SSS Unknown: Dark Knight's Legacy

"So, how about it? Does the plan sound good?" Unknown asked, his voice steady but carrying a cold edge.

The group fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances. They weren't just warriors—they were seasoned combatants, but none of them had the same cold, unfeeling approach as Unknown. His plan was too extreme, too ruthless, for them to simply accept.

"...No?" Meat finally answered, his voice hesitant.

"You're planning to massacre them all? We don't need to do that," he added, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of wiping out every single goblin.

"Human, I don't know who you were before, but even my military generals would think your approach is excessive," Steel added, his grimace betraying his unease.

Unknown's lips curled into a slight smirk, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous. "Is that so? I thought you all liked trampling on humans."

Boar scowled, his tone defensive. "Ugh, it's not because we look like monsters that we enjoy killing. We just do it because it's an order."

The air around them thickened with tension as Steel's group visibly recoiled from Unknown's attitude. He had a cold, predatory aura that made their discomfort obvious. Unknown's use of dark magic only amplified their unease.

"...Hm... Fine, then you can just get lost. If you don't agree, go somewhere else for a while," Unknown said, his tone suddenly sharper, dismissing their concerns as though they were unworthy of further consideration.

"We had an agreement: I help you explore. Once it's done, you clean up. Simple," Unknown continued, his voice dripping with disdain.

Boar met his gaze, his own expression turning grave. "I'm not like you, monster. Destroying everything in sight just to satisfy your primal urges? Are you crazy?!"

Unknown's piercing eyes bore into Boar, and for a brief moment, the Orc felt the weight of something darker, more dangerous in those depths.

Steel looked at his gaze, concerned.

It reminded him of the most dangerous people he had ever encountered—those who were bloodthirsty, ambitious, and completely insane. 

Steel had dealt with a lot of unpredictable individuals in his time, but there was something different about Unknown. His instincts screamed that this one was more than just a cold-blooded killer—there was a calculated madness in his eyes.

Still, Steel couldn't help but analyze the situation practically. "But, then again, it's just a feeling," Steel thought.

"The plan itself is perfect. It requires minimal resources, and if we reject it on humanitarian grounds, we risk wasting an opportunity." He exhaled slowly. "It's not the worst thing, really."

Steel turned to Meat and Boar, seeking their input. "Hmph, Meat, Boar, what do you think? Where do you stand?"

Boar looked confused. "What do you mean? We're soldiers of the Magic Kingdom's army, right?"

"Right," Meat echoed, his voice flat. "We're soldiers. The nation's tools of violence, not saints."

Boar looked at them both, a slight frown tugging at his features. "Wait, does that mean you agree with him?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

Meat shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "Sadly, yes," he admitted. He didn't see the harm in agreeing, if it meant getting the job done. They could retreat if things went wrong, and agreeing didn't really cost them anything.

Steel nodded. He could see their reasoning. "It's not ideal, but it's practical," he muttered, more to himself than to the group.

Boar, however, wasn't as easily swayed. "Steel... I didn't expect you to be that kind of person," he said, his voice tinged with disappointment.

"Sorry for disappointing you, Boar," Steel replied, his voice steady but laced with a hint of regret. "But it's because I'm that kind of person that I've survived until now."

Unknown's wariness toward the group deepened as he observed their interactions. The way they so easily agreed to his plan was unsettling, but even more concerning was Steel's calm acceptance.

'Just as I thought, this old lizard is the most dangerous,' Unknown mused. He had known Steel wasn't a typical ally, but his ability to so quickly rationalize a massacre only confirmed his suspicions. Steel was no different from him—ruthless and pragmatic to a fault.

But for Unknown, it was more than just the plan. The entire interaction had been a test. His plan was real, but his true goal was to gauge how they would react to his madness.

'If they agreed, I'd complete the mission and leave them behind,' Unknown thought. 'If they rejected me, I'd reconsider whether to trust them at all.'

He didn't trust people like Steel. Ambitious, ruthless, and insane people—those were the ones Unknown despised. They were a danger, even to each other, and that made them untrustworthy in his eyes.

"So, have you changed your minds?" Unknown asked, his voice laced with an icy calm. He watched the group carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly as they exchanged tense glances.

Meat, never one to hesitate, spoke first. "…If Steel says so, then I won't oppose it," he muttered, his voice tinged with resignation. His agreement was swift, though his discomfort was palpable.

Boar, however, was another story. His stance remained firm, eyes burning with frustration and distrust. "Do whatever you want. You monsters are no different from those commanders!" he spat.

The words stung, and Boar continued, his anger seeping through. "At some point, I'll probably become a pawn for you to manipulate, right? Or maybe I've been a pawn all along?" His gaze flicked toward Steel, a mix of defiance and bitterness.

"…Boar… ugh, I can't take it anymore!" Meat snapped, his voice rising in irritation. The tension between the two ogres was palpable, and it felt like it was about to boil over.

Once again, Unknown found himself reminded of why he despised the word "friends." The attachment, the emotional turmoil—it all seemed so weak, so fragile. He hated the way it made everything so messy.

"Once you decide to go down this path, you should know there's no turning back," Boar muttered darkly, glaring at the group.

Meat shot back, his eyes flashing with anger. "So, what do you want to do now? Split up? You see this wound?" He pointed to the deep, ugly gash on his arm, a wound inflicted by a Shadow Wolf when he had saved Boar from danger. "I took this for you! Do you think you could survive a wound like this?"

The silence that followed was thick with tension. The wound on Meat's arm was severe. If he weren't an ogre, it would've likely been fatal. But his loyalty to Boar, to their mission, had driven him to take the risk.

"…Meat… you… even you are betraying me?" Boar muttered, the anger in his voice turning to something more vulnerable, hurt.

"Betraying?" Meat growled, his teeth gritted. "If I didn't care about your life, I would've refused to go! But I'm here, aren't I? I'm still here." His words were heavy with unspoken frustrations.

Unknown watched the scene unfold, his stomach tightening with an emotion he couldn't quite place—disgust, maybe, or perhaps indifference. He saw the weakness in their bonds, the way they frayed under pressure. And that was exactly why he hated the word "friends."

'Too much attachment, too much brokenness,' he thought bitterly.

He couldn't stand it anymore. The arguing was doing nothing but wasting time, and the last thing he needed right now was more distractions.

"A bunch of useless idiots who don't know anything but talk, shut up!" Unknown snapped, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Steel, ever the calm one, added, "I agree. You two should be quiet for a while."

The ogres fell silent, the weight of their argument hanging in the air between them. Unknown, with a quiet sigh of relief, took that moment to begin laying out his plan.

"Me and the lizard will handle collecting the 'materials,'" he said, his tone firm. "While you two move to the headwaters."

The plan was straightforward. Steel and Unknown would hunt and kill about ten goblins, then dismember them and throw the body parts into the headwater area. 

They would also toss in a few Shadow Wolf corpses to lure the monsters to that specific location. The ogres' task was to clear the headwater area, preparing it for the next phase of the plan.

"Hey, when did you become the boss of us?" Boar grumbled, still clearly irritated by the situation.

"Since you agreed to the deal," Unknown replied, his voice flat, as though the matter had already been settled.

"If there's no issue with the plan, get moving," he added, turning on his heel and grabbing his sword.

Before leaving, Unknown left behind some supplies for the two ogres—ropes, crystal spears, and Slime mucus. It was everything they would need for their task. He didn't wait for any further questions or objections. The mission had been laid out. Now, it was time for them to execute it.

Steel didn't say a word. He simply gave a curt nod, indicating his agreement. Outwardly, he was following the plan, but Unknown could feel the tension in the air. The old lizard would never let his guard down—not around someone like Unknown.

As the two men made their way toward their task, Unknown couldn't help but think back to the earlier moments. He hadn't expected the group's reactions to be so… volatile. But then again, he had always known that the path he walked was one of isolation.

Ambition, and ruthlessness—those were the qualities he valued. Not weakness, not attachment.

'Let them doubt me,' he thought, his steps carrying him forward with purpose. 'I'll let them question me as much as they want. In the end, I'm the one who will come out on top.'

The hunt unfolded swiftly and efficiently. After some time of searching, the group finally stumbled upon a Goblin hunting party. The Goblins were armed with spears made of crystal and wore helmets fashioned from animal bones, a crude but effective way to arm themselves.

'Good, looks like this is the only group,' Unknown thought as he observed them from the shadows. He had made sure to scout the area for any other potential threats. It was time to act.

Though his archery skills were not his forte and he was reluctant to rely on a bow, safety and caution pushed him to take the more strategic route.

With crystal-tipped arrows, he began picking off the Goblins one by one, each arrow finding its mark. The satisfaction of seeing his target fall was fleeting, however.

'The arrows are depleting too fast. I might have to switch to crystal darts next time,' he mused, annoyed at the rapid consumption of his limited resources.

The Goblins, unaware of the incoming danger, were caught off guard when the arrows struck. In a panic, they scattered, trying to flee. But Steel, ever the predator, was already charging from the side. With his sharp claws, he impaled a Goblin, ending its life with a swift motion.

The Goblins, now realizing they were under attack, quickly regrouped, forming a pincer formation around Steel. They aimed to trap him and prevent his escape, but Steel was quick to react.

Crouching low, he launched himself forward with incredible force, his claws swinging in deadly arcs. Two Goblins were felled, their lives cut short by the swiftness of Steel's attack.

But the Goblins, enraged and desperate, didn't hesitate to continue their assault. With their numbers against him, Steel was forced to fall back, realizing he was surrounded. 

His claws, powerful but short in reach, couldn't keep them at bay. Though his thick scales protected him from fatal injury, he was still struck, the force of the blows enough to leave him injured and retreating.

"Hey, you bastard, aren't you going to help…?" Steel growled, frustration in his voice.

Before he could finish, Unknown emerged from the shadows, his figure blending seamlessly with the darkness. Without hesitation, he unleashed a flurry of slashes, cutting through the Goblin formation like a knife through butter. 

Within moments, the entire Goblin group was reduced to nothing more than corpses littering the ground.

Steel watched in silent awe, his earlier frustrations quickly melting away.

"…Tch, if you're so good at close combat, why not just attack directly from the start?" Steel grumbled, the sting of his earlier wounds still fresh in his mind.

"To minimize damage," Unknown replied calmly. "Unlike someone like you, I'm just a human."

"A human, huh? You look more like a monster to me," Steel shot back, his tone laced with both admiration and skepticism.

"…Whatever," Unknown muttered, uninterested in debating further. He had done his part, and so had Steel. The job was finished. They walked over to the fallen Goblins and began collecting their spoils—crystal arrows, useful components—and began slicing the bodies into pieces.

To an ordinary person, the gruesome act might have been revolting, but to Unknown, it was simply another task to be done. 

Steel's words echoed in his mind, and he couldn't help but wonder for a moment if there was more truth to them than he cared to admit. After all, his mindset, his indifference to the gruesome task at hand, was more akin to a monster than a human.

Once the bodies were cut up, Unknown motioned to Steel. "Alright, lizard, carry their bodies."

Steel, ever the efficient worker, strapped a makeshift basket made from dry wood and rope onto his back, securing the pieces of the Goblins inside. He then began the trek toward the water source.

"Is this way of transporting them okay?" Steel asked, glancing back toward Unknown, clearly aware of the potential risks.

"The blood trail could attract many types of monsters," Steel added, his voice tinged with caution.

"That's exactly what I want," Unknown replied, his tone cool and calculated.

His next target was the Shadow Wolves—opportunistic, carnivorous monsters who would be drawn to the blood trail. The more monsters that appeared, the greater the chance of further hunts. 

'Yeah, come more and let me kill you.'