「YOU DIED」

…Would you like to try again?…

Try again? Yeah, right.

“Damn it, give it a rest already.”

Frustrated, I nearly smashed my monitor.

Who on earth designed a game like this?

This is Pandemonium Academia, the so-called masterpiece that took South Korea by storm during the second half of the year. I got swept up in the hype, sunk 890 hours into it, and yet, I still haven’t seen the ending.

Why?

Because of those damn heroines with their obsessive behavior.

—-----

“There’s no way to avoid a death route, is there?”

If they’re going to be this insufferable, they might as well let me swap growth experience points for obsession stats.

“Huh. Maybe I should give it a shot?”

One of Pandemonium Academia’s biggest selling points is its highly customizable character system. Explaining it is tedious, but basically, it lets you tweak almost anything.

━━━━━━

[ Growth Experience: Obsession ]

━━━━━━

………Settings complete………

“Oh, it works.”

There was just one tiny problem. Every time you adjust your character’s growth stats, the game automatically assigns a demerit to balance things out. And since I tampered with the growth experience stat, a whole list of penalties popped up.

━━━━━━

[ Status Effects ]

Anxiety

Delirium

Seizures

Blind Faith

Drowsiness

Weakness

Hemoptysis

━━━━━━

“What the hell is this garbage?”

Sure, these are some pretty debilitating conditions, but who cares? None of this affects me in real life. Without hesitation, I clicked away, hammering the confirm button.

………Settings saved………

And that’s how I turned my character into a complete wreck.

—------

Hoo, I took a deep breath, only to be met with the stifling stench of damp earth invading my nose.

Where the hell am I?

I have no idea. Thanks to the blindfold strapped tightly over my eyes, I can’t even see an inch in front of me.

I pressed my lips together tightly and sucked in a breath.

“Mmph…!”

Even breathing was a challenge with the gag stuffed in my mouth. My arms and legs had been restrained in a straitjacket for who knows how long.

Damn it.

To an outsider, I might look like some oversized caterpillar, but I’m still human. At least, I think I am.

Roughly a week ago—without any rhyme or reason—I was thrown into this game world.

「Yuto」

That’s apparently the role I’ve been assigned.

Yuto is an orphan. Why? I have no clue. He’s so obscure that I’d never even heard his name in the game. What I do know is that he’s one of the “roughly 140 students” mentioned in Pandemonium Academia’s prologue.

And here’s the kicker: Yuto carries all the character customizations I last saved in the real world.

As soon as I realized that, I scrambled to figure out how to survive.

After all, in stories like this, the pattern is clear—make it to the “ending” to return to reality.

So I worked hard, painstakingly crafting a plan. I did everything I could to grow stronger and even sought out the obsessive attention of others.

But I never expected all that effort to lead me here.

“Ellie , I know your secret. That blindfold—it’s just for show, isn’t it? You can actually see perfectly fine…”

“What…? Who are you? How do you know that? How did you uncover my secret?”

Her golden hair gleamed as she stood trembling with rage, her pale skin glowing faintly. Even through the black blindfold that covered her eyes, I could practically feel her piercing gaze.

“That blasphemous power… I have no choice but to suspect you of being a demon worshiper.”

…Excuse me?

Ellie Ingrid , one of the game’s main heroines and a blind swordswoman, had a hidden truth I’d uncovered. My plan was to forge an alliance by sharing her secret and, hopefully, gain her obsessive attention for bonus growth points.

Instead, it all went sideways.

“I’ll be formally reporting you to the Empire’s Inquisition. They’ll interrogate you to uncover whether you’re a demon worshiper and where your blasphemous powers come from.”

When I finally regained my senses, I was already trapped in this ridiculous situation.

“I’m not! I swear I’m not…”

“Shut up. The trial will determine the truth.”

For crying out loud. I’m really not!

But no one believed me. Ellie, a rising star of the Empire and a noble from a prestigious ducal family, had overwhelming credibility. My protests were ignored, and I was promptly bound and imprisoned.

And now, here I am. Not exactly laughing at my predicament.

The only silver lining is that a priest visits me every seven hours to heal me, replacing meals with magical recovery.

Clack. Clack.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the detention center. It had to be the priest. Judging by the timing, this would be my third day in here.

In other words, the trial was near.

“Ugh, the stench. Seriously, being assigned to the detention center is the worst. Hey, get up—it’s time for your trial.”

Squirm, squirm.

I wriggled in place, making a show of my predicament.

“Oh, right. You’re still restrained. What a hassle.”

“Huff… Huff…!”

“Jeez, are you seriously hitting on me right now? You can’t even see, and you’re trying this hard? Men, honestly.”

“Mmgh! Mmgh!”

“What are you even saying, idiot?”

I memorized her voice and demeanor. Someday, I’d make her pay. Not that my silent threats did anything now.

With a heavy sigh, she dragged me away by the leash attached to my restraints.

Interrogation.

Fine. Once the interrogation is over, my innocence will be clear. I’m not a demon worshiper. I don’t have any blasphemous powers.

Soon, all of that will be revealed to everyone.

The Inquisitors of the Beatrice (비트라이스) Empire are second only to the Pope in power. If I could just gain their recognition, I could turn this whole situation around.

Just you wait, you conniving b****es.’

Ellie Ingrid , and that wretched priestess who humiliated me, will get their payback.

Call me petty—I don’t care. After being kidnapped and dragged through this mess, I need something to vent my frustration on, or I might just lose it entirely.

“Halt! Priestess, present your identification and the prisoner’s number.”

“Geez, so formal, huh? Here’s my ID, and the prisoner’s number should be 4485.”

“...Your language is awfully crude for a priestess. ID and prisoner number confirmed. Proceed.”

“Sure thing.”

Clang.

The heavy door creaked open, and a cool breeze brushed against my cheeks, sending a chill through me. I didn’t need to see it to know—I was in the courtroom.

The air was thick with scornful jeers and hateful stares from the countless spectators who filled the chamber.

「Demon Worshiper」

A term used to describe a heretical cult devoted to bringing the evil god Dantalion into this world to bring about its destruction.

They are hunted down, interrogated, and executed without mercy. It’s the standard practice to extract as much information as possible before their demise.

Considering the gravity of their crimes, the crowd’s hostility was understandable. But I wasn’t one of them! I needed to prove my innocence—and fast.

“The interrogation will now begin.”

A commanding voice resonated through the courtroom, amplified with a power that instantly silenced the restless crowd.

“The defendant, Yuto , step forward to the central dais.”

Drag. Drag.

I was dragged forward and placed in the center of the dais. Any moment now, the Inquisitor’s Ritual of Truth would begin, exposing everything about me.

The ritual commenced with a chant in an indecipherable language. As the words filled the room, a chilling sensation spread through my body like ice water being poured over my head.

Rustle. Rustle.

The murmurs from the crowd told me the ritual was complete. They’d seen the truth—and were itching to speak.

“The interrogation is over,” the Inquisitor declared, his deep voice silencing the murmurs once more.

“What an absurd conclusion,” the Inquisitor said as he approached me.

“It has been determined that the defendant does not possess the Evil Eye—the power to see through others’ secrets. The blindfold, therefore, will be removed.”

Slip.

The blindfold was lifted, and light flooded my vision, momentarily overwhelming me.

“Furthermore, it has been proven that the defendant lacks the Enchanting Demon’s power to beguile others. Therefore, the gag will also be removed.”

A mix of dried blood and saliva dripped to the floor as I spat out the gag. Cool, refreshing air filled my parched mouth.

“Final verdict: The defendant is not a demon worshiper. All restraints will be removed, and their innocence is hereby declared.”

Hell yeah. Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t guilty?

I scanned the courtroom, my newly regained vision honing in on one target. Where was she? The b**** who dragged me into this mess, Ellie Ingrid .

And there she was.

“Gotcha, you little snake.”

Ellie’s expression was priceless. Her body trembled, and her face was pale as if she couldn’t believe the verdict.

“Ugh…”

Her head jerked back slightly as her gaze locked onto mine. The despair on her face was so satisfying.

I clenched my hand into a fist and raised it.

“Yuto you have something to say?”

Damn right I do.

The farce she orchestrated wasn’t going to end here. Straining my dry lips, I forced myself to speak.

“Yes, I do. As of this moment, I am filing a countersuit against Ellie Ingrid for false accusations.”

Ellie’s face turned ghostly white.

But don’t get it twisted—this is just the beginning.

I’ll make her pay. Not just for my suffering, but also for my growth.

I’ll ensure she’s reduced to nothing more than a tool for my progress—ensnared in obsession, one way or another.