Game of Divine Thrones

The footprints had disappeared due to the blowing of the wind, and the trail was lost inside of the forest.

The search parties were out all night, but no sign of the Werewolf was found.

The next day, a somber atmosphere hung in the village air.

Not knowing when the beast might strike next.

Noticing that the security in the village was on alert, Woohyuk and Leifina decided to pay the guard Ralph a visit.

“Have you reported the situation to your Lord?”

“Yes, I just did.”

According to what Robert had said last night, rather than Baron Berin, it was his second son, Jeremy that was now acting Lord.

It was because his firstborn son, Charles, had gone missing ever since his hunting expedition had left a week ago.

Although the daughter Jenna was a year older than Jeremy, she couldn’t inherit since she was a woman.

‘There must be a conspiracy behind all this.’

Although he didn’t know any of the details, it sounded like it might be a quarrel regarding the succession of the Baron’s title.

The problem was discovering the relationship between that and the Werewolf. Only by unearthing that would he be one step closer to uncovering the truth.

“What are you planning on doing now? If you want to stay in town, we can definitely use your help.”

“We would certainly like to help out with the investigation.”

“Is that so, we really appreciate the aid.”

“Well, I do have some conditions.”

He asked for three days worth of lodging and food, as well as some information. Since the demands were very reasonable, Ralph was happy to agree.

“That won’t be a problem, if there is anything else you might need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

After an easy negotiation, Woohyuk and Leifina joined up with the guards. It was all in order to learn more about the surrounding area as well as hear some of their stories.

As the search continued within the woods, the clip-clop of a horseshoes striking the ground was heard, and a horse carriage soon appeared.

“It’s the Lord’s carriage!”

“Is Jeremy here?”

The members of the Guards unit were quick to bow their heads. Soon after, a sandy-haired young man stepped outside.

“Are you all residents of Roden Village?”

“That’s right, Lord.”

Ralph proceeded to inform Jeremy of last night’s incident.

After pausing to reflect a moment, Jeremy quickly pulled out his longsword.

“My father is seriously ill and I wouldn’t want any problems to occur at this time. I’ll stay to personally resolve this situation.”

Woohyuk’s eyes glinted upon seeing the confidence on Jeremy’s face.

‘A man with a thirst for power.’

He was also at that age where they would resort to anything in order to achieve their goal.

At the very least a suspect.

He was almost certainly tied into all this somehow.

As Woohyuk came to that conclusion, he silently followed behind Jeremy and his Guards.

* * *

Although Jeremy had mobilized all the soldiers he had brought along with him, they didn’t discover much.

The same was true on Woohyuk’s end.

He hadn’t sensed anything connected to the Werewolf even when he pushed his perception to the max.

As the sun went down, he felt the need to have a chat with Jeremy.

“Why are you asking about how my brother went missing?”

“It might help us solve our current problem.”

Charles’ disappearance as well as the appearance of this Werewolf were too close in timing for it to be a coincidence.

Jeremy hesitated for a moment, and then with a look of unwillingness, motioned his guards to leave them.

“Step back for a bit.”

“Yes Lord.”

As soon as Leifina who had been sitting next to Woohyuk left as well, Jeremy finally turned his gaze upon him with a serious look.

“You can’t repeat anything that I’m about to tell you. It is related to my family’s honor.”

“I’ll take your secret with me into the grave.”

Woohyuk had gained Jeremy’s confidence due to his prowess in clearing the monsters during the daytime.

It was the only reason that he had considered opening up to him about his family matters.

They sat face to face, as Woohyuk listened closely to what Jeremy had to say. Although it was a fairly long story, it could be summarized as this.

A forbidden love between two siblings.

Baron Berin’s anger upon learning of it.

And Charles’ escape in order to avoid any punishment.

On the surface at least, it didn’t seem the least bit connected to their Werewolf problem.

“So, is Charles alive then?”

“Possibly. He might have even joined up with some unsavory people in order to save our sister that has been locked up in the mansion.”

Now that the Baron’s illness had worsened, he might be looking for an opportunity to exploit. Distracting everyone with a Werewolf, and then striking at his true aim.

“If you help me, I’ll make sure you are generously rewarded.”

Jeremy had pretended to be oblivious of the relationship between his siblings, but he had to now send out hunters to kill Charles

Because the situation had devolved to such a point, if Charles were to return, he would make sure to put him to rest, as per his father’s instructions.

His reason for coming out in the open like this was to act as bait and he felt that Charles wouldn’t miss such a chance. 

The preparations back at the manor had likely already been completed, so he only need Woohyuk’s help to hunt down the Werewolf.

“That won’t be a problem, I’ll make sure to do my best.”

That was if what he had told him was true. He had decided to accept Jeremy’s side of the story, he simply didn’t care about the Nobility’s love gossip.

The important point was to get to the root cause of all this and reveal and eliminate its instigator.

As Jeremy signaled to his Guards that they could return, a wolf’s howl rang out in the night.

Aoooo!

 

“Werewolf!”

“Quickly!”

The hunters picked up their weapons as they ran towards the source of the commotion. A large Werewolf was seen biting a villager that had fallen down.

“Monster!”

“We’ve got you now!”

Arrows were let loose stabbing into the Werewolf’s fur. It yelped in pain as it angrily charged towards the hunters.

“Ahhh!”

“Help!”

Its sharp claws quickly tearing those poor souls to pieces. 

Woohyuk quickly closed the distance using the teleport function of the Naga Chief’s ring.

Chaeng!

Grandia clashed with the beast’s claws, resulting in sparks flying out. The eyes of these two killers met.

“Just who are you?”

“Grr….”

Rather than answering, the Werewolf turned its back on him and fled into the woods. However Woohyuk had no intention of letting it get away. Even if he wasn’t fast enough to catch up to it, he at least had a fresh trail he could follow.

He wasn’t willing to stay passively in town waiting for clues to be delivered right to him. Even if it was a bit unreasonable, he wanted to shorten the Quest’s completion time as much as possible.

As he tracked it down, Woohyuk thought back to their short encounter.

‘It isn’t any ordinary Werewolf.’

If it were some cursed or one that had entered a contract with a demon, his perception should have been able to pick up some traces of Mana.

Either way, it was surely an important clue.

‘I wonder where it is you are headed.’

Something seemed to be controlling the Werewolf’s behavior, which meant it was being used for a specific purpose. If he kept following its trail, it was bound to lead to something important.

After running across the snow covered forest for quite some time, he saw a manor appearing in the distance.

Judging by its size, it was almost certainly Baron Berin’s residence.

‘So it’s headed there?’

If Jeremy’s story had been true then there would only be one reason as to why the Werewolf would be headed there.

To rescue Jenna that had been imprisoned in her own room.

Still, he didn’t understand why it was that it had allowed him to follow its tracks. Surely this would be a significant hindrance to whoever it was controlling the Werewolf from behind the scenes.

‘Something’s off.’

The Werewolf’s identity seemed to be more important than he first assumed. 

As the Werewolf leapt over the perimeter fence and dashed into the manor, Woohyuk took the time to evaluate the situation.

There weren’t any guards in sight, so any hunters Jeremy would have hired for the ambush must have been lying in wait inside.

‘Why is nothing happening?’

By now there should have been some signs of a struggle. While Woohyuk was confused by what was going on, Leifina appeared in a flash of light.

“Lord, everything is quiet back at Roden village.”

“What about Jeremy?”

“He’s leading his men, combing the forest in search of the beast.”

For some reason this gave him an ominous feeling.

Woohyuk ordered Leifina to quickly don her Banshee’s Veil, as they made their way into the manor.

‘It must have come by here.’

The stench of blood pervaded inside. The bodies scattered across the floor were still warm so the assault could only have taken place a few minutes ago.

As he made his way up the stairs, where he felt a dark, viscous energy.

‘As expected.’

An Abyssal Demon had been behind all this. The one behind this must have entered a contract...

“Give yourself up, your part in this conspiracy has been revealed.”

It was Jenna, the Baron’s daughter.

“I’m surprised that you were able to figure it out.”

A woman’s sinister voice rang out from inside the room

Eventually the door opened and Jenna appeared, surrounded by a dark, vile energy.

“Were you vying for the position of Baroness?”

“Baroness? I couldn’t care less about such a title, all I wanted was to get my revenge.”

So it was revenge. Woohyuk remained silent.

‘There must be some story behind all this.’

In order to gain the best rewards for the Quest, he had to aim for the highest level of completion.

“What could have possibly been done to you to force you to make a deal with an Abyssal Demon?”

“Are you curious? Fine, I’ll tell you what this so-called family of mine has done to me.”

Jenna began narrating her story, as her anger caused her hair to blow backwards, as if she were standing in a storm.

“The Baron’s Berin Family line is one that many generations back had been mixed with Werewolves’ blood. Every now and then a descendant was born with the ability to shift.”

They would live most of their life as a regular human, but under a full moon, would transform into a Werewolf.

Relying on this power, the family managed to expand its influence, and attempts were made to produce more heirs with such an ability.

A typical case of inbreeding.

In order to preserve the purity of their bloodline, incest was the only way to increase the odds of an offspring carrying that Werewolf trait.

Jenna had suffered as a result of this.

After being raped repeatedly by her older brother Charles, she had become pregnant and fallen into despair.

Destined to live as a birthing machine for her family, she could no longer take it. Just as she was about too commit suicide, a Demon reached out to her, promising the power to take take her revenge

Jenna on her end didn’t hesitate to make a contract with the Demon, using her newfound powers to curse her father, the Baron as well as Charles.

As a result, Charles had lost his sanity, turning into a Werewolf every single night, whereas the Baron had fallen into a deep coma.

She alone could control their fates.

Jenna’s goal was for Charles to be hunted down by his own brother, Jeremy, leading to the perfect tragedy.

A play set to be revealed before as many people as possible. When the Werewolf would be killed and Charles resumed his human form, the true nature of the Berin family would be bare for all to see.

“If it wasn’t for your interference, all would have gone according to plan.”

“Did you use Mind Control on Jeremy as well? All for the sake of your plan?

“Since he resisted my will, I had no choice but to take more forceful measures. Anyways he was just as bad as the rest of them, peeping every night through the door as Charles raped me.

She was completely blinded by her revenge.

Woohyuk unsheathed Grandia with a look of determination.

“I will put you to rest, so you have let go of your hatred and close your eyes in peace.”

“No, I can’t die! Not until I manage to bury this cursed family with my own two hands!”

Jenna’s shadow whipped out towards Woohyuk. At the same time, the Werewolf suddenly appeared, staring directly at Leifina despite her wearing the Veil.

“Is that woman precious to you? I will make you feel the same despair, forcing you to watch her die before you!”

The Werewolf’s sharp claws swiped out, aiming for Leifina’s neck.

Chaeng!

She used Argent to successfully parry its flurry of attacks, her quick swordplay appearing as streaks of light in the air. 

It was the Flash skill from the Ecklet family’s secret manuals.

Still, it was difficult to take down the Werewolf that had been strengthened by the powers of Darkness.

“I’ve lost too many people as it is.”

Woohyuk said, as he cut down the whips that had made a beeline towards him.

“Some were women I’ve loved, others subordinates whom I’d sworn to protect.”

The distance between the two of them gradually shortened.

Feeling a sense of crisis, Jenna struck out with her shadow whips even more vigorously, clearly struggling.

Still her attacks were casually blocked, as if he were dealing with a mischievous child.

“I must put an end to all this despair.”

Grandia shone with a faint light, as he pierced Jenna’s heart.

Red blood flowed from her mouth.

“You…What...do...you...know….th..is... ”

As she muttered incomprehensible gibberish, she fell down to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Woohyuk looked down at her with a solemn expression.

“Rest now, by sunrise everyone will know of your plight.”

“I.just...wanted...to...pay...them...back...”

Tears of regret streaming down her face, Jenna drew her last breath.

After confirming that she was dead, Woohyuk turned to see how Leifina fared. The Werewolf was covered in cuts, as it fell to the ground.

“You did well by yourself.”

“It was a tough opponent.”

The Werewolf’s body shone brightly, before transforming back to its human form.

In the end, Charles had died, and Jenna had gotten part of her revenge.

Woohyuk walked up to her corpse and closed her eyes, so that she may rest in peace. He then took Leifina deeper into the manor.

As he searched the place, he came across the Baron’s journal, hidden in his private quarters.

“This should do the trick.” 

A document that recounted the Berin’s family secrets as well as describing their curse.  

Woohyuk took his leave, ignoring the Baron’s corpse that had its neck slashed by the Werewolf.

“What are you going to do with Jeremy?”

“I’ll just leave him be.”

Once the Journal was made public, the Baron’s entire family would have no future. 

As Woohyuk was wondering where to go next, a group of priests approached him.

“Do you work for Baron Berin? I am Benedict, a Head Inquisitor.”

They had been dispatched by the Vatican to confirm the validity of the Werewolf rumors.

Woohyuk handed them the Journal and explained what had occurred inside.

“That is quite the terrible tale indeed, I will need to go inside and examine the scene.”

As Benedict led his priests inside the manor, a white text appeared before him.

---

[Completed Quest: Get to the bottom of the rumors]

[Achieved Highest Completion: Obtained the Moonshadow Ring]

---

Moonshadow Ring, just by its name alone he couldn’t guess what its abilities were. Woohyuk touched the dark ring that appeared on his right hand.

---

[Moonshadow Ring]

Category:    Jewel
Grade:        C(Growth)
Durability:     12,500
Effect:        +15 Intelligence, Nightvision, able to hide or manipulate information about the user’s Stats or Items.

---

‘What an unexpected gain.’

He had no idea that he’d be able to obtain this before even setting foot on the Eeth continent.

Its ability to hide information was crucial because there were certain Mages or even Items that could spy on others.

In that regard, the Moonshadow Ring was an absolute necessity.

“Lord, What should I do with this equipment?”

Leifina asked as she raised a shiny black breastplate armor. She had also obtained her own reward.

“You keep it.”

Other than her sword Argent, the rest of Leifina’s equipment was just too shabby.

Armor from a Tier 2 Minion as well as a belt with just 3 slots.

She definitely needed to upgrade her equipment since they had no idea what they’d face in the higher floors.

As the two of them equipped their new items, a golden staircase descended from the sky.

Staring at the arched doors at the top of the stairs, Woohyuk spoke up.

“Let’s head to the next stage, Leifina.”

“Alright!”

Leifina let out a pear laughter as she followed behind him.

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