Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?
Chapter 219: This World Is (4)

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

Chapter 219 This World Is (4)

I rested my head against the faint warmth, listening to its voice.

It felt like this had happened before. However, the vague déjà vu dissipated as its words reached my ears.

I see.

I… could go home.

I could go back.

I could go back…

* * *

Deathbringer instinctively stepped back as he watched Meister’s crazed expression.

“You know we’re supposed to leave, right?”

“I know.”

The workshop’s cool blue light reflected in Meister’s violet eyes.

“But this is more important.”

Damn it! I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him!

Those were Deathbringer’s thoughts as he quickly snatched the so-called Arcane Battery. He held it as though taking it hostage.

“Ah, let’s just go already!!”

“Not until I figure out why it’s glowing!”

“It’s been glowing this whole time! How are you planning to figure it out now?!”

“What are you talking about?! It wasn’t glowing when I saw it earlier!”

“What are you talking about?! It was sparkling when I picked it up—!”

Boom!

Neeeigh!

Their heated shouting match was cut short by a powerful tremor striking the building and the pitiful cry of a horse echoing through the streets outside.

“Whoa.”

In the commotion, Deathbringer almost dropped the Battery he was holding. The device slipped from his hand and began falling, but he barely managed to catch it before it could hit the ground.

The Battery’s glow suddenly grew brighter.

“…You!”

At that, Meister, who’d been holding on to objects around him to regain his balance, widened his eyes when he noticed.

Kiaaaargh.

Neeeeigh.

An eerie sound mixed with a horse’s anguished cries reached their ears. Instinctively, they both turned their heads toward the source.

Kiaargh.

Beyond the open door, a massive monster had landed where the horse had been tied. It was so large that the unfortunate horse, now lying trampled beneath one of its legs, couldn’t fight back.

Crunch, crack. The creature’s bright yellow beak tore through bone and flesh, devouring the horse whole.

Gryphon. A Demon with the head and talons of an eagle and the lower body of a lion. It was so obsessed with horses that it had been nicknamed “Horse Butcher.”

Both men were frozen in place.

‘We’re screwed…’

‘Don’t make a sound.’

They had no idea why that Demon had suddenly appeared, but nothing good would happen if it noticed their presence.

Sweating profusely, they communicated only through darting eyes and minor lip movements.

Crunch, crunch.

The only small blessing was that the Gryphon hadn’t yet turned its head in their direction. Meister began inching toward the back of the workshop. Slowly and carefully. Deathbringer followed.

Employing a concentration they’d spent their whole lives honing, they quickly fled to a corner of the workshop, maneuvering past the chaotic clutter.

‘What do we do now?!’

‘That’s not it. You should be thanking me. If it weren’t for me, we would’ve still been on the horse and gotten attacked by the Gryphon.’

‘Attacked, my ass! We would’ve made it to the others safely!’

Probably because of their eagle-like heads, Gryphons were renowned for their exceptional eyesight.

So they crouched behind a desk, frantically moving their lips exaggeratedly. They were trying to avoid making even the tiniest sound.

‘Shut up, you moron. Arguing over this is pointless. Let’s focus on what to do next.’

‘Oh wow, changing the subject when you’re at a disadvantage. Amazing.’

‘I didn’t change the subject because of that—’

‘Does this place have a back door?’

‘…It doesn’t.’

‘Fantastic.’

Despite being incredibly frustrated with each other, they swallowed their irritation for the sake of their common goal. That’s how dangerous a variable the Gryphon was.

‘Is that really the only exit?’

‘Yes.’

‘Damn it, so we just have to wait until that thing leaves, huh?’

‘That’s one option.’

However, what other plan could they come up with in this situation? Neither of them could use Arcane Power.

If it were a person-sized Demon… it would’ve been able to get in here, so this might actually be better. Deathbringer corrected his thoughts before cautiously peeking his head out from behind the desk.

‘Do you want to die?’

And then he was met with Meister’s eyes, pale with disdain and irritation, before even being grabbed by the collar.

‘Then how do you expect me to keep an eye on it?’

‘If you’re too ignorant to know, just say so. You don’t need to stick your head out to look around a corner, you know?’

With that, Meister grabbed something off the desk: a convex mirror.

‘Sticking your head out isn’t much different from sticking your hand out…’

‘The surface area is different, you brainless idiot who refuses to pursue wisdom.’

After a brief argument, they both focused on the mirror. Adjusting the angle, they caught the Gryphon’s reflection. In that short time, it had already stripped the horse to its bare bones.

‘If we’re lucky, it might leave soon.’

‘Well, that would be some good news.’

While it was unfortunate the horse had died in their place, they couldn’t help but consider it a blessing, as they’d survived thanks to that.

Meister lowered the mirror, briefly wondering whether he should compensate the lord for the dead warhorse.

It seemed like the Gryphon bastard’s head would turn in their direction at any moment.

‘Give me the Battery.’

Meister held out his hand, thinking he might as well use his time efficiently. If they were going to be stuck here until the Gryphon left, he ought to do something productive in the meantime, right?

‘Are you crazy?’

‘What does it matter to you if I spend my time properly?’

‘You’re seriously crazy.’

He emphasized his outstretched hand. Deathbringer just shook his head in disbelief before reluctantly handing over the Battery.

Unfortunately, the glow had already disappeared.

‘Don’t make a sound. If the Gryphon notices we’re here, I’ll throw you to it without batting an eye.’

‘Hah. Go ahead and try.’

Both were aware that they had to avoid making a single sound. Meister just scoffed before he quietly took the Battery and examined it.

Even though the light had already faded, there was still plenty to inspect, so his sharp, calculating eyes immediately grew serious.

‘Arrogant bastard…’

This Battery… It used a similar formula as the one he’d scrawled out impulsively a while back—back when he’d smoked a cigarette with that half-and-half-haired guy.

While Deathbringer was muttering curses under his breath, Meister continued to calmly analyze this object. It was truly remarkable. The formula he’d carelessly scribbled down before had shown him hope once again.

Once could be a coincidence, but twice was worth noting. And if it happened three times…

‘You said it was glowing when you picked it up earlier, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Hmm.’

Meister fell into deep thoughts.

The only difference between when he’d seen it and when Deathbringer had was its position and timing.

In other words, the cause had to lie in one of those two factors. Realistically, the latter couldn’t be a variable. The former, on the other hand…

‘Was the fall the answer?’

After all, the Demon Knight had also seen it glowing after he’d picked up the dropped Battery, and this time, it had happened when Deathbringer picked it up after it fell.

Recalling everything he had observed so far, there could only be one answer. With that, he lifted the Battery into the air—careful not to raise it higher than the desk—and let it drop.

‘Are you insane?!’

The person next to him freaked out, then. Tak. Before it could hit the floor, Meister caught it.

The light had returned.

‘If you have the time to freak out over what I’m doing, keep watching out for the Gryphon.’

‘…Urgh. If only you’d shut up.’

Adjusting his glasses with his middle finger, Meister confirmed his hypothesis. The fall was the trigger. Why? He didn’t know yet. That was what he had to find out next.

‘…So, was that a success?’

Some time later, Deathbringer threw out a question. Even if Meister was infuriating, he was still curious.

‘Can it be called a success if I don’t fully understand the process yet?’

He didn’t want to label something only half-baked a success. He wanted nothing more than to dive headfirst into further study, but given the circumstances, he only did what he could.

For example, testing what would happen if he dropped the Battery repeatedly and whether it reliably accumulated Arcane Power. So that’s what he did.

‘So once you fully understand the process… could people without Arcane Power start using it with this thing?’

‘Correction: they could operate devices that require Arcane Power.’

‘You’re so damn nitpicky.’

‘Oh, if it were you, I’d have given up on life ages ago. Can you imagine having a tongue this sharp without a brain to match? I’d be aiming for my hopefully better next life.’

During that process, another spat broke out between them… However, the Gryphon, acting as a kind of anger suppressant, prevented their little spat from escalating further—a peaceful coexistence brought about by a Demon.

‘…’

‘…’

Even if their definition of “peaceful coexistence” involved flipping each other off with both hands while glaring at each other.

‘Anway, yes. If I figure out the mechanism behind it, mass production could become a reality… It might even become a widely distributed technology.’

‘Why are you explaining it to me after cussing me out like that…?’

‘If you ask, I’ll answer. When else will your empty head ever fill up with knowledge?’

‘Ah, for the love of…’

Deathbringer started to ponder. Once the Gryphon was gone, could he at least bash that guy’s skull in once? It was a seriously tempting thought.

‘That’s it, when the Gryphon leaves—’

At that moment. Boom! The building started to shake.

Flicker. The ceiling lights flickered once before returning to normal.

What? Both Deathbringer and Meister started to panic and hurriedly grabbed for the mirror. Boom! Then, another shock shook their surroundings.

“We’re screwed.”

“Don’t make a sound—Wait!?”

Boom!

As Meister saw the Gryphon shoving its head through the gap in the door, he finally stood up. Bang! It kept ramming into the building as it stuck its sharp beak into the too-small doorway, trying to devour them.

“It knew we were in here from the start.”

To summarize, they were completely cornered.

Flicker.

The lights flickered precariously again.

* * *

But… if I go back now, what will happen?

* * *

* * *

“Save me! Someone save me!!”

“Uwaaaargh!!”

“Attack! Attack it!”

“Don’t scatter, Tony!”

“Uuurgh!”

Screams echoed from all directions as explosions and flames spread throughout the area. The orderly line of evacuees had been thrown into complete disarray. Nothing but chaos could be found here.

“Fall back! Get back!”

“Run! Just run!”

“Whoaaargh!”

“Hurry!”

“Keep moving, run!”

However, they had to bring an end to this chaos somehow. The soldiers who’d rushed to the scene grabbed panicking civilians and shoved them backward, more or less tossing them.

“Fire!”

Thwiiiiip.

Dozens of arrows flew through the air, delivering a stinging warning to the Harpies circling above, eagerly awaiting an opportunity.

“Support the line!”

And then a knight appeared. An extraordinary individual, able to enhance their entire body with Arcane Power or infuse it into their blade, rushed headlong into the battlefield.

“Protect the knight!”

Even a knight wasn’t invincible, nor did they have the ability to kill Demons in a single stroke. However, they weren’t weak enough to be held back by mere Gremlins like the soldiers.

“Footstep!”

At Dame Dietra’s call, one of the soldiers threw down their weapon and knelt, clasping their fingers together to create a foothold. The moment Dietra’s boot stepped on the soldier’s hands, he pushed her upward with all his strength, launching her into the air.

She redirected the Arcane Power enhancing her body to her sword midair.

Slash!

Kiaaaargh!

The Harpy that had been rushing toward the soldiers was cut through diagonally by Dietra’s blade.

The Demon writhed in agony, losing its balance before plummeting to its death.

“Fall back! Move!”

The soldiers in the Harpy’s impact zone quickly retreated in unison while the soldiers in other positions advanced, pushing back the Gremlins and other Demons.

“Push, push them! Push the Demons back!”

It was all to shield the knight who fell together with the Harpy.

As the soldiers retreated, others advanced to hold off the surrounding Gremlins in their stead, encircling the Harpy. Then, the knight landed with her sword raised.

“Surround it!”

While Dietra dealt with the thrashing Harpy, ensuring it wouldn’t fly back up, the soldiers circled it, spears raised.

The Harpy shrieked as spears impaled its body from every direction. Of course, several broke under the Demon’s violent struggles.

“Keep stabbing!”

They knew Demons wouldn’t die so easily. Those who understood that continued attacking relentlessly while the knight endured several slashes from the Harpy’s talons, keeping its attention on her.

“Gargoyle incoming!”

“Dame Dietra, fall back!”

“I’ll leave it to you!”

However, the situation changed drastically when another Demon that was too difficult for the soldiers to handle alone appeared.

The knight slowly backed away through the gap the soldiers created for her. There was nothing she could do about the Harpy not being dead yet. With it significantly weakened, the soldiers could probably handle it by themselves.

“Uwaaargh!”

“Damn it, where are all these things coming from?!”

“Uwaaaaaaargh!!!”

However, the onslaught of Demons was too overwhelming. As the soldiers raised their shields to protect those who’d somehow managed to survive the Demons, some shouted in frustration or maybe fear.

“Destroy my enemies!”

Fortunately, there was someone present who could ease their burden.

The Archmage, gathering all her Arcane Power, unleashed a devastating spell. In an instant, the Demons that had been harassing the soldiers and civilians were impaled by her magic, dying or suffering grievous injuries.

“Save the civilians, quickly!”

The soldiers, used to working with wizards, immediately began evacuating the fallen people. With heavy hearts, they passed over the dead behind, picking up those still breathing and carrying them to the rear.

“…The city’s going to fall.”

“Don’t say such ominous things!”

“Be realistic. Once the residents have evacuated and the Demons overrun the city, it’ll be classified as fallen.”

“I get that, but could you at least consider the people’s feelings?!”

Feelings didn’t matter to Surging Azure Lake. The old wizard ignored the Archmage’s complaints and continued channeling his Arcane Power.

Manipulating Arcane Power felt deathly painful in his current state, internal injuries and all, but as long as it wouldn’t kill him directly, he considered it still manageable.

“Are you sure you’re okay?! If you suffer backlash even once more, it could…!”

“Yeah, I might die. But can you say that before those who’ve already died?”

And as long as he didn’t cancel the spell midway or botch the formula, there wasn’t even a chance of a backlash happening. He would be fine.

Azure Lake assisted those struggling to control their Arcane Power, casting additional offensive spells. With the Archmage checking the formulas, the chance of failure was close to zero.

A gigantic Arcane arrow materialized, shooting through the air to intercept an approaching Gargoyle. Its heart pierced through, the Demon’s lifeless body crashed to the ground below.

“Alright, prepare the next spell. More Demons are coming.”

“What? More?”

“If you’ve got complaints, then send them to the lord. Ask him why the hell the border checks were so sloppy.”

Of course, the lord’s response was fairly predictable: After seventy years without a single incident, what city would be paranoid enough to suspect merchants who’d always been compliant to be Demon Worshipers?

Admittedly, even the Magic Tower had been quick to approve deals with them without checking more carefully.

“And while you’re at it, tell him this. With two great sages here, one knight is plenty. Tell him not to send any more reinforcements.”

“You’re telling me to deliver that message to him now?!”

When else were they going to deliver it? Instead of answering, Azure Lake vomited out the blood that had been coming up his throat.

“Uwaaaaargh, Sir Great Sage!!”

“Sir Azure Lake!!”

The surroundings were thrown into chaos, even though it wasn’t anything important.

“This is nothing. Shut up and get back to work.”

“Understood.”

“Gather your Arcane Power!”

Realizing this area had relatively stabilized, Azure Lake shifted his attention elsewhere.

“…What about the west?”

His thoughts naturally turned to the west.

If even the southern gate, which was reinforced by two great sages, the Lord, and multiple knights, was in such chaos, what could possibly be happening in the west? It was also close to where the Demons were flying in from.

Azure Lake didn’t even want to imagine it.

It was obvious the answer he’d come to wouldn’t be pleasant.

“All I hope is that they can avoid dying.”

Instead, he prayed.

For even more people to have the fortune of the heavens to escape those Demons’ claws.

* * *

…What will happen to Bemurchen then?

____