There was a girl—dressed in a plaid skirt with a beige jacket, perfectly embodying the essence of autumn. The finishing touch was a beret, adding to her stylish yet casual look. She was a high school student, looking refined and put-together, waiting for someone.
Soon, familiar silhouettes appeared in the distance—one tall and one relatively short. From just that, she could tell who they were. Standing by the fountain in front of Neo-Seoul Station, Oh Hyein waved energetically at her approaching friends, excited for the reunion.
"Over here, Daesu oppa! Hi, Luru!"
"Ah."
"Yup!"
Their orange and red hair swayed as they walked, the vibrant colors a stark contrast to their otherwise ordinary appearances. Both of them had once met their ends as magical girls but were given a second chance at life thanks to the mad mage’s interventions. After their repeated requests to join, the simulation reality had finally opened to them—mostly because the mad mage was already trying to figure out how to convince them to join in the first place.
O Daesu waved back awkwardly.
"It’s been a while. Have you been eating well—"
"Hi-tackle—!!"
"Urk!"
Splash!
Kim Luru launched herself at Hyein with a powerful tackle, sending both of them crashing into the fountain. Water sprayed everywhere as the two high school girls laughed heartily, their joy echoing high into the sky.
"I swear... they’re hopeless," Daesu muttered under his breath, pushing his sunglasses up while trying not to smile at the sight of the two girls splashing around.
Kim Luru, now drenched but still energetic, eyed her next target.
"Daesu! Come on in!"
"No way. I’m wearing white—if I get wet, it’ll be see-through—"
"Aqua splash!"
SPLASH!
"Hey!!"
"Blue now!"
"You’ll regret that!"
"Eek! The sea otter Daesu has appeared from the pool!"
Thus, Daesu joined the water fight. He summoned a magical bucket and unleashed a torrent of water at Luru, gaining the upper hand for a brief moment. But then, a decisive move from behind—a sneak attack by Hyein—turned the tide. With a well-placed finger along his spine, she unraveled Daesu’s stance.
"You... Oh Hyein!"
"You owe me for that tearful sacrifice ending!"
"So you were holding onto that all this time..."
Daesu, struggling to keep his soaked clothes from slipping off, instinctively covered his chest, signaling his defeat. Hyein took advantage of his vulnerability, hugging him from behind and teasing him by poking his belly.
"Gained some weight, huh?"
"I did not!"
While Daesu was effectively immobilized, Luru mischievously gathered magic, summoning an enormous, floating sphere of water above them. Though the mad mage had placed limits on her magic during their sessions, now, after the ending, she had free reign and plenty of resources at her disposal.
As the enormous water orb hovered menacingly over Daesu’s head, he yelled.
"At that size, you’ll hit everyone! Luru, you’re going to take Hyein down with me too!"
"It’s fine, Luru... For the sake of justice, I’m willing to sacrifice myself. Don’t hesitate, just do it!"
"Okay! Prepare to be drowned—!"
KABOOM!
The water bomb exploded with a massive splash, sending waves crashing through the fountain square. The sheer volume of water left the trio drenched to the bone, their clothes and hair clinging to them as they laughed and wrung out their soaked outfits.
"Hahaha!"
"Kuk, hahahah!"
"Hehe...!"
It was a joyous reunion with friends.
Despite the massive water explosion in the middle of the bustling area, the city remained calm. No police responded, and the passersby merely continued on with their lives. It was a clear reminder of the fact that this world was, after all, a simulation.
"...It’s still amazing," Daesu muttered.
"What is?"
"Everything."
The simulation was so lifelike, so vivid. Every sense was fully immersed, and yet it was all the result of intricate calculations. It was hard to believe that a single individual could create such a world.
And yet, the evidence was undeniable.
ROAAAAAAR!!!
Off in the distance, something resembling Godzilla let out a mighty roar, while a colossal golem prepared a rocket punch next to a skyscraper.
"What’s that?"
"The next session."
"Another victim for the pit of despair, I suppose."
"Or maybe he’s trying to make another lonely person some new friends? Did you only find despair here, Daesu oppa?"
"....."
She had a point. Daesu had met both Luru and Hyein here, and his time in this world had led him to rethink many things. Overall... life here had been enjoyable. Even when he went back to the real world to have desserts with Luru, there was something he missed—like the taste of fermented soybean stew, or the spice of mala hot pot. He found himself yearning for it.
Was this some twisted gift of joy amidst chaos?
As Luru cheered at the sight of a giant robot landing a punch on a monster’s face, Hyein received a transmission from space.
"Oh, the signal’s here. They said Hayang finished her checkup and is being sent here now."
"Here?"
"Yeah. Apparently, this is the best place to give her a tour and teach her morality. Honestly, Daesu oppa, you’re not the best with ethics, are you? Remember that quiz you took? You got a 30."
"What’s wrong with cracking a troublemaker's head if they interrupt a top lane fight?! This country’s ethics are weird! I was honorably fighting in the tower, and then some jungle peasant dares to—"
A UFO spun into view from the sky, beaming down a ray of light from which Hayang slowly descended.
As she landed gracefully, Kim Luru waved excitedly.
"Hayang! Hey there!"
"Hiyaa. One more."
"One more? Did you enjoy the ride from the sky?"
"Yesss."
"Alright, let’s go again." Luru took Hayang’s hand and signaled the UFO. The two of them began to float up once more, seemingly abducted by aliens.
Watching them, Daesu and Hyein resumed their conversation.
"You know, I know a good ethics teacher. Should I introduce you?"
"...Is it one of those AI entities who gained self-awareness like you?"
"Yep. His name is Abraham, a really kind old man."
"Ah..."
The name was familiar. Daesu remembered hearing it over and over in his nightmares when he had been suffering from backlash. He had always been curious about who Abraham was, especially given the chaos and screaming that had followed.
"Are there more?"
"Centra is kind too, but her mind is medieval—she’s pretty much wired to ‘hit people who cause harm.’ Ferro’s... well, a bit eccentric after living through an apocalypse. That’s why Abraham is the most sensible choice."
"...Couldn’t you do it yourself? I trust you more than some stranger. Besides, I’ve never seen a magical girl like you."
"Aw, that’s embarrassing when you say it like that..."
At that moment, the mad mage appeared from seemingly nowhere, cutting into their conversation.
"Both are good choices. But you can trust Abraham’s humanity—I can vouch for him, Daesu. He’ll be an excellent teacher."
"Turn on a signal next time you do that!" Daesu retorted, clearly irritated.
"Also, I’d include Kim Luru’s education in that too. Hyein, once the UFO ride’s over, you can take them where they need to go. As for you, Daesu, we need to talk."
"Yes, boss."
Hyein playfully saluted before patting Daesu on the back and walking away. Daesu, still unsettled by the mad mage's presence, sighed.
"...What’s this about?"
"Red Taste Duchy business."
That certainly got his attention.
Though the Red Taste Duchy still stood, as a dark magic faction, it had essentially been dismembered. Most of the elite soldiers nurtured through their synthetic soul project had been taken by the mad mage, and their ranks were rapidly thinning. Their dark powers had dwindled, leaving them as little more than a typical noble family.
"Isn’t that still dangerous? A duke of the empire has significant power."
"And my allies include the Holy Church and the imperial family. If I step into the light, I can’t lose. That’s why the duke leaned so heavily on his dark magic activities."
However...
"Coming out into the open would cause its own problems. Sure, I’d love to cut him down now while he’s weakened, but according to Irid, the backlash would be significant."
"So unless we fully expose his black magic and cruelty, we’d risk the ire of the nobility."
"Exactly. But we won’t leave him alone... I’ll be putting pressure on him, and I’m working on a safe removal plan. I think we’ll get our chance eventually."
"A chance?"
The duke’s ambitions were unclear, but Daesu knew the man was starving for something more. Even with the tremendous power of a duke, the man still sought greater heights, constantly striving for more.
"The right answer for him is to give up. But he won’t."
He would continue scheming, devoting time and resources to reaching new levels of dark magic while steadily eliminating obstacles in his way.
But now, without any covert tools at his disposal, the mad mage had either stolen or broken every dagger the duke could have wielded in the shadows. That left him with only one option.
"He’ll start wielding his power in the open, trying to turn his public authority into dark magic strength. He’ll use his knights, his influence, whatever he can."
"..."
"And he’ll sacrifice all of it if necessary for ‘something.’"
And that’s when they would strike.
The moment the duke revealed his true intentions and there was irrefutable evidence of his corruption, when his closest aide took the dagger meant for him—that would be the moment of victory.
The mad mage leaned in and whispered softly.
"An assassination mission, Daesu. How would you like to become the ‘Duke Slayer’?"
"...I’ll take it. I was planning on it anyway."
"Good. But first, we’ll test your nerve. Here’s your ticket—go see a horror movie with your friends."
"?!!"
Daesu’s expression contorted in confusion. What was this sudden shift?
The mad mage shrugged, looking a little embarrassed.
"Look, it’s not going to happen right away. Now that you’ve made up your mind, we’re connected. We can discuss things anytime. Besides, I feel bad for bringing work into your time with friends."
"Hah."
In other words, he wanted Daesu to go have fun while he still could.
Daesu wasn’t about to refuse. Having returned to modern-day Korea after so long, he wanted to enjoy the time with his friends, soaking in the comforts of civilization.
A horror movie. He’d never watched one, but he knew the concept.
A film that featured sudden jump scares, eerie settings, and creepy atmospheres. Daesu chuckled to himself. Fear? Please.
He had been through actual assassination missions and life-threatening battles. He’d deflected sudden knife attacks with composure. How scary could a movie possibly be?
Wooooooo!!
"Daesuyaaaaah-!!"
"......!!!"
"Cover my eyes, cover my ears!"
"Do it yourself! Use your hands!"
Kim Luru clung to Daesu like a cicada, trembling in fear. Daesu, trying his best to suppress the urge to close his own eyes and cover his ears, struggled to maintain his composure. His pride wouldn’t allow him to falter now.
He was determined to keep his eyes wide open, though he couldn’t help but flinch every time a scary sound effect played.
Meanwhile, Oh Hyein was more entertained by the terrified reactions of her two friends than by the movie itself, munching on her popcorn with amusement.
Hayang, on the other hand, was fascinated by the concept of horror and suspense. It seemed familiar to her, like watching people scream and run away had some strange comfort to it. She felt an odd desire to play a prank—a harmless scare with a white sheet draped over her head, just to see their reactions.
But then she remembered she’d been taught not to be mean to good people. Daesu and Luru were kind to her, and seeing them sad would make her sad too.
But it was so tempting... Maybe, just maybe...
Mirror, mirror, I’m coming for you!
Hahaha! You thought you could escape me? I’m inside you, how could you ever get away!
Yes.
If there was a bad person, Hayang would make sure to scare them just like that.