Episode 267. Dantia Alighieri
He looks like an adult male, but his physical age is younger than that of an elementary school student.
This was the physical defect that I, Choi Soo-hyun, had.
It’s funny that when I first found out about this, it was already too late.
If I had known that my naturally dull body would hold me back this much, I would have taken action in advance.
Why didn’t I notice this curse?
It was really unfair.
I was on the verge of losing my mind, but I didn’t have the confidence to cause any bloodshed.
Just die without accomplishing anything.
The only thing that could comfort me like that was games.
Since I’m going to die anyway, I don’t mind doing whatever I want, right?
Yeah, if you just quietly breathe, you can die comfortably.
‘Let’s just think positively. Positively, positively…’
Good, good… .
Positively… .
To make you as comfortable as possible… .
‘under….’
That can’t be possible.
Where in the world is there a fool who thinks positively about death?
Trying to force myself to think positively actually backfired.
Without realizing it, deep in my heart, an instinct to live unconditionally began to sprout.
Is that why?
The moment you first fly into this world and realize that this world is inside Devil’s Ark.
I just let my instincts take over.
With a crazy desire to live.
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“To be honest, I wanted to live. I was more scared of dying young than I thought.”
I, who was just about to die, was suddenly summoned to the world of Devil’s Ark?
Of course, it felt unfamiliar at first.
I was reckless about how to use this body called Radon Crowler.
This damn body that’s caught in Liar’s hesitation.
“But apart from those worries, something else began to open up in my heart.”
Gratitude for being able to start life over again.
That was the feeling I had along with anxiety.
The Liar’s Curse. If you can’t lie, you die.
It was only then that I understood why the extra character named Radon Crowler became a liar.
I also thought that if I hadn’t been possessed, Radon in the main story would have died without noticing this curse.
Just like myself back in the Choi Soo-hyun era.
“Of course, it’s not like there weren’t any hardships.”
As you know, Radon Crawler was just a one-time extra.
Since he wasn’t on the good side, his karma had piled up a lot even before he was born.
Because of that, I was threatened by Jenny from the beginning, and there was even a time when my body froze.
Because of the stigma of being a con artist, everyone looks at me with negative eyes.
Still, I didn’t want to give up.
Because it was a rejection to go back to my previous life.
“And the curse wasn’t just placed on me.”
It doesn’t specifically refer to the Liar’s Curse.
Just as I was born with a physical defect, others were going through similar circumstances as I was.
-Jenny lost her mother due to an innate power she didn’t want, and she hated herself for being controlled by that power.
-Ruska was born into a poor environment and after losing her mother, she became hostile to the world. She lost the will to live after not recognizing and hurting even her own younger sibling whom she was supposed to protect.
-Mary, despite her innocent appearance, had a demon lord inside her, and she felt a great sense of guilt over the fact that this being caused the Demon War 30 years ago.
– Not only was Nebia’s family abandoned in the slums, but after losing her father and brother, her family became even more miserable. If she had not been chosen as a saint, she would have committed suicide by hanging herself.
Maybe that’s why I had to stop them from falling off the cliff.
I had to keep the flow of the story and there were personal reasons for that, but I somehow wanted to prevent their downfall.
They were all kids who had thought at least once, ‘Should I live?’
Jenny feels guilty for killing her mother.
When Ruska realized that her revenge was useless.
Mary is shocked by the truth that she was the Demon King.
In particular, Nebia realized that she was a worthless being and tried to kill herself.
“I was dying to live… I didn’t want to give up on life so easily.”
That’s why I wanted to show them what life is.
I wanted to make them realize, ‘Ah, I really was a person needed by the world.’
Because they say that they are living a life of vitality and have lost all attachment to life, it is nothing but a deception.
“And there’s no need to mention your son.”
The guy who reached the extreme in that regard was Lyman.
It made me wonder if the reason I was drawn to Devil’s Ark was all because of that guy.
“After all, a curse is something that will eventually be lifted.”
Frees Lyman, the one and only child, from the shackles of responsibility.
That was the purpose of the great sage Dantia.
And that goal is now slowly coming to fruition.
Dantia told me about that fact.
“Thank you so much for helping that kid so far.”
“Thank you. I am more grateful.”
I thanked her for saving me from a terminal illness.
If she hadn’t trapped me in this world, I don’t know what I would have done to survive.
Because, despite my calm appearance, at that time I was on the verge of going crazy.
Even though it was sent without any consultation, it is said that there is room for consideration.
“But why did it take 10 years to get me back on track?”
It took about 10 years from the release of Devil’s Ark to the time I was diagnosed with terminal illness.
I was curious about what Dantia had been doing all this time.
He started explaining it to me.
“I was basically looking for someone who would be a good fit for the role. First of all, it would have to be someone who is either very good at the games I’ve made or has a deep knowledge of the worldview.”
“What if he refuses?”
“Yeah, that was the problem.”
As I said before, even old people have families and friends.
You can’t just drag an ordinary person out without a sound or rumor.
So, it was pointing out that I was the one who could no longer live.
“It certainly won’t be easy to find someone like me. It wouldn’t be strange if it took 10 years.”
“That’s not all. It took some time to develop this.”
At Dantia’s gesture, something floated in the air.
That was the interface of Devil’s Ark, familiar to my eyes. It was the system window I always used.
“No matter how much of a veteran you are, it would be difficult for you to survive in our world with just that head. That’s why I created this so that you can easily obtain the power.”
Actually, I have often received help from the system window.
From earning credits to increasing your stats and skill levels, everything was possible thanks to the system window.
Above all, it was the ability to check the erosion rate of the curse that greatly contributed to survival.
“Wait a minute. But why on earth did you possess this cursed body?”
The more I thought about it, the more I realized there was something strange about it.
It was good to be free from the time limit. But was it really necessary to have this minor role called Radon Crowler?
Dantia also started talking about him.
“There was no other body suitable for the possession. Because that body… was of Machia’s blood.”
This time, Dantia speaks in a rather serious voice.
It felt heavy because it was a story related to that psycho demon king.
Because it was none other than that guy who put me in this situation.
“That guy, Machia, broke the taboo and obtained a special privilege. Originally, Machia should have been the one to pay for breaking that taboo. However, he was able to pass it on to another bloodline, not himself.”
It was thanks to the God of Destruction that this was possible.
The guy borrowed the power of the God of Destruction to break the taboo of the world, and then borrowed the power of the God of Destruction again to avoid the price.
In the end, it was poor people like Radon, his own daughter and descendants, who were cursed.
“Since ancient times, those who are cursed are prone to astral projection. They are more prone to possession and reincarnation than others.”
“So this body is the winner.”
“Because the bodies of other ordinary people weren’t suitable for him, he couldn’t even try.”
As a result, the most suitable body was Radon Crawler.
It was a natural result, since he was attending the Alighieri Academy, where the protagonist attended.
“And there’s something you must keep in mind. Defeating the God of Destruction doesn’t mean your curse will be lifted.”
It was not a wrong statement. As if to prove it, the erosion rate was still rising.
But wasn’t that liberation even though you died once a little while ago?
It was truly an unpleasant curse.
“That’s not a curse from the God of Destruction, it’s a curse given in return for breaking the world’s taboos.”
The God of Destruction, Endless, only changed the target of the curse. He could not be said to be the source of the curse.
However, it is impossible to break the laws of the world.
“In the main game, you can clearly see that the curse is lifted using the Eternal Flame and the Archives.”
“That’s right. With that, the curse on Miro, Maya, and our Lyman will be lifted. But….”
Only one of the two survives.
It’s good to start lifting the curse, but the body breaks down due to the sudden backlash from the curse.
To prevent this, Lyman sacrifices himself and gives up all his life to her.
Since he had lost his heart anyway, he wouldn’t be able to live long even if the curse was lifted.
“Lyman, like me, has inherited the blood of the devil. He can survive for years without a heart.”
It could not have been anything other than a tenacious vitality that transcended humans.
If I had survived that way, I could have at least spent the rest of my time with Mirona.
“And the Eternal Flame is actually just a lump of light that I created by breaking the taboo.”
“It’s like it spread light across the entire continent. That means….”
“The saints who were born by receiving that light can also be said to be the Eternal Flame itself.”
For some reason, whenever Nebia and Angela gathered together, the erosion rate seemed to decrease or the silence was lifted.
That means there was no need to go through all the trouble of graduating.
“Of course, at first, those children were immature and couldn’t properly use the power of the flames.”
“But what if I try to lift the curse? The curse will rebel against me and eat away at my body?”
In fact, Mirona in the main story almost died because of that, if it weren’t for Lyman’s sacrifice.
“I’ve thought about it carefully, and it seems like we need an evil force that can interfere with that curse.”
“Evil power…?”
“You’re right next to me. That little pink-haired kid.”
Mary, that was referring to the Demon King.
“That’s exactly why the curse failed to be lifted in the future I saw. But now it’s different.”
It was a very hopeful situation.
Now, if we could just use the archives, all the conditions for lifting the curse would be met.
“Not only can I remove the curse placed on you, but I can also remove the special privilege placed on that person.”
Machia’s special powers are reincarnation and possession.
If that were to be released, the guy’s life would be over forever.
“Actually…, it was because I created the Eternal Flame that Lyman was cursed with immortality.”
“….”
“It seems like you’ve had to suffer for nothing because of me.”
Dantia still feels great compassion for his son.
Lyman himself had been an unwanted immortal, so he harbored resentment toward his mother.
That was when Dantia’s body began to gradually disappear.
and….
“It’s almost time to say goodbye.”
I too was in the process of disappearing from my body to go back to reality.
“I will disappear from this world now. I have squeezed the last of my strength out of you, so I have no strength left to live.”
How sad it would be to leave without even talking to your son.
Then she came to me and held out her hand.
“Give me your hand.”
I extended my hand as she said, and the moment we shook hands, something was transmitted inside me.
“This is….”
“Show that to the current principal, Alighieri. He’ll help.”
“There are many other things going on in my head….”
“You must have had a hard time coming to this world where you couldn’t even adapt, right? This is a gift for that.”
Now even the hands we used to hold have disappeared.
The time has come to say goodbye for good.
“Tell Lyman I’m sorry, and that I always loved him. And….”
This time, with just one word to me, she disappeared completely.
“Thank you so much for being my son’s friend.”
This concludes the conversation with Dantia, the creator of Devil Aka and the great sage.
“We’re not really friends.”
The moment I quietly hummed… , the scenery began to change.
At some point my eyelids closed, and I opened my eyes with a dazed expression.
In the open field of vision, I could see them who had always been by my side.
“Come on, Radon.”
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
“Hey friend!”
“Don’t keep me waiting next time, Senior.”
Although their expressions were different, it wasn’t my imagination that they all looked like angels.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
