Chapter 7
Chapter 7
I knew exactly what that clown waving at me was.
Not someone you could divide into good or evil. In a sense, neutral. But with a clear standard.
“…Why?”
The one-time game cheat to erase a mid-boss whenever progress was blocked.
The King of Assassins.
Safe Clown.
The assassin king earned the nickname “Safe Clown” because anyone who saw him without the clown mask never survived.
In other words, this form is the only safe version of him.
Yes, this is the public persona the King of Assassins presents. A madman signaling he has no intention to harm.
But…
“Why me? What did I do?”
Why show up to me? Are we close? I’ve never even met you.
It was like a CEO of a top conglomerate suddenly slapping his arm around a stranger on the street—utterly disorienting.
“What could I possibly have done?”
When someone you’d never cross paths with suddenly acts familiar, how could anyone see it as simple goodwill?
Even knowing the clown’s persona, the fact he’s a lunatic is terrifying enough.
The clown grinned, moving as if to express a smile with his entire body.
Then he vanished into the crowd.
Had I just dreamed it?
A strange phenomenon made me question whether all my accumulated stress had caused hallucinations.
“…Huh?”
But it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t a hallucination.
The moment the clown disappeared, just a few blinks…
“No way…”
Every gaze that had been watching me began to vanish—one by one. From rooftops, between alleys, even from outdoor café tables.
Thud.
People started collapsing. Pools of blood gathered beneath them.
As one person disappeared, more dropped in heaps.
The causal link was impossible to ignore.
Safe Clown.
That madman had eliminated all the observers who were watching me.
“Kyahhh!”
“Here! Someone’s dead!”
Screams erupted. Fear mixed with chaos, amplifying it.
Splash.
In the middle of the turmoil, something fell at my feet.
A wet thud.
I looked down and saw crimson-stained flesh with letters carved into it.
‘Present for you!’
Confirmation of who was behind this.
My head spun. All chaos seemed centered on me. Was this what a top star felt on stage? Probably not…
“Ugh…”
Gathering my senses, I saw my legs moving frantically.
I knew the clown who sent me this “gift” bore no malice toward me, but what could I trust from a madman who turned human limbs into stationary paper?
I was scared out of my mind.
I knew I was basically in a panic state. But being able to see myself objectively like this—surely there was some plan.
“Damn it, what do I do now?”
Actually, no. There was no plan.
Thrown into this hopeless situation, what kind of plan could there even be? Plans start now.
Thud.
But I soon realized I didn’t have much time.
Someone fell nearby, only ten steps away.
Was Safe Clown randomly attacking civilians?
No. That clown was insane, but he clearly distinguished friend from foe.
Though an assassin, he didn’t kill for money.
In that sense, Safe Clown was like a dark hero.
But someone nearby had died.
Which meant…
Ah…
Those who had only been watching me from afar would, startled by Safe Clown’s attacks, change their approach—either to capture or kill me.
Could Safe Clown block all threats aimed at me?
So far, yes.
With people dying around them, even those intending to capture me would hesitate. That gave me a little time.
What mattered now was why they wanted to touch me.
Was my life worth committing this many resources?
In the worst case, they might throw more at it just to take my head.
A cold leader might pull back their forces by now.
But then…
Whoa…
Another person’s head dropped five steps from me.
And when it hit the ground, something clinked.
A blue cross.
The mark of Eden zealots.
Those willing to throw away their lives for a cause.
Damn.
Instinctively, I grabbed the sword they had dropped.
Time to prepare.
Damn, this is messed up beyond belief.
The only way I could survive now was to run full force to the Cradle.
Safe Clown was strong, but not capable of handling an entire group like Eden alone.
Even if it was a weak group, maybe. But Eden? They’re a candidate for the final boss level—starting point way higher.
Safe Clown alone couldn’t stop them.
And honestly, could I even trust him?
Without knowing this madman clown’s standard, I couldn’t blindly risk my life.
If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even be in this mess.
Ugh…
The trigger for all this chaos.
Sure, it was Safe Clown—but another face came to mind.
The bastard who stabbed me.
Bastard… no, Dietrich.
What the hell did he say about me to cause this situation?
Why was Eden targeting me?
No wonder I disliked Dietrich from first impression.
Kyahhh!
A scream like a girl being attacked by a thug. I had caused it.
Someone died right before my eyes, three steps away.
They were basically killed while reaching for me.
The Eden zealots closing in increased in number.
Meanwhile, the surrounding death toll skyrocketed exponentially.
I felt like I was in the eye of a storm.
I hadn’t done anything! Yet people kept dying around me!
I picked up another sword the enemy had dropped.
Better to be overprepared.
Ugh?!
Someone finally drew a sword and charged at me.
Though their blade hadn’t even touched me before their head fell, danger was unmistakable.
Yes, you can’t entrust your life entirely to others.
I gripped the sword with determination.
Sure, I might feel like an insignificant weakling. And I was.
But I was also a Cradle student. Starting in Class B. One of the elites.
Anyone who underestimated me would meet my merciless blade.
“Johann Damus, you’ll follow me.”
“Ah, it’s you.”
Bang!
I stepped hard and swung my sword with full force.
Clang!
Blocked.
This guy’s stronger than I thought. An Eden subordinate, maybe? That explained how he dodged Safe Clown’s attacks to reach me.
“Huh… maybe I thought you were weak because you’re just a regular member of Eden.”
“….”
“But I too am a faithful follower of Eden. One who follows the guidance of God!”
Some lines from extras I’d heard from my heart.
Had we met elsewhere, I might have become friends with him.
But he was still an enemy I had to defeat.
I gripped my sword again.
“I’m one of the elites destined to rise to Eden’s core!”
Clang!
Despite his bravado, his skill was real, and I slammed onto the floor with a spectacular roll.
Ugh!
Damn… such a gap in power?
Not even a subordinate, just a regular zealot—and I had to fight seriously?
And I lost!
Huh!
Blue energy surged around his blade.
And mine? Flickering like a candle, barely holding.
Couldn’t even cover the entire blade. Any second, it might extinguish.
This wouldn’t do.
My current sword already had cracks. One more clash and it’d break.
Huff…
I dropped the sword.
Grabbing the “dagger” I picked up earlier.
Good to have a backup. Always advantageous to prepare.
“Focus and select… but it’s still unstable.”
Indeed, I couldn’t fully cloak the dagger with my energy.
My limits were obvious.
But the weak have their own ways.
“Stop acting all fancy, what are you anyway?”
“Huh, I’m destined to become an Eden executive…”
“Shut up.”
I charged at the arrogant zealot with the dagger.
One hand on the handle, the other overlapping it.
“You can’t even hold a dagger…”
Sure, that’s how it would look. And yes, my skill might appear weak.
But this is my method.
Huh?!
Can’t hold a dagger properly? Of course not. I wasn’t holding a dagger at all.
Illusion magic: Camouflage.
“What…?”
The enemy retched blood.
I had actually been holding a longsword, not a dagger. I used magic to make it appear smaller, misleading him.
He perceived only the “dagger’s thrust,” keeping him at a safe distance.
Because I was weak, inexperienced.
The enemy didn’t realize it was a trick.
And the result?
I drove the sword straight into his heart without obstruction.
“I asked, what are you?”
Even a final boss can fall if careless. And here, a mere follower was too confident.
If you lack strength, at least use your head.
“Such foolishness…”
He finally realized my “dagger” was actually a longsword.
It had no energy of its own.
Magic aside, I couldn’t cover it with energy anyway.
And if I can’t properly wield energy, better not to.
Because…
“Even an unenchanted sword kills people.”
A sword is deadly on its own.
If you can’t block it, even plain steel can kill.
Haah…
My wrist ached.
Sweat soaked me.
Victory against an Eden follower, barely. My current position.
And who applauded this trivial win? Only the mad clown, clapping where I could see him.
I decided to return the gesture.
“Ah, thank you.”
He gave a thumbs-up.
Better response than expected.
“Uh, yes….”
But why do you keep acting so friendly?