"Hey, why are you always helping?"
I like it when people owe me favors. Because when I need help, I hope at least someone will...
But it's not as if I can say that.
"Just because... I want to."
----------------------------------------
I'm strong now.
I don't need it anymore. This trait that ruined my life...
I don't have to live off others' favors. To have to rely on others. I can defeat anyone who gets in the way.
Or so I thought.
Without it, I couldn't control anything, my strength, emotions, temper. Like a dam burst forth.
"Enough, Claud! That is enough! He's dead!"
Is this what it's like? I feel sick.
Things I didn't want to think about.
Rather than a brave hero saving his friend, the carnage must have resembled a monster's indiscriminate killings. No wonder the Gods didn't choose me.
Her trust in me will definitely dwindle. Witnessing violence like this, it's hard not to balk.
There's nothing I can say. I shouldn't have done it.
She's scared of me. That wasn't Claud Branford's doing. That was me.
I shouldn't have done it.
It took so much Willpower to overcome this Calculative trait... What a waste...
"You didn't do anything wrong. They were bad people!"
That's right... Sophie can see their statuses. She knows I killed bad people, so she isn't scared of me. Yeah, that makes sense.
Lucky...
She's so much smarter than them...
----------------------------------------
"Enough, Claud! That is enough! He's dead!"
Claud halted. Whether it was because my voice reached him or him regaining reason by himself, I do not know.
"Run! Murderer!" One man screamed, running away.
Claud stared blankly as the inn divulged into chaos. All across the inn, I could see people panicking. Some steeled themselves for a potential fight while some jumped from the 2nd floor to escape. His bloodied appearance does not give the impression of an innocent person. They already deemed him the perpetrator.
What do we do?
"Claud?"
He isn't responding, rather he kept murmuring something inaudible to himself. What is happening... His Willpower dropped suddenly. He was fine up till that moment. When the woman grabbed my arm. His Calculative trait didn't activate. The same sign that appears when he opposes his Foul-mouthed trait. He used so much Willpower to oppose his Calculative trait. Why would he resist it? It's not detrimental like the foul-mouthed trait. I don't understand...
Why isn't he responding?
Could it be that he is distraught because he had to kill people? No, Claud is tough. He has killed before. He isn't that fragile. Unless... Could that be possible? Without his Calculative trait... It might.
-A great understanding. Extrospective Eye levels up-
"... shouldn't have... I shouldn't have..."
I have to remain calm... Ughh... I mustn't cry.
The guards are being called.
I shook him as hard as I could.
"Wake up, Claud! We need to go!"
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Nothing abnormal shows on his status! What use is this skill!? A hero's skill is supposed to be special!
"You didn't do anything wrong. They were bad people!"
-Deception Successful-
I lied.
Only the lady was bad. I didn't get to see the guards' status. So, I couldn't possibly know the truth.
And Claud doesn't need to know.
The thumping of heavy metallic footsteps could be heard.
"Found them!"
One guard found the gory scene and called over the rest.
"Drop your blade!"
Their statuses, I observed them all.
Crooked, twisted, malicious, all different kinds of evil. But there was one that they shared.
[Demonic Traces. Humans who have sold their souls to the Demon King for salvation.]
"Claud, they have the demonic trait!"
"Alright." He replied solemnly.
-Claud's Willpower: 8/52-
What am I saying? It's alright to kill them because they've given themselves to the other side, is what I implied.
This isn't what a Hero is supposed to be. I'm not just supposed to defeat the Demon King.
Claud slashed and slashed again. His expression hardened.
The torrent of demons was too much. The entire town had succumbed. No, not just the town, an even larger scope than that. No crops, poisoned water. Since the eternal night fell, the world was already under siege.
Together, Sophie and Claud fled. Fending off hundreds of former humans. Without any belongings, Claud ran as hard as his heart could pump, carrying Sophie on his back.
What greeted them in the ever-dark skies was a plume of ash and fire billowing from the East.
The technological Empire, set ablaze resembled a sea of fire. A giant monster with numerous limbs clambered over the remains. An indomitable creature.
[Class: ?
Skills: ?
Stat
?99
?89
?99
?78
?09]
Sophie looked to Claud for direction. He fell clutching his leg, bleeding. And undeniably, that was an expression of pain.
She tried healing the wound, the blackened flesh would not kindly react to holy magic.
-Insufficient Heal level-
The boy's eyes were closing.
"Claud! Wake up! You need to use your own healing too! Together we can-"
[Claud Branford
Personality: Calculative (Core), Empathy (Add), Camouflage
Skills: (...)
Strength: 46/NA
Vitality: 35/NA
Dexterity: 46/NA
Intelligence: 68/NA
Luck: 70/NA]
The boy sat in silence. It was a useless endeavor. His leg no longer functioned. Words were no longer needed. His eyes met hers, and she recognized his resignation.
Realizing what this meant, she collapsed on her bum too, not out of exhaustion or pain.
"What are you doing, idiot? Run."
-Claud's Willpower: 7/52-
Sophie ignored him.
"Hey! Stupid! You need to get out of here..."
-Claud's Willpower: 6/52-
Sophie stared wistfully at her surroundings, but mostly at her only friend.
"You're scared, right, Claud? To die alone."
He didn't dignify that with an answer.
"I can see your lips quivering. Your eyes are shaking all over the place too..."
They sat as Sophie witnessed the giant creature approaching them by trampling the remnants of the city.
"HeeEEY!!! LEAveeEE!"
Claud screamed with his remaining energy, frantically throwing whatever was nearby him at her. Rocks, twigs, leaves, dirt.
-Claud's Willpower: 5/52-
"I'm sorry. I can't leave you... I... Don't want to die alone either... I don't think I'd survive without you..." Was all Sophie could say back.
-Foul-mouthed trait-
"Stubborn, stupid mule... @$$#%" Claud cursed his heart out.
Sophie stayed regardless of the verbal abuse hurled at her. She went over and sat closer in fact. The words may have been harsh but the emotions behind it lacked the spite and maliciousness to hurt her.
Humanity was about meet its end.
Despite that, her heroic spirit didn't fire up in retaliation. She relented.
Humanity would meet its end with her as the last hero.
Instead, she focused on Claud. Learning more about him.
"Your stats are exactly double mine... Isn't that cheating, Claud?"
The boy did not reply, the tears in his eyes burning with something.
"Claud, back in the inn, you resisted your trait to kill them..."
Sophie changed the topic.
Inevitably he nods.
"Did you think it would have been better to measure the situation?"
He nods again.
"Why did you do it then?" She asked, calm and collected.
After careful consideration, and selectively choosing his words, Claud spoke.
"... I couldn't have let them take you... Your stats are still about a normal person's level. You could get hurt. Even for a moment, I didn't want to let that happen."
-Claud's Willpower: 4/52-
"Against your better judgment, you wanted to save me... Ahahaha... Maybe you should've been the Hero instead... Were you scared? Fighting without your trait."
"I was- Urk..." Blood gushed from his throat and he continued talking. "... scared you'd hate me. It was too gruesome."
-Claud's Willpower: 3/52-
"Don't worry. I never was truly afraid of you."
Sophie clutched his hand, reassuring him.
"That's... nice to hear..."
Sophie giggled, seeing Claud finally give in. However, the laughter quickly died down. The end was near.
-Claud's Willpower: 2/52-
The multi-eyed creature closed in, shadow from the flames behind it blanketing Claud and Sophie...
In these last moments, Sophie spoke.
"I regret..."
A colossal limb hung above them.
"Being the Hero-"
"You were a great hero. I don't regret choosing you... I have no regrets."
Claud interjected.
-Claud's Willpower: 1/52-
-Deception Successful-
'I don't regret choosing you... My only regrets are...'
The monster's giant coiling limb rose high into the sky.
'Not making you stronger, tougher, faster, smarter, luckier-'
The limb descended rapidly.
'But most of all-'
There was no room to escape.
'Happier...'
Sophie and Claud held hands, each repeating a desperate prayer.
'Live, Claud.' Both wished. 'Live, Sophie.'
God. Demon King. Whoever it is, please... Let her live... I'll do anything...
-Claud's Willpower: 0/52-
-Sophie's Willpower: 0/26-
QUEST FAILED