Chapter 149
Several days had passed since the successful subjugation of Lord Biden.
Perhaps because of the thorough preparation?
Dealing with him hadn’t been particularly difficult.
In fact, I hadn’t even suffered any major injuries during the battle against Lord Biden.
The operation progressed smoothly, and there was even some unexpected luck.
The ending had been perfect as well.
In the end, it was concluded that Lord Biden had been subjugated by Chun Ga-eun.
Pandemonium didn’t find anything especially suspicious about it either.
They did consider it strange that she learned of the laboratory’s existence, but every faction constantly stole information through spies and informants, so it wasn’t treated as a major issue.
Of course, part of the reason was that the High-ranking Executives underestimated Lord Biden’s remaining power.
On top of that, Lord Biden had already been weakened after his battle against the Heavenly Demon, and the other High-ranking Executives knew this as well.
Rather than mourn his death, they tried using it to drag the Heavenly Demon down.
They petitioned Pandemonium’s leader, claiming Lord Biden’s pathetic defeat at Chun Ga-eun’s hands was all because of the damage he suffered fighting the Heavenly Demon.
Thankfully, Pandemonium’s leader showed no reaction to the petitions of the High-ranking Executives.
It was truly fortunate.
In any case, this subjugation of Lord Biden had been perfect.
No one suspected me.
And yet—
I couldn’t smile.
From beyond the door came Wol-ah’s voice.
“Sung-woo, it’s already been several days. Please at least eat something.”
“…….”
I didn’t answer her.
I wasn’t in the mood.
Before my eyes floated a blue message window.
【Corrosion Rate: 20%】
My head was a mess.
I had to destroy Pandemonium, but killing the High-ranking Executives released the seals of the End.
What kind of ridiculous bullshit situation was this?
That damned thing called fate.
For a moment, I even thought about giving up on everything.
No matter what I did, events would happen regardless.
Whether playable characters like Park Siwoo or Dan Chun-woo killed the High-ranking Executives—
Or whether they died at the hands of the Executives instead.
No matter what outcome occurred, my ending would never change.
Suddenly, I remembered the moment I obtained the Deceiver’s Mask.
The future the Demon showed me back then.
Was this what it meant?
Honestly, I wanted to storm into the Academy immediately, kidnap Park Siwoo, and head toward the Gate.
But I couldn’t.
The atmosphere within Pandemonium had changed after Lord Biden’s death.
For the first time in centuries, a High-ranking Executive had been slain by a Hero.
No matter how much the other Executives looked down on him, his death wasn’t something trivial.
If anything, it was more than enough to serve as the opening gunshot of war.
And hadn’t the three-month grace period they promised me finally ended?
Pandemonium would never remain still.
One way or another, they would make their intentions known.
In other words, causing trouble around the Academy right now would simply be idiotic.
“Haah…….”
A sigh escaped me naturally.
Pathetic.
I knew better than anyone how foolish it was to do nothing simply because there was nothing you could do.
But knowing that and actually acting on it were entirely different matters.
Right now, I needed rest for my mind.
At that moment, the locked door suddenly burst open.
I was certain I locked it.
“While this lady was away, I asked you to take care of Wol-ah, yet I hear you’ve been busily wandering outside?”
“Ah.”
It was the Heavenly Demon, whom I hadn’t seen in a while because she’d been away.
I thought Lord Biden’s death would keep her occupied longer.
Come to think of it, she did ask me to take care of Wol-ah.
Judging by the results, I completely failed that request.
I’d been busy in my own way too.
Her gaze swept over me.
“I do not like the look in your eyes.”
“……I apologize.”
Even with the Heavenly Demon standing before me, that didn’t suddenly improve my mood from being buried at rock bottom.
Honestly, her return wasn’t welcome.
Right now, I didn’t want to see anyone.
“Follow me.”
After saying only what she needed to say, she left my room.
If I didn’t follow, she’d probably drag me out by the hair.
I stood up and left the room.
Wol-ah stood outside the door, nervously fidgeting.
“Sung-woo…….”
I placed a hand on Wol-ah’s head before turning toward the Heavenly Demon waiting in the yard.
She said nothing, but she was clearly urging me onward.
It had been several days since I last came outside, but the weather was gloomy.
The gray sky perfectly matched my mood.
“You seem to be in poor spirits.”
“I am.”
“And why is that?”
“…….”
At her question, I remained silent.
How could I possibly answer?
Should I tell her that I killed Lord Biden, only to learn that no matter what I did, I might never be able to stop the resurrection of the End?
“No answer, hm.”
“I don’t want to answer.”
“Did adolescence suddenly strike while this lady was away? Your attitude has become rather rebellious.”
Crunch.
Even though the Heavenly Demon’s attitude hadn’t changed at all, irritation rose inside me for some reason.
She couldn’t possibly imagine how I felt right now.
Overwhelming emptiness, anger, frustration.
I had done everything in my power to stop that damned Demon of the End from taking over my body.
I believed that destroying Pandemonium would solve everything.
So I gave it my all.
I truly never stopped moving forward.
Because I believed that if I used the information I knew, I could somehow reach that damned happy ending.
And there had been results.
Even though it was still only the summer of first year, I had successfully dealt with Berith, the hidden mastermind of the Academy, and Lord Biden, one of Pandemonium’s massive pillars.
But in the end, I realized it.
No matter how desperately I struggled, the End would inevitably resurrect.
Meaning that all my efforts until now could never change my own conclusion.
Just like my previous life.
I had worked incredibly hard back then too.
Because I started with nothing, I desperately wanted more.
Things ordinary people took for granted were impossible for me, so I clawed desperately for that ordinary life.
I just wanted to live like everyone else.
And honestly, I had half succeeded.
The road was harsh and exhausting, but I found a job, and my income slowly stabilized.
Buying a home was impossible, but I saved enough money to at least sign a lease with loans.
And then my body failed.
When I went to the hospital, they told me I was terminally ill.
Cancer.
They said it was discovered far too late.
Right now, I felt exactly like I did when I received my terminal diagnosis.
No—
I felt even worse than back then.
Not once, but twice.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
What if all of this was just a dream of myself dying in my previous life?
Honestly, I wished it were.
But this wasn’t some dream.
Everything before my eyes was reality.
And that made it even more miserable.
People say humans only face trials they can endure.
If that was true—
Then just how highly had God overestimated someone like me?
At that moment, a sharp clap shattered my thoughts.
The Heavenly Demon stood before me, clapping her hands right in front of my face.
“So now you even ignore this lady’s words. It seems you require discipline.”
“…….”
Discipline, huh.
Honestly, maybe I’d feel better if I just fought the Heavenly Demon head-on.
Especially since I still needed to check the changes caused by my Corrosion Rate reaching twenty percent.
I’d only been postponing it because all motivation had vanished.
“Let’s spar.”
“Oh?”
At my words, her eyebrow twitched.
Aside from our previous training sessions, I had never once requested a spar from her.
The difference in strength aside, fighting her exhausted both body and mind.
But right now, I wanted to vent these emotions somehow.
If emotions were left festering too long, they simply rotted away.
“Very well. Let us have a long and heartfelt conversation.”
With those words, the Heavenly Demon led me somewhere.
---
The moment No. 66 regained consciousness, her eyes snapped open.
She immediately leapt up and looked around.
She had definitely been trying to escape the battlefield’s chaos.
Then she encountered that strange silver-haired woman and got subdued.
The aftereffects of the previous experiment preventing her from properly using her strength had played a major role.
Lowering her body cautiously, she scanned her surroundings like a wary beast.
Everything here was unfamiliar to her.
A soft bed and countless objects she had never seen before.
Having spent most of her life inside an Incubator, and even after leaving it living inside an empty prison, everything in this room was entirely new to No. 66.
With every hair on her body standing on end, she began exploring the room.
She ripped apart the fluffy pillow and dismantled the humidifier sitting atop the bed.
After wandering around for quite some time, her gaze suddenly locked onto something.
A large window located on one side of the hospital room.
Beyond it stretched a blue lake and a forest of towering buildings.
Seeing that, No. 66’s mouth slowly opened.
“So vast……”
Things she had never once seen in her entire life spread before her eyes.
She wanted to see more.
She wanted to fully enjoy the freedom she had finally obtained.
Her gaze darted around.
She found a door.
At that moment, someone’s voice spoke from behind her.
“You can’t leave this place. At least, not yet.”
Startled, No. 66 spun around.
No. 66’s Aura Sense was extremely sensitive.
Yet somehow, she failed to notice someone approaching from behind.
For someone who had been forced into nonstop combat ever since gaining control over her body, exposing her back was no different from risking death.
Lowering her body even further, No. 66 growled like a beast.
Seeing that, Chun Ga-eun let out a dumbfounded laugh.
“I’m not your enemy. If anything, I’m your savior.”
She raised both hands in an attempt to calm No. 66, yet never once took her eyes off her.
‘Just what the hell did Yoo Sung-woo dump on me?’
When she first brought her here, Chun Ga-eun assumed she was merely his younger sister or blood relative.
But the more she observed this girl, the stranger she became.
Setting aside the Demonic Energy and Demonic powers, she clearly possessed a human appearance, yet she constantly behaved like a monster wearing human skin.
And the sensation Chun Ga-eun felt through Aura Sense was deeply suspicious.
It felt as though countless monsters had been crammed into a single human body.
If not for Yoo Sung-woo’s request, Chun Ga-eun would’ve cut down this grotesque creature immediately.
Chun Ga-eun recalled Yoo Sung-woo’s request once more.
‘Please help her live like a human being. Let her enjoy freedom normally, communicate with people, and make sure she isn’t persecuted.’
Back then, she didn’t understand why he specifically used the word persecuted.
But now she did.
Staring at No. 66, Chun Ga-eun let out a deep sigh.
Even at a glance, there was no way the Hero Association would leave this existence alone if they discovered her.
Above all, she was a Test Subject experimented on by Pandemonium itself.
‘If I knew it’d turn out like this, I never should’ve agreed to that request.’
But regret changed nothing.
What had already happened couldn’t be undone.
And a promise once made couldn’t simply be taken back.