The World After the Bad Ending

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 137: Hannon and Isabel Go Missing

Floor 1 of the Demon Dungeon, Blue Island.

As expected of the ever-changing Demon Dungeon, the first floor had once again transformed.

Hannon’s team entered the Blue Island.

“Huh?”

Or rather, Hannon’s team without Hannon.

“Where’s Prince Sweet Potato?”

Seron looked around in confusion.

It was only natural—Hannon had been with them just moments ago, yet now, there was no trace of him.

“That fool… Did he not follow us in?”

“No, he should’ve entered before us.”

At Seron’s remark, Aisha tilted her head.

She had definitely seen Hannon leading the way.

“I’ll go check outside!”

“No.”

As Foara shouted his intent to check outside, Sharin stopped him.

Sharin, who had been silent since Hannon’s disappearance, now had a sharp gleam in her eyes.

“There’s spatial distortion.”

Her glowing Mirinae-infused eyes clearly perceived their surroundings.

A strange current flowed through the entire Demon Dungeon.

And in the gaps of that current, she sensed Hannon’s presence.

“A Demon Dungeon Transfer.”

Grantoni clicked his teeth.

Everyone’s expressions changed in an instant.

Demon Dungeon Transfer.

A phenomenon that rarely occurred at the entrance of the Demon Dungeon.

The last recorded instance of a Demon Dungeon Transfer was 35 years ago.

The mechanism was simple: upon entry, a person would be randomly transported to a different floor.

No one knew which floor they would end up on.

And the worst part?

Only one person could be transferred at a time.

It was an unfortunate reality—those who got caught in a Demon Dungeon Transfer almost never survived.

This was the Demon Dungeon.

A hellscape designed by the Demon Sovereign to bring about the end of the world.

The only purpose of the Demon Dungeon was to kill.

“No… No…”

Seron’s face turned deathly pale.

She understood all too well the dangers of a Demon Dungeon Transfer.

“We have to rescue him right away!”

“We will.”

At Seron’s outburst, Sharin answered firmly—a determination unlike any she had shown before.

However, the tight grip she held on her staff betrayed the emotional turmoil raging within her.

“Wait—Bel? Where’s Bel?!”

At that moment, another voice rang out from behind.

Everyone turned toward the source, only to see Isabel’s team.

But just like Hannon’s team was missing Hannon, Isabel’s team was missing Isabel.

“Sharin Sazaris.”

Another voice joined in.

Following the commotion, another team approached.

It was Iris’ team.

Iris, her ink-black hair flowing, gazed at them quietly.

“What happened?”

＊＊＊

Demon Dungeon Transfer, a cliff.

Isabel and I had both been swept up in a Demon Dungeon Transfer.

I barely managed to catch Isabel mid-air, stopping our fall by clinging to the cliffside.

As she regained consciousness from the transfer’s shock, Isabel looked around in confusion.

“W-What is this situation?”

“We got caught in a Demon Dungeon Transfer.”

Her eyes widened in shock.

She knew how dangerous a Demon Dungeon Transfer was.

Slowly, I began descending the cliffside, controlling our speed.

“Well, at least it’s a relief. You’re not alone in this.”

The biggest danger of a Demon Dungeon Transfer was being sent alone.

But by some stroke of luck, both Isabel and I had been transferred at the same time.

It was better than her facing this alone.

She stared at me in disbelief.

“...Aren’t you supposed to say that it’s a relief that you weren’t transferred alone?”

“I can escape on my own just fine.”

“I seriously don’t know where you get that confidence.”

Isabel sighed.

“Still, carrying both of us down like this will drain your stamina. Thanks for saving me, but—can you let go now?”

I let her go without hesitation.

She kicked off the cliffside with ease.

Shff!

From her back, a pair of white wings unfurled—the Wings of a Goddess.

“As long as I’m just flying, it doesn’t drain much energy.”

She extended her hand toward me.

“Come on. Let’s go down together.”

Now wasn’t the time for rivalry.

Survival came first.

I reached out, and she wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into her embrace.

A faint scent of citrus brushed past my nose.

Since I couldn’t exactly climb onto her back with those wings in the way, I simply let myself be held.

“…Now I get why Lady Iris always carries you around. You’re surprisingly warm.”

Isabel chuckled.

Despite the dire situation, she was trying to lighten the mood.

Then, as if something had just crossed her mind, her expression changed slightly.

“...By the way, what’s going on between you and Sharin?”

She must have been thinking about what had happened at the entrance.

“I asked her yesterday—she admitted she likes you.”

I hesitated.

It was flattering to be liked by someone.

But with Seron’s earlier confession, and now Sharin as well, my head was starting to spin.

I had suspected it from Sharin’s actions before.

But now that it was real, it was overwhelming.

“Seron, Sharin… Be honest, you came to Zerion Academy just to pick up girls, didn’t you?”

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be this conflicted.”

The Flame Butterfly storyline heavily involved the heroines.

To progress the plot, forming bonds with them was necessary.

But I never expected things to turn out like this.

If it were Lucas, sure.

But me?

‘Besides…’

The characters I’ve become entangled with were originally peripheral figures in the scenario.

Sharin and Seron.

Neither of them are romantically connected to Lucas.

Sharin is a fickle presence who occasionally appears to lend a helping hand.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Seron is merely a fellow academy student.

But what about my relationship with Iris and Isabel, the actual heroines of the story?

To Iris, I am a cherished doll.

To Isabel, I am a relationship of love and hate.

With the two main heroines, my connection is far from love.

‘Is this because I’m Vikamon?’

Vikamon Niflheim—the character I’ve possessed.

A mid-boss in Act 2, who makes a mistake, apologizes, and then leaves.

Perhaps because I am Vikamon and not Lucas, I’ve ended up getting entangled with Sharin and Seron.

“If that’s your problem, wouldn’t dating one of them solve it?”

“I already told you last time.”

I don’t have the time to date anyone while progressing through the scenario.

Training, academy studies, and scenario adjustments.

I may act like I have leisure, but in reality, I am moving more urgently than I appear.

Unfortunately, Vikamon’s talent is limited to physical stamina and rapid recovery.

He cannot compare to Lucas, who was born with genius-level abilities.

Right now, my focus must remain on the scenario.

“……Then why not just reject them both?”

Rejection.

That was certainly an option.

If I turned down their feelings, none of this would be an issue.

But I know that both of them genuinely like me.

“I may seem like a piece of trash, but I just can’t do that right now.”

I have lost love.

My emotions no longer move for it.

Rejecting them now wouldn’t be a sincere rejection.

Since they are being honest with me, I want to give them an honest answer as well.

That’s the least I can do for Sharin and Seron.

Isabel silently watched me.

I don’t know how she sees me right now, but I’m sure I’ll only seem more like trash in her eyes.

“Sorry, that was my fault just now.”

But an unexpected response came.

I thought she’d at least hurl a few insults at me.

“I know you don’t have any personal feelings for anyone. I’ve been watching you all this time.”

Isabel and I have been intertwined since the beginning of our second year.

Because of that, she’s observed me closely.

She knows that I don’t express emotions toward the opposite sex.

“At the very least, if you had those kinds of feelings, you wouldn’t be this calm in a situation like this.”

Isabel looked at me and gave a short laugh.

I suppose it’s funny, seeing me in her arms like this.

“Honestly, I’m curious. No matter what, you’re still a man. How can you be so unaffected?”

Her eyes took on a slightly somber glow.

“……Or am I just that unattractive as a woman?”

Every girl around her would cry hearing that.

Isabel is always among the top-ranked girls in the hearts of the boys.

It’s just that no one noticed because Lucas was always by her side.

After Lucas disappeared, Isabel fell apart.

That’s why no one could bring themselves to confess their feelings.

But there are still many who secretly admire her.

Isabel is kind and bright to everyone.

That alone is enough to shake a man’s heart.

For someone like her to think she’s not attractive—it’s almost offensive to other girls.

“Isabel, I don’t know why you’re thinking that, but I guarantee you.”

I decided to give her a reality check.

“There’s not a single man who wouldn’t fall for you if you genuinely tried to seduce them.”

Men are weaker to pretty women than they’d like to admit.

Isabel needed to understand that.

At my sincere words, Isabel fell silent.

She then quietly looked down at me.

“Then what about you?”

Our eyes met.

Hers were filled with seriousness.

“If I tried to seduce you, would you fall for me too?”

I blinked in response.

“Oh, we’ve landed.”

But before she could hear my answer, we had already reached the ground.

As I stepped away from Isabel and took two steps back, she folded her wings.

In the dim space, I saw a floor marked with red lines.

The moment I laid eyes on it, my face stiffened.

“Haven’t seen this place before.”

“……Of course you haven’t.”

I clenched my fists tightly as I replied.

Isabel, noticing my rigid expression, looked puzzled.

But I was already lifting my gaze along the red lines.

Isabel, a step behind, followed my line of sight.

And then, she too froze.

In our view—

A massive door stood before us.

A door covered in ominous red patterns.

Now, I finally realized where this teleportation had led us.

This was the 9th floor of the Demon Dungeon.

The entrance to the 10th floor—where the Demon Sovereign awaited.

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