Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Nianbah succeeded in escaping his pursuers but didn’t survive. The poison eating away at his heart ultimately pushed him to the brink. In his final moments, he decided against using his remaining strength for himself. Instead, he poured everything into creating a guardian.

He completed the guardian just before his last breath. Nianbah embraced his wife and daughter one final time. They held him silently.

“Evryn… please take care of our daughter. I’m sorry to be leaving like this.”

Moments later, the newly-activated guardian opened its eyes. Its first sight was of Nianbah, resting peacefully.

「Initiating Guardian ‘Father’...」

「Mission: To protect Nianbah’s wife and daughter, ‘Evryn’ and ‘Alethea,’ from external threats.」

「As Alethea’s godfather, additional duties include her education and support as needed.」

The guardian’s voice was mechanical. Father was, in essence, a machine, without emotion, operating purely on logic. But anyone listening might have sensed an unsettling tone.

「I must ask: where are Evryn and Alethea, whom I am to protect?」

「I have detected only Nianbah’s remains and two unidentified bodies, presumed deceased for some time.」

「If Nianbah was alive when he created me, then logically, these bodies cannot be my protectees.」

...

「Answer me. Where are those I must protect? Were the Evryn and Alethea you saw alive?」

...

「Attempting 331,347th communication. Requesting termination of protection mission.」

「…No response from the master. Mission will continue.」

The recollection ended, and a system message appeared, asking whether we wanted to exit. Before us were two portals: a blue one leading out and a red one that went deeper. The choice was almost predetermined for our group.

“We’re going further in, right?”

“Absolutely.”

Everyone here was a hardcore gamer, drawn to higher difficulty, riskier adventures, and better rewards. Sulbbang was the first to move, and the rest of us followed, entering a new area as the screen momentarily darkened.

I found myself deeply unsettled by this dungeon’s story.

「Warning. I, Guardian ‘Father,’ am tasked with protecting this cradle.」

「Retreat. Further approach will result in forceful suppression.」

As we walked down the long corridor, flashes of red light flickered, accompanied by an alarm reminiscent of a real-world siren. There were no monsters in sight, just the sterile voice of the guardian.

「Intruder, what brings you here?」

「Evryn and Alethea are not here. I am a guardian with nothing left to protect.」

「Turn back. What remains here is only the deranged remnants of a madman’s regrets.」

「There is nothing here for you.」

I began to realize why this dungeon’s story bothered me.

A guardian born to protect nothing. A specter shackled to the past, devoid of meaning or purpose. A fool who poured his life into a hopeless cause. The parallels between us hit close to home, and my chest tightened.

Unthinkingly, I reached for the interface.

[Inbox - Permanent Storage]

[Sigma eSports] Player Recruitment Proposal

[AT] Proposal for Joining

[Q Prime] Team Offer

[青云] Professional eSports Contract

[Falcon] Player Contract Offer

I had been collecting these offers since winning the arena. Some had come even earlier. It took me ages to translate each one, but ultimately, I’d declined them all. Well, declined might be the wrong word, as the choice wasn’t really mine. Despite everything, the fact I had received these offers filled me with an odd, bitter pride. They were like trophies, reminders of a dream long abandoned.

I knew it was all foolishness. Clinging to things already lost. Like the guardian of this dungeon, I was bound by an impossible dream.

“Maybe it’s time to let go,” I murmured.@@novelbin@@

I knew that I should let go of my regrets about the sword and pursue a stable, conventional life. But would I still be me?

Clenching my daggers, I shoved those thoughts aside, burying my frustrations deep within. It was something I had become very good at. Unless I was literally holding a sword, I could suppress these feelings indefinitely.

The guardian hadn’t summoned any minions by the time we reached the open arena. We paused to assess the situation.

“Nothing unusual so far.”

“The arena’s big. Maybe it has some AoE gimmick?”

“Considering what’s come up so far, it seems like a straightforward boss.”

As soon as we stepped into the arena, the battle would begin. Now was the time to analyze as much as we could. My twitching rabbit ears, which had proven helpful, were active again.

Aside from its humanoid shape, standing about two meters tall, the guardian wielded dual swords. Floating weapons surrounded it. This was likely going to be a close-combat fight.

“Let’s stick to the basics. Sanse will monitor the map for patterns, Sulbbang will tank, and if needed, Turkel can cover with his berserk. We’ll regroup as necessary.”

“What about me?”

“You and I will figure it out as we go.”

That was all the preparation needed. I stepped forward, feeling an unusual tension in my grip on the daggers.

「You have arrived. Guardian ‘Father’ will fulfill its duty.」

「You are the first intruder since my activation.」

「I don’t understand. I have no purpose here. Why do you fight?」

I don’t know the answer to that.

The guardian raised its blades and faced Sulbbang. A spear flew from somewhere, clashing with his greatsword. The parry failed, but he pushed on. His health bar took a massive hit, though.

“Can you hold up?”

“Not even close!”

“Thought so.”

But what could we do? It’s the fate of close-combat fighters.

Since there wasn’t much I could do for Sulbbang’s health, I leaped onto his shoulder and vaulted upward, tying a rope to a beam supporting the ceiling. From this vantage, I could clearly see the battlefield.

The guardian’s sword glowed with a gray light, searing the ground red wherever it touched. If left unchecked, it would cook our frontlines to a crisp.

I hurled my dagger toward the guardian’s ankle and dropped down, targeting its neck.

[A Song of Valor resonates.]

[All attack power increased by 7%...]

[Caster: Sanse]

The thing about humanoids is that their weak points are pretty predictable. With the eyes placed high for better perception and the brain located near the eyes for efficient processing, the heart has to be central to pump blood effectively. If you design it like a human, you give it human weaknesses.

“Fall back!” I shouted.

Sulbbang and Turkel retreated as I plunged my daggers into the guardian’s neck. Shadowy blades rose to pierce its body, but my blades couldn’t break through its armor.

「Damage to some components detected. Initiating self-repair.」

「Reassessing highest threat level target.」

The floor shimmered with dark energy, and I immediately leaped back. A blade shot up from the ground where I had just stood, mimicking my own attack.

An ominous realization crept over me.

「Initial adaptation rate 4.41%. Classification: Assassin. Approx. height 5.12 feet. Weight…」

“What the hell? Shut up already!”