Chapter 58: Chapter 58 – Operation: Lilliane Gets a Friend (Hopefully) (3)

Luca ran as fast as his legs could carry him, boots thudding against the uneven dirt path, breath heavy, regret pounding in his chest louder than his footsteps.

Damn it… I shouldn’t have shouted at her. I should’ve stayed calm…

But he forced himself to focus. There was no time for guilt now.

Who are these people?

His thoughts sharpened, analyzing the situation as he ran. Could they be enemies of Count Fairmoore? No… if that were the case, they wouldn’t have told me the location. They would’ve just killed her outright.

Then… are they kidnappers trying to demand ransom? Again, no. If money was the goal, they would’ve contacted her father, not me. There’s no reason to involve a minor noble like me unless—

Wait… are they after me? His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sabers. But I don’t have enemies. Not that I know of.

Unless… could they be enemies of the original Luca? He frowned. But even then, would anyone go so far as to kidnap a Count’s daughter for revenge against a low-ranking noble? Doesn’t make sense.

Shit… there was no such event in the original game, otherwise it would have been easy to figure it out.

Of course….. In the original timeline, Luca never interacted with Lilliane. Never took her out to make friends .Never got involved in her growth. So naturally… this event never existed.

Which means… this is an anomaly.

“Shit, shit… what am I supposed to do now?” he muttered, eyes scanning the path ahead.

I can’t reach out to anyone either. If they’re watching me, even a hint of contact could get her killed.

As he neared the foot of the mountain, a sudden memory returned.

Wait… this place—this mountain. Isn’t this the location of that hidden base? The one belonging to Razeil’s faction—one of the seven commanders of the Devil Emperor?

His steps slowed, heartbeat thundering.

Yeah… it was revealed toward the end of Year One. A secret base buried in this mountain.

And if that was true…

Then it all fits. Even in the dungeon incident, they tried to kill us. But they failed. Instead, we exposed the Blood Crystal—long before it was supposed to be discovered. Which must have thwarted half of their plans.

No wonder they’re after us. They must be furious. And now… they’re trying to eliminate us completely.

He clenched his fists.

This mountain… if it’s really the same base as in the game, then it should be crawling with guards. And worse—

Any tracking spells or communication crystals won’t work here. The hideout and its surrounding area are covered in a powerful interference field. Nothing gets through.

As the conditions continued to be disadvantageous and tension rising.

A slow smirk tugged at his lips.

This would be hell for anyone else to solve… but who am I? I’ve played this game over a thousand times. I know this mountain better than the people guarding it.

I even know the secret routes most grunts probably never learned.

His expression turned serious again. But…

The enemies inside, though… if they’re really trying to kill us, the fight won’t be easy.

But there’s no time to think about that now. Lilliane’s in danger. I can’t let anything happen to her. If she dies, I die too—because to everyone else, it’ll look like I took her out and got her killed.

Count Fairmoore will bury me alive.

But more than that… I just don’t want anything to happen to her. That pitiful girl… I know how she ends up in the game.

With renewed urgency, he sprinted forward, veering off the obvious path.

Not up. Down.

He descended into a concealed crevice near the base, slipping behind a curtain of vines and moss. There, hidden in the rock, was a narrow cave—almost invisible to anyone who didn’t know it was there.

This leads directly to fifty meters from the hideout. It skips the patrol zones entirely.

He entered without hesitation, his steps light, body tense. And sure enough, just beyond the cave’s exit, he saw them—three, no, four guards. Standing. Waiting. Silent.

He narrowed his eyes.

They’re not human anymore. They’ve already pledged themselves to the Devil. These are husks—lifeforms stuck somewhere between life and death.

With a whisper of steel, his twin sabers slid from their sheaths.

Time to move.

He darted through the foliage, a ghost in the trees.

The first one fell before he even saw the blade.

The second turned too late—Luca’s saber piercing straight through his chest.

The third screamed as Luca ducked low, slicing through his legs, then silencing him with a swift, final blow.

The last tried to run.

He didn’t get far.

Luca exhaled, wiping his blades clean on the guard’s cloak.

Just low-tier grunts. The real threat is inside.

Ahead, the jagged structure of the hideout came into view—half-buried in the cliffside, old stone infused with dark magic, pulsing faintly in the dying light of day.

He didn’t hesitate.

With a burst of speed and a shout, he slammed his shoulder into the sealed gate. It cracked under the impact, wood splintering as it burst open with a thunderous boom.

And there she was.

Lilliane.

Collapsed on the floor. Barely conscious. Eyes wide, mouth slightly parted.

As the dust settled, he stepped into the threshold.

Sweat streaked down his face. His breath came in quick gasps. Sabers still drawn, blood dripping from the blades.

As Luca stepped fully into the hideout, the foul stench of dark magic grew heavier, clinging to the walls like rot.

Then—

That voice again.

“Jiejiejiejie… No matter how you came in, you’ve walked into your own grave. Are you a fool, or what? No sane person would enter this place willingly.”

The sound was grating. Mocking. Like nails scraping down rusted iron. Luca’s expression twisted in sheer disgust.

“Shut up!” he barked, eyes blazing. “You’re the one who called me here. So talk—what do you want?”

A pause. Then the voice replied, dripping with venomous glee.

“What do I want? Jiejiejie… I want both of you dead. Do you know how much you’ve interfered? So many of our plans—ruined! Because of you!”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

So I was right… They’re retaliating. For the Blood Crystal incident. For everything.

His gaze snapped to Lilliane, still crumpled on the ground, her breathing shallow.

He rushed to her side, dropping to one knee.

“Lilliane. Are you alright?” he asked, voice lower now, urgent.

No response. Her eyes stared forward, dazed—lips parted, but unmoving.

“Can you move?”

Finally, a breath. A whisper. “N-No…”

Luca immediately dug into his pocket, pulling out a small vial glowing with faint golden light. The liquid inside shimmered, warm and reactive to his touch.

“Drink this. Anti-paralysis potion. It’ll kick in fast.”

He always carried a small arsenal of emergency potions—paranoia and preparation born from a thousand playthroughs of the game.

Lilliane’s fingers trembled as she brought the vial to her lips. She drank, and within seconds, her breathing steadied—color returning slowly to her cheeks.

Then—

“Jiejiejiejie… How romantic! Look at you two. So caring, so gentle… Just like lovers.”

The voice slithered through the room again, colder this time. “Don’t worry. You’ll stay together… in the afterlife! Kill them all! Jiejiejie!”

What?!

Luca’s eyes snapped up—and suddenly, they were no longer alone.

Figures began emerging from the walls themselves. Not stepping through doors. Not teleporting. Just appearing.

Dozens. Cloaked. Twisted. Their bodies blurred, as if reality struggled to hold their forms.

The air turned frigid.

A pulse of dark energy radiated from the chamber, and the shadows deepened.

Luca stood, stepping in front of Lilliane, both sabers drawn. The steel gleamed with faint blue runes—enchanted for speed and clarity.

The first enemy lunged.

Luca moved like wind—silent, precise. A black arc severed the attack, the white blade cleaved its core. Smoke.

Another came from the side. Blades clashed—sparks flew. Luca countered with an elbow to the chest and spun, twin slashes ending the fight in a breath.

Behind him—

“Glacius Lance!”

A frozen spear erupted, skewering two more. Lilliane stood firm, wand raised. Magic burst from her like a storm.

“Fulgar Chain!”

Lightning leapt, enemy to enemy, leaving only mist in its wake.

Luca flipped over an attacker, sabers carving upward and down in one smooth strike.

Three more closed in.

He met them head-on—black saber parried, white saber killed. Feet gliding, body twisting—he cut through like a dancer of death.

Lilliane lifted her wand high.

“Inferno Tempest!”

Fire exploded around her, vaporizing shadows. One figure crept from her blind spot—

Luca threw his white saber. It impaled the creature to the wall. He reclaimed it mid-run.

“Aether Bind!” she shouted next.

Golden chains locked two enemies in place. “Now!”

Luca dashed in, blades slicing cleanly. Smoke again.

But the swarm didn’t stop.

“They’re not endless,” he muttered, “but they’re close.”

“Good,” Lilliane whispered, stepping forward.

Glowing sigils lit up across her body, her mana pressure spiking.

Luca’s gaze flickered. She’s getting serious.

“Then let’s burn them all.”

He crossed his sabers—energy spiraling black and white, humming like a heartbeat before eruption.

The cavern trembled. The enemies that they thought were getting less started increasing again.

The true fight has just began.

Then—

“Hey…..Wh-why d-did you come to save me-e?” Lilliane asked softly, mid-battle.

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