SSS Unknown: Dark Knight's Legacy

After a few days of careful recovery, Alice was able to move a little more freely. Although the pain still lingered, and her body still ached from the severity of her injuries, she was beginning to feel less confined. 

Despite the progress, her days were still mostly spent resting—eating, changing clothes, and attending to personal hygiene when she could.

The cave, where they had taken refuge, felt like a sanctuary. It was a natural formation, but Unknown had taken the time to carefully reinforce it, making sure no danger could reach them. 

The steady, damp air and the soft echoes of the cave's interior provided a strange sense of tranquility—an odd but comforting reprieve from the chaos and violence of the world outside.

As for Unknown, once he noticed that Alice was stable enough to move around, he resumed his preparations for the confrontation with the Hydra. 

For Alice, this left a quiet void. She had been busy, always on the move—whether it was in training, fighting, or strategizing. Now, in her temporary state of inactivity, she found herself with time to think.

And that led to a question she couldn't shake: 'Why do I feel so bored when he's not around?'

It was a strange sensation, especially considering how little time they had spent together before all of this. 

With Robert, the flirtatious young man who had once been her companion, she had never felt the same way. His attention, though persistent, never sparked the same reaction in her. But with Unknown, there was something different.

She found herself remembering his actions, his calm demeanor in the face of her pain, the small acts of kindness that seemed to come so naturally to him. 

It wasn't just his strength, or the fact that he was a capable warrior—it was the way he treated her with respect and fairness. Even when his behavior made her uncomfortable, even when he teased her, there was an underlying kindness that stood out.

'Why does someone like him interest me?'

The question swirled in her mind, but she couldn't find the answers. 

Alice took a deep breath and gently slapped her cheeks twice, shaking off the cloud of thoughts that had been clouding her mind.

"Focus, Alice," she whispered to herself, trying to gather her resolve. "The important thing now is still to save everyone."

She forced her mind back to the pressing matter at hand—the Hydra. The formidable beast that threatened everything, who could defeat it now? 

Her team was capable, but there was no denying that their chances of success were slim. The commander—lagon had strength, but even with the entire team supporting him, it seemed like an uphill battle.

Her thoughts turned to Unknown, the enigma who had become more than just an ally over the course of her recovery. His skills rivaled only a few, and if anyone could defeat the Hydra, it was him. But it wasn't that simple.

"...Do I have to ask him again?" she muttered to herself, the idea causing her stomach to churn. "No... I've already owed him too much. If I owe him any more, I might have to sell myself." Her thoughts were tinged with a bitter edge. 

She didn't want to be indebted to him any further, especially considering the fact that if the Hydra were defeated, the shard of the sword would likely fall into his hands. 

That was something she couldn't accept—not without ensuring that the goal of reclaiming the sword, of saving her kingdom, wasn't lost in the process.

"But if I get the shard from him, then what?" she thought. Even if she convinced him to hand it over, it still wasn't enough.

She needed the complete sword, they needed to capture Unknown, and she wasn't ready to do that. She couldn't betray the person who had saved her, the person who had shown her a side of humanity she hadn't expected.

"No..." she murmured again, struggling with the tug-of-war in her mind. "There is a way."

The thought hit her like a spark. Maybe, just maybe, it was possible. Unknown's nature was something she could use to her advantage. If she convinced him that it was the right thing to do, perhaps he would agree to help them.

It sounded counterintuitive—almost like a betrayal—but Alice trusted her instincts.

This was an impossible situation, but Alice had always been someone who refused to back down. 

She trusted herself in a way that, despite everything, made her believe that Unknown had the power to save her country. It was a difficult, strange decision, but one she felt she had to pursue.

With a sense of clarity slowly forming in her mind, she knew what she had to do. The stakes were higher than ever, and the path ahead was filled with uncertainty.

But Alice had already faced lowest of low, and she wasn't about to let fear or doubt hold her back now. 

The key to saving her country—perhaps even the key to her own future—lay in the hands of the one person she least expected to trust.

And yet, for all her conflicted thoughts, Alice couldn't help but feel that, somehow, this might just be the right choice.

"The problem is getting him to agree to help," she muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper. She remembered the harsh reality of Unknown's nature—he wouldn't be swayed by pity or guilt, and every deal with him came at a price. He wasn't the type to offer help out of kindness, not unless it benefitted him in some way.

"And I don't know if the others will agree," she continued, her tone heavy with resignation.

The thought of the Undead King, who held one of the sword shards, gnawed at her. She knew it would be near impossible to convince her team to follow through with the plan she was considering. The others were bound by duty, their loyalty to their cause far stronger than any personal motivations. She felt the distance between her own goals and theirs widening, a rift that felt impossible to bridge.

The more she tried to reason with them, the more she could sense their resistance. It was only a matter of time before they would face each other in direct opposition. There was no compromising, no middle ground. Unknown, who had always been one step ahead, had probably known this from the very beginning.

"…So that's it. He knew everything from the start," Alice whispered in realization. The truth settled heavily on her shoulders, as though the world itself had crushed her.

She slumped forward, her head in her hands, overwhelmed by the helplessness that gripped her heart. "Is there really no other way?" Her voice was filled with frustration and confusion, a plea to the universe that she couldn't answer.

Her eyes closed, but her mind was racing, torn between her gratitude and her obligations. She didn't want to betray Unknown's kindness, the care he had shown her despite everything. 

But if it came down to it, if there were no other option, Alice knew she would have to choose her country over him. The safety of the magical kingdom, the lives of its people—they had to come first. 

But even as she thought that, doubt crept in. Could she truly go through with it?

Could she betray the person who had saved her life?

She didn't know. She couldn't be sure.

She tried to think harder, to find a solution that would allow both sides to win. But the more she racked her brain, the less it seemed possible. Every possibility she came up with seemed destined to fail.

"...Maybe I should just ask him directly." The thought came to her in a quiet whisper, but even as she considered it, she felt something stir inside her—an uneasy feeling that perhaps the direct approach would not yield the answers she sought.

Desperate for clarity, Alice stood up to go outside, needing fresh air to clear her mind. But as she rose, something was wrong. Her body felt unnaturally heavy, a wave of weakness crashing over her in an instant.

'Why do I feel so tired all of a sudden?' she wondered, her head spinning as dizziness crept in.

A sharp, sudden pain shot through her head, intense and stabbing, and she swayed unsteadily on her feet. 

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, her vision blurred, and her body went weak. The cold floor rushed to meet her as she collapsed, her body unable to hold itself up any longer.

'I should be better by now... what's happening?' She struggled to focus, trying to push through the pain, but everything felt wrong, her body unresponsive.

It took a moment, but then the truth dawned on her with a crushing weight. Alice's injury was far worse than she had realized. It wasn't just the paralysis she had been struggling with—there was something more. 

Her body wasn't just healing slowly; it was actively fighting against something. A creeping poison, laced with magic, was spreading through her veins.

Mana Poisoning—the same sickness that struck the kingdom has come to her.

The magic around her—an environment unfamiliar and infused with energy—had worsened her condition. She had been exposed to more than just the physical trauma from the attack. 

Normally, magic poisoning wasn't a serious issue to a human. Even Unknown, who was familiar with the toll magic could take on his body, would experience it when overusing his power. For him, it would pass after rest and sleep. 

But Alice's case was different. She was far more sensitive to magic than he was. The symptoms were much more severe—weakness, fever, and now the stabbing pain that felt as though it was eating away at her from the inside out.

The fatigue was slow to creep up on her, a heavy weight pressing against her chest, clouding her mind. At first, it had felt like the lingering effects of her injury—nothing more than the aftermath of a battle she hadn't fully recovered from. 

But as the minutes passed, the sensation deepened, becoming something more than just the physical ache of her wounds.

It started with a dull heaviness, like her limbs were made of stone. She tried to focus, but her thoughts became muddled, a blur of confusion and discomfort. 

The cold floor beneath her seemed to grow farther away as if her body were slowly being pulled into darkness.

Her heart beat sluggishly, each thump feeling slower than the last. Her head throbbed with a sharp pain that only intensified as her body struggled to fight back. 

The exhaustion was overwhelming, and soon, her vision began to darken at the edges, creeping in from the corners of her sight. Everything blurred, becoming distant and unreachable.

She tried to hold on, but the darkness was relentless. Her body, betraying her in this vulnerable moment, could no longer stay conscious. 

The last thing she remembered was the floor beneath her, the cold surface pressing against her skin as her body gave in.

Then, everything went black.

Alice fainted, her consciousness slipping away as the poison spread further.

***

Alice's mind was clouded, but she managed to process the sounds and words around her. 

The warmth of her body felt unnatural, too hot for comfort, and her muscles ached with exhaustion. Her body throbbed with the weight of the fever, but it was the voice of Unknown that pierced through her fog.

"Why is her body so hot like this?" The concern in his voice felt like an odd contrast to his usual coldness.

She tried to open her eyes fully, but everything was blurry. Through the haze, she made out his silhouette—he stood nearby, his usually impassive face now shadowed with something she rarely saw: worry. 

As soon as her eyes fluttered open, his expression shifted back to the usual indifference, as if he had never shown any vulnerability at all.

"Ah..." She murmured, still not fully cognizant of what was going on.

"...You're awake?" His voice sounded surprised, but also relieved, though he masked it quickly.

"Leonore? What happened?" She tried to speak, but her throat felt dry, and sore from the fever, making it hard to get the words out. 

She squinted at Unknown, who was covered in blood—probably from the battle he had fought.

"When I returned, I found you unconscious." His voice was steady, but there was an undertone of concern that she wasn't used to.

Alice frowned, trying to process his words. Her body felt like it was burning from the inside out, and she wanted to ask more, but the weight of her exhaustion was dragging her down again.

"...No, I mean, what did you do?" She forced herself to sit up, the effort feeling like a monumental task.

Unknown's eyes narrowed as if confused by her question. "I killed monsters to increase my strength, nothing special."

"Killed monsters?" Alice didn't believe him. Her thoughts were foggy, but a sense of disbelief clouded her mind.

As if reading her thoughts, Unknown quickly spoke, his tone sharp. "I didn't kill your teammates, don't worry. In fact, I'm trying to find them right now."

She relaxed slightly at his words, though the suspicion still lingered. Unknown, for all his coldness, was oddly reassuring in his own way. He was trying to find her team, not abandon her.

With a sigh of fatigue, he sat down next to her, clearly exhausted from whatever battles he had just fought. The tension in his shoulders seemed to ease slightly as he turned his attention back to her.

"Alice, I'll find a way to heal you." His voice softened, but the determination was still there.

"...Thank you." Alice could barely get the words out, the fever and pain dulling her senses. Her body burned, her head felt as if it were going to split open, and her throat was raw. 

She could feel every inch of her body aching in protest, but she was grateful for his care, even if she couldn't express it fully.

Unknown's frustration was palpable as he clicked his tongue, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet cave. 

Alice, still barely conscious, watched him with blurry eyes as he pulled out a familiar notebook, flipping through its pages with precision.

She had seen this notebook before, but the significance of it escaped her at this moment. 

She barely had the energy to focus on anything other than the aching pain coursing through her body, the fever making her head swim. All she wanted was for the agony to cease.

"Magic poisoning isn't supposed to be this severe..." he muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with concern as he placed a cold compress on her burning forehead. The cloth felt soothing for a brief moment, but the underlying pain remained, relentless.

'Alright, according to the book, just sleeping should stabilize her,' he thought to himself, his brow furrowed as he carefully observed her deteriorating condition. But as he studied her, doubt crept into his mind.

'Her condition is getting worse,' he noted internally. 'If not treated in time, things could get even worse.'

Despite his usual calm demeanor, a flicker of worry passed through his mind. He flipped through the notebook, the pages filled with sketches and notes, trying to find something that could help. 

Eventually, he came across the antidote to the magic poisoning, but as he skimmed the ingredients, his hopes sank.

'There aren't enough ingredients on me.'

The reality of the situation weighed heavily on him. The antidote required materials he simply didn't have on hand, and he had no idea where to find them. 

He couldn't risk wasting time searching for the ingredients, but he also couldn't leave Alice in this state.

Desperation began to rise, and he turned to the one thing that might offer a solution. 'Eclipse, can you help in any way?'

The voice of Eclipse responded, the usual detached tone laced with a hint of regret. "Sorry, master, I can't help in this situation."

Eclipse's magic sensing abilities, while usually useful, were useless in this case. It could only detect things it had encountered before, and the antidote's ingredients were completely unfamiliar.

Unknown's frustration bubbled up once more, but he quickly tamped it down. Panicking wasn't his style, and he knew that doing so would only make matters worse. 

There had to be another way. There always was.

As Unknown sat beside Alice, his mind raced, his gaze fixed on her pale face. The feverish heat radiating from her body only fueled his sense of urgency. The calm, analytical part of him needed to find a solution.

He began to reflect on what had caused her to be in this state, considering the moments when he had personally experienced the effects of magic poisoning.

'What caused the magic poisoning?' he asked himself. He thought back to the times he had passed out after overusing his power. 'It was from overextending myself, from pushing my magic too far, and the resulting fluctuations within my body.'

Those same symptoms seemed to apply to Alice. She had overexerted herself, using magic beyond what her body could handle, and it had caused a disruption.

'But how do I solve it?'

The root cause of the issue seemed clear enough, but the path to remedy it was far murkier. Unknown frowned as he considered the first issue: Alice's overuse of magic.

 'It might be tied to her natural recovery process,' he mused. 'I can't do much about that right now. She'll need time to heal naturally.'

The second problem was more straightforward, though still difficult to address: the erratic magical energy within her body. Her magic was in a chaotic state, fluctuating wildly, and she was unable to control it. He could feel it with his magical sight, a disturbance that could be the key to her recovery.

'Stabilizing the magic is the key,' he thought.

But how? Unknown was no expert in medicine, and even though he had a deep understanding of combat and magic, he had never had to treat a serious illness or injury before. 

He had relied on his high recovery abilities, and even then, he had never faced anything like this.

'Wait... that's it!'

A sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. He could use his passive healing ability to ease the strain on Alice's body. 

If he applied his healing power to treat her wounds, it might help reduce the pressure on her body and help stabilize her magical energy.

'It's worth a try,' he decided. His gaze softened slightly as he glanced at Alice, still unconscious, trusting him to help her.

With renewed determination, Unknown moved closer to Alice. His mind was set, and the anxiety that had once clouded his thoughts was replaced by an unwavering resolve.

 His gaze softened for a brief moment as he looked at her feverish form, the girl whose life now hung in the balance.

'Eclipse, how many skill points do I have left?' he asked, his voice steady despite the weight of the situation. He needed to be sure before making the next move, desperate to find a way to stabilize Alice before it was too late.

"Only one, master. You've gained only one level from the recent kills," Eclipse responded, her voice tinged with worry. 

The realization hit Unknown hard. One measly point—one point was all he had left, and it wasn't enough.

"Tch," Unknown clicked his tongue, his fist clenching in frustration. 

It was all because of the time he'd spent tending to Alice's needs—he hadn't had the time to level up and gather more points, and now, when he needed them the most, he had nothing to fall back on. 

The bitterness of the situation gnawed at him, but he refused to let it hinder him. There was no room for hesitation now.

But no matter how dire the circumstances were, he wasn't going to stop. Not when Alice's life was on the line.

'I'll make it work,' he thought, his resolve solidifying. The system wasn't going to dictate the outcome here. He would find a way to save her, even if it meant making a dangerous decision.

With a calm but commanding voice, he addressed the system, his tone leaving no room for doubt. 'Eclipse, unlock the ability to share my [Madness mutation] effect with other people.'

There was a brief pause before Eclipse's voice crackled through the air, a sense of hesitation clear in her words.

"But Master! If you do that, the penalty would be severe. We are talking about the loss of more than ten potential points," Eclipse warned, concern rising in her tone.

Unknown's grip tightened as he absorbed the warning. He knew exactly what was at stake—losing more than ten potential points was a heavy price to pay.

The thought of further indebting himself to the system made his stomach churn. But the stakes were too high. There was no time for second-guessing. He couldn't afford to wait for another option.

"I don't care," Unknown said, his voice resolute. "Alice's life is more important than skill points. Unlock it."

Eclipse fell silent for a moment, as if calculating the weight of the request, and then she responded, almost reluctantly, "Understood, Master. Preparing to unlock the [Madness mutation] sharing ability... Proceeding now."

Penalty for in dept: reduced the number of skill points gained when leveling up to 10 levels.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:

Status Update

Name: Unknown

Class: Berserker

Unique Ability:

[Duality Mutation.]Effect update: [Madness Mutation] ability can now be shared.

The air around Unknown seemed to thrum with a strange energy, a crackling sensation running through his veins. 

His magic flared, and the familiar surge of chaotic power from the [Madness mutation] rippled through him. It was an unsettling, unpredictable force that made his body hum with a mixture of raw power and discomfort.

But in this state, his healing is insane and his endurance is high enough to withstand fatal blows.

But this time, the magic wasn't just for him—it was meant to be shared.

He felt the mutation spread across his skin, his control over it sharpening as the ability to transfer its effects to another took root. The sensation was intense, like his body was being pulled in two directions at once. But this was the only way. This was the only chance he had.

Unknown didn't waste a moment. Without hesitation, he leaned over Alice's feverish body and placed his hands gently on her forehead and chest. 

The cold sweat on her skin made her temperature feel all the more alarming. He could feel the heat radiating from her, the fever burning through her system, but he focused on controlling the chaotic magic within him.

His hands began to glow with the erratic, shifting energy of the [Madness mutation]. He poured the unstable magic into her, feeling it surge through her body. 

The energy was wild and uncontained, but Unknown forced it to bend to his will, directing it into Alice's magic circus.

The magic wasn't a cure—it wasn't gentle healing or restorative magic. It was chaotic, dangerous, and imperfect. 

But it was the only tool he had. He forced the power through her veins, his body trembling from the strain of sharing the mutation's force with another. 

The magic flowed wildly through her, fighting against the poison that had taken root inside her, trying to neutralize the toxic effects of the magic that had been poisoning her body.

"Leonore…" Alice's weak voice barely escaped her lips, her frail body trembling as his power flowed into her. The magic coursing through her made her feel something that seemed to bring her back to her childhood.

Memories rushed to the surface of her mind—times when she was younger, fragile, and often sick. Back then, Sylvie and the president would stay by her side, offering their gentle comfort. 

They would hold her hand as she slept, their presence a constant source of reassurance, like a gentle shield against the loneliness and pain of being unwell. 

Whenever she fell ill, thoughts of her parents' deaths would plague her, and nightmares would chase her into restless slumber.

"…Leonore, could you… hold my hand?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as if the words were fragile, afraid to break the silence.

Without hesitation, Unknown didn't speak but simply removed his gloves and gently took her small, fevered hands in his. 

The difference between them was stark—his hands were large, rough, and calloused, scarred from battle and years of hardship. Yet, despite their rough exterior, they were warm, comforting, and strong.

Not cold like she had feared. The warmth seeped into her skin, offering a silent, steady reassurance that calmed the storm inside her.

In the soft glow of the crystal light, Unknown's silhouette loomed over her, a protective figure enveloping her fragile form. The memories of her family stirred in her heart once more, and she found herself lost in thoughts of her father.

'Father…' Her heart ached with the lingering pain of loss, and she squeezed his hand tighter, wanting to hold on to something stable, something safe in this chaos.

"Go to sleep, and everything will be okay, Alice," Unknown said softly, his voice steady and reassuring. "Nothing can harm you now. Because I'm here."

His words were a balm to her weary soul, soothing the turmoil that had gripped her. For a brief moment, she felt the weight of her fear lift, replaced by the quiet comfort of his presence. Yet, something gnawed at her from deep within.

The reassurance he offered was a relief, but it wasn't enough. There was a hunger inside her that couldn't be quieted. She wanted more.

'Oh, why…' she thought, her heart heavy. 'Why can't we walk the same path?'

Tears welled up in her eyes as she wondered, why did things turn out this way? Why couldn't they both walk side by side, as she had imagined? 

Unknown seemed so content, his face carrying an expression of quiet peace. 'Is he happy?' she wondered. But why? What made him so different from her? 

Why did it feel like she couldn't reach him, no matter how hard she tried?

Her confusion swirled like a storm inside her chest, and unable to make sense of her emotions, Alice clenched his hand tighter. Her nails dug into his rough skin, as though she was trying to anchor herself in the chaos of her own thoughts.

In response, Unknown placed his other hand gently on her head, his touch soft as he stroked her hair. A warm feeling filled him, one that was foreign yet familiar. 

In that moment, something stirred within him—an intense desire to protect this girl, to shield her from any more pain. 

The protectiveness that had slowly built up inside him, buried under layers of indifference and detachment, surged to the surface, overwhelming him. 

He didn't want anything bad to happen to her anymore. He couldn't stand the thought of her suffering, of her being hurt.

'Even if it means becoming too attached to someone who would eventually become an enemy,' he thought, pushing the dark realization aside. 'It doesn't matter anymore.'

'An enemy? Isn't she just so adorable?' The thought was strange, almost foreign to him, yet it lingered in his mind. As he continued to hold her hand, his resolve to protect her solidified. 

Her vulnerability, her innocence—he couldn't bear to see her in pain.

For the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to feel something—something beyond the cold calculations and detached logic he had relied on for so long.

And so, he remained at her side, holding her hand through the night, using his healing abilities to ease her suffering, determined to do whatever it took to see her through this.