<Wasn’t this a strategy game? Episode 154>

Eden’s heart swelled with emotion at the unbelievable words.

This was truly the most amazing thing Asmun could offer me.

Asmun was willing to abandon his own predefined settings from the beginning and choose Eden instead. It was as if he had vowed to transform his very essence for her, just like when he didn’t kill Akalneta with Hesmor’s Sword.

Asmun slowly moved closer to Eden, taking her hand. His urgent feelings seemed to be conveyed through his firm fingertips.

“So please…”

Asmun gazed at Eden without blinking, as if even for a moment he feared she might disappear.

Initially, Eden fought back tears as she looked at the face she never imagined she would be seeing—so full of longing. Asmun buried his face in her palm and pleaded.

“Promise me you’ll return.”

Eden wanted to stay here too. She wanted to beg to be allowed to be with them, even if it meant giving up everything.

There was no one left in the place she would return to, no one for whom she felt this desperate yearning.

The person who was clearing the quest to return had long since vanished. Now Eden wanted to live her remaining life as ‘Eden Lilith.’

But that was not under her control.

“I’ll try my best to make it happen.”

Eden made the best promise she could, grabbing Asmun’s cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. His gaze softened at that heartfelt kiss.

Asmun wrapped his arms around Eden’s waist and wouldn’t let go for quite some time.

After what might be their last kiss, Eden couldn’t help but stare at Asmun’s face for a while.

Just in case, just in case something goes wrong, she wanted to make sure he would never forget.

Eden swallowed back the tear that threatened to spill over.

“Wish me luck to come back.”

With that, she flashed a brave smile and boldly opened the Saint’s Room door, stepping inside before he could even catch her.

Now, it was time for the final game where her fate was at stake.

Facing Hamun once more, Eden recited a spell before placing Silverstone in his hands.

“Hamun’s game is the greatest game in the universe and the dream and hope of all gamers.”

Reciting the spell in one breath with no sincerity behind it, she paused for a moment, and the stiff Hamun statue suddenly turned its head as if it were alive.

“You need to put Silverstone on first!”

His eyes sparkled with anticipation, clearly excited about a player finally clearing the game. Eden calmly looked at him and parted her lips.

“Before that, I want to ask you something.”

“What is it this time?”

“Why was the password set by Haila the one I used?”

Eden asked the question she had genuinely been curious about. Hamun’s expression became odd, as if he had waited a very long time to answer this.

With an out-of-place awkwardness, he replied, “You probably won’t remember even if I tell you.”

Remember? What?

Eden’s face was filled with confusion.

“The truth is, you were the first player to clear my game.”

What?

That was an utterly unexpected answer. What was Hamun talking about?

“Do you remember the game ‘Saint Battle’? You probably don’t since it was so long ago, right?”

‘Saint Battle’? It felt vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Did she even play something like that?

“Since it was back in middle school, you probably wouldn’t remember.”

“…What was that about?”

“It was a game where you became the Great Saint and sealed the Demon King. It had a lot of shortcomings, but you played it till the end. And you gave it a five-star rating. That was the first star rating of my life.”

Hamun smiled happily. Something struck Eden like lightning at those words.

A game where you became the Great Saint and sealed the Demon King. That was a story she knew all too well.

“I asked what kind of sequel game should be made at the end, and you said you wanted a strategy game.”

At that, Eden’s head went blank.

‘So… this game is…’

“That’s right. It’s the game created based on your response. How shocking, right?”

Eden’s mouth fell open before she realized it.

This meant that the Great Saint Haila was…

‘A character I used to play…?’

But she couldn’t remember any of it. Eden had not played games at all after middle school until her parents passed away, when she started playing again.

“So, it’s kind of a tribute game. That’s why I was waiting for you to participate in it. And look, you’re going to clear my game again! Incredible!”

Hamun laughed frivolously, clapping his hands as if he were satisfied that his grand scheme had come to fruition.

However, Eden felt a strange emptiness, as if her legs were losing strength. It was like she was nothing more than a puppet dancing on the divine palm.

The annoying god looked at her with excited eyes, completely unaware of her feelings.

“Come on! Now hurry and put Silverstone in my hands! Then, it’s clear!”

Hamun sparkled with excitement and reached out his hand. But Eden didn’t budge.

“Before that, there’s something we need to agree on.”

“Oh, what now?”

“I want to stay here even after clearing the game. You can make that happen, right? Since you’re a god.”

That was a shameless request. Hamun looked at Eden with a peculiar expression and then turned his head away with a huff.

“What if I don’t?”

At that haughty remark, Eden’s heart plummeted to her stomach. Keeping a calm face to not show her emotions, she replied.

“Oh, really? Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do then.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Eden let something she had been hiding behind her back drop to the floor.

Hamun, who had been pretending to be nonchalant, subtly rolled his eyes to see what Eden had let fall.

It was a sword.

What was that? A Holy Sword?

‘No, the Holy Sword doesn’t look like that.’

The moment Eden summoned the Holy Sword, it gleamed brilliantly in her grasp.

Gripping the sword with both hands, she pointed the tip toward Hamun’s throat.

“What are you doing…?”

Hamun, shocked and bemused, froze in place. Only then did he realize what she was aiming at.

No way…

Eden caught the shift in his expression and smiled slyly.

“It wouldn’t matter if all the data disappeared, right?”

“You… you…”

“Ah, it wouldn’t matter anyway since it’s a garbage game. Right?”

“Hey! Who’s calling it a garbage game?!”

Hamun shouted in indignation as Eden threateningly waved the sword.

“Aagh! Wait, wait…!”

Hamun screamed in panic as feelings bottled up within Eden surged to her throat.

This sword was Karon’s sword.

“Saint!”

Just after defeating Sereman, bloodied Karon appeared before Eden. He had been searching for her, slashing through monsters and dark sorcerers all night.

Seeing Eden unharmed, Karon collapsed right there, and above him, a new notification popped up.

『【★】Karon Citriel’s Affection Level 90 Achieved!

: Unlocks confidential information as a reward!』

『Karon Citriel

Intelligence 70

Strength 90

Power 70

Magic Power 60

Divine Power 80

Traits: Commander of the Holy Knights of the Hesmor Empire.

Karon’s sword is <Hamun's Sword>, which contains all the data of this world! <Hamun's Sword> can only be destroyed by a Holy Sword~ But that probably won’t happen, lol』

The information granted as a reward for achieving Karon’s affection was of a kind she could never have imagined.

His new trait was not a characteristic of a character but a kind of easter egg.

Hamun had been so confident that no one would ever achieve Karon’s affection level of 90, which is why he enjoyed the thrill of this dangerous gamble.

A clear miscalculation.

‘If I can’t change the predetermined ending, I’ll just have to crush the will of the god!’

Thanks to that, Eden gained a massive trump card which she could use to threaten Hamun.

Karon willingly offered his sword, and Eden was already prepared for the final gamble.

“Did you really achieve Karon’s affection level of 90? Seriously?”

Hamun was astonished, practically shouting in disbelief.

For a moment, he stared as if he was trying to confirm the truth, staying still like a stone, but soon returned, clutching his face and screaming.

“Aagh! It’s real!”

Though his face was made of stone, it alternated between ghostly pale and deep blue. He had done such a risky thing, assuming that no one would ever obtain Karon’s affection.

“Hurry up and decide. What are you going to do? Just stab me?”

“Hey!”

“Oh? All the data is gonna vanish?”

The tip of the Holy Sword was almost touching the blade of Hamun’s sword.

“Put that down! Now!”

But Eden didn’t move an inch, only menacingly angled the sword. In the end, Hamun, overwhelmed, decided to shout.

“Fine! Fine! I was going to do it anyway! I already made agreements with Asmun!”

At those words, Eden’s eyebrows furrowed.

What?

“What did you agree on with Asmun…?”

Hamun looked furious and frustrated.

“What’s with these things!”

“What did you agree on with Asmun?!”

As Eden brandished the sword again, Hamun screamed in a panic.

“He came to me and threatened me!”

He trembled at the memory of that day.

It was the day before his coronation.

Somehow, Asmun had figured out how to activate the easter egg, and he used it to summon Hamun.

“Let Eden stay here.”

He had the audacity to give him an arrogant order directly.

Stunned by the fact that the character he had created was the one summoning him, it didn’t take long for Hamun to get angry.

“Why should I? I don’t want to.”

Inflamed, Hamun responded that way, and Asmun made his bold move.

“Then we might have to end everything right now.”