TFWSDW 30

Chapter 30

‘What are you, a horror movie serial killer…?’

I glared at Usher with a hard expression.

‘Look at him smirking and mocking me.’

While glaring, I kept scanning the surroundings from the corner of my eye.

A dark room. The problem was…

“It’s just the two of us.”

As if he’d noticed where my gaze was going, his voice dropped.

“Has no one else arrived yet?”

He approached like he was teasing me.

“Hmm?”

Then suddenly, he added honorifics like it had just occurred to him.

‘My luck is seriously the worst.’

As Usher said, there were only the two of us in this room.

The number of people was probably based on the room’s size—and this one was small.

Just in case, I tried summoning Dad.

“Dad…!”

[You cannot summon anyone in this location!]

A sign appeared right in front of my face.

‘Tch…’

So it was a special space.

I wasn’t surprised.

There were some paranormal spaces like this. But there was one reassuring thing:

‘Usher can’t kill me here.’

Because this space was connected to the “Angel’s Interview,” no one could commit “murder” here.

If you knew the rules of this space, you would know that.

‘He doesn’t know yet, which is why he’s acting so relaxed.’

Let him think he can kill me anytime—it worked in my favor.

So I didn’t bother to act calm.

I glared and deliberately stepped back.

‘As long as he’s not annoying, I’m fine. Please, Dad, calm down…’

I was more worried about Dad realizing he couldn’t summon me!

We’d just barely managed to stop him from being a reckless muscle-head!

“Hm, you seem flustered. Because Daddy’s not here?”

I ignored Usher and turned my head away.

Because something had just appeared in front of me:

[Calm your ‘Dad’ down from afar!]
[You can send strength to ‘Dad’!]

‘Oh, good. Please, let me send it!’

[Start a supportive message for your ‘Dad’!]

“…Dad, don’t cause trouble…”

[That’s not encouragement!]

What? That was from the heart!

If my dad went berserk somewhere else, who’d take responsibility for my in-game and real-life survival?!

[Last chance—only one attempt left!]

This sign was so impatient.

Apparently anger issues are only “fixed” in the face of power and money.

I grew extra cautious.

I clasped my hands together like I was praying.

I could almost see Dad’s anxious face in my mind.

If I could send only one message at this moment…

“Dad… you’re the best, so come get me. I’ll be waiting.”

As I muttered softly, a pure white light flowed from my body.

I was worried it might trigger Purification, but thankfully it was just normal holy power.

The light soon disappeared.

It would reach Dad.

‘Phew, now he’ll focus on just getting here and protecting his team.’

“Hm, what was that?”

I looked up. Usher was crouched down, staring at me.

‘Go away, you cursed fanatic.’

[Faction: Evil God Cult Fanatic]

Because we were close, I could see his faction clearly. It was chilling.

“Nothing.”

I replied curtly, stood up, and brushed the dust from my clothes.

Even standing, I had to look up at the man.

“We have to get out of here. How do you plan to do that?”

Usher tilted his head slightly.

‘The test must still be continuing.’

Even though this space had turned into a high-difficulty paranormal zone, no one could leave.

You could only get out by following the rules.

“Hm? You’re not going to pretend to be scared for me?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

‘You’re seriously asking that?’

“I figured if I acted scared, you’d just make things harder for me. Just a feeling.”

“…”

Usher had clearly found my attitude in the Miracle Room interesting, but that was all.

This guy got crueler the weaker his opponent acted.

“Sharp as ever.”

He smiled like I’d given the right answer.

“I don’t like crybabies.”

So what.

“And your candidate?”

‘I’m not the only one separated from my guardian.’

“Well, I wonder where they ended up?”

But Usher didn’t look the least bit worried about his candidate.

“Unfortunately, my candidate doesn’t have the ability to summon me.”

“…”

“But it seems you can’t summon yours either, huh?”

He clearly enjoyed the way I flinched on purpose.

‘Yeah, go ahead and underestimate me.’

“Alright, shall we just wait a bit? As a Holy Knight, it’s my duty to protect you, Candidate. Hahaha.”

I ignored him and turned my back, walking toward the wall.

“If I protect you, will you make me your guardian? I’ll be a good dad for you. Hmm? Hmm?”

He was spouting nonsense like crazy.

“Shut up and check the wall. Are you just going to rot here? If so, rot alone.”

“Ehh, so mean. But I guess this is what makes someone who cleared the Labyrinth special.”

He reached a hand out toward me but then pulled it back.

[Danger detected!]

“Hm?”

I thought I saw a dangerous glint in his eyes.

I naturally turned my head as if I’d heard something to the side.

[Fanatic ‘Usher Tatum’ has canceled his Hidden Ability!]

‘Holy crap…’

Cold sweat ran down my back.

Sure, he couldn’t kill me here.

But if he used a hidden skill to restrain me, I had no idea what would happen.

‘I need to get out of here fast…!’

As I was feeling along the wall, he walked closer.

“Yeah, we need to leave quickly. My candidate might be crying their eyes out right now.”

Usher whistled as he peered at the wall next to me.

The moment we both got close to the wall—

-Prove your values.

Handprint marks appeared on the wall, and glowing letters popped up.

“Oh, wow. Did you see that, Candidate? I protected you.”

“What the hell are you talking about? How is this protection?”

He actually hid behind me while saying that.

Yup, he was a complete lunatic.

‘Is he even more reckless because we’re alone?’

Before I could complain more, a new problem appeared.

No, this room was designed so you couldn’t leave without solving this “problem.”

Make the following sentences correct.
(You may only use one straight line.)

• The evil god is right.

• The evil god must rule the world.

• The world must perish.

• I want to worship and fanaticize about the evil god.

“Hoo, interesting.”

Usher rubbed his chin.

The sentences were carved into a giant stone.

Below it was a small groove holding something that looked like a piece of chalk.

‘Use this to write the correct answer.’

That’s what the instructions said.

“Oh, Candidate. I can feel evil energy from this. I bet if you get it wrong, the wicked evil god will take your precious head~”

‘Isn’t that blasphemy?’

“…You’re saying it’ll cut my head off?”

“Gasp! How can you say something so scary…!”

What? You just said it, you lunatic.

Then it happened:

-If you answer the question correctly, you’ll be hanged for daring to be right as a mere human.
-If you answer it incorrectly, you’ll be starved to death for having no value to live.

Additional text appeared next to the problem on the wall.

“Oh. So your head’s gonna go pop~”

Usher accepted it cheerfully.

I stared at the problem and then shifted my gaze.

Sure enough.

‘This is clearly meant to kill us for nothing… but there’s a surefire method.’

And contradiction was the theme of this paranormal phenomenon.

“You gonna solve it?”

“You’re telling me there’s actually an answer?”

Oh, there is.

The stone with the sentences was human-sized, and there was even a chalk holder at my face level.

‘Let’s just solve it quickly and leave.’

Anyway, Usher already knew I was a Labyrinth survivor, so solving this wouldn’t matter.

What worried me was one thing:

‘This place hasn’t even shown its true terror yet.’

“If you won’t solve it, I will.”

“Hm, how?”

He pointed at the stone.

When I didn’t answer, Usher gave me a chilling look. I ignored it.

“Move, I’ll write.”

“Yes ma’am~”

He responded cheerfully for only a moment.

THUD!

I blinked.

“Keugh, keugh!”

‘This psycho…!!’

Just a moment ago, I’d been reaching for the chalk.

But now, dust was rising from the floor.

When the dust cleared, I saw the chalk holder that had been perfectly positioned for my height.

‘It’s shattered.’

It was smashed into pieces, with a footprint dented deep into it!

This bastard had destroyed it with brute force.

“Oh no, what should we do, it broke?”

And as he kicked it, he grabbed the back of my clothes and lifted me up.

I was left dangling.

If my clothes had been any tighter, I might have passed out from being choked.

‘Ha… this bastard’s just trying to see exactly how I’ll escape, huh?’

Basically, he was telling me not to think about escaping on my own.

I sighed as I looked at the chalk, now crushed into powder at my feet.

‘Not choosing this guy as my guardian was the best decision I’ve ever made. Seriously.’

I quietly glared at Usher.

“What now, Candidate? You can’t reach it from your spot anymore!”

“…”

He grinned widely.

“Oh well. I’ll hold you up! I’m so nice, aren’t I? Here, there’s more chalk over here. Let’s try!”

Just then—

A red circle appeared under Usher’s feet.

The red light blasted me away from him.

‘Wow, I’ve never seen someone volunteer for punishment before.’

Gritting my teeth through the pain, I lifted my head.

-Warning.

The last thing I saw was the fanatic’s surprised expression as he was trapped in the red light.