The Protagonists Are Murdered By Me Chapter 29: 146-150, a 13 tzameti fanfic

Seol Jungyeon was someone who rarely showed her emotions on her face. However, right now, her face was painted with guilt and her eyes were moist as she looked at me.

"I'm really sorry. I think I caused you a lot of trouble…"

Right now, my smartphone was ringing non-stop because of what had happened. The number of Seol Jungyeon's fans who cursed me were already numerous, so when the lots of other people who were cursing me were added on top of that, this result was only natural. But I didn't pay any attention to it since I don't really care. I was more worried about Noonim.

"I don't care about all that, but Noonim, are you okay?"

In fact, I know that the whole thing was executed by Shin Hye-ji. But on the other hand, Noonim didn't stop her even though one word from her could stop Shin Hye-ji. In other words, Noonim gave Shin Hye-ji permission to tell the world their stance on the rumor, albeit implicitly.

"For men, a few scandals like this will be quickly forgotten, but for female celebrities… I think it will keep following them like shackles."

"What does that mean?"

"Um… it would be hard if you wanted to meet another guy later-"

In the middle of my words, I had no choice but to shut my mouth. Because suddenly, Noonim's face and the air around me became colder. The guilty expression she wore seconds ago was nowhere to be seen. It was replaced with a raging expression.

"That will never happen…"

"I don't mean it like that, Noonim. I'm planning to enter the 'Hell Gate' in the future. There is no guarantee that I will survive there. You'll never know when I will disappear or even die."

Those words were the reason why I didn't develop my relationship with Noonim or Taylor further. I know my current life wasn't like my life in the past where I lived my life only living while looking forward to tomorrow and not the future. I had gained strength and found a way to be stronger. With the abilities I had right now, I was sure that I could uncover the secrets of Hell Gate.

"Do you really have to go there…?"

"Yes. A woman who was like my own mother to me is trapped there."

She was someone who acted like a parent to me even though both of us were the same age. She was more mature and reliable than anyone else I knew, and the only woman I could trust.

The reason I survived so long as a juvenile hunter, which had a mortality rate of close to 90%, was because of Reina. The major cause of death in juvenile hunters were suicide. They did it because they exhausted their mental power in fighting against monsters. However, Reina Ju supported me from beginning to the very end.

She was truly a unique woman.

Even at such a young age, she was wiser than anyone else. With her mystical eyes that looked like it was reading the whole world, Reina used to lead me and say

'It's okay. You're still young. Just like today, you can live tomorrow as well.'

So I survived another day and then another day. I was thankful to be able to meet the next day.

I felt happy being alive.

So… when I lost her, I wanted to give up my life once for all.

Fortunately, Taylor gave me the reason to continue living. I still remember that moment clearly as if it had happened just yesterday. She slapped my cheek and burst into tears. She begged me to keep living in desperation as if it was her own life.

So, I couldn't bring myself to die and follow Reina.

"And now, I have found a way to meet her. So I can't give it up. This is my duty to Reina, who rescued my life from the depths of the abyss."

"….."

Noonim looked at me with a confused expression. Then she took a deep breath and said, "In case.. Just in case you really died."

"….."

"I may follow you too, just like how you follow her."

"That's-"

"That's why-"

She stared at me with her slightly sunken pink eyes. They were so clear and vivid that even watching them burdens me.

"…Don't say that you are going to die so easily. Because your life is no longer yours alone."

Then she came over and hugged me.

So, I had no choice but to say,

"I promise."

"Thank you."

With a genuinely relieved voice, Noonim gripped my arm tightly. I couldn't express my feelings to her.

But still, I was really prepared to die.

By the way, the reason I met Noonim today wasn't because the New Murim League had confirmed the dating rumor between Noonim and me.

"You said you had something to give me?"

"Yes."

Even after saying that, Noonim only looked at me quietly with a sullen expression on her face.

As she kept her silence, Shin Hye-ji, who stood next to her, trembled.

"Oh my God, please don't say that you will give your whole life…"

"You stay quiet."

"Okay…"

Noonim cut Shin Hye-ji's words short. Then after a few more seconds passed, she finally opened her mouth.

"Do you remember our fights against Murim Hohyanghoe at the Great Rift the other day?"

"Yes, I remember."

"At that time, there was a person who betrayed Murim Hohyanghoe and helped us."

"…Is that so?"

Come to think of it, when Murim Hohyanghoe caused that incident, the rest of the expedition members immediately fought back. At that time, I thought that they simply couldn't stand their quick temper and started fighting….but, when I thought that it was someone's ploy, it was really possible.

"He's a man called 'Smiling Shadow'. He is the leader of 'Shadow Group' that leads five subordinates. He is a transcendental expert and an expert in Shadow Technique."

"Uh, Okay. But why are you talking about that all of a sudden?"

"What I want to give to you is that 'Shadow Group'."

"Pardon?"

"I watched them closely while you were away. They are capable of penetrating into the dark and will be your eyes and ears, and you can command them to escort whoever you want. However…." She frowned. "I can't trust them."

It was understandable, If I hadn't deceived Murim Hohyanghoe by saying, 'I'll send you back to your hometown', New Murim League would have suffered a great blow, and maybe Noonim would also have suffered as well.

I couldn't easily trust the people who belonged to Murim Hohyanghoe.

However…..

"Let me meet them before deciding."

I followed Noonim and ran through the Goblin's House.

Ads by Pubfuture

It was still decorated with pink petals and an orange sky just like before. There was no sun illuminating this world except for the sunset that was there at the end of time. But the good news was that as life began to spin, there were dark clouds and rain in this place, unlike the Floating Garden. The change of seasons was also a factor that made this place much more lively.

Even after arriving at the rugged and deep mountain, I still had to run for another three hours before arriving at 'Hell', the place that confined Murim criminals and restricted their Naegong.

The state-of-the-art security in this place provides 24-hour monitoring, and if someone tried to escape from this place by using a special 'Jinbeop', they would be trapped and locked in an eternal maze.

The Murim people also took turns watching this place, and even if they successfully escaped, it was impossible for them to get out into Earth in the first place.

Upon reaching the 20th floor of the basement, Murim people who belonged to the Murim Hohyanghoe rushed towards their cell door as soon as they saw me.

"Yoo Seodam!"

"Yoo seodam is finally here!"

"Get us out!"

"As you promised, send us back to Murim!"

Hands were reaching towards me from all sides. The Warden cut off their arms with a cold expression, but even as they bled, they still continued shouting about returning to Murim to me.

Do they really want to go back to Murim? I couldn't understand them. But I didn't get angry or even respond to their pleas.

Because I deceived them.

Just like how I killed protagonists regardless whether they were villains or good men for my own gain, I used their hope of returning to Murim for my own gain. Although Murim Hohyanghoe was evil from my point of view, it does not change the fact that in the end I took advantage of their hope.

That's why I didn't answer them.

"I have been waiting in this prison for three months already!"

"Fulfill your promise!"

"Promise!"

"Yoo Seodam!"

It was a prison full of crazy people. If I stayed in a place like this, I really felt like I was going to get a mental illness. And at the very end of a prison full of crazy people, they were waiting for me. Shadow Group, a very small, ultra-elite organization with a total of six members.

They kept their heads on the ground and didn't move.

I stood in front of their prison, looked at them silently, and opened my mouth.

"Lift your head."

The Shadow Group followed my words without saying a word and raised their head to meet my eyes. I don't have the ability to judge people just by looking at them. But maybe Noonim saw something. But I refrained myself from asking since it's not right to rely on another person while judging and choosing those who could potentially become one of my people.

"I heard you guys want to serve under me."

"Yes, Military Advisor Yoo Seodam. If possible, I would like to dedicate these useless hearts to you."

The group was made up of all men. They shared the same black hair and black eyes, but they were all of different races. Two of African descent, one presumably European and three Asian men. Smiling Shadow was a white, western male.

"Why should I believe you and accept you?"

"I had heard that you have a special ability that could force others to do your biddings or die."

Then they looked at Shin Hye-ji. Seol Jungyeon looked uncomfortable and glanced at Shin Hye-ji. But the person herself didn't seem to really care about it.

In Shin Hye-ji's case, she told me that she wanted me to put a ban on her to take her life in case she went berserk just like her stepfather. And I told her that I had put a ban on her.

But the truth is, I couldn't use such a great technique or magic. At that time, I was only a beginner magician who could barely make even a single bowl of water without the help of the flower pot, and I didn't even study magic in depth.

However, Shin Hye-ji believed that her life would be forfeited any time at my command. Seol Jungyeon also believed in that fact. And now, this group called 'Shadow Group' also…believed that.

"Please use it on us too. I promise to be loyal to you for the rest of my life."

"….."

I don't know why they suddenly want to come under me. So, I couldn't just believe in a false technique that didn't even exist.

So I decided to use a slightly different method.

"Hye-Ji. Open the door."

"Okay."

When Shin Hye-ji opened the prison door, I went inside without hesitation. They couldn't harm me anyway. Then, I pulled The Lost Morning Star from the inventory and pointed it at them and said.

"From now on, I will use my magic."

They all nodded.

"Stretch out your arm."

As all the members of the Shadow Smile extended their arms, I stabbed the backs of their hands with my sword to not damage the nerves and prevent excessive blood loss.

Then, I move my naegong from my body to their body. This was a skill I learned from Araceli. If I, who draws a mysterious sword from the thin air and uses a technique from another world called magic, do this, they would believe that what I did was real.

After stabbing the backs of the hands of all six members of the Shadow Group, I took out six daggers from the inventory and threw it at them.

"I put a bomb on your body. In the next three minutes, It will make your heart explode. Ah, also you can't use your Naegong"

"…..!"

"Wait, Seodam…!"

Even Noonim called me with a bewildered voice, but Shin Hye-ji stopped her.

"But there's another way to survive. Kill each other. The three people who survive, I will take your act of killing your own friend as a sign of loyalty."

"What!!!!"nov𝑬𝓁𝗎𝓈𝑏/𝓬\o\𝓜

"Nonsense…."

"It can't be, it can't be! How could I kill my comrades!"

"I'd rather let my heart explode!"

I ignored their protest and walked out of the prison, then I closed the door.

"Forced loyalty is not true loyalty!"

"We cannot betray each other."

"Why? You have done it once, so why can't you do it twice?"

"!!!!"

As soon as my words registered to them, they probably realized. The fact that I had no intention of trusting them.

In the first place, I came here with those thoughts in my mind.

I saw Smiling Shadow looking at me with eyes that resembled obsidian. The sound of teeth grinding against each other could be heard. He clearly struggled to keep his anger in check.

"…I can't."

"Why?"

"I would rather die like this. Even if I betrayed Bang Ho-Win, I cannot betray my comrades."

At his words, I smiled silently as I looked past Smiling Shadow. Smiling Shadow also looked back, and he gritted his teeth even more.

The five men of the Shadow Group who believed in him and followed him already had the dagger in their hand and were aiming at each other.

"I can't die like this, Lord!"

"Damn it. Why does it have to be like this!"

"Even if he put a ban on our naegong, I thought that if I followed Yoo Seodam, I could live comfortably…"

Ads by Pubfuture

As all of the members took their stance with the dagger in their hands, Smiling Shadow hurriedly jumped between them.

"Stop, stop! Didn't we decide to be together until the day we die? We don't have to fight each other!"

"We don't have to fight? Are you really saying that?!?! Did you really think I was loyal to someone like you? Yes, thank you for picking me up from being swallowed on the street and raising me. But those who live must live! If you don't move away, I'll stab you!"

"A strong Lord? When you can't even use your naegong, what makes you different from us then?"

"I'd rather you die first!"

When being pitched against extreme situations, humans are bound to change dramatically. That was the true nature of humanity.

As a 17 years old veteran hunter, I had seen such human nature countless times. Of course, there are some exceptions to these rules.

Such as those who bravely accept death, those who were willing to sacrifice themselves for their comrades, and those who wanted to kill everyone present in order to monopolize the achievements.

Members of Shadow Group were closer to the latter.

"Die!!!"

Whooshh!!

The dagger, which was wielded by an Asian man, was lodged in Smiling Shadow's right forearm.

Slash!!! Slash!!

Although he was stabbed in the thigh, back, and shoulder, Smiling Shadow did not strike back. No, he didn't even pick up the dagger in the first place.

He wore a wounded expression. However, it was not because he felt the pain of being stabbed by a dagger. Far from it, it was pain from betrayal.

"You guys, then normally…"

"Yeah, you bastard! Even when I stay quiet! I didn't like the fact that I was going to assassinate Saekma by crawling under him!"

I really am a trash.

Even though I didn't have to do it, I did it nevertheless.

Perhaps, even without the friction that unfolded before me, they could have been close for keeping up pretenses, while deceiving each other in the back throughout their lives.

But that's not enough. I couldn't easily trust the people who had already betrayed someone once, even more so if they belonged to Murim Hohyanghoe, which put Noonim in danger.

I really wanted someone who would be loyal to me.

"Stop…."

Under the soft dim lighting, the daggers flashed. Drops of blood splattered. It was the blood of only one person. Smiling Shadow. He was taking all the daggers with his bare body.

"Stop it…"

With his teeth clenched, Smiling Shadow, who avoided being stabbed in the vital point, grabbed the collar of the Shadow Group's African member with his left hand.

Then, it happened in an instant.

Boom!!

The huge body of the African man flew away and collided with the white man, both of them crashed into the wall.

It was an unbelievable show of strength even when he couldn't use his naegong. Smiling Shadow didn't stop there. He swung his fist towards the other members.

Due to his lack of skill, he fainted with a single punch from Smiling Shadow. In my eyes, even if I didn't restrict their use of naegong, the group of five wouldn't be able to defeat Smiling Shadow.

Smashing every single one of them to the wall over and over again, Shadow Smile knocked down the entire group.

But still.

No one died.

"15 seconds left."

"!!!!!"

When I said that, the entire group cussed at each other and ran towards each other. They realized that they could no longer aim for the Smiling Shadow, so they wanted to kill other members.

"I, I have to live…!"

The head of the men who tried to stab the dagger at the other turned painfully. Then, the wrist of another man, who was swinging a dagger at his comrades broke, another one had his ankle bone broken, and fell from a blow to his thigh.

In the end, the Smiling Shadow was the only one who was still standing.

They realize they don't have any more time. So, even in the state of being knocked down on the floor, the members of Shadow Group looked at the Smiling Shadow with resentful eyes.

"Smiling Shadow, you bastard!"

"If you're going to die, die alone!"

"Don't those who live have to live?"

Then, Smiling Shadow shook his head.

"No. Because we have decided not to betray our colleagues."

Then he looked at the members who lay on the floor, not a single one of them died, and then he said,

"And, look. we didn't die. In the end, no one betrayed anyone."

After saying that, he laughed. His body trembled as he laughed. To his members it looked like a lunatic's smile, but, to me, it just looked like the smile of a person who kept his faith intact.

"Three minutes is over."

As soon as I notified them, all of them closed their eyes tightly as if they braced themselves for their death.

I had no choice but to say the obvious words commonly used in movies and novels.

"The bomb was actually a lie."

"!!!!"

When their eyes turned to me, I looked at the Smiling Shadow and said,

"You passed the test. So, what's your choice? Will you swear allegiance to me, or will you remain with your comrades who have betrayed you? If you choose to come under me, you can bring any number of your comrades. You can choose whoever you want. No matter what choice you make, it will not harm you."

As soon as those words were finished, all the members of the group knelt in front of Smiling Shadow.

"Wait. Lord, All that was, was…"

"We, too, want to leave this place and live…!"

"Please… Lord take us too. Please."

No one wants to rot in this jail. And, for Murim people who know my reputation, they know that working under me is an honorable and happy job.

I quietly reached out and healed the Smiling Shadow with [Divine Conversion]. From the beginning, I had prepared the divine power so that no one would die, but no one except me was aware of the fact.

As he received my divine power, he had a terrible expression on his face.

"We, the Shadow Group, once swore allegiance to the Lord of Murim."

As the young smile began to speak, all Shadow Group member's bit their own lips.

"Then, I said. Even if someone puts a knife to your neck, you must never betray the one you serve."

So far, the Shadow Group had been following the rule very well. It wasn't because of their loyalty but because they had never had a knife stuck in their throat before, though.

And today, Smiling Shadow realized the fact that he cannot trust his comrades in extreme conditions.

"As of today, the Shadow Group is disbanded."

Then, Smiling Shadow walked towards me alone before kneeling before me,

"I swear allegiance to you."

Today, he had lost everything. But in exchange, he gained my trust.

The next day, when I returned to the guild hideout, the first thing I did was contact a few reporters to announce my official response to the dating rumor.

I'm entangled with both Seol Jungyeon and Taylor Nine, so the world will be curious about how I will respond. I just had to give an explanation. And…I couldn't even choose between the two. It wasn't that I didn't like them, or that I liked them both. It's because I couldn't afford to form a relationship with anyone right now.

It will stay that way until I clear the Hell Gate.

[Yoo Seodam of Another League denies the dating rumors]

["I'm not in a relationship with anyone right now…"]

Perhaps my official announcement was quite controversial. I can't help it though. It was the best option I had.

It's heartbreaking for me too, but I personally thought it would be good for them to keep their distance until all my issues were resolved. I still don't know when I will die.

While doing a mission in another world, I might make a mistake and be killed by the protagonist. Or, in the future, even after completing all preparations, I might die after entering the Hell Gate.

But I couldn't stop.

I know very well that there are people who only look at me.

[E/N: For some reason, I thought of shinzou wo sasageyo]

It seems that I have become deeply etched in other people's lives, and it was a great honor to be relied upon…

I, too, wanted to go see the woman who had an important place in my heart and my life.

"Whoo…."

Taking a deep breath, I leaned back on my office chair. Lately, whenever I had complicated thoughts, I had a habit of going into [Library of the White Witch] and meditating on my own. Maybe it was because it was my imaginary world, but my mind seemed to be at ease whenever I was here.

When the door opened, the smell of a damp book pierced my nostrils. As I slowly walked down towards the hallway, the sound of music played by Yekaterina tickled my ears. I wasn't a big fan of music originally, but her music somehow warmed my heart, so I would often come here to enjoy it.

"Oh, you are here?"

"Yekaterina."

Slowly walking down the hallway, I met Yekaterina's eyes, who was squatting at the doorway with books in her hand. The sight made me realize that my imaginary world was not my own space. I approached her and leaned against the door next to her.

"What are you reading?"

"It's just a magic book. It's my hobby."

"Studying is your hobby? It's a really unique hobby."

"But isn't it fun? Every time I open a new book, I get so excited…"

Hearing those words, it suddenly occurred to me that bringing Yekaterina to this library was a good idea.

"I think my magic knowledge is gone now. I don't have any time to study…"

"That is but an excuse. I don't have time either, but I still take the time to study, don't I?"

"Well…."

To be honest, at some point, I completely lost interest in magic. It was simply because I didn't have a capable brain. (P/N same with me but it's math not magic) And maybe it was also because of the flowerpot who was busy dozing off next to Yekaterina.

By the way, why did that spirit grow up like that? It looks like she's gotten a lot bigger than before.

I closed my eyes and listened to Yekaterina flipping the pages.

If…. In the distant future, I safely pass through the Hell Gate and manage to rescue Reina, who was like a parent to me, how will I live? When that time comes, will I be able to properly express my feelings to Seol Jungyeon and Taylor Nine?

….No. I had to say it.

They deserve to love and to be loved by a better man than me for the rest of their lives, but they were women who had been entangled with me because of 'fate'. I have to take responsibility somehow.

The moment I thought so,

click!

The library door suddenly closed.

It's because I accidentally leaned on it with all my weight. As a result, Yekaterina had a confused expression on her face.

"Seo, Seodam-nim…"

"What is it? It just closed."

"It's not that… my body, I can't feel it."

"What?"

At her words, even I was taken aback.

"That, that. All of a sudden, I lost all sense of connection with my body in reality. Obviously, I was lying on an extra bed in the office right now… Even if I try to return, I cannot do it. Ju…just what happened?"

In an instant, goosebumps assaulted my body.

What if something went wrong with Yekaterina's body? What if she couldn't go back…

As soon as I got out of the Library of the White Witch, I sprinted to Yekaterina's office. Ignoring the new elevator, I scaled the outer wall of the building to the top of the hideout, broke the window, rolled into her office, and checked the extra bed.

There, Yekaterina was sleeping normally, as if nothing had happened.

Ads by Pubfuture

"…aren't you just sleeping?"

I put my finger on her nose and felt her breath. Her pulse was also normal, and on top of it, her complexion was better than usual.

Then, Yekaterina's voice echoed in my head.

-Seodam-nim! Seodam-nim! Uh, what happened?

"I do not know. Your body is normal…"

I put my hand on her forehead to experiment.

"I'm touching your forehead right now. Can you feel it?"

-Yes…. But, I still can't get out. Just what happened…

Then, when I went back to the library, Yekaterina was pacing back and forth while chewing her thumbs up with a pale expression.

Then suddenly, the flowerpot opened her eyes and said,

-Door~.

"What?"

-She can't go out because the door is closed~

"Because the door was closed?"

-Stupid witch~

Then she fell asleep again. Then, I turned my head to look at the door where I was leaning a few moments ago. The door that was accidentally closed because of my weight. The very door that had always been open since Yekaterina came into my head.

With a heavy heart, I told her.

"Yekaterina, would you like to try to open that door?"

Yekaterina followed, bolted into action and tried to open the door, but no matter how hard she tried, the door didn't budge.

Yekaterina's magic also did not work like usual. Then, I put my hand on the door and tried to open it.

Click!

Defying my expectation, the door opened very easily.

When I came out of the library again, Yekaterina got up from her bed and looked at me in daze.

"Uh… how did it happen?"

"It looks like you couldn't come out because I closed the door."

It was then that I realized that Yekaterina's soul belonged completely to me. That was even more surprising than the time when I was told that my adoptive parents weren't really my biological parents.

"I see…"

She and I were not equal. I was the jailer and she was the prisoner. No matter how much I considered her to be equal, in the end Yekaterina was bound to me for the rest of her life. It was so heartbreaking that I wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly looked down in a miserable mood, but Yekaterina only smiled broadly.

"Then, you'll just have to be careful not to close the door next time!"

"Huh??"

"Seodam-nim."

Yekaterina squeezed my contorted face with both of her hands.

"I am really fine.The moment my soul was bound to Seodam, my shackled life became more free than freedom itself. Seodam-nim doesn't bind me with anything."

"That's…."

"Rather, you let me do anything I wanted to do, and if that was the shackle, I really like those shackles. And I hope these shackles will never be loosened. I don't want to imagine a life without the library and a life without a soul connection to Seodam-nim. Do you know how proud I am knowing that the fact that I am alive is also proof that Seodam-nim is alive?"

"…."

She said so, and reassured me. I could feel Yekaterina's feelings. She truly thanked me, and she really believed in me.

So I couldn't help but laugh.

Since then, another three days have passed.

After getting out of the jail through the formal procedure, Smiling Shadow officially joined the Another League. Of course, no engraving was engraved on him. Because Yoo Seodam didn't have the ability to do that.

-Oh, what? new face? Your name is?

"….."

-Oh, my successor is here! Newbie! Please be kind to me in the future!

"You, go away."

-Hyung-nim!! The newcomer should be the one at the bottom of the hierarchy!

"Just shut up…."

Smiling Shadow was someone with a stoic and blunt personality. His unfriendliness was extreme. He treated Yoo Seodam with respect and followed his orders as if his life was hanging on it… but he seems to ignore people who he thinks had nothing to do with him, just like how he ignored Spirit King just now.

But, strangely, he treated Yekaterina with the same respect he gave to Yoo Seodam.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Smiling Shadow."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Yekaterina."

Ads by Pubfuture

Smiling Shadow was proficient in stealth. So Yoo Seodam wondered if his skill set would be useful to the guild. Because when there's information he wanted, he could get information from various sources easily. He could also reorganize martial arts just by asking the Murim Lord directly.

However, contrary to Yoo Seodam's thoughts, Yekaterina seems to like him.

"Heh, can I ask you as an industrial spy? Did you say that you use a weapon that can hide in the shadows? Can you get into my shadow?"

"It's possible."

"Then you can follow me and help me. You will learn a lot."

"Your wish is my command."

Yekaterina noticed that Smiling Shadow didn't listen to someone other than Seodam. He outright ignored most of them, or answered them in a dry way. However, he did not seem to have any objection towards her orders. No, on the contrary, he was quite positive towards her.

Truth is, Smiling Shadow himself felt it was strange, so he hardened his expression a little and looked at Yoo Seodam and Yekaterina alternately.

Then, he carefully opens his mouth.

"Master. Excuse me, could I ask if maybe the miss next to you is your alter ego?"

"What?"

"Pardon?"

Both Yoo Seodam and Yekaterina froze on the spot, dumbfounded by the sudden question.

"What are you talking about?"

"The energy of the soul that I feel from Master and her is the same… I apologize if I was mistaken."

"Could you tell me the reason you mistaken us as such?"

Smiling Shadow looked at both of them with his cloud obsidian eyes.

"It's as if both your shadows overlap. At first glance, it feels like one person. If I had closed my eyes, I would really have mistaken that to be the case."

Yoo Seodam nodded his head at his answer as if he understood.

"Um… perhaps it was because I have her soul."

"I see."

But the words Yoo Seodam heard after that came to him quite fresh.

"For some reason, my loyalty towards Miss Yekaterina is as strong as my loyalty to you, Master. That's why I asked that question. But now, it has been resolved. If I have to say it, it was as if the emotional distance I feel from Master and Miss Yekaterina is the same…"

"The emotional distance is the same?"

"Yes. If I put my distance to master is 10, I feel the same 10 from Miss Yekaterina. From the first moment I saw her, I was amazed at how strangely loyal I felt towards her."

Smiling Shadow felt refreshed as his curiosity had been sated. On the contrary, Yoo Seodam and Yekaterina couldn't feel the same way.

'The emotional distance is the same…?'

Yekaterina thought back to her relationship that had taken place quite recently.nov𝖾𝒍𝓊𝔰𝐁\𝕔\o/𝓂

First of all, with Taylor Nine.

From the first time she met her, she continued to treat her with kindness, even though she teased her frequently and made her feel nervous. It was simply because Taylor's personality was originally like that, but she also had a side that was exceptionally kinder towards her than to others. That point was something that she herself and Taylor Nine couldn't understand.

The same goes for Seol Jungyeon. When Yoo Seodam was away, she called Yekaterina from time to time to check on her condition.

'I wonder if both of them felt the same from me and Seodam-nim?'

Recently, Yekaterina had been able to feel what Yoo Seodam felt. Whenever he was embarrassed, angry, or sad, Yekaterina would also feel the same way, and it was beyond her or Yoo Seodam's control. It was as if her own existence was being absorbed by the existence of Yoo Seodam.

And just like her, Yoo Seodam was also able to feel what Yekaterina was feeling. Even without any physical contact, Yoo Seodam could feel whenever Yekaterina occasionally had clear thoughts. Even sometimes, when Yekaterina burns her tongue while eating something hot, her pain is also transmitted to him. And when her headache was severe, Yoo Seodam also felt the headache.

What distinguished both of them was the fact that Yoo Seodam could block some of Yekaterina's senses at will. In other words, Yoo Seodam was slowly starting to take control of everything about her.

Yoo Seodam was very afraid of that.

The moment he could feel everything Yekaterina thinks and feels, he would no longer be able to guarantee her complete 'freedom'. He was afraid she wouldn't be able to think anymore because all of her thoughts were transmitted to him. Just imagining it, it was terrifying.

'As expected, I must find a way to make her soul normal again.'

Yekaterina had told him that she was more than happy to stay in the library. But what if her freedom reaches a level where it was really violated? When she finds out that everything about her will be taken away, will she still be happy?

In the future, she would also fall in love someday, she is bound to have a shameful memory she wants to hide, and she would also have secrets that are only known to herself.

Yoo Seodam wanted to respect Yekaterina's freedom.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No…"

Yoo Seodam said as he stroked her hair.

Unfortunately, there were no soul-related books in the currently unlocked [Library of the White Witch]. If so, Yoo Seodam must find someone who is proficient in that field. At least not in modern times. Because the most knowledgeable person, when it came to magic on earth, would be Yekaterina herself.

Is there no way though?

'Let's just go to another world and learn the magic about severing the soul.'

….I am not sure Yekaterina would agree with Seodam Hunter-nim's thought.

'What are you talking about? Is there no way to cut off the soul?'

No. It's not that, but… Nevermind, I have said something useless. Can I prepare your next mission, then?

'Huh… Then please, if you could, I would like for a world that has to do with magic and the soul.'

The system was quiet for a few seconds, and then she spoke.

There is a perfect world for that purpose right now.

The system showed me a list of missions related to magic and soul.

『I Have Become The Trash of A Magical Family.』

『Become The Strongest Magician With My Ancestor's Knowledge』

『When I Woke Up In Another World, I Became The Teacher of The World's Strongest Saints, But I'm Only An Incompetent Commoner? So I'll Make A Harem Filled With The World's Strongest Saints Disciples!』

『My Little Sister Is Too Strong』

『Magic High School Ghost Stories』

There were still many titles I couldn't wrap my head around…. One seems to be a genre in which someone becomes the outcast or trash of a family, the other is a genre that mixes reincarnation in a different world with some saint high school students that were popular in other countries across the sea.

All missions I showed you are directly or indirectly related to soul. However… if you want to get proper information about soul, I recommend the『Magic High School Ghost Tales』mission.

Magic, school, and ghost stories. First of all, this mission reeks of ghosts. I was almost 100% sure that I was going to meet a lot of ghosts.

If you are going to that world, you must make up your mind. Because physical power almost amounts to nothing to spiritual beings.

"That's…."

There is a very high chance that you will meet someone against whom your main skill such as swordsmanship, shooting, and magic won't work.

I pondered about System's word for a while.

"What is the hunting probability?"

It's doable I suppose. Time difference is approximately 21x. You have plenty of time to make a plan.

"Well, Let's go with that one then."

I liked the fact that the time difference was 21x. Because with so many things happening on Earth, I couldn't be away for too long.

I immediately contacted all the people close to me before changing my messenger status to 'dispatch'.

"Let's go."

『Magic High School Ghost Stories』

#fantasy #horror #horror_story

#school_life #mystery

Synopsis

At night, ghost stories come.

They told numerous riddles and secrets.

I must uncover and seal the secret of the ghost story.

[Moving to Cheongyeon Private Magic High School, the world where Level 127 protagonist, 'Ahinal', resides.]

[10···9····8····.]

My vision became blurry. However, I could feel the travel process more clearly than before. Dimensional movement was different from simply crossing a crosswalk. It was akin to folding the world itself and pushing through it.

[2····1····0]

[Moving Complete.]

[You have become a transfer student (12th grader) at 'Cheongyeon Private Magic High School'.]

Deng..

Sounds of a bell…

Woooshh~

And sounds of the winds.

The distortion around me cleared up. The light from the sun that hung in the sky greeted me. It was blinding. But as a superhuman, it had little to no effect on me.

And,

-Ah, welcome to all new students… And for other students who have moved up to a higher year, please focus more on your studies…

The acceptance speech from the school principal.

"Ah, the opening ceremony is so boring."

"Yeah. Principal bastard, just finish it quickly."

Ads by Pubfuture

"It sooooo hot……"

I could hear the voices of teenagers from my surroundings. They were all young students. Far in front of me were children who looked like elementary school students, and behind me were boys and girls in their late teens. And in common, they were all wearing a white school uniform.

That's right…

– Also, welcome to all transfer students who transferred to Cheongyeon Private Magic School this year.

I, a 30 years old adult, had become a student once again.

The opening ceremony was long. It was truly long. It seems like in any world, the Principal's speech always makes one feel as if time has slowed down. The system also agrees with my sentiment.

When did I agree with you?

Anyway, after the opening ceremony was over, I was called by a big male teacher and followed him. At first, I was worried because I thought I would be kicked out for reasons such as trespassing, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. The [Protagonist Hunter] skill allowed me to completely blend into this world.

"Well. It looks like it is the right size. Didn't anybody tell you to buy school uniforms in advance?"

"I bought it but I lost it."

"Really? I haven't heard that there is a student like you among the transfer students this year. Well, I guess I just didn't see it on the list."

He may have some doubts, but unless he had a certain way to see 'fate', he won't be able to delve deeply into my identity.

"By the way, you're in pretty good shape. Have you been exercising?"

"Yes. I know I'm a little bit amazing."

It wasn't just a little bit to be honest. My body became like this because I had spent half of my life on the battlefield. Not like I could tell him that though.

"Your name is?"

"It's Yoo Seodam."

"What a unique name. But it sounds like a name I've heard somewhere…"

"Because I'm from the North."

"But there is only the sea in the north…?"

"I lived in the sea."

"Really? Whatever, Okay student Yoo Seodam. Did you say you are in 12th grade? You're really lucky. You can listen to that teacher's class."

This big male teacher seemed to be thinking of something good, because I could see his expression brightened. He was honestly a little…creepy.

"What class did you say you were in?"

"I don't know."

"…what the hell do you know?"

"My hometown is in the North."

"Just shut up. Anyway, let's see…"

Mr. Tteokdae took a file out from his briefcase. After reading through it for a while, he snapped his finger after a while.

"Ah, here you are, Yoo Seodam, a 12th grade transfer student. Class 7. Come on, let's go."

"……"

To be honest, I was a little surprised. In the past, it didn't seem like this skill was to this extent, but can you really make me blend in with such details?

Well… I know I'm a little bit amazing.

'People should learn to be humble rather than conceited.'

But I just copied what Hunter Yoo Seodam said earlier.

'……..'

I have nothing to say.

The school itself was quite ordinary. Nothing too fancy like Vivienda Magic academy which was located on an island that floats in the sky or a school built like a castle with a size of several hundred pyeong. But still, Cheongyeon Private Magic High School was slightly better than ordinary high school I had seen on Earth. (1 pyeong=3.306 m)

This school was supposed to be attended by only students who came from a family who had amassed quite a bit of wealth, so it was a pretty high-end school. Moreover, it was even new. The old building was completely demolished and a new building was built on top of the old building.

Looking at the architectural style, the level of culture on this world was similar to Earth. It wasn't far-fetched to say that this world was a version of Earth that was developed with magic instead of science.

'By the way, where is the protagonist?'

In the previous mission, it took me almost a month to meet the protagonist. But there was nothing to rush, really. I could take this mission slowly as I dug up some information.

'Class 7.'

When I entered the classroom, which was spacious enough for about 50 students to fit in comfortably, the students were chattering. Some looked at me and shouted, "Oh, there is a transfer student here!" But I purposely donned a cold expression on my face.

Ads by Pubfuture

There was no need to create useless human relationships in this world and cause trouble.

So, I purposely made a persona of a silent and difficult to approach student. When someone rolls on the battlefield for more than 10 years, even if they do not have superpowers, they could subdue the opponent's initiative with just their eyes.

A so-called 'pretend to be cool' operation.

This method was quite effective, so I was able to spend time alone.

First day of transfer. I became an outcast….

Fortunately, textbooks seem to be distributed free of charge. Thank God…. I had no money nor friends here. Moreover, It was a magic class, I wouldn't be able to understand it. But with a book, I could pretend to read it and blank out.

The bell rang. I couldn't see it from here but, just where did it ring from?

Soon, the homeroom teacher came in and briefly introduced himself and explained some rules to me.

"You're going to be living in boarding houses for three years until you finish high school-" She said."-This book is the dormitory manual, and be sure to follow it. Also, you know that you have to keep a diary every night, right? Make sure you don't miss it. It's the principal instructions."

They also handed out a diary for students here.

Just what is the diary? The only diary I've ever written in my life is a log of daily battle progress. Did they want me to write a similar diary?

Besides that, the homeroom teacher gave us various explanations, but most of them were only a rough explanation because it was something everyone knew. After she was finished, the homeroom teacher turned around and tried to leave, but then, she turned her head again towards me and added.

"Oh, and there is no item 7 in the manual, so please refer to it."

Item 7? I looked through the dormitory manual just in case, and there was really no item 7. What, why? With that thought in mind, I slowly read through the other items, and found that it was full of absurd content.

Most of them explained that they couldn't move around after what time, or where the toilet was, but there were very few strange things.

It is strictly forbidden to enter the dormitory after 23:00. If you must enter the dormitory after 23:00, be sure to use the magic broom to enter the outer spire.

Women's restrooms are on the 2nd, 4th and 6th floors. If a woman in a white robe walks out from the women's restroom on the second floor between 9:17 and 9:41 p.m., never make eye contact with her and let her pass naturally.

Entry to the men's restroom on the first floor is prohibited. There is no restroom on the first floor of the men's dormitory.

If you are walking down the hallway on the 3rd floor and a female student with a black headband walks up to you, do not answer her question. If you really have to answer her, please say, 'I didn't pick your flowers,' and then quietly walk away. Maybe it won't come after you.

'Just what in the world is this…'

This was all nothing but urban legend. And I've heard of these kinds of ghost stories on Earth.

'Neapolitan ghost story?'

I read the manual to the end. I still couldn't find item 7 on it, but at the very end of the manual, there was an explanation.

Lastly, item 7 does not exist in this manual. You must never follow the instructions in item 7, and if you find a manual containing item 7, please report it to the nearest teacher immediately.

That was the end.

'Hmmm…'

Murmurs from other students entered my ears.

"Why is this manual like this?"nov𝚎𝐋𝐔𝑆𝚋\𝒞\o\𝑚

"Well. I've heard that things are a little different starting from high school…"

"I heard it from seniors who had graduated, that sometimes strange things happen here. But as long as you follow the rules, there's no problem."

The murmurs grew louder and louder. The homeroom teacher left as it was. I wanted to learn a little more about this manual, but I couldn't-

Suddenly, silence descended into the classroom.

All the students looked blankly towards the teacher desk in the front of the class. It wasn't because the teacher in charge of the first period turned out to be bad, or because she used silent magic out of the blue, or because a mysterious incident occurred.

It was simply because she was too beautiful.

She was a young woman in her late teens with black hair and blue eyes. She wasn't wearing a school uniform but a suit inside the wizard robe that teachers usually wear.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Aracelli Rinekal, who will be in charge of magic theory class starting this year."

Then, she glances at me and smiles.

"Please take care of me."

Ding-Ding-Ding!!

As soon as the bell signaling the break rang, I immediately left the classroom. After waiting for about 10 minutes, Aracelli finally walked out of the classroom. Hiding in a blind spot away from everyone's sight, I waved my hand at her.

"I'm sorry. The students caught me up…"

"It's okay, it's fun watching you surrounded by the students like that."

Aracelli smiled at my words and poked my uniform.

"Looks like our position has been reversed, isn't it? Now I am the teacher, and Professor is the student."

In fact, with all the knowledge inside her head, and her identity as a scholar who studied the truth of the world, her becoming a teacher was natural in the first place. The only thing I know how to do is how to hurt people and kill monsters efficiently.

"How did you become a teacher?" I asked.

"I don't know… I just showed the Vice principal a little bit of my knowledge on magic, and then he said right away what kind of test I'd like to take. After I finished it and got my scores, the Vice principal said he wanted me to be a teacher right away."

"……"

Well, to be fair, magic should be too easy for her.

"Ah, then, Aracelli. Do you know how to separate souls? Someone else's soul is in my body." Then I asked her the question I've been wondering about,

"Soul…? Ummm…"

She pondered for a moment before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry Professor. It's not my area of expertise, so I don't know much about it… And perhaps most magicians cannot explain the mysteries of the soul."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. The only race that can manipulate the essence of soul, as far as I know, is a 'demon'."

What? Suddenly, a very strange word came out of nowhere.

"Demons deals with souls?"

"Have you not heard of such a story? For example, a demon that steals souls and puts them in a sack, or, Oh!! Have you ever heard the story about the creature who manipulates others inside a dream?"

"Oh, I've heard of it."

"They are vicious creatures who directly interfere with the essence of the soul. I've met and fought against a male demon called Incubus a few times, but even with my magic, I couldn't completely resist their 'temptation', so I suffered quite a bit. Well, in the end, they couldn't seduce me, though."

Aracelli said nonchalantly while shrugging her shoulders, but I couldn't hide my surprise at her words.

"Impossible. You are a 9th Circle Archmage. Are they really that strong?"

"No. In terms of power, they are much weaker than me. At best they are at the level of 5th or 6th Circle Magician, but their characteristic of making opposite sex helplessly fall in love with them makes the levels difference meaningless."

"Their characteristic makes it meaningless, you say?"

Wait a minute, that was such a familiar story. Isn't that exactly similar to the case of the 'Saekma' I dealt with recently?

There was no martial artist in this world who could ignores the other person's skill and gain an unconditional advantage over the opposite sex. I just thought that the Saekgong of Saekma was very special… Just in case, I explained to Aracelli the characteristics of his Saekgong to her.

"Compared to the Incubus I met, his abilities are absurdly weak. But it is definitely similar to the Incubus. To think he was able to use the power similar to a demon with a human body and convert it into a form of martial art…." Aracelli nodded her head.

"Then, there's a demon in Murim?"

I think I just heard a pretty shocking story. I knew that with so many strong people such as Saekma, Murim wasn't an ordinary martial arts world. But, I never thought that it was a fusion martial arts world where even the power of demons appeared.

"Professor, demons exist in every world. It probably exists in your world as well. It's just that their power is currently weakened so they don't show up."

"….."

I fell silent as complicated thoughts crossed my minds.

Then, Aracelli looked back at me with a smirk on her face.

"By the way, Professor. What is going on in this world?"

"It's a ghost story. It's just a scary story where ghosts appear from time to time. Why? Does this have anything to do with demons?"

"Ghost? Eum…."

Araceli tapped her cheek.

"It's similar, but maybe a little different. It's some kind of myth… I've heard about some demons that drew power from stories. I've never dealt with it, though."

"Well… First, let's find out about the ghost stories in this school. Perhaps the protagonist is a hunter who is chasing the ghosts. Have you seen such a student?"

"I don't think so…."

Even for demon hunters and protagonist hunters, a ghost hunter was an unfamiliar concept.

"Anyway, Aracelli, you said it was hard to deal with demons even when you had your full power. You've lost most of your power now. So be careful."

"Okay Professor!"

As she said that, she smiled. I don't know if she was really trying to be careful or not.

I thought I knew why. Because I heard the story before. It seems like Aracelli simply enjoyed living in the same space as me now.

Ads by Pubfuture

The first day of school was over, and it was night time.

Ding-Ding-Ding!!!

All the students returned to their respective room. It was absolutely forbidden to go outside after 11 pm, and there was a manual that advised them to not walk around in the hallway as much as possible after 9 pm, so most students were locked in the dormitory.

It wasn't because they were such obedient students but because bad rumors kept circulating.

"Ghost has appeared in the school."

A lot of people had heard the rumors.

'Did you know? There's a unnie who just transferred to this school… She said she saw a ghost in the bathroom mirror, and it turns out the ghost was the number one student in the school who died 30 years ago. So, I heard that if you become a top student in school, the ghost will chase after you!'

'Did you know? If the bell rings 13 times at 12 o'clock at night, you will die of a heart attack immediately. I think that is the reason why the previous principal was replaced without a word.'

'You know that this school has just been built, right? In fact, the reason the previous school was closed was because all the students took a strange medicine and died…'

Of course, most of the school ghost stories were just nonsense. In fact, there were some students who proudly claimed, 'I saw a ghost!' However, in the end, they were nothing but students who wanted to play pranks among friends.

But, in the end.

Scary was still scary. Whether ghosts were real or not, hearing such stories could only make people scared.

Creak!

An ebony-haired girl left the dormitory late at night. It wasn't because she was a student who liked to break some rule. On the contrary, It was because she found item number 7 in her manual.

If you are going up the stairs, if the 13th step appears, chant 'I'm not afraid of you' and then climb the stairs calmly. If there is any item that violates this item, please ignore it.

Color faded from the ebony-haired girl's face. Cold sweat dripped down her back.

When someone found item 7 on their manual, they were told to bring it to the nearest teacher immediately. However, because she was too lazy to read the manual, she found it too late at night. She was too afraid to ignore both the teacher's instruction and the ghost stories, so she had no choice but to walk down the hallway late at night like this…

"Ah, ah…" She panted. Of all places, why did the supervisor's office have to be upstairs?

'Ah…. there are 13 stairs….'

Badump! Badump!! Badump!!

Her heart beat faster and faster. Her breathing also became rough. A single drop of tear escaped her eye and slid down her chin, mixing with the cold sweat on her body.

Darkness shrouded the hallway,

No one was there.

It's quiet.

Her heart pounded and she almost fell as a crow suddenly flew from the window, screaming. But she managed to avoid collapsing.

'Uh… what should I do…?'

She bit her trembling lips tightly.

Lastly, item 7 does not exist in this manual. You must never follow the instructions in item 7, and if you find a manual containing item 7, please report it to the nearest teacher immediately.

She pondered what she should do. To follow item 17 means ignoring item 7. However, item 7 clearly says to ignore item 17. Her head was getting dizzy. It was difficult to make a sound judgment.

'Right.. the supervisor's office is immediately accessible by going up these stairs. Let's go.'

Step.

As she slowly walked up every stair, her footsteps echoed through the hallway.

'it's ok. You can do it. There's no such thing as a ghost anyway. These are all lies.'

"Sweetheart.. My sweetheart…." An eerie voice suddenly appeared.

One step, two steps.

Sixth steps, seventh steps.

"My sweetheart… My sweetheart….."

The ebony-haired girl started to cry as she heard it. But she kept reassuring herself. She just had to climb all the stairs, turn the corner and she would find a teacher there. 'Yes, let's run.'

She wasn't afraid of ghosts. So, she ran and tried to go to the supervisor who had told her to memorize all the manuals.

Grab!

'Sweetheart?'

"Ah…"

The ebony-haired girl lowered her head.

There, she saw a woman with her body bent backwards holding her ankle.

'Aaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!'

[Episode 'The Thirteenth That Doesn't Exist (1)' has begun.]

That was the message that appeared before my eyes as soon as I woke up in the morning.

Ads by Pubfuture

'What????'

Just in case something happened, I had patrolled all night long. Of course, I did it as quietly as possible to not catch the attention of the dorm supervisor. However, nothing happened in front of my eyes. There were hardly any students walking around.

Also, of course, I tried everything that the manual told me not to do.

Do not go into the men's shower room on the first floor, or wander around the women's restroom on the second floor at 9:17 pm. In addition to that, there were a lot of other things it told us not to do… Unfortunately, nothing special happened.

In the women's bathroom on the second floor, there were no women in white robes, but three ordinary girls came out from it when I walked there and I was almost labelled a pervert. The men's shower room on the first floor didn't even exist in the first place, and the hallway on the third floor was located in a boys' dormitory, so it was natural that a female student with a black headband didn't appear there.

murmur murmur*

As I was about to wash up and get ready to go to school, I heard students talking in the hallway.

"What's going on?"

When I went to see what was going on, the door supervisor was breathing heavily.nov𝞮𝑙𝓊𝑠𝔟dot𝔠\o/𝗆

"Just where did she go, disappearing for the entire night?"

From the murmurs I heard, a female student had gone missing during the night. But something was strange. Last night, I was walking around the dormitory, and I never felt anything strange.

"Quiet! Everyone, go back to your room and get ready to go to school!"

As the supervisor waved a cane in the air, the door to the missing schoolgirl's room shut close and was locked. The students around the room groaned helplessly, but then, they scattered to prepare for class. I also looked at the room for a while before turning around.

I can't do anything during the day anyway.

A week has passed since the disappearance case.

I walked around the hallways of the dorm almost every night.

But just like the first day, nothing happened, and since the missing case a week ago had not been resolved, the students were all terrified and did not even think of leaving their rooms.

Of course, it didn't really affect the 15th graders, those in their twenties, who could be called college students on Earth. They still conducted self-study at night. Maybe their study was the result of how cutthroat this world where everything was decided by magic.

So, tonight, I decided to go to school. There wasn't really any big reason, really. It was just because it was difficult to find anything more in the dormitory.

Ding-Ding-Ding

The bell rang at 9pm. The lights were still on in the classroom.

Ding-Ding-Ding

The bell rang at 10pm. The lights were still on in the classroom.

Ding-Ding-Ding

And by the time the bell rang at 11 pm, just a handful of people were left in the classroom.

The item in the manual said I had to enter the dormitory by 11am. However, I stayed in the school because I was planning to break the rule of going to the dormitory after 11 o'clock.

Now there's really no one in the school. It was really dark. So, I walked slowly in the dark. Since ancient times, it has been said that ghosts come out only when the lights are off, isn't it?

At that moment, a shout was heard in the classroom.

'Person?'

Ghosts have no life sign. Even my sixth sense would not be able to detect it. But I found someone.

Creak!

When I opened the door of a classroom where I felt 'someone's' presence, I couldn't see anyone there.

But there was one desk with books open on top of it.

When I got closer, I saw someone fainting under the desk.

"…why is she sleeping here?"

"She was attacked by the Kong Kong Kong ghost."

When I turned around, I saw a girl with a haggard look who looked like a middle school student. She was looking at me with an unpleasant smile on her face.

A few moments ago, through my sixth sense, I could feel someone with a fairly strong energy approaching me, so I thought it was a patrol or magic guard, but it turns out I was wrong.

On top of her head, a small message box was floating.

『Magic High School Ghost Stories』

That girl was the main character of this world, Ahinal.

Ahinal hugged the old diary in her arms and approached the fainted student and checked her pulse.

"It looks like her soul hasn't been stolen yet."

"Who is taking her soul?"

"Like I said, it was the Kong Kong Kong ghost."

It was a cliché, common, school ghost story.

The story of the second place in the whole school who was jealous of the first place in the whole school.

One day, the 2nd place in the whole school summoned the 1st place in the whole school to the roof and pushed them down to death. And then, the 1st place in the school ghost who held a grudge against the second-ranked student appears and wanders around every night.

"Too bad this senior is hiding under the desk…"

Ahinal laughed happily.

".. Otherwise, I could have taken a good look at the Kong Kong Kong ghost."

Saying that, she turned around and disappeared. I couldn't take my eyes off Ahinal. To be precise, I couldn't take my eyes off the 'diary' in her arms.

The next day, since I was given a 'role' as a student in this world, I went to school. But studying diligently in the class was another matter altogether.

"The reason for the formation of thunderclouds is…….. As the magical crystals of electricity cause a thunderbolt….. and the magical energy of the ice crystals is constantly in the upper layer with positively charged magical energy…"

The magic class in this world was generally boring. When I first took this class, I was excited at the thought of learning something new that was not present on Earth.

On Earth, magic was science and not an unknown supernatural phenomenon, and it could soon be proved by scientific and mathematical methods. But magic in the world of wizards used different concepts altogether.

It's really hard for me to learn such a foreign concept out of nowhere because I was someone who was far from studying…. Well, It's actually an excuse. The truth was, I'm just sleepy. It's only natural because I had to go around patrolling all night long. Even though my superhuman body could function well without a few days of sleep, I would rather be prepared because I don't know when I will fight the protagonist.

"Student…."

Besides, isn't it a rule of thumb to make up for the lack of sleep in class after playing all night long? Although I didn't have a normal school life in the past, at least I know that much.

"Student…."

Today, I'm going to take a closer look at that gloomy girl, Ahinal. From what I saw from her last night, her magical ability itself seemed to be at the level of 1 circle at most, so the reason for her high level still remains a mystery. Maybe there's something I don't know-

"Student Yoo Seodam."

"….!

I raised my head and looked towards the voice who was calling me.

It was Aracelli. She was grinning in front of the blackboard as she looked at me.

Then, I realized. I slept too openly.

"Student Yoo Seodam. You look very tired. Did you have a very rough night?"

"Yes. I needed to maintain world peace last night."

At my answer, other students giggled and laughed. Aracelli also showed nothing but her usual smile.

"When I teach you, you have to look at me."

"Okay…."

It is true that I'm tired and I'm dying, so why did you wake me up? As I grumbled about her in my own mind, I stared blankly at Aracelli. Of course, I didn't take this class seriously, but somehow, her voice, which sounded like a heavenly orchestra, caressed my ears and put my mind at ease.

My fatigue reduced as time passed by. It made me wonder whether she put some anti-fatigue spell on her face or not.

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Aracelli kept smiling at me every time she looked at me.

Just why did she keep smiling?

Did she usually smile like that?

Time flew by as I kept wondering about that.

Because I don't have any friends, I could only eat alone at lunch.

Of course, I was mocked and looked down upon. For these students, they wouldn't look kindly at an 'outsider' who ate alone since friendships were considered to be very important to them. But I don't give a damn, they were just teens anyway, and this is my person here.

murmur murmur*

But there's something I'm bothered about.

"Hello, Miss Araceli?

"Yes?"

"Why are you eating here?"

In this school, there is a separate cafeteria for students and staff members. The place I currently ate was naturally, the cafeteria where students eat. However, for some reason, Aracelli, the most popular teacher among students and teacher alike, was eating in front of me. I couldn't help but stand out because of her.

"Fufu, what's wrong? Would you like some more sausage?"

Sausage…. Each students was only given three, not even four! Even if I cut each of it into three parts with my spoon and eat it sparingly, I could only eat it 9 times! However, it seems like staff members could get as much as they want. Because right in front of me, Aracelli's plate was full of sausages.

Feeling somewhat miserable, I nodded my head at her offer.

"Okay" Using her fork, Aracelli dumped all her sausages except a single one into my plate.

"Hey, what will you eat then?"

"I'm okay, Professor. It reminds me of the old days and I feel full just remembering it."

"Old days? What is it about?"

"Back then, when I was too late to receive food, Professor gave me the plate you prepared in advance. I can still remember the menu back then."

I don't remember if I've done something like that… Then again, back then, I was too preoccupied with making plans to kill Fiolen as well as learning new knowledge called magic.

Fwoosh!!

Like a wind, Aracelli took the remaining 1 sausage with her fork and shoved it into my mouth.

"Say Aaa~"

"Is it really okay for a teacher to do something like this to the student?"

Her antics had been attracting attention since the first day. It was very burdensome.

"Whether it is okay or not, I don't care, because I solved three difficult problems that wizards in this world couldn't solve. They begged me to enter the tower, but I said I was just a teacher."

"Is that so……."

Wherever she goes, if the world involves 'magic' in it, Aracelli's abilities almost seem like a cheat.

Unfortunately, in this world, magic alone couldn't solve it. Although there were many enemies that could be solved by magic, 'ghosts' weren't one of them.

In the case of zombies and skeletons, fire and light type magic works properly according to the cliché law, but in the end, they were not ghosts.

"Aracelli. Have you looked closer at a student called 'Ahinal'?"

Ads by Pubfuture

"Yes…"

Her position as teacher was a huge boost to me as my status as a student clearly prevented me from doing many things.

"There's no student called Ahinal in high school."

"I thought so."

The high school ranged from grades 12 to 14. It was the limit of the information that Araceli could obtain.

"Ahinal is probably a middle school student. Because she looked like she was in her mid to late teens."

"Is she really that young? Is there any chance that she was a returnee?"

"Well. At least it didn't seem like that. She must have been just an old kid. Perhaps…"

"But still… She's too young…"

When she hesitated, I said.

"Sorry. I don't have any intention to force you to hunt the protagonist. In the first place, I can't give you anything in return."

"No!"

Contrary to my expectation, Aracelli got angry at my words.

"You gave me enough already, Professor!"

"Is that so? I don't remember giving you anything, though."

"No. I am receiving it even now, so let's keep hunting together."

What is it? Did she perhaps steal my mana? I don't think she is….

As Aracelli lowered her face with a blush on her cheek, I continued.

"Aracelli, I have a firm belief in my job as 'Protagonist Hunter'. And just like Kim Ha-soo in the last world, I believe in the future, there will be righteous protagonists, good heroes, young and old."

"Yes…"

"…But, whatever protagonist appears in front of me, I must kill them. That is my belief that will no longer change since I killed Kim Ha-soo."

She raised her head, and looked at me right in my eye with her clear eye.

"Aracelli. I will also kill Ahinal. Even if she's nice, or if she can help this school… I will still kill her."

Then silence descended between us for a while. As the sausage and rice cooled off, Aracelli nodded her head.

"It's okay. Even if Professor leads the world to destruction, I will still follow you."

I smiled bitterly at her. Whatever the reason, I will not lead the world to destruction…probably.

"Then… Should I do some research on Ahinal? Middle school is not within my authority, but… if I ask around, I believe I will get the information the Professor wants in no time."

That's right. Especially if they are male teachers, they will even reveal their darkest secrets to you.

"I have another question, do you know when exactly this bizarre phenomenon started?"

"I don't know about it… It's probably been a few years. There have been rumors of a lot of weird things happening since this school was first established a few decades ago. However, there were only rumors and records, and there were very few such cases in those years, but suddenly, about five years ago, the principal's diary disappeared, and stories of ghost sightings began to circulate."

"The principal's diary?"

"Yes. Principal's diary. She told everyone not to touch it, but it suddenly disappeared, so the teachers were very confused."

"Diary, huh…."

Come to think of it, this school was also forcing all students to keep a diary.

"Well, it's a well-known story that the principal, 'Malea' was able to survive in 'Tutorial Tower' in the past because of the diary. I wondered if she's been reading it since then.."

"Tu….tutorial Tower?"

Aracelli nodded her head, as I stuttered because of words that came up suddenly.

"It is said that the Tutorial Tower is a giant tower that appeared in the world several decades ago. I don't even know what happened there."

Well, it was only natural since Araceli had only come to this world recently.

"The principal's name, was it Malea? What is she doing right now?"

In this school, the vice principal was the one who was more active on the outside, the principal hardly showed her face.

"She was so tired that she couldn't show herself to the world. Rumor is that she is very old…"

"Is that so?"

"Yes. The staff said that she was forcefully trying to prolong her life span, as if she's waiting for something."

"Hmmm…"

Does it have anything to do with this case?

The principal's diary that suddenly disappeared, ghost stories that started to appear.

'What if the diary that Ahinal has is the principal's?'

I could feel a tremendous energy from the old dairy in Ahinal arms last night. I also felt an eerie and sticky energy from it. It was so different from magic that I couldn't even describe it.

'Perhaps the diary is related to Ahinal's special ability.'

I need to be extra careful.

That night, I went on patrol just like usual.

There's no need to rush. Aracelli will investigate Ahinal in more detail anyway. Rather, I felt like I should find out more about the bizarre things that were going on at this school.

Around midnight, as I walked down the hall of the dormitory, I saw a male student trembling with his hand supporting himself on the wall. I walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Hey!"

The student then fell to the floor.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Ads by Pubfuture

"Gasp Gasp! N…No, I'm just surprised…"

The boy looked around him and sighed in relief. I could see cold sweat run down his face.

"Uh…. I need to show my manual to the advisor…"

"Why?"

"Until yesterday, I was sure it wasn't there……." He shook his head. There is fear in his eyes. "I mean 'item 7."

"….."

It's item 7!!

"Give me that. I'll bring it to the advisor right away."

"Re…really? okay? Hey, there's a rumor that this manual is about ghosts…"

"I do not care. I like ghosts."

"Ah…. are you also a 'psychic research team'?"

"Nope, I'm not. It's okay now, so hurry up and give it to me."

"Yeah, yes. here! Thanks, anyway!"

The male student who handed the manual to me bowed his head to say thank you, and then disappeared into the distance. After looking at his running back for a moment, I checked the manual.

If you are going up the stairs, if the 13th step appears, chant 'Sweetheart, I'm not afraid of you' and then climb the stairs calmly. If there is any item that violates this item, please ignore it.

This manual had Item 7 in it. My manual didn't have it.

'Did this happen suddenly?'

If it was another school, I would wonder if someone was playing a prank, but the fact that it was the '13th Stair', that caught my attention. Because the title of the ongoing episode in this world was [The Thirteenth That Does Not Exist (1)].

'It's a staircase…'

After that, I checked item 17 again. It was written not to do what you were told in item 7. I wondered which one is the correct one. Actually, it doesn't seem to matter that much.

'Let's check it out.'

I walk briskly to the stairs.

Ding-Ding-Ding

The bell rings. Students will be locked in their dormitories by now. Mysterious things were happening in the school. Someone went missing in the dormitory, and someone fainted in the middle of the night in the classroom.

"Well…."

The atmosphere turned strange. The world was illuminated in red hue. I feel like vomiting. Is it because the light is broken? It felt like the air itself had changed strangely.

The glass panes shook as the wind hits the window. Were we in the middle of the windy season now?

A faint shadow kept sneaking around the hallway. But once you look closely at it, it was nothing but a shadow of a tree.

Step!!

My footsteps become exceptionally loud.

Wooonnggg!!

Woooshh!!

"…."

Then I look up. There were thirteen steps on the staircase.

'There were twelve originally.'

I know it well because I patrolled every stair in the dormitory every night and all of it had 12 steps.

'Where did this 13th one come from?'

What an incomprehensible phenomena.

So, now I had to decide.

Should I follow item 7? Or item 17?

Item 7 told me to go up the stairs, and item 17 told me to ignore it and go back.

However, the teachers also told students to report to them if they found a manual with item 7 on it… The supervisor's office was on the next floor. I would inevitably have to go up the stairs.

After thinking for a while, I quickly climbed the stairs three steps at a time.

'I'll try both!'

With such a simple heart, I reached the twelfth step with just four steps. Then, I heard a voice.

Why didn't you memorize the spell as I told you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wooooshh!!

Step!! Step!! Step!!

A woman with her neck turned backwards, crawling on the floor with her elbows twisted backwards, rushed towards me.

I pulled out my ether blade from the inventory, activated my holy conversion and launched an attack towards it.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT'S HURTTTTTTSSSSS STOOOOPPP ITTTTT!!!!!

Tumble!!

The broken arm fell to the floor.

Woong Woong!

The holy power that coated the ether blade was emitting light like a glow stick.

"What is this bastard?"

I stared blankly at the ghost lying on the floor for a long time.