[Happy Point accumulation notification function has been activated.]
[Current Happy Points in possession: 15,761 HP]
"...Huh?"
I have good eyesight.
I've always had it since I was young.
Thanks to that, I rarely ever saw things wrong.
But right now, why...
Why am I seeing things that aren't there?
"..."
Kim Jangcheol stared blankly at the message he hadn't expected at all. And he thought,
'Is this for real?'
It is real.
It's definitely a fact.
Messages don't lie.
'Happy Points... did I accumulate this many in the meantime?'
...Just how many happy meals did the farming corps in the Demon King's Castle have while I was gone?
A hollow chuckle slipped out for a second.
But right after that, another cold realization slapped him across the side of his head.
'But hold on a second.'
Happy Points came in.
The reason was that the disguise was released.
Which means, the disguise has come off.
This message has been up for a while, hasn't it?
It's been going ding-dong ever since that shock that hit the ceiling. Ding-dong, asking to be checked. Ding-dong, being annoyingly persistent...
Then...
'...That means my disguise has been off since then?'
Shiver.
Blackout.
Thanks to that, the disguise was lifted.
Chills ran all over him.
At times like this, one must manage their gaze carefully.
But his tactless eyes had already rolled over to the side and sneakily glanced at Aged Kimchi.
In other words, he made eye contact with Aged Kimchi!
"......"
"......."
Suddenly, he understood.
Why Aged Kimchi's gaze had felt so strange all this time. Why the stare felt unusually intense.
"Why are you acting like that?"
"......"
"You look just like someone who's been caught red-handed doing something wrong."
"...."
Answer wisely, Jangcheol.
He encouraged himself.
But contrary to that resolve, his voice that slipped out without him realizing was pitifully trembling.
"Th-that, uh... were you looking at my horn?"
"Hm?"
"My horn... I mean."
A symbol of the demon race.
A horn on the head that humans couldn't have.
He must've seen it. Must've figured out my identity. Might've even recalled his mission to eradicate the demon race.
But... why the hell did this guy leave me alone until now?
He could tell from Aged Kimchi's response.
"Hm? Horn, you say?"
"Yes?"
"Did you have one?"
"..."
"Oh, now that you mention it, you do."
"......"
"Your hair's so messy, I couldn't see it. But now that you brought it up, I can see it."
...F***.
"W-wait a minute. Then why were you staring so intently before?"
"Because you're ugly."
"...Excuse me?"
"You weren't exactly a pleasure to look at before either, but with your face all covered in black dirt, you looked even worse. Or more precisely, it was like, fascinatingly ugly."
"....."
Just say "Die, demon scum!" already...
Kim Jangcheol felt a surge of unjust resentment.
And only now(?) did he realize the crisis of having been discovered.
"Then... how do I look now?"
"What do you mean?"
"My horn. The one you just noticed."
"What about it?"
"No, like... do you feel disgusted or anything?"
"Hmm, certainly..."
".....Certainly?"
"An already ugly face now has a horn sticking out of it, so it looks even more dramatically ugly than before."
"...."
"Do you want more of my thoughts on it?"
"N-no."
"Or... do you have some kind of complex about your horn?"
"Oh no, of course not. Nothing like that."
"Then it's all good, isn't it?"
"......"
This Aged Kimchi bastard... is he more open-minded than I thought?
Kim Jangcheol let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Soon, a scolding came from Aged Kimchi.
"So what's the plan? Are you even thinking up a strategy?"
"...Ah, of course I am."
Naturally.
Now that the disguise is gone.
He had regained all of his original powers.
And thanks to that, he could now use the functions linked to Happy Points.
'Skill window!'
Click!
He opened the skill menu.
The currently bloomed skill, Bloody Lightning, was the first one he saw.
But that wasn't the one he'd use today.
'Something else, like... this one.'
Kim Jangcheol's eyes scanned quickly downward. And in the , he found the name of the skill he was looking for.
[Thorn of Dread Punishment]
'...This is it.'
The combat skill of Demon King Credos, Thorn of Dread Punishment.
This was a skill that Credos used just as often as Bloody Lightning, like a basic attack.
And it was the skill that would be most useful for him to adapt and use in this situation.
'...When you stomp the ground hard, a massive number of blood spears shoot up in a fan-shaped area in front.'
Suddenly, he remembered.
Wasn't it during the final boss fight of the first timeline, when he first met Credos?
This was the skill that killed him the most back then.
"......."
There was barely any casting delay before activation. The preparation motion was so subtle, it was like a flicker.
The activation was fast.
Dozens of spears burst up over a huge area, chaotically, even randomly mixing perfect sync and offbeat strikes.
Honestly, he had no idea how you were supposed to dodge that. If he could, he would've grabbed the dev team by the collar and screamed.
But he had eventually done it.
After dying over 300 times, he finally dodged Thorn of Dread Punishment with zero damage.
That was the beginning of the counterattack.
'...The skill that once destroyed me has now become my hope.'
Life is unpredictable.
Kim Jangcheol smiled bitterly and stared at the bloom button for Thorn of Dread Punishment.
Then he blinked and clicked it.
Click, ding-dong!
[You have selected the skill bloom menu.]
[Blooming skill: Thorn of Dread Punishment]
[Bloom cost: 500 Happy Points]
[Would you like to confirm this selection?]
[YES / NO]
'Of course it's yes.'
Click!
Right after selecting, a small light briefly settled in his chest.
Ding-dong!
[500 Happy Points have been used.]
[The skill has bloomed.]
[Thorn of Dread Punishment (Lv.1): With a powerful stomp, summon the Thorn of Dread Punishment in a fan-shaped area in front, piercing enemies. The number of summoned spears, attack range, and duration increase with the skill level.]
[Current Happy Points in possession: 15,261 HP]
'It's done.'
At last, the skill had been unlocked.
'Then, time for a test.'
Kim Jangcheol took a deep breath. Then he carefully put strength into one leg.
'I have to stomp, but... I can't lift my leg all the way. I have to be careful not to lose balance...'
Right now, he was holding up the ceiling with both arms.
If he tried to lift his leg for the stomp and slipped? He'd be crushed under the collapsing ceiling.
'Just the tip of my toe... lift just one millimeter... then slam!'
...Wiggle!
He carefully stomped with a timid big toe.
At the same time, he activated the skill.
'Come forth, Thorn! Of! Dread Punishment—!'
If it worked, he could survive.
He could get out of here.
As long as it worked.
If he could just recreate the terrifying skill Demon King Credos used in the game!
...Shoop!
A single, tiny spear poked out like a baby sprout, or like a toothpick poking through paper, cautiously springing up.
And it vanished in just one second.
"..."
Tch, that's not it.
This is way too lame compared to what I expected.
"You just, c-casted that, didn't you?"
Aged Kimchi's voice came with a slightly pitiful, what-the-hell-was-that kind of question.
"Tch, I'm just testing it. Please wait a moment."
Looks like it won't cut it at level 1 after all.
Kim Jangcheol opened the skill window once again. Then he started mashing the skill level-up purchase button next to Thorn of Dread Punishment.
'...Ugh, my precious Happy Points!'
The skill level skyrocketed.
His Happy Points, which had been well over 15,000, were being shredded away with every click.
And at last...
Ding-dong!
[Skill leveled up!]
[Thorn of Dread Punishment (Lv. 13): With a powerful stomp, summons multiple Thorn of Dread Punishment across a vast, fan-shaped area to pierce enemies and bind them for a long duration.]
[Current Happy Points in possession: 161 HP]
"...Phew."
He had instantly become a Happy Point beggar(?).
But in exchange, the skill level had risen to 13.
At that moment, Kim Jangcheol cautiously stomped again.
...Tip!
'Please.'
This time, it had to work.
Otherwise, there was no hope.
It would really be over.
So—
'Please!'
With desperate hope, he shouted.
Right after, a storm of blood spears erupted before his eyes.
...KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG!
"......!"
Dozens of blood spears burst violently through the ground in a dense, towering formation.
They were huge now.
Each spear's diameter looked to be longer than a full handspan, and they stabbed mercilessly into the ceiling.
Like dozens of pillars, rising up.
'I did it...'
He felt like tears might come.
But there was no time to get emotional.
'More, keep going.'
So that the ceiling could stay up even without his hands. So that this place could hold until he and Aged Kimchi climbed the secret passage stairs.
More of them.
Wider range, evenly distributed.
KWAANG!
He planted his foot into the ground with hope.
Even more blood spears surged up.
With them came a feeling, a sense, a premonition that the distant light of the exit was finally visible.
He focused harder.
Which is why he didn't notice—
Didn't notice what kind of look Aged Kimchi was giving him at that moment.
"...."
Kim Jangcheol.
That skill he was using.
I've seen it before.
Probably in one of my past nineteen lives.
Especially, during the first life—when I was the most unskilled.
Too many times.
More than enough.
I saw it, experienced it, and died from it.
At least 300 times.
Spilled countless blood, was mercilessly pierced and torn apart, died again and again, rushed back in the moment I reopened my eyes.
Only after going through that hell did I finally learn how to counter that skill.
Only then could I defeat the being who wore that very face.
Starting with that first encounter, all 19 lives that followed—I think I ended them all by cutting down your neck.
"...."
I wonder, will it be the same this time?
Even in this life, the one I've stumbled into to escape a meaningless cycle of slaughter, will I still have to carry that same fate like a chain until the very end?
I don't know.
But I do know one thing.
Right now, I don't dislike you.
"Sir Aged Kimchi! Are you ready?!"
Even that shout.
Even the face so full of tension.
When I see that, I don't really feel like destroying you.
I don't feel like I need to spill blood for the sake of my mission.
That's why.
That's why I help you now.
Even if, someday, the conclusion of my life waits as your destruction—even if that is the one and only exit to my destined ending—I want to delay that time.
Delay that moment, as long as I can.
"When I count to ten, I'm letting go and running! To the secret passage! I go first! Sir Aged Kimchi, you follow!"
"...Why am I going second?"
"Because you're sturdier than me!"
"Doesn't mean I can't get hurt, you know."
"Eight, nine, ten!"
".....!"
Hup!
With nearly 500 blood spears propping up the ceiling, Kim Jangcheol shouted without taking a breath.
He let go of the ceiling.
Kicked off the ground.
Ran.
Headed for the secret passage hidden within the pillar.
Fwap!
At almost the same moment, Aged Kimchi also let go.
Ran.
Leapt in.
Into the secret passage inside the pillar, right behind Kim Jangcheol.
...KWA-Boom! KWA-Bang!
The collapse began the moment the two let go.
The 500 blood spears served as temporary pillars, holding the weight—but even so, they could only slow the collapse.
...KWA-DU-DUM!
"Gah, huh!"
Below, the collapsing structure crumbled in real-time.
Kim Jangcheol sprinted up the stairs.
Tat-tat!
Every step he and Aged Kimchi had taken was crumbling, one after another. Falling below, into a bottomless darkness.
He kept running.
Spiraling upward.
It kept crumbling.
Spiraling downward.
Run.
Collapse.
Run again to escape.
Collapse chasing right behind.
His heart pounded like it would explode.
'D-damn it...! Faster!'
He had to run.
But he was already at his limit.
The collapse was happening faster than expected. At this rate, they'd be caught.
But the distance left to the surface?
Not much.
Up ahead.
Not far.
He could faintly see the light trickling in.
'...Just a little more!'
So close.
And maybe—
Just maybe—
He might make it.
The edge of hope was within reach, like the future he had always yearned for, ever since childhood, even through all the hardships.
He had never let go.
He kicked the stairs with all his strength.
Opened his eyes wide.
Heart about to burst.
Breath about to stop.
The moment he made one final leap—
...KWA-AAAK!
Suddenly, from behind, Aged Kimchi's hand surged forward—
And grabbed the back of his neck.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]