Chapter : 14
Exactly two hours later.
“How boring.”
Arisha tossed the cards aside and lightly shook her head.
Egail’s record was 32 games, 31 losses, and 1 draw.
At first, when Kang Suwon and Yakmokseon played seriously, she thought it was such a difficult game.
But it turned out to be more boring than expected.
“Is your sister really sick?”
“…Cough, cough, cough.”
Arisha hurriedly pretended to be sick, trying to smooth over the situation.
The coughing sound was awkward enough that anyone would suspect it, but fortunately, Egail was doubtful for a moment but quickly dismissed the idea.
Arisha stared at Egail. All that was left was for the loser to perform the punishment.
“Alright, I got it,” Egail finally said, placing a flower crown on his head and even arranging the petals. He looked quite confident and shameless.
“Do I look handsome?”
His pose was full of confidence.
‘…It suits him too well, which is a bit annoying.’
She had planned to make him do something a bit embarrassing, but it actually suited him too much.
It seemed like the one receiving the punishment was her after all.
“Alright, let’s stop now.”
“Why? You should enjoy looking at my handsome face a little more.”
Egail’s expression was shameless, and his eyes held a subtle madness.
‘Those eyes… again those eyes.’
He was definitely a strange person.
Despite this thought, Arisha’s lips curved into a subtle smile.
Her body was heating up. Tonight was the night the secondary side effects of the elixir would take effect.
It seemed like it was time to finish teasing Egail.
“Are you alright, sis?”
Egail quickly noticed something was off with Arisha and asked in a hurry.
“I’m fine. I just want to rest alone for a while.”
At her words, Egail looked worried.
“Well, we’ve been playing until sunset, so maybe you’ve overdone it.”
Egail quickly tidied up the cards and stood up. Despite Arisha’s saying it wasn’t necessary, he still insisted on helping her into bed, then said his final goodbyes and left the room.
Though her body felt cold and shivery, strangely, she felt good.
It was then, as Arisha was burying herself in the blankets.
[Master!]
Vixira urgently called Arisha.
[There’s an intruder in the system!]
[Vixira blocked it, but some information has leaked!]
Arisha quickly checked the alarm.
[Hacking Information: Soul Successor (Title) related content]
[Hacking System Owner: Dayle Haksenta]
Arisha stared at the sudden new information.
Dayle Haksenta. He was the only character in the original novel who possessed a system, and he was the male protagonist of the story.
Later that evening.
The young man and the old man, who seemed to be part of a group, were walking through the busiest district in the capital.
The young man, tall at a glance, was none other than Dayle Haksenta, the most promising talent in the empire.
“Master, isn’t this fun?” the old butler asked.
“Mm, yeah, it’s fun,” Dayle answered absentmindedly.
Though they were walking through the busy street, Dayle’s mind was elsewhere.
He didn’t really understand the old butler’s insistence on going outside for some air, especially when he had been holed up in the mansion for years, practicing without a break.
The butler would always say, “As long as the Hart family is safe, there’s no need to worry about monster attacks.”
And besides, you’re already the captain of the most renowned knight order in the empire. Take a break.”
That advice made sense. After all, the most precious children of the Hart family had nearly lost their lives to a monster attack.
Ever since that incident, the Duke had been hunting monsters as if possessed, eliminating every trace of them from the empire in just three years.
But Dayle couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. He feared that at any moment, another monster gate could open somewhere, and the creatures could pour out again.
He wanted to get stronger, no matter what.
One day, the “system” that had appeared before him seemed like a blessing, even though he didn’t know exactly what it was.
Just then, a new alarm from the system appeared.
[(!) New Major Information Available]
As Dayle was about to check the information, the butler nudged him again.
“Hurry over here, Master, and take a look at this.”
“Alright, Grandpa.”
Dayle reluctantly turned his attention away from the alarm at the butler’s insistence.
Where they were standing was indeed a place worth seeing.
It was the busiest part of the capital, bright and full of life. The sounds of people laughing and chatting filled the air, making the district even more vibrant.
“Master! Dayle Haksenta!”
“Yeah!”
“You’re thinking about something again, aren’t you?”
“No, I was listening, really listening.”
The butler stared at Dayle and sighed in frustration.
“Does it satisfy you to see this old man upset?”
“Sorry, Grandpa.”
“It’s just my own greed, isn’t it? Shall we head back?”
“No, no. Let’s stay a bit longer.”
At that moment, a small child came running up and offered a small bouquet.
“Would you like to buy some flowers?”
“How much?”
“Five silongs!”
Dayle wasn’t particularly interested in flowers, but noticing that the child’s hands were covered in white marks, he took the bouquet.
“Give me one.”
“Thank you!”
The flower-selling child smiled happily and handed the bouquet over.
Just as Dayle was about to take five silongs from his pocket to pay.
‘…What is that?’
A powerful energy.
For an instant, he felt it clearly—something he had never experienced before.
It felt as if it was calling him to follow.
A chill ran down his spine.
Dayle hurriedly ran toward where he felt the energy coming from.
“Master? Master!”
The butler’s voice grew distant as Dayle sprinted away.
Soon, they arrived at a quiet alley.
‘What kind of power is this?’
It was the first time Dayle had ever experienced such an overwhelming pressure.
It felt like his heart was being crushed, as if something sharp were piercing it.
‘…Who is this?’
Dayle threw away the bouquet he was holding and summoned his greatsword.
With the suffocating tension, his hand holding the sword began to tremble.
As he turned around, looking at the dark alley behind him.
Swish!
The back of his neck tingled.
Turning his head, a strong wind suddenly blew, and the petals from the fallen bouquet flew up, obscuring his view.
When the wind subsided, Dayle saw someone standing before him.
A figure with a hood embroidered with golden thread.
The figure then removed the hood, revealing their face.
“Lady Arisha…?”
“It’s been a while, Dayle.”
It was someone he had not expected.
The sound of Dayle’s foot stepping on a petal echoed.
Arisha’s platinum blonde hair shone brightly, even in the middle of the night.
“Dayle Haksenta.”
Tap—Tap—.
The streetlights in the alley flickered.
[Warning! Entered enemy’s domain.]
‘What is this?’
There was a time when Dayle had harbored feelings for the Grand Duchess. It was during his younger years when he was just a child.
It was natural back then. The Grand Duchess was the light of the empire, loved by everyone.
But after the great monster attack, the Grand Duchess he met was a completely different person. He remembered her reaching out to him with empty eyes and a soulless demeanor.
‘She kept muttering things I couldn’t understand.’
After that, he paid no attention to her. Honestly, meeting her by chance always felt a bit bothersome.
But now, she was standing before him in an entirely different appearance.
It had been a long time, but Dayle knew immediately. The person in front of him was no longer the Grand Duchess he had once known.
Dayle gripped his sword tighter.
“…Why have you come to find me?”
He had no idea why she was looking for him.
“I hope you don’t come looking for me anymore.”
There was a brief silence before the unexpected response came.
“Was it you who hacked into my system?”
