He calmly wiped down the wrist-mounted crossbow, his feet unmoving, keeping a careful distance from the werewolf on the ground.

“The first day I went to the blacksmith, I didn’t just make nails — I had this weapon made as well. Unfortunately it took longer than expected; I only received it on the second day. And tonight… the third day… it finally proved its worth.”

The werewolf on the ground appeared to be in tremendous pain. Her front paws were curled inward, her breathing ragged and uneven in her throat.

Hans watched her, heaving a long, heavy sigh.

“Why wouldn’t you listen to me before we entered the game? If you had surrendered back then, how much better it would have been. Dim would never have died. Morrin and Brell wouldn’t have had to die either. Humanity has always slaughtered itself throughout history — is conflict truly in our nature? All of this could have been avoided.”

Blood flowed in silence. Bai Youwei lay slumped on the floor, unable to rise.

Hans spoke slowly. “Being struck by a silver bolt doesn’t feel pleasant, does it? You were never a match for me. From the moment you entered this game, you were already caught in my net. I’m the one who led you to believe that becoming a werewolf was the key to winning — I’m the one who used a prop to mislead you into charging in without a second thought.

“And last night — I had Morrin transform into a werewolf partly as a test. My original intent was to eliminate you directly. I didn’t expect Morrin to go after your subject instead, and fail at that. So I moved to the second plan.

“Do you understand now? Becoming a werewolf certainly brings great advantages — but in reality, it also makes you a target.”

Bai Youwei appeared furious. Her forelimbs strained as she tried to push herself up — a futile effort.

Perhaps it was her expression of agony that proved too compelling, because Hans took two involuntary steps closer, crouched down, and studied her with attention, sharing his reflections:

“Do you know? The Labyrinth War — this war that belongs to the kings — actually has a surefire method of winning. We could have peacefully voted for a true king, and when each king encountered the true king, they would willingly surrender. That way, the true king could advance to the final battle unharmed and emerge as the ultimate victor. That is what true victory looks like.”

At this, Hans was visibly impassioned.

“Don’t you understand?! That is how we achieve a victory that belongs to all of humanity! So why — why can no one understand what I’m trying to do?!

“Because you’re all barbarians!

“Ignorant! Shortsighted! Savages ruled by violence!”

He shot to his feet, drew a dagger from his belt, and strode forward. He seized the werewolf by the fur at her throat.

“I won’t let you suffer long…” Hans said coldly. “Let me… give you a merciful end.”

*BOOM!!!*

The seemingly helpless werewolf erupted without warning — and bit straight through Hans’ throat!

Hans stared in stunned, wide-eyed disbelief. He died without ever understanding how he had… lost.

Bai Youwei released him and spat out a mouthful of blood with disdain.

“You got two things wrong…” She exhaled deeply and began pulling the silver bolts from her flesh. “The first — werewolves are a species that grows stronger through combat. Unless the wound is fatal, being injured only drives them into a greater frenzy. And the second…”

The last silver bolt came free. She hurled it contemptuously onto Hans’ face. The blood-slicked metal grazed his cheek with a scrape, then hit the floor with a metallic clang and rolled away.

“The second thing — you forgot the blacksmith cuts corners.”

Hans stared at her with unseeing eyes, blood pooling in the whites.

Bai Youwei paid him no further attention. She turned and walked out, delivered a swift kick to the dazed rabbit waiting in the doorway, and said irritably:

“Let’s go! I only changed my appearance, and you couldn’t even figure out you should help me? All that charging you’ve had, and this is what it amounts to!”

The rabbit rolled twice across the ground, shook the dirt off, and hurried after her.

The werewolf pressed a hand to her wounds and moved forward slowly, murmuring: “One last thing left to do…”

—