Brog was not a complicated man.

He liked heavy armor. He liked his massive greatsword, 'Daisy'. And he liked saving people.

Sitting in the corner of the inn's common hall, Brog took up the space of three normal men.

He was seven feet of muscle and scarred skin, squeezed into plate armor that looked like it had been forged from the hull of a battleship.

He stared at the stairs, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

[System Notification]

[Target is nearby. Be ready, Host.]

[Quest: The Silent Cry for Help. Status: Active.]

Brog sighed, his breath blowing a napkin off the table. "I know, System. I'm ready. I won't let the poor man suffer anymore."

Yesterday had been a tragedy.

Brog had been eating his stew when the tyrant, Captain Valerian, had stormed in.

Brog had wanted to intervene—his Saviour System had been screaming at him to draw his sword—but the pressure from that Wood Dragon had stunned him for a second too long.

And in that second, he watched the tragedy unfold.

He saw the poor, handsome man surrounded by his wives. The man looked tired and weary.

And then, the evil Valerian had forced him into a corner, using his position and power to blackmail the man into a "private meeting" at the Jade Pavilion.

Brog had seen the look in Judas's eyes. It wasn't calmness. It was the resignation of a man sacrificing his body to save his family.

"A true family man," Brog sniffed, wiping a manly tear from his eye.

He had camped outside the Jade Pavilion all night, ready to storm the gates if he heard a scream. But there were no screams.

When the handsome man had walked out hours later, he looked... different. He walked with a heavy step. His eyes were dark. Brog's heart had broken.

The evil deed had been done. The flower had been plucked.

"He must be traumatized," Brog whispered to his ale mug. "He is hiding his pain."

The stairs creaked.

Brog looked up.

The handsome man was coming down. He wore fresh clothes—a simple white tunic and trousers. His black hair was slightly wet.

He looked exhausted, yes, but there was also a strange glow about him. Even a man like him wanted to protect him.

Behind him trailed the flat girl who looked remarkably smug, like she had just eaten a very large meal.

Brog clenched his fist. 'Look at him. Walking so bravely after a night of torture.'

The handsome young man reached the bottom of the stairs. He scanned the room, looking for a table.

Brog stood up. His chair scraped loudly against the floor, sounding like a dying banshee.

"Brother!" Brog boomed.

The young man flinched. He turned, his hand instinctively going to his hip.

Brog marched over. The floorboards groaned under his weight. He stopped in front of Judas, casting a shadow that engulfed the smaller man.

"I know," Brog said deeply, placing a hand the size of a ham on Judas's shoulder. "I know what happened last night."

The young man blinked. "You do what?"

"Yes," Brog nodded solemnly. "I saw him take you. I saw you leave. You don't have to hide the shame, brother. You survived. That is what matters."

Brog patted the young man's shoulder, nearly driving him into the floor.

"I am Brog," the giant declared, puffing out his chest. "And I am here to ensure that green-robed deviant never touches you again."

"Wha-?"

"Your name? Ah, I heard it's Judas. I'm not eavesdropping.." Brog raised his arms, "I looked at the reception." He winked.

[System Notification]

[Quest Update: Establish Trust. Reward: +10 Justice Points.]

Brog grinned. He was doing it. He was saving the damsel. Well, the dude-sel.

*

* *

Judas stared at the mountain of meat standing in front of him.

'Who is this?'

His first instinct was to attack. A stranger touching him? A stranger claiming to know about his meeting with Valerian? This was dangerous.

But then, he felt it.

A vibration.

It wasn't a sound. It was a hum in his blood. A resonance deep in his brain, stemming from the very soul.

His own System interface flickered. The familiar blue text of the Affection System glitched for a split second, turning a staticky purple before stabilizing.

[Anomaly Detected.]

[External System Resonance found.]

[Scanning Target...]

[Target: Brog (Human)]

[System Type: Heroic Archetype - The Saviour System.]

[Rank: Grade C]

Judas's eyes widened.

'A System user?'

Valerian had said the world had many of them now. Containers for the Apocalypse.

But this was the first time Judas had met one up close since realizing his own identity.

"You..." Judas whispered. "You have one too?"

Brog blinked, leaning down. "Have what? A big sword? Yes, Daisy is magnificent."

Judas ignored the deflection. He focused on the sensation in his blood. It felt like... authority. Like holding a remote control for a TV he didn't own.

"System," Judas sub-vocalized. "Do you see this?"

[Affirmative.] The System's voice sounded confused, less robotic than usual.

[I... I detect a lower-tier interface. It is pinging me. It is asking for... instructions?]

"Instructions?"

[I don't know why I have this feature,] the System admitted, sounding almost scared. [But there is a backdoor. A command line. Do you wish to access the target's quest log?]

Judas looked at Brog. The big man was smiling a goofy, friendly smile, completely unaware that his system was being hacked.

"Access it," Judas thought.

Ding.

A new window popped up in Judas's vision. It wasn't his usual blue window.

It was gold, with little angel wings on the corners. It was hovering right next to Brog's head.

[Name: Brog]

[Current Main Quest: The Knight in Shining Armor.]

[Objective: Protect the innocent victim, Judas, from the clutches of the Perverted Dragon Rider, Valerian.]

[Context: The Host witnessed the target being coerced into a sexual transaction. The target is physically weak and emotionally compromised. Protect him at all costs.]

Judas stared at the text.

'Innocent victim?' 'Physically weak?' 'Emotionally compromised?'

He felt a vein throb in his forehead.

'Physically weak?"' Judas muttered, offended. 'I have 65 Strength.'

"Brother?" Brog looked concerned. "Did you say something? Are you having a flashback?"

Judas looked up at the giant. He realized the misunderstanding instantly.

Brog thought he was a victim of sexual assault. He thought Judas had been forced to sleep with Valerian.

It was... perfect.

"I..." Judas let his shoulders slump. He channeled his inner actor—the same skills he used to deceive his wives.

He made his eyes look a little watery.

"It was terrible, Brog," Judas whispered, his voice trembling. "He... he made me drink wine. He touched my hand."

Brog gasped. "The fiend!"

"He has powerful connections," Judas continued, sniffing. "I had no choice. I had to do it... for my family."

He gestured vaguely at Nyx, who was currently picking her teeth with a claw, looking extremely bored.

"I understand," Brog said, his voice thick with emotion. He slammed his fist against his chest plate. CLANG. "Fear not! Brog is here! My System—uh, my intuition—tells me you need a shield. I will be that shield!"

Judas looked at the floating golden window. There was a button at the bottom.

[Edit Quest?]

His heart skipped a beat. Valerian wasn't lying. The Iscariot bloodline... the Administrators... they really could control the Systems.

He focused on the window.

'Edit Objective.'

The text blurred and rewrote itself.

[New Objective: Escort the innocent Judas to the Dragon Academy. Ensure no one interrupts his plans. Be his loyal meat shield.]

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.