Level 0 Master

"That's not true. I had a nice break while you were sleeping. The breeze was nice."

"I'm glad to hear that..."

"Did you enjoy it?" asked Sungjin.

Ereka tried to answer.

"I… yes… I..."

Ereka looked at Sungjin and then looked around. Then she realized something.

"Yes, I had a lot of fun. It's as if my dream has come true."

"What dream?"

"As a successor of the throne… It is my first priority to protect the people… And that keeps me busy… But sometime… I wanted to go on a picnic… with someone nice… and enjoy the nature… and..."

Unable to say that she wished to have a secret outing with a lover, she lowered her head.

"Sorry, Sungjin. I organized this for you, but it was my dream as well."

She dreamed of going on a picnic with a guy she liked or with her friends. She gave up this dream a long time ago, but now, she realised it had already been realised.

A royal princess of a kingdom.

The knight princess who protected the people.

But her real wish underneath her gown and armor, was having the small happiness of a young girl.

"Great. Let's do it again after this battle."

"Huh? Re… really?"

"Why not? Let's do this again."

"I… really… wish… we could...do it again."

Ereka gathered her hands together.

If she could walk next to Sungjin, sit next to him and enjoy a little picnic lunch together in nature...

She would be so happy. It would be better if it was unlike this reprieve before the battle, but a true worriless, enjoyable holiday.

And...

If she could finish the unfinished task of this day, that would make her the happiest person in the world.

"We'll defeat the Blood Ruler and come back. I promise."

"Yes...Sungjin… Let's do that. I can't wait!"

Ereka showed a bright smile.

That was not the face of a strong and graceful knight princess, but an ordinary girl who was dreaming of a picnic—no, a girl who was less than ordinary who couldn't even enjoy that kind of simple picnic.

"Well. Let's go then. We will be back after all."

"Yes, Sungjin."

Ereka's steps were light and springy on her way back.

Now that I think about it… It's really… The first time.

She tried to protect her kingdom at all costs. She was pushing herself thinking there was nobody else. It was the first time she felt protected by someone after her late father.

I did dream of how nice it would be if such a man loved me, and I shared that love.

Love… Was an unclear part, but at least she felt protected.

Watching Ereka who was thinking, Sungjin swallowed hard.

That was close.

He had neared the point of breaking. He couldn't count how many times he imagined having her.

That much may have been something normal for guys, but today, there had been so many moments his logic left him to the point of acting on his instincts.

When she was leaning on him, he almost hugged her and kissed her. If he did, he wasn't sure he would have stopped with just a kiss.

Hah. I barely held on.

He wondered what would have happened if he didn't hold back.

She would be too nice to reject me.

She was someone who told him that she would serve him at night in order to repay what help she had received. He had only rejected her offer.

But accepting would have been worse. Taking a woman in return for 'help' made it a favor, and not goodwill.

People think she is a strong knight princess, but she is just a fragile and young girl when I see her like this.

She was just a girl who wanted to go on a picnic. But she still wore armor on top of her fragile body and held a weapon in order to protect everyone.

She was the shield of the people, but who would protect the shield?

Sungjin wanted to be the one who protected her.

You can rest easy when I'm here.

She made him dream of something different than what he dreamed of on earth.

On earth, his dream was to become a world champion by defeating all his strong enemies fair and square, and to have the audience cheer for his game. That was it. On earth, a game was just a sport. It was nothing more than a sport with money, honor, and pride at stake.

But here, there was a kingdom at stake.

The happiness of poor and cherishable people.

How he acted and what kind of result he brought could really change things and make him a great legend.

Or the opposite.

I will protect them.

It was the only way he could be proud of himself.

If he couldn't protect one lovely girl, there would be no glory in his victory, but a brief shine. Saving this poor girl had to be another priority, along with the glory of defeating the strong enemy.

So he wasn't going to take her beautiful and charming body. Because he wanted to protect her not just from the villains but from himself as well.

With that fierce determination, Sungjin moved his body so that Ereka could rest more comfortably, but never moved his hand.

He only reminded himself their promise to come back for a picnic one day constantly.

He was determined to make it happen.

The picnic ended peacefully and joyfully, but that night, Ereka had to be questioned by the maids once more. Jenna sat in a corner pretending she wasn't listening.

"Did you make it happen?"

"I don't know what was wrong, but Sungjin didn't take me."

"Really?!"

"Yes."

"Oh my God..."

Jenna's knife tail sharpened.

What?! He didn't take her even when she did all that?

"Maybe he didn't feel it because I was not charming enough?"

"With your happiness today, we had thought you've succeeded, Your Highness."

"That's..."

Ereka blushed with shyness.

Figure out what happened!

Jenna signaled to the maids.

"Would you like to share with us? So that we can plan for the next time."

"Okay."

Ereka explained everything from the start.

"Hmm. So that is what happened."

"Yes. It was a bit far from the plan, but he said he enjoyed it and wanted to do it again. I was just so happy. But maybe he doesn't see me as a woman."

"That is..."

The maids looked at each other. They didn't know what to make of his actions.

Jenna firmly grabbed an empty bottle.

What is going on?

For Oppa to not like the princess… Was impossible.

He had refused levels and status just for her, so how could he not?

And well, it was more than obvious that the princess was head over heels for Sungjin. So why did nothing happen during their secret rendezvous?

Let's say Oppa didn't call the princess to his bed because of his belief that nothing should happen without love. But what could possibly be the reason this time?

A guy and a girl at their age, if they liked each other, wouldn't that the end of the story? Even without a picnic, wasn't it normal to knock on the girl's window at night?

So why. Why?

Unfortunately, Jenna didn't know that Sungjin didn't grow up in an era of Romeo and Juliet.

Jenna was smart but was too young to understand the difference between dating and marriage.

"I was just happy to hear that he wanted to do it again. Was that too naive?"

Ereka revisited her memories, and Jenna's tail stiffed.

Sungjin Oppa, what the...! You can't leave a girl hanging like this!

But she couldn't let the princess be worried and sad like this. She quickly whispered to the Wind Spirit Stone on the other end of the hammer, and the maids followed her order.

"No, Your Highness. In our opinion, it was not that Sungjin didn't want you."

"R... really?"

Ereka's face became slightly brighter.

"He... he didn't… take you… because..."

"Because...?"

Jenna's tail was spinning rapidly.

"Maybe there is a custom not to take a girl before a huge battle?"

"I heard there's such a tradition in a faraway land."

"Or since he is level 0 now, maybe he thought it was a little too early for that."

"I think that makes sense. Perhaps he needs a victory to take his power back, so that when a child is made the child will be suitably strong."

"Ah… that makes sense."

Ereka nodded in agreement.

"Either way, didn't he say that he wished to have another outing after the battle against the Blood Ruler? We believe he is promising a later date."

"I see!"

Ereka found her bright smile again. There were so many reasons she had to defeat the Blood Ruler. Now, there was one more.

She wanted to go back on a picnic with him to make real love. That dream filled up her heart.

That was what he meant.

She had been too distracted by the thought of another picnic.

This time… after defeating the Blood Ruler...

Ereka rubbed her cheeks and closed her eyes.

She thought of the moment when she fell asleep in Sungjin's strong arms. She felt shy but also very, very happy.

Just that much made her so happy. She wondered what kind of happiness awaited when she truly became his lover and shared passionate love.

The maids teared up while looking at an excited Ereka.

Jenna sniffed behind the pillar.

Princess. To think you'd be so happy.

Her tail rolled into a fist..

Count on me. I will make you two work.

The princess needed happiness.

I have no idea why Sungjin Oppa didn't take the princess today though...

The story she had just told the princess was made up to make the princess feel better. But when the battle against the Blood Ruler was over, she planned to get rid of all the obstacles for their happiness to join.

Her turn came later.

The day of battle finally arrived.

Sungjin, Ereka, Rittier and Jenna departed for the battlefield. As there was quite the distance this time, they activated a Portal Stone. A Portal Stone was useful in helping them move across long distances in a second, but it was expensive.

The people cheered for them as they crossed the portal.

"Your Highness... Please defeat the enemy."

"Please defeat the Blood Ruler."

"Please, don't let me be the Blood Ruler's slave again. I will pray for your victory!"

A woman began to shout, teared up, and with a child in her arms.

"My oldest daughter was sacrificed for the Blood Ruler's bath. And my second daughter was abused and killed by the three knights. Please… Don't let them steal… My last child."

Among them was Nania, who was saved right after their battle against the three knights.

"Please win."

She couldn't even imagine becoming a prisoner again.

They were rather begging than cheering.

"Sungjin. Please have us win," pleaded Ereka, making Sungjin smile.

"I promise. I like winning anyways, but now there are more reasons to win after all."

"Yes, Sungjin."

Ereka nodded in a gesture of trust.

There were flocks of crows on the way to the temple.

The unpleasant smell of blood from 20 corpses, strung up and dripping blood into a portable bathtub, contaminated the air.

There, Riad and her sword leaned leisurely against the edge, while the three knights stood beside in waiting, like servants.

The blood queen who was full of magical and sexual power. She was, however, a disaster and despair to the people.

But the said despair was strong.

No, her strongness was why the despair ran deeper.

"You've come."

"Ahh. Yes. I've finally arrived to defeat you.

Riad and Sungjin's eyes clashed.

"AHahaha. A weak extra like you?"

With a refreshing laugh, Riad stood up. Blood ran down the lines of her bloodthirsty body, wringing forth a destructive yet seductive beauty of darkness.

"You will miserably fail against my awakened power."

"Sure. That confidence. That's what my prey normally sounds like."

Sungjin retorted without losing. Her arrogance was the weak point that Sungjin could attack with his intelligence.

"Prey? Hahaha. There are millions of corpses and hundreds of losers who became my prey."

Riad held her magical sword. The blood in the tub got sucked into the magical sword at once.

"On the other hand, you didn't even take the princess who volunteered to become a sacrifice."

"Hmph. Lions choose their prey. Only a hyena eats everything, even if it is rotten."

Sungjin's finger twitched in her direction.

"Lion? Power is power! Those rules are what binds you. I will eat you alive!"

"Dream on. I'll shatter your dream."

Both assured of their victory, they walked into their waiting room with confidence. Today's battle was done with every possessed land on the line.

The winner would take the kingdom, while the loser would become a prisoner at the winner's mercy. This battle was going to decide if the future would be heaven or hell for the extras. This was the final battle. There was no going back.

But they were only equal in their confidence. The princess's team couldn't hide their anxiety, while the three knights were full of confidence.

Moreover, the people who came out to cheer for the princess began to worry about the results which didn't reflect their desires.

"But… do you think Her Highness can win?"

"Ha… probably not."

"But still… she is fighting for us."

"She is our only hope…."

They wanted to clutch onto anything, even if it was a straw, so the extra class wished for the victory of the princess.

But a straw was just a straw. Such a thing wasn't going to make them float. That was the reality, and all the people who were able to analyze the forces and abilities of each side saw that.

Not only the heroes were certain of the Blood Ruler's victory.

"Haha, your kingdom sent you as well?"

"Well, this is the best chance to build up a relationship."

There were ambassadors sent from other countries.

Foreign countries which had been watching the Blood Ruler's growth had taken the day as the country's unition under her awakened power, and had sent out congratulatory ambassadors.

"Haha. That is true. Our country has prepared a set of huge diamond necklaces and earrings."

"We placed more efforts. We prepared a measured replicate of the Blood Ruler as a golden statue."

"Ugh..."

"Hahaha. You both are not really prepared. We brought both the golden statue and diamond accessories!"

They competed to see who could suck up to the Blood Ruler the most with their money and presents.

Although, it wasn't their money, but taxes.

Despite it being a pathetic competition, they prided those gifts as a measure of their country's wealth.

Since the Blood Ruler was going to win, anyways.

The princess was level 6, Rittier and Jenna were level 5, and Sungjin was level 0.

On the other hand, the Blood Ruler had three level 6 knights. That already eliminated the princess' forces. But the Blood Ruler had defeated the three knights with one blow. The military power was absolutely imbalanced, with the princess on the disadvantaged team.

The princess' side came up with strategies to win last battle…

But there's a difference between the three knights and the Blood Ruler herself.

There were big differences between dominating with your level and winning once with a tactic.

While one's level was an absolute power whenever and wherever, a plan wouldn't work twice against the same opponent. There was no way the three knights would make the same mistake again, hence, there was no hope on the princess's side.

[3... 2… 1... 0.]

With the Valkyrie's announcement, the battle started.

The southern territory's map was a 4-on-4 battle. There were paths on the upper and lower side of the map where the puppet soldiers marched, and there was a huge forest between two paths where there mid-level monsters existed. The big frame of the geography was not too different from the battle at the capital.

But the forest was larger, the mid-level monsters were stronger, and there was a crystal generator where they could just pick up crystals. That meant that the forest's value had grown, as once it was conquered they could create a large gap in crystal possession and therefore, the items' availability.

At the Blue Team's camp, Sungjin began to hand out orders.

"Ereka. Head to the top lane. Since the path is too short, the Blood Ruler would head towards the puppet soldiers, too." Sungjin explained.

"Yes, Sungjin."

"Jenna, you take the bottom lane. Hold out as much as you can around the turret."

"Yes, Sungjin Oppa."

"Rittier and I will head towards the forest. We'll gather as much crystals as possible. Overall, do as we've discussed yesterday."

"Yes, Sungjin." Everyone answered, but they couldn't hide the anxiety in their eyes.

"Sungjin… can we really make it? They are much stronger… can we win?"

At Ereka's repeated question, Sungjin smiled.

"Well, they are absolutely stronger. I get that."

He didn't ignore the reality of the situation.

"But there is an expression called "throwing" that we used to describe some games on earth."

"'Throwing' as in throwing a spear?"

"No, as in throwing a victory. It's slang for when an advantageous team is too arrogant or becomes greedy and shows their weakness, only to be defeated by the disadvantaged team."

"I see. I've learned an expression of your world."

"Yes, and our enemy will throw the victory. Trust me," Sungjin assured her as Ereka slowly nodded.

Yes. Sungjin. I'll entrust everything to you.