The Prologue Was Never Normal (3)

I stole every last one of the bastard’s marks, tied up his arms and legs, and left him there. No way was I going to let him see me getting my life force drained right in front of him, so I forced myself to act fine. Felt like I was going to die. It wasn’t exactly free XP, but I still used my advantages to rack up the points, so I’m pretty damn satisfied.

Looking at the score, this guy had clearly only hunted people weaker than himself. No matter how you say “many a little makes a mickle,” with this kind of haul it was more like “many a little makes a speck of dust.” Maybe this Chrome or Krong or whatever-his-name-was really was a small fry compared to the others. When I think back to my game playthrough, those kids weren’t supposed to be that strong… Is this what they mean by “the game and reality are different”?

“Ugh… Do I seriously have to hunt real monsters?”

Is that the answer? After easily taking down one mark-obsessed idiot, I figured my abilities weren’t completely trash. I decided to at least get a rough idea of the monsters’ strength and carefully headed toward the sounds of fighting.

My insides were churning from how much life force I’d burned in the last battle, but I knew the world wasn’t going to cut me any slack. So I kept pushing forward.

The clash of swords. The sound of something exploding. It was getting closer.

Since I couldn’t recover my stamina right now, I crouched low and approached even more slowly.

-Strong magical energy. Cain. Be careful.

“How strong could they possibly—”

I shut my mouth mid-sentence. The scene unfolding before my eyes was so shocking I couldn’t help but widen them.

The thing I’d assumed was a monster looked nothing like what I remembered from the game. Wait, what the hell is that?

I thought I was seeing things. The students fighting in front of me were one thing, but the “monster” they were battling was some kind of knight wearing pure white armor.

A robot? It looked like a robot.

The artificial construct—clearly made through magitech—faced the male students without a single scratch. The four students kept their distance, breathing hard, watching for an opening. The artificial monster simply stared at them.

In the game I remembered illusionary wolves and goblins… What the hell is going on?

“Haa… Haa… I’ve never even heard of anything like this! What the hell is that thing?!”

“No matter what dirty tricks we pull, it doesn’t even get a scratch. Just what the hell is—”

The artificial monster looked at the students with sparkling blue eyes, then drew the sword stored at its side. The heavy swing accurately struck the students’ blind spots. The ones in the rear launched fire and ice magic. The ones in front drew their weapons to meet it head-on. But they were all blown away by overwhelming force.

The guy who slammed his head into a tree passed out. The one who hit a rock passed out too. The mages glanced around nervously, then turned tail and ran.

Yeah. Smart choice. I’m slowly backing away myself right now.

Whew… Getting caught by something like that would be game over.

As I retreated, my eyes suddenly landed on the two unconscious guys.

Wait a second. If I steal their marks while they’re knocked out, wouldn’t that be a massive win?

Hmm…

I stopped backing up and quietly weighed the pros and cons in my head.

Hmm… marks… hmm… points… hmm…

Before I knew it, my body was instinctively moving toward the unconscious pair.

Honestly, this is completely reasonable. Even if I somehow win a fight, I’d be in no shape for the next one. And here they are practically running a charity service, offering up their marks. It’d be stupid to pass this up.

That robot-looking thing probably won’t do anything if I don’t act hostile, right?

“Hmm… Just in case… Sylph.”

-Yeah.

“Go snatch the marks from those two knocked-out guys over there. Can you do it?”

-Wow. You’re so sneaky.

“Life is supposed to be cunning. Stop complaining and just bring them.”

I nodded proudly and gestured to Sylph. She made a slightly dissatisfied face but still flicked her hand, stirring up a breeze.

Using the absolute minimum life force necessary so it wouldn’t harm me, Sylph rummaged through their pockets, pulled out the marks, and carefully brought them over to me.

Aww, you cute little thing. She grumbles and sometimes talks back, but in the end she always listens. What an excellent partner.

Of course she is.

-D…d…detecting… energy…

Huh? Did that thing just speak?

The artificial monster suddenly lowered its head and began speaking in a voice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠full of static.

-M…mana… not… detected…

Sparks flew wildly across its body. Its previously blue eyes turned blood red.

-Classified as threat. Initiating energy scan.

The artificial monster began walking straight toward me without hesitation.

Shit. Did it notice me? I’m fucked.

The tin can that seemed to be glitching out twisted its body in a grotesque way, stared at me, and raised its sword.

Realizing there was no point hiding anymore, I stood up, turned my back on the robot—or android, or whatever the hell this tin can was—and started running.

-Confirming cause of anomaly. Elimination… elimination protocol… activating.

The voice was so full of noise I could barely understand it. I just prayed I’d reach the edge of the forest safely and ran with everything I had.

Please. Please. Please. Don’t let me get hit by that tin can bastard. It looks like it would hurt like hell just from looking at it.

WHOOSH!

Suddenly a wall of fire erupted in front of me out of nowhere. Unable to move forward, I instinctively looked behind me.

Flames were flickering on the tin can’s sword.

Wait, did it seriously just shoot fire in front of me with that? It can use long-range magic like that?

“Hey, this… something’s seriously wrong here…”

I looked at the watch on my wrist. Something was definitely off. The screen was completely black, and no matter how much I tapped it, it wouldn’t turn on.

What the hell is going on?

Think, damn it…

-Cain. What should we do?

“……”

If I fight one more time here, I’m definitely going to collapse. It said elimination protocol! Elimination protocol means it’s going to kill me, right?! What kind of insane academy can’t even control one damn tin can?!

“Fuck… Let’s just fight it once.”

-Okay.

I had no choice. Every time I tried to run, flames poured out of that damn sword and blocked my escape route. We were now inside a makeshift arena surrounded by fire. That tin can bastard clearly intended to finish me off here.

I used Spirit’s Eye to check its status.

Hiiiiiik.

Goosebumps exploded across my entire body and I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut. What the hell kind of status message is that? Did the system break?

-Cain. It’s dangerous.

“Uhh…?”

I suddenly felt weightless, then was slammed into the ground. With a loud crash, the sky spun around me.

I couldn’t even process what was happening. The tin can’s sword was embedded deep in the spot where I had just been standing. Sylph must have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shoved me with all her strength.

As proof, my insides were even more messed up. Something hot rose from my stomach—I coughed it out and a clump of blood splattered onto the ground.

Ha… Fuck. Am I going to die here? Isn’t this a bit unfair after everything I’ve been through?

In front of me, Sylph stood with her tiny body, blocking the path of the approaching magitech soldier with an expressionless face.

I doubted the tin can could even see her, but surprisingly it stopped in front of her.

-Detecting… unknown… phenomenon… Analyzing… situation…

-Cain. Run. I’ll hold it off.

No, seriously… If you fight that thing, I’m the one who’s going to die. I’m grateful for your heart—literally to the point of tears—but when you fight, I physically hurt too…

“Sylph, let’s break through the flames and run first. Can you do it with wind?”

-Yeah. I’ll try.

Right. Without Sylph’s power, I’m just an extra who would die while walking down the street. There’ll be a pretty big bleed, but I’ll have to endure it. Eve Abraham isn’t here right now either, so I refuse to keep doing anything that eats away at my body.

The moment Sylph shot wind at the wall of fire, the dark red blood that had been churning inside me poured out of my mouth. Seeing that, Sylph froze in shock.

-C-Cain…!

“Just shoot it! If I don’t do this, I’m ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dead anyway!”

I squeezed the words out. Sylph’s eyes widened, then she clenched them shut and compressed the strongest wind she could produce before firing it at the wall of flames.

With a loud BANG!, a temporary gap appeared.

Good. Time to move.

I forced my heavy legs to move, trying to escape this damn place. At least until that tin can bastard grabbed me by the back of my neck.

-Elimination protocol. Activating.

“What the fuck?! What kind of elimination protocol is this?! This is a backstab protocol! If you were going to do this, you should’ve caught me from the start!”

This is so fucking unfair. If you were going to do this, you should’ve grabbed me earlier. I couldn’t feel any strength left in my body. I’d squeezed out the last of my power to open a path, and now it stabs me in the back? You son of a bitch.

I quietly closed my eyes. I could feel a burning heat on my back—the bastard had definitely drawn its sword and was aiming it at me.

Reality really is cruel. Maybe a little unfair?

That was when it happened.

“Open your eyes and calmly look around.”

A voice came from somewhere. But I don’t even have the strength to open my eyes.

“You can do it. Open your eyes. Cain.”

The young man’s voice continued. Can do it? My body won’t even move. How am I supposed to—

…I really hate this situation.

I forced my eyes open and looked around. There was nothing to see. What the hell am I supposed to do? Is this an auditory hallucination?

“Focus. See what cannot be seen in this world.”

“Who… the hell are you…”

What cannot be seen in this world… Spirit’s Eye…

I forced my blurring vision open and looked around using Spirit’s Eye. It was only for a split second.

The tin can was thrusting its sword into my back without hesitation. I was about to become a perfectly cooked human skewer.

That was when I saw something wriggling inside the flames.

-Haha! You found me?!

A bright, lively voice rang out from behind me. I couldn’t turn to look, but I could tell the tin can had suddenly let go of my neck.

“Cough, cough…! Fuck… ha…”

-C-Cain. Are you okay?

“Haa… I really thought I was going to die…”

Still sitting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the ground, I caught my breath and looked toward the tin can. There, a tiny lizard was blocking its path with an enormous wall of flames.

-You! You can see me, right?! You found me, right?!

What the hell is this lizard now?