When I[1] opened my eyes quietly, I found myself in an empty space.

‘Am I alive…?’

I was alive. I was alive, and I wasn’t wounded. It was so dark that I couldn’t see anything in this dark space, but I was certain of one thing—I was still alive.

Was it a dream? Was it? Was what I saw before losing consciousness… really a dream?

I unknowingly moved my arm and heard a

clank

.

When I saw that I was chained, I realized that what I had seen wasn’t a dream.

The white murderer, the nun wandering crimson space with her ghosts, and my conversation with the honorary cardinal. I remembered provoking him to escape from the threat before me, and I could still remember his final words to me.

‘So…’

It took a while for me to realize that my

dream

wasn't a dream.

I honestly had no idea what happened or what I had done.

I couldn’t think of anything due to the nauseating stench and the screams everywhere.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep, but it could also be because my brain was taking a while to process the whole situation.

When I heard faint voices from afar, my brain was finally convinced that everything was real.

“O God…”

“O God… O Benigoa…”

‘Damn it…’

Damn it…

The Heretic Inquisitors. I was in the interrogation room right now.

"So… you want to… have a religious trial, right? Mr. Squiat?"

I heard his voice again.

“Damn it… damn it!” I shouted.

Damn it… what could I do?

Someone seemed to have taken Benigoa’s Spear away from me, as I couldn’t feel any power inside me.

‘Do I… Do I even have a chance?’

It was nice to get away from the white murderer, but if a religious trial was held, would I win? No way. It was undeniable that I was in possession of Benigoa’s relic.

We had gotten rid of the traces, but the incident that led to the annihilation of Gregory’s party couldn't possibly disappear. The talented rangers of the Black Swan could find some traces of the incident within two months.

Moreover, I wasn’t sure when my party members were going to confess.

I trusted them, but…

‘No, we promised to be together.’

Anyway, Honorary Cardinal Lee Ki-Young had no need to influence the trial, as I would most likely lose it, anyway. I could already imagine the horrible fate that awaited me. I was sure that everyone out there was aware of how the Heretic Inquisitors handled things.

Ito Sota's drowning in holy water had become such a famous story that I was aware of its details, even though I was summoned here later on.

At the time, I believed that it was exaggerated, but now that I was in this situation. I finally understood that they were not lying at all. I was sure I'd suffer the same horrible fate as Ito Sota. No, it could be a fate worse than that.

How did things come to this?

‘If I… If I can at least put up a fight… If I can put up one last fight…’

The door opened, and I heard a familiar voice. “Hello, Mr. Squiat.”

“...”

He

greeted me cautiously.

With a

click

, the room suddenly became bright, forcing me to frown and squint my eyes.

As my vision adjusted to the light, I looked up and saw the figure speaking to me.

‘Father Lee Ki-Young.’

He was dressed neatly in his priest uniform.

This was the first time I saw him since that day, and he was smiling quietly at me.

“Father Lee Ki-Young?” I said.

“You’re acting slightly differently compared to before. You suddenly sound respectful. You can talk more casually since you said all that bullshit last time,” Lee Ki-Young said.

I thought perhaps I was mistaken all this while, as he looked the same as the saint, but his scummy smile told me that I wasn’t mistaken at all.

He was clearly mocking me, and goosebumps popped up all over me when I saw that he looked kind of angry, but it wasn’t the same feeling Jung Ha-Yan and Sun Hee-Young gave me.

I was sure the incongruity between the Father Lee Ki-Young before me and the usual Father Lee Ki-Young was the reason I was feeling this way.

‘Is it possible for someone to have two different extreme sides?’

Was Father Lee Ki-Young bipolar?

My mind went blank, and I felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured all over my head.

“I’m sorry… I-I…” I paused.

“

Huh?

What did you say? You don’t need to apologize. I can tell how much you’re regretting it, Mr. Squiat. You provoked me because you wanted to get away from our Ha-Yan. You said all those ridiculous things because of that, and I… understand.

"I also want to respect your decision to have a religious trial. I didn’t come here to negotiate with you. I just… I just wanted to see what you look like right now and… more importantly… I want to tell you that you were wrong,” he said.

“What? What… are you…”

‘What the hell is he talking about?’

“I clearly told you that you failed, right? I’m sure I did, Mr. Squiat,” he said.

Lee Ki-Young sat on the chair quietly and held up a hand mirror.

The ringtone echoed, and I immediately heard a voice.

"Mr. Hyun-Sung?"

— Yes, Mr. Ki-Young? What’s… wrong?

"Mr. Hyun-Sung, what would you do if I were a really bad person?"

‘What?’

— What?

"What would you do if I were a

really, really

bad person?"

— No way you're a bad person.

‘What the hell… is he talking about right now?’

Why was he suddenly talking to Kim Hyun-Sung? What was he trying to prove here?

"What would you do if you found out that I had been deceiving you all this time?"

And that was when I recalled my furious words toward him at the Crimson Playground….

To provoke Father Lee Ki-Young into saving me from the white murderer, I told him that he was the one who had failed, not me.

‘It can’t be…’

I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t understand it at all.

‘Is he trying to prove that I'm wrong? Is he trying to show that there’s someone who truly cares for him?’

It made sense… but other than that…

‘Did he come all the way here… to show that he didn’t fail?’

I was sure that was why he was angry. His actions were so childish that it convinced me that he had some kind of trauma related to it. It had to have been a traumatic moment for him, and I was sure of it, as he had come all the way here to prove it to me.

— No way...

"I’m saying

if

. What would you do if I told you that I’ve been wearing a mask all this while?"

— …

"…"

— It’s okay. It probably won’t matter.

"How come?"

— Because it's you. Anyway, did… something happen?

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"No, nothing happened…"

— Whether you’re wearing a mask or not, you’re still Mr. Ki-Young.

With a

click

, he closed the hand mirror and stared smugly at me.

“I think you’re wrong.

Hahaha

.”

‘C-Crazy bastard.’

“You’re wrong. Who failed? Who failed?” Father Lee Ki-Young mocked me.

‘Has the guild master of the Blue Guild… been brainwashed?’

I was finally convinced his trauma was the reason he had visited me today.

It was a way to break his mask…

‘I can probably beat him.’

If I used that to my advantage at the trial, I'd have a chance. No, if I were to provoke him here, I could end up going to the continental court. I had many choices; there were so many that I couldn’t choose just one…

“

Ah

, and you’re scheduled to go to the US today at 9 o'clock,” Lee Ki-Young said.

“What?”

“Of course, you’ll be executed. Your crime is attempting to murder Gregory. Why is it attempted murder? He’s alive, and he’ll be a witness today,” Lee Ki-Young said.

“T-That’s ridiculous! Shit! You think… you’ll get away with this?!” I shouted.

“I mean, it’s true that you tried to kill Gregory and took the relic. Those are more than enough reasons to execute you,” he said.

“I want a proper trial!” I demanded.

“There’s no need for a trial because the evidence is clear. Actually, Gregory and I weren't expecting much, but Robinwood of Frenzy helped us in tracking down Gregory. It’ll take a few months for him to recover, but it all worked out in the end,” he explained.

“W-What…”

“You should take care of your own life before judging others. You should live a righteous life before giving advice to people and talking about masks as well as what’s real or not. How many people do you think truly care and love you?” Lee Ki-Young asked with a smirk.

'I-It’s like I'm staring at a demon.'

Lee Ki-Young pointed at the screen and I saw the guild members and comrades whom I had spent a long time working with.

— H-He’s a demon. Squiat… transformed into a demon and then Gregory…

Those were Raynan of Extinction's words.

— We wanted to stop, but we couldn’t. The demon’s power was controlling us.

Robinwood of Frenzy…

— When he stretched his hand out toward Benigoa’s relic, there was a wave of disturbing energy, and the demonic power seemed like it was going to devour Goddess Benigoa’s holy light…

Those words were from my comrades whom I had known all the way from the tutorial dungeon.

— I-It’s all his fault

Even those I called friends… testified against me.

“Don’t be ridiculous! This is nonsense!!! Damn it! You bastard! You scum! Yeah! Y-Y-You…” I stuttered.

“

Pfft! Bwahahahaha!

I know you’re just trying to buy time by saying ridiculous things, but you know that's not going to work, right? I'm sure you already know that I didn’t come here to argue with you but vent my anger.

"Ah!

By the way, they’ve been sentenced to t twenty years in prison,” he informed me.

“H-How dare you! Did you have to—”

“Go this far? Yeah, of course, Squiat. Squiat, no one cares about you. Contrary to what you said with confidence, no one loves your true self,” Lee Ki-Young interrupted me.

“You’re crazy! Crazy bastard! You lunatic!” I shouted.

He wasn’t in his right mind.

Getting involved with him was… a mistake.

“Looks like it’s almost 9 o’clock,” Lee Ki-Young said.

“What? I-It’s…”

“I even asked them to make it as painful as possible,” Lee Ki-Young added.

“...”

“So hang in there, Mr. Squiat."

“...”

“

AAARGH!

”

“...”

“

AAAAARRRGGGHHH!

H-Help me…!” I begged.

“...”

“

AAAAAAARGH!

”

*An illustration of Kim Hyun-Sung is attached on the next page.

wooden spoon: It’s Kim Hyun-Sung wearing a hanbok!

1. Mr. Squiat's Point of View ☜

Hikari's Thoughts