Chapter 34
Park Siwoo seemed to have completely lost his mind when he realized the Demon was someone from his circle.
In fact, Park Siwoo had been close with the Academy’s staff, and the person he most often saw was the security guard in the hologram.
I knew that because that guard existed as one of the Demon’s random encounters when you chose Park Siwoo as a Playable Character and progressed.
The Demon sometimes appeared as the security guard, sometimes as the cafeteria nutritionist, sometimes as a cleaning lady — taking on various forms.
And all those people had grown close to Park Siwoo.
In the original story, when I wasn’t there, Seo Da-hee and Berid paired up, and Seo Da-hee was killed immediately.
Only this scenario was slightly different because I was a variable in it.
Yoo Iseo produced the evidence she had already secured.
So the only thing left was to exterminate the Demon.
What came next was obvious.
Even without Berid saying it, anyone who wasn’t an idiot could guess his plan.
Betray her when dealing with the Demon and kill her.
Perhaps he hadn’t explained the detailed operation or contacted me out of some consideration for me, or maybe to keep me in check.
Because in Pandemonium our positions were roughly similar, he must have thought it unnecessary to give me orders or direct commands.
If it succeeded, he could claim credit for having me carry out his plan well; if it failed, he would have a reason to reprimand me.
In short, whether Seo Da-hee’s assassination succeeded depended on me.
Well, “whether it succeeded” sounded grand, but it was a mission that couldn’t fail from the start.
If I lost Pandemonium’s trust, then my credibility regarding Pandemonium would fall.
It was still the early part of the scenario; comrades hadn’t grown much yet, and the world hadn’t matured — I couldn’t afford to lose Pandemonium’s trust.
So in this mission, Seo Da-hee had to die by my hand.
At that moment I felt a warm pressure against my forearm.
It was Seo Da-hee looking at me with concern.
“Why aren’t you answering when I call? You’re pretending not to, but you’re thinking about a lot of things, aren’t you?”
“Eh? No…….”
I was thinking about a lot, but in an entirely different context.
“It’s okay. I was like that at first, too. Suspecting Academy comrades and turning a blade on them isn’t easy.”
She encouraged me, apparently thinking I was nervous about the first mission I’d been assigned.
“They say even brushing the collar is fate — how startled would you be if the guard you saw every day turned out to be a Demon. Separate from the mission, you should be honest with your feelings.”
At Seo Da-hee’s kind words I looked at her.
Her tiny face caught my eye.
She was a pretty girl with a youthful, mischievous look.
A girl who always cared about others and had a warm heart.
To be honest, the fact that the guard was a Demon didn’t bother me much.
I wasn’t Park Siwoo; I was just background extra you saw passing by.
What weighed heavier was that I would soon have to kill her.
After being possessed by the game I had gotten a fair amount of blood on my hands, but I had never actually killed anyone.
They had all been monsters or fakes inside dungeons.
Even when I had almost been controlled by the Heart of the Demon at the museum, I hadn’t killed anyone.
And yet the first person I had to kill was Seo Da-hee.
The more I thought about it, the heavier my heart grew.
Of course, I didn’t plan to follow Berid’s plan to the letter.
That was why I had prepared the Heart and various other things.
This operation was in the near future — a card to tighten the noose on Berid.
Seo Da-hee puffed her chest as if to say “trust only me,” then tapped it with her fist.
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll lead the overall battle. You just have to follow what I say.”
I nodded quietly at her words.
Yoo Iseo, who had been watching the two of us, continued the briefing.
“Since this is Seongwoo’s first mission, I’ll tell you a few precautions.”
“Precautions?”
“Yes. Our mission is absolutely secret from the cadets. Therefore, the extermination of the Demon must also be carried out as quietly as possible.”
Quietly.
“We must exterminate the Demon as quickly as possible before it goes berserk.”
“Don’t worry too much. According to the intel, that Demon wasn’t particularly strong.”
“Never be careless. No matter how weak a Demon might be, it differs from ordinary heroes.”
After that, various pieces of information and corresponding operations were exchanged.
The operation meeting to deal with the Demon ended when it was completely dark outside the windows.
Seo Da-hee stretched as if exhausted.
“Uuuugh! I’m dead. The operation is okay as is; we finished checking the equipment long ago. Let’s call it a day. Seongwoo, good work.”
“Good work.”
“Then get a good rest today. Tomorrow will be hard.”
I nodded quietly at her words.
The operation would start tomorrow.
The Demon was a time bomb that could explode at any moment.
With evidence that the opponent was a Demon, there was no reason to delay the start of the operation.
After greeting Seo Da-hee and Yoo Iseo, I left the student council room first.
For some reason a feeling of exhaustion and helplessness pressed down on my shoulders.
Maybe because I knew the end of this mission.
Honestly, I hadn’t been able to focus properly while drafting the operation.
Lia’s cautious voice echoed in my head.
[Husband, are you okay?]
“No. I knew it was necessary, but it still sucked.”
Yesterday, when I told Lia about me, we also talked about Seo Da-hee.
Originally, obtaining the Heart and bringing Lia along had been to thwart Berid’s plan.
Lia’s cooperation was absolutely necessary.
Lia comforted me.
[Don’t feel too guilty. Husband, you’re already doing your best.]
I merely nodded silently at her comfort and then looked up at the sky.
The night sky was full of stars.
It was a sight difficult to see in the real world, filled with smog and fine dust.
And that scene felt particularly sad tonight.
“I kind of wanted a cigarette.”
At the truth that slipped out of me unconsciously, Lia asked in surprise.
[Husband, you smoked at that age?]
I wondered if I had misspoken, but it was already too late to fix.
I quietly confirmed.
“A little back then.”
Actually not in this body’s past, but before I had been possessed.
I had even been stingy about buying cigarettes, using the cheapest brand over the course of a month.
After being possessed by the game I had never once thought about smoking again.
When it came down to it, I found myself craving the sweet taste of a cigarette more than ever.
[Husband, men who smoke aren’t attractive. It rots your lungs.]
“Don’t worry. My lungs are clean.”
After all, this body had never once smoked or drunk alcohol.
Under the dim night sky, I used the moonlight as my lantern and slowly walked until I eventually reached the dormitory.
Once I went to sleep tonight, I would have to kill Seo Da-hee.
Part of me wanted to sink deeper into thought, but I couldn’t.
Because someone was waiting for me.
As I stood before the door, Lia’s voice reached my ears.
[Husband, stop for a moment. There’s someone inside your room.]
“I know.”
[I’m getting a really dangerous feeling.]
“He’s actually a dangerous one.”
When I opened the door and stepped inside, a familiar face was waiting for me.
The frail-looking boy greeted me with excitement.
“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you endlessly. It seems the strategy meeting went on quite late, huh?”
“You look pleased.”
“Of course! That thorn in my side will soon disappear. The time for the great cause is drawing near!”
Berid’s cheeks were flushed red, his excitement barely contained.
Then a faint smell of alcohol brushed past my nose.
“Don’t tell me… you’ve been drinking?”
“Hehe, you caught me? I was waiting to share a toast with you, but you were late.”
He pulled a small liquor bottle out of his pocket as he spoke.
“Would you like a drink? To the first step toward the great cause!”
“The mission hasn’t even begun yet. Seems too early to celebrate.”
“How could there be failure when the best problem-solver in Pandemonium is handling it?”
His eyes gleamed dangerously.
[Husband…….]
Because Lia and I shared senses, she could feel, deep within her soul, the twisted danger emanating from Berid.
Her voice trembled with fear, so I reassured her silently.
‘Don’t be so scared. That bastard can’t hurt me anyway.’
Berid handed me a glass.
“Come now, have a drink. It’s expensive whiskey, you know.”
“As I said, it’s premature to toast. I’ll drink when the job’s done.”
I had never been one for alcohol anyway, but that aside, I had no desire to share a drink with him.
If the day ever came when I did raise a glass, it would be when I had cast him into ruin.
At my refusal, Berid smacked his lips in disappointment and hummed to himself.
“Ah, I can’t wait. I wonder what expression that wench will make when the man she secretly loves pierces her chest. Such a pity I won’t see it myself. Enjoy it on my behalf and tell me how it was later, will you?”
“…What did you just say?”
“I said, tell me about it afterward.”
“No, before that.”
“I said, what kind of face she’ll make when the man she loves stabs her through the chest.”
“Yeah.”
For a moment, my head spun.
Seo Da-hee… loved me?
Why?
As if to answer that question, Berid continued.
“Whenever you and Park Siwoo left the student council, she’d always talk about you. How quickly you were learning, how kindly you responded to her words. She’d blush like some shy schoolgirl, flustered and not knowing what to do.”
He shuddered as though the memory disgusted him.
But soon enough, his expression relaxed.
“Well, that disgusting crush story ends now. Betrayed by the man she loves — what a laughable ending, isn’t it?”
“……”
I couldn’t respond to his words.
What came out of his mouth was too shocking.
My stomach churned, and my vision seemed to blur.
The fragile barrier between the game and reality collapsed, and the weight of what I had to do settled heavily once more.
I felt like I might collapse right then and there — but I couldn’t.
I couldn’t show emotion in front of him.
If I did, Berid would surely notice.
I couldn’t allow even the slightest opening.
Forcing down the nausea, I looked at him coldly and said,
“I’m getting tired. Get lost.”
“But of course. I’ll wait for good news.”
Even as he spoke, he didn’t let go of his glass, and then he vanished from the room through teleportation.
Once every trace of his presence disappeared, Lia’s trembling voice returned.
[H-husband…….]
She too seemed shaken by what she’d heard.
Unable to find the words, she fell silent again.
Ignoring her, I headed straight for the bathroom, grabbed the toilet, and dry-heaved.
In the end, I didn’t get a wink of sleep.
And so, dawn arrived.