Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

252nd Chapter: Destruction God (4)

Grisha Highend.

He was the former village head of the elf village, but he became a fallen figure due to human misdeeds.

Driven by the will to annihilate all humans, he joined hands with Enviel and Makia, transforming into a perfect villain.

There was a noble cause behind his desire for revenge, making him perfectly qualified to be that terrible villain.

However, for such a figure, the ending in the main story was utterly anticlimactic.

He sacrificed himself for the plan, politically cornering the protagonists.

He was so consumed with revenge that he was willing to put his life on the line.

But his contributions ended there. At the point of his death, one could argue that his role was complete.

Grisha Highend was merely a villain with limits.

“Am I an irregular?”

Unexpectedly, those words tumbled out of Grisha’s lips.

An irregular entity capable of causing unforeseen turmoil. The only one who knows I am such an entity is Lyman.

Lyman, having spent time at the academy, quickly realizes it because of his keen insight.

But what in the world is Grisha?

Someone who had no particular contact with me yet somehow knows I’m an irregular?

“You look quite curious.”

“….”

“Well, I understand. If something you’ve hidden until now gets exposed, everyone will make the exact same expression as you.”

And Grisha’s expression greatly differed from what I had known.

Unlike the lonely face I had seen in game illustrations or event scenes, he appeared very gentle.

It felt as if someone else was inhabiting his body.

Therefore, just in case, I decided to observe him using ‘Mana Eye’ to the best of my ability.

“That’s the Mana Eye Enviel used, right?”

“What?”

“Using that on me is pointless. I’ve got the power to counter your perception.”

What on earth is he talking about?

More importantly, how did he know that I was a user of ‘Mana Eye’?

He even recognized that it originally belonged to Enviel.

“No, to be precise… it’s possible because the original belongs to me.”

“The original…?”

“Enviel, you see, was born with my power.”

What the hell is this guy talking about?

He knows I’m an irregular, he sees me as a user of Mana Eye, and he’s casually implying that Enviel is his puppet.

This guy, who’s supposed to be a minor villain destined to perish midway, knows too much.

Even if the main story has gone off track, such a transformation is excessive.

From my perspective, it felt as though the creator decided the ending was too dull and forcefully changed the game settings.

“Are you really Grisha Highend?”

“Ah… well, in this body, I can see why everyone would misunderstand.”

The dark aura I felt from him was growing stronger.

It seemed something slumbering within was about to break free from that body.

Just that fact alone was telling. He is not Grisha Highend.

“I had to take quite a long time to adapt to this body. In the meantime, amplifying the negative emotions of this man named Grisha was all I could do to grow my power.”

“What are you?”

If his words are to be believed, he is a mysterious entity that has usurped Grisha’s body.

That’s a setting that even I, a seasoned user of this world, am unaware of. It felt like an added setting.

And I could hear an explanation about him.

“The elves were quite foolish. They had no idea that the tree they worshipped was actually sealing me.”

In truth, the tree worshipped by the elves was a giant that sealed the power of the Destruction God Endless.

And the rituals they performed regularly were not sacred worship but rather ceremonies to strengthen that seal.

“They were unaware of that, but the fact that they hindered me remains unchanged.”

“So you are….”

As the elf forest burned at the hands of humans, the seal was broken.

The lingering essence that awakened from the seal came to inhabit the last remaining survivor, Grisha.

“I am the being you call the Destruction God. Though right now I’m merely a small essence, I have successfully taken over this man’s body and mind.”

Initially, I had no power to possess a self due to being sealed in the giant tree.

I could only amplify the negative emotions of the vessel, Grisha.

That is how the original Grisha came into being.

‘So that’s why you babbled about annihilating humanity.’

At the time of taking Grisha’s body, I had no particular influence.

Amplifying negative emotions to turn him into a vengeful spirit was good, but I never anticipated he would go as far as to commit suicide.

“I was quite startled when this guy said he would make a subject out of me. But unexpectedly, I’ve managed to survive until now.”

Originally, he was destined to die.

But some irregular prevented his death to halt political maneuvering.

Consequently, Chapter 5 ended with a happy ending, but there was also an irregular that was throwing variables on the other side.

“The fact that Makia was captured was surely part of your scheme, right? It felt like a simple read despite the perfect plan concocted by Doomsday and the royal family.”

“How did you find out I’m that irregular?”

“As I said earlier, Enviel’s Mana Eye is originally my power. Wouldn’t it be strange if I didn’t have an ability surpassing that?”

With that excellent perceptual power, he saw through my being from another world.

So he deemed my existence a threat, attempting to catch me by distributing flyers.

“Naturally, every plan has fallen apart. Starting from Enviel’s disappearance, the destruction of Mosria. And even recently, the Magical Banquet.”

It felt as if he had foreknowledge of every incident and was responding accordingly, as if he could see the future.

“I wouldn’t have been cautious simply because you came from another world. You must know everything about this world, right?”

As he pointed out, having knowledge of all scenarios made me a considerable risk factor.

Already my attempt to progress in easy mode led to the retirement of the action leader, Makia.

“So, I want to make a proposal.”

“What is it?”

“How about you become the vessel for my original?”

His original is none other than the Destruction God Endless. Becoming that vessel is no different from having my body stolen by him.

Just like the current Grisha.

“Are you asking me to become your puppet?”

“Don’t worry about that. I merely want to know about you. Through your body, I gain immense information, and you obtain formidable power as a Destruction God.”

How about that? Doesn’t it sound tempting? He was gauging my interest.

I too carry the blood of Makia, meaning I have the potential to become a vessel.

But he is the final boss of this game.

He is a being reduced to a physical form as the malevolent energy of this world concentrated into one.

That guy….

“What if I refuse?”

He won’t guarantee my safety.

“I’d be pretty disappointed.”

As I rebelled, he casually stated, but the response that would follow was obvious. “You’ll have to die here,” while showing off his teeth.

But my counter to that already….

“I think you’ll be the one losing out.”

What nonsense is he trying to spout this time?

“Sure, you’re an irregular being from another world. So don’t you want to know why you were drawn into this world?”

“What?”

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted.

Reflecting back, that was the very thing I’d been most curious about since entering this world.

Having simply enjoyed playing the game normally, I was suddenly in front of Aligieri Academy after closing my eyes for a moment.

Why was I possessed by this scammer character, Radon Crawler?

I couldn’t not have thought about it.

“Don’t you want to know that truth? It’s probably the most curious thing from your perspective.”

“….”

“Perhaps you’re merely being used. Were you summoned here of your own will? If so, wouldn’t that be incredibly unjust?”

Honestly, I was taken aback at first.

I was so shocked to see the scenery of Aligieri in front of me, something I had only seen on screen.

“So someone… summoned me here?”

“Right, I figured you’d be curious.”

If I wanted to learn that, I must join hands with him.

That was the offer he extended.

“Yes, I want to know.”

“Then let’s get to the point. Right now….”

“But there’s no need to find out right now.”

Suddenly, the sound of metal bending echoed.

The iron bars placed beyond the hallway were warped like taffy, by someone.

And the divine beasts that had been imprisoned inside revealed themselves outside the bars.

“No way!”

Torma, who had been eavesdropping on our conversation from the side, quickly turned his gaze.

– Awoooo!

– Rumble!

The divine beasts barked ferociously.

The reason they escaped was that I had instructed the spirits to free the bars earlier while walking through the corridor.

“Hey, beast friends! You’re indebted to me.”

“You are not the only one. There’s also me and the master.”

As Torma reached for his sword, he suddenly clutched his neck in agony.

A nearly invisible fishing line was wrapped around his neck, preventing him from drawing his sword and leaving him with a vulnerability.

Swoosh!-

“Ugh!”

A sharp feather and pointed snake’s tail pierced through Torma’s upper body in an instant.

– Fishing Line Control Lv26

– Curse Bestowal Lv17

It wasn’t just a simple fishing line.

Because it was bestowed with a curse that paralyzes the body of the contact target, he couldn’t use even mana.

Though it was a fleeting moment, taking out Torma, who couldn’t even resist, was no challenge.

“See? This is my answer.”

As I said before, I have no intention of submitting to his demands.

If I’m to find out why I was drawn here, it can wait until after I defeat him.

Furthermore, since the divine beasts have been released, he cannot awaken the corpse of the evil god buried in the ground.

Growl!-

Kyaaah!-

The divine beasts snarled sharply at him, appearing to say that it was over for him now.

Yet he still opened his mouth.

“Is this also a future you know about?”

“….”

If he means the future, then he must be referring to the main story’s storyline.

“No.”

Even if it strays from the main story, the fact that he has no means to proceed remains unchanged.

“Hmm… so you’re not aware. You don’t realize that preparations have already been completed.”

“What?”

Suddenly, he grinned sinisterly.

This is not the main story. No matter how seasoned of a user I am, it’s impossible to indulge in storylines outside of the main arc.

Therefore, this is an unknown domain, and my knowledge here serves no purpose.

That means….

“There’s no complex procedure necessary to awaken the corpse buried underground. With a certain amount of divine beast mana and my essence, it can easily be retrieved.”

“Is that possible? Elder Enviel barely managed it by detonating a nine-tailed fox imbued with volcanic energy…!”

“That method was commendable in its own right for a ‘human.’ But compared to me, it was merely foolish.”

Having thoroughly examined Enviel’s memories, I understood.

Enviel undoubtedly knew how to awaken the corpse beneath Papias.

The realization that his flawless method was all a misstep made me click my tongue.

If Enviel had been present, he would surely have felt tremendous deprivation.

Kugugu~~!-

At that moment, an earthquake struck, and the entire ground collapsed.

*

Afterwards, a tremendous explosion occurred, destroying half of the kingdom.

Buildings collapsed, with rubble scattered across the ground, and there were no longer any wandering people in sight.

Though some structures remained uncollapsed, they were in tatters.

And I found myself atop one of the surviving buildings.

“What the…”

There had clearly been a huge explosion underground.

The aftermath transformed the kingdom into this state, as you can see.

There’s no way I, who must have been standing at ground zero, could still be alive.

– Screech

– Crack!

Even the divine beasts released by my spirits remained beside me.

I wondered who teleported us out of there just in time.

Before I could sense that presence.

“Of course, you wouldn’t be absent from such a scene.”

Lyman Begilius. At some point, he had been standing behind me.

Since Mirona left the chairman to go out on her own, it would be unusual for him not to follow.

“Don’t worry about the others. Not too long ago, Mary cast a defensive spell, so everyone is safe.”

I heard from Lyman that the safety of Jenny and the others was assured.

I smiled with relief and said,

“You managed to teleport me here just in time.”

“No, I just ran.”

“You ran?”

You mean he carrying me and the divine beasts here just before that explosion?

I hadn’t sensed a thing, not even with my ‘Mana Eye’!

He’s still a crazy guy after all these years.

“By the way, what now? About that.”

Lyman pointed to the darkening sky.

An unexpected crisis had emerged.

The evil god’s corpse was awakening from the ground, and in the sky, the final boss that destroys everything began to descend.

“I’ll just have to handle it.”

But like always, I was just going to continue forging my path.

Surviving as the Academy Scammer.