Chapter 3: [STAGE 0] Even under the crumbling sky

Chapter 3: [STAGE 0] Even under the crumbling sky

The forward outpost of the fortress city, Crossroad.

Headquarters reserved for the commander.

"..."

I was locked in a fierce staring match with the mirror.

Reflecting back at me was a striking man, adorned with jet-black hair and eyes that gleamed like the night sky as if he were a figure plucked straight from a masterpiece painting.

The third prince of the Everblack Empire, Ash Born Hater Everblack.

It seems this pretty boy was the one Id inexplicably inhabited(?).

"Have I finally lost it..."

It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Id not only stepped into a game world but also become a dispensable character destined to die in the tutorial. As sunrise greeted the dawn of the new day, the dreaded tutorial would commence.

"Why, of all people, did it have to be this bastard!"

I groaned, running both hands down my face in exasperation.

Hovering in front of me was a translucent system window, detailing a comprehensive character profile of Ash.

[Character Summary - Ash Born Hater Everblack]

It was almost as detailed as a short story, but to summarize:

Ash, the youngest son of the Everblack Empire, the third prince.

Plagued by madness since childhood, Ash was known for his volatile and cruel nature.

From a young age, hed been indulged with everything he wanted and was quick to discard anything he found displeasing.

His palace was a breeding ground for constant calamities and mishaps.

As he matured into adulthood, his days were consumed by lascivious escapades with noble daughters, his profligate lifestyle draining the national treasury, and his flagrant disrespect towards bureaucrats and knights causing mayhem.

As his reign of terror escalated and grievances within the capital proliferated, the Emperor was left with no choice but to take severe action.

Ash, I hereby assign you as the lord and commander of the fortress city, Crossroad. Dedicate yourself to ensuring the Empires tranquility by combating the monsters at bay.

While it sounded like a commendable appointment, it was effectively an exile and demotion.

The fortress city, Crossroad, was situated at the southernmost tip of the world.

From the colossal southern lake, monsters emerged relentlessly.

With a staggering average of thousands of casualties each year, it was the most formidable monster frontline in the world.

Being tasked to combat monsters here was akin to a life sentence a never-ending struggle.

And Ash was an outright lunatic.

On his inaugural day, he rallied the Imperial soldiers whod accompanied him from the capital, along with the mercenaries stationed in the fortress city, and ventured southward.

If we obliterate the root of these monsters, our troubles will be over!

In essence, Ashs approach wasnt entirely flawed.

The mission to exterminate that origin was precisely the premise of this game, Protect the Empire.

The predicament arose due to timing. The day Ash led his forces to march coincided with the day the dormant monsters of the past decade sprang into action.

Upon their arrival at the forward base, Ash and his soldiers were ambushed by the sudden emergence of the Black Spider Legion, and they waged a blood-soaked battle around the clock for three consecutive days.

On the fourth day, the forward base fell.

Their deployed forces were annihilated.

Lucas, the protagonist and Ashs personal knight, managed to escape the carnage with Ash, but Ash didnt survive the escape.

Ultimately, Lucas was the sole survivor, making his way back to Crossroad.

As the deputy commander, Lucas held the fort at Crossroad, all while initiating an assault on the dungeonthe source of the monstrous outbreak...

... This was the opening narrative of the game <Protect the Empire>.

But damn it, that wasnt the pressing issue right now!

"Shit."

I wiped the cold sweat coursing down my face with my hand.

"Ash, you dumb fuck! You shouldve holed up in the fortress city, why did you barge out! Why!"

I was certain that regardless of when I was plunged into the game, I could carve a path to survival.

I was the only person who had completed the game at its harshest difficulty setting.

Except for this one time! This accursed tutorial phase alone!

"Its unbeatable. This stage is designed to be lost."

In the game, this tutorial was crafted to guarantee defeat, regardless of the strategy employed.

We were vastly outnumbered, and the monsters, equipped with higher levels and superior specifications, far eclipsed our own soldiers.

During the three-year run of this game, the Black Spider Legion monsters only became viable targets midway through the second year.

Confronted by hundreds of those bastards right from the get-go, victory seemed an impossible dream.

Ultimately, even in the final tutorial, only Lucas managed to escape.

"...No, pull yourself together, RetroAddict."

I sought to regain my composure, delivering a few sharp slaps to my own cheeks.

"Games are made to be beaten. If this situation is a challenge thrown at me, there must be a solution."

Yes.

Even though this place was undoubtedly reality, it also mirrored the game Id conquered.

I had a greater understanding of this game, <Protect the Empire>, than anyone else in the world.

If I could harness all my knowledge and experience, I should be able to devise a plan, even when the sky seemed to be falling.

And if that joke could be exploited, then... there were potential strategies.

The plan was as fragile as a spiders web, yet it held a certainty.

Lucas!

I thrust the door open and stuck my head out. Lucas, who had been dozing on his feet while on guard duty, jumped and turned to face me.

"Yes, Your Highness! Whats the issue?"

"Summon my personal party immediately!"

Lucas blinked, taken aback.

"A party? Do you mean your personal guard unit, Your Highness? Youve never summoned them before, why the sudden..."

"Enough with the questions! Just bring them here!"

I pointed a firm finger at Lucas, a confident grin on my face.

"Because Ive figured a way out of this mess!"

***

Moments later.

The corridor outside my room teemed with all five members of the tutorial party.

Myself, Lucas.

And three new faces.

Lilly, Ken, Damien...

I swiftly scanned their eerily familiar faces.

And it made sense. The number of times Id witnessed their death events was beyond counting.

Lilly was a woman with fiery red hair cascading from beneath her mages robe.

Ken was a hulking man, bald head gleaming, clutching a shield.

And Damien...

"...Why is he all huddled up like that?"

He was a boy with curly brown hair and glasses, adorned in a priests robe.

He looked fine, yet he was sobbing in a corner of the room. What was happening?

"Damien lost a comrade today. Please understand."

Lilly managed a pained smile and requested my understanding.

Damien, one of the last healers in the unit, appeared to have been tending to the wounded shortly before.

A dear comrade of his had succumbed to injuries just recently.

"Sniff... Sob..."

Damien couldnt stem his tears. His pristine priest robe was stained with the blood of his comrades.

Lilly, seated next to Damien, tenderly rubbed his back.

Now that I think back on it, thats how it was in the game tutorial.

Damien was always the first to die, perpetually suffering from some fear or confusion debuff.

I recall him being a critical healer, but he was utterly unhelpful.

"Come on, Damien. I know youre grieving, but you need to get up! Losing a comrade is heartbreaking, but you must survive, right?"

I patted Damiens shoulder, but he continued to sob.

Ken, the towering knight, glared at me with a look of dissatisfaction.

"You must survive? Are you for real, Prince?"

"Huh?"

As I looked at Ken, he spat out his words, his voice brimming with resentment.

"Are you actually saying that, Your Highness, after leading us into this death trap with your pitiful command!"

"..."

"What do you mean, have to survive? Were all damned to die because of you, dammit!"

That felt unjust. I was not to blame. This damned Ash made this mess and then I was handed the problem.

That defense surged to the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it. Who would believe such an unbelievable tale?

More crucially, I could totally empathize with Kens feelings.

A commander abruptly descended from the capital and threw the entire army into the enemys lap. It was enough to make anyones blood boil.

...Yes, it was maddening, but...

"Ken."

I couldnt let that sway me.

"Are you challenging me, the son of the Emperor and the Supreme Commander of the frontline here?"

As my voice dropped to a whisper, Ken recoiled. He finally seemed to grasp that the prince standing before him was utterly unhinged.

With a smug grin, I allowed one corner of my mouth to twitch upward into a dangerous smile.

Once I lost control, it was game over. The plans I was about to implement were outrageously reckless.

I needed them to follow me without hesitation.

"Lucas!"

So I....

"Behead this insolent fool who has insulted the royal family and the Supreme Commander, right away!"

Decided to lean into my already well-established role of a madman.