Chapter 283
Chapter 283
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 283
Chapter Title: Sub. South Korea's High School Girls
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There stood a beautiful girl. She was a current high schooler in a plaid skirt that added just the right pop of style, a beige jacket, and an outfit that practically radiated autumn scents.
The crowning touch was her newsboy cap.
She waited for people, all dolled up to perfection.
Soon, familiar silhouettes shimmered in the distance—one long and casual, the other relatively short. That alone was enough for her to recognize them.
In front of the fountain square at Neo Seoul Station, Oh Hyein spotted her approaching friends and waved her arms wildly to express her delight. It had been ages since they'd last met.
"Daesu oppa, over here! Hi Lulu!"
"Ahh."
"Yup!"
Orange hair and red hair swayed together. The two who had faced death as magical girls had stepped back into this world thanks to the mad wizard's boundless generosity.
By now, the simulation's virtual reality nature had been fully exposed—especially after Kim Lulu nagged relentlessly during Hayang's health checkups until she finally scored access privileges.
In truth, the mad wizard had been itching to invite them first and was secretly pondering how to lure them into the simulation. That part stayed under wraps.
Daesu waved awkwardly.
"...It's been a while. You eating okay—"
"Tackle hug—!!"
"Gahk!"
Splash!
Kim Lulu launched herself almost vertically, slamming into Oh Hyein with a powerful tackle. The two tumbled straight into the fountain. Water sprayed everywhere as the high school girls shrieked with laughter, their voices echoing to the skies.
"Can't rein them in, huh..."
Daesu watched the pair kick off their water fight, pushing up his sunglasses. He muttered like it was pathetic, but he couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips.
After splashing around to her heart's content, Kim Lulu locked onto her next target.
"Daesu, get over here!"
"No way. I'm in white clothes—if I get wet, it'll go see-through..."
"Aqua Splash!"
Whoosh!
"—Hey!!"
"Oh! It's blue!"
"You'll regret messing with me!"
"Eek! The pool lifeguard Daesu has arrived!"
Daesu joined the fountain square melee. He conjured a water barrier and unleashed merciless torrents on his foes. For a moment, he even gained the upper hand against Kim Lulu.
Click.
Oh Hyein, who had been biding her time from behind, struck with a lethal sneak attack, flipping the battle 180 degrees. She demonstrated her skill by tracing a finger down his spine, unraveling Daesu's hook punch effortlessly.
"You—Oh Hyein—!!"
"You made me sad with that sacrificial ending at the last second, so you deserve some payback, right?"
"You've been holding a grudge...!"
To grab his slipping underwear, Daesu frantically covered his chest with both arms—a clear declaration of defeat.
Oh Hyein hugged the defenseless Daesu from behind and kneaded his belly mercilessly.
"Put on a little weight?"
"I haven't gained any?!"
Kim Lulu grinned slyly at the thoroughly pinned Daesu as she gathered her mana.
The session had imposed mana limits on Kim Lulu, but this was post-ending. The mad wizard had granted her ample resources.
Vast mana converged, drawing a massive water pillar upward through sheer brute force. It soon formed into a gigantic spherical water blob hovering over Daesu's head.
"That size? We'll all get swept up! You planning to take out Kim Lulu and Oh Hyein too?!"
"It's fine, Lulu... If it means punishing evil, I can sacrifice this body of mine. Don't hesitate—wipe us out!"
"Okay, drown in the deluge—!!"
Rooooar—!
The water bomb detonated. The sheer volume—suspiciously more than what the fountain could hold—unleashed a raging torrent that drenched and disheveled their clothes completely.
Once the spray settled, all that remained were three drowned rats. They wrung out their soaked hair and clothes, laughing at each other.
"Kuh, hahaha!"
"Uhahahahaha!"
"Heehee...!"
Reuniting with friends was pure joy.
A massive water bomb incident erupted near the bustling district, yet the city remained utterly serene. No police sirens wailed, and citizens hurried by, each in their own world.
Proof that this world was a simulation.
"...It's impressive all over again."
"What is?"
"Everything."
Senses so vivid, everything feeling utterly real—yet it's a simulation. Every tiny detail the product of computation. How was that even possible?
The idea that one person created this world was hard to swallow.
But undeniable proof was right there.
Roooooooar—!!
A Godzilla-like beast roared in the distant sky, flanked by a colossal golem larger than any building priming a rocket punch.
"What's that?"
"Prepping the next session."
"Gonna drag another victim into the pit of despair, huh."
"Or maybe making a friend for some lonely soul this time. Was the pit of despair all you got here, Daesu oppa?"
"........."
True. He'd met Kim Lulu and Oh Hyein here, and it had changed his heart. Overall... life here had been enjoyable.
Back in reality, munching desserts with Kim Lulu felt somehow lacking—missing doenjang jjigae, but most of all, that mala tang flavor kept haunting him.
Like giving poison then the antidote.
As Kim Lulu cheered at the giant robot landing a haymaker on the monster's face, Oh Hyein received a transmission from outer space and spoke up.
"Oh, signal came in. Hayang, right...? Health check's done; they're sending her down here."
"Here?"
"Yeah. Said it'd be good to show her the world and teach her morals—nowhere beats modern times for that. Honestly, don't you suck at morals, Daesu oppa? You got a 30 on that note-cheating exam."
"What's wrong with smashing a kid's head for talking in class? Korea's morals are messed up from the start. I was fighting honorably in the tower, and some jungle peasant dares—"
Vrrrrm.
A UFO spun in from the far sky. The silver saucer beamed down a brilliant ray of light, and Hayang descended majestically along it, slow and grand.
Kim Lulu waved at the landed Hayang.
"Hi Hayang!"
"Hiii. One more time."
"One more...? Fun coming down from the sky?"
"Mooo."
Then one more ride it is. Kim Lulu grabbed Hayang's hand and signaled the UFO. The two floated slowly upward like alien abductees.
Oh Hyein and Daesu watched, chatting idly.
"Got a perfect morals teacher lined up—want an intro?"
"...One of those self-aware AIs like you?"
"Yeah. Abraham—a super kind old grandpa."
"Ah..."
He knew the name. It had haunted his nightmares repeatedly while recovering from the aftermath of facing Pashimhyeonjeon. Who was this guy whose mansion burned to the ground amid screams? He'd been dying to know.
"Others too?"
"Centra unnie's kind but got that medieval mindset—'hurt someone, smack 'em' is hardcoded. Ferro's apocalypse survivor vibes make him glitchy sometimes. So, top pick's Grandpa Abraham."
"...Can't you handle it? Strangers are hard to trust, and... I've never seen a magical girl quite like you."
"Aw, you're overpraising me... kinda embarrassing."
That's when the mad wizard popped into the empty space unannounced.
"Both solid choices. But I vouch for Abraham's character—trust me, Lodrus. He'll teach great."
"...Use your blinker!"
"Includes Kim Lulu's common sense training. Hyein, once UFO abduction playtime's over, bring 'em along. Lodrus, you chat with me."
"Yesss booss."
Oh Hyein gave a floppy salute, patted Daesu's back, and walked off. Lodrus scowled—half annoyed at the friend time interruption, half uneasy around this mad wizard guy.
"...What is it?"
"Gonna tidy up the Crimson Duke's mess."
That... was definitely important.
The Crimson Duke's household was still kicking, but as a black mage, bluntly put, he'd been crippled—arms and legs lopped off.
His elite forces, cultivated via the artificial myth-beast plan, had mostly been snatched by the mad wizard. His underlings were getting shredded by the second. His shadowy power for covert ops was dwindling fast.
Now, the Crimson Duke had only mundane noble clout left.
"...Isn't that still dangerous? He's a duke of the empire."
"My faction's the Goddess Church and imperial heirs. Go public, and he crumbles. That's why he stuck to black mage gigs, right?"
But.
"Going public would hurt us too. I'd love to lop his head off now that he's weakened, but Irid says backlash would be huge."
"Without ironclad proof of his black magic atrocities, it'd alienate the nobles."
"Not leaving him be, though... Planning pressure and safe extraction, but I figure the right timing will come."
"Timing?"
His ambitions were unknown. But even with duke-level power, he hungered for more, scrambling for strength. So.
"Quitting's the smart play, but the duke won't."
He'd keep scheming. Investing time and resources to ascend as a black mage, methodically removing obstacles.
But now, he lacked secret daggers. The mad wizard stole or snapped them all. So then?
"He'll turn to overt power. Convert his noble might into black mage force. Mobilize public knight orders, swing authority."
"........."
"Might ditch all overt power for 'something' drastic."
And that's the timing.
The moment undeniable proof surfaces, his dark heart exposed. If a close aide turns assassin dagger then?
The mad wizard whispered softly.
"Reverse assassination contract, Lodrus. Feel like being the 'Duke Killer'?"
"...I'll take it. Was planning that anyway."
"Good. Let's check if you've got the guts for assassinations. Group horror movie trip. Tickets here."
"?"
The mad wizard peeled out with a drift. Lodrus's face said it all—what the hell?
He said sheepishly.
"Look, it's not blowing up right now. You're committed, so we're linked—can talk anytime. Plus... feels bad dragging work into friend playtime."
"Ha."
Play all you want first, then.
Lodrus didn't refuse. Back in Korea after so long, he wanted to soak up modern civilization with friends before leaving.
Horror movie, huh. Never seen one, but he got the gist.
Jumpscares from the screen, eerie gloomy vibes. He scoffed inwardly. Horror? Pfft, please.
Lodrus had dashed through real assassinations, endured life-risk training. He could calmly deflect incoming knives.
How scary could a movie be?
Vrooooooom—!
"Daaaesuuu—!!"
"...!! .........!!!"
"Cover my eyes, plug my ears!"
"Do it yourself. Use your hands!"
Kim Lulu clung to Daesu like a cicada, trembling. Daesu wanted to shut his eyes and ears but held back to save face—pride ruling his flesh.
Forcing wide eyes and gritted endurance, but he flinched at every chilling sound effect. Definitely scared.
Oh Hyein munched popcorn, enjoying the two bigger wimps than the movie itself.
Hayang's eyes sparkled as she dove deep into her first horror and suspense. People shrieking and fleeing felt familiar, even fun.
Mischief bubbled up. Throw a sheet over her head and yell boo—would they scream nicely?
But she'd learned not to prank good people. Daesu and Lulu cared for her—they were good. Making them sad would make Hayang sad too.
Still wanna try. Then... maybe...
-Mirror, the mirror's glaring at me!
-Kyahahaha! Thought you could escape me? I'm inside you—how could you ever run!
Yeah.
When bad people show up, gotta punish 'em like that.