Chapter 327: The Moon’s Desired Resentment (1)

A land where neither sunlight nor moonlight reaches, where the sweetness and joy of the world cannot touch, and where the promised salvation from God does not come. A land of demons.

Here, twelve children fell.

They were invited to this strange world to become sacrifices. When the children first appeared, the demons rejoiced greatly and danced all day. Because, their dream was close.

The demons desired their own god.

A god who was evil and absolute, who ridiculed everything in the human world, yet shared sweet honey with them every day, a biased and kind god. And they were ready to fulfill their wish.

Burning fire, cold hunger, sharp pricks, damp insomnia… the demons sing, holding twelve different instruments of torture.

Let’s inflict pain upon them. Let’s inflict unending suffering upon them.

Once we compose a beautiful symphony using the screams of children as notes, our very own god in that far-off sky will surely respond.

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And so, the game of tag between the children and the demons had begun.

※

The children, thrown into this bizarre world, trembled in fear. However, a spark of hope remained in a corner of their hearts. Could they possibly escape this world? Could they return to the ‘outside’ where the sun and joy were abundant?

An exit did exist.

Looking down from the hill of the village, there was a golden door, shining brilliantly on the very edge. If they could pass through that, they could escape this strange and terrible world.

Even though this entire world was filled with demons, with many traps and magic guarding every corner to ensure no one could escape.

Even though the children had no magical power, no physical ability, nothing at all.

Still, please.

I wanted to get out.

–

VRoooM──!

I was clinging to Abraham’s waist. Because, if I didn’t, I felt like I’d be flung off the bike and my spine would snap in half.

SKIIIIIRT──! BANG! BANG!

It was a wild ride that made my insides feel like they were all shifting to one side. Abraham, with a skill bordering on acrobatics, showed off his driving while using one hand to blast the heads off demons with a shotgun.

He’d already blown off at least twenty heads.

And even while doing all this, like it was just another day at the office, he calmly talked to me. Though the wind made it hard to hear, I could tell his tone was completely nonchalant.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“I feel like I’m going to throw up, I’m dizzy, and my arm hurts, but I’m okay!”

“Hahaha, you’re young, you’ll recover quickly after a little rest.”

He even had the余裕 to crack a joke in the middle of it all.

I couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked. What the hell had happened to this old man?

“Uh, what’s with the prosthetic arm? How did you become Robo-Abraham?”

“Well, I’m a bit different from the start, wouldn’t you say? Instead of gaining self-awareness by reacting to someone’s faith, I was directly created by the Creator and given energy by the Goddess. So––”

CLICK, WHIRRRR──!

Abraham’s metal prosthetic arm transformed, emitting a sound that stirred a man’s soul. A gun barrel sprouted from the back of his hand, instantly morphing into a machine gun.

TATATATATATATA-!!

Demons were shredded into rags.

“Since my existence isn’t defined by faith, I can change form freely without any issues. So, I asked Doctor Woo Chae-rin to modify it.”

“⋯⋯That’s pretty interesting!”

Other NPCs are based on belief, so Centra can’t suddenly turn into a cranky old man. But Abraham seemed to be an exception.

Abraham, now a badass, metal-clad old dude, continued his explanation.

“Because a record of me as an NPC remained, I seem to be treated as a sort of NPC in this world created by the Goddess.”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Therefore, I also know this story’s background setting and the 『Clear Condition』. It’s embedded in my head. I don’t think the creator knows it, so I’ll tell you. On your way here, did you see the 『Golden Door』?”

I did.

While the bike was flying between rooftops like it was skimming, I saw a massive door that was suspiciously, brightly gleaming. It seemed that was, honestly, the exit.

Thank god. If it weren’t for Abraham, I wouldn’t even know the 『Clear Condition』, I’d just be banging around here and there trying all kinds of stuff.

I brushed away the hair that was slapping my face in the strong wind, like it was trying to give me a cheek massage, and yelled. If I didn’t raise my voice, it’d be lost in the bike’s exhaust.

“What’s the backstory, Abraham?!”

“Creator, the background setting isn’t related to the 『Clear』. And yet, you show interest. May I ask why?”

“You gotta pay attention to the backstory! When you play TRPGs, the game master’s intentions are all packed in there! If you analyze it well, you might even get a peek at Yuna’s thoughts!”

“The Goddess’s intentions…”

Abraham muttered, a little bitter.

And then, belatedly, a chilling thought hit me.

All the other NPCs had happy endings. Centra found her love, Pero secured a safe life, Oh Hyein reunited with her friend, and Woo Chaerin saved the world.

They faced hardships, but in the end, they overcame them and found happiness.

But what about this old man, Abraham? The Abraham inside the session and the Abraham inhabiting the machine were different entities, but they merged due to his own desire. So he must know.

That his daughter, Isaak, was driven mad by starlight and became a fanatic, and that he was beheaded by her.

And at the end of that hardship… there was nothing gained. Isaac failed to awaken his self-awareness. All he received was the fact that his daughter is a mass of information, and he has to live his life alone from now on.

Back then, I didn’t expect an NPC to come to life. How could anyone have predicted it? That a character I created would develop self-awareness and think coherently. So, if I think about it calmly… it’s not my fault.

But, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. He suffered because of the backstory I wrote. I was freshly aware of that fact.

Leaving me alone to writhe in shame, Abraham calmly began to explain.

“Creator, this world, you see, begins with evil demons kidnapping twelve pure children──.”

–

Vrrrrrr…

The engine sound gradually decreased and then died out. The bike had arrived at a church building, but the windows were thoroughly boarded up, making it impossible to see inside.

Abraham dragged the bike inside, introducing the place.

“This is my base of operations. To bring the Creator and worship God in this place, I cannot easily distinguish if it is blasphemy or reverence.”

“…You’re using a surprisingly large building? It’ll be difficult to defend if it’s too spacious.”

“It’s large for one person, but too small for eleven.”

“That means, so…”

Abraham nodded and opened the door.

“Yes, the children from the story are under my protection.”

*Creeeak.*

Beyond the opened door, children are huddled together, shivering in fear and embracing each other. There are a total of eleven of them.

I frowned, noticing a sense of incongruity. The children’s movements and eyes were not in sync.

“…This is.”

“Yes. They do not have self-awareness. Nor do they have intellect. If I were to categorize them, they are closer to machines.”

Just like they said, they’re programmed NPCs, way behind even the AI *I* built. They just play pre-set reactions depending on the situation.

Means they’re dolls pretending to be afraid.

“But… maybe they have lives too, don’t they? I just couldn’t leave them like that. So I’ve been protecting them.”

“……….”

Abraham stared at the kids with hollow eyes. A hint of affection lingered in those deep pupils. Looked like he was remembering his daughter.

I memorized that expression. Now, I can’t do anything, I have more urgent things to deal with. But sometime, I’d like to do something for him.

Switch gears. I gotta focus on clearing this.

This world is swarming with devils. Seriously, there’s way too many. Seems like I run into three of ’em every block. Gotta break through that density and reach the “Golden Gate.” Without magic, too.

“…Abraham, how strong are you?”

“I can easily handle common devils, but there are powerful commander-class devils all over the world. I don’t think I could win against them.”

“Commander-class devils, huh? Do you know how many there are?”

“I’ve seen two so far. One wearing a goat mask, and another one who’s old and hunched over.”

The description sounds familiar. If it’s a goat mask, then it’s gotta be that damn “Lamb”. I remember hearing about the twelve kids too.

So this story is showing a session that’s an allegory for Yuna’s past. I was suspicious from the start, but now I’m sure.

The twelve test subjects trapped in the purple magic tower, the wizards guarding them to prevent escape… The “Lamb” leading the project, and the former tower lord.

And… Yuna herself, who couldn’t use magic, and wasn’t even strong.

Me.

Now I get why I’m under “Magic Block.” In this story that reflects the past, I’m playing Yuna’s role.

“……….”

I was gonna break through.

With Abraham’s power, I’d planned to break through in a straight line, swiftly pass through the 『Golden Gate』, and head to the next floor. But the plan changed.

“Abraham, I need to escape with these children.”

“Creator. That has nothing to do with 『Clearing』, and will instead make escape more difficult. Moreover, these children have no selves. They are dolls.”

He’s right. Thinking coldly, that’s the practical thing to do.

But I don’t want to.

“Meaning and value aren’t given at birth, they’re created by the heart. If this story is Yuna’s regret, I don’t want to leave it like this.”

“We call a vague longing with no way to achieve it, foolishness or faith. Are you praying, Creator?”

“The effort to reach a star impossibly high, too far away to touch. We call that a pipe dream or a conviction. But this time, it’s neither. Everyone escaping is a reachable goal.”

I have a way. A cunning plan to break through the demon horde and save all the children.

Abraham read my conviction and nodded silently.

“What would you have me do?”

“Rest well today. I’ll rest for a day too. Prepare paper and pen, and check the bike parts, since we’ll be riding a lot tomorrow. A megaphone would be good, too.”

“…Contrary to what you said about resting well, you have given me much to do, Creator.”

“That’s just saying if you finish everything and still have time, you can go home. Let’s move. That way we can sleep even a little more, right?”

Abraham wasn’t complaining for real. It was a little joke.

While waiting for the supplies to be prepared, I suddenly went to the window and looked up at the sky. The sky was cloudy, dark, and damp.

A faint moon illuminated the earth with sad moonlight. That celestial body, drawing a circle, resembled a human eye. If so, then surely that moon was weeping with starlight.

Perhaps, is Yuna watching me?

“If you’re watching, look carefully. I’ll always overcome the odds, walk paths no one has trodden, and finally arrive in front of you. Yuna.”

And so it will be.

It felt like the moon had flickered for a moment.

–

This world is like a souped-up version of 『S2. Resentment Wished upon a Star』.

Monstrous, hostile demons are already swarming everywhere, there’s no spell to send them back to their original world, there are no NPCs to help me, and on top of that, there’s even a penalty: magic prohibition.

The city seemed to have already fallen, with only children left as survivors. In this situation, having the harsh condition of having to cross the city to reach an escape route…

If it weren’t for Abraham, I’d have been dizzy.

Okay, let’s think this through step by step.

Aside from the irregular Abraham, the characters in this story correspond one-to-one with Yuna’s past. I’m Yuna, these kids are sacrifices just like Yuna was.

The commander-level named demon b*stards are each the 『Lamb』 and the former Tower Lord.

Then what about the fodder demons? It’s obvious. These are the illusion mages who were studying at the Tower in the past.

And illusion mages are, by nature, twisted b*stards. The Tower had a high proportion of weirdos, and before I normalized it, the concentration of their gloom was extremely thick.

Because of this situation, there’s one sly tactic I can use.

“Hey, that 『Goat』 b*stard is seriously weird, right? Just because he got on a good line, he’s acting all high and mighty, leading the project. That greasy prick. He’s just full of appearances, always wearing that damn mask.”

“Kerk?”

“I heard from Charlie the other day that that b*stard keeps gaslighting our… Demon King? Anyway, our boss. If a demon makes a sick spell and tries to build merit, he steals the credit as if he achieved it himself.”

“Kek, kererk….”

Sowing discord.

I, covered in the skin of a dead demon and crouching low, poured on the gas to other demons. To make them divide and turn against each other, to create a large crack.

Magic blockade? Who cares, I don’t need to use magic.

If I don’t have the power, I’ll just make the powerful ones fight each other!