Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Paradise of Dolls
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I immediately went to Evan and slapped the cheek of the guy sprawled out asleep to wake him.
“Evan, the sun’s up. Time to get up.”
“Ugh…….”
Evan opened his bleary eyes and let out a massive yawn.
“…Good morning. You’re up early.”
“…Yeah.”
Truth be told, I hadn’t slept a wink, but I felt better than when I’d slept deeply. My head felt clear, like a fog had lifted.
“Get your head straight. Let’s move before we wake everyone up.”
“Just let me rub the sleep from my eyes…….”
Evan rubbed his face like a lazy cat. Was this guy always this weak in the mornings?
From what I remembered, he’d been pretty sharp during training camp……. Well, even the world’s laziest guy would have to shape up in a place like that.
Anyway, I dragged the half-asleep Evan out of the hideout.
The always-bustling shopping district was quiet at dawn.
Even the merchants who had to prep early were probably just now stirring from bed.
Most of the academy folks were still in dreamland… which was exactly why we were moving at this hour.
We didn’t take the tram.
Sure, it would’ve been faster, but I had a hunch that boarding records might leave a trail for later tracking.
Luckily, the shopping district and research wing weren’t far apart. Enough that someone might stubbornly stick to an uncomfortable cot instead of heading back to the dorms?
“We’re here.”
“That’s Building 12?”
Research Wing Building 12 was a two-story structure shaped like a ‘ㄷ’.
Even at dawn, it gave off an eerie vibe. At midnight, it might’ve looked like a real abandoned ruin.
“Professors use this for research, right? Why does it look like that?”
“I heard the facilities get worse sequentially—Building 1 is the best, and it degrades from there. By 12, it’s indistinguishable from an unused restroom.”
“Hmm…….”
Typical academy. Everything from one to ten was merit-based. Familiar territory for someone from the Bednicker Family……
“…Hm.”
The moment we stepped inside, Evan and I both let out a groan.
An itchy, tingling sensation prickled at my senses.
Hard to pin down in a word or two—an ambiguous, melancholic feeling.
Stepping in at night would’ve definitely been dangerous, I thought.
“To think they do research in a place like this…….”
“I heard keeping a professorship isn’t easy. If you don’t produce results every two years, you’re out, no questions asked.”
“I see……. But how do you know so much about the academy?”
“Oh. I had some classes that overlapped with Pam’s. You know how chatty he is.”
Anyway, the presences inside were mostly professors, with no ties to martial arts, so no one noticed our infiltration.
No guards either, so we easily reached our target, Room 104.
Creak……
The door opened with a grating sound, and the stale smell of dust assaulted my nose.
The room inside was unnaturally dark. There was one window, but blackout curtains completely blocked the sunrise.
Swish……
I pulled the curtain halfway to check inside, finally revealing the room’s true state.
“Whoa…….”
“…….”
Just as Seren said: occult supplies piled like mountains, worn-out dolls, and intricate symbols and letters carved into the walls.
What could I say.
I didn’t want to stay here even a second.
Not because of filth, but the atmosphere.
“Talk about a vibe killer.”
“You check the dolls. I’ll dig through these occult supplies—I have no idea what they’re for.”
“Urk.”
Evan pretended to gag as he headed to the dolls, while I rummaged through the creepy items.
Bloodstained handkerchiefs, rotten petals, half-broken mugs, bottles of unknown solutions, a baby rattle, a rusted carving knife……
‘Unlucky’ was the only common thread among these unrelated items.
I used Fiery Eyes to check for any magic tools mixed in……
‘None.’
Everything here was just old antiques.
Then I turned to the walls.
Black magic circles for forming, maintaining, and enforcing the laws of the back world, inscribed with rules in demonic script that one must obey.
Impressive how Seren managed to copy that worm-like script so well, I thought……
“……?”
Then I felt a sense of wrongness.
I pulled the note from my pocket and compared it to the wall.
‘…There’s one more line of demonic script?’
A chill ran down my spine.
Seren had visited just days ago.
Meaning someone had been here in the interim.
“…Ruan?”
“What?”
“The dolls are kinda weird.”
Evan, with a rare stiff expression, pointed at the mountain of dolls.
“What’s weird about them.”
“They keep staring at me.”
“What?”
“Look.”
Evan moved slightly to prove it.
Creak, crick……
“……!”
With the sound of joints twisting, the dolls’ heads followed him.
“…Lady Seren didn’t mention anything like this, right?”
“Yeah. And there’s an extra line of demonic script.”
“For real?”
“Something’s fishy. For now, let’s—”
“Hehe.”
We both shut up at the short laugh. Turning around, we saw the princess standing there like a ghost.
“…….”
I hadn’t sensed her at all.
Even now.
She stood calmly right in front of me, yet it didn’t feel like we were facing each other.
Like having a mirage right before my eyes.
The princess sent a dark gaze and burst into laughter.
“Not here for club recruitment, I assume……. Desbery, what do you think they’re here for.”
“…….”
“You’re right. They’re here to interfere. To stop us from creating paradise.”
No point responding.
An evil aura poured from the princess as she spoke.
Raw malice.
For a split second, I thought if she figured out Evan’s identity, it’d be dangerous.
“Get lost.”
I said curtly, then charged at her. Midway, I thrust out my left palm.
Whoosh!
White Sun Eclipse’s flame wheel—a palm-shaped blaze—flew at the princess.
She just smiled faintly at the sight.
The next instant—
Kwang!
The dolls on the walls sprang up and threw themselves at the flame wheel.
Movements ignoring their flesh—a swarm of moths shielding the princess.
Then, a crash from behind—Evan breaking the window to escape.
“Ahaha.”
The princess laughed again. No sign of pursuit. Come to think of it, her eyes had been fixed on me the whole time.
I met her gaze too.
Her hair was dyed black, but she couldn’t hide the imperial red eyes.
Glenn had mentioned it.
The selection criterion for the dozen or so new royals was the purity of their noble red hue.
It was true.
Her eyes were far redder and more beautiful than the crimson gem I’d seen in Alderson’s treasury.
Crackle, tap……
Beyond the charred, burning dolls, I met her eyes and said flatly.
“I want to go to the back world.”
Fighting her here, I might subdue or even kill her.
But that’s not what I wanted.
The princess smiled slyly.
“Interesting. How did you learn about paradise?”
“You wrote it right here.”
I thumbed at the demonic script.
Her smile deepened.
“So you can read it. Hehe. Desbery’s getting a new friend…….”
“…….”
“Fine. My paradise doesn’t refuse those who come. You’ll like it too, Ruan Bednicker. As long as you follow a few rules.”
“Rules?”
I played dumb.
To contrast with what Lise had told me.
“First. Don’t get caught by paradise residents. Second. Don’t try to leave paradise.”
“…….”
Swap ‘paradise’ for back world and ‘residents’ for dolls, and it matched Lise’s explanation.
“And third. You must play with the children in paradise once a day.”
“…….”
That was new.
Was this the added rule?
But what did ‘play’ mean?
Before I could ask, the surroundings darkened.
Kiriik, kiriik……
The remaining dolls crawled the walls and blocked the window with their bodies. Disgusting, like swarming cockroaches.
The princess reached for the door and slowly closed it.
Creak……
Ignoring the door’s screech, she whispered with a smile.
“Let’s have fun until the full moon, Ruan Bednicker. I hope you enjoy it too.”
Click.
The door shut.
The room plunged into total darkness.
…….
…….
…….
Silence.
I couldn’t sense the princess anymore, but I realized the atmosphere had shifted drastically.
My heart raced for no reason, breath quickened.
I groped through the dark room.
Recalling the layout before blackout, I found the curtain and pulled it.
Swish—
“…….”
I remembered the dawn and sunrise light.
It hadn’t been long since daybreak.
Now it was different.
Outside the half-broken window stretched a blood-soaked night sky……
And a blood-red moon filling half the heavens, as if it had crept closer.
So this is the back world.
“…What a mood.”
About to draw the curtain on the eerie sight—
Aaaaah……
A desperate scream echoed from afar.
Not too far.
I yanked the door open and bolted out.
* * *
Arin Ohandel, like most girls her age, loved dolls. Of course, she didn’t buy them to collect personally.
At seventeen, buying dolls felt a bit embarrassing. Dorm life left nowhere to hide them anyway.
‘Still, someday…….’
After graduating and getting her own place……
She dreamed simply of placing a few favorites in a corner of her room.
“Hic, hiik, hic……!”
Those thoughts were gone without a trace now.
To Arin, dolls were no longer a dream—they were a nightmare.
She ran panting down the dim, endless corridor.
The hallway stretched forever.
Blood-red light seeped through windows, casting her heaving shadow.
The girl fleeing to live, to avoid death and more pain, looked pathetic and ridiculous.
Keeheehee—!
A doll chased her.
Half Arin’s size, but its face twisted grotesquely, clutching a butcher knife as big as itself.
Crusted with rotten blood and flesh chunks.
Images flickered of cadets turned to pulp by that blade.
“Hup…….”
Tears welled in Arin’s eyes.
Amid mindless running, unable to catch her breath, incoherent mutters spilled out.
“…Please spare me. I’m sorry. I did wrong. I’ll do my homework. No more skipping. I’ll cut snacks. So—”
The words stopped.
Not just because her voice cracked.
She knew they were meaningless, that she’d learned her pleas changed nothing.
Crash!
Arin tripped.
Not a misstep—inevitable.
Sensation had left her legs awhile ago.
Her body had passed its limit long before, but fear forced it on.
Like a dying human’s burst of superhuman strength.
Even that had limits.
The chilling laughter closed in.
The doll stopped running and walked slowly. Probably had from the start.
It could’ve caught her instantly but didn’t.
That was their nature.
They savored human fear, dread, despair, frustration.
“Uhic, hic…….”
Arin knew magic, but confrontation didn’t cross her mind now.
In this state, she couldn’t even circulate mana—if she could, it’d be futile anyway.
There’d been a top swordsman from the swordsmanship department, Theus sunbae.
Rumored locks for the Imperial Knights.
He’d been caught here too, once leading surviving cadets.
His bold face and confident demeanor inspired trust.
Following him would get them out, she’d hoped.
It didn’t last.
Theus, boldly facing the dolls, had all limbs severed in under a minute, crawling the floor.
- Aaaah……. P-please, spare me……. Spare me……! P-please… I-it hurts. Hurts so much… M-mom……
Theus crawled on his torso until exhaustion, then his face was pulped like fruit.
“Hup, sob…….”
Arin knew it was her turn.
Death was inevitable, but she didn’t want the pain.
She wished for a quick end, but lacked the courage to bite her tongue.
Wasn’t biting your tongue a myth anyway?
Pointless thoughts even now.
Arin wanted to laugh bitterly but had no strength or leisure.
The doll reached her feet.
Kieeek……
Its gaze fixed on her right leg. Swollen toes, peeled nails. Ah, starting there.
The butcher knife rose high.
Somehow, it felt unreal. Despite seeing it countless times.
Couldn’t picture her leg severed by it.
‘Ah…….’
She understood why steadfast Theus sunbae called for mom at the end.
“…Mom.”
As Arin’s voice faded—
Warm light flickered from the right.
Not the ominous, fearful red moonlight that haunted her all day.
The kind that made you drowsy touching your hand, yet too brilliant for anyone to stare at directly—
Sunlight’s presence.
Arin’s perception was spot on.
What she witnessed was a martial art modeled after the sun among all things.
Boom!
The doll shattered.
The demon she couldn’t dream of opposing splintered like a wooden toy.
“You alright?”
“…….”
Arin stared blankly.
A platinum-haired boy dusted off his fist. Like he’d smashed a scarecrow, not killed a demon.
“You’re……?”
“Transfer student. Necktie color says you’re sunbae, right? Got a few questions…….”
Casual tone.
Hadn’t grasped the situation yet?
Some cadets were like this.
With the headmaster’s nasty personality, they mistook it for some event or test.
They died quickest and most miserably.
“W-wait……. I-it’s dangerous here. Killer dolls everywhere, others got caught too, and this isn’t a test or…….”
“I know.”
“Huh?”
“Demons appeared. You got caught up in it.”
The boy cut off her rambling.
Arin blinked.
“Y-you got caught too?”
“Not quite. I came on my own.”
“On your own? Why……?”
Why come to this hell willingly? The question hid in her tone.
The platinum-haired boy answered.
“To save you.”
“…….”
Arin’s expression twisted oddly.
Trembling lips, twitching nose tip, tears welling.
She’d held back words forever.
‘Help me.’
Thrown into this unknown world, fleeing, terrified, begging, despairing, fleeing again.
Held thousands, tens of thousands of times, spoken them.
‘Please help me.’
But knowing they were pointless, that no one heard, she eventually gave up.
So “Save me” never escaped before death.
She was scared.
Scared her voice wouldn’t reach anyone, more than this hell. Scared of dying quietly unknown.
No.
Her unspoken plea had reached someone.
At that realization, tears burst from Arin.
“Thank you…….”
Like a dam breaking, her shattered true heart poured out with sobs.
“Th-thank you. Thank you. I th-thought it was all over, sob……. Really, thank you…….”
She bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
The boy—Ruan Bednicker—chuckled at the sight.
No telling what came next.
Stepping into the back world alone might’ve been stupid.
But……
For now, glad I came.
He truly thought so.