Chapter 4: I Won’t Tell Anyone Anything!

‘Tong, are you really sure there’s no danger along this route?’

‘Please trust me, Host. The route selected by the System is absolutely safe and reliable, convenient and swift.’

‘Then why do I have this weird feeling?’

Running on the road to White Maple City, Ian suddenly shivered, a vague sense of danger lingering in his heart.

‘Is it possible that you’re running too fast, Host, and caught a chill?’

Ian: ‘…………’

Can someone really catch a cold from running too fast?

Besides, Ian was a man who treated fractures and fainting as routine, someone who had been ruthlessly trained by Otillia Filimon.

Out of trust for the System, and since that chill came and went quickly, Ian didn’t think too much about it.

He just assumed it was because he was running too fast.

***

With only 1 day and 2 hours left on the countdown before Shirleyviel Connalt would completely break away from the storyline, Ian finally followed the System’s navigation to the countryside village where Shirleyviel lived.

Erna Village

It was a special convalescent village built by the Duke of Connalt for his only daughter—Shirleyviel Connalt.

Erna Village wasn’t far from the main city of the Connalt Territory, White Maple City. Other than Shirleyviel, almost everyone here was a member of Connalt’s Magic Knight Elite Corps.

Connalt’s Magic Knight Elite Corps were known throughout the Chester Empire as the “White Maple Wolves”.

Legend had it that the Captain of the “White Maple Wolves” was a Fifth-Tier Chief Beast Knight.

One could well imagine just how secure the defenses of Erna Village were.

Although Ian had arrived in time at the place where Shirleyviel was, figuring out how to make contact with her in just one day was troublesome.

***

‘System, how many Corrective Points would I need for a potion that can instantly heal wounds in a short time?’

‘The type of injury…’

‘Torture.’

‘The best product has been selected for you……’

【Healer Potion (Primary): Can instantly heal all wounds below Apprentice level. As long as you are still mortal, as long as you’re not dead, it can bring you back.】

【Price: 20 Corrective Points】

‘Give me two bottles.’

【Ding, 40 Corrective Points deducted. Remaining Corrective Points: 60.】

【Obtained Healer Potion (Primary) *2】

Ian opened his System Space and saw two bottles of pale green potion lying quietly inside, and felt somewhat relieved.

“Whew……”

With the Healer Potion (Primary) in hand, Ian took a deep breath and started to carry out the plan he had made on the way here.

This plan would ensure Ian could stay in Erna Village without being driven out.

It’s just that the method was a bit like getting thrown in jail.

***

One day later, only 1 hour and 28 minutes remained before Shirleyviel Connalt would completely break away from the storyline.

In an inconspicuous little house in the corner of Erna Village.

“Speak! Who sent you here?! Why did you break in?!”

“I won’t tell you anything……….”

“Hmph! Still acting tough! Increase the voltage!”

“Ugh, aaaaahhh—”

The dim, damp room was thick with the stench of rust and burnt flesh, chokingly pungent.

Ian was chained to a cold metal chair with thick iron chains, wearing only a thin prison uniform covered with lash marks and blackened burns from electric shocks.

The interrogator looked at Ian’s face, twisted in pain yet lips still tightly shut, a flash of impatience and doubt in his eyes.

This intruder was too strange. Just a mere mortal, yet he dared to break into the heavily guarded Erna Village.

After being caught, he was completely unyielding. No matter how they tortured him, he only said, “I won’t tell you anything.”

It was as if his purpose was to be captured and suffer in here.

“Captain, this guy…”

The guard operating the magical device also frowned.

The middle-aged guard called Captain—one of the Squad Leaders of the “White Maple Wolves”—waved his hand, signaling to stop the electric torture.

The room was left with nothing but Ian’s ragged, painful breathing.

“What exactly do you want?”

The Captain walked up to Ian, looking down at him from above.

“Your body can’t take many more rounds of this interrogation. If you keep resisting, there’s only one outcome—death. Tell us your purpose, and maybe you can keep your life.”

This time, Ian simply remained silent.

The Captain felt a faint sense of foreboding in his heart.

As if to confirm his fear, the next second the interrogation room door was kicked open.

“Miss is missing! Captain ordered everyone to search immediately!”

“What?!”

The Captain spun around, disbelief written all over his face.

This was Erna Village, protected by a defensive magic array personally set up by a Legendary Sixth-Tier Mage.

And all around were the “White Maple Wolves”. How could their Young Miss vanish without a trace?

“All personnel on duty or resting, commence search at once! Priority—seal off the outer perimeter and paths to the forest!”

“Damn it!”

The Captain cursed, unable to spare another thought for interrogating Ian.

The Young Miss going missing was a hundred times more serious than any external enemy invasion!

He hurriedly ordered the guard operating the magic device:

“Watch him!”

Then grabbed his sword off the wall and dashed out of the interrogation room like a whirlwind.

***

The Squad Leader, a Three-Tier Intermediate Mage, had barely left when the guard left behind was suddenly knocked unconscious from behind, collapsing to the ground.

‘Tong, help me locate Shirleyviel’s position.’

‘Shirleyviel’s location marked. Time remaining before Shirleyviel Connalt completely breaks away from the storyline: 56 minutes.’

After using a Healer Potion (Primary) and activating the Heart of the Platinum Dragon God to break free from the ropes, Ian frowned as he looked at the spot marked by the System for Shirleyviel.

Because the Red Dot representing Shirleyviel was still at the same spot as when Ian first arrived at Erna Village, not having moved at all.

No time to think further, Ian spent his remaining 60 Corrective Points in the System Shop to buy a One-Day Cat Experience Card.

After using the Cat Experience Card, Ian transformed into a nimble Black Cat.

Using the cover of night, Ian followed the System’s guidance and headed straight for where Shirleyviel was.

‘7 minutes and 56 seconds left before Shirleyviel completely breaks away from the storyline.’

On a tree in front of the cabin where Shirleyviel was.

Through the countdown panel before him, Ian—now a Black Cat—stood on a branch and locked eyes with a tall figure below, clad entirely in black armor.

“Awoo!”

Suddenly, from the armored man’s shadow in the moonlight, a wolf’s howl rang out. The armored man’s shadow began to flow like liquid, gradually morphing into a Wolf-Shaped Monster the size of a small carriage!

“Xiaohei.”

Just as the Wolf-Shaped Monster was about to fully take form, a muffled command issued from within the armor, halting the transformation of the shadow.

“Oo…whimper…”

The Wolf-Shaped Monster whimpered, then slowly reverted to the armored man’s shadow.

“You’ve come to help the Miss, haven’t you?”

“Meow～”

The Black Cat merely meowed once. After a moment’s silence, the armored man stepped aside.

Ian didn’t hesitate. With a leap, he dashed into the wooden cabin.

‘5 minutes left before Shirleyviel completely breaks away from the storyline…’