BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BOOM!
The long wooden pole was smashed apart by a slight strike from his left elbow, leaving a pile of dust on the ground.
Grim stared at the broken pieces and then at his physique. For a normal human, his physique was totally abnormal. The more familiar he became with the body, the more he marveled at it.
It was at its absolute peak. Even though the wound didn’t heal immediately, in three days it was as good as new, leaving behind only a small scar. The strength generated by his bare hands could punch through a wall.
While it was marvelous, it certainly raised quite a number of concerns.
Why and how?
What was the secret behind this power?
He had asked around and learned that Grim spent most of his time training and practicing weird moves. Even the loss of his memories didn’t affect his routine.
This raised another concern.
How was he able to continue the same thing after losing his memory? Thinking about it, the answer he reached was that there might be something left by the original person to cope with the memory loss.
He had been searching for it but hadn’t found anything at all. Either someone had sabotaged it already or he might have hidden it.
’Just where is it?’
’Just what game are you playing? Why is there so much suspense around you?’
’For fuck’s sake, you’re just a minor villain, not an endgame boss.’
He made sure to note it down and had been trying to find the usual things Grim did when he remembered that this bastard had a habit of visiting gambling dens.
’Why am I feeling that there is a clue left behind in the den?’
The premonition was becoming increasingly suffocating.
He then turned to look at Mina standing straight and holding a tray with a stoic expression. Grim walked toward her and snatched the towel before wiping away the sweat.
Mina gave Grim a look and clicked her tongue. It was barely audible, but Grim still heard it.
"What?" His gaze deepened.
"I don’t understand. Why are you practicing inside the room instead of going out and that too while you’re shirtless?" Mina glared.
She stared at those hardened abs, the slim lines accentuated by webs, followed by his wide back and thick shoulders. She wanted to say, "Are you testing me?" but swallowed the words.
Grim gave her a slight glance before speaking. "Too bothersome."
"The number of eyes glaring at me is annoying. I fear I won’t be able to control myself and gouge those pretty eyes." Grim’s lips curled upward with a sinister grin, making Mina frown.
"Prepare my bath."
"Did you forget that I am not your real maid?" Mina groaned.
Grim paused and gave her a sharp look.
"Any difference?"
The contest of glares continued, but Mina started to tremble the longer she looked at those ashen eyes that were becoming increasingly violent.
Her heart pounded in disbelief. She lowered her gaze and walked away, swiftly turning on her heel. Grim nodded in satisfaction.
Moments later, he stepped into the warm water of the tub that washed away the faint itch from his skin.
Letting the warm water soothe his body, he picked up a small pocket diary and searched through the notes of the events.
"There isn’t anything speci... Wait... 27... 27..." He thought for a moment but then shook his head.
The game occurred in a series of Acts. He had played up to the fourth Act but wasn’t able to finish the fourth Act because it sucked.
The first Act began with the protagonist coming in contact with transcendent powers. To survive and protect his family, he chose to step in.
As for Lineage, it was decided by the player, but the default one was the Light Lineage.
The main heroines of the first playthrough were Silvia, Mina and Meloni.
The term heroine here didn’t mean love interest because this wasn’t some fluffy romance book. It was a dark fantasy where people died.
Unlike others, he wasn’t someone with grand ambitions.
Save the world and all that...
Fuck those agendas.
As someone who had been struggling every day due to the apocalypse, he wanted to have a lazy and peaceful life, lazing around.
But for all that, he needed money and more than that, he needed power... Immense power. His only goal was to live and not waste the chance. Regarding the hidden motives and mystery about how he arrived and all that, he would uncover it slowly to understand the grand schemes he might have been embroiled in.
For Simon, who had to guard borders and contend in battles with endless numbers of mindless hordes of brainless zombies, the life he was living was certainly peaceful. If not for the daggering eyes and ominous atmosphere following him around, it was still better than nothing.
Such mental strain was manageable. Despite this, he wasn’t complacent and reminded himself every day that this was just the calm before the storm.
By releasing Silvia, he had managed to change the outcome of his death already. The other plans were already in motion. Until it was time to act, he preferred to stay in his room, not wanting to look at his rotten family.
Apparently, the youngest sister, who was the only source of warmth, returned to the academy after meeting him. She had only come to check on him after hearing about the suicide attempt. Apparently, every time Grim made a suicide attempt, Melissa would rush to his side to check on him and coax him.
She would stay for a few days, but this time, finding him quite stable and sane, she left early.
The eldest sister was in the army of the Royal Knights, so she was absent. His mother had gone out for some business, leaving the bothersome father who was causing him an immense headache.
It was a normal day for him until the Duke gave him a call.
*********
Grim stood before the table, staring straight at the man before him, who for some reason seemed to be looking at him with a softened gaze unlike previously.
Grim raised his brows as he looked at the man, who seemed to be content for some reason yet was trying to hide it.
"You did well."
"???"
Grim failed to understand the matter. "I did what?"
Aster paused for a moment and looked up at the hateful face of his son.
"I am talking about the incident with the commoner."
Grim’s face flashed with a hint of realization.
"Hmm!" Aster nodded and sat back comfortably.
"You acted in line of sight, showing the commoner his place while creating a strong effect. That’s what should be expected of Wargrave."
"Unyielding, strong and prideful."
Grim’s face darkened upon hearing this. For some reason, the praise pricked his heart, but he decided to bury it.
"I did what I needed to at the moment. There was nothing more and nothing less than that."
"Still, knowing you, it could have been ugly if you had killed the person. In fact, if it was Meloni or Marcus, they would have beaten them at their own game without raising a finger."
"Are you saying that they could have handled it better?"
Aster’s leisurely face disappeared as he heard the voice. He felt a deadly chill permeate the room.
He met Grim’s eyes, which refused to yield.
The look answered without a single thought.
It was yes. They might have handled it better.
"Did you call me for this only? To say that I acted well but others could have done better?"
Aster swallowed, but his gaze hardened as he leaned forward.
"No, I called you because I saw that you are finally getting out of the pathetic state you have been portraying these past few years."
"So?"
"Since you brought a gun, I presume you want to have experience."
"You don’t need to concern yourself with that." Grim cut him off.
"I wouldn’t, but now I need to because you can’t leech off the family and waste the resources." Aster then grabbed a letter and threw it to Grim, who caught it between his fingers.
"What is this?"
"Read."
[FROM: His Imperial Majesty, Monarch of Atlanta
TO: His Grace, Duke Aster Wargrave.
SUBJECT: Urgent Military Assistance & Insurgency Suppression in Oakhaven
Your Grace,
Reports from the eastern province confirm that remnants of the Liberation Front, bolstered by rogue mercenary cells, have consolidated within the fortified city of Oakhaven. Local garrisons have proven insufficient to break their hold, and public order is deteriorating rapidly.
By royal mandate, House Wargrave is hereby requested to dispatch a military envoy and tactical force to assist the Crown in pacifying Oakhaven, liquidating the rebel command structure, and restoring absolute imperial control.
Given the sensitive nature of the border adjacent to your domain, swift and decisive action is required. We expect House Wargrave’s signature ruthlessness in concluding this matter.
[Imperial Seal of Atlanta]