I Teleported Into the Academy of a S*xy Game-Chapter 195: Blood Ties and Circumstances (2)

Blood Ties and Circumstances (2)

Clank, clank—

The headquarters of the Pandemic.

Fortified with special mana-treated chains and multiple layers of magic circles, the centaur stood at its center. It wasn't resisting, but given the centaur's immense strength, such precautions were necessary to prevent any danger.

"Apostle, please spread the flames of Hell into the human world…" Maestro prayed, hands clasped, in front of the centaur.

"Humans are truly clueless… Can't even recognize an F-rank mercenary guild insignia."

Behind him, Rebecca stood quietly, her eyes closed.

These lunatics… Whether it's the centaur feigning weakness and hiding his mana, or Maestro, who knows everything yet still puts on an act, both are certifiable nutjobs.

"Human slaughter or human slavery, I can assist with either."

"I have no interest. Leave."

"Apostle, you've agreed to the summoning contract, it means you have desires in the human world. Please share them."

"Sigh, I've never made any such contract. I don't even know why I'm here."

Despite Maestro's persistent entreaties, the centaur remained unmoved. In the end, Maestro had to change tactics. Persuasion would have been best, but sadly, he had to expend precious mana.

"Rebecca, it's not working…"

"Yes, Maestro."

As soon as Maestro called her name, Rebecca summoned her mana.

Zzing—

Soon, runes formed a barrier around the centaur.

"Hah, this beast can't understand a thing, just a beast."

"Talk all you want. In the end, I'll… Ugh?!"

The Rune Barrier. The reason it's known as the greatest, the worst, and the most wicked barrier isn't just because it's hard to break.

The Rune Tribe spent their entire lives honing this specific type of barrier. When combined with the power of their bloodline, unique magic was born, far different from ordinary barriers.

That's why their barriers are different. The ability to control within the barrier. The narrower the barrier, the stronger this ability becomes.

"Huff, huff…"

"Apostle, look into my eyes."

The air inside the barrier completely vanished. Despite the intense pressure and shock, the centaur remained unscathed.

"Hmm, Rebecca, maintain the barrier as it is. It seems persuading the Apostle will take longer than expected."

"Yes, Maestro. I will proceed."

"Argh…"

"Now, Apostle, let me say this once more…"

Clang—

Watching Maestro cling to the centaur, Rebecca closed the door and left the headquarters.

"Haah, haah… Using mana to block Maestro's brainwashing is draining. That guy is truly insane."

Although Rebecca, covered by the Rune Barrier, could also block Maestro's brainwashing, she knew that if she maintained eye contact for too long, her act would be exposed. That's how dangerous his ability is. Although the centaur resists, like other executives, he'll soon be subdued.

"You've done well, Miss Rebecca." One of her subordinates waiting outside approached her.

"Yes. How's the situation with Lee Hoyeon?"

"Based on the hospital records, it appears he will be discharged soon."

"Good." Thinking she would soon meet a survivor of her tribe, Rebecca smiled with joy.

***

Nam Dahee was too caught up in her game to notice anything, while Daeun continued to play with her, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"What's the deal with the Hell origin? Is that monster really from Hell?"

"Not sure about that. But did you notice the mercenary insignia around its neck?"

"Mercenary insignia?"

The video paused for expert commentary, giving me a clear view.

"Look, it seems to say ‘F.'"

"That necklace? What does it have to do with Hell?"

The design was peculiar, but it looked like an ordinary necklace. Monsters do have a penchant for bizarre designs, after all.

"It's not a necklace; it's a mercenary insignia used in Hell."

"But wait, it says ‘F.' Why would they use English in Hell? Isn't English a language from the human world?"

"What do you mean? Mercenary insignias would obviously be in English."

"…"

There were several points I wanted to question, but I decided to let them go.

"So, who's this centaur? Is he famous?"

I didn't know why he's here, but if he's a notorious figure from Hell, that's concerning, isn't it?

"No, ‘F' is the lowest rank. They're the bottom-feeders, the ones who clean up dungeons."

"Liliana, didn't you watch the video? People were being thrown around like trash."

If janitors are that powerful, this world is doomed.

"Hmm, yeah… There's no way someone that powerful could be F-rank."

Luckily, even in Hell, he appears to be strong.

"Anyway, that's beside the point. Any idea why that centaur is causing havoc in our world?"

"No idea. He probably made some sort of contract, like me."

Liliana seemed glued to the TV, perhaps glad to see a fellow Hell member after a long time. She's utterly useless when it comes to important matters.

"Contract, Hell, monster, city attack…"

I contemplated what could be inferred about this centaur from the original work. He's a new monster, but there might be clues in the original story.

"Dealing with an intelligent monster causing this kind of terrorism would certainly be difficult," Scarlett added.

"True… Wait, terrorism?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

A word Scarlett mentioned in passing.

Terrorism.

It brought to mind a certain group.

The demon group, Pandemic.

Various scenes from the original story where I fought Pandemic began to flash through my mind.

"Apostle…"

In Pandemic, there's a concept known as the Apostle. It represents being a subordinate to the Demon King. Since its introduction, Pandemic's attacks have intensified, and powerful monsters that were originally not part of this world have emerged in the game.

Many criticized this contrived game setting for power balancing, but let's put that aside for now.

Among the Apostles, I've never seen one like that centaur. The first Apostle in the original game isn't a monstrous centaur but a round, gooey slime.

Something's off from the start… But what is it? A centaur with intelligence, meaning it can communicate.

"I'd like to talk to that centaur at least once. Any thoughts?" I asked Scarlett, our group's brains.

If it can communicate, it might possess unknown information about Hell, the Demon King, or even Liliana.

"We at Iris Guild are also trying to figure out how to subdue that centaur. It vanished suddenly in the city, but it seems to still be in France."

"Right, the Iris Guild is in France too."

Alice must be struggling as well. Should I get involved? Should I team up with the Iris Guild to capture the centaur?

How would I even go about defeating that thing? It looks incredibly powerful. Even with Battle Sense, facing something in an entirely different league would be challenging.

Unless there's another way.

"Yes, it might become difficult for me to be here every day."

"Okay, I understand."

Honestly, Scarlett being here every day so far has been abnormal. She also has her own job.

"Hell… Hell…" Liliana wasn't paying attention to our conversation, her eyes locked onto the TV with a distant gaze.

★ Heroine Status

[Liliana]

[Affection: 97] (+1.6)

[Lust: 76]

[Appetite: 42]

[Fatigue: 30]

Current Status: I wonder what Mom's doing…

"Liliana."

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to talk to that centaur?"

"It's not like that… But I feel strange whenever I see that horseman."

Liliana isn't her usual self.

"Just act as you normally do. Whining suits you."

"What are you talking about? As if a succubus like me would whine."

Hell.

A place I never really considered keeps appearing in the story.

Pandemic, and now Liliana.

They might actually be important after all.

***

"Darling, what's happening…?"

"What? Why the sudden question?"

I had returned to the hospital for my routine check-up, and I felt Baek Ahyeong's hand tremble as she touched me.

"It's like… not just the circuit, but your whole body is healing. Not just healing, but actually getting healthier?"

"Ah…"

It seems she's reacting to my significant increase in natural healing ability. But is it really that surprising?

"I recently acquired a new skill. Could that be it?"

"It's healing so cleanly and perfectly. With this level, the efficiency of your mana circuits should improve even more."

It must be very efficient if she's reacting like this.

"Does that mean I might be discharged sooner?" Hoping for an early discharge, I asked Ahyeong.

"Maybe tomorrow… You could be discharged by tomorrow afternoon."

That's great, but…

I thought staying in the hospital was a waste of time, especially with so much to do. However, Ahyeong didn't look happy. Maybe she's sad that we'll have less time to spend together.

I suddenly felt guilty.

"Still… I should come for regular check-ups, right?"

She met my eyes after hearing my words.

"Yes? Oh… yes, that's right."

"I'll keep coming. Don't worry."

"Darling… You have to come every day."

"Okay, I will."

As I hugged Ahyeong, who looked gloomy, she began to speak with a serious tone, "There's something I need to tell you before you leave the hospital."

"Um, what is it?"

Why is she creating such a tense atmosphere to say something?

I waited nervously for her next words.

"I didn't tell you because I was worried about your condition… but during the terrorist attack, someone approached us while you were unconscious."

"Really…?"

It's the first time I've heard this. If Ahyeong didn't tell me because she was worried about me, something shocking might have happened.

"That person asked me to tell you something." Sighing, Baek Ahyeong slowly began to speak, recalling that moment. "She said she's from the past tribe, and once you recover, she'll come looking for you."

"Past tribe?"

"You don't have to tell me now. You probably have secrets you want to keep. But… promise me you'll tell me someday. I want to help you too." Holding my hand tightly, Ahyeong sent me a desperate look.

It was a look that said she'd stand by me no matter what secrets I had. I was taken aback by that look.

What is this "past tribe" she's talking about? This is really giving me a headache.