Vera's fist struck the man's abdomen with brutal force, her knuckles stinging from the impact. She yanked off her black gloves and brandished a knife, its blade gleaming ominously. "Look, we can do this all day..." Her voice was a chilling whisper as she gripped the man's hair, her breath a warm gust against his face, contrasting sharply with the cold sweat beading on his skin. "I don't want to do this either, but just lie—say something—and we can release you."
"Your breath reeks, bitch."
She slashed at his back with a vicious swipe, the blade cutting through flesh and drawing dark, glistening blood. The man remained silent, his teeth clenched, his eyes locked in a defiant glare. His muscles tightened under each cut, his arms stretched painfully above him, shackled to a chain. Blood splattered across her apron and the cold stone floor, but Tilda's resolve hardened.
Damn it, why won't he break?
I can't keep doing this...
It's just another mission, just another name, another face...
Frustration boiled over, and with a guttural snarl, she drove the knife into his shoulder.
"Argh!"
"Talk!" She twisted the knife savagely, the metal scraping against bone as the man convulsed in agony. Her face, set in grim determination, was inches from his as she yanked the knife out, now slick with blood. She dipped it into a bucket of salt, the grains clinking as she submerged the blade, then plunged it back into the wound. The man's scream was raw and guttural, echoing off the walls as his fingers dug into his own palms, his body writhing in uncontrollable spasms. Yet he remained stubbornly silent until his body finally went limp, collapsing like a ragdoll.
"Fuck." Vera spat the word out, her voice trembling as she tossed the knife aside. "Tell me again when he wakes up." Her orders were clipped, and the guards around her immediately started the grim task of cleaning up the blood-soaked room.
She held her head high and maintained her composure, as she paced to the gate and pulled it open.
She exhaled shakily and faced a new guard.
"Thanks for the efforts, ma'am! I'll take over from here!" The newcomer saluted crisply and entered the room, the door slamming shut behind him with a finality that echoed down the corridor.
She staggered down the corridor, her heart pounding with adrenaline. Her breaths came in short, ragged bursts as she tried to steady herself, the weight of what she'd just done pressing heavily on her chest.
Vera leaned against the cold wall, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to push down the nausea rising in her throat. But the images of the man's tortured expression wouldn't leave her.
It's all for the mission
But the words felt hollow, even in her own mind.
Vera's pulse quickened as she turned and saw her boss approaching. She straightened up and waved.
"Intelligence Officer Tilda Voss," he greeted her, his voice smooth, but with an edge that set her nerves on fire. "End of shift today?"
"Indeed," she replied, her voice low as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The first drag offered a brief moment of escape, a fleeting relief from the weight of her actions. "Do you need anything?"
"How about my office? Evening tea if you will?"
"Sure."
They navigated the labyrinth of corridors, each step echoing in the silence. Salutations from passing staff were brief and respectful, their faces impassive as they moved aside. The air felt colder as they approached his office, the familiar weight of dread settling in her stomach.
Why does it always feel like a trap when he's being nice?
I can't afford to slip up now...
When they finally reached his office, the heavy door slid open with a soft hiss. Inside, the room was dimly lit, a single lamp casting long shadows across the walls. The scent of polished wood and a hint of whiskey lingered in the air, mixing with the faint smell of cigarette smoke.
He leaned against his desk, a glass of whiskey in hand, his gaze piercing as he watched her. The silence between them was thick with unspoken tension.
"Whisky today? Or is today a no-go?"
"Nah, I'm going out with my husband later."
"Ah, understood. Just wanted to discuss something before you go."
"Yes?" Vera said, taking a seat on the couch, her hands still trembling slightly. She extinguished her cigarette and tried to steady her nerves yet her mind once again couldn't get rid of the guilt of
The man sipped his whiskey, his eyes never leaving her. "Have you ever felt guilt for all the people you've tortured and killed?"
The sudden question hit her like a blow to the gut. Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she gave a small, forced laugh, shaking her head slightly. "Haha... of course not..."
In truth, the blood, the screams... they haunt me.
I keep telling myself it's for the greater good, but I'm drowning in it.
I was hoping to retire soon, to escape this hell, but—
The man's expression darkened. "So, have you heard of Vera Faust?"
Vera's heart skipped a beat. She tried to maintain her composure, but the flicker of panic that crossed her face betrayed her. "Nope, never heard of her."
"Are you sure?"
He grabbed a file from his desk and tossed it toward her. Vera caught it with trembling hands, the file's weight heavy with the threat it carried. She opened it, her breath catching as she stared at the face inside. Vera Faust. Her name was scrawled across the top, followed by the damning words: "Working as Tilda Voss."
This can't be happening. How did they find out?
Instinctively, her hand shot toward the knife in her thigh pocket, but she was too slow.
"You double agent bitch." The man's voice was a venomous hiss as he drew a pistol and fired a single, merciless shot into her chest. The sound of the gunshot was deafening, reverberating in the confined space. Tilda gasped, her body collapsing to the floor in a crumpled heap.
"Don't worry," the man continued coldly, stepping closer. "We will kill your loved ones too, yes, we found where they are, and of course your husband most slowly and painfully. You're lucky, though. This is what you get for revealing all this information. You better be grateful you're getting off without enduring the kind of suffering those men went through."
Vera's mind reeled as she tried to process his words, the images of her loved ones flashing through her mind as the searing hot muzzle pressed against her forehead.
Please, no...
Not them. Not him.
The man's face remained expressionless as he loomed over her. "Any final words?"
Her gaze, dimming with the weight of her final moments, met his. "Y'all are scum, but I ain't much better. I regret everything here except for revealing information regarding your stupid organization. I'll see you guys in hell, you bastards."
As darkness finally engulfed her, the smell of cigarettes turned to that of dust and dirt.
A thought resounded through her mind despite not even thinking about it.
Damn it... why did it have to end like this? I wanted so badly to continue fighting, to be there for them, for Joshua and my brother. I wasn't ready to give up—there was so much more to do, so many more battles to fight.
Whoever you are, please—please protect my brother. His name is Matthijs Geiger. He may not be the brightest, but his dedication to the cause is unwavering. It's the only cause that's worth sacrificing everything for.
I... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you've been thrust into this chaos with no warning, no context. It's not fair to you, to be thrown into the middle of a war without understanding the stakes. I wish I could have done more, stayed longer... but now it's all on you.
Please, don't let them down. Don't let everything we fought for be in vain. Protect them, and make sure my sacrifices mean something.
As her thoughts began to fade, sensations returned to her body, but they were different. There was no pain—only a disorienting shift. A cloud of dust and sand swirled around her, muffling the distant cries of battle. "Merilla! Merilla!" The calls grew clearer as the voice got louder.
Amid the settling dust, a window popped up in front of her, its glow barely cutting through the chaotic surroundings.
- - -
Main Quest: Gain the Trust of the Ubuian Nation
Description:
You've taken countless lives and caused untold harm, all in the name of your previous occupation. As a double agent, you lived a life of betrayal, leaving a trail of pain in your wake. Now, in a twist of fate, you find yourself in the body of Merilla Thaloria, the princess of the Ubuian kingdom Thaloria.
To redeem yourself, you must gain the trust of the Ubuian nation. Using Merilla's identity, you must assist Joshua in uniting the world, bringing together fractured nations and healing the wounds of war.
Reward:
Uniting with your husband in heaven
- - -
New Passive Granted: Pain of Torture
Description:
You will constantly feel pain throughout your body. Current Setting: 100%.
When Pain Transfer is activated, 50% of the additional damage inflicted through this passive will be felt in your body. This additional 50% pain is non-stackable and will not amplify in subsequent Pain Transfers.
- - -
New Passive Granted: Pain Transfer
Description:
When you deal damage to an opponent, a portion of the pain you endure, including the Pain of Torture, is transferred to them. This transfer includes both the ongoing pain you feel and any damage received during that period. However, the additional 50% pain from the Pain of Torture passive is non-stackable and will not increase in subsequent transfers.
- - -
Sub-Quest: Save Prince Joshua
Description:
Prince Joshua has been betrayed by the clergy, and now they intend to kill him. Save him to ensure the main quest remains intact. Eliminate Bishop Eruki to secure his safety.
Reward:
Pain Alleviation Pill x 3
Pain of Torture: -2%
- - -
A dull pain throbbed through her body, twisting her muscles and tearing her tendons apart. Her temples seared with a sharp ache as she struggled to even concentrate, but felt it, her body was sharper, stronger than it ever was. As the dust cloud lifted, she squinted her eyes and she grasped her throbbing head, in the distance was a tall defiant man carrying a small boy like a ragdoll in his palms.
"Ugh!" She struggled to stand, her body operated normally but each action caused more and more pain.
With a strong step forward she suddenly appeared in front of the man, "Which one of you is Joshua." She asked but her mind couldn't comprehend anything ahead of the painful throbs twisting her mind.
She grabbed the man's hand and gripped it even tighter, causing him to unhand Joshua who fell to the ground with a thud. He coughed as he struggled to breathe but he ran behind Merilla.
"Unhand me at once you swine!" Yet his hand couldn't budge this time. It made no sense, but none of this made sense.
The only thing that lingered on her mind was the singular statement:
Uniting with your husband in heaven.
In the bishop's head, he had quickly dispatched Merilla, pretty sure that she should be dead, or at the very least knocked out, but how was she here even stronger than before?
In a bid of strength, he swung his arm into her abdomen, a punch so strong it stirred the winds and the sands around him up but she wouldn't unhand him. The pain throbbing in her body made the pain of his punch insignificant in comparison.
"You Bishop Eruki? Seems so huh, you the only one with ugly ass robes."
"You-"
With a sharp whish through the air, her fist zoomed through the dust, a sharp thud echoed through the winds as her fist sent him crashing into the wall in kind.
- - -
Pain Transfer Activated.
- - -
His body crashed through the formed cracks from the previous impact into the vicinity of the walls.