Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

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258. Devil Road Academia (3)

I had enjoyed the game Devil Road Academia for 10 years.

There were plenty of people who got hooked on that game, even without me.

With appropriate graphics for the times and a gameplay that was both comfortable and unique, not to mention the immersive direction that made it feel like experiencing the actual world.

And the scenario penned directly by the lead creator with outstanding artistic elements as well.

It was a masterpiece that clearly showed signs of effort put in everywhere throughout the game.

From the day it was released, users were clicking the purchase button as if they had been waiting, causing the company’s stock to skyrocket.

It became such a popular IP that after its release, DLCs were released every year, and media mixes containing sidestories were actively pursued.

I once possessed the sidestory novels and the setting compilations that contained everything from within the game, all of which were said to be written by the lead creator himself.

“Honestly, I thought he was a monster.”

According to the making-of notes, that lead creator was said to have worked overtime frequently and even worked weekends.

As he had once sent a female employee to the hospital from overwork, the company president felt the risk and gave him a month off.

Despite that, he apparently continued to work at home during his leave.

Wasn’t she the one who had nearly worked herself to death? How could she display such superhuman strength?

It was at a level that made me suspect if she had been injected with some strange serum.

“What is she? A web novel protagonist who uses life cheat codes?”

The results of her work bordered on the impossible for a human.

As expected, interviews from media outlets were pouring in.

Yet that employee refused even the slightest hint of an interview. The production company wanted to showcase her, but she remained meek like someone in debt.

Even so, users collectively spoke in unison to the production company,

“When is the sequel coming out?”

Isn’t it odd that, after such a huge hit, no sequel is forthcoming?

The users’ lingering feelings were on the verge of exploding.

How sad would it be if the protagonist dying was the true ending of such a well-made game?

The game’s direction played a big role too. The scene where Lyman’s disappearance took place was crafted with the utmost care, showcasing high-quality direction.

Most users reportedly felt like they’d lost their own child.

Ultimately, this turned into a tremendous yearning, and that longing forced the production company to consider a sequel or two.

However, none came.

Even after waiting for years, nothing appeared.

“They’re like a cartoonist who draws only the first part and never does the second.”

At first, I felt the same way as other users did.

At least the offspring of the protagonist, or a character carrying on their will, should be able to continue the story, right?

I even sent an email with such intentions, though it was pointless.

Was it perhaps because the yearning ran deep?

When I, Choi Soo-hyun, opened my eyes, I found myself standing in this world.

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There was something I had been curious about.

Who exactly was the lead creator of Devil Road?

How did such a person manage to create this masterpiece with a workload that transcended humans?

How could everything within the game’s universe be expressed so delicately?

Why hadn’t they made a sequel despite the multitude of requests?

“And… why did I end up in this game?”

Now I understood.

The lead creator was none other than the character in the game, the Great Sage Dantia.

That explained all the unique elements related to the game.

Yet, there was another reason I felt goosebumps.

“So you’re saying a character from the game ripped through the monitor and came out?”

That wasn’t a typical thing to say.

Imagine the protagonist of a certain series bursting out of a comic book and telling you, “Become my companion.”

That’s exactly how it felt.

As I twitched involuntarily, Endless chuckled and said,

-You think I ripped out of the monitor? After hearing all this, you’re still spouting nonsense?

“What else could it be?”

-As I mentioned earlier, the place you entered isn’t the inside of a data fragment called a game. You wouldn’t have sensed that in your life so far.

It was an undeniable truth.

Everyone here is a living being with a soul.

Aside from the prevalence of mana and monsters, this world is no different from reality.

All the people here are real, meaning this world is, too.

It’s not a shabby space that merely looks like you entered a game via VR.

-This is another world, different from the one you lived in. The Great Sage Dantia successfully opened a pathway connecting your world and this one.

However, it was also imperfect; when she transitioned to Earth, her body perished, leaving only her soul to wander.

It might have been because she was nearing death due to a critical injury, but she managed to possess the body of an overworked game company employee.

She came to this world, crafted the events taking place in her world into a game.

It’s more like turning real-world places and incidents into a piece of work rather than having a character jump out of a monitor.

This can be seen as a reasonable transmission of the happenings from that world.

“Cultural invasion?”

-There’s no need to elucidate why you came to this world.

You probably did it to help the protagonist Lyman.

I had seen every ending of Devil Academy to the point of boredom.

All the bad endings lead to the continent’s destruction, and the true ending is the protagonist’s death.

These endings were surely various futures that Dantia had foreseen.

While she had seen many futures, all of them contained the horrific conclusion of Lyman dying or the continent perishing.

It’s only natural that an irregular is needed to change such sad endings.

-There is no mother who would watch her son in danger. Although I’m not human, I understand that basic element.

I was chosen as the irregular to help Lyman.

But…

-That intention was good. But why were you specifically chosen?

“…”

-The one she wanted was a ‘pro’ who fully understood this world. But there’s a fact you mustn’t overlook: those ‘pros’ are someone’s children too.

Excluding their gaming skills, they are just ordinary citizens. People with parents and friends.

Is it a good act to randomly pull in such people? Especially into a world so different from Earth?

-A person with family and friends has been abducted to another world. Did Dantia explain anything to those individuals?

“…”

-She’s the type of woman who disregarded the users’ pleas from the very beginning. How did she regard these ‘pros’?

Surely she needed someone to understand her world.

The perfect bait for that was a game.

Dantia cast the “bait” of a game into the riverbank of Earth.

And from among those, a user randomly caught on the bait ended up here.

-That’s right! You’re merely a tool sent to save Lyman! She sacrificed a civilian like you to save her own child!

She lured you in with an attractive game and then plunged you into a dangerous place to survive.

From this perspective, it couldn’t be more fitting to call her a scammer.

Moreover, considering that I possessed a body cursed, it all seemed plausible.

-Hahaha. What a foolish woman. While she preaches about human dignity, her actions are no different from tossing an innocent person into a storm.

“…”

-Choi Soo-hyun. You are a victim deceived by Dantia. Though I don’t know everything about you, I can be generous towards you.

If you had family back on Earth and people you needed to take care of… there’s a good chance you’d hold a grudge against her.

It cannot be justified to abduct someone without discussion just because you want your son saved.

This is no different from stealing food under the guise of friendship while keeping quiet.

Completely disregarding anyone’s will and robbing someone of their life is, undeniably, an act that shows one doesn’t view others as human.

I would just be a fool who got deceived and became a tool.

-So, I’ll make you an offer. How about becoming my new vessel? You might find more peace with your body than the one cursed with Makia’s soul.

“I mean, at this point of being dragged here, it’s true I’m a victim.”

-Exactly! So…

“But there’s one thing you’re overlooking.”

-What is it?

Endless, who had been enticing me with an oppressive voice, expressed his confusion.

For the first time, he tilted his head in curiosity.

“How much do you really know about me?”

-I can’t know everything. The memories of Dantia I’ve seen are only up until when she developed the game and went into hiding for several years. After that, her consciousness was severed…

They said they only recognized my real name, Choi Soo-hyun, through an upper-grade ability of ‘Ma-an’.

Aside from that, they knew nothing about me.

They made guesses based on common sense about having a family or waiting friends.

-Don’t you want to return to the world called Earth?

“Well? If I wanted to, I would have grabbed you by the ankle the moment I heard the word ‘Earth’ and begged.”

-What do you mean by that…

While it had a body and face completely black, if it had shown its face, it would have expressed surprise.

-Is there no one on Earth you want to see?

“…”

-Is there nothing you miss or an organization you must protect?

“…”

-Have you ever gone crazy wanting to use the Internet? You must’ve been addicted.

“That’s… a little?”

That was somewhat acceptable…. But it wasn’t to the level of suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

Would an addicted person have been able to go up to Class A in Aligieri without a hitch?

“But there’s one more thing to consider.”

-What is it?

“The game was released 10 years ago. Why exactly did Dantia wait for 10 years to send me?”

After Devil Academy became a huge hit, several years passed, and the pros came along.

They could’ve just picked anyone and shoved them into the game world.

What on earth had she done for those 10 years?

“This is just my speculation, but I think she was looking for a suitable person.”

-A suitable person?

“For example, someone who is a pro yet has no lingering attachments to Earth.”

Someone without family, friends, or anything left in their life.

Someone who had even lost their will to live.

-Ha! That’s just a pitiful life, isn’t it? A worthless human who threw their life away into the trash.

“That’s just how it has to be.”

Indeed. I, Choi Soo-hyun, was a person who had hit the bottom of life.

Someone who would consider everything meaningless, even with family or friends.

That’s why I could only deepen my yearning after seeing the true ending of Devil Academy.

“Since I had a limited time to live.”

No matter how much one leaves something behind, or how much someone cares for you, it all becomes useless.

As someone who would die soon…, I found myself questioning Lyman, who wanted to live despite being immortal.

It was after that. The reason I fell back into Devil Academy, which I had already seen to the point of boredom.

Yes. This wasn’t a kidnapping; it was an opportunity.

A chance to live again in another, familiar world.

-Then that means….

“Now you understand?”

Dantia had effectively saved me.

However, it was unfortunate that the body I possessed was cursed, but nearly dead, I had gained a final chance.

Even though it was a blunder to possess me out of nowhere, I didn’t particularly care anymore.

The most important thing right now is…

“So….”

Neither a bad ending nor a true ending.

It’s about witnessing a perfect ending.

“Stop your nonsense and get lost right now!”

I instinctively summoned Leviathan and swung it at his face.

With a loud noise, that black face distorted.

Surviving as the Academy Scammer.