Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Dream
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Of course, I didn't kick this off without any thought.
This choice is utterly rational, and I'm convinced it will help Roel's future too.
[Suggestion Box - Reply has arrived!]
All the reasoning for it was right there in this reply.
-A: The phenomenon you're experiencing, Possessor, is a 'Dual Soul State,' a special possession where two souls coexist in one body. Allow me to explain the unique aspects of this possession.
I can declare it confidently.
If things are as described here, I could easily take down Sera at her current level.
"I'll kill you right now."
That said, jumping straight into a fight wasn't the plan, so I notified Roel through the mic.
"Cooperate."
"...Pardon?"
Roel put on a dumbfounded expression.
She clearly hadn't grasped it yet, but there was no time to explain.
I spoke using Roel's voice.
"Not right now."
"As you can see, I'm exhausted. I don't think I can properly crush you."
"So let's make it official in a week. We'll call the professor and classmates, and face off in a public spot."
"Ah, you don't mean..."
"You don't want to beat a tired me, right?"
Even as I said it, a strange feeling washed over me.
In reality, I couldn't even retort when people spouted nonsense, yet here I was trash-talking like this.
Maybe because we weren't face-to-face.
Roel must be feeling like death right now, for sure.
I glanced at the subtitles.
'She's insane she's insane she's insane she's insane she's insane.'
'What is she thinking? Is she trying to get me killed?'
'Fight her? Me...?'
It was the exact reaction I'd expected.
Looking closer at the screen, her hands were trembling too.
What would Sera do?
After hearing Roel, Sera—who'd frozen for a long moment—let out a short sigh.
"...Ha."
She must be furious after that level of insult.
Maybe she'd charge at Roel to kill her in the next instant.
I had countermeasures ready, but the scenario I wanted was different...
Would it work out?
"Fine. I don't know what a week will change, but I'll accept your proposal. You'll be publicly humiliated then."
"Ah, and no need to drop out right after losing. You won't last anyway."
Fortunately.
Sera said that and walked past Roel.
She picked up a wooden sword, swung it through the air a few times, then glanced back at Roel.
"What're you staring at? I came here to train too, you know?"
Hm?
I'd thought she came to threaten her.
Seems like running into Roel was pure coincidence.
"Ah, y-yes! Got it!"
Roel bolted out of the training hall in a panic.
Right after leg day, her steps were wobbling badly.
For such frantic movement, her speed was barely faster than a turtle's.
Sera gave that pitiful Roel a scornful look, then focused on her own training.
Good.
Everything went exactly as planned.
I'd been pretty anxious since I didn't know the full setting, but it worked out fine in the end.
Thud.
The training hall door shut.
Roel stood still for a moment, then started screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Are you seriously insane!?"
Her reaction was hilarious, so I turned on the mic while stifling a laugh.
"Obviously."
"Ha, haha! I'm seriously going nuts!"
Roel pointed accusingly at thin air.
She couldn't pinpoint me exactly. From the monitor's view, I was seeing the back of her head.
"You—I'm going straight to the church tomorrow to get purified. Remember this: your bullying ends today!!"
"Oh yeah? Should I cheer you on or something?"
"You...!"
Church?
Purification?
No way would possession lift that easily.
Even if it did... I could just take her legs anyway.
Keep her from going, and that's that.
Roel seemed to realize that just now and stopped pointing.
"You might not believe me, but I'm helping you."
"Helping me?"
"Yeah. You need to get stronger first for it to benefit me."
"...Who the hell are you, anyway?"
I paused for a second.
This development felt awfully familiar.
It was a scene I'd seen in every story where the Inner Evil appears.
Yeah, even I got this question.
Until now, I'd just vented complaints left and right, but in this moment, I was purely moved.
I truly felt it. What I'd become.
"I am..."
So I had to answer.
"I am you."
As I mentioned before, every student entering Hero Academy takes a grade assessment exam without exception.
The method is a crude spar.
Considering the skill gap with opponents, the grade itself isn't decided by win or loss.
I heard they brought in cutting-edge gear invented by grilling the Mage Tower—something that analyzes combat in real-time and measures each person's total power output.
Anyway, grades are determined by this device.
Those grades are divided into five ranks, from 1st Grade to 5th Grade.
Sera got the top rank, 1st Grade. Roel got the bottom, 5th Grade.
Since it's measured before classes even start, it's not absolute, but the intuitive gap is clear enough to explain why Roel's so scared.
"So, can I win?"
Back in the dorm, Roel asked out of the blue.
"You don't trust me?"
Roel didn't answer.
Instead, she just stared blankly into empty space.
Coincidentally, she was looking right at me this time.
Her expression screamed, 'Would you trust you?'
"Doesn't matter if you don't. It's already done."
"I can just forfeit."
"You think Sera Evans would accept that?"
Roel had no reply again.
Probably agonizing over whether Sera would let it slide.
I added one more thing.
"Then you'd end up fighting her outside of a proper duel."
"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't started it on your own."
"You know arguing that now is pointless."
"...So how do we win? You're not telling me to just repeat that workout from earlier, right?"
This time, I didn't answer.
"..."
How'd she know?
"...Hello?"
I went silent from there.
Roel called out to me dozens of times before giving up and falling asleep.
In other words, the next day arrived.
"I knew it. You're a demon. A really evil one."
Roel, in casual clothes, stood at the academy's main gate.
From now on, I'd make her run the academy outskirts—just enough not to kill her.
What about classes?
It's fine.
The academy gives students a one-week grace period under the guise of 'adaptation.'
That's why I'd set the duel with Sera a week out—to milk this period for all it's worth.
"Run on your own first. Tell me if you can't."
"...If I do, you'll take control like last time?"
"If you get it, then run."
Roel started running with a face like she wanted to die.
This run would rely on her own will as much as possible.
Forcing the body more than this could break her resolve instead.
Only control when absolutely necessary.
The key is balancing that tightrope.
"Roel."
"Huff, huff... W-why call me...? I'm dying here!"
"Wanna make a deal?"
All my choices had to motivate Roel.
Even deciding not to control her body freely—turn it into drive if possible.
Roel paused her legs for a moment.
"...A deal?"
"You hate me moving your body however I want, right?"
"Of course I do!"
"Good. Here's my proposal."
Right now, Roel had no choice but to accept whatever I offered.
But throwing out unreasonable terms blindly would breed resentment. Even if I needed some negativity, crushing her motivation was a no-go.
"From now on, train yourself. Effort beyond anything before, get way stronger. That's the condition."
This was something she'd already resolved to do.
"If not, I'll make you train whenever, regardless of your will. Keep the promise, and it won't happen. Deal?"
My role was one thing.
Be the driving force to make her do it, even if forced.
"...It's my body, so that's obvious."
Roel fell silent, then replied.
"You said I'd help you if I got stronger?"
"Right."
"Fine. I accept. But don't get the wrong idea. I'm not getting stronger for you."
Straightforward eyes.
For someone without goals or convictions yet, it was pretty protagonist-like.
"One day, our positions will reverse. Be ready."
With that warning, Roel started running again.
A proud feeling swelled up.
A girl without a proper teacher, just grinding swordplay because she had to get stronger.
No foundation, so her efforts hadn't stacked up, and the grade exam must've been a crushing blow.
I'm no teacher, but I could at least guide her.
Now Roel was finally heading forward, bit by bit.
"You're running well."
I watched her efforts on the screen.
Just running on repeat, but it wasn't boring.
And so, day six.
We'd talked a lot.
Chatting whenever to farm points, I'd come to understand Roel more than from reading the novel.
[Remaining Points: 635p]
Points had piled up nicely.
Not all from talk, of course.
Points seemed to rack up... whenever I put Roel through hell, roughly.
"One more! One more! You got this!"
"Uwaaaah!!"
Even urging physical pain seemed calculated—points rose every time I yelled 'one more.'
Challenging Sera to a duel had spiked them too.
Still short for an avatar, but plenty for other things.
"Bedtime already."
Today's training ended safely, and night had fallen before I knew it.
"Hey, Demon."
Right before bed, lying down, Roel spoke up.
What's up? Rare for her to initiate.
I turned on the mic.
"Yeah?"
"I should sleep early tonight, right?"
"Why ask the obvious?"
"Just... uh, never mind."
Roel started to say something but stopped.
"Do demons sleep? Anyway, goodnight."
She closed her eyes.
What was that?
Felt off.
Curious, I toggled the subtitles.
I'd learned recently they could be turned on/off anytime.
'If I say I hate sleeping, it'd be awkward, right?'
'But I feel like I'll have nightmares tonight...'
"...Nightmares?"
Blander than expected.
I almost said something reassuring.
But she's past the age for nightmare coddling.
Roel fell asleep quickly.
Made sense after six days of intense training.
I stretched and minimized the video feed.
Tomorrow's big, so let her rest fully.
The app I opened next was the Shop.
Time to spend the points I'd saved.
"Honestly thought I'd only buy the avatar..."
I recalled the Suggestion Box reply from days ago.
A: The two souls share all talents mutually.
Mutual talent sharing.
Roel's talents dwelling in me.
A satisfying perk.
Since I possessed her inner self, anything she could do, I should handle naturally too.
And the 'Inner Evil' is always portrayed stronger than the protagonist.
A: All our company's benefits strictly follow 'clichés.'
A: Thus, the talents you share come in fully mastered form.
Growth stories about becoming a hero.
Thinking ahead to Roel becoming the protagonist hero, her talents surely aren't ordinary.
But that's not the point.
As mentioned, this perk is mutual sharing. My talents go to her too.
I figured:
Me, from an ordinary world—my only talent is arguing well. Useful to Roel?
My inference:
I interpreted 'talents' here to include those 'bought from the Shop.'
[Skill Purchased: 'Cleave']
[500p deducted.]
All talents are shared, given to me in mastered form.
Then wouldn't talents I give her master too?
[This skill can grow through proficiency.]
This perk's synergy will be insane.
[Purchased skill shared with Roel Griffith.]
"...Perfect."
Success.
Exhausted, I leaned back in my chair.
Was nervous it might not work, but relief hit hard now that it did.
This was it.
I could get past the duel with Sera.
"Time to rest a bit."
Thanks to my special state, no sleep for days felt fine—no real need.
But humans need sleep by nature. Sleep desire was still going strong.
Anyway, bed sounded good now.
Right as I got up from the desk.
Ding!
A notification popped on the computer.
[Roel Griffith's condition is poor.]
What, I'm not raising a Tamagotchi or anything...
Why alert me on this?
Suddenly, Roel's 24/7 open private life worried me.
...No helping it.
Bad condition? Gotta check.
I reopened the minimized video feed.
"Ugh, uuu..."
Roel tossing and turning in her sleep.
Her face twisted unpleasantly—like a nightmare.
"...Hold up."
Nightmare?
I saw it.
Beyond the window, the once pure-white space gradually staining black.
Bang!
The door shaking violently, like someone pounding.
Bang.
Bang.
Creeeak...
Right—this was the inner world.
One fact I'd forgotten.
The being most affected by her mental state was...
—Roooel.
—I'm waaaiiiting.
—Won't you open the doooor?
Me.