.

I will defeat you.

Sungjin promised himself once more.

From that day onwards, Sungjin started to work on new strategies. Ereka watched him with her gathered hands.

Sungjin...

Every time she called him, Sungjin smiled and told her to trust him, but she knew.

Sungjin didn't need this much tim to think when he fought against me or against the three knights.

When he promised to win against the Blood Ruler, it didn't take this long to come up with a plan. He had already had a plan, and he had enough leisure to add up additional tactics. But this time was different. He had the spirit to do something, but hadn't done anything.

And probably… no, almost certainly...

Even if it were Sungjin, this was not a solvable situation.

Sungjin doesn't know, since he didn't see it himself.

The ultimate skill of the Blood Ruler was more terrifying than what he had seen in its aftermath.

Only Ereka, who saw the moment she used the skill, knew the pressure and intensity of the power

Even if it's Sungjin, this battle is impossible.

The Blood Ruler was way too strong.

There was more.

Everytime she looked at the training field Jenna was dozing off with her hammer on the floor. Her tail was swaying up and down.

"Uu. Hmm… Sungjin Oppa, pat meeee."

"Jenna. Go to bed."

"Oh, Princess! Not yet! I want to practice more!"

Jenna flinched up and grabbed her hammer.

"Don't try too hard. Children need sleep to grow taller."

"Oh, really?"

Jenna's tail straightened in surprise, but then started to shake in refusal.

"I'm fine! I can grow later. I want to practice more."

Ereka couldn't stop her, although she knew that Jenna had always wanted to get taller.

"Jenna… Don't push yourself too far… If you collapse… that will cause a bigger problem."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Ereka, walking away from Jenna's confident response, discreetly wiped her tears. She also noticed that Rittier's shouts during his practice had turned louder.

I can't make them do this impossible task.

They needed to become stronger. But there was no hero who would want to come to their side. There was only one way.

She called aside Rittier and Jenna.

"I've got something to tell you both."

Rittier and Jenna held their breath, knowing that Ereka was truly serious. The room was quiet to the point they could hear each other swallowing her or his saliva.

"I'm going to tell Sungjin how to complete the forbidden ritual."

"Please don't!"

"Princess!"

"I will let Sungjin decide if we need to proceed with that."

"But Your Highness… That ritual… That ritual...!"

Rittier's hands shook.

"No. Princess!"

Jenna held onto Ereka's leg, and her tail shook rapidly.

"Yes. This was our last resort. I never wanted to use it. I was going to pretend it didn't exist. But it is my mistake to have brought this situation despite Sungjin's advice on a defensive battle."

"It was a mistake for sure! But Sungjin said he could cover for it!"

"Did you really think that will be possible?"

"....."

No one answered.

"And even if it wasn't my fault. Even so, it is the ruler's duty to stand on the front lines and give her life to save her people."

She had decided to become a ruler that day, not a girl.

"But..."

"So I will tell him that he can have power by using me as a sacrifice."

That was the hidden latter of the forbidden ritual.

By summoning a demi-devil from the Other World, a virgin's sacrifice was needed to use his power.

The sacrifice had a double meaning: it was a sacrifice in bed to satisfy the demi-devil… But also a sacrifice to make the demi-devil stronger.

The former had to sacrifice the virginity. The latter had to sacrifice the virgin's 'body' itself. Her life.

If Ereka undertook her fate as a sacrifice and killed herself, all her power was bound to go to Sungjin. Although Sungjin left all his power back on earth, with the ritual, he would level up.

Both would create a synergy, creating a much stronger power left to be awakened.

According to legends, the demi-devil from the Other World had a unique class. Something different from the regular classes: knight, warrior, assassin, wizard, and supporter.

"But..."

"I want to ask you both to look after Sungjin, after I'm gone. Please don't blame him with things like being the cause of my death."

"But..."

"With his integrity, choosing to sacrifice me will be as agonising for him, too. But if he can fulfill my role as king in my stead, that is instead a blessing. He will be the savior of my fate to die as a prisoner, a savior of my foolishness which almost cost the kingdom, so that I can die without any guilt."

Ereka showed a beautiful smile that only a person who gave up everything could show. Her smile was sad, emotional and beautiful.

"Your… Highness...."

"Princess..."

"I will let him take over after me. He is a strong, charming, and nice person, so he will do much better than myself, a foolish, inexperienced ruler."

"That is not true! Everyone admires you, Your Highness!"

Rittier shouted, but Ereka shook her head.

"They appreciate me trying, but they don't acknowledge what I've done."

"Princess."

"Okay? Take care of him when I'm gone. Promise me."

The two remained in silence. Ereka begged with her eyes for them to promise her.

"Yes... Your Highness..." Rittier took the order.

He wanted to stop her, but he couldn't.

"Oh… oh… but I don't want you to!" Jenna ran out crying.

"Jenna!"

Ereka ran after her.

Sungjin's door was broken open with loud noises. Jenna ran into his arms immediately.

"Sungjin Oppa! Oppa! Stop the princess! Save her..."

She cried her eyes out in his arms. She grabbed him thinking there was no one else she could trust.

"What's wrong?"

"Jenna, stop it."

Ereka, having caught up, grabbed Jenna.

"But like this, princess… Princess!"

"Rittier. Take Jenna away."

"Yes, Your Highness."

At Ereka's firm order, Rittier took Jenna away.

"No! Sungjin Oppa, Oppa. Save my princess...!"

Rittier dragged Jenna out as she struggled and shook her tail.

Ereka asked for Sungjin's forgiveness with an elegant bow.

"I'm sorry for this fuss this early in the morning."

"It's okay. But tell me what this is about."

Sungjin's eyes cooled rapidly. He had already predicted a half of Ereka's following words deduced from Jenna's shouts.

"Yes. I wanted to tell you something. Actually… there is an ending part to the summoning ritual that was used to bring you here."

"The latter..."

If they had kept it from him until now, it wasn't something good. Sungjin calculated immediately.

"It is the part where I decide to become a sacrifice. By sacrificing myself I am able to give you all my power."

His prediction came true.

"The legend says that the Outlander will get a unique class called the 7th unique class, a strength that is way over the normal range. It will give us a better chance against the Blood Ruler at the very least."

"So you want to kill yourself?"

"If you think that is the only way, I will. And I've already told everyone that I will entrust the kingdom to you. Please consider it."

Sungjin's brain started to calculate the benefits of Ereka's offer.

The 7th class.

There were unknown factors, but it was stronger than what he was now. He would have his own power to command others.

Followed with the foundation of this kingdom.

That was useful. That was very useful. It would be useful even after this battle.

The calculation was done rapidly.

But...

"No need."

Sungjin cut her off.

"Please consider it as a last resort."

"I said I don't need it. End of discussion."

"But the Blood Ruler is too strong. If we don't make it, people will suffer. This is a fight we can't lose."

"I agree. We can't let her win."

For those kids that they buried.

"So we need to consider my sacrifice as our last resort."

"No. I'll pretend as if I never heard that."

"Sungjin..."

Ereka sighed at Sungjin's strong rejection.

She wasn't trying to die gleefully. She didn't wish to be a ruler in the first place. But in order to go against the Blood Ruler's tyranny, she had no choice but to sacrifice herself.

But she had no regrets, and if he could understand that, he would understand this sacrifice she was trying to make.

"I know you want an honorable victory. But as a ruler, this is my decision to protect what I believe in. It is not you that is sacrificing me, it is me taking responsibility for my mistake. I want you to understand that."

Ereka sincerely told Sungjin with her hands on her heart.

"I know, while I was burying the children, I promised myself to protect people from that greedy evil force as well."

"Thank you."

"But still, my mind hasn't changed."

Sungjin shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Because you are on the top of the list."

That's why he refused her offer without hesitation. As soon as he heard the solution, he understood the necessity of it and how useful it could be.

But he didn't want it.

War required sacrifices, especially when the enemy was much stronger. That was the reality, the cold truth.

But he didn't want that powerful logic at the cost of another's life.

Moreover, he didn't want the girl he wanted to protect the most, the girl who was trying her best, to be sacrificed.

He was going to beat this weight of reality with his own power.

"I want to support your dreams as a ruler, but I also want to protect your happiness as a girl."

Killing a girl that he wanted to protect in order to win was not a victory to his liking.

"What? That… That is..."

"I'd rather want you to be a girl who cheers and lives delightfully than a holy martyr."

She was a ruler and a girl. Instead of holding one above the other, he wanted to embrace everything that she was and protect it.

Experiencing the abuse of greed and power once was enough. He didn't want her to experience it again. And the experience was bound to be several times worse when he saw her being torn apart by such forces with his own eyes.

He didn't need a second replicate of that.

"Bu… but..."

Ereka blushed. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn't look into his eyes.

"I want you to live."

Sungjin's words echoed in her head.

"It's not… Abuse… It's my choice… You don't need to try to protect me..."

"Are you going to sacrifice yourself when the enemy is weak? No, right? If we can win without your sacrifice, what would you really want to do? Answer me."

"I… I…"

With his questioning, her desires which she had been subconsciously suppressing started to emerge uncontrollably.

I want to live happily with you for a long time.

She would be overjoyed when he enjoys her food.

It would be delightful if they could go picnicking in the mountains and shores.

She would be satisfied waking him with the sunlight, with her flowers.

She had been happy to the point of fainting when he saved her in that desperate fight with the three knights.

And that was when she finally realised.

Oh… I… I... I love him...

That was why she was so happy to be with him. She was happy when she thought of him, and that was why she wanted to stay with him.

Although she knew how strong the Blood Ruler was, and how much they needed her sacrifice.

She wished to stay next to him and love him.

She was able to trust him with everything she had.

Because she had loved him even before she judged him a better king.

"Trust me and wait. I will protect you."

"Yes… Sungjin… I trust you."

Ereka ultimately nodded.

She knew how difficult it was, but she wanted to trust him… Because she loved him.

Thank you, Sungjin. Thank you so much for your promise.

I've felt true happiness, even if your words of protection against my own foolish mistakes are empty promises.

She was emotional to the point of tears brimming against her eyes.

"Good."

Sungjin gave her a gentle pat.