The Foolish Villain Failed to Recognize the Fraudulent Protagonist (4)

About six hours ago. Fifth floor of the College of Engineering.

Ju Joyeon had luckily discovered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the only corpse still possessing a soul among the countless Morion Roaches.

"...What the hell is this? Is this a Morion Roach too?"

—Master, that is an 'egg sac'.

"An egg sac? You're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠telling me this thing is a Morion Roach egg sac?"

Upon hearing Karl's answer, Ju Joyeon felt goosebumps rise all over his body as he realized the flattened, adult-torso-sized lump on the ground was a Morion Roach egg sac. To his eyes, the entire egg sac appeared as a single soul.

"Is it lingering because it couldn't be born? I can feel a strong will to survive."

—Master, do you intend to revive that egg sac?

At Jack's question, Ju Joyeon wore a troubled expression. His undead summoning magic could only be used on corpses that still retained their souls. But if the corpse was an egg sac, even if he revived it, a roach would never hatch from an undead egg sac, so he doubted it would be of any use.

"There is one way..."

—There is a way to utilize the egg sac?

"I've never tried it before, though."

The method Ju Joyeon had in mind was using the undead evolution magic, Despair's Field — Despair Bless. If the egg sac evolves, won't it at least become an insect? Thinking like he was playing a game, Ju Joyeon figured it might be possible. After all, aside from the egg sac, there wasn't a single corpse he could turn into an undead.

Whether it worked or not, he had to try. Before casting the summoning magic, Ju Joyeon had Karl and Jack help move the sleeping Kim Eunhye from in front of the classroom door back inside.

"Karl, Jack. I've used a lot of magic today, so I'll probably pass out right after summoning. There might be other people coming, so I'll leave the rest to you. If Auntie Eunhye wakes up, explain things to her somehow."

—Of course, Master.

—You need not worry.

Ju Joyeon stood before the egg sac and took out the Book of the Dead. Then he began chanting the summoning spell he had already used several times before. The Book of the Dead emitted a grayish light.

"[The abyss that drags up the dead]"

The floor beneath Ju Joyeon's feet transformed into a pitch-black pit, swallowing the Morion Roach egg sac whole. Immediately after, Ju Joyeon collapsed unconscious from mana depletion.

Thud.

Jack carefully caught Ju Joyeon as he slowly fell unconscious. He immediately checked his master's condition. Slightly pale complexion. Steady breathing. Warm body temperature. After confirming there were no particular issues, Jack called out to Karl.

'Karl, what is the condition of Master's new follower?'

'No abnormalities. It has been perfectly revived. Is Master all right?'

'Yes, fortunately there are no problems. It is simply fainting due to mana depletion as usual.'

At Jack's words, Karl let out a sigh of relief.

'Honestly, I can't help but worry every time that something might go wrong.'

'Indeed. If mana runs out, life force is consumed instead. If one miscalculates mana and ends up using life force by mistake, it could truly become dangerous.'

Having once caused such a situation himself in the past, Jack was even more anxious than Karl.

'I cannot say with certainty that Master would never act so recklessly...'

There was nothing more to say, as Tiasia's constant warning that one must always stay on guard because one never knew what Master might do still held true.

"Mmm..."

While Karl and Jack were conversing, a small groan accompanied by movement came from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠behind. Startled, the two eliminated even the sound of bones clacking as they cautiously looked back. Fortunately, Kim Eunhye, who had been tossing and turning with groans, remained asleep. Karl and Jack quietly exhaled in relief, pretending to sigh.

They had told Ju Joyeon not to worry, but knowing full well what their own appearances were like, they honestly hoped Kim Eunhye would not wake up.

'Since we have confirmed both Master and the follower's conditions, let us remain quiet.'

'That would be best. If that woman wakes up for no reason...'

"Ugh... Where is..."

Unfortunately, their wish was not granted.

Clack-clack-clack!

Clack.

'Ahaha! My, my, I had no idea Eunhye-ssi was such an easygoing young lady!'

Clatter.

'Indeed. You seem to have far more life experience than expected.'

"Eh— Well, I suppose...? I've only seen a few people with unusual appearances before..."

The voices of the skeletons reached Ju Joyeon's ears as he regained consciousness.

"B-But... How long do we have to stay here?"

Clack.

'Until Master wakes up.'

Clatter.

'This room is the safest. There is no need to move.'

Hearing the raspy, difficult-to-understand voice as well, Ju Joyeon's mind gradually cleared.

"Mmm..."

Ju Joyeon groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Hearing the sound, Karl and Jack immediately approached his side to check his condition.

Clack.

'Master! Have you awakened!'

"Ugh... How long was I out?"

Clatter.

'Approximately five or six hours have passed. It is completely dark outside.'

"It must be midnight..."

As Ju Joyeon shook his still slightly dizzy head to clear his mind, Kim Eunhye slowly approached him.

"Um— Excuse me—"

"Hm? Ah, hello, Auntie. Are you feeling all right? Come to think of it, I never got to check your condition."

"Y-Yes— Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived..."

Kim Eunhye bowed her head politely to express her gratitude to the younger Ju Joyeon. Feeling slightly embarrassed at the sight, Ju Joyeon scratched his head.

"...Well, I'm the one who should be thanking you. If you had died, I might have been in a bit of trouble myself."

"Eh— Eh?"

"Don't worry about it. I won't be helping you any more than this."

"Y-Yes..."

After finishing his conversation with Kim Eunhye, Ju Joyeon looked around to find the egg sac that had caused him to faint.

Clack.

'Master, the egg sac is here.'

Karl handed the Morion Roach egg sac to Ju Joyeon right away, as if he had prepared it in advance. The egg sac that Karl and Jack had stomped on and burst had been restored to its complete form by Ju Joyeon's magic.

The status window that appeared before his eyes for the egg sac contained nothing. It was purity itself.

Clack.

'What do you intend to do?'

"What else? Evolve it as planned."

Ju Joyeon placed the egg sac on the floor and took out the Book of the Dead and the Book of Souls from his inventory. As soon as Ju Joyeon placed his hands on the two forbidden books, they began to float in the air on their own, emitting a dark red light, as if knowing what he was about to do. Seeing this, Jack moved Kim Eunhye far away.

Clack.

'Master, are you certain your mana is sufficient? You have only just woken up; overexerting yourself again could truly be dangerous.'

Karl offered a worried piece of advice upon seeing Ju Joyeon attempting to use magic again immediately after waking.

"It's fine. Despair Bless is a spell that uses 'souls', not mana."

Ju Joyeon's undead evolution magic, Despair's Field — Despair Bless, was a spell that raised an existence's rank by using souls harvested through Soul Harvest.

"I hope the souls I've collected so far are enough..."

Ju Joyeon's Eyes of the Soul emitted a red glow as he examined his followers.

The souls of hundreds of Morion Roaches and a wild boar were not enough to cast the evolution magic on Karl and Jack. Ju Joyeon turned his anxious gaze toward the egg sac.

"Oh!"

Whether it was because it truly had no power or because the harvested souls were also ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from Morion Roaches, he did not know the exact reason, but fortunately the egg sac was in a state where it could receive Ju Joyeon's blessing. Ju Joyeon extended his right hand forward and began chanting.

"[The end of those without power is always death.]"

The souls Ju Joyeon had harvested so far poured out from his body, filling the inside of the classroom.

"H-Hiik?!"

Kim Eunhye, who did not understand what Ju Joyeon was doing, panicked at the sudden change in atmosphere. Jack reassured her that there was no need to worry, while Karl knelt on one knee behind Ju Joyeon, worshiping him.

"[Even as the dead, the end of the weak is still annihilation. In other words, death.]"

The souls that had filled the classroom began to condense back into Ju Joyeon's right hand.

"[You who walk the path of eternal despair, O weak one.]"

Ju Joyeon placed his right hand, now condensed with 301 souls, upon the egg sac and bestowed his blessing.

"[I shall grant you the blessing to twist fate.]"

"[Despair Bless]"

The souls in Ju Joyeon's hand seeped into the egg sac and disappeared.

The moment Ju Joyeon's follower was reborn anew.