The Villain Is Destined to Die: But as the Creator, I know All Endings

The warmth in Leon's heart settled down.

After several messages cascaded before his vision, his eyes lit up when he saw his core rank evolving.

[Mana Core: Crimson ★★★★★ → Ignite ★☆☆☆☆]

A faint tremor ran through his body.

It didn't hurt, but he could feel every fibre reacting, alive and tense with raw energy. His chest grew hot, and at the same time, the mana inside him flared and stabilized, turning into a steady, rhythmic pulse.

His core has turned Bright Red.

He could feel it. His senses felt sharper, his mana flow smoother than before.

Leon opened his eyes and saw the sky above through his blurry vision.

"..."

The effect of using [Command of Grace] even in the astral world followed him here.

But, before his body reacted, another window appeared before him.

[Check status to view reward.]

Leon didn't waste a second. He needs to check his rewards.

He cleared the [The Shattered Swordmaiden], and according to him, he should have received two rewards.

'Status.' He thought.

A long list of windows displaying his stats and skills popped up. He ignored all of them and navigated straight to the [Rewards] section.

[Reward 1: Coordinates of the Moonblade's Rest]

[Location: Latitude 67.921° N / Longitude 143.552° E]

[Description: The Moonblade, once wielded by the Swordmaiden, Lumina Elizabeth Dare]

Leon's lips curved slightly.

"Yes," he muttered.

With this sword in his hands, he could finally aim to stand on equal ground with her… or perhaps, someday, surpass her.

His eyes then scrolled down.

The anticipation in his eyes was visible.

The second reward, by clearing a hidden Ester Egg quest reward, he had earned by meeting the Silvermoon Goddess inside the book.

He read the line of text slowly, and his grin only widened further.

[Reward 2: Title Acquired — Heir of the Crimson Moon]

[Description: A title bestowed by the Silvermoon Goddess, the one known also as the Blood Calamity. You have earned her notice and favor, becoming one of few who can withstand both her grace and wrath.]

[Effect: Increases resistance against mental interference and divine-type energy. Gradually restores minor wounds when exposed to moonlight.]

[Passive: Under moonlight, your presence grows stronger. Ordinary people feel a faint sense of unease, while higher beings recognize the mark of the Blood Calamity upon you.]

[Special Condition: If you kill under moonlight, your mana temporarily amplifies. This amplification comes from the Blood Calamity's will, which strengthens you for a short period before fading away.]

Leon took his time carefully reading each line of his second reward.

'Resistance to mental interference.'

That would help against mind intrusions.

"Gradually heals minor wounds under moonlight." He couldn't help but mutter.

This was useful for long fights and travel.

Then his eyes shifted to Passive, and this made him frown.

Ordinary people feeling unease could complicate things. Higher beings noticing him could be dangerous.

But that's not all, then he read the special condition.

"...temporary mana amplification?"

It also came with the goddess's will.

That meant power tied to blood calamity would flare then fade…

That's handy, but at the same time, it would work only under moonlight.

"So this title is useless in the morning."

He remembered the launch discussions. In an office full of developers, this hidden quest was a talk of laughter.

The Easter egg was hidden so deeply that the players never found it.

The trigger required a ten percent sacrifice of story progression.

Who would trade progress for a chance like that? and who would even think this existed…?

Players wanted wins and ranks. They did not willingly lose parts of their story.

"Haaah…."

Leon sighed, gazing up at the starry sky.

The full bright moon was cascading over his skin.

He could feel it... the energy flowing within him resonated with the moonlight.

For a moment, his entire body felt light.

It was strange, but he felt as if the moon itself was watching him.

That same distant, silent presence filled him with quiet confidence, like an unseen force was guiding him from afar.

He looked up at the sky, his eyes locking on the glowing moon above.

"That's literally so far…" he murmured.

He closed the status window and turned toward his dorm room.

He needed rest. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

He had joined the Twilight Order, and he knew Eula would reach out to him soon.

And by tomorrow… the entire Eclipse would know the name Leon Valentine.

— — —

Leon stood before his dorm room.

He just looked at the door for a moment.

"Strange…" he muttered.

The door was slightly open.

A faint sense of déjà vu crept up his spine.

Something similar had happened before. That time, he had encountered a pervert hiding in his closet.

He clicked his tongue.

'I just hope it's not that again…'

Still, he doubted it. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly pushed the door open.

The door moved without a sound.

He popped his head in first, scanning the scene.

His bed was empty. The room wasn't lit; only the soft moonlight seeping through the window gave the room a luminous glow.

He stepped inside, passing the narrow hallway.

His blurry vision didn't help.

"Damn this shitty side effect," he muttered under his breath.

"Hngh~"

"Hm?"

His body froze.

"...?"

He turned his head left and right.

The sound was faint, like a small whimper or nibble.

'What was that?'

Before he could draw his sword or reach for the light, his eyes caught something at the dining table.

A lone figure was sitting there, asleep on the chair.

Golden hair, maid outfit.

"..."

It was Myra.

She was still in her maid uniform, with a tray and an empty cup placed in front of her.

It was obvious she had been waiting here all day.

'Goodness.' He faintly smiled, looking at her.

Leon walked closer, careful not to make any noise.

"Myr—"

He stopped.

Before waking her, his eyes focused on the cup in front of her. Even in his blurry vision, he could see something odd.

A red stain clung to the rim.

'What's that?'

He didn't go any closer. If he did, she would wake up.

He squinted through the darkness.

'Damn it, I really need glasses.'

He could barely make out her face, but what he saw made him pause.

Her lips… were stained with red. Something was dripping out.

'Is that blood?'

"Hngh~"

She shifted slightly, her small body twitching as she nibbled on her own lip.

Leon's eyes hardened. He didn't wait this time.

"Myra."

His voice came out cold and sharp.

Her eyes snapped open instantly.

She straightened up like a puppet suddenly pulled by its strings.

"..."

Leon found it fascinating.

For a brief moment, her mind seemed slow to react, but her posture was perfect.

When her vision cleared and she saw who stood before her, her eyes widened.

"Young Master!"

She tried to act composed, but Leon could tell.

She was embarrassed.

"When did you return?" She asked him.

"You seem tired. Did you wait for me all day?" Leon asked quietly.

Myra straightened her posture and bowed slightly.

"I apologize, Young Master. You had to see me like this."

"It's fine," Leon replied, his voice calm.

He walked toward the couch and sat down, stretching his legs a little.

Myra moved around the room, lighting the lanterns and candles one by one.

The soft glow spread across the walls, pushing away the shadows. When the room finally brightened, Leon noticed something he hadn't before.

The floor gleamed. The shelves were dusted. And his desk, once buried in his research papers, looked spotless.

'She must have cleaned everything,' he thought.

Myra's back faced him as she began collecting the cup and saucer from the table.

Her movements were careful, almost too careful.

Leon's eyes followed her without meaning to. She paused for a moment, the slightest hesitation in her hands. Leon caught it, and then she glanced back at him.

"What happened?" Leon asked, his tone light and calm.

Her lips parted, but her expression didn't change.

"Nothing, Young Master. Are you hungry?"

Leon leaned back on the couch, pulling off his gloves and shoes.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"I will make something quickly. Please give me a few minutes," she said, bowing again before turning to leave.

Leon watched her disappear into the kitchen below from his room. He noticed as she turned away that there were no traces of blood on her lips anymore.

He sat there in silence for a while, the room faintly lit and warm.

He didn't bring it up to her face. Whatever that strange red glow had been when she looked back at him.

But Leon had seen it.

Her eyes were glowing bright red.

Leon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"My sis has quite the taste…" he muttered under his breath, his tone somewhere between amused and tired. "I wonder where she got her."

Guess he had to ask her the next time he met his sis.

He glanced out the window again.

"Ibuki hasn't contacted me either," he murmured. His gaze lingered on the distant sky.

'What's taking her so long?' he thought.

He had assigned Ibuki to gather information about Veronica.

Judging by how long she was taking to contact him, she must have found something important, and was now collecting proof.

'I'll go meet her,' he thought.

Leon slumped back lazily on the couch.

"So many tasks," he muttered under his breath.

Tomorrow would be a busy day for him.