#140

Pandemonium grimaced as if he had just heard something incredibly unpleasant.

Flustered, I hurried to explain.

I told him that Athanas had arranged it because he was worried about the doctrine study sessions where I would have to be alone with Andrea after finding out that Andrea was a Servant of the Twisted One.

“…Then you could just wear the reliquary during those specific times, right? Why is he tracking your location all the time? No, wait, why didn’t you stop such a dangerous action in the first place? Do you die if you don’t study the doctrine?”

‘This explanation isn’t working.’

“Hey, that’s gaslighting. Even if you actually had that kind of relationship with the Heretic Butcher, this is still weird.”

‘Now he’s even doubting my judgment….’

Anyway, in his mind, if something differs from his opinion, it means the person has a bullet in their head.

He had already concluded that Athanas was a vassal of Insanity and that I was some idiot who couldn’t even tell and was defending him, so no matter what I said, it would be useless.

The more I tried to explain, the more he would think I was completely bewitched.

When I gave up on making excuses and shut my mouth, Pandemonium let out a long, frustrated sigh.

“Anyway, you’re saying you can’t give it to me because you’re afraid Athanas will interrogate you? Then just say you lost it. Say someone snatched it. I’ll handle cutting off the tracking myself.”

“Snatched…?”

“What else are you going to do? Just say someone took it without permission. If he thinks it’s strange, he’ll track me. Then I’m the one in danger, right?”

‘How do I persuade this bastard?’

At this rate, it seemed he would try to take the reliquary by any means necessary.

Should I just trust that he won’t do anything strange and hand it over quietly?

“…Is there still something bothering you?”

The hand gripping the reliquary became damp with cold sweat.

‘This guy is a coward, but….’

That made him even more dangerous.

Because when he’s confused about whether the thing approaching him is a zombie or a human, he’s the type to shoot first simply because he’s ‘scared.’

Hadn’t he once said that it’s better to look at a corpse and say, ‘Shit, it was a human!’ than to get bitten and scream, ‘Shit, it was a zombie!’?

‘And the way he’s been calling Athanas nothing but the Heretic Butcher since earlier….’

I could feel that if he encountered Athanas, he intended to attack first without giving him a single chance to speak.

‘…Though it feels like Athanas wouldn’t be able to handle the explanation even if he were given the chance.’

Considering how Athanas shot an arrow straight into Reyes’s head the moment he opened the door, Athanas was also a bit… how should I put it?

‘He’s a bit excessive with his caution.’

I didn’t think anything good would happen when two people who believed the best defense was a preemptive strike met.

Especially since Athanas neutralized strangers without ever killing them, whereas Pandemonium had no such qualms and would likely kill first, which worried me even more.

“I’m sorry, but I only met you today, and I can’t fully trust you. I understand you’re saying this out of concern for me, and I truly appreciate it. However, I cannot hand over the reliquary.”

“…Then let’s do this. I won’t investigate. Instead, I’ll completely destroy it right here. That’s fine, right? Huh? I’ve compromised a lot here.”

‘It’s my item, what do you mean “compromised.”’

Saying he had compromised a lot was just his habit.

If I refused even after he put it that way, he would start passive-aggressive attacks, which became quite annoying.

Once, when I refused to go drinking with him, he claimed he had compromised a lot and pestered me to order delivery so we could drink at our own homes while on a video call.

When I said I didn’t want to do that either, he suddenly started sending me internet articles like, ‘The probability of becoming an alcoholic increases if you drink alone….’

“I will handle it myself.”

The moment I answered, an invisible string gently wrapped around my neck.

“This won’t work, that won’t work…. Then what am I supposed to do?”

As Pandemonium flicked his finger, the string of the reliquary tightened on its own and then snapped.

I gulped.

‘Is he threatening to strangle me with telekinesis if things go south?’

I felt around my neck, but I couldn’t touch anything.

That was the terrifying part of ‘Telekinesis.’

‘If he suddenly tightened that transparent string around my neck….’

If the blood flow to the brain stops, it takes less than five seconds to lose consciousness.

Even if the Sacred Relic prevented instant death, I didn’t know if it would completely protect me from fainting.

If he took the reliquary while I was unconscious, or if he tried to track Athanas….

“…You know, I really have to kill Insanity.”

‘Shit, why is this bastard suddenly accelerating?’

Use your words, use your words!

I struggled to change the subject somehow.

“What did Insanity do? I don’t think I’ve heard in detail how dangerous a being he is….”

“What did he do? That’s not important. He’s just someone who shouldn’t exist in this world.”

‘…Weren’t you mistaking me for him?’

Did you think of me that way?

Just as I was about to feel a sense of betrayal, I felt pressure on my chest.

“Keuh….”

I reflexively flailed as I felt the ground vanish beneath my feet, but there was nothing to grab onto.

‘Shit.’

Pandemonium was looking up at me.

“To fight and win against a crazy bastard, you have to have no weaknesses.”

[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ ‘bloodlust’ cannot be felt.]

I didn’t even dare to blink.

Because I realized exactly what situation I was in.

One string around my neck.

And another string wrapped around my chest.

This thick string was suspending me in mid-air, like a safety harness for bungee jumping.

The moment that string released….

“…So, if you’re going to stay out of it and be bewitched by some vassal of Insanity, you might as well die right here. Before I grow too fond of you.”

‘You piece of shit.’

What kind of nonsense is he spouting?

I really want to smack the back of his head hard.

‘He’s doing all this just because I won’t listen to him?’

He probably doesn’t actually intend to kill me.

Because he’s the kind of guy who thinks villains are the biggest morons when they ramble on before killing someone.

If he were going to kill me, he would have launched his strongest attack without any warning.

So, this was just a trick to scare me.

He wanted to make me tremble in fear, thinking I’d be hanged the moment I fell.

“If you attack me, the Saintess will….”

“She’ll come. I know.”

“…Knowing that, why are you doing this? I don’t think you’re a foolish person. If you stop right now, I’ll overlook the fact that you threatened me.”

“Because you’re not a fool, that’s why I’m trying to kill you now.”

The string around my neck tightened to the point where breathing became slightly difficult.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to escape the Saintess if I kill you during the Tutorial?”

‘…He really doesn’t intend to kill me, right?’

I started to break into a cold sweat.

“You’re not being serious, right?”

“I’d rather ask you. Why do you think I’m not being serious?”

Pandemonium tilted his head.

“Ah, were you a serf? You said you only farmed? That’s why you don’t know.”

“What do I….”

“The number of people I’ve killed here probably exceeds four digits. Would adding one more at this point even matter?”

‘Shit.’

Hearing those words, my heart began to race.

After possessing this crazy medieval land and going through so much, could I still be the same person as before?

If this bastard was no longer the ‘Pandemonium’ I knew….

‘I’m screwed.’

Should I call out the Saintess’s name now?

No, it would take more than five minutes for her to arrive.

That would be too late.

“…I was mistaken.”

“See, you should have handed it over when I gave you the chance.”

“I’ll give you the reliquary or whatever you want. So please….”

“I’ll take that after I kill you, so don’t worry about it.”

‘Shiiiiit….’

What do I do?

I feel like revealing that I’m qwerasdf now would only have a counterproductive effect.

Should I tell him I’ll be resurrected by the Mother God faction if I die?

Then he’d be even more likely to think it’s a trap by Insanity….

“Any last words?”

I had to do something.

“I-It’s useless to kill me now! I can be resurrected!”

“…I thought you said you didn’t receive any Arrangements?”

“How could I trust and reveal everything to a stranger? It’s only natural to keep at least one trump card hidden… Gwah!”

As Pandemonium waved his hand, my body shot upward until I almost hit the ceiling.

“How can you be so confident even after lying?”

‘You piece of shit….’

“Still, it’s a relief that you can be resurrected. Even for me, killing a helpless ‘player’ like you feels a bit unpleasant. Like it’s a slightly bad thing to do.”

‘It’s not “slightly bad,” it’s murder!’

Crazy bastard!

Did the concept of murder being a serious crime disappear after he was chosen by the War God?

“Then where is your resurrection point?”

‘If I had actually hidden a resurrection, would I tell him that?’

“It’s not the Capital Church, right? Then that’s fine. After you’re resurrected, sit down calmly and do something called thinking. Until you come to your senses.”

‘You’re the one who needs to come to your senses!’

“When you belatedly realize the Heretic Butcher is strange, you’ll get goosebumps. At that time, you’ll actually be grateful to me. Oh, you don’t need to thank me separately.”

‘Madman….’

His inability to communicate was practically at stage 3 insanity.

Cold sweat poured down.

I felt the strands of the thick string wrapped around my chest snapping one by one.

I shouted urgently.

“I-It was a lie!”

“What was?”

“That it’s useless to kill me! I can’t be resurrected, I’m cursed! It’s a curse from Mother God, so if I die, I’ll be reborn on Mother God’s side! Please!”

But the strings didn’t stop snapping.

I screamed.

“Aaaagh! Shit! I don’t want to meet that crazy possibility enthusiast! Save me!”

I’d rather fall into hell than be reborn!

“…Have you met Bonaparte too?”

The snapping of the strings stopped.

I answered quickly.

“No! I haven’t!”

“Then when did you get the curse?”

“That is….”

While I was pausing to think, another strand fell away.

“Aagh! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Shit! I was just organizing my thoughts! Before the possession! I got it when the pop-up window appeared! That curse!”

“You said you only played Happy God on that account?”

“Main World! A notification popped up on my Main World too! I went in and tried to do the first clear of Happy God, but Mother God cursed me for ignoring her!”

“…An Othergod spoke to you even on your Main World? And it was Mother God?”

My body slowly descended.

However, he didn’t let me down until my feet touched the floor.

‘…Our eyes are level, but my feet aren’t touching.’

“If you’re a player who was invited before Bonaparte….”

Pandemonium stared at me.

‘Shit.’

“Is your Main World nickname by any chance…?”

I closed my eyes tight.

‘I’m finally caught.’

“Yeah, you piece of shit. It’s me.”

“…Why didn’t you say so from the start?”

“Shit, would I want to tell you? You’d obviously laugh your ass off, asking why I possessed something like this. Shit….”

“…….”

“And you said you mistook that crazy bastard Insanity for me. Shit, how could you even do that? It was a total emotional wound. Plus, you said you’d kill that crazy bastard who’s being mistaken for me by any means necessary, huh? Would you tell me? Why the hell do you want to kill him in the first place?”

He looked at me in silence.

As he did so for a long time, cold sweat began to flow again.

“I-Is it because I asked you to play the game with me? Are you resenting me for possessing a place like this because of me…?”

“Ha. Fuck.”

Pandemonium ruffled his own hair violently.

‘Did he really want to kill him because of that?’

“…What was your alt nickname?”

“Happy Cult Evangelist….”

“Happy Cult Evangelist.”

His turquoise eyes stared into the void for a moment.

“That player does exist,” Pandemonium muttered in an annoyed voice.

“Unless Insanity has hacked into my head and manipulated the system window, it seems it really is a different player.”

‘…What the hell is Insanity?’

Even in this situation, he suspects it’s a trap by Insanity.

“But that doesn’t mean I can be sure it’s the person I know.”

“W-What do I have to do for you to believe me?”

“Say anything. Something only you and I would know.”

Shit, is there anything like that?

We just went to PC cafes and ate food whenever we met.

“…Anything is fine. I visited you when you were a sergeant. Tell me the menu I bought you then.”

“What the fuck do you mean ‘visited,’ you piece of shit. I was discharged before I met you. I was the one who visited.”

Pandemonium reached out and rubbed my cheek.

“…Do you remember what we ate when you first visited me?”

“I don’t know, shit, it was probably chicken or pizza. How am I supposed to remember that?”

“It was the day we first met. You don’t remember?”

Am I expected to remember what we ate on the day I went to see a legendary tactless bastard who set his first ‘woman-meeting’ as a military visit?

“Are you my girlfriend? Shit, even if you were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t ask what we ate on the first day. How many times have I visited fellow soldiers or juniors? How can I distinguish that? Everything you eat during a visit is pretty much the same.”

“…I remember because you were the only person who ever visited me.”

“Are you proud of having no friends because of your lack of social skills?”

“Hyung.”

“If you’re going to call me Hyung, let me down.”

“…Are you really Hyung?”

“Let me down.”

“No, I still don’t know. It’s not enough.”

‘You piece of shit.’

Listen to me for once.

“When Reyes cast Distortion, you once appeared as Hyung.”

“…What was the condition? A person you can trust? A smart person?”

“But since the actual content was Reyes, I realized quickly it was a fake.”

“So?”

“So, tell me some ‘what-the-fuck-is-that’ story that I wouldn’t know but Hyung would. Like dinosaurs….”

“Why are dinosaurs ‘what-the-fuck-is-that’? Everyone likes dinosaurs. They’re worldwide majors.”

“Why, didn’t we talk about that before? The dinosaur fossil where the skin tissue was perfectly excavated? I told you we should go see it together. Then Hyung said….”

“Shit, Listrosaurus isn’t a dinosaur.”

“It really is Hyung.”