Chapter : 18
After finishing my business, I climbed back into the capsule with a refreshing feeling.
It was a bit unpleasant to get back onto the sweat-soaked seat, but right now, every second counted.
The time I had spent in reality was about thirty minutes. That meant that already two hours must have passed in the game.
There was no way to clear a chapter without a player, so I had to hurry before my companions were wiped out.
[Verifying user.]
[Identity confirmed.]
[Logging in to ‘Rézondart’.]
As I opened my eyes to the familiar system message, I immediately saw Iliya’s face.
…Huh? I thought they were in the middle of battle right now.
Unsure if I’d imagined it, I opened my eyes wider.
Her neatly-kept black hair framing her forehead, eyes darker than in reality, and perfectly handsome face.
It was undeniably Iliya.
“…Iliya? Why are you here—”
“I was very worried, Asha.”
I was slightly shocked that Iliya had interrupted me.
For someone who was the epitome of a gentleman to act this way, she must have been quite distressed while I was in the bathroom.
“For the two hours you were unconscious, you have no idea how terrified I was that you might not wake up.”
True to her words, there was a fear beyond mere vague worry on her face.
I checked Iliya’s affection level.
- A number that could easily trigger an exaggerated reaction I had never seen before.
Suddenly, I wondered—how far could I raise it here?
[Sorry.]
[Where’s Serena?]
Two options appeared.
I wanted to choose the first to see Iliya’s reaction, but I couldn’t just leave Serena and Michael to die.
I chose the latter.
“Iliya, where is Serena?”
“Why is it that you always… worry about others first?”
[Iliya’s affection increased by 1.]
Iliya bit her lips and lowered her head in response to my cold question, as if trying to calm the anger boiling inside her.
“The Lord of the Magic Tower is currently investigating His Highness the Prince and the passengers. They say some demons disguised as humans are mixed in.”
“Then this isn’t the time to be standing around!”
My avatar jumped up and shouted. I had picked a very noble, saintly type, and it made me almost tear up.
Ugh, a hero who runs to save companions without thinking of his own safety.
Too cool.
“Asha! You need to rest more!”
“I’ll rest after I deal with this!”
Caught up in my own heroic narrative, I shouted the dramatic line and regained control of my body.
I ran toward the rear cars and soon saw the crowded passengers and the companions keeping them under control.
“Serena! Michael!”
“Asha?”
Serena and Michael, standing with their arms crossed, turned their heads.
Serena’s sharp expression, tense from worry, instantly softened.
“Asha, you’re awake? You should probably rest a bit more.”
“The Lord of the Tower is right. We can’t do anything for now anyway.”
Michael waved his hand dismissively. His usually neat blonde hair was completely tousled from all the times I must have touched it.
Serena nodded as well.
“If we mistake innocent people for demons, it’ll only lead to needless casualties.”
Normally, demons could be easily recognized by black eyes and black hair.
Even the very proud ones wouldn’t hide their appearance easily, but even if their eyes were closed and they wore hats, Serena could tell.
However, if it were a high-ranking demon, one of the four main lieutenants, the situation was different.
They could hide their magical aura completely, just like Iliya.
Unlike the imperfect Iliya, who had mixed human blood, they could even change their hair and eye color to blend into the human world.
Eris, a demon appearing in this chapter, was so skilled at disguise that players called her the “Fairy of Mimicry.”
Even the weakest of the four high demons could cause chaos by completely transforming into someone else—something only she could do.
By now, figuring out who she had transformed into would be a serious headache.
—or so I thought.
[Serena, do you have any white chocolate?]
[(Hug Serena)]
[(Hug Michael)]
I blinked at the suddenly appearing options.
Because the human Eris disguised herself as changed every playthrough, I had no way of knowing who it was.
The choices were meant to help me figure it out.
“…Wow. This is the first time it’s among the main characters.”
I sighed quietly.
No need to rely on gamer intuition. Either Serena or Michael—one of them wasn’t real.
I swallowed hard. Surely… they hadn’t died while I was logged out, right?
I took a deep breath. I was ready.
Okay, I decided.
I chose the first option.
“Yeah, you should rest… I’m a bit tired, Serena, do you happen to have any white chocolate?”
My avatar naturally continued the conversation.
“The one you gave me at the tower? It was really delicious.”
“Sorry, there’s none right now. But when we get back, I’ll let you have plenty.”
“…If not, I guess there’s no choice.”
I tried not to sweat. Luckily, my voice didn’t shake.
…The chocolate I ate at the tower was milk chocolate.
Serena, who was smart enough to recite ancient tomes in the library, would surely know what kind of chocolate I had eaten.
Moreover, this was unmistakable. Serena hated white chocolate. So there was no way she’d have any on the 200th floor.
This Serena was fake.
‘What should I do?’
In the train chapter, I always relied on my companions to lure Eris.
But if Serena was fake, I couldn’t do that.
Iliya and Michael trusted her—the oldest human bomber.
Iliya, with affection off the charts, would listen to me, but Michael… I didn’t know.
Most importantly, I didn’t know where the real Serena was.
No. She can’t be dead.
The 100th playthrough would be my last. I’d die in reality before clearing it.
So Serena can’t die now.
I can’t lose her again. I won’t allow it.
“Asha, please sit at least.”
Iliya, who had caught up with me, urged me to rest.
From their perspective, it was understandable—they were worried after I suddenly collapsed and didn’t wake up for two hours.
I exhaled deeply.
I hadn’t expected to face Eris alone, but I had to do it anyway.
“Um… Serena. I’m tired—can you come with me to Room 1?”
“Of course. Your Highness, you can stay here instead of me.”
“…Understood.”
Iliya hesitated briefly but didn’t resist.
I guess she thought Serena, being female, was better suited to look after me, and strong enough to handle Eris on a physical level.
‘That would only work if it’s the real Serena.’
Serena’s hand, leading me with calm confidence, felt kind.
Since Eris read residual memory from the body, she was mimicking everything Serena had done on this train perfectly.
It was a flawless impersonation. Had it not been for the choice menu, I would have been completely fooled.
“There’s no one in Room 2.”
“I made it that way so you could rest. The previous room was too small to monitor all the passengers.”
That was lucky for me.
Fighting Eris in a crowded place was foolish.
Finding her when she melts into the crowd is like picking a star from the sky.
But in an empty room, it was a different story.
I clenched my fist.
For a normal person, staying alone with a demon without a weapon would be insane—but in the game, I was the Holy Sword Hero.
The bound weapon, the Holy Sword, could be summoned anytime I wanted.
The mark on the back of my hand shone white. Soon. Very soon.
Fake Serena, Eris, was showing me her back. She had no idea I suspected her.
‘Now!’
“Lie down here a bit… ugh!”
I summoned the Holy Sword and pierced her neck in one swift motion.
The fake Serena, caught off guard, looked up at me with eyes full of betrayal.
“A-Sh… cough, why…?”
This Serena was fake. I knew it—but…
I calmed my wavering heart and slashed the sword diagonally.
The freely moving blade of the Holy Sword cut her neck in an instant and returned to me.
Immediately, Serena’s neck healed.
Seeing her neck restored as if it had never been cut, I hurriedly took a backward step.
“Haha! Hahaha! How did you know? Is this what a hero’s skill is?”
Eris, still disguised as Serena, laughed hysterically while clutching her stomach.
Since I had already seen her super regeneration, she no longer needed to keep up the act.
Still, she kept up Serena’s appearance to shake me emotionally.
[Where’s the real Serena?]
[Yes. It’s my ability.]
Since it was during combat, the choices had a time limit. I wanted to choose the first, but that would be foolish.
Eris loved people’s confusion and negative emotions. She wouldn’t answer honestly.
Then how about this?
“Yes. It’s my ability. The goddess gave me eyes that can distinguish truth from lies.”
My avatar started lying without hesitation. Eris looked at me, half curious, half surprised.
“It’s the most suitable power for a hero, granted to punish evil.”
“Hmm, indeed. That makes sense.”
She nodded, still wary.
Right then—
[Serena’s affection increased by 1.]
‘…Haha.’
I forced a smile and kept my expression serious.
Serena’s affection increased.
This simple statement implied two things:
