Episode 8 Extras Want to Live (1)
“Um… … .”
Chloe rubbed her half-open eyes like a hamster.
“Huh? Where did the Sword Demon go?”
While I was unconscious for a moment, the swordsman seemed to have disappeared. The window that had let in the cold night wind was also tightly shut.
Chloe then let out a short groan and touched her temple. She remembered doing the dishes, but her memories after that seemed to be cut off abruptly.
I clearly remember watching Ganggeomma sitting on the windowsill while I was washing the dishes… … .
Unlike the people in my house who were filled with coldness, he was the first person to sacrifice himself for me. Whenever I think of him, my face turns red like a persimmon.
While gently rubbing the back of her head, Chloe instinctively reached for her katana. Just like last time, the blade was leaning against the white wall.
She brushed away her small, bulging chest. She had been worried because she often heard from people in her family that she was a bit of a snorer, but fortunately, it seemed like nothing bad had happened.
Since when, perhaps because of the harsh Auditore-style assassination training, she would often lose consciousness without even realizing it.
For some reason, right after she lost consciousness, the Auditore family treated Chloe with an unusually satisfied attitude.
But Auditore’s family told her not to worry about it.
I didn’t want to lose my mind as much as possible because it felt like my true self was being denied. In addition, every time, I felt a sense of unease mixed with anxiety at the encouraging gaze of my family, which settled deep inside me.
“Chloe! You idiot, you moron! Why did you faint at that timing!”
As soon as she finished her thoughts, shame washed over her. Soon, Chloe buried her face in the pillow and began to grumble and beat herself up.
“Your Majesty… … .”
She buried her face in the pillow again with a hiss.
There were times when I lost my memories, but it was especially the time I spent with the Sword Demon Army.
Then, all of a sudden, I felt a strange sense of discomfort and lifted my head slightly. Something seemed to have changed.
Chloe slowly got up from the bed and looked around. The few pieces of furniture were the same, and the only thing that had changed was the fact that there was a cutter knife on the floor.
Chloe tilted her head.
“uh?”
Only then did Chloe notice. The hair that used to reach down to her ears had become shorter. Feeling it with her hand, she saw that it was shorter not only on the sides but also all over.
Chloe stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then shook her head. It seemed like she had cut her hair to change the mood.
‘Did you use the cutter knife then?’
Looking at the hair thrown in the trash can, it seemed that the swordsman had cleaned it up.
“The Sword Demon Army is really so kind.”
My words trailed off as I wondered if I had slipped of the tongue when I lost my memory. My cheeks turned even redder in embarrassment.
After folding her hands to her chest and making a small gesture, Chloe sat down at her desk and opened her diary.
I pushed my hair behind my ear and it felt much more refreshing than when my hair was messy.
The tiny fern hand moved the pen.
“I love you, Sword Demon.”
A shy, girlish smile spread across her face.
* * *
I covered my mouth and ran out of the dormitory, leaning against the wall of the building.
“Oooh- ugh-”
I threw up the entire dinner I had enjoyed, feeling sick to my stomach and throbbing my optic nerves.
It’s exactly 5 seconds past 9 and this is what it looks like.
After I had cleared my mind, I sat down on the bench in front of me. Come to think of it, this bench was where I first manifested the ‘Protection of the Sword God’. Feeling strangely uneasy, I supported my neck with my arms and leaned back as if I was lying down.
Only the sound of crickets lingered in my ears. My agitated heart gradually regained its composure. I shook off my fatigue and half-closed my eyes, lost in thought.
‘Chloe, what the hell is that?’
In general, the purpose of swordsmanship is to end an opponent’s life with one stroke or to subdue him.
But Chloe’s sword persistently struck only the vital points.
It was a series of attacks that seemed to be specialized for ambush rather than an all-out war. Thinking back, I thought that I had managed to avoid that surprise attack. If I had been ambushed in the middle of the night, I would have definitely been the one who got my throat cut.
Feeling threatened for my life, I instinctively aimed for her nape. Fortunately, the knife was short, so I was only able to cut off her hair.
‘I cleaned up a bit, so there won’t be any more complaints.’
I cleared my mind.
As I reflect on the events of the past week, I realize how crazy the academy I ended up in was. I tried to deny reality, but I had to admit it. The variables here were life-or-death.
‘Plain, safe, and sound.’
I muttered the policies I had set for myself at the entrance ceremony.
It has been said that being ordinary is the hardest thing, but the unreality that goes beyond the path prickles my skin.
In fact, when I was first thrown into this shameless game, I wasn’t without ambition. Before coming here, it wasn’t an easy choice for me, who had reached the top with just one sashimi, to shake off the romanticism of a man.
However, each individual has a role to play.
‘Miracle protection.’
The name of the game, and the unique protection of the protagonist of this world whom we have not yet encountered.
I remember it as one of the two legendary protections in the game, along with the protection of the first hero, Balor Joaquin.
The text of the verse was as concise as mine, but its content was extremely intuitive.
‘Please save the world from the Demon King.’
Above all, the protagonist is chosen by ‘Balmung’, who is both a holy sword and a demon sword.
In contrast, I can only eat sashimi the size of metal chopsticks.
Need we explain further?
I clenched my fist and slapped her cheek. It was a habit I had since I was little when I needed to come to my senses.
Since I entered the academy, there have been many unrealistic things. Perhaps it was because I was complacent because the game was set in Korea.
In order to carry out the three principles established at the entrance ceremony, I must abandon my weak self.
I pressed my temples with my thumbs to vent my confusion. Then I slowly raised my body, leaned back on the bench, and leisurely looked up at the night sky. A group of stars twinkled like gold dust.
It was an unfamiliar night sky that I had never seen on Earth. I felt comforted by the comet falling, drawing a golden thread.
‘I should go to the library tomorrow.’
Although I had a vague idea about the important characters in the game, it is true that my understanding of the world itself was quite far behind.
Moreover, it has already been a week since he entered the academy. In terms of the story, it is the timing when the protagonist is slowly manifesting his protection and belatedly starting the admission process.
You have to prepare yourself so that you can be prepared for any situation. I know the general outline of the story.
Of course, it would have been nice if I had known what happened in the latter half.
There’s no point in regretting it any longer. Still, it was definitely a merit to have grasped the ‘truth’ of the story by the middle.
Whatever it is, let’s follow the ‘authenticity’. If we get involved in all sorts of things, we’ll end up throwing away whatever merit we have.
Suddenly, I remembered why I quit playing until the middle of the game scenario. The end of my lively academy life came sooner than I thought.
I, who had been pursuing the childishness of youth life that I had not been able to enjoy during my teenage years, lost interest in that aspect and boldly deleted the game.
If I remember correctly, the story started to get darker rapidly around the beginning of the third semester.
The demons, who noticed the birth of the hero, unite their forces led by the commander of the legion, take action, and threaten the academy. Eventually, the scale of the story becomes more and more grandiose, and it becomes a typical story of a world war between the demons and humanity.
However, when I thought about the hell of human life unfolding in the world I live in, goosebumps quickly ran through my body.
I shook my head, almost tossing and turning, trying to shake off the thoughts.
There was still a grace period of nearly three years. I needed a realistic goal rather than an escapist three-pronged creed.
Become stronger and survive.
Anyway, the narrative of mass-produced games usually has a happy ending, and the world will be saved by the protagonist. There is nothing more foolish than being swayed by a pointless hero mentality and rushing to carry out orders.
I need the strength to build my own body, not the noble strength to save the world like the main character. I can’t live like autumn leaves that could be swept away at any moment.
Let’s train ourselves to be as inconspicuous as possible. If we do get noticed, there’s a chance we’ll be drafted to fight against the demons. Such an unfortunate event is absolutely unacceptable.
Also, there was concern that the extreme characteristic called ‘Protection of the Sword God’ could be a double-edged sword, so it seemed that moderation was needed in its use.
I always ate sashimi out of necessity, but I could feel my body, which was already not eating well, slowly falling apart.
‘It certainly seems like the performance is certain… … .’
I opened the ‘status window’.
Paat-
== ==
[Protection of the Sword God]
If you cut it, it will be cut.
◎ Flesh level: 2 ▷ The sword standard is relaxed.
◎Spiritual level: 3 ▷ There is a sense of oppression in words and actions.
◎Armament level: 1 ▷ Unlocking conditions have not been met.
☆Education rate: 1.5%
★【？？？】
[※ The protection is activated only when the sword is less than 32 cm in length and less than 6 cm in width.]
== ==
The messages in the status window have clearly changed. Fortunately, it seems like this world hasn’t abandoned me yet. Even though he’s a background character, I think he’s given me growth elements by telling me to struggle and survive.
I stroked my chin and looked closely at the status window.
Perhaps the rank written at the end of the body, mind, and armor is a concept that replaces the level used in general games.
Of course, the flesh would be physical growth, and the mind seems to be related to wit or intelligence based on the situation just now. The last armament is literally the performance of the weapon.
The problem is the fairy tale rate written at the bottom and the phrase ‘？？？’.
The fairy tale rate is written as a percentage, unlike the phrases above. If there was even one letter written next to it, I would have guessed it, but there is no explanation. Furthermore, it would be either 1 or 2, so why would it be a decimal point?
But what piqued my curiosity more than anything else was the phrase that had only three question marks written on it. No matter how many times I touched it with my hand, all that came up on my retina was a dry font with an annoying beeping sound and the words, “Access is not possible because the conditions are not met.”
I stroked my chin and rolled my head. Gaho was already full of questions, but another question suddenly popped up. Since it was an ability imprinted on my body like a tattoo, it seemed clear that I needed to know about it.
However, racking your brain without any information will only result in hypotheses and no clear answers.
Well, it’s not important right now. You’ll figure it out naturally over time.
First of all, the body had to be trained to survive, and information had to be collected to quickly blend in with this world.
Luckily, the reward for the practical training that replaces the midterm exam next month is a longsword called Murasame.
The rank is B-class, and if you can handle it skillfully, it will be enough to arm you until you graduate from the academy. Since it is a standard that is outside the conditions for the manifestation of the high-risk swordsman’s protection, it is not burdensome as a main weapon.
You can’t rely on the 30 seconds of ‘Painless Protection’ forever. You also need to train your swordsmanship with a sword that doesn’t meet the conditions of the protection.
‘There’s more to do than I thought.’
I was staring up at the stars for a long time, blankly organizing my thoughts.
“Over there, that’s my seat.”
My gaze turned to the clear, innocent voice without me realizing it.
Neatly combed blue hair and an appearance that is beyond beautiful and even mysterious.
A girl with stars in her eyes, standing against the backdrop of the night sky and the Milky Way.
Abel von Nibelung.
The moment when the narrative changed was midnight when the cicadas were chirping.
