Chương 170: Chapter 171: A Game Changer
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༺ A Game Changer ༻
[Cycle 1]
"Die… you damn brat…"
"…Who are you to dare cause such a commotion?"
In the eerie atmosphere of the Demon King's castle, on the top floor, someone was fighting against the Demon King.
– Clang!!
"For a little brat… you're not too bad."
The Demon King looked down at a little girl who appeared much younger than her age, yet showed such fiery eyes.
"Ugh…!"
– Step… Step…!
The little girl rushed with all her might straight at the Demon King in an attempt to break her wings.
"Because of you… because of you, the world…!"
"However, you cannot defeat me."
Despite her best efforts, the little girl's attack was far from reaching the Demon King's heart.
– Clang!!
At that moment, a loud noise echoed all around, as the girl was blown away into the air.
"…Cough, cough."
"So, little brat, what's your name?"
As the girl lay on the floor, vomiting blood, the Demon King, who had sprouted new wings, approached her with an intrigued expression.
"If you reveal your name and pledge allegiance, I will make you my servant…"
"Just you wait, Ruby."
"What?"
While glaring at the Demon King with a ferocious yet mature expression that strayed far from her childish looks, the little girl murmured.
"…I will surely give you hell."
"Wait, this brat… how can you…"
Perplexed by the little girl's words, the Demon King sensed that something amiss, so she rushed to approach her.
"Retry."
The little girl, Ferloche, whispered in a vengeful voice. And in the next moment, the world turned upside down.
– Crackle…!
[Cycle 7]
"Did you hear the news?"
"What news?"
On the first day of the academy's new semester, the students of Class A were gathered, discussing the hot news and rumors that shook the empire.
"Apparently, Lord Frey collapsed last night!"
"…What?"
The news was about Frey Raon Starlight, who had suddenly collapsed while vomiting blood the day before his attendance at the academy.
"That's a shame… I wanted to see how handsome he was."
"…Huh, what's so good about that loser?"
While some students treated the news as mere gossip and discussed it…
"Could it be… could it be because of the memories from my previous cycles…?"
Ferloche, with a pale and disturbed face, muttered.
"…After awakening the System, there will always be penalties, right?"
"W-Well then… I can't let that occur…"
[Cycle 25]
"No, you can't…"
A horde of monsters relentlessly pushed through in order to get into the academy. Frey and Ferloche stood in their way, struggling to hold the demonic horde at bay.
"…Ugh."
"Just a little longer, just a little more, let's hang in there just a bit more…"
"Don't worry about me! Just focus on the enemies in front of you…"
Behind Frey, who breathed heavily, Ferloche took on all the attacks while trying to sound as cheerful and positive as possible. However, she quickly lost the ability to speak when a giant Dark Golem appeared in front of them.
– Thud… Thud…!
"D-Dark Golem…"
"…Ferloche."
After glancing at the Dark Golem with a glum expression, Frey turned towards Ferloche, who was hesitating with uncertainty, and smiled gently at her.
"Go ahead first. I will take care of this place."
"Frey…"
"You can only deal with one enemy, right? Look at the countless enemies behind the Dark Golem."
"But then your life force will be depleted…!"
When Ferloche countered Frey's suggestion, he replied.
"One should choose the lesser evil instead of the worst possible one."
With that, Frey jumped into the wave of monsters without giving her any time to react.
"F-Frey…!"
"....."
A moment later, a massive silver explosion occurred in the midst of the monsters.
"As expected…"
As she witnessed such a scene with lifeless eyes, Ferloche finally made up her mind.
"I have to deceive the Demon God."
"Retry."
[Cycle 159]
"Cough!"
"Oh…?"
Frey collapsed in front of Ferloche while vomiting blood.
"Once again…"
Ferloche could only blankly stare at Frey, irradiated by the warm sunlight shining on him, as she continued to mutter without focus.
"Another failure…"
She gazed at the sun with immense resentment, as it continued to burn so brightly just as it was promised.
"I have to deceive the eyes of the Demon God, who took control of the sun… but there are hardly any clues to solve this dilemma. How can I…"
"Ugh…"
"F-Frey!"
While she was lost in thought, Ferloche heard Frey groaning on the floor.
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry…"
She embraced him with a guilty expression and whispered.
"From now on, I'll do the Retry before you collapse, so you won't get hurt."
"Ugh…"
"I love you forever."
"..."
"…Retry."
Once again, the world turned upside down.
[Cycle 574]
"Remember… I have to remember…"
In a room engulfed with pitch-black darkness.
"The Demon God… is watching everyone through the sun."
Ferloche, sitting at the desk inside the room, didn't show the burning gaze, determination, or brightness she had at the beginning of her cycles.
"That's why the surveillance weakens at night… it becomes easier to deceive her. So, if I want to do something, I must do it at night… then the Demon God… won't recognize my Retry."
Instead, she almost seemed to have gone mad because of a heavy burden of guilt and a twisted sense of purpose; she clutched her head constantly while muttering indecipherable words.
"Even the slightest deviation is not allowed. I have to deceive even my own emotions. I have to deceive even my own self."
"The Sun God could cover me to some extent when there's no light… So, I must return to my senses only when there's no sunlight after acting like…"
While murmuring like that for a while, Ferloche's eyes suddenly widened.
"…..Ah."
A ray of sunlight entered and shone on her through a small gap in the dark room's wall.
"Aaaaahhhhhh."
Staring blankly at the sunlight, Ferloche let out a silly sound.
"…Haha, hahahahahaha."
She burst into maniacal laughter that abruptly stopped as soon as it started, and shortly thereafter, she murmured.
"I got caught again."
[Cycle 1045]
"Frey… I love you…"
"F-Ferloche? W-Wait…"
>>> Skipped.
[Cycle 1269]
"…Oh… You died again."
"...…."
"Retry."
.
.
.
.
.
[Cycle ???]
"Miss Ferloche…"
Within a space that exuded mysterious energy.
"..."
"Get yourself together…"
The Sun God, tightly bound in black chains, looked down at Ferloche sorrowfully.
"Hello!"
Ferloche, while gazing at the Sun God with eyes void of any soul or life, suddenly smiled brightly and greeted her.
"Wow! You're really beautiful!"
"Um…"
"But where is this? It's such a fascinating place! And why are you tied up like that…"
With a foolish expression, Ferloche tilted her head and asked questions. The Sun God wore a dark expression as she responded with a blink and then shook her head for a moment.
"…I am the Sun God."
"…Ah."
"So, why did you call me?"
Ferloche asked coldly, a stark contrast to her previously carefree persona. The Sun God, bound in iron chains and wearing a pained expression, replied in a weary voice.
"I think I found a way to resolve this situation."
"Haha."
Upon hearing that, Ferloche let out a bitter laugh.
"In the end, everything I've done so far… was all in vain, huh?"
"Oh, no… Thanks to the numerous challenges and obstacles you have overcome so far, I gained time and energy. That's why…"
"…Alright, what's this method you're so confident about?"
When Ferloche asked the question, the Sun God cautiously waved her chained hands.
– Crackle…
The dark space around them tore apart. Through this rift, a planet with a blue light became visible.
"Hmm?"
"So, what is this even supposed to mean?"
As Ferloche looked at the planet with an expressionless face, the Sun God, now with a composed tone, began her explanation.
"That… is a planet from a different dimension."
"Yes, that is what it looks like… So what?"
"It's a dimension where abilities like magic, divine power, and mana, as well as even divine beings, don't exist. A 'normal' planet without any extraordinary abilities."
The Sun God continued to observe her reaction as she spoke, yet Ferloche still maintained a chilly expression.
"So, various divine beings from different dimensions interfere with the planet in that dimension. Since it's a dimension without divine beings… they can interfere without any repercussions."
"Why do they interfere?"
"Well, they use it as a resource. To create the energy and divine power necessary to maintain their own worlds…"
The goddess hurriedly defended herself as Ferloche's gaze turned even colder upon hearing this.
"I-It's not exploitation! It's a fair trade!"
"A trade?"
"Yes… divine beings offer replicas of their worlds in the form of 'creative works' to that planet. The people of that world consume these creations and naturally experience various emotions like joy and sadness."
"…"
"These generated emotions are then used as energy to create the mana and divine power needed to sustain their worlds. I have to reaffirm this; at some point, this is a fair…"
As the goddess's explanation droned on for too long, Ferloche frowned without a word.
"Ah, anyway… Anyway, the story…"
While quickly changing the topic, the goddess looked at the blue planet and proposed her method.
"On that planet… there is a boy who discovered a 'Bug.'"
"A Bug?"
"Yes, if we refine the Bug and apply it to our world… following that boy's word, it will become a 'Game Changer.'"
The Sun God swallowed her saliva and cleared her throat before continuing.
"Sometimes, accidents happen on that planet.
"Accidents?"
Due to divine beings' mistakes, the inhabitants who were enjoying the creative works… get sucked into the corresponding worlds of those creations."
Just as Ferloche was making a perplexed expression upon hearing this despicable phenomenon.
"…I intend to deliberately cause that 'accident' by using the power I've gathered up until now."
"…What?"
"Thus, I will summon the boy who discovered the bug to our world and turn him into a Hero from 1000 years ago. He will become a DLC—Never mind. It's a game term, so you won't understand, but the aim is to use this chance as a way to create a new turning point."
The Sun God finally revealed her plan with a look of stern determination..
"…So, you mean to kidnap someone from another world in order to save our own world."
After being lost in thought for a moment, Ferloche finally asked a question, as the Sun God replied with a shake of her head.
"N-no… it will be a fair trade somehow, I assure you."
"…"
"Really, we'll even give him a choice. After all, to that person, it's the most precious thing…"
"So, when will you do it?"
Once again, Ferloche interrupted the goddess's words and asked the question.
"…Right now."
The Sun God, bound in chains, began to illuminate as she drew up the last bit of her strength, shining as brightly as her peak for a brief moment.
"If the operation is successful…"
With a pained expression and a weary voice, the goddess left as much information as possible to Ferloche.
"…From the next cycle on, a lot of things will change."
"However, after this moment, even if I give up my entire life force, I can no longer directly help you… I'm truly sorry, but the changes will be up to you, Miss Ferloche…"
"…Leave it to me."
While intensely gazing at the goddess, Ferloche spoke with burning determination.
"I'll Retry countless times until I figure everything out."
"Though so much time has passed… My goal remains firm."
"…It's to give him a Happy Ending."
The world flipped over to the start of a new timeline.
.
.
.
.
.
[Cycle ??? + 1]
"Good… At least the goddess got something correct for once."
Now, in the all too familiar dark room, Ferloche's eyes sparkled as she mumbled to herself.
"The 'Prophecy' that Frey possessed has changed from a 'Game Guide' to a 'Hero's Strategy Guide'…"
"Not only that, the name of the legendary hero has changed to 'Hanbyeol'."
While in deep contemplation, Ferloche, simultaneously doodled on a piece of paper causally and glared at a cracked gap blocked by rotten wooden planks.
"Of course, there must be more changes… Did she say DLC? Anyway, the world has changed even more in my favor…"
"…From now on, this is the true first step."
And from that moment on, Ferloche's saga began to play on the dark screen at an even faster pace.
You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02
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