I’m not particularly well-versed in psychology.
But after spending twelve years dealing with the same person and loving them, you get to know almost everything about them.
In Yulia’s case, it was tough to fully grasp her psyche due to the long years she has lived.
But when it comes to Jill or Yerina, I’m confident that I understand their true feelings better than they do.
Yerina’s greatest strength and weakness.
It’s her innate talent for frenzy.
Frenzy amplifies Yerina’s senses to the extreme and clears the flow of mana.
For Yerina, time must seem slow, and people must look ridiculous.
But that’s just a basic passive ability.
There’s an active skill too.
That would be Beast Mode.
Yerina’s already heightened senses transcend human limits.
Her veins swell as if they might burst, held together by her mana.
In this state, Yerina loses her reason.
She relies solely on her long-suppressed wildness.
Of course, the wildness suppressed by an extraordinary being isn’t going to be tame.
“I’ve experienced that a few times myself.”
Sometimes. Very rarely.
When Yerina gets engulfed in rage and can’t control herself, she reveals her Beast Mode in front of me.
That sight is, quite literally, an uncontrollable beast.
Raw power and magic scatter in all directions, and I’ve come close to freezing to death more than once in the chaos.
Of course, it seems like she retains a minimal amount of reason because she does her best not to kill me.
Anyway.
Because of that unique trait called Beast Mode, this talent is dubbed frenzy.
Strictly speaking, it’s a bit different from running amok, but at least on the surface, that’s how it appears.
However, the term ‘frenzy’ also fits in another way.
The curse placed upon greatly enhanced senses.
It’s paranoia.
Essentially, Yerina is a superhuman living in a different world from ordinary folk.
She can see the tiniest twitches of eye muscles and facial expressions, making lies so transparent that they’re barely there.
And above all, Yerina trusts her senses and instincts most.
Even if countless pieces of evidence prove otherwise, if it looks like a lie to her, she will never believe it until she dies.
This is precisely why, during the twelve cycles, I’ve never been able to fully conquer Yerina.
No matter how perfect the lies or false testimonies, I was always suspicious in her eyes.
She views everything in this world as her enemy.
She can’t accept any goodwill at face value.
While she may smile brightly on the outside, she nurtures hatred and suspicion internally as a part of her daily life.
That’s the curse laid upon Yerina.
The worst curse that makes it impossible for her to form normal human relationships.
Simply put, it’s paranoia.
Because of this,
Yerina must have always felt lonely.
The only person she could call a true friend was Alicia.
But now, she likely believes that even Alicia has betrayed her, causing a huge shock.
Especially since Yerina was the sole recipient of affection and reliance.
She’s been running away ever since I regressed.
She’s lost all trust and love she once believed in.
At this rate, whatever Yerina gains will lead her to the same end.
She can’t make friends as a person.
Unless she turns someone into her possession, no relationship that satisfies her can be formed.
No. For Yerina, such a relationship would only lead to more emptiness.
“I have to neutralize her frenzy.”
There’s only one way to break this curse.
I have to eliminate Yerina’s frenzy.
Only then can she interact with people.
Only then can she experience pure love.
She can get rid of the paranoia that has gnawed on her and those around her for so long.
And she can finally shake off her obsession with me.
I’ve come to that conclusion.
And I’m now finally taking action on it.
A little late, but
it’s something that needs to be done right now.
“I’ll be back.”
[Please come back safely, Master.]
Bowing slightly, Linda greeted us as we left the mansion.
*
Northern pleasure city, Cheongnan.
The largest casino in this city is Baekhwayoran.
Behind it, frantic footsteps echoed nervously through the staff area.
“Ugh. This is driving me crazy. The young ones really lack perseverance, perseverance…”
A flamboyantly dressed middle-aged woman ruffled her hair.
An emergency had occurred during the busiest time at the casino.
Several part-timers had cried and quit after being harassed by difficult customers.
They quickly recruited more staff, but whether anyone useful would show up was questionable.
In front of her was a room where applicants gathered.
She swung the door open with a loud bang.
“Is it you guys? Are you the ones who came for the night shift part-time job posting?”
“Y-Yes!”
Twelve women lined up, responding rigidly as tension filled the air; a deep sigh escaped her.
There were no promising candidates in there.
How was she supposed to train these girls to handle rude gamblers within just an hour?
Despair was creeping in as she shook her head while observing their pathetic faces.
But then her eyes widened.
“Evgenia…?”
“Ah, that’s not me!”
Shimmering silver hair.
Large rabbit ears.
A rarity in Cheongnan—a Rabbit Demihuman.
“Well, of course. You can’t be from the Evgenia family. Just one of the kids they’ve expelled. But a Rabbit Demihuman, how perfect!”
The woman’s eyes sparkled with excitement as the rabbit demihuman, Alicia, tilted her head in confusion.
Although she had applied for the job according to Yoo Jin’s orders, she still had no idea what kind of place she had come to.
“I was looking for a bunny girl, and here’s a rabbit in the flesh! How about working here not just today but long-term?”
“Y-You mean a bunny girl?!”
“What? You didn’t come knowing that?”
“………!”
She just realized the fact that she applied to be a bunny girl at a casino.
.
.
.
The pleasure city of Cheongnan.
One of the largest cities in the north, filled with various entertainment facilities.
Hotels, casinos, and a red-light district packed, a city dedicated solely to pleasure.
Even within the game, Cheongnan was set to be a respite world.
Which implies that there are no important episodes or luck to be had there.
While there might be quests, they are all side quests.
Other than a little luck stat or some achievements, there’s nothing to gain in Cheongnan.
At least with a typical playstyle.
But as the story writer, I know the hidden features of Cheongnan’s casino, Baekhwayoran.
Today, I’m planning to face someone I can’t even approach through normal means.
To do that, I just have to wait for Alicia, who has infiltrated Baekhwayoran, to finish her prep.
Just sitting around idly is pretty boring, so
I exchanged plenty of casino chips and started gambling.
“Check.”
“………Raise.”
“Call.”
“Call.”
“Damn it. I’m dying.”
Of course, I kept losing.
After about three rounds of exchanging a small amount of chips, losing it all, going again and losing more,
I got so tired of running to the exchange that I ended up exchanging a whole box of Cornelia’s banknotes!
“What the hell is this hand…?!”
Yet still, I couldn’t win a single round.
I kept getting terrible hands, and when a good hand finally came, I’d go all in, only to lose in some ridiculous way.
Did I neglect my luck stat too much?
“Check.”
“………All in.”
“Hey! Why is all in coming from you?! Stop killing the team!”
“………Can’t help it.”
“I’m dying while winning by luck.”
“Luck is also skill.”
If there’s anything fortunate about this,
my money is currently all being siphoned away by Mi Jeong.
Mi Jeong’s chips piled so high that a staff member had to be attached just to manage them.
So far, she has already doubled the money she exchanged by herself.
Is it her luck?
Or is she just good at gambling?
Could it be both…?
“Here’s the cocktail you ordered. I-it’s here…”
At that moment, I heard a hesitant voice from beside me.
Turning around, a familiar face came into view.
But the attire was quite different…
“Wow. This really is a bunny girl.”
“………”
Alicia, dressed in a blue leotard and black stockings that made up her bunny girl uniform, made quite a sight.
Her rabbit ears and tail weren’t mere decorations, making her look even more realistic.
Could it be the gazes of those around that made Alicia not say a word while glaring daggers at me, despite my blatant teasing?
“Looks like you received training after all.”
“………”
Alicia, looking like she lacked confidence, still walked over confidently.
She elegantly turned her upper body back, setting a cocktail glass on the table.
She seemed to have successfully completed her bunny girl training.
So she could now freely roam the establishment.
It was the perfect time to start working.
“Mi Jeong, I’m leaving this to you.”
“………Leave it to me.”
Mi Jeong gave me a thumbs-up.
I pushed all my chips onto Mi Jeong and rose from the table.
Since Mi Jeong had been sweeping chips since earlier, she had become quite the spectacle.
Every time that little girl came in, she smashed her opponents, garnering quite the audience.
Thanks to that, the front of the table was crowded with onlookers and staff who came to monitor the situation.
This should be enough to draw attention.
One bunny girl could sneak out without anyone noticing.
“Waitress. Where’s the bathroom? Please guide me.”
“Oh, the bathroom? Please follow me.”
“Did you just flinch and react? Did the word bathroom get you excited?”
“Ugh! I’m not a rabbit! What does it matter what words get me excited?!”
As we distanced ourselves from the crowd, Alicia dropped her bunny girl act and started complaining to me.
By the way, whether she really got excited at the mention of the bathroom or not was something I couldn’t refute, as she merely shot me a chilling glare.
These guys truly seem to get excited at any given moment…
“Good thing we took off the libido suppressor, but isn’t it a bit too frequent? You seem especially bad among the Rabbit Demihumans.”
“That’s not true! I keep it in check mostly! Who do you see me as, someone crazed with lust?!”
“Then why now?”
“Right now… Uh… It’s just because I’m with a degenerate like you…”
Alicia, apparently worked up again, was fidgeting with her thighs and lowered her head.
Of course, putting such skimpy clothes on a lewd girl like that would surely be too cruel.
I decided to give up.
From here on out, go ahead and get aroused freely without worrying about me.
I’ll understand.
“By the way, since you’re in a bunny girl outfit, can you do something for me? Bunny pose.”
“Bunny pose? What’s that?”
“Make bunny ears with your hands and act cute.”
“Wait?! I don’t want to?!”
As soon as she heard that, Alicia’s face flushed with disgust.
But at that moment,
an ominous presence enveloped us, causing Alicia to clutch her head in distress.
“AHHHH!”
The penalty of the Blood Oath had been triggered.
The contract stated that Alicia would absolutely obey me.
As long as that spell remains, Alicia cannot resist me.
“Y-You bastard!”
“Wow. This service is great. I should leave a tip.”
“I don’t want any! If I accept that, I’ll really feel miserable!”
With tear-filled eyes and a curse,
Alicia made bunny ears with her hands, arching her back.
Every time she folded her palms, her real rabbit ears wiggled along, creating a rather precious scene.
This is too good to just leave as a memory.
I snapped a few photos with my camera I got from Clockwork City.
“Oh. I’ve captured a precious moment. I should keep this as a family heirloom.”
“Seriously… But why are you looking for the bathroom? Is it urgent?”
“I’m not like you who pees all the time. I have a meeting with the bugs there.”
“Wait, is that really true? The Taesu is supposed to be in this casino…?”
Alicia questioned, disbelief evident in her tone.
Taesu.
The ruler of the northern continent.
If there’s a celestial being in the south, then in the north, there’s the Taesu.
Of course, the Taesu isn’t treated as a dignified deity here, but rather as a sacred creature, so their status is quite different compared to the celestial being.
Nevertheless, the fact that it’s a tremendous presence remains unchanged.
Originally, in the game, it appears in the latter part.
But as the story’s writer, I know the backstory.
Until their appearance, the Taesu was originally set to be holed up in Baekhwayoran.
“I’m sure it’s in here.”
By now, we arrived at the bathroom.
After confirming that it was empty,
I opened the sewer lid and clapped twice as a signal.
Then, a large centipede slipped into view from inside.
The centipede opened its maw, and inside came a rolled-up piece of paper.
“I’ve completed the map!”
“Good job.”
“Then can I leave now…?”
“Now go back in and wait.”
“Yes…”
I patted its head a few times and closed the sewer lid again.
When I unfolded the paper the centipede had handed over, it displayed the blueprints of Baekhwayoran, drawn with magic.
At first glance, it looked like any ordinary blueprint,
but on closer inspection, some strange parts caught my eye.
“Oh. Here. And here!”
Alicia pointed out distinct spots.
Spaces that should normally have rooms according to the blueprint were actual walls with no passageways when seen in reality.
“This must be it.”
A secret room hidden by modifying the building.
A place perfect for a great being like the Taesu to hide for over a year without being discovered.
Alicia’s gaze met mine, and we both nodded.
The next step is to find the hidden door to the secret room.
Taking advantage of being one of the daily staff, Alicia moves freely back and forth in the employees’ area, feeling the wall to sense the slight flow of magic.
If any abnormality is found in that flow of mana…
Then that’s precisely where the secret room is located.
“It’s here! I observed there’s an unusual cut-off flow of mana and a peculiar connection coming from this spot!”
Running over to Alicia,
the wall in that spot appeared completely smooth, as if nothing could be touched.
A concealment technique so elaborate that even Alicia’s precision detection could barely uncover it.
It’s probably blocking even the senses.
But knowing it’s here means that doesn’t matter at all.
“5th-tier Magic. Telekinesis.”
I extended my hand.
Activating telekinesis, I grasped the doorknob here.
Then click.
The sound of the doorknob turning echoed, breaking the concealment spell.
The wall revealed a door that swung open, leading down endless stairs.
“I swear it was just a three-story space. Why does it seem so large?”
“With someone like the Taesu, space distortion shouldn’t be a challenge. I’ll be back.”
“Y-You have to come back safely…”
With a worried look from Alicia in the back,
I closed the door and descended the stairs.
Sure enough, it looked like an endless set of stairs from above.
After about ten minutes of descending without pausing,
a rickety wooden door came into view at the bottom.
Finally, it looked like I was authorized to enter.
As the door creaked open,
a vast space seemingly larger than the Baekhwayoran appeared.
In the center sat a gigantic, fluffy white mass.
[Who dares to interrupt my deep slumber…]
The fur on that fluffy mass bristled and nine tails flared outward.
Then, a long snout covered in fur lifted, revealing its face to meet mine.
[Who are you? What in the world are you? How can the inside of a human be so grotesquely distorted? Such an internal state cannot be attained without going through countless lifetimes!]
A massive fox glared at me, its brow furrowed.
It was the Taesu of the northern continent.
My first meeting with the nine-tailed demon, Gui Ho.
