Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Demon
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Golden weekends like that always flew by, and before long, Monday rolled around again.
The students were yawning their way to class, and I was no different from the rest.
[Solve the Missing Persons Incident!]
📍 Reward: 1 Stat Point, 1000 A Coins
I didn't even need to check the details to know why the status window alert had gone off.
It was right about time for the next episode to kick off.
In creative works, academy security is pathetically lax.
They call it the world's top academy, the continent's finest, yet villains barge in at every opportunity.
Orbis Academy was no different in that regard.
Even with all the elite heroes around, if the higher-ups were riddled with demons, fending off attacks became a nightmare.
Demons came in all shapes and sizes.
But they all shared one thing: their monstrous nature made them hostile to humans.
Demon Behemoth.
The demon contracted to the demon worshipper in this episode.
Its ability was straightforward.
It grew stronger with every kill.
In the game, if you didn't take down the demon fast enough, the worshipper powering up would overwhelm you, leading straight to game over.
There were various ways to catch the demon worshipper, but the classic route involved suspicious students piecing together clues through deduction.
Of course, I had a different plan.
...
I slipped into the classroom and took my seat.
It was a tiered lecture hall, and Yoo I-seol plopped down right behind me.
I flinched and glanced up, only to meet her stare—like she was wondering what the hell I was looking at—so I decided to ignore it.
Yoo I-seol.
Yoo I-seol, heir to the Yoo Family.
Dark circles hung heavy under her eyes.
She'd spent the weekend grinding through study sessions and training like a maniac.
The pop quiz was coming up soon.
This time, she was determined not to lose her top spot.
She dragged her exhausted body into the classroom and spotted a familiar face.
An average-looking guy.
Lee Han-su.
Stealing first place on that last quiz meant he was pretty damn smart.
He'd knocked her out of the number one slot, no less.
'What a prick.'
She started scouting for a spot where she could sneak peeks at his notes without drawing attention.
The seat right next to him felt too obvious, so she went for the one directly behind.
With the tiered setup, it'd be perfect for spying.
Creak.
The classroom door slid open, and class began.
...
"The history of Gates..."
'...?'
Yoo I-seol jotted down notes while stealing glances at the seat ahead.
Lee Han-su wasn't writing anything—just staring blankly at the lecture.
Gate Analysis was a brutally tough subject.
Notes were non-negotiable.
'Did he give up?'
The question popped into her head.
And a smirk slipped out before she could stop it.
'Heh.'
First place on the Gate Analysis quiz was as good as hers.
The time after classes and club activities wrapped up.
It wasn't that late, but the sun had set, leaving everything dim and shadowy.
"Ugh...!"
The hole in Orbis Academy's wall.
Orbis locked down exits on weekdays unless it was the weekend, so this was the only way out—or in.
And one student was crawling through it into the academy.
She had blonde hair, and cigarette smoke clung to her clothes.
"...Am I gaining weight or something?"
The blonde girl grumbled as she squeezed through the hole with effort.
It used to be easy, but today it felt tighter than usual.
Swish.
"?"
She was heading back to the dorms when footsteps echoed nearby.
The girl whipped around toward the sound, but nothing was there.
"Fuck, you scared me."
She turned back—and there was someone standing right in front of her.
A long black coat, hat pulled low. In the murky darkness, his face was impossible to make out.
"---!!!"
The girl screamed on instinct.
But the shriek that should have torn from her throat made no sound at all.
"-?"
She tried screaming again. Still silence.
--.
Her legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground.
'What...?'
Her limbs shook uncontrollably, cold sweat pouring down like rain.
She fumbled at her waist in a panic, but she'd left her weapon back at the dorm since she was heading outside school grounds. Nothing there.
"Hello?"
A voice came from right in front of her.
It was him.
A voice that was neither clearly male nor female.
More like a grotesque blend of a woman's and a man's tones intertwined.
He raised both hands to tip back his hat, revealing five gleaming eyes fixed on her.
"Such fine skin. I'll make good use of it."
"---!"
Tears streamed from the girl's eyes.
She strained to scream again, but it was useless.
Krrreeeak, krrrk.
A chilling noise accompanied the transformation of his right hand.
It looked like flesh studded haphazardly with razor-sharp blades.
Grin.
All five eye corners crinkled up.
Definitely a smile.
---!
Shiiiing!
Suddenly, the air whistled with a slicing sound.
"-?"
And in the next instant—
BOOOOOM!!!!!!!
Swish.
The monster's body cleaved cleanly on the diagonal.
Upper and lower halves separated, collapsing as it lost balance.
Thud.
Spurt!
Dark crimson blood sprayed out like a fountain.
"Aaaah!!!"
The girl screamed at the sight—properly this time.
"Huh?"
Her voice came out clear now.
Steady footsteps approached.
Step, step...
"Guh."
The girl wiped tears with trembling hands and looked up at the approaching figure.
A guy with a sword at his waist.
Hiss.
Hot steam billowed from the scabbard.
She tensed instinctively as he neared, but his uniform was familiar.
Orbis Academy attire.
'Skin-Wearer'
A demon worshipper that skinned its victims and impersonated them.
If you didn't catch it quick, it'd slip in among the students, forcing a deduction game.
And the longer it went, the stronger it got—sometimes even beating it led to game over against the powered-up Skin-Wearer.
The easy way to take it down? Simple.
Just kill it before it transforms.
Impossible for first-timers without a guide, but on repeat plays, you knew the entry point. Ambush and done.
......
About a minute later, people started swarming in.
Guards sprinting over in a frenzy, medics, teachers.
A demon infiltrating Orbis was big news, but it probably wouldn't blow up.
No casualties, and with demons planted in high places, they had the pull to bury incidents like this.
"..."
Just thinking about rooting out each demon one by one gave me a headache already.
It was a pain in the game—reality would only be worse.
Still, nabbing the Skin-Wearer early saved lives that were doomed to die by its hand.
Maybe they'd become heroes someday and pay it back.
The game didn't simulate that, but hey, this was real life. Who knows?
...
[Demon 'Skin-Wearer' defeated!]
[Missing Persons Incident resolved!]
[Resolved before incident could occur! Additional rewards granted!]
[Rewards: 2 Stat Points, 1500 A Coins]
An unexpected bonus reward popped up.
Didn't even know extra rewards were a thing.
I'll keep that in mind.
I dumped the points into Agility.
Moving around, I could definitely feel lighter on my feet.
'Jumping two stat points at once makes it hit different.'
Evasion was the foundation of any fight.
Player vs. player, monster hunts—it all started with dodging.
Bam!
"Hoo."
Yoo I-seol wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel.
The training room was empty except for her.
It wasn't usually crowded, but with the pop quiz looming, no one else was around.
"Maybe grab something on the way."
She headed for the showers.
She usually cleaned up in the dorms, but since she was passing by the convenience store anyway, she opted for the training room facilities.
Shwaaa.
Lukewarm water washed pleasantly over her body.
She changed and made for the convenience store.
Orbis had everything you could need inside—no reason to leave.
Franchises, convenience stores, all the amenities.
Plus, stipends kicked in the moment you enrolled, so even broke students didn't need part-time gigs.
"?"
Yoo I-seol's gaze snapped toward a flicker of mana.
A translucent barrier shimmered in the distance.
Invisible to normal eyes, but crystal clear to her Demon Eyes.
"What the...?"
She headed toward the mana veil.
'Fuck...!'
What she saw next was horrifying.
Turbid mana oozing upward.
A demon worshipper.
Cold sweat beaded on her skin.
She instinctively raised her weapon.
And doubt crept in.
'Can I take it?'
Should she call in an active hero?
But as she hesitated, the demon raised its arm.
It warped grotesquely into a jagged weapon.
'No clue, but...!'
In that moment, she sensed a presence nearby.
'Huh?'
A familiar face.
He sized up the situation, dropped into stance, hand on his sword.
Then, in one fluid draw—
Shiiiing!
The slashing sound hit a beat late.
'That was just now...'
Hiss.
As he sheathed the blade, steam erupted from the scabbard.
'Flames.'
The speed was too fast to track with the naked eye, but her Demon Eyes caught it clear.
The fire rising from his sword.
Yoo I-seol's grip tightened on her weapon.