Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Han Sia (1)
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A demon lives inside my body.
None other than Tyrfing, whose name bears an uncanny resemblance to "Hatchping."
'What a shitty situation.'
Tyrfing is in a weakened state, so it can't really do much to me, and I'm in no position to do anything to it either.
-Humans have made progress. Play more Shorts for me.
"Got it, Tyrping."
-My name is Tyrfing.
That's pretty much the extent of our conversations.
I don't feel the murky mana that comes naturally with becoming a demon, nor can I use the demon's "technique," so there's no physical transformation either.
If it were just the occasional chit-chat, I might have been able to brush it off, but the fact that it's a demon talking to me makes it a huge problem.
Just running into Han Sia could get me utterly fucked.
With my plans a little tangled up, my head's a mess.
Unknown characters are popping up left and right, and figures who shouldn't appear this early are showing up in droves.
Nothing's going my way.
Which means I need to revise my plans once more.
For now, I've become a demon and gained the power of the Light Priesthood.
Flame Sword is actually a pretty damn good ability.
A skill I can use all the way to the late game.
So what power did I get from contracting with Tyrfing?
Surprisingly, none.
Tyrfing claims the contract only went as far as sparing my life.
It might have actually saved me.
Or at least, the chances are high.
I don't know the exact details, though.
That's what makes me uneasy.
Nothing's scarier than an unknown contract.
So, my next move is clear.
I need to prioritize using a relic to excise Tyrfing.
.
.
.
.
-Hey.
"?"
Tyrfing spoke to me while I was working out in the training room.
-Why aren't you training with the sword? The sword is the ultimate technique.
Tyrfing spoke as if it couldn't comprehend.
"Don't backseat game me."
To accept a "technique," your body has to be up to the task.
If you just suddenly gain a technique without the proper foundation, your body won't hold up.
In the game, it was expressed as losing stamina every time you used a skill, but here in reality, I figure it'll be even harsher.
-No, listen. I'm the demon of the sword. I know everything about swords.
Tyrfing kept talking regardless.
The voice echoing in my head was starting to grate a bit.
-I'll give you my "technique." In return, grant me one request.
"A human body isn't suited for a monster's technique."
-Calling us monsters is a bit offensive. Don't lump us in with mindless beasts.
"..."
-It's like calling monkeys and humans the same species. Your standards are a little off, but didn't you humans distinguish us as "demons"?
"I know all about your roots."
-By that logic, humans are the same as monkeys. It's just a matter of who evolved and who didn't.
Suddenly, it turned into a 100-minute debate.
Of course, even with Tyrfing saying all that, it didn't change my mind one bit.
My view of demons wasn't about to shift.
I knew the closely guarded secrets of demons in this world, and I'd experienced countless betrayals from them in the game.
"Humans are all modeled after monkeys. Gods are all modeled after humans."
-What are you talking about? I can't make sense of it.
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.
.
.
Starting tomorrow, things are gonna get busy.
I need to farm relics and find a way to remove Tyrfing.
I actually have a method in mind, but there aren't many options I can pull off myself.
This world begins with relics and ends with relics.
Removing or altering penalties, acquiring weapons.
Those are the two big ones.
Right now, in the early game, I'm pushing through on traits alone.
They're still holding up, but hitting a wall at midterms woke me right up.
'No time to slack off.'
I might have to gobble up every opportunity except the protagonist's.
'Oh, and I need to trigger awakenings too.'
Characters with significance in the game each have their growth arcs.
In simple terms, awakening narratives.
Unlike the protagonist, who grows naturally through the main story, side characters awaken via subquests, realizing their true power and getting stronger.
So far, only Yoo I-seol's has progressed.
No rush since I fed her the most important relic, though.
Party composition needs thought too.
The protagonist is essential because of "that trait," followed by Yoo I-seol.
'Should I join them?'
Assuming I do, that's three—we need four more.
And to see the ending I want, everyone has to get strong.
I have to plan their builds, feed them opportunities.
It's gonna be a ton of work and hassle, but no choice.
Seo Ji-ho, the protagonist, is just a student, not an all-knowing player like me.
'This is gonna be exhausting as hell.'
Thinking about the future made my head spin.
I'm beat.
As I slowly closed my eyes...
Something felt off.
"..."
I opened them again.
A familiar place.
This couldn't be dreamland, could it?
.
.
.
.
Everything around me was pitch black.
Front, back, everywhere.
'Ah, fuck!'
At first, I thought I'd been dragged back to the [Space of Prayer], but something was different.
Then, a voice shattered the silence.
-Hey, I have something to say.
Oddly, I couldn't tell the voice's gender.
Not male, not female, not even androgynous.
Less a voice, more like words imprinting directly in my mind.
I turned toward the source.
[You encounter the demon Tyrfing.]
'...'
An unpleasant feeling washed over me.
But unlike the atmosphere, there was no sense of transcendent power.
When I'd seen the puppeteer and the conical-hatted demon, I'd felt fundamentally different from the start.
Nothing like that here—no trembling, no fear.
Probably because Tyrfing had lost most of its power.
I could faintly sense the murky, ominous mana unique to demons.
Less ominous, more just... repulsive.
In the darkness, something glowing appeared.
A hilt ornate with gold, a blade that looked like it could slice space itself.
The light from the sword illuminated this void of pure black.
The glowing sword was embedded in something like liquid metal, and as I turned my head, "something" began to take shape.
-I demand a contract. I'll teach you a "technique"—not in the demonic way. In return, grant me one request.
Tyrfing spoke.
What kind of request would make it go this far?
At this point, I was curious.
-Time flows differently here. And we can't die.
Tyrfing raised the sword.
With a single swing through the air, thousands of slashes tore through the void.
-What do you say?
Tyrfing shrugged.
-You're probably trying to expel me anyway. I'll cooperate with that too.
But not right now.
"You want me to help you get revenge on the one who sealed you?"
-No, that's on the list, but there's something more important.
Something important, huh.
I think I know what.
The one thing the demon sword series obsesses over.
"Looking for your other siblings?"
-How did you know? Impressive. But no, not that either.
"..."
'Fuck, not that?'
Then what?
-Excuse me for a moment.
In that instant, the surroundings rang out.
The air grew thick and sticky, pressing down on me hard.
[Protecting mind!]
[Protecting mind!]
[Protecting mind!]
I grimaced slightly, and the surroundings returned to normal.
-...That's enough for today. If you're willing to hear my request, call for me.
The moment Tyrfing finished speaking, I felt myself being expelled from the space.
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Tyrfing cautiously surveyed its surroundings.
-As expected, no dice.
Orbis Academy was completely deserted.
With two weeks of sudden vacation, no one had reason to stick around.
Other grades and classes were thrilled about the unexpected break, but my class was fucked.
We'd all suffered like hell and nearly died.
A few would probably go home and spill the tale of encountering a demon.
Furious parents might file complaints, but they'd all get ignored.
"Nice and quiet."
I grabbed a cola from the vending machine and sat on a bench.
Orbis looked like a small city.
Everything you need is here, so it wasn't wrong.
In a bit, I'd climb the tower.
Gates are divided into labyrinths, dungeons, and towers, but towers are the toughest.
Labyrinths and dungeons clear once you beat the boss, but towers...
You have to overcome "trials" on each floor. If the trial is monsters, you kill them all to proceed.
I need to find a tower I can clear that gives the reward I'm after.
'This ain't gonna be easy.'
Regretting not going mage build.
Mages are straight-up broken.
Come to think of it, I need to pick a mage too.
Ignoring personality, Han Ain is the safest bet.
Decent screen time and growth in the game.
But this is reality, not a game, so overlooking her personality is tough.
'Fucking hate her.'
Of course, there's a reason she's become hateable.
Her awakening quest requires Seo Ji-ho, though.
That's when it happened.
Clicking high heels echoed from afar.
A mage, a swordswoman, future special-grade, and the one person I absolutely shouldn't run into.
Her long sky-blue hair covered one eye.
A weird style on anyone else, but on Han Sia's sculpted face, it gave off a mystical aura.
"Hey?"
-Ho. Impressive.
Tyrfing, oblivious, admired Han Sia.
'Ah.'