Chapter 15
I stared at the rogue who was sitting uninvited at my desk.
The door I had left open shut with a thud.
“Come in.”
The trespasser smiled brazenly and gestured for me to enter.
If someone saw us now, they might think I was the guest.
“And who might you be, breaking into someone else’s room like this?”
I asked, glaring coldly at him on purpose.
Although I already knew his true identity thanks to my experience playing Become a Hero, under normal circumstances, it would’ve been impossible for me to recognize a being who stole others’ bodies and memories.
If I pretended to know him, I might raise suspicion for no reason.
Not that I had any desire to get close to his kind anyway.
The one known as the Demon of Usurpation was a parasite who lived by stealing another person’s flesh and living their life.
He stood up smoothly and bowed his head slightly to me.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I’m Ha Yoon, the vice president of the Academy.”
“Vice president?”
That’s right. The identity he had usurped this time was none other than the Academy’s vice president—and Yoo Iseo’s devoted right hand.
For someone like me aiming for a happy ending, he was one of the most dangerous individuals who absolutely had to be eliminated.
In every scenario, he led Yoo Iseo into corruption and, after her death, seized control of the Academy.
The Academy—once called the cradle of hero training—would then fall into ruin, becoming a revolving door for invading Demons and a graveyard where students died every day.
He was one of the main culprits standing in the way of the happy ending.
But why was he here? I’d only expected to see him during the student council interview.
“It seems you’re curious why I’m here.”
“Well, yes. I can’t think of any reason the vice president would… wait, don’t tell me—”
“Something comes to mind?”
I nodded slightly at his question.
The reason he had come to me was obvious.
“Is this about the student council interview?”
“No need to continue this little act. We both know what’s going on.”
The once-gentle expression on his face hardened, and the air in the room seemed to grow cold in an instant.
So, he was finally dropping the act.
Ping!
With a snap of his fingers, a surge of mana spread through the room, covering it like a veil.
I feigned confusion, keeping up the act of someone ignorant of his true identity.
“Why the sudden barrier…? Is this part of the interview too?”
“You’ve done some rather amusing things, haven’t you? Devil Knight.”
“What do you mean? Devil Knight? I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
He smiled faintly, as if amused by my response.
“Your acting skills are impressive. But you can stop pretending now. I know who you are.”
At that moment, the whites of his eyes turned black, and his pupils glowed blood-red.
Black sclera and crimson pupils—
The mark of a Demon.
My face hardened as I glared at him.
“You… you’re one of the organization’s lackeys.”
“Lackey? Hardly. It seems you still don’t recognize me.”
His face twisted grotesquely. Bones cracked and snapped back into place as his features shifted.
In an instant, the timid-looking boy before me transformed into a tall, handsome young man.
“Now do you recognize me?”
“Berid? Haven’t seen you in a while. So you’ve been at the Academy all this time.”
“It’s been a while indeed. Since the last assembly, I suppose.”
Even the memories in this body contained information about Berid.
He was one of the subordinates favored by the Lord of the Archdemons, equal in status to the Heavenly Demon herself.
Which meant that within Pandemonium, our ranks were about the same.
“I see. Then what brings you to me?”
“Don’t tell me you’re asking because you don’t know.”
He grimaced at my calm question.
“You’ve been making quite a spectacle these past few days since joining the Academy. Have you forgotten your role?”
“……”
I stayed silent at his words.
Of course, I had my reasons for infiltrating the Academy.
There was no way Pandemonium would insert one of its key assets into the Academy without purpose.
The reason was simple: to locate the Gate hidden somewhere within the Academy.
The Gate—a nexus that connected countless dimensions.
In this world, multiple such Gates existed. Because of them, monsters appeared, mana spread, and the world itself changed—that was the setting of Become a Hero.
Pandemonium’s goal in targeting the Academy was to open the Hell Gate through this nexus, and my mission was to infiltrate and find its location.
“You should be working discreetly, not causing chaos. And now you’ve even stepped into the student council, which is under my jurisdiction. Withdraw your application immediately.”
“And if I refuse?”
Rumble!
He released a menacing aura, the air trembling and furniture rattling from the pressure.
“You’ll regret it.”
His murderous intent stung against my skin, like countless needles pricking me all over.
To manipulate mana with such precision even within the Academy…
As expected of one of the major antagonists of Part 1—his power was indeed formidable.
But I wasn’t planning to back down. I began to release the power I had been holding in check.
“You think you can threaten me?”
I knew instinctively—
He was strong, yes. But so was I.
The heat of Asura Divine Art filled the room.
“So you want to do this for real?”
He growled lowly, lowering his stance into a battle posture.
I tilted my head slightly, a cold smirk curling on my lips.
“Go ahead. Try me.”
Our auras collided in midair, twisting and crashing violently.
The barrier surrounding the room trembled as if it would shatter any moment under the immense pressure.
A hair-trigger tension filled the air, as if a fight could break out at any second.
Yet, I felt no anxiety.
After all, this guy didn’t have what it took to harm me.
He might have been a disciple of another high-ranking officer, but within Pandemonium, my position was on another level entirely.
I was the sole disciple of the Heavenly Demon—a being of immense power.
And the vessel destined to summon the Lord of the Archdemons.
Therefore, within Pandemonium, only three beings could lay a hand on me:
the Heavenly Demon, those equal to her in rank, and the Boss of Pandemonium itself.
As expected, it was Berid who lowered his tail first.
“Tsk, let’s stop here. The barrier won’t hold much longer. You’re not trying to announce ‘Hey everyone, I’m a Demon!’ right in the middle of the Academy, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Since he backed down first, I withdrew my aura and stepped back as well.
No matter how unpleasant this was, it wasn’t wise to make an enemy of him right now.
Not only did I still need to enter the student council, but his power wasn’t just brute strength—it was also political, tightly linked to Pandemonium itself.
The fact that he could infiltrate Demons into the Academy so efficiently said enough.
It wasn’t entirely a bad thing, though.
If I could play him right, I might be able to divert Pandemonium’s suspicion to some degree.
Instead, I threw him a question.
“Let’s be honest. Why do you oppose me joining the student council?”
“The student council is a feast and an achievement I’ve carefully prepared for a long time. And now that the time for our grand cause is near, you think you can just come in and take a piece of it? Did you really think I’d just sit by and watch that happen?”
So that was the reason.
“If that’s all, then you don’t have to worry. I have no interest in such trivial achievements anyway.”
“And why should I believe that?”
“You know that accomplishments and rewards mean nothing to me. I’ve already been promised the greatest reward of all.”
His expression softened slightly at my words.
I was already the vessel meant to accept the Lord of the Archdemons.
For those fanatical Demon worshippers, becoming one with their god was an unparalleled honor.
“That’s true. You’re the one who’s already been promised the highest honor. I can accept that. In that case, why do you want to join the student council?”
“Because of my mission.”
“What do you mean?”
His eyebrows rose suspiciously.
“Just as I said. The privileges and information available to student council members—and the freedom to move compared to ordinary cadets. I don’t care about your mission. As long as my name is on the roster, that’s enough.”
“I see, so that’s the reason. The position does grant a lot more freedom than a regular cadet’s, that’s true. But the student council is the Academy’s hidden blade. You might get away with it once or twice, but eventually, suspicion will fall on you.”
I smirked faintly, as if I’d already accounted for that.
Berid frowned at my unreadable smile.
“I don’t intend to abuse the position. But I did come across an interesting piece of information…”
“Information?”
“Yes. Information about a fragment that might be connected to the Gate. But the fragment is said to be located in a restricted area, which is why I need the student council’s status.”
“So that’s your true goal.”
A look of surprise flashed across his face.
To avoid drawing Pandemonium’s suspicion, I had to appear as though I was actively working toward the mission.
In that sense, convincing Berid and joining the student council was the perfect excuse—it would show I was moving for the sake of the mission.
At the same time, it would also be the ideal position to hinder Berid’s own plans.
“So, what do you say? Will you help me get into the student council?”
At my words, he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Of course, when the time comes for my plan to advance, I’ll make sure you have my support.”
“That’s a good offer, but I’m afraid I can’t accept it.”
Why not?
From his perspective, my proposal was more than reasonable.
He already knew I wasn’t after his achievements.
He scratched his head awkwardly.
“Don’t take it the wrong way—it’s not out of personal dislike. If anything, I’d prefer that you join the student council. The workload is much heavier than it looks, and having another capable hand would help. And honestly, more assets for the grand cause is always welcome.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“The authority to decide who joins the student council belongs entirely to the president, Yoo Iseo. No matter how much I recommend you, if she doesn’t like you, you won’t be allowed in.”
I clicked my tongue softly at his words.
A vice president who couldn’t even exercise that much power?
It was good news, in a way—it meant Yoo Iseo’s influence still outweighed his within the Academy—but it was also troublesome for me, since I had to get into the student council.
“Then at least, could you put in a good word for me?”
“That might be difficult as well.”
He smiled awkwardly.
“To be honest, I opposed your admission during the first screening.”
“……”
“At the time, I didn’t know your true purpose, so I had no choice.”
I sighed at his excuse.
So, in the end, I’d have to earn her favor on my own if I wanted to join the student council.
Nothing ever went smoothly.
I sifted through my memories, recalling details about the student council entrance test.
Then Berid spoke again.
“Since I can’t help you directly, I’ll at least give you some information. This interview test is a role-playing exam.”
“Role-playing?”
“That’s right. You’ll play the part of a hero who must protect civilians and stop a villain attempting to escape.”
Right, that was about how it went.
In Become a Hero, it had been a defense-type scenario—blocking waves of attacks to protect a target.
After that, Berid explained Yoo Iseo’s personality and gave me a few tips on how to impress her before leaving.
He had to attend Park Siwoo’s interview next.
That night, I received a message from Park Siwoo saying he’d passed, and the next day, it was finally my turn for the interview.