I'm a Villain in My Own Game?

Why was Sephira able to be killed?

Brian was supposed to come and save her, wasn’t he?

That was how it was supposed to happen in the game.

I was the one who created Path of Destiny. There was no way I could have miscalculated one of the important scenes in the game.

”Sister?”

I heard footsteps approaching from behind.

A first-year student was making his way toward us.

”No... No, no, no!”

After seeing Sephira’s horrifying condition, the student hurried over and embraced her corpse.

It seemed he was Sephira’s younger brother—the one we had talked about this morning.

If I remembered correctly, his name was Roland.

”Sister! Wake up, Sister! Please...” His voice sounded desperate. ”Someone! Please call a Priest! My sister can still be saved!”

Tears began streaming down the younger brother’s cheeks.

However, upon hearing Roland’s desperate cries, the students gathered there could only look at him with pity.

Roland was still in denial about the reality before him.

”Sister Sephira... Didn’t you promise you would see me become a true Knight!? We promised that we would become the best together, didn’t we!?”

Roland’s voice sounded utterly broken.

I clenched my fists tightly.

It was a heartbreaking sight.

In the game, the death of a side character like this would never have made me emotional.

But this was reality.

The feelings and lives of every human being in this world were real.

Their struggles, their dreams, and the relationships they shared were all real.

I had never imagined that such a minor event could cause someone this much suffering.

Then what about the major events that would inevitably happen in the future?

Thousands of lives would be lost, and the suffering that millions of people would endure would become reality.

This was not a game.

This world was not Path of Destiny, the game I had created in my previous world.

This world was my reality now.

And I was responsible for every tragedy that would eventually befall these people.

I walked toward Roland and crouched down so that I could look directly into his eyes.

”Your sister is dead,” I said bluntly. ”Let her rest in peace.”

I pointed toward Sephira’s eyes, which were still open.

Roland’s body trembled.

It seemed he had finally realized that his sister could no longer be saved.

He then closed Sephira’s eyes, finally accepting her death.

”What happened here?”

A man and a woman approached us.

It was Brian and Ariel.

Upon seeing Sephira’s gruesomely battered corpse, Ariel was startled and covered her mouth with her hand.

It seemed this was the first time she had ever seen a human corpse.

Brian, on the other hand, simply wore a foolishly confused expression.

Where the hell were you, man?

Weren’t you supposed to save her?

Weren’t you supposed to be the Hero of humanity who always appeared when people were in desperate situations?

I didn’t know...

Why was I blaming Brian for Sephira’s death?

Had I disrupted the game’s storyline by beating Brian so badly yesterday?

I didn’t know.

But one thing was certain.

I had allowed Sephira to die for the most foolish of reasons.

That was the reality I was facing now.

”Do you know what killed my sister?” Roland asked weakly.

”If I remember correctly, a bear-like monster with a horn attacked her while she was sitting around,” one of the students there answered. ”After attacking her, the monster fled toward Eldwood Forest.”

Upon hearing this, Roland stood up and looked at me.

”Senior, could you take my sister’s body somewhere safe?” Roland asked.

His eyes were filled with determination.

”What are you going to do?”

Don’t tell me...

Are you going to chase it?

He would definitely be killed if he fought that monster by himself.

However, there was no point in telling him that now.

His mind was being overwhelmed by grief and anger over his sister’s death.

”I’m going to hunt down that monster and avenge my sister!” Roland shouted.

”Wait! It would be extremely dangerous to fight that monster by yourself,” Brian suddenly said as he approached us. ”A wild monster roaming freely within the academy grounds is extremely dangerous. We have to stop it before more victims fall.”

Sephira’s younger brother simply nodded at Brian’s request.

”I’ll come too,” Ariel said as she approached Brian. ”With my healing magic, you won’t have to worry about being injured while fighting the monster.”

”Thank you, Senior.”

The three of them then departed toward Eldwood Forest.

I took off my academy jacket, covered Sephira’s corpse with it, and carried her toward the academy infirmary.

But...

Was it really alright to let the three of them face that monster without waiting for the instructors?

Was Brian capable of defeating that monster like he was supposed to in the game?

No.

I didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

There was no guarantee Brian could defeat that monster.

I had already disrupted the storyline that was supposed to unfold in this world.

After handing Sephira’s body over to the medical staff, I hurried toward my room in the academy dormitory.

Once I arrived, I opened a chest hidden beneath Raul’s bed.

Inside was a sword given to Raul by his father, along with an anti-magic mask that Raul had used to conceal his identity when he massacred academy students at the Chapter Three in Path of Destiny.

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I wasn’t going to make the same mistake this time.

---

[Ariel POV]

Brian, Roland—the student who had lost his sister—and I headed toward Eldwood Forest after retrieving our respective weapons.

That was the first time I had ever seen a human corpse.

If Brian and I had been there when it happened, could we have prevented Roland’s sister from being killed?

At the time, Brian and I had been searching for Raul because Brian wanted to challenge him to another sparring match.

Brian said he couldn’t accept being beaten so badly by Raul in front of all the students.

I had tried to stop him, but he was incredibly stubborn about it.

Brian had been like that ever since the first time we met.

He dreamed of becoming a hero and saving weak people who suffered from monster attacks or were oppressed by nobles.

That was because Brian’s parents had died in a monster attack when he was still a child.

Then, when he was ten years old, his only remaining family member—his older sister—was killed by a nobleman after he committed a terrible act against her.

That was why, when Brian saw Roland suffering after losing his sister to a monster, his heart immediately compelled him to help hunt the creature down.

He had experienced the pain of losing someone he loved because of a monster attack himself.

I thought that was also one of the reasons Brian and Raul had always hated each other.

”We’re here,” Brian said as he stopped in front of Eldwood Forest. ”Look at those trees.”

Brian pointed toward several trees that had been knocked down inside the forest.

It seemed the monster had fled into the forest while rampaging.

That would make it easier for us to track its trail.

After following the trail left behind by the monster for several minutes, we found a bear-like monster with a single horn eating the entrails of a deer.

Ugh...

I still wasn’t used to seeing something this gruesome.

The monster turned toward us, having noticed our presence.

*Grrr...*

Its face and teeth were covered in blood.

Its growl sent a shiver down my spine.

But it was alright.

Everything would be fine because Brian was here.

”Get ready, Roland! This monster is strong!” Brian said as he drew his sword. ”Ariel, support us from behind with your magic!”

”Understood, Brian!”

*GROAARR!*

The monster charged toward us.

The beast then attacked Brian with its razor-sharp claws.

Fortunately, Brian managed to block the attack, although the force pushed him several meters backward.

”I’ll avenge my sister! I’ll tear you apart, bastard!” Roland shouted as he swung his sword at the monster.

However, Roland’s slash only left a shallow scratch on the monster’s body.

Its hide was incredibly tough.

*GROAARR!*

The monster shifted its attention toward Roland and began chasing him.

Yet instead of fleeing from the enraged beast, Roland bravely stood his ground and faced it head-on.

”Temper...”

Roland cast an enhancement spell and deflected the monster’s razor-sharp claws with his sword.

Sparks flew as the two sharp weapons collided.

”Now, Senior!” Roland shouted toward Brian.

”Leave it to me!”

Brian leaped toward the three-meter-tall monster and activated Temper.

The monster turned toward Brian, but it was too late.

Brian immediately unleashed his combo.

”Dancing Sky Dragon!”

Brian attacked the monster with a seven-hit sword combo, forcing its massive body backward.

After completing the combo, Brian unleashed a final strike that sent the monster flying.

”You defeated it, Senior!” Roland shouted excitedly.

Brian...

You really are amazing.

”Well... That was one of my best attacks, you know,” Brian said between heavy breaths.

It seemed the attack had consumed quite a lot of his stamina.

*Grrr...*

The three of us fell silent when we heard the monster growl.

The bear could still stand after receiving Brian’s powerful attack.

Its eyes turned red, while its horn and claws began to grow longer.

Was this what they called a monster evolution?

We had been taught that certain monsters could evolve into stronger forms after their bodies received enough injuries.

*GROAAARRR!*

The monster’s roar was louder than thunder during a raging storm.

It pounded its chest before charging toward Brian and Roland again.

The monster targeted Roland, swinging its razor-sharp claws toward him.

He quickly jumped aside, but a deep slash appeared across his left leg.

”Divine Magic: Minor Healing!”

I immediately healed Roland’s injured leg with my healing magic.

His leg was enveloped in Divine light, and not long afterward, it returned to normal.

”Thank you, Senior!”

Meanwhile, Brian was still fighting the monster.

He tried desperately to evade the barrage of attacks it unleashed.

”Damn it! This monster has gotten stronger and faster!” Brian complained.

The monster swung its arm violently toward Brian.

Seeing this, Brian activated Temper and swung his sword toward the monster’s arm.

”Gaghhhh!”

Brian was sent flying and crashed into a tree.

His strength wasn’t enough to withstand the monster’s attack.

”Brian!” I shouted, worried about him.

The bear charged toward Brian again.

However, Roland suddenly dashed toward the monster from behind, intending to attack it from its blind spot.

But the monster suddenly turned toward Roland and launched an attack at him instead.

”Aghhhh!”

Roland was sent flying.

He hadn’t had enough time to dodge because he had been running at full speed to help Brian.

”Damn monster!” Brian immediately got back up and attacked the creature again.

I hurried toward Roland.

He appeared to be unconscious.

I crouched down to examine his injuries.

A massive gash had opened across Roland’s chest.

Blood poured over his body, and I could clearly see his bones.

With a wound this deep, he would die if he didn’t receive immediate treatment.

”Divine Magic: Maior Sanatius.”

I placed my hand against Roland’s chest and activated a powerful healing spell.

A brilliant light appeared in my palm and spread across Roland’s chest.

Not long afterward, the wound began closing.

”Hah... Hah... Hah...”

After using such a powerful healing spell, exhaustion began to overwhelm my body.

I turned around and saw Brian still fighting the monster.

”Accelerate!”

Brian activated his speed-enhancement spell, and glowing particles began radiating from his feet.

The monster continued launching relentless attacks at Brian.

However, with Accelerate active, he was able to evade its attacks.

But simply dodging wouldn’t be enough to kill the monster.

Still, I believed Brian could defeat it.

He always performed miracles in situations like this.

Just like when he had somehow managed to injure an instructor during the entrance examination, I was certain he would win this battle as well.

Brian evaded another attack from the monster.

His sword began glowing.

It seemed he was about to use that signature technique of his—the one capable of breaking an instructor’s sword.

After dodging another swipe of the monster’s claws, Brian leaped into the air.

He gripped his sword with both hands.

”Feel the power of my strongest technique! Raging Blade!”

His sword began radiating light.

Brian then brought it down in a vertical slash toward the monster’s head.

Crack!

Blood poured from the top of the monster’s head and ran down toward its mouth.

Yet even after taking Brian’s strongest attack head-on, the monster didn’t budge.

The bear licked its own blood and then gave Brian a mocking smile.

”No way—Bugh!”

Brian’s voice was cut short.

The monster struck him with tremendous force, sending him flying in my direction.

”No... Brian!”

I rushed over to check his condition.

Blood was flowing from his mouth.

His ribs appeared to be broken.

Brian was unconscious, so I immediately used the remaining mana within me to heal him.

*Grrrr...*

My body froze.

I turned around and saw the monster walking toward us.

Its eyes seemed to say:

I’m going to eat you alive.

My body began trembling.

I didn’t know what to do.

”Brian! Brian! Wake up!”

I tried to wake Brian, but he didn’t respond.

The monster drew closer.

What should I do?

Should I run?

If I fled, everyone here would die.

The monster would devour both of them.

What should I do?

Grrrr!

The monster was now standing directly in front of us.

I forced myself to stand in front of Brian.

From this close, I could clearly feel the terrifying intimidation radiating from the monstrous creature.

The monster slowly raised its arm.

Its razor-sharp claws looked absolutely horrifying.

I was scared...

I wanted to escape this situation, but I couldn’t abandon the two of them.

GROOOAAARRR!

I closed my eyes.

Anyone...

Please, help me...

”Temper...”

BAM!

I heard the sound of something colliding.

Yet I felt absolutely no pain from the attack that had been about to kill me.

I slowly opened my eyes...

A mysterious white-haired man wearing a black mask had suddenly appeared before me.

”Eh... Who?”

Ignoring my confusion over what had just happened, the man immediately sprinted toward the monster.

It seemed that I had just been saved by this mysterious man.

The monster attacked him with its claws.

”Accel...”

I heard the man mutter a single word.

Suddenly, his speed increased dramatically, allowing him to effortlessly evade the monster’s attack.

The man then launched several attacks against the monster.

His movements were incredibly fluid, effortlessly deceiving the beast.

It was almost as if he already knew how the monster would move.

Who was he?

GROOOAAARR!

The monster’s body grew even larger.

Could the monster evolve again?

That was unbelievable!

What kind of bear monster was this?

There had never been a single record of a monster evolving twice.

Yet despite witnessing the creature he was fighting evolve again, the mysterious man remained completely calm and unfazed.

GROAAARRR!

The monster slammed its fists into the ground and hurled chunks of earth toward the mysterious man.

But he effortlessly dodged every projectile.

”Sterben...”

Once again, he muttered a spell I had never heard before.

His black sword began emitting Runes—magical letters that appeared along its blade.

If I remembered correctly, only official Knights were capable of using magical Runes on their weapons.

The man shot toward the monster once again.

GROAARRR!

The monster charged toward him as well.

The bear swung its claws at the mysterious man.

Yet he effortlessly evaded the attack.

He then drove his sword into the monster’s neck.

The monster’s body convulsed violently as blood began pouring from its neck.

”Release...”

*BOOOOM!*

After the man muttered something, the monster’s neck and head suddenly exploded.

Its massive body collapsed onto the ground.

He had defeated it...

And he had done so effortlessly.

Who was he?

The man turned toward me.

It was impossible to tell what expression he was making behind his black mask.

”Thank you... Who are you, sir?”

Upon hearing my gratitude, the mysterious man simply stared at me in silence.

He then turned his head toward another direction, as though he had noticed something.

After that, he leaped onto a tree and left me behind.

He was incredibly strong...

Could he be one of the instructors?

But he had been wearing an academy uniform.

Still, it was impossible for an academy student to possess that level of strength.

He even appeared stronger than the third-year students.

I didn’t know who he was.

But one thing was certain...

I was grateful that we had managed to survive that life-or-death situation.

---

[Raul POV]

After saving Ariel and the others, I hurried back to my dormitory room through the open window.

Once inside, I walked toward the mirror mounted on the wall.

”So it really is true. Brian isn’t as strong as he was in the game.”

I removed the mask I had been wearing.

In the reflection, my white hair gradually changed back to its original black color.

”Masquerade... A mask capable of concealing its wearer’s identity, to the point that even Clairvoyance magic cannot reveal their true identity.”

This mask was an extremely rare S-Class artifact in this world.

I had no idea how Duke Alvaro had obtained it.

Something like this had never been explained in the game at all.

I suppose that if I ever managed to return to my original world, I would make sure to add more details to the game so that Players could better understand the world of Path of Destiny.

After removing my clothes, I collapsed onto the bed.

Today had been exhausting...

I had nearly exhausted my mana while fighting that monster.

It seemed Raul’s current mana foundation had yet to reach the level he possessed at the end of Chapter Three in the game.

”I need to become stronger...”