Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game?

Eden furrowed her brows as she stared at the man’s hair, which was a faint pink color, as soft as cotton candy.

There were no characters in this game with pink hair. That meant he wasn’t the High Priest or one of the princes. Disappointment and curiosity surged within Eden at the same time.

“Haa… Ugh…!”

The man lay sprawled on the floor, unable to even lift his head, his body twitching as if in agony. Just watching him was enough to make Eden feel uneasy.

She tried to get a look at his face, but he was facedown, making it impossible to see.

“Ahhh!”

The man clenched his fists and let out a pained scream, startling Eden so much that she flinched.

“Ugh…!”

Though he tried to stifle it, he couldn’t stop himself from vomiting blood. As he coughed, dark crimson liquid splattered onto the floor—at the same time, the entire castle trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

Boom—!

The sudden tremor threw Eden off balance, and she collapsed onto the floor. However, the deafening sound of the castle shaking seemed to have masked her presence, as the man hadn’t noticed her.

Despite the upheaval, the castle itself didn’t crumble. The only thing that changed was the man’s increasingly ragged breathing.

“Hah… Hah…”

Eden covered her mouth with trembling hands, forcing herself to remain silent as she struggled to get back on her feet. Whatever was happening, she needed to leave before the man discovered her presence. It was unfortunate, but there was nothing she could do.

Just as she was about to retreat before another tremor struck—

Ding.

The familiar notification sound froze Eden in place.

Here…?

With a shocked expression, Eden slowly turned her head. Through the slightly open door, she could see the glowing system window.

A notification window appearing in a place like this was completely unexpected. Holding her breath, Eden shifted her gaze through the gap in the door.

A translucent window shimmered above the still-writhing man.

Eden’s breath caught in her throat as she read the profile.

Hegenti?

“…….”

Her gaze darted back to the man. The pink-haired figure had stopped groaning and lay motionless, seemingly unconscious.

…That’s Hegenti?

Even after seeing the system window, she couldn’t believe it. Her mind reeled as if an earthquake had struck inside her own head.

She still hadn’t seen his face, but the man did not look old at all. He was completely different from the image she had in her mind of what a grand sorcerer should be.

Eden had instinctively assumed Hegenti was an elderly sage, but now she realized—she had never actually seen an illustration of him.

Her heart pounded so wildly it felt like it might burst.

In other words, she had found Hegenti—before his rampage began.

“…….”

But what now?

She had never expected to encounter Hegenti like this, and her mind went completely blank.

Just then—

“Hah…”

The man, whom she had assumed was passed out, exhaled a faint breath.

“!”

Eden held her breath, tensing as she watched him. Still lying facedown, he slowly extended his hand. A brief flicker in the air signaled that he was summoning something—before a small object dropped into his outstretched palm.

It was a dagger with a blade so sharp it gleamed menacingly.

“……?”

Eden couldn’t even blink as she watched, utterly unable to predict what he was about to do.

A terrible premonition prickled at the back of her mind. Sweat formed on her palms, but the atmosphere was so still and suffocating that she didn’t dare to wipe it away. Barely breathing, she kept her eyes locked on Hegenti.

With the dagger firmly in his grasp, he slowly pushed himself up. His previously hidden face finally emerged into view.

“…….”

Eden stopped breathing the moment she saw him.

His pale face, slick with sweat, was startlingly youthful. The dark blood smeared around his lips only made his delicate features more striking—he looked no older than Asmun.

Fifty years of seclusion? That seemed impossible.

No, his elegant features straddled the fine line between boyhood and manhood, clear and vibrant despite his suffering.

Slightly wavy light pink hair, exhausted yet sharp gray eyes that barely managed to focus on the air—

Even drenched in sweat, his flawless face rivaled that of Asmun or any of the other capture targets. Despite the dire situation, Eden couldn’t help but inwardly admit that he was absurdly good-looking.

As she stared at him, almost entranced, Hegenti let out a faint, ragged breath and raised the dagger high above his head.

Eden frowned, watching him closely.

“……!”

At that moment, Eden realized what Hegenti was about to do. The tip of the dagger in his grip was aimed precisely at his own heart.

Eden’s trembling gaze darted back to Hegenti’s face. He was about to commit an irreversible act, yet his expression was eerily blank, as if he had already accepted everything—as if he was truly ending it all.

Just as Hegenti was about to plunge the dagger into his heart, Eden couldn’t hold back any longer. She burst into the room and threw herself onto Hegenti, grabbing his hand and toppling over with him.

Thanks to her interference, the dagger barely missed his heart, skidding off-course. Instead, Hegenti’s body collapsed beneath her.

“……!”

Hegenti’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden impact. Eden, now atop him, tightly grasped his wrist, refusing to let go of the dagger.

“Suicide is not an option!”

Eden shouted fiercely, staring directly into Hegenti’s wide, bewildered eyes. The idea that he would kill himself—this could very well be the catalyst that triggered his berserk state.

If he lost control here, everything would be over.

“If you die…”

Her hands trembled as she gripped his wrist tightly, biting her lip. His remarkably clear gray eyes were strikingly vivid, so alive.

No—he was alive.

“…….”

Eden’s heart pounded violently. Truthfully, leaving him alone might have been the better choice. If Hegenti were to die here, the chances of her successfully clearing the game would increase.

His berserk state was merely a possibility, and the story was constantly shifting. If Hegenti actually died here, the rampage might never happen.

But somehow, she couldn’t just let it happen.

Even knowing he was merely a game character, she couldn’t stand by and watch him die.

Even if she immediately regretted her impulsive actions.

“…….”

Snapping back to her senses, Eden fully grasped what she had just done.

Unlike her, Hegenti hadn’t yet processed the situation—he simply stared at her, clearly stunned.

“…….”

His gaze dropped to his right wrist, which was still tightly held by Eden.

The moment Eden realized this, she hurriedly let go. But as soon as she did, his face twisted in pain.

“Ugh…!”

Overwhelmed by another surge of agony, Hegenti clutched his chest, but almost instinctively, his hand shot out—grabbing Eden’s wrist instead.

This time, Eden was the one who gasped.

“Ah…!”

A sharp shock ran up her arm, almost as if she had been electrocuted. His grip, completely different from his delicate features, was frighteningly strong.

Eden’s mind flashed back to Hegenti’s stats.

Ninety-nine? She had never seen such a stat before. It was only now that she fully understood just how dangerous her situation was.

This was the strongest sorcerer in the Empire.

A shiver ran down Eden’s spine.

“This is…”

She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

Hegenti, still clutching her hand as if it were a lifeline, suddenly lost consciousness.

“…Hah…”

Eden let out a choked breath, staring at him in shock.

Even unconscious, his grip didn’t loosen.

“…….”

Hegenti appeared to have completely passed out. However, his expression was finally peaceful, as if his suffering had momentarily ended.

Yet, despite that, his face—drenched in blood and sweat—somehow looked pitiable.

Pitiable? Hegenti?

The grand sorcerer who would one day destroy the Empire?

Eden blinked in disbelief.

More than the fact that she had entered the game, the fact that she had found Hegenti was what truly felt unreal.

And on top of that, this Hegenti was young, incredibly beautiful, and far from the image she had imagined.

Eden suddenly recalled the real reason she had chosen this game in the first place—because of its breathtaking illustrations.

And clearly, there were no exceptions.

As she remained frozen in place, overwhelmed by the chaotic situation unfolding before her, she suddenly heard a familiar sound.

Ding.

Ding.

She barely had the energy left to be surprised as she lifted her head—only to see a notification window floating in the air.

Magic 30?

Eden’s dazed eyes widened in shock.

Still stunned, she glanced down at the bottom window.

And on top of that—a Hidden Quest?

Eden’s gaze shifted back to Hegenti.

The pink-haired sorcerer lay completely still, his eyes closed.

This young sorcerer… was really Hegenti.