Chapter 176 : Chapter 176

Chapter 176 - Mop-up (2)

The developers of Conqueror were perverts who took a strange amount of pleasure in breaking players' mental fortitude.

It wasn't just my opinion; probably anyone who had played the game even a little would agree.

It was a well-known fact that had persisted since the first Ordeal Chapter: this game was always a series of landmines to be avoided.

If you don't do this here, that guy dies. If you don't do that there, a comrade is sacrificed.

Those who laid down a heap of devices to inflict mental damage on the player in such a way were more than deserving of such a title.

“...Huh. What is this place?”

Seo Ah-in scratched her head and looked around.

A writhing darkness covered the entire entrance of the building.

The expression 'covered in darkness' was a bit of an understatement; it wasn't the feeling of being surrounded by something, but rather that the building itself felt like it had rotted black.

The remnant mop-up had been carried out very efficiently, so the path leading to the proper ‘boss battle’ was quickly cleared.

Now, if we passed through here and went down to the basement, it felt like we would enter the boss battle right away.

“Umm...”

I groaned and stared into the building.

To be honest, this was a place where I, too, felt a bit of anxiety.

As mentioned before, the developers of Conqueror were guys who, no matter what standard you judged them by, were more than deserving of the title of perverts.

And the stage that really drove that point home was this one.

“...What... what did you say? This man is feeling anxious...?”

A shock, as if witnessing a cosmic horror, appeared on Seo Ah-in's face, but this time, I couldn't help it.

You see.

If it were a hardship directed at ‘me’, I wouldn't really care, but.

Here, the main target of the threat wasn't me, but my ‘comrades’.

“...”

You know, there are those common things.

Events where comrades are unconditionally ‘sacrificed’ or, for some reason, you have to fight the guys you've trusted your back to until now.

I didn't like it much because it felt like an event designed to artificially inflict pain on the player, but there were always developers who loved it, claiming it created a dramatic sense of crisis.

And unfortunately, the developers of Conqueror were guys who were crazy about such events.

“Umm...”

And the moment we entered here, the ‘darkness’ would randomly choose three party members and corrupt them.

I had built up my Demon Warding stat so ridiculously high that even if I were corrupted, I'd shake it off quickly, but the other two would be helplessly corrupted.

I still remember. The first time I encountered this event, I was quite shocked at having to personally sever the heads of the comrade characters I had trusted my back to until then.

-It's... alright... Just the journey so far... has been enough to make me happy...

There were also memories of getting overly emotional and sniffling while watching a comrade character die, spouting that kind of line.

“Oh, wait a minute. Does that mean you’re going to kill us too, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik?”

“...”

A headache throbbed as Seo Ah-in spoke with a tilted head.

“...What on earth do you think I am?”

“No, you're the type to kill someone like that and then say, ‘Hmph, that was nothing again...’ and revive them nonchalantly, so...”

“...”

What nonsense.

“If that were the case, I wouldn't have brought you in the first place... and it's not a curse that can be lifted by simply killing them.”

I replied with a sigh.

The curse dwelling within this place was a rather potent one, befitting the title of an archdemon boss battle.

It was a curse that didn't permit death to the target until their ‘most fundamental desire’ was fulfilled... something like that.

So each character reacted differently when cursed, and even for the same character, the solution differed depending on how you had treated them throughout the game so far.

In short, if these guys had any complaints about me, I had to resolve them all right there to proceed.

“...Then the reason you chose the two of us is?”

“Because you two seemed the least likely to have complaints about me.”

As soon as she heard that, Ms. Meirin flinched as if startled.

She then began to look back and forth between me and Seo Ah-in fiercely.

...What's with her?

“...Uh, that. I don't know about me, but is the other person an appropriate choice...?”

“...”

It seemed so to me.

Was there some kind of problem?

“...Hmm...”

Seeing Seo Ah-in stroking her chin and starting to think about something made me a little uneasy.

“...Did you have some kind of complaint about me?”

“No. Not at all. Something like that, heh, hehe, hehehe, there’s, hehehe... no way there is.... hehehehe....”

“...”

It'll be... fine, right?

***

“...Ugh.”

As we stepped into the corridor, a groan of disgust came from Seo Ah-in.

Well, the smell itself was rotten through and through, from one to ten, so that was understandable.

True to his moniker, the King of Flies, his authority was ‘corruption’. It was an ability that would become a real headache in the final phase.

For now, it only served to make the background a bit gloomy.

And as soon as it confirmed that the three of us had entered the corridor, the mana inside began to pulse violently.

Ominous signs that something was about to happen began to stir everywhere.

“...W-wow...”

And Ms. Meirin, who could perceive the ‘aura’ itself much more sensitively than others, seemed to feel those phenomena particularly keenly, her brow furrowed as she looked around at them.

Eventually, the aura that had been spreading out like smoke began to gather in one place.

“...Oh. The curse is coming down!”

Seo Ah-in's excited voice rang out as she saw the black ‘something’ descending from the sky like a cloud.

“...”

“...”

Why on earth are you excited?

Ms. Meirin and I, sharing that sentiment, glared at her with narrowed eyes, but she paid us no mind and even kicked off the wall to leap.

“Haaaap!”

And with that grand cry, she thrust her head into the curse.

As if she wanted to make contact as soon as possible.

“...”

“...”

No.

Hey.

That's still one of the gimmicks in the final boss stage, you know?

Is there really any reason to go out and meet it like that?

“...Uh, whoa.”

And a curse descended like a cloud towards Ms. Meirin and me as well.

The curse that approached me was quickly dismantled by my Demon Warding necklace and the equipment that had received plenty of enhancements from the Spirit Realm.

But the curse that approached Ms. Meirin was soon placed on her head with a swish, just like it had been with Seo Ah-in.

I swallowed dryly and watched the scene carefully.

Now, I wonder.

What would these two demand of me? How would they react?

I hoped it would be something I could handle.

As I thought that and looked at Ms. Meirin.

“Hmph.”

Ms. Meirin flung the curse on her head away with a swish, as if taking off a hat.

“...”

“...”

Ms. Meirin and I looked at each other awkwardly.

Um.

What was this?

That was one of the highest-tier curses of an archdemon.

Even the slightest desire or complaint would be extremely amplified, and they would come at you to kill.

Was it okay to get rid of it so easily?

“...Well, as I kept looking at it earlier, I could roughly see what kind of ‘structure’ it was made of. I thought it would be fairly easy to get out of.”

Seeing my bewildered expression, Ms. Meirin said with a faint smile.

“...”

Huh.

Is that how it works?

According to the timeline, it was about the time her talent would begin to fully bloom to the point of contacting the ‘System’. She probably had an easier time dispelling it on her own compared to others.

“...But you should have still been affected by the curse.”

“I don't have any complaints about you, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik.”

I was at a loss for words at Ms. Meirin's bright smile as she replied.

“...Uh.”

“Really, not even this much, not a single nail-sized complaint. I'm actually grateful that you're always with me.”

“...”

“Well, it feels like you checked into my life without permission. But thanks to you, I've experienced a lot of things I could never have imagined when I was trapped like a bird in a cage in the Martial Arts Alliance... Come to think of it, I think I've become much happier thanks to you, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik. I've never not thought that since we met.”

Seeing her smile bashfully as she said that really left me speechless.

What is this? Is this person an angel?

I never knew she held such unconditional goodwill towards me.

“Heeeeey. You loafer over there.”

“...”

“...”

And a voice that shattered that heartwarming atmosphere in an instant drawled from nearby.

Clearly affected by the curse, Seo Ah-in, with a black band around her head, was approaching with a grin.

“Whereeee are you getting all cozy in front of the missus. Huuuh? You wannaaa dieee?”

...Missus?

“...Excuse me, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik.”

“Yes.”

“...This doesn't look like a victim of a terrible curse, but just a drunkard. Is it just me?”

“Quiet, you thieving cat.”

“...”

I don't know why she was suddenly making a sharp retort there.

“Hmm, yes, hmmm. In this state, I caaaan... freely vent all my complaints to you, riiiight?”

“...”

No.

I never said that.

Besides, this girl, despite being affected by the curse, seemed to be speaking quite coherently and maintaining her reason rather well.

“...Aren't you just in your right mind right now?”

“Noooope. Nooooope? Right nooow, my heeead is suuuuper fuzzy, so I reeeeally want to vent a lot of things to youuuu? I want to stay like this at least until we catch that King of Flies or whateveeeeer?”

“...”

Ah.

I'm dizzy.

It was a relief that there wasn't a terrible and desperate battle like I had originally anticipated.

But this... in its own way... how should I put it...

“Ms. Meirin. Can you dispel that? Like you did for yourself.”

“...Should I be honest?”

“Pardon?”

“I think it’s possible, but even if I do, the cursed person herself will probably refuse.”

“...”

I narrowed my eyes and glared at Seo Ah-in.

“...Fine. Alright. What do you want?”

As I said that in a half-resigned voice, she twisted her lips into a wide grin, as if she had been waiting for just that.

“Fiiiiirst.”

She said as she slithered towards me.

And then she clung to me from behind in an embrace.

“...Oh, wow...”

As Ms. Meirin, her face flushing, let out those words, Seo Ah-in, her tongue slurring as if she were truly drunk, smiled slyly and whispered in my ear.

“Wanna call me big sis?”

“...”

Hmm.

So I have to deal with this kind of person until the end of the King of Flies raid, is that it?

“...Ah, I’m screwed.”

It was a voice that came from the heart.

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