I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

Chapter 37 - Light (2)

\'They must be watching by now.\'

A magical device hidden in a corner crevice.

I glanced at the lens, finished with a transparent glow, and flashed a brief smile.

Hopefully, they’ll at least feel some sense of unease.

“Heh.”

A low chuckle escaped me.

They probably think they’re controlling everything in this basement.

But from the moment I stepped foot in this place, the game was already over.

I’ll make sure they regret it.

If they had lived as though dead since the day they fled, they wouldn’t have had to face me again.

Back then, I let them slip away because I was still inexperienced.

‘Now that I’ve reappeared… I don’t plan on letting things end so half-heartedly.’

I calmly took a step forward.

The only thing visible was the long hallway ahead, dimly lit by torches lining the walls.

The ceiling was so high that it disappeared from sight.

Have they used expansion magic here as well?

Even now, as they’re being hunted, they’re extracting maximum efficiency from this limited space.

After walking for some time, the hallway came to an end, blocked by a massive door.

“Pardon me.”

I slowly placed my palm against it.

Leaving the girls standing behind me at the dead-end, I channeled pure mana into the door’s surface.

Then—

Screeeeech!

The iron door creaked open.

Despite the minimal force I applied.

I smiled slightly and said,

“Shall we go in?”

“Ah… Yes, yes, my lord!”

“...How do you even know about things like this?”

“Heh.”

Emilia looked at me suspiciously.

I couldn’t exactly tell her it was something I’d learned by playing the game, so I simply evaded the question.

“That’s a secret.”

“...”

Perhaps due to the inherent strangeness of my response, her suspicion seemed to deepen, but there was no time to explain.

After all, the main part of the episode was just beginning.

Step, step.

The quiet sound of our footsteps echoed softly.

At the end of the long hallway lay a scene of rusted iron bars lined up in a row.

It was reminiscent of the underground prison where I had rescued Irene before.

Though the scale was much smaller this time.

Still, it was large enough to hold at least thirty people.

We slowly surveyed the area.

“To think there would be such a large space at the end of this hallway… This place feels more and more ominous.”

“Wh-what could this place possibly have been made for…?”

“Well.”

Of course, the scene wasn’t just limited to iron bars.

Next to the gloomy prison was a bed whose purpose was unclear.

The sheets were covered in brown stains, chains for restraining bodies were attached, and various bladed instruments littered the floor.

To someone who knew, the meaning behind it all was painfully obvious.

‘The abandoned laboratory.’

This place had once been used as a laboratory.

A fanatical group infamous for their cruelty.

They had continued their chimera research by artificially combining various creatures until, finally, they succeeded in creating something.

Something that defied all common sense.

[EP5. Midterm Exam]

–The Abandoned Laboratory, The Monster That Cannot Laugh–

[They dared to encroach upon the domain of the gods.]

[By molding life, they insulted the stars, and by covering themselves in blood, they worshiped their vile god.]

[The fanatics sang in unison.]

["All for the One who is the source of all... our Lord."]

That was the description from the game.

Afterward, the laboratory had been shut down, leaving only a skeleton crew to manage it.

As for what exactly happened here... well, a little imagination should be enough to fill in the gaps.

At any rate, this was the scene laid before us.

“...What is this place…?”

“...”

“I did tell you, didn’t I? Whatever you see here, try not to be too surprised.”

Though the place had been abandoned long enough for dust to accumulate, that didn’t mean the vile crimes that had taken place here had been entirely covered up.

The children fell into silence.

Stains of blood clung stubbornly to the floor.

Bones piled up in the corners, remnants from surgeries strewn about.

The pungent smell of rotting flesh stung their noses.

“...”

Both girls stood frozen in place.

It wasn’t anger, confusion, or sorrow that had paralyzed them.

Rather,

it was the intense shock that assaulted the backs of their heads.

For children who hadn’t even reached adulthood, this was a cruel sight to behold.

‘I expected a reaction like this, but still…’

Wide-eyed with shock, Emilia’s green eyes and Regia’s blue ones stared ahead.

Thankfully, there weren’t any remains that looked distinctly human.

Had there been something like that, at least one of them would likely have fainted by now.

I let out a quiet sigh.

‘As much as this is for Regia’s growth… is this really the right way?’

Maybe I should’ve come into the laboratory alone from the start.

Such thoughts briefly crossed my mind, but I quickly shook my head.

‘...It’s a necessary step.’

Regia’s growth was of utmost importance.

An item that would be obtained later in the story.

In order to use it perfectly, the protagonist needed to have achieved complete awakening.

Her current fragile state was not acceptable.

The item that would eventually serve as the key to the ending.

How well Regia could wield it would determine the outcome.

To exaggerate slightly, the fate of the world rested on it.

“What… what could have happened here…?”

That’s why her growth was essential.

To lead this world to a happy ending, a narrative of overcoming pain was required.

Her wishes would have to reach \'that\' for things to work out.

Growth always comes with pain.

Last time, I had protected her from Emilia’s bullying, but in the long run,

I would need to turn a blind eye to the trials she would face.

She had to learn to endure on her own.

“Ugh…”

Regia stumbled backward.

Watching the girl struggle to hold back her gagging, I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my chest.

I swallowed my sympathy silently.

My beloved protagonist.

In the original story, she had met such a tragic end.

This time, I wanted to protect her from pain, but it seemed fate was determined to see her grow up.

“Miss Regia.”

“Yes, my lord?”

I gently patted her head.

The warmth of her body against my palm.

That lingering heat felt especially poignant.

As I consoled her with a tender touch, the villainess beside me muttered in a serious tone.

“I had a bad feeling from the start… this basement doesn’t seem like a normal facility at all.”

“I agree.”

“We should stop going any further.”

“My lady.”

“We should go back the way we came. It’s best to return to the spot where we teleported in.”

“My lady.”

“I’m not budging this time! After seeing such an ominous sight, are you seriously going to suggest we keep searching this place?!”

“That’s not it. I was just going to point out…”

Emilia’s voice was sharp with agitation.

I shook my head at her outburst and slowly raised a finger, pointing behind us.

It was the door to the laboratory we had just passed through.

There.

“I was just going to say… it’s already too late to go back.”

Something was blocking the way.

The girls turned in the direction I was pointing, momentarily forgetting our conversation.

Krrrrrk—

A grotesque, ragged breathing sound.

Though it belonged to a beast, there was an eerie, unnatural quality to it, as if someone had stitched multiple vocal cords together.

Its glowing blue teeth were trained on us.

Its torn-up cheeks revealed the creature’s teeth structure in full view, drool dripping from its maw.

Where its eyes should have been, only writhing tendrils squirmed.

Though its upper body was wolf-like, some of them had spider-like lower halves.

A truly nightmarish sight.

“Wh-what is that…?!”

“Where did such horrific creatures come from…?!”

The low-level chimeras inhabiting the abandoned laboratory.

‘Failed Wolf Mutants.’

The creatures let out bizarre cries, clearly preparing to lunge at us.

The tentacles where their eyes should have been were particularly grotesque.

They hadn’t been pleasant to look at in the game, but seeing them in real life made them even more horrifying.

To think these creatures were mass-produced under the guise of experiments… Baob, these maniacs were truly deranged.

And now I had to clean up after them.

“Get ready, everyone. It doesn’t seem like they plan on letting us go easily.”

I calmly gave the order.

As I deftly handled the shadows clinging to my fingers, Emilia stepped up beside me with an ice spear in hand.

Regia, standing behind us, was preparing her incantations.

“I told you we shouldn’t have left the first spot!”

“If we hadn’t, we might’ve run into them even sooner.”

“I don’t care!”

“Don’t worry. They’re not as tough as they look.”

“They’re the scariest-looking things I’ve ever seen in my life!”

Emilia reacted sharply as she wrapped herself in mana.

Perhaps it was because we were in a dangerous situation, but it seemed she had completely forgotten about our deal.

I chuckled quietly.

“The immediate situation takes priority, doesn’t it?”

Krrrrrk, Keeeek—!

The mutants that had been circling us, waiting for the right moment, bared their fangs and charged all at once.

“Well then.”

I stepped forward.

A blade of shadows formed in each of my hands.

And then—

“Let’s see if we can survive this.”

Thwack!

The black blade plunged into the forehead of the closest mutant just as it reached me.

As I smoothly pulled out the blade, two wolves flanked me from both sides.

Ssshhhh—!

I spun in place, tracing an arc with my blade.

The dark slash cut through the air.

Short and precise, my swordsmanship flowed like elegant handwriting.

And the next moment—

Slash!

The wolves’ upper bodies fell to the ground, severed before they even realized what had happened.

Rotten blood sprayed across the floor.

In an instant, three mutants had been slaughtered.

I stopped in my tracks, exuding a faint killing intent.

“Heh.”

It was a kind of message.

One meant for the person watching all of this through the screen.

“Just wait.”

Once I’m done dealing with these nuisances, I’ll come straight for your neck.

As my lips curled into a smile, I sent the message with a meaningful expression.