1.
Aria Main Temple Raid.
A night of iron and blood where the Pope and four Archbishops were brutally slaughtered.
This was clearly <Black Wolf>’s response to the declaration of war from the Heroes of Light.
However.
“…From what I’ve heard, after that, the Hero of Light launched a campaign to exterminate Black Wolf, but they had already escaped, so it ended in failure.”
“And not just that! Thanks to Black Wolf’s attack, it was revealed that <Demon Worshippers> had been hiding within the Holy Church of Light Aria!”
“Come to think of it, the attack on the Empress, the attack on the plaza… isn’t <Black Wolf>, in a way, just cleaning up the trash that the law can’t touch?”
As could be heard, public opinion was subtly leaning in favor of Black Wolf.
Yet, despite that, they remained the most-wanted criminals of the Babylonia Empire.
“Oh… To think you’d defend a high-ranking criminal… Please, do continue. I’m quite curious how long your heads will stay attached to your necks.”
“M-Monstrous Dragon!! I-I’m sorry! These fools are drunk…!! Get up, you bastards!!”
“Where do you think you’re going? Shouldn’t you settle the bill before you die?”
“Hiiik?! Since when was the Branch Manager here!?”
Thanks to Ruby’s intervention and Dalan’s presence, the situation ended as a mere incident.
It was an order from the Captain of Black Wolf.
-Our name will be on everyone’s lips after this incident, but we will stay quiet for now. Make sure to suppress rumors without overexerting yourselves.
-Yes, Captain.
It was the Captain’s command.
Naturally, they followed it.
But truthfully, the members were curious.
‘If the people come to understand Black Wolf’s cause, wouldn’t that be beneficial in many ways?’
As many had pointed out, wasn’t it true that they were simply cleaning up the Empire’s filth in place of a flawed justice system?
‘…Surely not.’
Was the Captain really just disposing of the trash, without caring whether they were recognized for it?
‘…As expected of our Captain. A true saint among men.’
Thus, their curiosity ended there.
‘Let’s not question or pry further. Just follow the orders given.’
Because the Captain’s will was their will.
Lying in the hideout in his identity as “Ian Red”, Nahan thought to himself.
‘……I’m screwed.’
Originally, in the <Original >, <Black Wolf> was a group that no one ever understood.
Thus, the main story revolved around the Emperor and Heroes of Light eradicating them as absolute villains.
But now—
“…But Black Wolf…”
“Shhh…!! I get what you mean, but stop talking, man…!!”
With people starting to see through Black Wolf’s motives and recognizing them not as “absolute evil” but as “villains with a story”—
If the public perception of Black Wolf, who was originally meant to fall as the hidden mastermind, were to change—
‘The difficulty level will skyrocket.’
This would mean that the information Nahan knew from the <Original> would become unreliable.
‘This must be stopped.’
Among the remaining three major episodes, aside from the one he had already dealt with—<12. The Gapelt Viscount Ambush>—the others were incredibly difficult without knowledge of the <Original>.
And the reason for his prediction was simple.
As seen before.
【Bad Ending 8 – <The Hero’s Death> has been set upon the fate of the world.】
【Bad Ending 9 – <The Empress’s Death> has been set upon the fate of the world.】
【Bad Ending 10 – <The Collapse of Light> has been set upon the fate of the world.】
【Bad Ending 11 – <The Hidden Mastermind – Duke Halorand> has been set upon the fate of the world.】
【Bad Ending 12 – <The Rise of Eclipse> has been set upon the fate of the world.】
It really had become more difficult.
Was it because he had assassinated <Viscount Gapelt> earlier than planned?
Or was it because he created the identity of Ian Red?
The exact reason was unclear, but the difficulty had undoubtedly increased.
As mentioned before, Nahan assumed the cause was straying from the <Original>.
‘…Then could it be that these two came at the same time because I deviated from the <Original Work>?’
Pushing aside the barrage of bad endings flooding his mind, Nahan checked the details of the main scenario—”The Unredeemed”.
【Main Scenario – <The Unsaved – Han-Ryang & Celosia Cheon> has been completed.】
【No. 3 – <Han-Ryang (S+)> has ranked up to <Han-Ryang (SS+)>】
【Rewards have been granted.】
Not quite at the level of bad endings, but even the main scenarios, which usually appeared one at a time, were now surfacing in pairs.
‘…No, wait. After looking into the pasts of the members, Rose Red was an important figure to both Ruby and Dalan.’
This wasn’t a consequence of ruining the original story—it was simply how things were meant to unfold.
Either way, it was true that deviating from the <Original Work> had intensified the bad endings.
‘I need to normalize the bad endings.’
By dealing with the current bad endings, he had to return things to a flow similar to the <Original> as much as possible.
‘Five bad endings at once, huh…’
Nahan’s head was already throbbing, but he didn’t think it was impossible.
And the reason was—
【Bad Ending 7 – <The Fanatics’ Revolt> has been cleared.】
【Easter Egg – Selena (SS-) has been saved!】
【Additionally, due to your choices, the survival of 124,012 souls who would have perished has been confirmed, increasing the reward grade!】
【Rewards.】
– <Nahan (EX)>’s Body.
– <Nahan (EX)>’s Aura.
– <Nahan (EX)>’s Combat Experience.
– <Passive – Black Wolf (EX)> Seal Released.
– All characters’ detailed information (except for Black Wolf).
With this latest bad ending resolved, he had finally become a complete <Black Wolf>.
‘…All that suffering was worth it.’
Unlike before, where he had to risk his life at every moment, now—
【Skill List – <Black Wolf>】
– Passive: Black Wolf (EX) (Fully Unleashed!)
– Skill 1: Veil of Shadows (EX)
– Skill 2: Unyielding (EX)
– Ultimate: Access Restricted. (Unlock Progress – 10/15)
There was no longer a reason to lose in battle.
‘And unlike the original Black Wolf, I also have a fully enhanced <Iaso’s Ring> and a fully enhanced <Celestial Barrier>…’
If he could just adapt to the power he received as a reward, he might even surpass the original Black Wolf.
If that happened, and if he managed to normalize the current bad endings—
‘From Episode 13 to the ending, it might actually be smooth sailing.’
For the first time since his possession, he could see a future where things could be taken easy.
A grin slowly formed on Nahan’s lips.
“Let’s go.”
Step by step, tackling each problem in front of him, there was nothing he couldn’t handle.
‘First, I need to analyze the flow of these bad endings.’
The order was.
The Hero’s Death.
The Empress’s Death.
The Collapse of Light.
The Hidden Mastermind – Duke Halorand.
The Rise of Eclipse.
‘So far, the titles of the bad endings have always directly reflected their events.’
This time would likely be no different.
If he were to predict the contents of these five bad endings based on their titles—
‘The Hero and Empress die, leading to the collapse of Light. In the ensuing chaos, the mastermind, Duke Halorand, will move in to seize control, paving the way for the rise of Eclipse.’
Nahan thought deeper.
‘Duke Halorand is an even more deceiving figure than Viscount Gapelt—a man seen as a paragon of virtue.’
The guardian of Asha Mirabelle, the Hero of Light.
The only viable challenger to the incompetent Empress.
Even the readers of the original work saw him as a protagonist of justice, and after the story’s conclusion, he was portrayed as the only hope left for Asha, who had lost everything.
However, after checking his detailed information, newly obtained as a reward—
【Name: Halorand.】
– Alias: The Challenger to the Empress, The Empire’s Hope, The Unshakable Saint, The Hand That Covers the Sun.
– Rank: B+
– Information: The greatest war hero of the battle against the demons. Earned recognition for single-handedly annihilating an entire demon army and was granted an unprecedented Dukedom despite his commoner origins.
‘The Hand That Covers the Sun.’
An alias that only Eclipse members received.
Although it lacked further elaboration, suggesting he was a mere subordinate like Viscount Gapelt—
‘I won’t be so sure.’
Just like Eclipse itself, Halorand was hardly mentioned in the original work. Who knew what he might be hiding?
Either way, there wasn’t enough information to devise a detailed plan just yet.
Gather intelligence.
Analyze the current situation.
Develop a plan and execute it.
Right now, everything was blocked. The only option left—
– [If your body is weak, your head must suffer! Move, you feeble warrior!!]
“…Damn it.”
Was to handle things physically.
‘The next bad ending will be The Hero’s Death.’
The only solution was to stick by her side and ensure she didn’t die.
Luckily, having stopped the Gardner Banquet attack, he had already earned her trust. Getting close to her as “Ian Red” wouldn’t be an issue.
But being close wasn’t enough—he needed an excuse to stay with her.
‘What excuse could I use to stick around?’
…Should he ask to join the Hero Party?
…But how?
As he trailed off into endless thoughts, sighing in frustration, he suddenly lifted his head—
“…”
And locked eyes with a stranger.
Golden hair.
Thin, cross-shaped golden pupils.
A faint yet distinct Aura.
A woman who felt oddly familiar, yet completely unknown.
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence.
Eventually, Nahan spoke first.
“Who are you…?”
Despite the unexpected visit, he maintained an air of politeness, feigning mild embarrassment.
The woman, however, simply smirked as she responded.
“I told you, didn’t I? That it was really important to me. That I’d come back for it someday.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m here now. So give them back—my half-broken bracelet, my handkerchief, and that bent Symbol of Aria.”
“…Ah.”
At last, it clicked.
– W-Wait! Just a moment!! Then at least take this!!
– Yes. Thank you. Now leave.
– It’s collateral. It’s really important to me… I’ll definitely come back for it…!!
– Do as you wish. Goodbye. Please, just go.
The saint candidate he had saved from the underground when he assassinated Viscount Gapelt.
‘…But I’m Ian Red right now?’
Sensing trouble, Nahan quickly pulled up her status window while forcing a smile.
“Ahaha… I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
The moment he finished speaking, her golden cross-pupils gleamed ominously.
“…Don’t worry, Black Wolf. I’ll stay quiet—for now. …Yes, for now.”
