I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 64

Evangeline had collapsed and fainted.

It was understandable. Her whole body was injured, and she had continued to fight in that state. It was a wonder she hadn’t fainted sooner.

I took off my cloak and covered Evangeline’s body with it. It was getting chilly. I needed to start a fire.

“Firewood and… where did my torch go?”

I saw the blue flame torch lying on the ground over there. It was still burning well, not extinguished at all.

I picked up the torch and drew a few large circles above my head.

It was a signal that we were safe. Damian would recognize it.

Then, a moment later,

Flash!

A light flashed from the castle. It meant they had received our signal.

And then, the signal that followed was,

Flash. Flash. Flash.

Three flashes.

It was a signal that the defense was successful. Fortunately, they seemed to have done well on their end too.

“Hoo…”

Only then did I feel a little relieved.

Because I had relaxed, all the strength drained from my body. I barely managed to stand on my swaying legs.

It seemed this situation was finally coming to an end.

‘I really scraped the bottom of the barrel…’

My last two insurance policies were:

One was Damian’s support fire.

The distance from here to Crossroads was about 12km along the road. In a straight line, it was roughly 10km.

Considering that the longest sniper record on Earth was 3.5km, a request for 10km of support fire was insane.

Before even being visible, the bullet physically couldn’t reach that far.

But Damian could shoot and hit if it was within his sight. The correction of [Clairvoyance] far exceeded the level of common sense.

‘Even so, I can’t ask him to do this multiple times.’

Just firing that one shot must have put a tremendous burden on Damian. Still, I asked. Because it was that urgent.

Just one shot.

I decided to signal with a blue torch after sunset so that Damian could easily recognize it.

The result was, well, excellent. I’d have to praise him a lot when we got back.

‘And the last insurance policy is…’

I gathered firewood, lit it with the torch, and glanced to the side.

Evangeline, who had lost consciousness and collapsed, was sleeping, making a soft, wheezing sound.

This girl was my last insurance policy.

To be precise, Evangeline’s exclusive set equipment buried here was my insurance policy.

I carefully removed the spear and shield from Evangeline’s hands. Options appeared before my eyes.

[Cross Family Spear (SR) Lv.30]

– Category: Cavalry Spear

– Attack Power: 25-30

– Durability: 3/30

– Exclusive weapon for the character ‘Evangeline Cross’.

– True power is released upon upgrade.

[Cross Family Shield (SR) Lv.30]

– Category: Shield

– Defense Power: 25-30

– Durability: 2/30

– Exclusive armor for the character ‘Evangeline Cross’.

– True power is released upon upgrade.

> Set Effect: Cross Family Heir (2/2)

– Exclusive set effect for the character ‘Evangeline Cross’.

– When the character equips both items simultaneously, they acquire the exclusive trait ‘Crossroads’.

All SSR-grade characters have their own ‘exclusive equipment’.

Usually, it’s equipment that has a story-related connection with the character, and it comes with exclusive traits or effects.

It either maximizes the character’s strengths or, conversely, covers their weaknesses.

‘That’s why SSR characters are especially good.’

In terms of character performance alone, there are many excellent heroes even in the SR grade, but because of the presence or absence of this exclusive equipment, SSR-grade characters inevitably become stronger.

So, what is Evangeline’s exclusive trait—this [Crossroads], which is the same as the city’s name?

[Crossroads]

– A trait that has bloomed from the accumulated legacy of the Cross family, who have killed monsters and protected people.

– Allows you to identify the optimal path in any combat environment and move accordingly.

– Continuously consumes MP when activated.

The path the Cross family has walked.

The accumulated experience of all the previous Cross family members. It was a culmination that bloomed in Evangeline’s generation.

It allows you to always make the best move in any combat environment.

‘Evangeline said she could see the path ahead.’

The explanation is complicated, but it’s basically a self-buff. If you turn on this mode, combat efficiency increases by about two times.

Evangeline herself doesn’t have a large mana pool, so she can’t maintain it for long.

‘In the game, it was just a set of equipment that you automatically got when you obtained Evangeline and her loyalty was high.’

In this playthrough, I never thought he’d bury it in her father’s grave. I was shocked when I first saw him bury it.

But since she was going to leave this front line anyway, I left it alone… but with the situation like this, there’s no other choice. I have to use everything.

‘Thanks to that, I was able to finish the battle.’

I glanced at the Cross Margrave’s grave, where the side was dug out messily. But you won’t be angry, right? Since it was to save your daughter.

“Aigoo, my back.”

Fatigue washed over my body. A subtle pain spread through my shattered left arm.

It would really hurt if I got proper treatment later.

‘I wonder if the city side is okay.’

I could see flames rising from the city walls in the distance.

Although the signal said they had done well, it seemed the battle wasn’t completely over yet. They were probably dealing with the remaining golem remnants.

‘…They’ll do fine.’

Objectively and coldly speaking, the city’s forces were sufficient.

There were Lucas, Jupiter, Lily, and Damian.

And there was a lot of siege equipment and artifacts that had been prepared with blood and sweat over the past two weeks. The wall repair was also complete.

They would have done well even without me.

I had to believe that.

I had to trust my party members.

‘Let’s rest for a bit…’

I reached out towards the fire, and I started to doze off.

Fatigue was crashing in like a wave…

***

I have a dream.

In the dream, I see a child lying on a hospital bed.

Wearing an oxygen mask, with a closely shaved head, and eyes closed in sleep.

Beep- Beep-

A regular mechanical sound rings in my ears.

I stand next to the bed, quietly looking down at the child.

Beep- Beep-

Only the mechanical sound repeatedly pounds in my ears.

Beep- Beep-

Beep- Beep-……

***

“Huck!”

I woke up with a start.

It was still dark, so it was still night. The stars were shining brightly, so it seemed some time had passed.

“Huh.”

I felt warm, so I turned around and found a cloak covering my shoulders. Wasn’t this the one I had put on Evangeline?

“You’re awake.”

A nonchalant voice came from in front of me.

When I looked, it was Evangeline. She was limping as she gathered firewood from around the area. When did she wake up?

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel a bit better after getting some sleep. I’m not about to die… How about you, Senior?”

“I’m feeling light as a feather, considering I just took down 50 golems.”

I smiled wryly, enduring the throbbing pain in my left arm. Evangeline snorted.

“You don’t have to act tough.”

“Is that something you should be saying?”

“Hmph…”

Evangeline threw the firewood she had gathered into the fire. The flames quickly grew stronger, spreading warmth in all directions.

Evangeline put her hands deep into the pockets of her ruined jacket and exhaled. Haaa…

“Will we have to spend the night here?”

“Probably. We can’t go back until the situation in the city is over.”

“I wonder if the others are okay…”

“They’ll be better off than us. Don’t worry.”

Just then, a thunderous rumble came from Evangeline’s stomach.

Almost at the same time, a faint gurgling sound came from my stomach.

“…”

“…”

Evangeline stared at me. What? What is it, you brat?

“I’m hungry.”

“Me too.”

“Senior, you’re really good at cooking.”

“You also graduated from the academy, so you must have learned how to make camp food, right?”

Then, Evangeline raised her hand sharply.

“Scissors.”

“Huh? No, really? Are you really going to decide with that?”

“Rock.”

“Wait, wait! I don’t know the rules in this area, but here too, does rock beat scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beat rock?!”

“Paper!”

I put out rock, and Evangeline put out paper.

“Hehe.”

Evangeline shrugged her shoulders triumphantly.

Damn it! I was too caught up in thinking that the rock-paper-scissors rules might be different from Earth, and that was my mistake. They’re the same!

Grumbling, I headed to the villa, rummaged through the kitchen cabinets, grabbed a few things, and returned to the fire.

“Here.”

What I brought was a glass and a bottle of whiskey.

And a bag of dried fruit. Evangeline didn’t hide her disappointment.

“Is that all?”

“Be grateful that even this much is left in this mess.”

The liquor is mine, and the fruit bag is yours.

Evangeline took the dried fruit bag, quickly took one out, put it in her mouth, and then spat it out in horror.

“Ugh, ptooey! It’s awful! What is this!”

“It’s the fruit your father harvested.”

At my words, Evangeline froze in the position she was spitting.

“You were chewing on that every day, Margrave.”

“…Really, he was stubbornly stubborn. Our old man.”

Evangeline took out another piece of dried fruit, hesitated, and then threw it back into her mouth.

“… !”

Her face turned red, then crumpled and smoothed out repeatedly, but she finally managed to swallow it without spitting it out.

“Ugh… it’s awful…”

Evangeline stuck out her short tongue and panted, then gestured towards the glass in my hand.

“Give me a drink too. My mouth is bitter, so I need to drink something.”

“This is alcohol? You’re a minor.”

“Who cares? I almost died.”

Evangeline looked strangely determined.

“You said it earlier, Senior. To do everything I haven’t done before. To not regret it and waste my life.”

“…”

“I know now. It’s stupid to hold back when there’s something I want to do. I won’t hesitate anymore and will do whatever I feel like doing.”

Evangeline waved her hand towards the glass.

“Oh, come on, just give it to me!”

“You’re still wet behind the ears and already acting so brazen…”

I clicked my tongue and poured a small amount of alcohol into the glass and handed it over.

“Just one sip.”

Evangeline took the glass, closed her eyes tightly, and downed it in one go. Oh, well done.

“Puhah!”

She made a strange sound as she exhaled, as if she had seen it somewhere. This liquor is strong, is she okay?

“It’s really… disgustingly awful!”

“Well, yeah.”

“The fruit, the alcohol, they both taste terrible.”

Evangeline handed the glass back to me and put her hand on her forehead.

She was already getting drunk from her first drink, and her face quickly turned flushed.

“Did Dad eat and drink this every day?”

“…”

“Did he protect this city for three years in that state?”

“Even if you have to chew on dirt and drink dust, even if you want to run away without looking back, not running away and doing your job every day.”

I poured alcohol into the returned glass and chuckled.

“That’s what an adult is.”

“I don’t want to be an adult.”

“Haha. You’re saying cute things.”

But Neverland doesn’t exist in the world, and all Peter Pans have to let Tinkerbell go.

Everyone becomes an adult.

I didn’t voice such a cruel truth. It was something the girl in front of me had to realize on her own.

With her flushed cheeks cupped in her hands, Evangeline began to mumble in a slurred voice.

“…Yeah, actually. I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That Dad secretly left the house every night and spent the night here in front of Mom’s grave… I knew.”

Evangeline slowly turned her head. The Margrave couple’s tombstones stood side by side.

“Even if he went to inspect the forward base instead of the funeral, even if he didn’t cry out loud, he was wailing in his heart. I knew that Dad was that kind of person.”

Evangeline’s small hands slowly covered her small face.

“I still hate Dad. So, I wish he was alive in front of me. So I could hate him as much as I want. I wish he had given me the chance to be a bad daughter, and then got angry and scolded me for it.”

“…”

“I hate everything now. Hating alone, missing him alone. I just…”

Her monologue soon turned into a child’s whimper.

“I miss you…”

“…”

“Mom, Dad… I miss you…”

Evangeline began to sob quietly.

I didn’t comfort Evangeline. I left her to cry alone.

In this cold world. In this harsh world.

In the future, she would have to endure while chewing on dirt and drinking dust.

Because it was Evangeline herself who had to become an adult and live alone…

“I miss you, Dad…”

Evangeline, who had been sobbing, eventually fell asleep, drunk. She was crouched down, her head buried in her knees.

After putting my cloak back on the back of the child, I picked up the bottle and glass and stood up.

I went to the Margrave couple’s tombstones, opened the bottle, and poured alcohol on the tombstones.

“…”

I poured the remaining alcohol into the glass and swallowed it. Feeling the heat rising inside me, I slowly turned my body to the east.

The eastern sky was turning a hazy white. It was almost dawn.

Clatter, clatter…

Under the brightening dawn sky, I could see my soldiers running along the road in the distance.

I grinned and waved my hand widely. I could see relief flash across Lucas’s face, who was riding the lead horse.

And so, another stage was coming to an end.