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 so 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 .
And yet—
I couldn’t smile.
From beyond the door ca Wol-ah’s voice.
“Sung-woo, it’s already been several days. Please at least eat sothing.”
“…….”
I didn’t answer her.
I wasn’t in the mood.
Before my eyes floated a blue ssage window.
【Corrosion Rate: 20%】
My head was a ss.
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 mont, 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 outco occurred, my ending would never change.
Suddenly, I rembered the mont I obtained the Deceiver’s Mask.
The future the Demon showed back then.
Was this what it ant?
Honestly, I wanted to storm into the Academy imdiately, 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 ti 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 sothing 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 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 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 mont, 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.
Co to think of it, she did ask 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 .
“I do not like the look in your eyes.”
“……I apologize.”
Even with the Heavenly Demon standing before , that didn’t suddenly improve my mood from being buried at rock bottom.
Honestly, her return wasn’t welco.
Right now, I didn’t want to see anyone.
“Follow .”
After saying only what she needed to say, she left my room.
If I didn’t follow, she’d probably drag 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 onward.
It had been several days since I last ca 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 beco rather rebellious.”
Crunch.
Even though the Heavenly Demon’s attitude hadn’t changed at all, irritation rose inside for so 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 sohow reach that damned happy ending.
And there had been results.
Even though it was still only the sumr 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.
aning 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 , 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 inco slowly stabilized.
Buying a ho 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 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 so 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 soone like ?
At that mont, a sharp clap shattered my thoughts.
The Heavenly Demon stood before , 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 sohow.
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 sowhere.
---
The mont No. 66 regained consciousness, her eyes snapped open.
She imdiately 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 experint 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 so ti, her gaze suddenly locked onto sothing.
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 mont, soone’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 extrely sensitive.
Yet sohow, she failed to notice soone approaching from behind.
For soone 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 ?’
When she first brought her here, Chun Ga-eun assud she was rely his younger sister or blood relative.
But the more she observed this girl, the stranger she beca.
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 cramd into a single human body.
If not for Yoo Sung-woo’s request, Chun Ga-eun would’ve cut down this grotesque creature imdiately.
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 experinted 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.
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