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The Pursuer IV

7

One thing that needs to be emphasized again at this point is that the path to defeating the anomalies isn’t a one-way street; it’s always a two-way street.

“I came to rescue? Kid, what are you talking about? I’m caught too.”

In short, my response to the child in front of me wasn’t because I’m a bad-tempered sadist, nor was it because I’m the eldest of the Eagle Brothers.

“You?”

“Can’t you see my name tag? I’m a security guard here, a security guard. Oh my. When I came to my senses, the school had become completely strange.”

“Oh… You’re a security guard, sir…”

I felt sorry for the kid, but I had no intention of deviating even 1cm from my security guard role-playing.

The reason I could handle the anomalies in the ‘school legend’ was firstly because of the rice I had accumulated as a regressor, and secondly because of the role of ‘security guard.’

If I were a security guard, it wouldn’t be strange for me to ‘casually wander around the school.’ That was part of a security guard’s job.

If I were a security guard, it wouldn’t be strange for me to ‘know how to deal with strange incidents in the school.’ That was a security guard’s ability.

In other words, the moment the mask of ‘night patrol security guard’ was broken, I would lose all the advantages I had enjoyed so far.

I had to help the castaways of the school legend within the limits of my role-playing.

And for a seasoned regressor, such restrictions were not even penalties.

“Kid, why do you look so pale? Are you eating well? Here, have some.”

“Eh? …Oh, chocolate?”

It wasn’t just ordinary chocolate. It was the strongest dessert on earth. It was a beautiful Crunchy chocolate wrapped in golden paper.

“Can I really eat this?”

“Of course. I’m giving it to you to eat.”

A moment later.

“Aaaah!”

The effect of the Crunchy chocolate bar was tremendous.

“We, we didn’t do anything wrong. We just woke up in the dorm and came to school, and suddenly, ghosts appeared, and all the teachers were gone. The ghosts chased us… in the classrooms, in the bathrooms, on the playground, in the cafeteria, on the rooftop, everywhere… my friends, so many of them died…”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

“I’m the student council president, but, sniff. I should be helping the others, but I, I was too busy running away. I’m sorry, I was scared…”

The 117th Cheon Yohwa was completely different from the previous ones, even though she was undoubtedly the same person.

She was focused.

The intensity of her emotions was high.

In other words, she lacked experience points.

“It’s okay. Whether you’re the student council president or not, you’re all just young students. Just surviving is already remarkable.”

“Aah…”

‘Complete Cheon Yohwa’ still needed years of pain and patience to level up.

The child in front of me would lead the survivor group until the number of students decreased from 750 to 17.

But there were clearly advantages to being incomplete compared to being complete. That’s why I had thrown myself into the school legend.

“There’s plenty of chocolate, so eat slowly. How did you manage to escape from the ghosts?”

“…Sniff. A strange-looking fairy periodically gave us quests? Something like, missions. If we completed them, we were guaranteed food and a place to sleep for a short while… Originally, I was with the other kids, but as soon as this quest started, we were forced to scatter because of the fairy…”

“I see.”

I replied nonchalantly, but my heart skipped a beat.

Because the situation described by Cheon Yohwa was exactly what I had been longing for.

‘…Indeed. Cheon Yohwa of this era is clearly aware of the anomalies.’

Not only the ghosts in the school legend but also the fairies in the tutorial.

Originally, previous Cheon Yohwas couldn’t even recognize fairies. Brainwashing. Or the influence of perception distortion.

But the current Cheon Yohwa could detect anomalies after all. She saw the anomalies as anomalies.

‘This means that in the future, she will change so that she can’t recognize anomalies anymore… What could be the trigger for that?’

I had to find out from now on.

I smiled kindly.

“You’ve been through a lot, kid. You must be hungry too. Would you like to eat this?”

“Ah…”

I turned on my lantern and moved. Then Cheon Yohwa hesitated, put down the cup ramen container, and followed.

“Wait, security guard. Can’t you take me with you too?”

“Hmm? The student?”

“Yes! Um, before the kids were forcibly separated, I was in a sort of leadership position. There were many good kids, but also some who were a bit distracted… Um. Seeing the supplies you have, they might get some, well, not-so-good ideas…”

I chuckled inwardly.

It was a welcome sound. After all, my original purpose was to accompany Cheon Yohwa.

However, there was a difference in voluntariness between proposing here and deciding for oneself over there. I subtly dangled the bait, and she admirably took it.

“The student will protect me?”

“Hahaha… That’s too much. I saw you earlier, and you seemed really strong. I’ll just assist you so that nothing bothers you unnecessarily!”

I chuckled softly too, finding it amusing to play along with her playful punches.

“Is the student following me because you want more cup ramen?”

“Uh, busted… But, um. In situations like this, I think it’s important to stick together as a group. I’ll always be by your side to help!”

“Hmm.”

Taking the lead from emptiness meant not only taking on the most dangerous role but also entrusting one’s back to this side. It meant standing in a position where betrayal was out of the question.

“Yeah, if the student council president says so emphatically, I should trust her. Let’s stick together for the time being.”

“Yes! Thank you, sir!”

We walked along the fourth-floor corridor.

Suddenly, I noticed Cheon Yohwa’s head.

Bandages with bloody scabs.

Traces of betrayal. Emotional trauma.

“….”

“By the way, security guard, have you heard any news from outside? Except for the information the fairy sporadically gave us, we don’t know anything.”

“I don’t know exactly either. But sometimes, we catch some news from the radio in the security guard’s office, and it’s not much different from here. The country has collapsed, the army has been annihilated, that kind of talk.”

“Ugh… Then, there won’t be any rescue teams coming for us…?”

“I doubt it.”

“Probably not…”

Cheon Yohwa’s shoulders visibly slumped.

“It’s probably unlikely, but we should also be prepared for news about our families outside. The world has been greatly damaged.”

“Oh, well. I’m not really worried about my family. They were just nobles who got caught up in some weird cult and did strange things anyway.”

“Hmm. A cult.”

Thud, thud.

Apart from our footsteps and voices, the whole school was desolate.

But there was no time to be bored.

“Originally, time flows differently between here and the outside.”

“Oh, really?”

“How long do you think has passed since the students got trapped here?”

“Well… There were days I skipped, but overall, based on waking up and going to bed, it’s been at least around 390 days…”

“Outside, it hasn’t been three months yet.”

“That’s impossible! Really?”

Cheon Yohwa’s reactions were exaggerated and colorful, with each response seeming over the top.

Unlike the previous Necromancer Cheon Yohwas who smiled like dolls for some reason.

‘I guess she was always like this.’

It was surprising.

Even though life had reached its 117th turn, there were still wells of people I hadn’t peered into yet.

“…Sir.”

Cheon Yohwa lowered her voice.

Human voices were fascinating, able to convey a lot of information with simple vibrations and casual titles. I immediately focused ahead.

Clank, clank, clank, thud.

A ghost was coming out of a classroom door on the other side of the corridor. But it wasn’t walking; it was coming out headfirst.

The ghost didn’t just sway like a willow tree; it moved its head completely while traveling. With each movement, the ghost’s skull shattered, splattering blood around.

Thud, thud, thud, thunk.

But the skull fragments and blood spilled on the corridor quickly gathered back together to form the shape of a head again. So, every time the ghost’s head hit the ground, it repeated its death.

“Ah… the head-banging ghost…”

Cheon Yohwa muttered, slightly unsettled.

“Do you know that ghost?”

“Yes, well… I’ve bumped into it a few times. It’s not too fast, so it’s easy to run away. But if you get too close, it suddenly teleports to the playground and falls down like rain.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

“No. I’ve seen a few who fell from the roof… Seventeen of them died falling. So, we just call it the suicide ghost instead of the head-banging ghost.”

Thud, thud, thud, thunk.

The ghost entered classrooms one by one and came out from the front, gradually getting closer to us.

Dealing with the creature here was straightforward. I had at least four exorcism spells that came to mind instantly.

But I chose ‘Wait’ from the commands.

Cheon Yohwa had just joined my party. Testing her abilities as a newcomer was customary.

“Alright. Please wait a moment.”

Cheon Yohwa didn’t refuse this implicit test either. The sound of deep inhaling echoed in the dim corridor.

“…No. Fear… is…”

Muttering.

I listened in, enhancing my hearing.

“I’m not afraid. Cheon Yohwa is a human who isn’t afraid of ghosts. Cheon Yohwa is brave…”

Darkness gathered around Cheon Yohwa’s silhouette, tensing up. It was as if a taut rubber band was about to snap, and she burst forward.

Her movements were agile, as I had admired in our first encounter.

‘Above average movements for a civilian,’ I’d say.

But Cheon Yohwa wasn’t just an ordinary civilian; she was an awakened one.

And having survived 390 days in a tutorial dungeon of unprecedented difficulty had made her one of the strongest awakened beings in the peninsula, whether she realized it or not.

Her potential had already been verified.

‘For someone who just awakened, she’s almost on par with the ghost.’

When the distance narrowed to about four meters, Cheon Yohwa slowed down. Then, with a graceful motion like a gymnast, she assumed a handstand.

Thud, thud, thud, thunk!

Cheon Yohwa’s legs spun like a windmill, maintaining the inverted posture. If a professional breakdancer had seen her, they would have immediately scouted her for their team.

The ghost’s body wobbled as Cheon Yohwa kicked it. With each blow, its balance faltered until it inevitably tilted after being hit from the second, third, fourth classroom in a row.

“Euaahhh!”

Cheon Yohwa grabbed the ghost’s hair and pulled. Then, with a swift motion, she jumped up from her handstand position. The ghost, with its hair held tightly, had no choice but to be lifted.

“Oh, wow.”

I almost whistled unconsciously.

‘The ghost that moves with its head flipped upside down now stands straight.’

It was a flaw in its design.

Cheon Yohwa, whether guided by innate intuition or accidentally stumbled upon the strategy, didn’t matter. In battles against creatures like this, only the results mattered.

Thunk!

The ghost, with its hair caught by Cheon Yohwa, transformed from top to bottom into a pulp and fell to the ground with a thud.

In less than seven seconds, its legs, torso, upper body, and head were all shattered into pieces on the corridor. Even the last remaining strand of hair slipped through Cheon Yohwa’s fingers.

Cheon Yohwa recoiled, shaking her hand in disgust.

“Ugh, that feels awful… Anyway, how was that, Mr. Security Guard? Did I fight well enough?”

“It’s not just about fighting well. There’s a reason you were chosen as the leader. I’ll rely on you from now on.”

“Hehe. Sure thing!”

The outcome of this battle wasn’t just about confirming Cheon Yohwa’s combat abilities.

After all, that girl had become one of the strongest awakened beings on the peninsula alongside me, even if left alone. Her potential had already been tested.

The true achievement lay elsewhere.

‘That girl. She was brainwashed a little while ago.’

The secret to Cheon Yohwa’s empowerment.

Just before she charged at the head-banging ghost, Cheon Yohwa undoubtedly muttered to herself.

“I’m not afraid.”

“Cheon Yohwa isn’t afraid of ghosts.”

“Cheon Yohwa is brave.”

It was far from a mere prayer to boost courage.

Because Cheon Yohwa’s ability was necromancy, more precisely, the ‘ability to input the thought processes and behavioral principles of NPCs.’

‘She was gradually altering even her own thought processes and behavioral principles, little by little, for survival and combat advantage.’

I checked the classroom where the head-banging ghost had emerged. Searching discreetly in places like lockers, under desks, and drawers, I found the same talismans I discovered in the bathroom. All of them bore curses written in human blood.

On the attendance book placed on the teacher’s desk, perhaps because this was her classroom, the name ‘Cheon Yohwa’ was written.

“….”

“Sir, it seems like there’s no one around here! Let’s check the other side this time! There are definitely kids hiding nearby to avoid the head-banging ghost!”

The window was red. The broken windows spilled out the flesh of white birch trees, dripping blood as they poured onto the corridor. The entire hallway was dyed crimson with the scattered remains.

“Alright.”

I lightly waved back at Cheon Yohwa, who energetically waved her arms towards me.

How did that child end up unable to recognize the monsters? Why did she become interested in the ‘Otherworld’?

And why were there so many curse talismans plastered all over Baekhwa Girls’ High School?

The answers were beginning to form in my mind.