<664 – Irresponsible Pleasure (12)>
Sing! As Pasible Yep struck a dramatic compromise, Oknodie was trailing behind one of the executives heading to the Executive Meeting Room.
“Sure, sneaking into the Executive Meeting Room is one way, but it’s much easier to slip in and steal someone’s identity!”
It was thrilling for a veteran player to pull off such a bold move of impersonation at a brand-new event. But that didn’t mean Oknodie was being careless.
Rather, since this was the first time experiencing an event, caution was more important than ever. Puff puff Blending in among fluffy clouds drifting in the sky, Oknodie cast the Iron Cloud Spell, making the lack of preparation from the pursuer utterly futile.
[Rune of Misfortune]
[All Judgment Success Rate -50%]
But alas, only misfortune awaited.
Steel Rain! As the executive wielded a fan, choosing a fierce wind of iron thorns to eliminate the army of the City of Pleasure, rain of iron thorns poured down, decimating troops in its path.
“Ugh, my clouds!”
“?”
Both Oknodie and the startled executive who had cast magic tumbled to the ground. The clouds that had been riding were now falling like iron thorns, leaving those who fell feeling wronged, and those who had used attack skills baffled as a girl fell from the sky.
“What is this? A spirit…?”
“Isn’t it a bit rude to steal other people’s platforms and then talk back?”
“I don’t know what’s happening, but sorry… What are you? Did you come from the Spirit Realm?”
“I’m from the Middle Realm!”
“Middle Realm dwellers don’t live on clouds.”
So it’s a spirit. The executive felt a bit excited. Beings from different dimensions were inherently evil, and everything not from their planet was often seen as a lower race, exploited mercilessly. But this child did not retaliate even after having something taken—be it a home or platform.
Based on their experience, the executive knew how to explain this phenomenon.
“You like me? You’re trying to impress the contractor by awkwardly lingering around and revealing yourself to beg for a contract, right?”
“No! It’s not like I can just compensate for losses and make a formal apology, you know!”
With a huff, a tremendous wind followed Oknodie’s flailing arms, tearing the ground apart.
“Spirit of Wind! Our compatibility is excellent. I understand, your power will be incredibly useful going forward. What kind of wind do you want to offer in return for a contract? A destructive wind? A bloody storm?”
“Hmph. Just die!”
Furious, Oknodie attacked the executive. It may take a little detour, but killing the executive to steal their identity and attend the meeting wasn’t a problem.
BANG!
As the attack infused with Oknodie’s domain struck, the executive’s expression hardened. Though their identity and origin remained unknown, one thing was clear: they were dangerous.
The density, manifestation speed, and skill in handling their domain were definitely superior.
[Domain Expansion]
[Territory of Fear]
Even though the same magic and phenomena can occur, the usage greatly differs depending on the originating element. The Steel Rain magic that rains down iron thorns becomes a thorn-forming rain when cast by a metal magic expert or aeromancer. However, when used by an expert in fear magic, it indoctrinates non-living entities with artificial sentience, instilling an obsession to flee from their current position.
‘Falling from that cloud, you must have felt fear. If they’re a spirit, they definitely need some education. The Middle Realm isn’t just a land ruled by strength.’
A fear domain expansion that induces abnormal behaviors by plunging the opponent into fear. If the life form is vastly inferior, they might die on the spot from overwhelming fear; even those of somewhat equal strength will freeze in fear, unable to mount a proper counterattack.
A domain capable of stunting even superior beings with momentary fright, leading them to misjudgments.
“How boring.”
“?!”
“Wow, how does one even manage to have such a useless ability? It’d be better to just let me die!”
Oknodie, who had hesitantly approached while she was seemingly paralyzed with fear, suddenly lifted her head and disdainfully remarked. Following her outstretched tiny hands, they went up like soap bubbles—the executive felt fear.
Inside those bubbles was something that bore the same essence as her territory of fear.
The total amount of fear contained was minuscule. However, its density was of a different caliber entirely.
[Fear Masked with Save Points After a Branching Point]
[Missed Favorability Management, Riding on a Nice Boat of Fear]
[Returned from Training Abroad, Only to Find the Time Ratio Devastating, Leaving the Planet in Ruins of Fear]
It was a fear that only players could sense, striking when the countless run-throughs spent, at least a few hours each, were in vain, leading to a catastrophic failure.
Just by observing the remnants of that essence, the executive recognized they were outmatched.
[Designated Induction]
[Continuous Acceleration]
[Defensive Penetration]
[Reverse Field Penetration]
[Forced Erosion]
A series of heinous spells ensured no evasion or defense could be permitted, plunging anyone simply through contact into a terrifying unknown—a fear magic unfathomable to the executive.
As a master of the fear domain, the executive sensed an immense dread of an unknown terror they couldn’t grasp.
“I’ll use the power of [Designated Fear: Sense of Tragedy], which only happens once a year!”
The authority of the Foundation Executive transcended the tier 3 specialized domain, crafting a brand new law in the surrounding space with an imprint of a tier 4 domain.
By lowering the manifestation intensity of her main power by 50% for an entire year, she ensured an unavoidable, lethal power would strike.
An inescapable nightmare overwhelmed Oknodie in an instant.
*
Suddenly, a foreboding thought struck.
“Director Pasible Yep requests permission to enter the meeting room after completing the army extermination order.”
“Permission granted.”
As the Director and their escort stepped into the meeting room, the Butler of the Foundation, trying to remember their skills, was taken aback.
Other executives and butlers were also in utter shock.
“Holy sh*t, what the hell is that?”
“What kind of freaky appearance is this?”
“Is Possible Yep finally gone crazy?”
With a robust physique that boasted masculinity to the point of tearing his ill-fitting women’s clothing, this individual nonchalantly took in the gazes while appearing utterly unembarrassed.
As everyone fell silent, taken aback by the horrifying sight of Sing, a returning executive screamed.
“Singgy! What in the world? Did you just toss away your Disguise Technique?! Sing has undergone a dark evolution!!!”
The executive Oknodie, who had successfully disguised as the executive to seamlessly enter the meeting room, was none other than the source of the scream.
*
“That can’t happen!!”
Sing was a playable character with an independent nature that hardly adhered to control.
They could be utterly chaotic, darting around like a mad player, training haphazardly or switching dynamics suddenly, donning men’s clothing with absurd themes like cross-dressing or running around half-naked, creating chaos in the executive meeting, leaving with a fresh trail of confusion.
Such a thing must never happen.
Sing must be guided properly until mastering the Disguise Technique to walk the right path!
“Then please die soon!”
In front of the rapidly cornered Foundation Executive, Oknodie unleashed attacks while envisioning bizarre scenarios.
“Damn it! How could the image conjured after being hit by [Sense of Tragedy] be this absurd!”
To be fair, the executive was right to feel frustrated.
Fear inherently signifies an unstoppable violence—a necessary form of power is often worshiped by the stronger, leading one to confront fears of an overwhelming nature.
Yet, Oknodie was different.
She was not afraid of power.
Having accumulated one-hit-kill builds that could vanquish anything in one blow, her fear was elsewhere.
The fear was of the NPC she’d painstakingly developed, faltering momentarily and spiraling down the path of destruction!
Little did Oknodie know that the executive merely thought it was her spell that had struck.
“This brat… turned the sense of tragedy into a bizarre imaginary scenario and deceived her own feelings!”
To the executive, that seemed the only possible interpretation.
How accustomed to panic and fear must someone be to act this calmly?
At the moment of impact, the revelation that the opponent wasn’t merely a spirit but a concealed Dark Princess hit home.
Rumors suggesting that the Dark Princess had suffered fervent torture and abuse from the Director since infancy, absorbing all pain and malice of the world were likely true.
In the executive’s mixed emotions of realization and regret as they vacated, they noticed the fear of having to extinguish the opponent’s will to fight and face annihilation was indeed daunting.
“This is too much.”
Just as they turned to flee, a soap bubble burst right in front of the Foundation Executive.
At that moment, the executive witnessed it.
The possibility of saving the world, now lost due to their mistake, plunging them into a never-ending cycle of despair.
The image of a student who loved them, annihilating the hometowns of [Rivals] to monopolize their affection, leading the world to ruin and crafting a cradle of death for only the two of them.
After extreme hardship, upon their return with the power to save the world, they find they’re merely gazing back at a reality that had long perished, engulfing countless lives, becoming stronger—a doomsday staring back.
“Ah.”
A sensation of heat welled up.
As they lowered their head, they saw the gaping hole in their chest.
In a manner, they felt grateful.
There was no longer a chance to live with such horrors, such despair.
Even death became salvation.
Thud.
As Oknodie stomped angrily on the fallen executive’s corpse, she laid it flat.
Reconstructing the punctured chest and garments roughly, she placed a hand atop the corpse.
[Disguise Technique]
[Ultimate – Cunning]
With experience gained from assisting Sing’s training, the disguise as Professor Pinkberry was a success, allowing her to emulate the Foundation Executive’s appearance.
Growing taller, their view elevated, and for some absurd reason, their chest expanded unnecessarily.
“Somehow, you are even more annoying now!”
After stomping on the corpse a few more times, Oknodie—or rather, Executive Oknodie—moved towards the Executive Meeting Room.
“Where’s the Butler of the Foundation?”
“They went to behead the Mayor of the City of Pleasure.”
Finally, it was time for the Executive Meeting to step up and resolve the Rune of Misfortune—but wait, it dawned on Oknodie that the chaotic antics had delayed the meeting time.
Feeling drained, Executive Oknodie flopped onto the meeting table and began sipping on all seven varieties of drinks intended for guests.
“Would you like some cookies? They’re made from the vengeful spirits of the spirit folk.”
“Totally love it!”
They’ll come around when the work finishes, right?
Thoughts of the Butler and Sing faded to the back of Executive Oknodie’s mind.
