”Strange… Why isn’t anything happening…?”
After defeating the goblin, I descended the stairs without hiding, but for some reason, none of the traps I knew about were triggering.
That coward would definitely do everything to prevent me from getting closer to him.
Kurt’s trash-filled laboratory is located on the 10th basement floor, and there is a small open space on each floor where monsters like the goblin I fought earlier appear to block the way.
By the way, the goblin is the monster on the first floor, the weakest of them all. The deeper you go, the stronger the monsters become.
On top of that, the stairs themselves are riddled with brutal traps like axes falling from above, arrows flying at you, or the ground giving way to spike pits below, all in addition to the laser trap I encountered earlier.
Or so it should be…
“I’m on the fifth floor now… Isn’t this weird?”
I’ve made it through four floors without a single trap triggering, and there haven’t been any monsters either.
This never happened in the game, but there are a few possibilities.
Possibility one—Kurt has deliberately stopped the traps for some unknown reason.
Possibility two—something unexpected happened on Kurt’s end, and all the systems are down.
Possibility three—unlike the game, there are no monsters or traps beyond the goblin and the initial ones at the entrance.
Even someone like me, who isn’t all that smart, can come up with these three possibilities.
However, considering everything that’s happened so far, we can probably rule out number three.
So, it’s likely one of the remaining two.
“Knowing him, possibility one seems the most likely.”
This is just my guess, so if you ask me for a reason, I wouldn’t know. I can never understand what goes on in that guy’s head.
“Well, thinking about it won’t change anything. Let’s keep moving.”
I decided to stay on guard and press forward.
“So, here we are at the final floor… but why are you here?”
“Th-that’s my line…”
Waiting for me when I reached the 9th floor without any incident was none other than Kurt himself—trash as always, trembling with his usual lack of confidence.
“Hey, you can drop the act. I hate the way you’re talking right now.”
“…Why do you know about me? We’ve only just met.”
“Of course I know. I know all about how you envy those with talent, steal that talent, and humiliate your victims before killing them. I know how much you enjoy it. I even know how you’re developing magic to unleash rampaging spirits and demons, all so you can steal every student’s talent at Spirit Academy before they return.”
I know everything.
I know all of your twisted schemes.
How many times have I had to face that retry screen because of you? How many times have I had to click through those warning messages?
How many players have reset or even broken their game out of frustration because of the disgusting scenes you create?
It’s countless.
After all that, it’s only natural that I’d expose everything about your plans.
Come to think of it, I was overjoyed when someone finally discovered a complete strategy guide for beating you…
I felt a wave of nostalgia as I recalled the time when gamers everywhere came together in a rare moment of cooperation to figure out how to defeat you. But as I reminisced, Kurt looked at me with a terrified expression, trembling even more than before.
“W-what the hell are you!? How do you know things I’ve never told anyone!?”
“Why the hell would I tell you that, you idiot?”
“I’ve had enough—just like always, I’ll deal with this the way I know best. Everyone ends up begging for mercy in front of me anyway… Hahaha… Ahahaha! AHAHAHAHA!!”
Kurt let out a deranged laugh, his face twisted in euphoria—though it’s not like he’s the one who’ll actually be fighting me.
“Just hurry up and bring it. You’re not planning to stop, are you?”
“Of course not! This plan is the culmination of everything I’ve been working toward!!”
“‘Culmination’? More like your grand disgrace.”
“I’ll never forgive anyone who mocks my plan! I’ll tear you to pieces, attach monster parts to your body, and drown you—you won’t get away with just death!!”
As Kurt screamed, the floor beneath us started to glow, and in the next moment, creatures that could barely be called monsters appeared—creatures twisted beyond recognition, their bodies grotesquely modified to the point where they looked like sludge-colored slimes.
Some had eyes all over their bodies, and they gazed strange fluids as those eyes moved erratically.
As I looked at these revolting things, Kurt spread his arms wide, like a child showing off a school project to his parents, and said:
“How do you like my experiments!? Amazing, aren’t they!? They’ve been reborn by my hand! I’m sure they’re happy about it too!!”
“‘Happy,’ huh…?”
As I listened to the tortured groans of the creatures—creatures whose names were long forgotten—I clenched my fist. Magic surged from my hand, turning into lightning that crackled and surged through the air.
“You’ve crossed a forbidden line.”
I lowered my stance, taking a step forward with one leg. Lightning erupted from where my foot touched the ground, growing larger, more violent—
“In this place, I will destroy you.”
I charged forward with the intent to kill.
