Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: True End
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TRUE END
“…What did you say?”
I doubted my ears, wondering if I had heard correctly. I asked again, my expression dazed.
[Didn't you hear me?]
[Should I say it again?]
The devil smiled leisurely. It smacked its lips and spouted nonsense.
[Don't you want to save Jin Dayeon?]
[If I put my mind to it, I can bring a soul like that back anytime.]
[What will you do?]
I couldn't fall for it so easily. It was clearly a lie meant to deceive me.
It was undoubtedly one of the devil's tricks. But my body wouldn't listen to me.
Even as my mind tried to think as rationally as possible, my mouth moved on its own.
"...What is it?"
[Oh my, you seem curious.]
[Do you miss Jin Dayeon that much?]
Dayeon was dead. Her body had exploded right before my eyes, killed by the devil.
To think she could be brought back.
It was completely unbelievable. But the devil continued, speaking with great confidence.
[Actually, she's not dead.]
[I simply made her my nourishment.]
Dayeon wasn't dead. That one phrase sent a jolt through my mind.
"Tell me exactly what you mean."
[Quite the rough tone.]
[Don't you value your life?]
The devil looked at me with a mischievous smile. It seemed to find my fuming rather amusing. It ran its mouth gleefully.
[You're the first man to glare at me like you want to kill me. I might just fall for you.]
"Shut up and answer my question."
[As you wish.]
The devil shrugged as if to say it understood.
[Devils live by eating souls.]
[So I just ate Jin Dayeon.]
[Of course, she's not dead, you see?]
The devil rambled on with relaxed hand gestures. Its explanation was rather unexpected.
Dayeon wasn't dead.
She had just been eaten by the devil.
'In that case…!'
A possibility faintly emerged. I asked the devil, my tone softening slightly.
"Then you can bring Jin Dayeon back?"
[Of course!]
[Just pull the soul out of my body, and she'll return.]
The devil confirmed that it could save Dayeon. I was happy to hear that.
She hadn't left me.
She was still here.
Just as I was reminiscing about Dayeon, the devil suddenly held out a grotesque hand.
[The more I look, the more I like you.]
[Hey, want to make a deal?]
"What kind of deal?"
[A win-win deal, of course.]
[If you do as I ask, I'll save Jin Dayeon and spare your life.]
The devil proposed the deal with a chuckle. It was a difficult offer to refuse outright.
More than anything, the thought of being able to save Dayeon tempted me.
"...So what do I have to do?"
[It's nothing much.]
The devil snapped its finger, which had bizarrely long, sharp nails.
Then, something materialized in mid-air. It was a yellowed piece of paper.
[Just sign here.]
[Easy, right?]
It shoved the paper close to my face. A quill pen was already in my hand.
Its intention was to pressure me and break my composure.
I needed to be calm, especially now. I firmly pushed the devil away and took the paper.
[You have acquired the ■■ Contract.]
It was obviously a devil's scheme disguised as a contract. I carefully checked its contents.
[밞갰꿇밋떼땅괸붤름멕노귈밞갰뜹밌딪땅괸꽂됴걀꼽눈밞갱렷밋띠땅괼륑렴겅꼽닢뱁검령닛뗌땅괜꽉딴걀꼽늬밞갱닯밋뒷땅괜뎌둘뷩꼽는]
【뱉분깬뉩땄땅괬뎌둥깖흐흐/밞걸냄밌둠땅긷빗】
But I couldn't understand a single thing.
It was a complete mess, like garbled text from a poorly installed RPG Maker game.
[What's wrong?]
[Don't you want to save Jin Dayeon?]
The devil whispered insidiously. Just as I was about to close the contract, my mind snapped back to attention.
Just by scribbling my name on this paper, I could save Dayeon.
My heart wavered greatly. I unconsciously gripped the quill pen. I slowly moved it toward the contract.
[Good, that's the spirit!]
[Go on, write.]
And so, I began writing on the contract with the quill. I pressed down firmly, writing the letters neatly so they would be clearly legible.
-Fuck you.
That was my reply. I never had any intention of signing the contract in the first place.
For a moment, the devil's face contorted. It looked thoroughly displeased, as if its plan had gone awry.
[My… you're quite the prankster, aren't you?]
Its already grotesque appearance became even more hideous. An enraged devil, I supposed.
[Do you want to die?]
The smile was completely gone now. It grabbed my throat with bloodshot eyes.
"Gak!"
[How nice it would be if you just did as I said. Must I really use force?]
The devil tightened its grip on my throat. I couldn't breathe. My face turned beet red. It was pure agony.
"Gak! Kegh!"
[I should have done this from the start.]
[Let's not waste any more time, shall we?]
The devil laughed vilely. And it pressed down on my neck with increasing force.
Was it the lack of oxygen to my brain? My consciousness began to fade.
I struggled wildly to break free from the devil's grasp, but it was futile.
[Yes, that's it!]
[Struggle a little more. Entertain me!]
"Kuh! Keuk…"
If I had to pick the moment the devil was most off-guard in this whole situation, when would it be?
I could guarantee it was right now. The devil was already convinced of its victory, arrogant.
In other words, this was the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack.
[Any last words before you die?]
Through my blurry vision, I glared at the devil and moved my lips.
"Fuck… you…!"
[Oh my, how you're just my type.]
[I could just eat you up.]
While the bastard was gloating, I stealthily opened my item window.
I was suffocating and my vision was blurry, but I could still move my hands.
With trembling hands, I took out my secret weapon for killing the devil.
The time for revenge had finally come.
Now, with the situation at its climax, it was time to act.
I aimed carefully, making sure not to miss, and before I lost consciousness, I hurled the item straight at the devil's head.
"Eat shit!"
Clang!
A crisp sound rang out. The devil, busy toying with me, made no move to block it.
And so, it successfully hit the devil right between the eyes.
The devil, not realizing what had just happened, tilted its head in confusion.
[What's your game?]
[A final struggle before death?]
[Trying to kill me without any holy water?]
The devil pointed down with a sharp finger. On the floor lay the shattered remains of a glass bottle.
The clear liquid from the bottle had done nothing but soak the floor.
The devil, well aware of this, cackled and gloated. It seemed it hadn't realized the truth about the holy water. I opened my mouth to say my farewell.
"That was water, you idiot."
The holy water had already drenched the devil. Soon, a radiant light burst from its body. It was so intense it was blinding, and I had to look away.
[Gh, Gyaaaaaaah!!]
The creature finally grasped the situation. It shrieked in agony. The item I had just thrown rolled at its feet.
[You have used a Can of Coke.]
Its identity was none other than a can of coke.
To think I'd use it here.
I was inwardly impressed with myself.
The full story was this.
After getting the holy water from Dayeon's room,
I swapped the items to prepare for the possibility of a devil's scheme.
I poured out the coke from the can and filled it with holy water. Then I filled the empty glass bottle with water and passed it off as holy water.
It was an operation carried out in secret in the bathroom, before heading down to the basement.
Thankfully, it worked perfectly.
The devil thrashed about, tormented by the power of the holy water.
Thanks to that, it let go of my neck. I gasped for the air I had been holding in.
"Hah, hah… I thought I was gonna die."
A little later and it would have been disastrous. I had barely managed to stay conscious by a hair's breadth.
"How's that holy water taste?"
I poured the last mouthful of holy water left in the can onto the devil's head.
[Gh, Hnnngh!]
The devil, having tasted the holy water, completely lost it. It twisted its body this way and that, letting out moans mixed with screams.
"Feels good, doesn't it? Real good."
[S-Save me…]
The devil gasped for breath, begging for mercy. Of course, there was no chance of that.
After everything this bastard has done.
Painful, moaning screams echoed. This wasn't enough. If I had my way, I would've burned it with a torch.
And so, Dayeon's revenge was successfully carried out. I stared blankly at the devil's death throes, then suddenly looked up at the sky.
Can you hear me, Jin Dayeon?
This is a requiem for you.
Finally, the devil collapsed, having no strength left to struggle. But it still seemed to be in pain, as its body trembled violently.
[Kugh…]
The effect of the holy water was absolute.
I only poured a little, but the devil was completely incapacitated without a peep.
The devil's body began to melt like ice cream in the summer.
Along with it, dark figures from within its body flowed out and scattered into the air.
[N-No…]
The figures looked like people. They seemed to be the souls the devil had absorbed until now.
[My souls… my souls…!]
The souls the devil had possessed poured out. Among them was a familiar figure. …It was Dayeon.
Soon, tens, hundreds of people poured out. The souls swallowed by the devil were passing on.
With this, all the shackles were broken. Today was the last day for the cursed school of dawn.
"Is this enough?"
If Dayeon were here beside me now, what would she say?
Perhaps because of the circumstances, her absence felt particularly profound.
When something good happens, you're supposed to enjoy it together. But I was left all alone.
[D-Don't think it ends like this!]
Suddenly, I remembered the devil. It was half-melted, only its upper body remaining. Even so, it was seething with rage.
[I will definitely return…!]
[And I will kill you!]
"Sure."
The horns protruding from its head caught my eye. I considered grabbing them like handles and throwing it, but I just left it alone.
Well, it'll probably die on its own.
But the devil showed no signs of tiring. It kept muttering for a long time. Unfortunately, its mouth hadn't melted away.
It would be nice if there was something around to shut it up with.
As a temporary measure, I stuffed Dayeon's recorder into its mouth, but it only made things worse.
It made an unpleasant squeaking sound, so it was better to just let it talk. I had no choice but to leave it as it was.
"Please, just die already."
[Lee Hyeon! You, of all people, I will definitely….]
[Definitely….]
[Defi….]
Finally, the devil's entire body melted away. It had been completely annihilated from this world.
At the same time, the surrounding scenery began to waver violently.
The empty void around me began to take the shape of a classroom.
The change happened in the blink of an eye.
Before I knew it, ■■'s room had returned to how it looked when I first arrived.
"...Am I back?"
Suddenly, I noticed the box in the corner of the classroom. Recalling the memory from my last playthrough, I opened it.
[You have acquired Bolt Cutters.]
Just as I expected, the bolt cutters appeared.
Now, all I had to do was cut the chains on the entrance door with this and escape.
Then I could finally say goodbye to this godforsaken school. But,
…my feet wouldn't move. I had waited so long for this moment,
but for some reason, I didn't feel happy at all.
Instead, I was disappointed in myself.
"Fucking idiot…"
I cursed myself. But that wouldn't bring back the one who had already left.
That fact made me feel powerless. A dark cloud fell over my face.
I couldn't escape the school like this. After making up my mind, I ran off somewhere.
To the secret archives in the basement.
I quickly looked around.
But something was strange. The passage leading to the secret room was gone.
Looking closer, the archives had reverted to their original state. Wondering what was going on, I scanned the bookshelves and found an empty spot.
I was sure I had placed all the books.
Recalling my earlier memory, I felt along the shelf. It was the one where I had placed the Blue Book (3).
However, the Blue Book that had been there was now gone without a trace.
I remembered the contents of Blue Book (3). It was just one word, so it came back to me quickly.
【Devil.】
It seemed that when the devil was annihilated, the Blue Book with its name on it vanished as well.
With the shelf empty, the secret passage had closed on its own. I couldn't open it again until I placed a book there.
"Wait, a book?"
On a whim, I opened my item window. I took out the item that had been taking up space like a useless burden.
[Book That Kills You When Read]
I carefully brought it to the empty space on the shelf. Coincidentally, it was the same size as the Blue Book.
I gently pushed the book in. It fit perfectly into the remaining space on the shelf, sliding right in.
Grrrrr.
The secret archives rumbled, and the hidden passage revealed itself.
"It worked…"
I felt a sense of relief. The Book That Kills You When Read had replaced the Blue Book and opened the secret passage.
To finish what I had left undone, I strode into the newly opened secret passage.
-Creeak
As soon as I entered the secret room, I approached the coffin with Dayeon's name on it.
With the devil's death, the dawn curse on this school was broken. The shackles that had bound Dayeon for the past ten years were gone.
Therefore, the seal that had locked Dayeon's coffin was also broken. I carefully placed my hand on it.
Click.
Holding my breath, I opened the coffin. Inside, a familiar person was sleeping peacefully.
"I'm here."
Dayeon didn't answer. She just lay there with a peaceful expression on her face.
In truth, the Dayeon I had been seeing was just a non-existent spirit. I had only been able to see her for a short time because of the school's curse.
This Dayeon was her true self, the one who actually existed in this world.
I stared blankly at her sleeping form.
Maybe it was because of her pale skin and pretty face.
She looked just like a life-sized doll.
She wouldn't even notice if someone carried her away.
That was actually a good thing.
"Be careful not to get hurt."
I carefully lifted Dayeon out of the coffin. She was completely still and cold to the touch.
It was only natural, since she had died ten years ago.
I awkwardly draped Dayeon's arms and legs over my body. I held her tight on my back so she wouldn't fall.
There was no need to worry. She wouldn't notice even if someone carried her off, so it was fine.
"Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
"…."
With that, my business at the school was finished.
It was time to escape.
"Let's go. Time to escape."
And so, we left the basement. The reason I brought Dayeon with me was actually simple.
We promised to escape together, didn't we?
Ever since we first met in the library.
I couldn't break that promise.
Before long, we arrived at the main entrance. The time was already approaching 5:30 AM.
The dawn was also coming to an end. The sun was slowly beginning to rise in the distance.
"What a sight."
Watching the sunrise from the school of dawn was a deeply moving experience. Of course, it was also an experience I never wanted to have again.
After leisurely watching the sunrise, I stood blankly in front of the door. Then, the last message I would see in this school appeared.
[Use the Bolt Cutters?]
【Use/Don't Use】
My answer was, of course, 'Yes.' I snipped through the chains locking the door with the bolt cutters.
Snap.
The entrance door, which had been firmly locked since midnight, finally swung wide open.
How much humiliation had I suffered just to get past this iron door?
It was an epic saga that would take at least forty diary entries to explain.
"You ready?"
I asked the question to Dayeon on my back. Naturally, there was no reply. Still, I was happy.
Unlike the last playthrough, we hadn't been played by the devil's tricks. This was the result of our own efforts, from start to finish.
This escape was the greatest reward the two of us had achieved.
"Here we go, then."
And so, we took the momentous first step toward escaping the school. I felt an exhilarating radiance envelop my entire body.
How should I put it?
It was warm.
[END – TRUE]
【Together】
[Congratulations! You have cleared Chapter 1!]
[You have uncovered the school's secret and defeated its cause!]
[A reward for reaching the truth will be given!]
【Reward: ???】
**
The moment I stepped out of the school, sunlight suddenly poured down. It blurred my vision.
The intense light made my eyes sting.
Just as I hesitated for a moment, I felt an inexplicable stirring on my back.
.
.
.
"...Jin Dayeon?"