The Huntsman Of Death:A Gamer's POV As Side Character

I was jolted awake by the knock at my door, sitting up abruptly and trying to shake off my grogginess. My eyes darted to the clock. It was 12:40 a.m.

"I was asleep for only 40 minutes," I muttered.

But something felt... off. My body wasn't aching anymore, which was strange after the brutal day I'd had. I should've been sore and barely able to move.

Curious, I got up and opened the door. Standing there was a man dressed in Victorian-style attire: a double-breasted vest, a finely tailored coat, and polished boots that gleamed in the dim hallway light. His hair was slicked back, and he held a gold pocket watch in one hand, exuding an air of elegance and authority.

"Mr. Lukas, is that right?" he asked, his voice smooth and polite.

"Yes," I replied cautiously.

"May I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course," I said instinctively.

As soon as the words left my mouth, a strange feeling crept over me. My instincts screamed at me—Why am I speaking so naturally with a stranger in the middle of the night?

Before I could fully process it, the man smiled and stepped inside, taking a seat on the chair by my desk. He casually opened his pocket watch, checking the time before looking back at me with a composed expression.

"Where were you on the 5th of July?" he asked.

The moment I heard the question, something clicked in my mind. The lingering unease, the lack of exhaustion—it all made sense now. This was an interrogation, one of the highest calibers.

I masked my emotions, acting as though I were submissive and nervous. Fearfully fiddling with my fingers, shifting my posture, I gave off the perfect image of a frightened cadet while carefully calculating every word I was about to say. One slip could create a ripple, and ripples could get me in trouble.

"I was training on the lawn," I answered, keeping my voice steady but hesitant, just enough to sound genuine.

"What did you do that day? Anything memorable?" he pressed further.

"I met with Edwin and asked for a favor," I said, glancing down as if embarrassed.

The man's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He looked intrigued, almost amused, as though I had just given him a puzzle to solve. His gaze swept over me, studying every nervous twitch, every fidget. It felt like he could see straight through me, and yet I maintained my act.

"What favor?"

"I asked for his help to defeat an opponent," I said, my voice trembling slightly as I kept my fearful expression intact.

"An opponent?"

"Yes," I nodded. "An opponent who is harvesting the lives of people."

The man leaned forward, resting his hands on the table, his expression sharpening.

"Who is this opponent?"

"It's a dark wizard," I said, lowering my voice as though afraid to speak the words aloud. "I don't know his name. During my venture into the black market, I saw him buying pregnant women."

The man's eyes darkened, but he remained silent, letting me continue.

"I have shadow powers, so I sneaked in and overheard his plans. There was going to be an attack. I wanted to report it, but I was afraid no one would believe me. And if I was wrong, it could've drawn suspicion to me."

"Can you describe the battle?" he asked, his tone unreadable.

I nodded and recounted the events, carefully inserting details that sounded realistic but wouldn't incriminate me. I even threw in a ridiculous part about accidentally stepping on beast droppings and disrupting a suspicious signal in the process.

The man stared at me, his expression unreadable, though I noticed the slightest twitch in his brow. He seemed to be analyzing every word, every pause.

"There isn't any ripple," he muttered under his breath. "It means he's telling the truth... but this sounds absurd."

"I see," he finally said, straightening up. "You did good work, Cadet Lukas. The Empire would be proud of you."

I gave him a small, humble smile. "I just did what was necessary, sir. It's nothing to praise."

The man smiled faintly and got up to leave. Just as he reached the door, he stopped and turned back.

"Do you know anything about the Evil God from ancient times?"

I fought the urge to laugh and kept my tone serious. "Yeah, I know about it."

His expression shifted immediately. His gaze turned sharp and grave as he stepped closer.

"What do you know?"

"I have an idiot friend," I began, keeping a straight face. "He wastes his time reading comics and watching anime. He proclaims himself to be the descendant of the Dragon God and the Heir of the Ancient Ones."

The man blinked, clearly not expecting that answer.

I continued, now letting a hint of amusement creep into my voice. "He even declared himself the strongest cadet in the first year, claiming he could defeat Edwin Valcrest with his pinky finger."

"...If he goes all out, even the teachers would be in awe—"

"Enough!" the man barked, covering his face with one hand. He shook his head, visibly trying to compose himself.

"Have a good night, Lukas," he said curtly, walking out as the door shut behind him.

As I heard his footsteps fade, I couldn't help but smirk.

Outside, I imagined him shaking his head in disbelief.

"Just what kind of weirdos are getting admitted here?" I thought I heard him mutter. "The standards have fallen quite a bit."

.....

As the man left, I almost collapsed onto the ground. My legs felt weak, and my body trembled uncontrollably. I was soaked in sweat, every inch of me shaking with fear. My heart was pounding so loudly it felt like it might burst out of my chest.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, when a notification popped up in front of me.

[Dream Invasion Resistance (Novice)]

A laugh escaped my lips, shaky but relieved. "Hunter class really worked… No, maybe it's my higher mental strength combined with the Repository. Yeah, that must've created this effect."

I slumped back against the wall, my head tilted up toward the ceiling. My pulse was still racing, but I couldn't stop the grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Whatever the reason, I saved my ass. If it weren't for the combination of those factors, all my secrets might've been uncovered."

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but oddly enough, it wasn't all that worrying. If every secret of mine came to light, what's the worst that could happen? Cry about it? No way. Hell, I'd probably feel relieved if someone else took on the weight of my responsibilities. Let them handle the pressure for once.

Honestly, I had anticipated this. The moment I sent that message about the Malcolm family, I knew something like this was bound to happen. I even expected him to show up.

The corners of my lips twitched as I thought about it. "Hehe…"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Princess Lapdog's analysis will probably give me an opening—a chance to get closer to her."

My grin widened as I spoke, my voice low but filled with amusement. "If he'd asked about the Malcolm family directly, I wouldn't have had the chance to maneuver. But since he didn't… well, that means—"

I froze mid-thought and turned toward the mirror hanging on the wall.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

My reflection stared back at me, but the smile on my face… it was wrong. It wasn't a normal smile. It stretched too far, the corners of my mouth curving unnaturally. My teeth were bared, and my eyes… they gleamed with something I didn't recognize. The whole image screamed creepy. It sent chills down my spine, and for a split second, I thought I was looking at someone—or something—else.

"What the f*ck?" I muttered, stepping closer to the mirror. My voice wavered, half in shock, half in disbelief. "Why is my smile so… creepy?"

I reached up, touching my face as if to confirm it was real. My fingers trembled against my skin. Goosebumps spread across my arms, and my stomach twisted uncomfortably.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath, finally turning away from the mirror. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to calm down. "Get a grip, Lukas. You're not crazy. Not yet."

But as I sat there, the image of that smile lingered in my mind, sending another shiver down my spine.

....

The grand building of the Student Council President's quarters stood tall in the heart of Archeon Academy. Its gothic architecture was imposing, with towering spires that seemed to pierce the sky. Large arched windows glowed faintly, and the heavy wooden doors bore intricate carvings of mythical beasts. The sprawling structure reflected the academy's prestige, exuding an air of authority and tradition.

Two guards stationed outside shifted uneasily. They felt a faint, almost imperceptible presence.

"Do you feel that?" one asked, his voice low.

"It's probably nothing," the other replied, though his eyes darted around.

A drowsy feeling washed over them.

"I'm feeling so sleepy…" one guard muttered, stifling a yawn.

Before they could comprehend what was happening, their eyelids grew heavy, and they momentarily nodded off.

"Huh!" one guard jerked awake, startled.

"What just happened?" he asked, glancing around nervously.

"I don't know, but something feels… off," the other murmured, rubbing his temples.

The uneasy feeling lingered, but they shook it off and resumed their post, unaware of the shadowy figure that had slipped past them.