IWRIT-03

Chapter 3 – She Became the Lord (2)

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She didn’t need the sound effects or the holographic notification to know the skill had succeeded.

“Grrrgh…!”

“Kyaaaagh!”

The beasts had begun tearing into themselves.

The demons standing in the rear were no exception.

“Hiiik! Hiiik! Kyaaagh!”

With spiked whips in their hands, they whipped their own bodies into a frenzy.

The consecutive brainwashing combo had worked.

Fortunately, combat and skill mechanics functioned exactly as she remembered.

…Wait.

She was watching blood and flesh fly through the air in a gruesome spectacle.

And the only thought that came to mind was…

Good. It works just like the game.

Now that she thought about it, something else felt strange.

She’d been transported into the game itself.

Yet after realizing I’ve transmigrated, she hadn’t panicked.

She was almost unnaturally calm.

Don’t tell me…

She glanced at her Traits window.

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[Clear Mind]

Passive

Gain complete immunity to all mental status ailments.

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Normally, she rarely chose this trait.

It was so overpowered that it dramatically lowered the game’s difficulty.

She had only equipped it this run because she planned to fool around.

When dating multiple people at once, players normally suffered a Guilt debuff.

Breaking up too many times could even trigger a Death by Heartbreak event.

Clear Mind ignored all of those.

Not only did it skip troublesome romance events…

Like any broken trait, it also nullified all mental magic and psychological status effects.

If someone like her—a perfectly ordinary modern person who had been peacefully gaming at home—should naturally have felt confusion…

Fear…

Rage…

Then those emotions could easily be classified as “mental status effects.”

And the trait simply erased them.

I never imagined a passive skill would control my state of mind…

It left an unpleasant feeling.

But she was also grateful.

Without Clear Mind, she probably would have fainted, burst into tears, completely lost her composure…

Been exposed as a fake Lord…

And died before the game had even properly begun.

I refuse to end like that.

She had no idea why she’d ended up here.

But she had no intention of dying.

Nor did she want to stumble into one of Dark Tower’s infamous bad endings.

They weren’t merely tragic.

They were nightmares made real.

Stay focused.

Otherwise I’ll end up just like…

Watching the blood-soaked monsters collapse one after another, she steadied herself.

Then she called down to the knight below.

“Rohengrin.”

“…Yes, my Lord.”

His response came a beat late.

When he turned around, his entire body looked stiff.

That reaction seemed odd.

He wasn’t the type to be frightened by watching a few monsters die.

Then it clicked.

Right… mental magic.

NPCs feared brainwashing spells more than almost anything else.

If a companion caught the player using them…

Their affection and reputation would plummet.

In severe cases, they would even attack.

That was why the incredibly powerful late-game class Mind Sorcerer was often dismissed as either a joke class or a terrible one.

Every time you use its abilities, your own party wants to run away…

Back when this was just a game…

It hadn’t mattered.

If nobody noticed, then it was no different from a perfect assassination.

Or a perfect romance.

As long as no one caught you brainwashing people, everything worked out.

If the world ended because you ignored the Tower?

Even better.

Romance was always more entertaining when everything fell apart.

…Or at least, that’s what I used to think.

If even someone as loyal as Rohengrin, whose affection almost never decreased, reacted like this…

Then the other companions would undoubtedly be even worse.

The future suddenly looked much bleaker.

Still…

The tutorial came first.

Now that the monsters were gone, she was about to suggest leaving—

When a crimson warning window abruptly appeared.

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[You have remained in the “Wet” status for an extended period…]

[Entering Near-Death state.]

[Status Effect: Unconsciousness.]

Resistance Target: 10

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Huh?

Normally, prolonged status effects could escalate into unconsciousness, near-death, or even death.

But this was just…

Being wet.

Damn it… Vitality 6!

The absurdly low Vitality she’d sacrificed to maximize Charisma had come back to haunt her.

Stats below 8 caused all debuffs to become twice as effective.

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[Judgment begins!]

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Regardless of her panic…

The dice rolled anyway.

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Dice Roll: 10

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The die had rolled well.

Yet her expression only darkened.

Because now came the punishment for all those traits she’d stacked together…

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Vitality 6: -2

Sorcerer: -1

Nephilim: -2

Goddess’s Blessing: …

…

…

Result: 1 / 20

[Critical Failure!]

[Amazing Achievement!]

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You’ve got to be kidding me…

She glared at the scarlet holographic window as though it were mocking her.

Unfortunately…

Anger couldn’t stop her body from swaying.

Her vision darkened.

Through the encroaching darkness, she vaguely saw Rohengrin rushing toward her.

“My Lord!”

That was the last thing she remembered.

The world went black.

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When she opened her eyes again…

An unfamiliar ceiling greeted her.

Or rather—

A ceiling she’d seen countless times in the game…

But never in real life.

The Lord’s bedroom…

At least she’d somehow escaped the ritual chamber.

Still…

Realizing several story events had apparently been skipped made her heart sink.

Wasn’t there a special event if you fainted during the tutorial…?

As she tried to force her aching mind to remember…

A cool hand gently rested against her forehead.

A worried voice followed.

“Please don’t push yourself, my Lady.”

Her gaze instinctively turned toward the speaker.

A man wrapped in flowing robes stood beside the bed.

An absurdly beautiful man.

Hair black as a raven’s feathers.

Eyes more brilliant than the finest rubies.

And completing the picture…

A crimson butterfly-shaped beauty mark beneath the corner of one eye.

Each time he blinked, it seemed almost to flutter.

Wow…

He’s even more handsome in person.

He was another character she knew extremely well.

Jehar al Rashid.

The number-one mage companion.

First place in the companion popularity rankings.

And for five consecutive years…

The undisputed number-one romance character.

He had achieved an unprecedented triple crown.

His popularity transcended the game itself.

His fans were famously fanatical.

“Isn’t every romance except Jehar technically cheating? That’s just the truth.”

“Dark Tower without Jehar equals zero. Want an unforgettable romance with the black-haired man from the cinematics? Worth every penny.”

Even male players said ridiculous things.

“It’s not that I fell for a male character. I fell for Jehar…”

“Why is Jehar like this?! Why did this bastard turn my character gay against my will?!

(Edited) Jehar did nothing wrong. I’m the cheating scumbag with a wife. Anyway, I’m off to earn money for Jehar’s DLC costume.”

“Never abandon your true spouse. Trust me.”

Performance.

Looks.

Character writing.

Story.

There wasn’t a single flaw.

Even she—someone far more interested in conquering the Tower than romance—had once collected every ending involving Jehar.

I never imagined I’d meet him like this…

“…My Lady?”

Ah.

She’d been staring too long.

Quickly regaining her composure, she spoke with the dignity expected of a Lord.

“How much time has passed since I collapsed?”

“About half a day.”

He withdrew his hand from her forehead.

“It hasn’t been very long.”

“I spoke with Sir Eschen.”

“I heard there were complications during the ritual.”

“There were.”

“So… your condition.”

“Your abilities.”

“They’re no longer what they once were?”

There was little point in hiding it.

“Correct.”

After hesitating briefly, Jehar asked quietly,

“…Have your memories been affected as well?”

“…”

She remained silent.

Apparently taking that silence as confirmation…

Jehar’s voice became impossibly gentle.

“You needn’t worry, my Lady.”

“No matter what happens…”

“I will always stand by your side.”

His moist crimson eyes looked straight into hers.

Joy.

Affection.

Sincerity.

Every one of those emotions shone clearly within them.

“Even if you’ve lost your memories…”

“Even if you never recover them…”

“As long as your soul remains within that body…”

“I shall forever remain your mage.”

“So…”

“You may trust me.”

With the utmost care, the mage lifted her cold hand.

Then gently kissed the back of it.

For the record…

None of this was an act.

In every possible ending of Dark Tower, Jehar was one of the very few companions who remained loyal to the Lord until the very end.

However…

Like every character in Dark Tower…

He had one fatal flaw.

Those beautiful hands of his…

Were also the very hands that had nailed the previous Lord to the monument.

Wondering what that means?

This bastard… is the mastermind.