The Girl Who Dreamed of Beauty

It might have been a young girl’s deepest wish, the happy future she was rightfully entitled to.

The figure that had become the bait for Memoratrix was, in truth, nothing more than the mature form of that very girl.

'Ah.'

However, the girl’s body had long since been reduced to a mere lure to trap victims, and it was identical to the form Doyun had witnessed earlier.

Doyun peered into the memories of someone he didn't know.

In those memories, the girl had met a horrific death, only to be granted an unwanted life, forced to kill countless Hunters.

Or, to be precise, she had been forced to participate in the killing.

"Kuaaaaaa!!"

"Big brother!"

"...!"

Startled by the urgent call, Doyun snapped back to reality and escaped the spot using Aira's chains.

"Are you okay?!"

"Yeah. Let's put some distance between us for a second."

"Okay!"

Hiding once again between the ruins of the building, Doyun organized his thoughts.

His mind had been reeling from the sudden resonance, but he managed to steady himself.

The members of the Boss Mob Gallery were feeling intense envy toward the confused 'VoiceVillain'.

"Ugh."

Doyun irritably closed the gallery. It seemed VoiceVillain was in an emotional state where she couldn't answer right away.

In that case, there was only one answer.

'Head-on collision.'

It was the method that had always been by his side, the one that provided answers the fastest. His experience with the Boss Mobs who had graduated before, like Chomo-i, proved it.

'If I just slam into it, something will happen.'

Exchange attacks. That act itself was how hints were born.

"Aira, that last move. Let's go again."

"Okay!"

Aira, without a single complaint, immediately summoned her chains at Doyun's sudden command. Feeling grateful, Doyun timed his move once more.

"....?"

The bait attached to the top of Memoratrix's head was still staring at Doyun. Something was definitely strange. If the bait and the main body beneath it were moving in perfect sync, Doyun's position should have been discovered long ago. Yet, as if pretending not to know, the massive main body was rampaging, searching for him in a fury.

'It's different.'

The girl in the memories had been an unwilling sacrifice. She could never have wanted to become such a horrific monster.

Perhaps this was a battle against another version of herself.

"Ready!"

"Thanks."

As he felt his body and the support firmly locked, he signaled, and his body launched like an arrow. His field of vision shifted in an instant. Keeping his eyes locked on the target, he reached the vicinity of the bait in mere seconds.

The distance to the sky grew shorter. Under the pale moonlight, Doyun raised his curved sword and stared at the bait.

-Slash!

"Kuaaaaaa!!!"

The same strike as before.

"....?"

The bait wavered for an instant, and the main body, Memoratrix, began to react violently. It seemed the damage was hitting the mark directly.

-Gurgle!

An irritable signal returned. Doyun hurriedly retreated and waited for the shockwave to end. Then, suddenly—

'Mom! Mom! Look at this! What is this?!'

'Hmm? Haha. That’s a fish that lives in the deep sea. It uses the lure on its head to attract its prey.'

At the sound of the mother and daughter echoing in his head, Doyun's vision blurred.

'Wow! There are so many amazing fish in the world!'

The girl in the memories was living a happy life with sparkling eyes. A normal house, a normal family life.

'My daughter, will you become a biologist when you grow up? You're always hugging those biology books.'

'Yeah! It's so fascinating and fun!'

The girl had hoped to become a biologist. She looked at creatures that other children avoided for being "gross" with a fresh, curious gaze.

"Damn it."

It wasn't a pleasant memory. It was a fragment of VoiceVillain's past—the memories leading up to the moment the girl, who should have lived a happy life, was transformed into a horrific monster.

-Thud.

Landing outside the attack range, Doyun got a rough grasp of the situation. He had learned the attack patterns well enough to be ingrained in his body. His remaining stamina and mana were plentiful. The future where he cleared the floor by subjugating Memoratrix was becoming clearer.

Even so, Doyun's primary interest remained the Hidden Piece. Resonance was the hint and the path to that piece. Why, at this moment, was it showing him Memoratrix's memories?

"Kuaaaaa!!!"

Memoratrix roared in fury after taking several blows, but Doyun had already organized his thoughts. Two more times, maybe three. If he succeeded in attacking a few more times, he would clear it easily.

There was no hesitation. The girl residing in Doyun's memories had already been twisted and cursed into a horrific monster. What she needed now wasn't his pity, but rest.

'Only death is peace.'

Suddenly, the teachings of the Demon Hunter seemed to echo in his ears.

"Let's go."

Doyun immediately put his plan into action.

-Kuaaaaa!!

The body surged forward, sweeping across the terrain. Ignoring the horribly twisted main body, he looked at the bait-like female form just as before.

-Whoosh!

Using Aira's chains, he rode over the uneven skin of the main body. He attacked the bait, which was now close at hand.

"Kuaaaaa!!"

Unable to handle the mounting pain, the main body of Memoratrix began to move sluggishly. Doyun, having positioned himself on top of it, gritted his teeth and continued to strike the weak point.

The main body twitched and gasped like a creature on the verge of death, but Doyun didn't care.

'Give me the EXP.'

And the Hidden Piece, too.

Now, he felt he understood. He knew what the boss monster of this floor wanted.

The end.

He felt a massive, ragged breath. It was Memoratrix's. Leaving behind the reaction of a body that could barely support itself, he looked at the yellow-hued woman whose life was fading.

"...."

A face smiling quietly. Just like at the beginning, she was a being forced to watch the victims warmly while being completely dominated by the main body. But Doyun already knew. He knew that emotions similar to his own were already dwelling within her.

"Pretty."

"....?"

The doll-like smile cracked. The bait—no, the woman—looked surprised, her lips twitching as she pointed at herself and tilted her head.

"Yeah."

Why had VoiceVillain been so obsessed with her own beauty? It must have been a wish and a desire she didn't even know she possessed.

"Ah."

At Doyun's answer, a look of astonishment seeped into the woman's eyes. Soon, it turned into sorrow, and tears began to fall down her cheeks, leaving behind traces of regret.

"Ah, ah."

Now, the end. If he just landed an attack in this state, Memoratrix would surely be cleared completely. But what Doyun wanted wasn't a standard floor clear.

"......"

Doyun walked slowly toward her and gently pulled her into an embrace. It was to acknowledge her, the one who had finally regained her own ego, free from Memoratrix's control.

The correct answer. Having found the Boss Mob's wish, Doyun quietly stayed with the woman until her final ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment.

"Goodbye."

She was leaving the Tower. Not to repeat the horrific cycle of becoming a monster, but to regain complete peace and escape this place. Graduation. The future that the members of the gallery had so desperately longed for was waiting.

Realizing Doyun's intent, 'VoiceVillain' smiled brightly and hugged him back. It was warm. That sensation, however, awakened an unpleasant feeling in Doyun. It was an emotion and sensation similar to the resonance he had felt with other Boss Mobs.

The more he operated in this Tower, the more curious he became about the will of the one who was orchestrating everything from the top floor. What on earth were they looking at, and what did they desire, to have implemented such a horrific phenomenon? To make someone's hell repeat endlessly?

-Thrust.

Sensing that the time had come, Doyun gently pushed his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠curved blade forward. The blade sank in instantly without any resistance. Until the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠very end, VoiceVillain quietly awaited her demise.

-Saaaaa...

Fitting for its massive size, mana transformed into a cloud of light and bloomed across the area. Doyun stared blankly at the dreamlike phenomenon.

-Chu.

Then, suddenly, he flinched at the soft sensation touching his cheek.

"Ugh...!"

Aira's indignant groan. He didn't need to look to know who had done it.

"Ha."

Doyun smiled to himself as he checked the skill name.