Depraved Hero's Path

"P-Please! I know what we said, but… You're crushing my-"

"Shut up." Marianne interrupted, adding even more pressure against the White Pawn's skull.

While it seemed like things were about to intensify within the Black Fog after Marianne's first attacks, it turned out completely different.

An absolute stillness ruled over the area covered by the Black Fog.

'I'm not mad enough… To kill them…' Marianne repeated the thought internally again and again. 'Why… Would I think such a thing?'

Her brows drew together.

'I know what they threatened but… To think about killing them? The thought came to me so naturally, too. This…' Her right hand, still holding the Dagger of Fire, started trembling. 'This isn't like me. This… Something…' Marianne's frown deepened. 'Something… Is happening to me. I'm not myself. I haven't been myself. Thinking about killing someone? What the hell is happening to me?!'

Her confusion only grew as she remembered how easily and naturally she had sliced the White Rooks at the knees.

'They're not Rooks! They're people! And I cut them so easily! I thought about killing them so easily! What the hell is wrong with me?!' No matter how hard she tried to find a logical reason for her actions and thoughts, Marianne came up empty. 'It's either them or us… But not one of us has been killed! They have lost people! We have killed people on their side! Our side… We've barely suffered a wound. So why would I think so naturally about killing them? Why would I-'

Her face twisted suddenly, her eyes squinting shut, jaw clenching, and brow furrowing deeper as a splitting headache.

"Ever since," She muttered through her clenched teeth, holding the side of her fist against her head. "I obtained that goddamn Class, I haven't been… No. Even before that," Marianne whispered, holding her dagger's pommel against her aching skull. "I've been… Arghh!"

"Shitty brat!" He shouted, tightening his grip around Marianne's neck. "You cut me!"

"Arrghhh!" Struggling to breathe, Marianne's hand twitched, itching to swing. "What… The fuck?!"

"Surprised?" The White Rook sneered with an arrogant smile. "Since I'm a Rook, Gin gave me 200% faster Health Point Recovery Buff. That's why it healed so quickly."

But that wasn't at all what made Marianne confused. Her hand was itching to slash his elbow with the dagger, to pierce his stomach, to-

"Let's get this beating started, huh?" The second White Rook, while still injured, managed to stand up.

The next moment, his arms grabbed Marianne from behind, locking her in place.

Marianne's neck was let go of. She took a breath in. The fact that the person who had grabbed her was a man, much older and with much more muscle meant nothing. Marianne was a Rook as well. Their Stats were equal. The fact that his leg was injured meant that Marianne could free herself.

That would have been the case, had the healed-up Rook not thrown a devastating punch that landed directly on her stomach.

"ARGHH!" She exclaimed as strings of saliva were ejected from her mouth.

"Hahahaha!" He laughed. "Stand up, Jay." He told the White Pawn before throwing another punch. "Beat her up for stepping on you."

"You bet!" The Pawn shouted before his fist collided with Marianne's cheek!

Another hit landed on Marianne's stomach before she was shoved in the Rook's direction.

"Let's switch, huh?" The still-healing Rook snickered while rotating his arm as if to warm up.

"Sure, hahaha! Though let's be done with her quickly. We don't know what happens when the Timer hits zero."

"We'll worry about that…" He pulled his arm back as far as it could reach before throwing his clenched fist at Marianne's stomach. "After we're done with this bitch!"

"You hear that?" The Rook holding her from behind whispered in her ear. "When we're done with you, he said. Unfortunately, we can't… Really get down to business. Since there's a Timer."

Between the hits and the splitting headache, Marianne couldn't retort or move. All the strength she could muster went into keeping her grip on her twin daggers.

"How about I just choke her to death?"

"Damn."

"Jay, take her weapons away."

"No-" A punch kept her from saying anything, and her weapons were taken away.

"I've never killed anyone." The Rook licked his lips as he clenched and unclenched his hand repeatedly. "Time to pop my cherry, huh?"

"Why are you talking like we have?"

"Right. How about you let me do it?"

"Nah. The bitch cut my leg!" He shouted, roughly wrapping his hand around her throat and squeezing with all his strength!

"Go ahead." The other Rook chuckled, still keeping Marianne in place from behind.

"Do it! Do it!" The Pawn encouraged, a perverted smile on his face.

"Grrr… Aaaarghhh!"

The headache, combined with the lack of oxygen and the pressure exerted on her throat, made Marianne feel like her head was about to explode.

"Die, you stupid bitch!"

"Aaaaargh!"

Her face turned red as bulging veins appeared on her neck and forehead. Her bloodshot eyes started rolling upwards as her mouth opened, struggling for a breath. Just when it seemed that Marianne was about to pass out,

"AAAAAAHHH!" She gasped, taking in the deepest breath of her life. Her wide-open eyes moved from right to left, confusion overtaking her.

The ringing in her ears and the blurriness of the world around didn't help Marianne understand the situation.

"I thought I told you not to get in my way." Zarath muttered with a chuckle.

The frowning Marianne was instantly shoved in the Succubus's direction. The latter made no attempt to help her, dodging her completely.

Marianne stumbled and almost fell. Breathing heavily with her hands on her knees, she spat on the ground.

Her mind didn't register the pained screams echoing at all.

Instead, all her mind could focus on was,

"We… We need to…"

"Hm?" Zarath raised an eyebrow, barely turning in her direction.

In front of them stood one Pawn, one Bishop, and two Rooks.

"Conserve that… We need… Ice water… And a bag…" Marianne explained between haggard breaths.

A frown was slowly drawn on the Succubus's face.

"What?"

"Mwa…" She swallowed. "The wound…" Her eyes scanned around. Only then did she notice the Rook that had been strangling her, standing with his left hand around his right forearm.

His hand had been severed clean off, halfway between the wrist and the elbow.

"Too much bleeding…" Marianne muttered. "Applying pressure won't be enough. We need to apply a tourniquet and-"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Marianne stared at the confused Zarath.

"The arteries have been cut. Profusely bleeding like that will-"

Zarath instantly grabbed Marianne by the collar and pulled her away. Thanks to the Black Fog, they could easily leave and-

"What are you doing? We have to-"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Zarath repeated.

"If the bleeding continues… He's going to die!"

The Succubus tightened her grip on Marianne's collar, bringing her closer.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me? You're the one going around killing people!"

Zarath's confusion grew further.

"Just when I thought you were starting to get it, you go ahead and pull some shit like this? They were about to kill you. They debated who gets to kill you!"

"That has nothing to do with-"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Zarath shouted, immediately interrupting Marianne.

"I'm not like you, alright?! I'm not!"

"What is that supposed to mean? We're in this together, aren't we?!"

"I… I am…" The pain turned into wrath and Marianne roughly took hold of Zarath's wrist, forcing her to let go of her collar. "I'm a med student! I'm not… I'm not a killer or a fighter! I'm-"

Another punch landed on Marianne's cheek.

This time, it came from someone on her side, though.

"We're already outnumbered, and we certainly don't need deadweight! Get your head out of your ass…" Zarath said, her voice cold as ice. "If you don't want all of us to die."

The hit was heavy enough to make her stumble and fall to the ground.

At the same time,

[Time Limit: 45 seconds.]

"Time to kick it up a notch." The White Queen sneered.

"...?" Katherine's confusion was short-lived.

While she had previously been able to keep a good advantage in the fight,

[Your Skill "Berserker[C]" is Activating.]

[Your Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Endurance Stats increase by 30% for 45 seconds.]

'Wha-'

The increase in speed was immediately noticed.

Katherine raised her arms defensively. There was no time to use magic!

Just when braced for impact,

"Elijah!" Katherine shouted, warning him of the approaching danger immediately.

"Shit." Léa cursed. "She's coming straight towards us."

"Of course, she is." Elijah hummed.

"I'm sure you know but… I don't have the Stats to fight her."

Petra ran towards the Black King as fast as she could.

Currently, her Stats were highest among all the Participants.

A 30% increase on Stats raised by the Queen-Status.

'I'll kill him… Then we'll be done with this!'

Once half of the distance separating her from the Black King was crossed,

'I'll make you regret leaving that Throne! You little-'

Petra's eyes widened, and so did those of every Participant.

Each and every one turned in the direction of the boom that had just resonated.

A portion of one of the vault's walls seemed to have been brought down.

And through the dust and rubble, appeared a terrible, horrifying monster.

'Is that…' Gin, the White King, was currently the Participant closest to that horrifying monster. 'Part of the Game as well?!'

A three-meter-tall monster crashes the King's Game!