Vol. 4 Ch. 21

Leon and Rosvisser dashed through the dark corridors of the ancient castle, eventually finding refuge in the cellar, where it was relatively safer. They leaned against the wall and slowly slid down, taking a moment to catch their breath.

Rosvisser glanced at Leon after a brief silence. “Are you really another lone wolf?”

Leon pressed his lips together before nodding. “Yes.”

The Queen closed her eyes with a sigh. “I cleared your name for nothing. If I’d known, I would’ve let them vote you out.”

“Your Majesty, there's a red demon out there hunting down our entire family. Maybe we should focus on teaming up to take her down first?”

Leon was beginning to understand the feeling he had once imposed on those defeated Dragon Kings in the past—a deep sense of helplessness at the final, desperate moment. Isha’s sharp mind combined with her role as the **[Doctor]** made her nearly unstoppable in this game, leaving him no choice but to constantly flee with his wife to stay out of her reach.

“I think my sister’s using those antidotes she gave us along with the **[Meeting’s Over]** card to execute long-range kills.”

“Plus, with her **[Doctor]** identity, her kill cards probably work specifically with the antidote. Which means… anyone who took that antidote at the beginning has no escape from her hunting them down. It’s only a matter of time.”

Rosvisser’s voice was heavy. Even though it was just a game, being cornered like this left a bitter taste.

“I didn’t take that antidote.”

“What?”

Leon pulled a small, transparent box from his pocket, revealing an orange-flavored candy inside.

Rosvisser looked at the candy. “If you didn’t take it, then how did you avoid the contagious disease?”

“With the **[Mint Tea]** you gave me.”

Leon tossed the candy aside. “Good thing I was cautious, or I might’ve been eliminated in that **[Meeting’s Over]** attack just now.”

“But Noa and I both took the antidote, which means we can’t get near my sister without getting killed by her cards,” Rosvisser said. “Right now, you’re the only one who can attack her.”

The Queen was correct. At this point, only another lone wolf could take down the lone wolf.

“But neither of us has a kill card. How do we even fight her?” Leon sighed, frustration creeping in. To put up a fight, they needed the right weapons, yet here he was, unarmed and unable to summon an **[Emergency Meeting]** to vote Isha out.

Was slow death the only option left?

“Seriously, lone wolf? How have you gone this whole game without finding a single kill card? That’s just pitiful,” Rosvisser teased.

Leon couldn’t deny it; his luck was downright miserable. Forty-some hours, and he hadn’t encountered a single kill card.

“When luck’s bad, it’s really bad,” Leon admitted with a resigned sigh.

Silence fell between them as they struggled to find a way to stop Isha. Without a plan, everything would end here. **[The Princess]** would fall, and **[The Old Friend]** wouldn’t be able to leave the castle with the **Black Sacred Stone**.

Everything would fall into the hands of that red demon, **[Doctor]**.

The only sound in the cellar was the occasional drip of water from the corner. A deadly cake, capable of instantly poisoning a player, lay on the ground between Leon and Rosvisser.

The Queen’s gaze slowly fixed on it.

Suddenly, her pupils widened.

“Honestly…I don’t care if I win.”

As she spoke, Rosvisser pulled out her main quest card from her pocket.

“My mission is similar to Claudia’s—to help **[The Princess]** recover the **Black Sacred Stone**. But there’s also a hidden task: to leave the castle with it. That’s my true victory.”

“The choice of ending is left to the player’s discretion. But from the beginning…I never considered that hidden quest because—”

“Because you want our precious daughter to win, right?” Leon finished her thought, smiling.

Rosvisser laughed softly, nodding. “Exactly. Noa finally has a chance to enjoy playing with her sisters and friends. I want her to win. She’s got such a strong competitive spirit.”

“But now both her sisters and friends have been eliminated. All the pressure is on Noa,” Leon pointed out.

“That only makes me want her to win even more,” Rosvisser replied. “This isn’t just a game, Leon.”

“Think about it. Years or even decades from now, when Noa recalls this journey in the castle, she’ll proudly say it was she who saved us all in the end.”

“She’ll gain more than just a win—she’ll have an irreplaceable memory.”

“I understand, Rosvisser.” Leon’s lips curved up in a smile as he looked at the silver-haired beauty beside him.

“You’re no longer just a mother.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re more like a mom.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Of course there is. Remember how happy Noa and Moon were when you asked them to call you ‘Mom’ instead of ‘Mother’?”

Rosvisser paused, a distant look in her eyes as memories came rushing back.

After a moment, she chuckled. “I get it.”

“So…are you trying to persuade me, the lone wolf, to create a distraction for you and Noa until the meeting starts?”

Rosvisser shook her head. “No, no. That’s too risky, and besides…”

“Besides?”

She gazed ahead, her cheeks faintly reddening.

Rosvisser buried half of her face in the crook of her arm, speaking quickly, her voice muffled.

“And besides, I wouldn’t let my child’s dad do something like that.”

“Can you just use ‘dad’ for ‘my child’s father’?” Leon asked with a mischievous grin.

“No. Shut up.”

Rosvisser shot him a look. “Just promise me you’ll let Noa win in the end, and I’ll…”

“You’ll what?”

Looking somewhat shy, Rosvisser gestured for Leon to come closer.

Obliging, he leaned in.

“If you agree…then I’ll—”

Before she finished, Leon jumped up with a start.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I already wanted to help Noa win, but now with this incentive—let me just say this: your sister is going down today, dragon god or not!”

Rosvisser chuckled. “Alright, alright. Keep it down, or you’ll attract her.”

Leon settled back down. “So, judging by what you just said, you’ve got a plan?”

“Mm-hmm.” Rosvisser picked up the deadly cake from the floor.

“She won’t eat that, will she?” Leon asked.

“No, it’s not for her. It’s for…me.”

---

At the top of the castle, down a long hallway…

Noa had been cornered by her “red demon” of an aunt, pushed against a locked wooden door.

“Oh dear, dear~ My little **[Princess]**, there’s nowhere left for you to run.”

In Isha’s hand was a kill card. Its effect was straightforward: anyone who had taken the **[Doctor]**’s special antidote within a five-meter range was now vulnerable.

She twirled the card gracefully, inching closer to the trapped Noa, who had never found her aunt quite this terrifying before.

Auntie Isha…please, don’t turn out like this! she thought desperately. Moon, you really mustn’t take up the mantle of Red Dragon King in Auntie’s temple—you’ll end up this scary too!

“Auntie…can’t we talk this through?” Noa tried to appeal to any trace of mercy in her aunt.

“Oh, sweet Noa, let’s save our little chat for after the game, hmm? Now, be a good girl and come here so Auntie doesn’t have to work too hard.”

Please don’t say such scary things in such a gentle tone! You’ll scar the kids for life!

Noa pressed herself tightly against the door, clutching the only item card she had, **[Cycle of Despair]**. However, its duel mechanic could only be activated when only two players remained. If her parents were still alive, then she couldn’t use it.

What to do…what to do…

Biting her lip, she felt the immense pressure even though it was just a game.

Meanwhile, in the Observation Room, Moon and Helena stood in front of the huge **Memory Stone**, watching as Noa faced off against Isha.

“It’s over…there’s no way big sister can escape,” Moon said sadly.

“I thought Uncle Leon and Aunt Rosvisser were strong enough, but Aunt Isha…she’s even more terrifying,” Helena murmured.

Even the usually playful pink-haired dragon girl watched, worried.

“Hold on a little longer, big sister! The meeting is almost here—we can vote Auntie out then.”

“It’s useless.” Claudia, who had been sitting and sipping tea, finally spoke up.

“There’s still over forty minutes until eight o’clock. Even Leon and Rosvisser can’t last that long. This game…it’s as good as won for the Red Dragon King.”

The young dragons continued to silently pray for their sister’s safety as they watched her struggle.

---

“Noa, come here. Don’t worry; Auntie will carry you to the Observation Room,” Isha cooed, closing in.

Noa’s heart pounded faster. She knew there was no way to escape her aunt’s pursuit, yet

she still wouldn’t surrender.

If it were Dad, he wouldn’t—

“Player—”

A voice broke the silence of the corridor.

Noa quickly reached into her pocket, expecting the **Memory Stone** to notify her of her elimination.

But when she pulled it out, she found it silent.

“If it’s not mine…then—”

“Player **[Doctor]** has been killed. Player **[Doctor]** has been killed.”

Isha froze, shock spreading across her elegant features.

“Why…how is this possible…”

Creak—

The wooden door behind Noa slowly opened.

The familiar figure of a man stood in the doorway.

**[Avenger]**

**Upon witnessing a ‘kill,’ you immediately gain a single ‘kill’ ability.**

In his hand was a small cake with a bite taken out of it.