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The scent of blood permeated the air, stinging my nostrils.

Tension hung heavy, suffocating me.

Over a thousand of the kingdom’s elite forces were closing in, all for the sake of capturing just one person—me.

“Haa…”

My breath heaved from deep within my lungs.

I was on the verge of retching.

The screen before my eyes flashed red.

[Warning! You are debuffed.]

[Defense has decreased by 50%.]

[“Phoenix’s Breath (SR)” has been dispelled.]

……

……

……

[You are bleeding.]

[Health is decreasing by 0.1% per second.]

[You cannot use potions.]

‘Damn it… I’ve been poisoned with every kind of toxin, and my mana breathing isn’t working properly.’

My trusted subordinate had betrayed me.

I asked him why, but he said nothing.

He just attacked me with a sorrowful expression.

To survive, I had to kill the subordinate I cherished with my own hands.

Thud!

My spear pierced the chest of a burly man with red hair.

“Gah!”

My most trusted subordinate, Mikhail Pervatz, coughed up a handful of blood mixed with his guts.

“…Why?”

I asked him.

“Sorry… Captain… Ugh!”

I snapped at Mikhail’s words.

“Why did you betray me? Stop apologizing and answer me!”

“…You already know… the reason… ugh… sorry….”

“You, to the very end.”

“Don’t… forgive us….”

Thud!

The dependable subordinate who always had my back was dead.

“You could’ve said it! Dirk, that bastard, took your family hostage, and you had no choice!”

My teeth ground together.

I already knew why Mikhail betrayed me.

Just as I was burning with anger, the oppressive presence slowly closing in reached me.

A group of shadows emerged from the dense forest with rustling sounds.

“Dirk…”

I muttered the enemy’s name, and the status window popped up.

[Dirk Hatzfeld (Lv.80)(Max)]

Grade: ★★★★☆

Age: 35

Occupation: Magic Spear Knight

Mana Affinity: Fire Bond (A+)[3 Runes]

Affection: -90 (Nemesis)

-Base Stats-

[Health: A+]

[Mana: S-]

[Body: A]

[Strength: S-]

[Agility: A+]

Traits: Greed (S), Master of Spearmanship (A+), Determination (A-)

Skills: Red Dragon’s Breath (A-), Red Spearmanship (A+)

The man with the sly look was my half-brother.

Dirk Hatzfeld.

He was smirking at me.

[Warning! You are severely bleeding.]

[Health has dropped from SR+ to D-.]

[Mana has dropped from SR to C-.]

[Body has dropped from SR to B.]

[Strength has dropped from SR+ to B-.]

[Agility has dropped from SR to D+.]

Normally, I could easily overwhelm him with my abilities.

But now, multiple debuffs from the injuries I’d sustained made even walking difficult.

“You still have enough strength to speak.”

“Haa… If not for Father’s request, you’d already be dead by my hand.”

“Ha, Father’s request? You’re sorely mistaken.”

Dirk’s laughter grated on my nerves.

“Father never once considered you his son.”

“Bullshit!”

“Ha! This is why I insisted on coming myself, you wretched worm! Listen well. You’re just a hunting dog raised by the Hatzfeld family.”

“Father recognized my contributions and accepted me as a member of the Hatzfeld family.”

“You fool. Tsk tsk, to be so easily fooled by Father’s acting. You were simply a tool to destroy the Rehinar family, nothing more, hahaha.”

The Rehinar family belonged to the Empire of Fresia.

I was the key player in their downfall.

“You barely managed to awaken “Phoenix’s Breath”, and you thought you could stand on equal footing with those of us who’ve awakened the power of the Red Dragon?”

“……”

Grinding my teeth, I seethed with rage.

If I had just a little more time, I could…!

Dirk Hatzfeld’s face bore a vile smile as he watched me struggle in my final moments.

“Shall I tell you something amusing? Do you remember ‘Blue Tiger’ Kane Rehinar?”

“……?”

‘Kane Rehinar’ was the Grand Duke of the Rehinar family whom I killed five years ago.

He was once considered the greatest threat to the Hatzfeld family because he was said to have inherited the power of the ‘Blue Tiger,’ surpassing the ‘Red Dragon.’

Fortunately for us, he turned out to be a dullard. Despite his immense power, he was easily dealt with.

His name had almost been erased from my memory. I couldn’t understand why Dirk brought him up now.

“Prince Dirk!”

Dirk’s right-hand man urgently shouted from his side.

It was as if he was trying to stop Dirk from saying something he shouldn’t.

“What does it matter? He’s about to die anyway.”

Dirk paid no heed to his subordinate’s words.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“The Kane Rehinar you killed… that body originally belonged to you, you wretched worm.”

“……??”

“Our father, the King of Hatzfeld, used a forbidden magic tome to swap your soul with Ray’s.”

It felt like I had been struck by a hammer.

“…Why?”

“Because the real Ray Hatzfeld was a useless cripple. We couldn’t have such trash in the Hatzfeld family.”

“So… that’s why Kane Rehinar was a dullard.”

“Now you get it.”

“That’s why you could use “Blood Dance”…”

Dirk answered my murmurs.

“Father never anticipated that you would unlock Rehinar’s latent power. It did help us easily destroy Rehinar, though.”

“So with these hands… I destroyed my own family?”

Clap, clap, clap.

Dirk clapped his hands in delight.

“You’re as sharp as ever… Ugh!”

I closed the distance between us in an instant.

[Skill “Phoenix Spearmanship (SR)” – Second Form: Surging Phoenix has been activated.]

My spear reached right up to Dirk’s nose.

But… it stopped just an inch short.

[Insufficient mana.]

[Second Form: Surging Phoenix has been canceled.]

[All mana has been exhausted.]

“Kuh.”

Unable to kill Dirk, I fell to my knees.

My entire body was bound by chains of fire.

It was a binding spell cast by the most powerful magical division Hatzfeld boasted, the Demon Slayers.

Thud!

“Oof.”

Startled, Dirk kicked me hard in the stomach.

“If you had used “Blood Dance” instead of Hatzfeld’s spearmanship, I might have been the one lying there.”

“…You’re just a worm who can’t do anything on your own.”

I bit down hard, seething with rage.

All the slaughter I’d committed felt meaningless now.

‘Is this really the hollow end for me? What was I fighting for all this time…?’

My eyelids felt heavy.

My vision began to darken.

This was the end.

‘If only I could kill that bastard Dirk….’

Just as I gathered mana to activate “Phoenix’s Breath” one last time,

Thud!

Dirk’s spear pierced my heart.

The core of my mana.

The mana heart, most crucial for knights and wizards who use magic, was punctured.

“Huek!”

“Father taught me to be cautious until your last breath.”

Dirk’s voice faded away.

My breath gradually ceased.

“If I get another chance… I’ll make sure… to kill you… with my own hands…”

The world turned pitch black.

[Game over]

[Hidden Ending: The Secret of Ray Hatzfeld]

[Discovering the hidden ending has unlocked a new story.]

[Additional content is being downloaded.]

…

* * *

“…Duke!”

A woman’s voice reached my ears.

‘What…?’

My consciousness was gradually returning.

Had I died and gone to hell?

“Grand Duke!”

The woman’s voice was crystal clear.

Forcing my heavy eyelids open,

[The patch has been completed.]

‘A system window!? But I died.’

What was going on?

[Before starting the story, please select your partner.]

[The partner characters you can choose from are the same in all stories.]

[2★ Water Mage Heidi Gunther]

[2★ Failed Knight Camilla Einrich]

[2★ Mysterious Maid Anna Werner]

‘Wh-what is this?’

My eyes darted left and right.

The selection screen didn’t disappear.

‘Could it be… reincarnation after possession?’

My heart pounded as I considered the possibility of having returned to the past.

Without hesitation, I chose a character, driven by a faint hope.

[You have chosen 2★ Failed Knight Camilla Einrich.]

[Have a fun adventure.]

“Ha. Thank goodness you’re conscious.”

A woman with a ponytail sighed in relief.

“I thought something had happened to you, Grand Duke.”

Her voice was familiar yet the words were strange.

“Grand Duke?”

“What’s wrong?”

Camilla tilted her head in confusion.

Seeing her like she used to be made me smile unconsciously.

“It’s nothing.”

“Your manner of speaking has changed since you woke up.”

Camilla Einrich.

She was the first character I chose when I initially transmigrated inside this game.

Despite her poor stats, I was drawn to her cute, puppy-like appearance.

Many regretted choosing her, but I knew better as a hardcore player of this game.

‘If you follow the hidden strategy, she becomes an incredibly efficient character.’

That’s why, the moment I transmigrated into “War of Gods: Infinite Defense”, I chose her.

To increase my chances of survival, even if by a little.

But over time, Camilla became precious to me.

She had been nothing more than a game character to me.

A woman who devoted her life to me, a mere illegitimate son.

I had lived my life burdened with the guilt of causing her death due to Hatzfeld’s schemes.

It wasn’t until later that I realized the truth.

It was Dirk Hatzfeld who had killed Camilla.

‘This time, I’ll protect you.’

I reached out to her.

“Ugh!”

“Don’t move. Your wounds from the assassin are severe.”

A sudden pain washed over me, reminding me that I had ignored the pain in my rush to realize I had regressed.

“Ha, was it always this painful?”

“Will you stop with the nonsense? I’m almost done making the medicine, just hold on a bit longer.”

Camilla’s hands moved quickly.

But she seemed to be badly hurt as well.

‘Did Camilla get injured like this when we first started?’

We had first met at the Hatzfeld mansion.

If my memory served me right, she shouldn’t have been this injured.

Something was off, but I brushed it aside for now.

I was just relieved that Camilla, who had died, was alive.

“You’re the same as always.”

“Be quiet! Your wounds will worsen. You’re like a mute most of the time, but now that you’re dying, you won’t stop talking.”

Camilla’s eyes filled with tears as she spoke.

“You’re still as chatty as ever.”

“Oh, come on!”

Her movements quickened.

Watching her, I smiled faintly.

‘I shouldn’t worry her.’

I waved my hand in the air to open the status window.

But what I saw was unexpected.

‘What is this!?’

[Kane Rehinar (Lv.1)]

Grade: ★☆☆☆☆

Age: 21

Occupation: Grand Duke of Rehinar

Mana Affinity: Water Rune (F-)[1 Rune]

-Base Stats-

[Health: F-]

[Mana: F-]

[Body: F-]

[Strength: F-]

[Agility: F-]

Traits: Dullard (UR), Timid (S), Frail (S), Kindness (S), Endurance (B), Concentration (B)

Skills: Blue Tiger’s Breath (F-), +Rehinar Dual Swordsmanship (F-)

‘Why is Kane Rehinar’s status window here!?’

The status window before me wasn’t Ray Hatzfeld’s.

It was Kane Rehinar, the guardian of the Fresia Empire.

I pondered over how this could be.

Then I remembered the message I saw just before dying as Ray Hatzfeld.

[Discovering the hidden ending has unlocked a new story.]

[Additional content is being downloaded.]

‘So that’s how it continues?’

It was beyond absurd.

“War of Gods: Infinite Defense” was a failed game.

Due to excessive pay-to-win elements and other reasons, players had left, and the service was discontinued.

Even as a veteran player, there were many stories I didn’t know.

I found out too late about the forbidden magic tome used in Hatzfeld.

And now there was additional content?

‘Judging by the “Dullard” trait, my fate has been altered by the magic tome.’

I quickly scanned my surroundings.

The ceiling was filled with stalactites.

A small campfire crackled in the middle of an ice cave.

The game’s starting point was different.

‘Interesting.’

I couldn’t help but laugh.

To start anew as Kane Rehinar.

The one the King of Hatzfeld feared most.