<Wasn’t This a Strategy Game? Chapter 129>

A burning pain radiated from Jepar’s back.

“Ahhh!”

For a long time, the young Jepar, biting his teeth to suppress his screams, finally let out a ripping shriek as he was flung away by that immense force.

‘This is insane…’

It was blatant child abuse. Eden covered her mouth in shock as she looked at the current state of Jepar. Her trembling hands revealed her fear.

“Tch… weakling.”

Jepar’s father coldly spat out those words and raised his whip high. Jepar, seeing this, desperately shouted.

“I’ll try again! I can do it! I just got a little distracted this time….”

“Enough. It seems this is the last fragment of your humanity, so it’s best to eliminate you.”

At that moment, a fallen woman coughed up blood and weakly uttered a voice.

“Young master… I’m… fine… so…”

The woman must have been Jepar’s nurse. She tried to smile faintly, but her body was met with the heavy whip coming down.

With each flicker of the woman’s life force, something within Jepar’s eyes crumbled to dust.

Eden couldn’t bear to witness such a horrific scene and shut her eyes tightly.

‘So this is why Jepar…’

Only then did she understand how Jepar had grown up like this. His father’s madness had turned him into this.

‘I can’t believe he actually tried to subdue the Dark Sorcerers….’

At that moment, she felt remorse for doubting Jepar until the very end.

The incessant crack of the whip made Jepar’s eyes, which were stiffly holding onto Eden, go wild with madness.

Jepar turned to see his father whipping his nurse.

At the same time, a relentless headache that had started on this day began to tighten around Jepar, twisting his brow in pain.

“…”

Jepar knew what this vision was. He knew that if he intervened in this memory, he would be trapped here forever.

Yet, he couldn’t suppress the murderous intent rising from within.

He had intended to kill that man himself, but the man died in an accident before he could gain such power.

If he could fulfill that sticky wish here and save his nurse who had died because of him…

The pent-up frustration he had thought he had overcome swirled uncontrollably, dragging him under the water like a bath with its plug pulled out.

Yes, he was trapped here forever.

“…”

Eden, who had her eyes tightly shut, felt the grip on her hand loosen and opened her eyes wide.

“Huh….”

Jepar picked up the sword that had been carelessly tossed aside, and at the sight, Eden’s eyes froze.

Jepar seemed to have fallen directly into his own trap. But if that happened, Eden might get caught here too. She just wanted to confuse him…

Eden rushed to Jepar and grabbed his arm tightly.

“Grand Duke.”

“Let go.”

“No, you’ve got to stay focused!”

Jepar, looking at his father with fierce eyes, then glanced down at Eden.

“Close your eyes. If you don’t intervene, the Saint will be able to go back.”

There was no deceit left in his eyes. Jepar’s words were the truth, and he was ready to let go of Eden now.

“Then what about you, Grand Duke? You’re saying you’ll stay here?!”

“If not, the pain won’t end.”

Eden’s heart ached at his indifferent words.

Hagen’ti’s face, which had told her that death was the only hope left, overlapped in her mind, making her unable to abandon this man.

“…I really…”

Eden bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears.

“I really hate you, Grand Duke. Do you know that?”

“…”

Jepar held her tightly as he looked at Eden’s tear-streaked face.

“Why do you have to make it so I can’t hate you until the very end?!”

Eden gripped Jepar’s collar, pouring out her despair and rage. In response, a flicker of flame ignited in Jepar’s eyes.

The thought that she couldn’t hate him…

No matter who disliked him, such things were of no importance. That was how it should have been.

“Hah…”

With her head hung low, Eden sighed and spoke, her voice calmer now.

“So, you need someone with strong Divine Power, right?”

Slowly lifting her head, she looked at Jepar.

“I won’t help you put that power inside you. But I can definitely cure that headache for you.”

“…”

“So please, let me go. I promise I’ll cure it.”

With earnest and trusting eyes, Eden looked at Jepar.

If she obtained enough Divine Power to heal Hagen’ti’s illness, she could surely cure Jepar’s headaches and insomnia. Perhaps this whole situation was unfolding for that reason.

If she were given such abilities, she wanted to help Jepar. To escape this dreadful nightmare.

“Trust me, just a little.”

Eden couldn’t pretend to remain calm anymore as she had learned too many secrets of this world.

“Jepar! Kill me, go ahead!”

Behind them, a seductive voice echoed, just like it had for Ibthan. Jepar’s eyes flickered wildly.

“You weakling! You can’t do it!”

Eden loosened her grip on his collar and quickly grabbed Jepar’s face.

“Giving in here is what makes you truly weak.”

“…”

“I’ll count to ten, so close your eyes.”

At her firm warning, Jepar’s long eyelashes quivered.

“Ha! Trying to run away? Really? I knew it.”

“Shut up!”

Eden snapped in Jepar’s stead and used her thumb to close his eyes. Then, she tightly hugged him, binding him so he couldn’t move.

In that hold, the uncontrollable rage within Jepar froze completely in place.

“Okay, I’ll count. One… two… three…”

“Where do you think you’re running off to? Are you saying this girl can die?”

“Four… five… six… Don’t open your eyes. Just listen to my voice.”

Every time Jepar flinched, Eden pulled him closer.

Eden was undoubtedly the Saint she had been searching for. There was no way her breath, brushing against her ear, could be this sweet otherwise.

She truly had him locked down…

“You can’t go back now!”

“You’re doing great… nine…”

“Jepar!”

“…ten.”

Jepar clenched his eyes even tighter. Soon, a buzzing noise echoed in his ears as he felt the curse lift.

In an instant, all the horrific sounds vanished, leaving an eerie silence in the underground.

They had escaped the curse once more. With Jepar in tow.

“Hah…”

Finally loosening her grip around Jepar, Eden let out a breath of relief.

Jepar opened his eyes and looked at his slightly trembling shoulders.

“You did well.”

Eden looked up at him as she said that. Jepar couldn’t take his gaze off her face as he spoke.

“…You should’ve left me there.”

“…”

“What will you do if I don’t send the Saint away?”

At the quiet question, Eden’s eyes turned complicated. After a moment of silence, she quietly replied.

“Then I’d really end up hating you, wouldn’t I?”

Jepar’s heart felt like it was being squeezed, almost as if it was suffocating.

He must have lost his mind. Just the thought of being hated by this woman was enough to plunge him into despair.

In that moment, Jepar slowly realized that something had broken within him, lowering his gaze.

“But you’re going to let me go, right?”

Eden spoke softly while looking at the three spears floating above Jepar’s head.