Infiltration
Clap!
As she clapped her hands, soldiers burst out from everywhere, surrounding me in an instant.
No way…
"S-Seria, how could you do this to me?"
This has to be a dream. Right?
"Saintess Candidate Seria, thank you for your cooperation in capturing this vicious criminal. We'll report it to the Church immediately."
I steadied my chaotic mind and barely managed to shout, squeezing my heart like it was in a vise.
"Seria?!"
"What do you mean? It was just my duty as a citizen of the kingdom."
With those final words, she shook out her pink hair and turned away without a shred of hesitation.
"Seria! Seria!!"
Why? This can't be real.
Smack!
"You beast! Did you think you could kill the princess and get away with it?!"
"A guy like this was a hero? Our kingdom is doomed."
Seria really abandoned me. Even if everyone else left, as long as I had you…
Thud!
"Die, you bastard!"
"The kingdom's disgrace!"
Why me, of all people?
Smack! Thud!
Even as the soldiers beat me, he had only one thought.
"……."
Regret welled up from the depths of his heart like a spring, sweeping through every corner of his body.
…Why did it end up like this?
I never imagined my trusted comrades would abandon me like this. Lurein, Arshe, Lein, and now even Seria—they weren't like this at first.
It all started after it was revealed that I couldn't use the Divine Weapon…
But even so, I'd lived my whole life striving hard, and this was the result?
'A worthless hero.'
'Can't even use a Divine Weapon.'
'Pathetic weakling… what can you even do?'
All those sneers and persecutions—it finally hit him.
Ah… I'd been blind to something so simple.
…That I lacked power.
So he prayed. More desperately than when he'd first wished to become a hero.
'Anyone… anyone at all, please just give me power…!'
Do you know? That light feels even more precious in the darkness.
In that moment of despair, a voice echoed in his mind as if it had been waiting.
Screeech—
'Another one of those damn hero memories.'
The searing pain burning through his entire body snapped his mind awake again. He slowly lifted his head.
"……."
A nose-stinging stench hit him as his eyes met those of two women.
'These two are back already…'
Is it morning already? I must have dozed off. They don't need to come wake me every day.
The man who couldn't escape women's attention—that was me.
The woman in an elegant magic robe pushed up her glasses and spoke.
"Fascinating. As expected, heroes seem to have exceptional resistance to magic. I wonder if the other heroes are the same?"
"Just as Sub-Tower Master said, there must be a special blessing on his body itself."
'I'm gonna die at this rate.'
He drew up his inner energy from his dantian and slowly circulated it.
It was just a temporary measure, but the tiny amount of inner energy he'd accumulated had kept him alive this far.
"The sample size is too small, that's what's bothering me. With this level of magic, he should be a pile of ash… but look at this. Serious burns, but that's it?"
"Truly astonishing vitality."
They thought it was the goddess's blessing, but no.
Poke!
Like observing a lab rat, she jabbed a sharp awl into various parts of his body.
"……."
"A true hero. Not even a whimper…"
Ha. Prisone Prison, where the kingdom's worst criminals were thrown.
It had been about a month since he'd boldly turned himself in to catch the real culprit.
"Shall we proceed with the next experiment?"
"I'll prepare."
Thanks to these stalker fans visiting daily, he never had a single peaceful day.
The tortures carried out in the name of the Goddess's Judgment, purifying the soul…
They acted more like demons in human skin. The game had only glossed over it in passing, so he hadn't known it was this bad.
But silver lining among the misfortune:
'If I hadn't learned the Reverse Blood Demonic Art, I'd be dead by now.'
It wasn't efficient, but it converted pain into inner energy, so he'd take comfort in that.
"Let's test physical durability today. Prepare."
"Understood."
No sooner had the sub-tower master spoken than her assistant pulled out a massive axe from behind.
"……."
"It'll sting a bit! We'll reattach your limbs after the experiment, so don't worry, Hero."
Just get lost. Please.
* * *
'Good, limbs are still attached.'
Thanks a lot.
In the pitch-black cell without a sliver of light, a damp, filthy solitary confinement unfit for human habitation was his only respite.
So humid a droplet trailed down the bridge of his nose.
"……."
Black, ominous shackles constricted his entire body—custom-made just for him.
And that wasn't all. A gag in his mouth, sharp spikes driven into every acupoint.
The effect was plain to see.
'Hard to even breathe.'
Even if I'd really killed the princess, they wouldn't bind me this tight.
You bastards.
'About time.'
Most people would lose hope and give up in this situation, but not him.
In the game, the inferior hero Tanas had only three possible endings.
First: Beheaded under a false accusation. He'd escaped that one somehow.
Second: Lose his ego and become a living mana battery. No different from death—a gruesome end.
Third was…
Creeeak—
'Here it comes.'
As the solitary door opened,
"Hmph, you leech, still alive? Why don't you just croak already."
A fat pig of a man waddled in.
"……."
"Kyak! Ptui! Because you slipped out like that at trial, I took a huge loss!"
The one who'd bet against him at trial, the idiot.
Of course, he wasn't here to see this piglet.
"Enough, Baron Jeffrey."
"C-Count, my apologies."
A handsome middle-aged man stepped out from behind the pig.
"Hero Tanas, you look awful."
"……."
"This punk won't answer when you're speaking, Count!"
Smack! The pig's flab slapped his face hard, but
"Gah! W-what's so damn hard?!"
It barely tickled.
'Body's already hardening… Reverse Blood Demonic Art maxes at 3rd star, I guess.'
Once out, time to cultivate a new technique. One wrong move and qi deviation would be no joke.
The hero remained silent even with the rampaging pig in front.
"Enough. I want to talk alone, so get out."
"Now?"
"Baron Jeffrey, do you intend to defy me?"
The pig baron sweated bullets before finally speaking.
"N-no, sir. I saw nothing."
"Good."
As the pig scurried out in panic, the count approached with heavy steps.
Finally here. I've been waiting.
"Who are you?"
Pretending ignorance, he opened his mouth.
"Heh… Curious, eh? I'm not one for beating around the bush, so straight to the point."
"……."
Silent, he nodded for the count to continue.
"No desire to get out of here? The Goddess's Judgment sounds nice, but the Magic Tower's just torturing you for experiments. Trash… doing that to a hero!"
The count clenched his fist, as if unable to bear the sight. Like he was the hero's ally.
"Thanks for the kind words. …But how do you plan to get me out? This is the kingdom's worst prison."
"Don't worry, I have ways."
How far to trust him? Right—the third ending for hero Tanas:
"The deputy warden, Baron Jeffrey, is my man. He'll release the prisoners. You escape in the chaos."
"The price?"
"Nothing much. Just one simple favor."
…Being remodeled into the Demon King's vessel.
A low-grade demon mimicking humans, like a copy demon doppelganger.
The player Sword Hero was supposed to handle it, but since it didn't show at trial, it screamed incompetence…
"……."
God, I hope not. If it was real, headache already.
The count smiled amiably and continued.
"What do you say, hero?"
He pretended to think, then nodded reluctantly.
"No choice. I'll take the favor."
Hurry up and free me.
"Love a straightforward guy."
Clank—the black restraints fell limply.
'Mana shackles… useful.'
Creeak— He picked up a shackle and stepped out.
"Follow me."
"Huh?! Hero, where are you—?!"
"Why are you already…?!"
Ignoring the pig's dumbstruck face, he curtly answered the count.
"Prisoners for distraction? I know the layout, so release the monsters too."
"Monsters? …Good idea. Baron, a bit early, but proceed as planned."
"Y-yes, sir."
Down the spiral stairs, deeper and deeper.
"……."
Finally, they stopped before the black iron door of the lowest level.
"A secret place like this under Prisone Prison… I had no idea."
"Monster breeding experiments were held here."
Of course you didn't—mid-game releases.
"Looks like a powerful seal. How to open it?"
One last check.
"Count, sorry, but lend me something."
"Anything! We're in this together!"
The guy cozied up, despite planning to erase his ego for the Demon King possession.
Shameless.
"Nothing big."
Slowly infusing qi into the mana shackle.
"Need a demon's neck."
"W-what did you say?"
I mean yours.