Chapter 20

“Grgh, who would’ve thought I’d end up carrying someone on my back at my age….”

As she spoke, Ryuje carried me on her back and walked through the dark corridor.

Though there was a hint of muttering in her voice, no feeling of discontent was detected. Even so, I hesitantly ask her, seeing how it somewhat resembles a child carrying another.

“I’m sorry, are you heavy?”

“No, it’s not that…,” she replied and continued walking. The place where her feet stopped was the end of the corridor, where there was nothing visible.

“Hmm, let’s see…”

As she said that, Ryuje felt along the wall and pressed something she found. Then, the wall made a ‘boom’ sound and retreated a bit before moving sideways.

And the elevator door opened from the darkness.

Hidden elevators in hidden walls, this unexpected twist caused my mouth to gape open.

“The security is really tight, huh?”

“This level of security is natural. You should know that we can’t just leave that thing anywhere, right?”

“That’s true.”

The conversation continued as the elevator we were in descended quickly, then came to a stop.

Thud.

The door slowly opens, and a slightly stale air brushes against my nose. After stepping out of the elevator, Ryuje puts me down in that spot.

“Now, I need to disable the security… Stay still.”

“Yes.”

Consenting to Ryuje’s warning and standing quietly, I see her small but sturdy figure bustling about the wide but rough room with her short legs, and unknowingly, a smile appears on my lips.

What a faithful bread character, fully injecting a sense of comedy. As I fondly watch her like this, Ryuje soon finishes her task and approaches me.

Uh-oh, I need to manage my expression.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Turning my head quickly, Ryuje asks me what’s the matter, but I can’t let her see this.

“No, nothing is wrong.”

“Hmm?”

As I make an excuse, Ryuje’s suspicious gaze digs into my cheeks. After carefully managing my expression again and slowly turning my eyes towards her, that gaze finally disappears.

“What is that thing anyway? Now climb on my back.”

“Yes, excuse me.”

And as I lightly climb onto that small back, Ryuje and I head down a staircase leading downwards.

Hmm, I noticed this earlier too, though her body is small, it feels oddly snug and comfortable, giving me a sense of relief like a mother’s embrace. This is the back of a Hero!

Although there are no breasts, if I were to give an S+ rating, there certainly would be no lack of quality. Hee, Ryuje, please carry me more, and Edu stays here and cries “Ahhh.”

“Uh…?”

“Why are you doing that?”

“No, I suddenly got chills. Something strange is happening…”

Ryuje, saying that while checking her body for any abnormalities, but naturally, there was nothing unusual.

“Hmph… In any case, we’ve arrived.”

As Ryuje said that and stopped moving, she snapped her fingers, and just like before, a blue sphere engulfed in flames appeared, lighting up the surrounding area.

The surrounding scenery gradually becoming clearer, the sight that revealed itself could be described as a graveyard of gears.

Gear.

A device designed to boost the combat efficiency of Awakened individuals, called Mana Cartridges, which simply put, increases MP.

Anyway, such Gears were piled endlessly, scattered from the walls to my feet.

“Wow, are these all…? There are so many?”

“Since they were mass-produced,” Ryuje answered with a bitter expression. Instead of answering, I carefully climbed down from her back and picked up one of the tools nearby.

Black equipment with glowing red gaps in the gear’s seams, literally exuding a foreboding aura. The knife-like parts attached in various places of the gear gave off a sharp impression.

This is the Gear known as Hound, which was mass-produced just before the Fourth Counterattack Operation and supplied to the Awakened individuals.

Feeling a strange sense of nostalgia, as I messed with the Gear on the floor from every angle, a light stinging sensation and a faint pain coursed through my hand, then a sinister aura spread through the weapon, creeping up my arm.

“Oooh-”

“Be careful!”

Ryuje quickly approached and swept away the aura coursing through my arm by hand. However, a faint burn mark was already left on my hand where the aura had touched.

“Don’t touch it carelessly, it’s dangerous!”

Ryuje’s stern voice.

“I’m so, sorry.”

“Hmm… Why are you interested in these things…?”

With that sigh, Ryuje walked to the center of the room, placed her hand on the floor, and manipulated something.

-Unlock.

The crude notification sound chimed as the central part of the room split open and slowly rose. Inside the rising pillar, there rested a Gear enveloped in a peaceful purple glow.

Its exterior resembled the Hounds scattered on the floor, but the dark malice and murky energy emanating from within surpassed all the Hound-type Gears surrounding the area.

Yes, this is it.

I sought this item while building my achievements at the Explorer Guild and arranging a meeting with the dean.

Gear – Nightmare.

Click.

Ryuje lifting the Gear sleeping inside the pillar. Though her face twisted with reluctance, she eventually handed it over to me.

“…Is this the one you spoke of?”

The violet Gear extended towards me.

“Betrayal left this as the last Gear, Nightmare.”

Even without grasping this Gear with my hands, the intense pressure emanating from it enveloped my entire body.

“Do you truly believe you can handle this?”

Ryuje, looking at me with utmost seriousness, this place is where I should confidently answer.

“Yes!”

“…”

Even with my answer, the deep worry etched on Ryuje’s face remained unchanged, but upon sensing that my determination would not waver, she let out a heavy sigh.

“…If you insist, I shall give it to you. However, if it leads to improper handling or any issues, I will reclaim it immediately, so be aware of that.”

“Yes.”

Taking the Nightmare handed to me, I simultaneously notice the rapid approach of the room floor.

“Huh? The floor?”

At the realization of that, I remembered my neglected status.

Oh right, my Strength was only 1.

But, it’s too late now. I accept my fate while holding the Nightmare.

Clang.

“E, Edu?!”

Startled by my sudden collapse, Ryuje quickly approached and supported me.

“What? Is something wrong with your body?”

“Uh…ow.”

“Speak slowly!”

“Heavy…it’s heavy. Please hold it for me.”

“…”

Ahhh, Edu’s just a baby. Too heavy to lift. Hurry, ‘do it for me.’

That’s how, with Nightmare having been acquired from Ryuje, I managed to secure a room in the Academy’s dormitory with Arianna’s assistance.

Though Ryuje’s face showed deep deliberation upon hearing my Strength was only 1, fortunately, she didn’t go back on her word.

In AOE, inventory items were neatly categorized and there were no stat restrictions on equipment but reality wasn’t so easy.

If I had known, I wouldn’t have made STR 1.

“Uh, wowww…”

Thinking about it, I heard a voice from the next room—Mili.

By Ryuje’s arrangement, Mili and Sita were also allocated rooms in the dormitory with me—Mili in the room to my left, and Sita to the right.

Though, did I really need to be in the middle? It feels like I’m being guarded by those two…

Looking around the room with that thought, the glossy white walls and floors, together with the gray bed, desk, bookshelf, and other furniture caught my eye.

Though not overly beautiful, the futuristic yet clean-style room will be my home for a while from now on.

Truth be told, according to the academy rules, students shouldn’t be accepted before the start of the new semester, but this was thanks to Ryuje’s special favor for our convenience.

So, this huge dormitory now belongs solely to us, and it will significantly help with the things I’m about to do.

“Alright then, stop pretending to sleep, will you?”

I spoke to him.

However, he blatantly ignored my words in a shameless manner, so I approached—

“Negative characteristic, Clumsiness effect significantly penalizes movement!”

“Movement failed.”

Clang.

“…”

Hmm, come to think of it, I don’t really need to get closer. Since everything can be heard anyway, it doesn’t matter.

“Hey, Nightmare, stop pretending to sleep, alright?”

Even after calling out that name outright, he didn’t respond. So there’s only one method left.

“Cyrett Ams.”

I uttered his true name.

At that moment, the atmosphere around the Nightmare resting on the desk completely changed, and it began emitting a malevolent aura around the area.

“Hoh?”

A deep, eerie voice reverberated from Nightmare.

The middle-aged man’s voice, mixed with crude machine sounds, was undeniably rudimentary, almost like an AI’s voice. But I know that what’s inside there isn’t an AI.

Cyrett Ams.

Once hailed as a brilliant developer and scientist who would save humanity, and later as a traitor who vanished horribly during the Fourth Counteroffensive Operation.

The world knows him that way, but in reality, Cyrett neither went anywhere nor disappeared.

Because Cyrett had digitized his own consciousness and concealed it. Yes, right inside this Nightmare.

“How did a runt like you uncover my perfect disguise that even Ryuje couldn’t see through?”

The voice filled with confidence, the malevolent aura emitted from Nightmare wound around my body.

The tingling sensation on my skin, for a normal person, it would surely cause fear and shrinking, but I’m different.

“That’s obvious, isn’t it?”

“What’s obvious?”

“There were no traces of you leaving Fangju, only an odd Gear lying around. It was reasonable to deduce that you were hiding there.”

“Perhaps, but it could be otherwise.”

Saying this, the parts of Nightmare split apart and twisted in various ways, revealing a human-like face within.

“But you seemed to be quite sure, didn’t you?”

“Do you need to hear the answer?”

“Chuckles. Cocky bastard. Fine, I’ll find out soon enough when I take over your body.”

“Try it.”

The aura surrounding Nightmare grows thicker. It’s so dark.

“You made a good deduction, though it seems your foolish curiosity is cutting your life short.”

At that declaration, a notification came from the ID.

“Warning, unauthorized data access detected.”

At the same time, the warning sound blared, and Cyrett’s voice grew even more confident from hearing it.

“Still, I owe you one for pulling me out of that loathsome hag’s prison with your foolish curiosity.”

“Warning, unauthorized data access detected.”

“Now, give me your body! Kid!”

With that proclamation, Cyrett Ams, also known as Nightmare.

As he said this, a sticky and humid aura spread throughout, enveloping the surroundings, and complete darkness arrived.