Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Serena's Play
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"Phew..."
Serena confirmed with her own eyes that the twin sisters had been defeated and slung her bow over her shoulder.
No point in providing covering fire anymore.
She'd done just enough—no more, no less—to let the twins fight without interference from the mage.
'I've confirmed Oppa’s affiliation...'
She had no intention of harming him even a little,
but unfortunately, he'd ended up on the opposing side.
It was good news that Sol and Sarika, her squadmates, were with him,
but she couldn't exactly run over wearing an Empire Army dog tag.
Serena decided to do her best from her current position.
Oppa would surely be happy with her for that.
"...Rena."
But that didn't make her heavy heart any lighter.
She'd aimed off to the side so it wouldn't hit him directly, but still...
"Serena. You listening?"
"Ah. Bridget..."
Bridget approached from behind. Like Serena, she was a first-year,
a female student armored in heavy plate so thick it completely hid her uniform.
"Let's head to the front lines too."
"Yeah. Go on ahead. I'll follow."
Serena had racked up over 100 points in just the second round, teaming up with the reliably defensive Bridget as an Empire Army player.
She'd moved with hope that Oppa was on the Empire side, but...
Now that she knew he was on the opposite...
Serena quietly nocked an arrow, aiming it at the back of Bridget's head.
"Don't beat yourself up over the twins losing. It wasn't your fault. Just head to the main force and lend them your strength—they'll all be thrilled."
"Yeah..."
Bridget knew her Oppa was Kim Sanghyeok.
Yet she didn't suspect a thing...
Didn't even consider she might turn around.
Serena couldn't bring herself to shoot an ally tank who trusted her so purely.
'I can't switch sides by hurting someone else...'
She truly loved Oppa,
but this time, she had no choice but to resent the gods for assigning them opposite roles.
"...Haa..."
"...Serena. You really like your Oppa, huh?"
Serena flinched.
"W-what? You knew?"
"Yeah. A tank has to sense attacks before anyone else."
Warrior Bridget. Database value: 1.13 million coins.
She possessed talents more specialized than anyone in "protecting allies." She'd noticed Serena's wavering long ago.
Pretended not to, that's all.
"Why didn't you do it?"
"...You've protected me all this time, Bridget. I couldn't repay that kindness with betrayal..."
"Your Oppa likes you a lot, right?"
"..."
Serena's cheeks flushed red.
"I hope so... We've actually been at odds for a long time until now."
"Lucky. I'm an only child. I've always wanted a reliable big brother."
"...Sorry for having those thoughts. Bridget."
"Nah. Family over friends."
Family. The warm resonance melted her heart.
"Good thing this is just a scenario play. Serena."
"Huh?"
"What if it wasn't?"
Bridget led the way, dropping the loaded words meaningfully.
"If betraying me meant your Oppa might actually die, you'd have to take me out, right?"
"..."
It was a razor-sharp point.
Not every high-rank dungeon forced faction wars,
but a horrific situation could arise where saving Oppa meant letting someone dear die.
"Ah, sorry. Old habit..."
"It's fine. I'm getting used to it."
Bridget always...
thought about the worst possible outcomes.
It was the secret to staying calm when things went south.
"The carriage is coming too~!"
"Yes! Advisor Bridget, ma'am!"
Serena and Bridget moved toward the main force, trailed by dozens of Empire Army NPCs and the prisoner wagon they commanded.
The main force was locked in a fierce bloodbath between Necromancer Cybele and Climbing Master Hilaria.
Other academy students fought hard too, but those two stood out.
They clashed like gods on the unstable chain-bridge map.
Bridget drew her medium shield, securing it tightly against her body, and took a deep breath.
"Secure the high ground, Serena. I'll protect you no matter who comes."
"...Sorry, Bridget."
"Serena?"
Serena stopped, a sad look on her face.
Sensing the shift, Bridget tensed.
She'd seen her comrade's power up close—had every reason to.
"Decided to go to your family after all?"
"I won't hurt you. We're comrades."
"I'm not some pushover who'll go down to a half-hearted attack. What now?"
If Serena betrayed her, Bridget had only one job:
Hold her back desperately so her sniper shot couldn't pierce Cybele, the heart of the Empire main force.
Tension crackled between them.
"I said, what if this wasn't a scenario?"
"Yeah."
"I know someone who'd do anything for her Oppa. I'm about to unleash that person."
"...?"
Serena shot the prisoner wagon's wheel with her bow, blowing it clean off.
The cargo tilted, the makeshift tarp fell away, and a hooded girl rose inside.
"Who...? No academy students among the prisoners!"
Bridget's shock was brief.
The girl threw back her hood, revealing brilliant blonde hair and red eyes.
Stella met Serena's gaze and grinned.
"Serena. You endured a long time. Me..."
"Good work."
Serena turned to Bridget.
"Didn't notice, huh? During the first round's 'Rebel Capture Operation,' I snuck her in."
"You let a rebel in? You've been betraying the Empire like a spy since then!?"
"Hah, bullshit."
Stella shone brightly amid the soggy prisoner NPCs.
"I was neutral from the start. Been killing rebels and Empire alike whenever I felt like it."
Neutral.
Stella was pure chaos, belonging nowhere. This type of academy student popped up occasionally.
In dungeons forcing faction rules, they'd go, "Wait? I'm not joining any faction?"
Rebels with extreme spirits.
Team play wasn't even an option; they'd hole up in weird spots during exchanges, burn themselves out, and drop out spectacularly.
This headache of an irregular was right here.
"It's less spying and more..."
Serena smiled brightly.
"A sisterly alliance for my beloved Oppa. I told her I'd let her know his faction and drop her at the best spot."
"...S-so..."
Release Stella here?
Bridget tensed hard. She knew Stella's reputation.
A magic caster with A-rank magic power, like Empire general Dihirit Ade.
Unleashing that asymmetric force here...
"So, Serena."
Stella casually tore open the wagon with a magic burst and stepped out.
Empire NPCs leveled spears at her, but she didn't blink.
"Which side's our Oppa on?"
"Rebels."
"You not coming, Serena?"
"I've already fired my shot. Gonna stick it out here to the end."
Stella stretched languidly.
"You're so dutiful, Serena. Could just ignore that and go help Oppa."
"...Keep calling him 'Oppa,' Stella. It's cute."
"Ah, ahem!! Onii-sama! I'll fight for Onii-sama's side."
"Stella, it's a rare exchange event. Don't you wanna farm some points?"
Serena knew she wouldn't listen, but said it anyway.
Stella snorted dismissively.
"Teaming with Onii-sama is priority. Even if he's D-rank now. Can't let him get hurt."
Straight to Onii-sama.
Abandoned as neutral from round one, she'd chased him with 0 points solely for his embrace.
"See, Bridget?"
Serena knew.
"I'm unleashing the reckless Stella. That's my choice."
"...Kuh."
Even the great Bridget couldn't handle an A-rank mage.
Tanks hated mages most.
Magic was unblockable, always hit, packed boosted damage—taking it head-on shattered your nose every time.
"Serena's playing Empire. I'll save Oppa."
"Fighting! Stella!"
"Got it?"
Stella wrapped herself in red lightning, declaring as she erased the blizzard and snowfield with her power.
"Move."
"...Can't let you. You'd wipe the Empire."
"You know it."
"And Serena's just gonna let it happen."
Nod.
Serena had unleashed a beast fixated on Oppa—no need to dirty her own hands.
"Yeah. This is best."
"Best? We're Empire! We have to stop this somehow."
"Clashing with a dangerous neutral criminal mid-op is a huge loss for the Empire, Bridget."
Serena emphasized Stella's neutral status again.
"If we do nothing, you and all the Empire here live,
but block her path and..."
"I'll roast you all."
"She's reckless. Let's just dodge? Farm points casually as Empire players."
"...Ugh..."
Capturing rebels gave Empire points.
But neutral criminal Stella, playing by her own rules at 0 points...
From a good scenario player's view, she was a bomb to avoid.
Fighting meant massive losses,
and winning gave no real reward.
A bomb headed for the Empire main force. Bridget had to admit it.
"You win, Serena..."
"Win? We both won!"
Serena gripped Bridget's hand tightly.
"Let Stella go, and we rest here? Gotta do round three together."
Her sweet, pretty smile charmed like We're still comrades♡.
Bridget unwittingly yielded the path, ensnared by the soul-stealing vixen.
"Smart thinking, Brig."
"..."
This scheming ability... unreal.
Bridget realized the worst had happened to the Empire.
Engineered by one mysterious black-haired beauty with a radiant smile.
'I'm already caught in her web.'
The Empire wasn't Bridget's homeland to defend.
Just a nation caught in the scenario...
So structurally, safer to stick by Serena, safely farm rebel points, and end the exchange fat.
Than clash with neutral A-rank thug Stella.
No choice but to see it.
In the end, Serena became an upstanding player to Oppa, spared Bridget harm, and indirectly aided him by releasing Stella.
She'd prepped all three from round one and nailed it.
Bridget couldn't stop marveling at Serena's pure profile.
"Took my brain a while to get it..."
"Scenario play has upsides, right?"
"Yeah."
The one relieved it was a scenario? Bridget.
A true patriot warrior would've fought Stella to the death.
The death-or-choice dilemma was hers.
Realizing that, Bridget shuddered inwardly.
'...Never make Serena an enemy.'
Stella crashed the battlefield.
With cataclysmic lightning...!!
KURURURUNG!!
"Guh!?"
Cybele panicked. An unknown neutral mage had seized the Empire rear.
'Can't pull out now!'
"Woo-hoo~ Reinforcements?"
Hilaria cackled vulgarly, charging Cybele.
"Cybele!! Right on!"
"G-grr! Fall back!"
"Win and I'll grope those tits!"
"Quit screwing around!?"
No army of undead could stand against demonic lightning.
"Bridget! Where's Bridget's unit!?"
Bridget's group didn't budge.
Cybele's vision spun, sensing foul play.
Right then.
Kim Sanghyeok returned.
"Gum-Gum Pistol Barrage!"
Bam-bam-bam!
[Empire-Rebel Ratio Collapse]
[Rebel Victory]
[Crown Holder - Kim Sanghyeok]
[Moving to Neutral Zone]
"Hilaria!! See you round three! You’re done for!"
"Haha! Our D-rank senior outdid your general?"
"Wrong team!"
The dungeon dismantled.
.........
This time, the full contribution rankings displayed, revealing the bottom too.
[34th: Stella - 0 pt]
"Why am I at 0 pt!? I just took out like twenty Empire guys! This game's rules are so messed up!"
Even as the dungeon collapsed, Stella stomped in protest.