Chapter 80: The True Bearer of the Kyoshi Mark

"He is the bearer of the Kyoshi Mark."

Raven pointed at Trias, who was standing beside Sona. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Kurgen, Sona, and Trias all turned pale at those words.

[Are you sure? You can’t change your answer once you’ve made your choice.]

"I’m sure," Raven replied casually.

[In that case, I’ll record your answer.]

After the voice faded, the atmosphere between Raven and Kurgen grew tense.

Kurgen, who had been so arrogant moments earlier, stood motionless, his face stiff.

"What’s wrong? Why so quiet? Where’s all that arrogance?" Raven taunted.

Kurgen gritted his teeth and roared, "Don’t think you’ve won yet, you bastard! We’ll see who ends up losing!"

Despite his words, the fear and panic in his voice were impossible to hide.

Raven merely smiled without saying another word.

Second by second, time passed.

Suddenly, Enka’s voice echoed throughout the altar.

[The results are in!]

Sona and Trias panicked, but Rose and Claire remained calm.

Although they couldn’t hear Raven and Kurgen’s voices, they could tell from their gestures who each of them had chosen.

Kurgen, in particular, had chosen Raven as the Kyoshi bearer. In reality, however, Raven wasn’t the bearer. Claire was.

[Kurgen’s group guessed incorrectly. Raven is not the bearer of the Kyoshi Mark.]

Hearing Enka’s announcement, Sona and Trias’s already pale faces turned even paler.

"I-Impossible!" Kurgen exclaimed. "I’m certain... one hundred percent certain! Raven must be the bearer!"

[Do you think I’d lie to you? Who do you think you are?]

Enka’s firm, piercing words made Kurgen’s heart feel as though it were being squeezed tightly.

[I am the judge of this fourth mission. The gods have granted me full authority, and I must not betray their trust. Your baseless accusations are tantamount to tarnishing their trust.]

Kurgen’s heart pounded. He hurriedly clasped his hands together and apologized.

"I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. Please forgive my stupidity!"

[Hmph! Think before you speak next time.]

Enka snorted coldly.

[And Raven’s guess was correct. Trias is the bearer of the Kyoshi Mark.]

"Yay!"

Claire and Rose cheered as they jumped for joy.

Only Raven remained unfazed. He already knew the result because he had used the System.

Although it had cost him quite a lot—around 500 love points—it had been well worth it.

"I-Impossible..."

Trias staggered backward, his face pale.

"Raven guessed correctly? T-Then, what’s going to happen to me?" he muttered fearfully.

His gaze suddenly fell on Kurgen, who also looked panicked.

At that moment, rage erupted inside him.

"You bastard!"

He charged forward and punched the wall separating him from Kurgen.

"Damn you, Kurgen! Argh! If you hadn’t rushed, I wouldn’t be dead! Damn it! You’re the one who should be dead!" he yelled.

But Kurgen didn’t seem to hear him. His expression was blank, as if his soul had already left his body.

[All right, the game is over. Player Trias, goodbye.]

As soon as Enka’s voice faded, Trias felt excruciating pain spreading through his body.

Before he could react, a hole suddenly opened in his stomach.

His intestines and heart spilled out.

"Kyaa!"

Sona screamed hysterically and hurriedly backed away.

Trias was still standing, clinging to the last remnants of his consciousness.

He stared at Kurgen, who was staring right back at him.

Opening his mouth, he muttered bitterly, "I’ll be waiting for you... in hell!"

Srck!

His head was severed, and his body instantly collapsed. A tense silence fell over the altar.

Claire quickly closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected his death to be so brutal and terrifying.

"R-Rose, I’m scared!" she sobbed.

She was also a bearer of the Kyoshi Mark. If she were chosen and ended up dying, it would be just as horrifying.

Rose panicked as well. She hadn’t expected Trias’s death to be so brutal either, but there was nothing she could do except calm Claire down.

"Don’t worry. Raven will protect you—no, both of us. He definitely will. Trust me."

She patted Claire’s back, even as her own body trembled.

Claire simply nodded without saying a word.

Meanwhile, Raven, who had witnessed the scene, laughed.

"Hahaha! Did you see that coming?" he taunted. "Don’t get cocky before you’re absolutely sure you’ve won. This is what happens."

His words were like salt rubbed into an open wound. Kurgen’s face flushed red as he roared, "Damn you! I’ll kill you!"

He drew his giant axe and lunged at Raven. Before the weapon could strike, Enka’s cold voice echoed in every direction.

[The game is over, and the zone will now be closed.]

Whoosh!

Everyone’s bodies turned into light and vanished from sight.

...

Raven, Rose, and Claire opened their eyes and found themselves back where they had been.

"We’re back," Rose murmured with a sigh of relief.

She turned toward Raven and walked over to him.

"Raven, just now..."

"Do you want to ask if Trias is dead?"

Rose flinched when she met his calm gaze.

"You’re right. Is he really... dead?"

It felt like a dream. Trias had just died out of nowhere, without a fight or anything. That made the whole thing seem even more absurd.

Raven chuckled.

"Didn’t you see it clearly? He’s really dead."

Rose fell silent. She already knew the answer, but she had wanted to hear it directly from Raven.

"All right, no need to dwell on it. We’ll get through this fourth mission smoothly."

Raven patted her on the shoulder before walking over to Claire, whose face was still streaked with tears.

Rose let out a long sigh. Despite Raven’s annoying attitude in the past, she had to admit that he was reliable in situations like this.

Being on the same team as him was a blessing.

Suddenly, she felt a headache coming on. Before long, her memories of the game began to fade.

...

[Please select the player holding the Kyoshi token.]

"Hahaha! Isn’t it obvious?"

Leo laughed heartily as he pointed at the tall man standing outside the barrier.

"He’s the one holding it."

The man and his two companions were taken aback.

[Are you sure? There’s no turning back once you make your choice.]

"I’m sure! One hundred percent sure!" Leo replied enthusiastically.

Outside the barrier, Reyna stood silently, watching Leo’s excitement.

"What’s with this guy? Don’t tell me he’s getting hints from the gods again," she guessed.

[All right, the results have been recorded. Please wait a moment.]

Enka’s voice faded away.

Gutra, the man who had acted as the guesser, glared coldly at Leo.

"I thought you’d choose me."

"Choose you?" Leo smiled faintly. "For what? Besides, you’re not the bearer of the Kyoshi Mark, are you?"

Although Gutra tried to remain calm, his heart was pounding.

[The results are in. The Kyoshi Mark bearer from Leo’s group is his teammate, Reyna. Gutra’s group guessed correctly.]

Gutra and his two teammates showed no sign of joy. They knew that none of them had won.

[The Kyoshi Mark bearer in Gutra’s group is Clios.]

Reyna let out a sigh of relief. If Leo had been wrong, she couldn’t imagine what would have happened to her.

[Since no one died, this game ends in a tie. You may leave.]

Whoosh!

Their bodies turned into light and vanished from sight.