Chapter 58

* * *

Let’s rewind time a bit.

Back to when I had just moved into this room.

“Huh? An attack?”

“That’s right.”

Daddy, who had been quite satisfied with the room’s protective barrier, suddenly brought up a suggestion.

He was merely proposing something, yet he seemed fidgety, even asking if it was okay for him to make suggestions like that.

After I spent some time giving him a few encouraging words, he finally spoke up, cautiously.

“There’s a kind of artifact made for times when the holy knights can’t fight around the clock. The monsters never sleep, and they just keep attacking…”

I calmed Daddy down and listened patiently.

“So you’re sayin’, usually it acts like a barrier, but if someone breaks in, it’ll automagically protect the person, and if ya say a trigger word, it even attacks back—and ya can make that artifact thingy using holy power, right?”

“That’s exactly right. Good understanding.”

I blinked.

Of course, I wasn’t unaware of Daddy’s abilities—after all, I was the one who selected him.

But why hadn’t I mentioned it before?

…Because this was—

Game Category [Post][Casual Chat]

Title: Showin’ off the OP-ness of “Derek,” the so-called trash character!! ㅇㅅㅇ (+Derek appreciation post)

Why Derek’s an amazing Guardian—REVEALED!

(Video: Derek deploying a barrier and launching an attack)

Y’all, just watch this and join Team Derek with me, pleeeease~!! ㅇㅅㅇ

(☎→AD) § ♨Max level with Derek by your side!

★Just click the link below! Final chapter awaits!★

↓↓↓↓↓

Don’t miss your chance!

(Link)(Strategy Guide)

❤️ Likes: 555

Comments

👤 Savior 1
…??
👤 Savior 2
…..????
👤 Savior 3
?????????
👤 Savior 4
What is that?;;; Is that a turret?!??!!! A barrier that also works as a turret???
└ Sayver 1: Sh*t, I’m pickin’ Derek right now
👤 Savior 5
(Looks at newbie above) Sigh… This guy’s at it again…
└ Sayver 2: 2222
└ Sayver 3: 3333…ha

Game Category [Post][Casual Chat]

Title: Derek’s OP now???!!!

S***….. Is this a rage-inducing character or what???

❤️ Likes: 123

Comments

👤 Savior 1
What…? My Derek barely made it to Chapter 5… and now he’s gone berserk… F***!!!
👤 Savior 2
….My Derek kept screaming he was trash and got us both killed… When do you actually get to use those OP skills???
└ Sayver 3: Gotta get Affection over 80 and Trust over 30
└ Sayver 2 (OG): Huh? That’s even possible?? He starts with negative Affection??
└ Sayver 3: Yup… That strat guide writer’s method for Derek is max difficulty…
└ Sayver 4: True that… That guide writer’s a perv… Insane control skills too…
└ Sayver 2 (OG): F***….. F***!!!!!!!
👤 Savior 4
(Hang in there, newbie…ㅠ) Derek’s programmed to move solely out of obligation, so building affection and trust is ridiculously hard (Link). Check other guides if you’re new. Recommend “Laura” as Guardian instead.
└ OP: Dammit, shoulda said it was textbook-perfect for Seoul National University!!! S***!!!
└ Sayver 5: Uuugh… It was easy for me tho..ㅇㅅㅠ

‘Even I only saw this skill used in the late game, though?’

People flamed my guide, saying it was way too difficult.

And they weren’t wrong. Daddy’s skill required insanely high levels of affection and trust.

In other words, you had to feel deeply connected to him… but with his constant status debuff, that wasn’t easy.

Before I knew it, I felt my cheeks flush red.

‘He already… feels that strongly about me?’

…But what did I even do?

“Nemesia?”

“Ah, yeah, uh-huh…!!”

Startled, I nodded quickly.

If he could set it up in my room, of course I wanted it.

“But I can’t use my powers as well as I used to… so you’ll need a trigger word to activate it… Do you have one in mind?”

At that, I took a moment to think.

While I scratched Daddy’s hand affectionately like, ‘Just that alone’s amazin’!’

Alright, I’ve decided.

“Daddy.”

“Hm?”

“No, like, Daaah-deee.”

I grinned brightly.

“Daddy, he’s a bad guy!’ How’s that sound?”

Daddy looked concerned.

“…Is that really okay?”

“It’s s’pposed to protect me when ya not around, right? Nothin’ fits better than that!”

Daddy blinked, then soon smiled faintly.

“That’s a command you can’t not respond to, huh.”

* * *

Back to the present.

“Hah… Haaah…”

I stared in stunned silence at the deep blue barrier created to protect me.

‘Daddy… You didn’t say it’d be this powerful.’

That “I’m weak” line? Confiscated! Banned!

He’d said the barrier would automatically protect me and attack anything dangerous.

And it looked like it had activated properly.

Sure, the room was wrecked. But the Order could clean it up!

What mattered now was…

I looked past the slowly settling dust beyond the barrier.

‘…That damn fanatic’s durability.’

To my shock, a perfectly intact silhouette stood on the other side.

My face instantly twisted.

“Ha… Haha…”

But when the dust cleared, Usher’s condition was anything but normal.

His hair was a mess, his clothes torn. Dried blood clung to his forehead.

He wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand.

“How amusing, Candidate.”

His smile was gone. The gleam in his eyes sent a chill down my spine.

…Crap. He’s gone off the deep end.

“Man, that took me right back to sparring with the former Hero! They used to beat the hell outta me!”

A story I never asked for.

“This is definitely the Hero’s power, right? I heard they couldn’t use it anymore due to some mental block… What’s the story here?”

He took a step forward.

I glanced just past his shoulder.

Then subtly shifted my eyes to the clock again.

I’d already used the offensive barrier meant for emergencies when separated from Daddy.

Usher wouldn’t fall for the same thing twice.

“I’ve been thinking… If I teamed up with you, Candidate, would I get stronger too?”

Another step closer.

With every step, he looked even more exhilarated. Like a holy knight in the heat of battle.

Thump.

“Candidate, I asked you something. Why so quiet?”

In the blink of an eye, Usher stood before the barrier, hand reaching out.

Bzzzzt!

The barrier fiercely rejected him.

But as he forced his power through, the barrier flickered weakly, its glow fading like it could disappear any second.

I clamped my lips shut and glared at him—trying to look composed in his eyes.

“Now, let’s go.”

“…Kidnapping a Candidate is a serious crime.”

“Haha, and that’s only if someone finds out, right?”

His animalistic eyes gleamed.

Usher grinned.

“I’ll treat you real nice.”

As the barrier finally vanished and his pale hand yanked me forward—

BOOM!

A burst of pure luck exploded again.

The door suddenly blew apart, and someone burst through the opening.

Roll roll roll…

A tumble roll—then the intruder shouted dramatically:

“Tadahhh, the Hero! Has! Arrived!”

My eyes widened.

‘What the—?’

Before I could even process the confusion, Usher was sent flying.

“Yaaaah! You in the act, punk!”

I opened my mouth to say something, then shut it again.

“Extermination! Smack down!!”

[Faction: Royal Spy]

Scratch that—I take back what I said about luck!

That was not the kind of luck I wanted.

“Bam! I heard an explosion, so I just blew the door off!”

The uninvited guest was… the royal spy I briefly teamed up with during the exam.

“You looked like you needed help, Candidate?”

It was Antonio.
 

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Translator: Japchae