As if nothing had ever happened, Tane went on today just the same.
No one knew about the intruder who broke through the academy’s main gate and entered the student dormitory. Only the serene scenery quietly flaunts its presence amidst the spring breeze.
Tane, one of the three great academies of the Empire, a place of learning where the children of influential families gather, momentarily setting aside their complicated circumstances to focus on their studies.
In a place like this, words like demon worshipper were never brought up in conversation.
To most of Tane’s students raised in light and privilege, such darkness is as distant as tales from another world.
Demon worshippers? Demons? Those things are outside their very perception. The atmosphere here is such that people act as if they don’t even know those words exist.
“…A phantom of the night would be ideal… but lighter footsteps would be necessary too. I’ll need a bit of a virgin’s blood here… or wait, could that be substituted with a heart?”
And amidst it all, a muttering voice disrupts that tranquil mood.
I was sitting on a bed split in half, lost in thought.
“It’d be best to prepare at least two methods… Moon fragments could probably be substituted with bone powder…”
A bright atmosphere?
Sorry, but that’s none of my concern.
I didn’t have time to care about anything as trivial as a little gloom when the rain came pouring down.
Because in my case….I’m actually at risk of dying.
This isn’t a joke. I could really die.
Please, let me live!
If I stay still, the Demon’s Seed will bloom. Then I’ll be deemed a demon worshipper and eliminated.
Even if that doesn’t happen, I’ve already been marked by the worst of the worst…the demon worshippers themselves. I need to figure out a way to escape that too.
There were countless things I had to worry about.
Even though I knew how to overcome all of this, the psychological burden was still overwhelming.
But I understood why.
Roller coasters are scary not because you’ll really die, but because they feel like you might.
Even if you know the safety bar is secure, fear takes over.
It was the same for me.
Since becoming possessed, I’d never felt the threat to my life this intensely. Even just staying still made my heart feel like it was about to burst.
“……”
But they say that only when humans feel threatened do they prepare for disaster.
I was calculating every possible scenario more than a dozen. How to undergo demonic transformation and return to human form, how to gather the necessary materials, and how to learn the magic required to do it.
…If I stop by Black Alley, I should be able to procure the materials. Also, today and tomorrow are around the full moon. The black market should be active. I can get the rest of the materials through them.
As for the funds needed to acquire the materials, I can rely on “Deeks Magic Tool Shop.” If that doesn’t work, I can just sell one of the intact magic tools I’ll get from Professor Quinoron.
“……”
I reviewed the plan for quite some time. Only after going over everything thoroughly was I able to reach a conclusion.
Alright. I’ve got a rough idea of how to return to being human.
Now, what remains is to find a way to buy time until I can turn back.
I can’t leave Tane. The reason Camilla comes to find me alone is because multiple incidents happen simultaneously inside Tane. That’s what draws everyone’s attention away.
A simultaneous series of incidents in Tane occurring with Adel’s mutation.
These, I suspect, are all part of a single, purposeful plan.
The ones who planted the seed in Adel want a proper ally, someone fully transformed. They’re putting in all this effort to create another demon worshipper.
That’s why they’re buying time so that the “Mad Adel” can go through the full transformation process.
Damn demon worshippers.
I swallowed my irritation as I thought.
I have no intention of wasting the time they’ve given me. On the contrary, I’ll use it thoroughly to survive. So I’ll let the events unfold just as they’re supposed to in the original story.
And what I’ll eventually come face-to-face with… is none other than Camilla Bliss.
“……”
I slowly began writing something down on a piece of paper.
Scratch, scratch…
And finally, when I lifted the paper, written on it was:
[One Method to Kill Camilla]
***
“Huh? Adel’s not here today?”
“Ah, Senior Awen… no. It’s already been an hour, but he still hasn’t shown up…”
“…I see… right. Sorry for disturbing your training.”
“It’s okay. You’re always welcome here.”
As Awen walked away, Irina let out a deep sigh.
“…I hope his hand’s alright.”
***
◆ Total NP Owned: 74,780
Currently, I own two magic tools. I’m expecting to get about five or six more from Professor Quinoron, and among them, only one is likely to be in good condition.
However, the junk magic tools he has can probably only be used for mana recharging. The magic engravings on them weren’t useful even when I studied them.
If I visit Black Alley over the weekend, I can pick up a few more experimental scraps. I can’t yet confirm the details of the magic engravings on those.
Professor Quinoron showed me a total of seven magic formulae. Among them, only three seem usable in combat.
And now, these are my current stats:
[Adel Bliss]
Health: 3
Mana: 19
Talent: 11
Stamina: 2
Perseverance: 9
Intelligence: 17
◆Trait: Shape Transformation
◆Available Mana: [1,590]
View Details (+)
That’s the extent of my combat power.
Amid all the system messages cluttering my vision, I quietly crossed my arms.
Pathetic.
You expect me to beat Camilla with this? Ask anyone else, and they’d say that’s beyond absurd.
“…….”
But it’s precisely those absurd things that so-called “veteran players” pull off.
There’s enough possibility.
What I want isn’t vague strength.
All I need is to be able to kill one person…Camilla.
I pictured Camilla as she appeared in the game.
Camilla Bliss is one of the playable characters. I don’t remember her exact stat numbers, but I do recall her skills well enough.
Naturally so. Because the first scene where you get to control her is the battle against “Mad Adel”.
That scene has played over and over in my mind since becoming Adel.
Camilla’s performance in her debut wasn’t very impressive.
In the fight against Adel, her sword strikes kept wavering. I even remember there being a delay when trying to activate her skills.
That’s why people said she was underpowered early on.
Unintentional control errors are quite stressful for players. It’s no wonder she got poor reviews.
Of course, thanks to Camilla’s broken trait, “Rapid Adaptation”, and her unique ability, “Trajectory Analysis”, the fight against “Mad Adel” was still manageable.
Challenging, but clearable once you adapted.
“Alright.”
I’m someone who’s cleared the story multiple times.
I’ve killed Adel as Camilla more times than I can count.
This time, I’ll use that experience to kill Camilla as Adel.
I’ll target only your weaknesses, Camilla. Relentlessly.
If I show the level of precision born from 20,000 hours of gameplay, that’ll be enough.
However, for that….I need a bit more NP.
…I really should head out, one way or another.
With that thought, I stood up.
It was then.
Beep—
A strange notification sound rang out. It came from my pocket.
“……?”
When I turned my pocket inside out to find the source of the sound, my student ID fell to the floor.
[Book Return Required]
“This is…”
The fifteen books Sasha from the library had lent me.
It was a reminder that they were due. There must’ve been a timer set when I checked them out.
Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I last visited the library.
In the mess of my room, I somehow managed to find the books and lift them.
Fifteen volumes.
The weight didn’t feel quite as heavy as it used to.
***
“The sun’s already set.”
Now that I thought about it, I had completely skipped my afternoon classes. It was the first time I’d done so since becoming Adel.
I even missed my training.
Still, it couldn’t be helped.
Attendance, training….none of it matters if you’re dead. Once you die, it’s all over.
I felt bad for Irina, but she wouldn’t skip training just because I wasn’t there.
She’s from the Knight Department, after all.
Starting with Irina, I began to recall the people I’d met since coming to this world.
What was the original Adel like? I didn’t know anything about his past or how he used to act.
That’s why I’ve been moving based on guesses….doing what I thought he might have done.
I had no idea how different the Adel I was playing compared to the original.
…If I acted more like the original Adel, maybe Camilla would let her guard down.
The thought came to me suddenly. But for a fleeting idea, it seemed surprisingly plausible. The coldness I’d seen in Camilla might have come from the change in her brother’s demeanor.
Of course, the fact that she treats me that way even though she knows I can’t use magic… probably means their relationship had already fallen apart.
…Still, it’s something worth investigating.
Even the slightest hesitation can change the course of a battle.
But even if I wanted to ask what the original Adel was like, there was no one to ask.
When I first met Sally, she seemed like she didn’t care either way. And Irina, who I could maybe call a friend, had probably never even interacted with the original Adel. There was no way she’d know.
Someone who knew the original Adel well. Someone who’d be more familiar with the shaggy-haired Adel than the current version of me.
“If anyone… there is one person.”
And she happened to be on the way. I quickly made my way to the library.
When I arrived, I ran into the person who was just about to close up.
“Sasha!”
“…Adel…?”
The short-haired librarian with dark blue-black hair…. Sasha.
“…It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Just so you know, the library is closed. If you’re here to return books…”
“Sorry! Actually, I came because I wanted to ask you something.”
“…Haa. What is it?”
“……”
I hesitated for a moment. A bit embarrassed, to be honest.
And who wouldn’t be? Asking someone how they perceive you….it’s either painfully self-absorbed or reeks of low self-esteem, no matter how you look at it.
“…I’m a busy person, you know. If you’re not going to speak, you’re just wasting my time…”
“Whew. Alright. I’ll ask, then.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could hurry.”
She replied coldly, glancing at the watch on her wrist. Gathering my courage, I finally spoke.
“Sasha… what do I mean to you?”
At that, she froze….still holding her wrist up.
“…What?”
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