CHAPTER 86: BAD ENDING?

But, Johan wasn’t a normal man to be frightened so easily, even by the strongest... well maybe he was, but not when he had a way to survive it.

"Hah... Hahaha!" Johan suddenly started laughing. He laughed so hard, that it even startled the always composed Nolan, making his frown deepen.

"What’s so funny? Are you mocking me?" Nolan’s eyes grew icy, releasing massive pressure on Johan’s body. It wasn’t aura, just a little bit of killing intent.

And Johan felt like an invisible claw pressed down on his chest, tightening around his ribs.

Johan’s entire body seemed to tremble, making Nolan nod with satisfaction, thinking he was trembling from fear and had finally learned his lesson. He eased his pressure on Johan carefully, as if to not hurt him.

"Hahahaha!!" But how wrong he had been.

Johan laughed even harder, just trembling because he was holding his laughter back.

But before Nolan could make up his mind to crush Johan with just his aura, Johan raised both his arms in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry. I’m just surprised by how much you suck at intimidating. Even my wife could’ve done a better job—without your powers at that." Johan said, shaking his head. As a professional bluffer, he was disappointed.

Nolan’s face turned red, not sure if this was an insult or a compliment about him seeming too kind to intimidate someone.

Johan suddenly revealed the real reason for his confidence, his tone condensing.

"You didn’t talk with Leor because you also saw his memories—and the fact of how much of a scum he is.

But you couldn’t do anything about him since you’re stuck here for some reason. Then I entered—a man with similar powers, but a much more reasonable past...

My guess is that your thought is to kill a more violent poison with a softer poison, which makes me sure that you won’t hurt me. I’m the best choice you have currently... Am I right?" Johan asked softly, his face calm even after experiencing Nolan’s killing intent.

Nolan’s face darkened. This mortal had figured out everything with little to no information.

But Nolan wasn’t too surprised. He understood clearly from Johan’s memories that there was no deceiving this man.

"So, will you help me? Tell me how you got those abilities... and kill this Leor Milford. Lucifer too, while you’re at it. I’ll help you with everything I can, of course."

Before Johan could even reply, cold white text appeared on a blue screen—also confirming Johan’s suspicions on who suppressed Nolan from seeing the memories about the system. The guy wasn’t even able to perceive any thoughts related to it.

[Host, before making a choice, I shall warn you against revealing the system’s existence... it will lead to a different ending, an ending you might not like.]

Of course, Johan never planned to reveal all his secrets—and that it all happened because of the Gambler’s Gambit and the Favourability System—to someone he just met.

And asking him to kill both Leor and Lucifer was just pure insanity. Too much risk. And the ’help’ he was providing also sounded shady.

But, on the other hand, Johan definitely had plans to kill Leor someday. But Leor was too strong for him to handle for now—and this Nolan Wasteria could certainly help.

Though now, Johan’s mind leaned more towards the first choice—mostly because of the system’s warning.

This could probably lead to a bad ending, and even a small possibility of that was terrifying. In the game, Johan had deliberately played the bad choices and got the bad endings, so he knew their horror.

They always went like—Leor failing to save each one of his loved ones. Watching everyone die, one by one. Failing after getting very close to saving them, every time. Then finally falling to the dark side, and joining the Goddess of Death in the final arc—leading to complete ruin of the Universe.

But currently, Johan needed more information to actually make a decision. He couldn’t just blindly trust the system.

Johan suppressed his thoughts with a soft smile, schooling his expression to a thoughtful one, as if to show he was interested—but wary.

"But... why? I can understand wanting to know about how we got our powers. But why kill Leor? Or are you just that benevolent that whenever you see a threat, you want to get rid of it?"

The last line was meant to be a mockery, as Johan clearly understood that this man was far, far from anything like benevolence.

The torture he put him through—and now just passing it off as a trial—and then also acting so nonchalant and friendly... all combined, definitely hit a nerve in Johan.

Nolan’s face grew sorrowful, turning his head away from Johan’s direction. Johan was secretly happy about that, as the worms were just too disgusting.

"Because I have seen this power before... a long time ago. The power to hold multiple abilities. The power to gain them all so quickly, with no effort... I can’t let that disaster repeat itself. Leor just reminds me of her so much."

’PTSD?’ This was Johan’s first thought, but when he saw Nolan, he felt like the man was being genuine—for the first time in their entire meeting—and Johan knew he wasn’t lying.

The words finally kicked in—

Johan’s face went pale, his breath grew ragged understanding what this meant clearly, ’So there are other people with systems? Or... is she also a transmigrator like me, and Leor...’

Johan leaned more toward the latter possibility. From the pattern of probability, both he and Leor were transmigrators—and as far as he knew, the only people to have systems. Why would she be an exception?

The chances of her being a transmigrator were 90/10—which made Johan way more curious than he should be, after his recent experiences with his fellow transmigrator.

’She seems to be from this guy’s era... and he must have existed millions of years ago to be involved with the wars, and Lucifer... Is she from medieval Earth, or maybe even Stone Age Earth?’

Remembering one of the options he got from the system some time ago, he also considered the possibility of her choosing a choice like that—and going back in time.

’But why is he so scared of her? What could’ve she done to make a guy like him so scared...’ Johan’s eyes turned a bit pleading, trying to learn more about this potential ally, or enemy... or maybe just a relic, as she might already be dead.

Understanding Johan’s face, Nolan didn’t hesitate, replying with a nervous smile, "You probably already heard of her—as numerous cults still worship her... it’s the Goddess of Death, Vivi."