WeTried Translations

Translator: Goku

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Became a Villain Perfect for Leveling Up

Chapter 015

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Freud’s Fang (3)

The path leading to the Labyrinth of Fissures itself wasn't very complicated.

But walking with Maeve by my side, the journey to the labyrinth felt like a march of hardship.

“Are you tired? Should we rest?”

As if considering my condition, Maeve, with her arms crossed, asked with concern.

…Does she not realize it makes no sense to worry about me after making me like this in the first place?

Severing the tendons in my wrists, clinging to me so I can't escape, depriving me of free will.

“No… I’m fine.”

Being in no position to get angry, I quietly refused and silently quickened my pace to reach the Labyrinth of Fissures.

…Just endure until we reach the labyrinth.

“Maeve. I have a question.”

Worried that my plan might be discovered, I spoke to Maeve, forcing myself to make small talk.

“Yes. Ask away.”

“What did you do before returning?”

“…Hmm.”

It was an easy enough question to answer, but Maeve thought for a surprisingly long time and didn't reply quickly.

“Sorry if it’s an uncomfortable question.”

“No. I just hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should tell you. I’ll tell you what I did back then.”

Fortunately, Maeve didn't seem to be hesitating due to the memory of being killed, and she told me about her past.

“Before returning, I took commissions to hunt prey. I killed monsters, and I killed people. If the fee was paid, I killed anyone, no matter who they were.”

Her real profession wasn't a hunter or a poet, but an assassin.

“Even after the ruin came, many clients sought me out. Grudges often took precedence over survival for tomorrow.”

How many lives had ended by her hand?

I couldn't even begin to guess.

“But… one day. Someone asked me to kill Dean.”

“Me…?”

“Yes. I don’t memorize clients’ faces, so I don’t remember who it was.”

The conversation turned to me, and I felt a question arise.

Who on earth had commissioned her to kill me?

It must have been one of the acquaintances of the murdered NPCs, but there was no specific NPC I could pinpoint.

I had killed every killable NPC in the game, so it was stranger to remember anyone.

“So I went to find Dean… and died, brutally, with my limbs severed.”

Even as Maeve spoke of her own death, she let out a strangely excited moan, showing signs of agitation.

“I still remember Dean’s appearance from back then. That indifferent, expressionless look when you stared at me…”

For her, who had lived as an immortal for so long, the concept of death was a long-awaited miracle.

“You showed me that I was someone who could die. You made me realize that my existence wasn’t something outside the laws of nature, but just a normal human…!”

Before I knew it, Maeve’s dead eyes were gradually filled with life, and a bright red blush bloomed on her cheeks.

“Dean, I like you so much…! You’re the only one who can kill me! So please, only look at me!”

“Kuh-heuk…”

Her action of wrapping her arms around my waist and forcibly hugging me choked off my breathing.

A self-centered way of thinking that didn't even consider what her monstrous strength would do to a frail me.

“Sorry… did that hurt?”

Just before my bones were about to break, Maeve released the embrace and worried about me in a voice more emotional than usual.

“Cough… I’m fine.”

“Yes…”

Saying I was fine, I unconsciously tried to pat her head, but belatedly remembered that my hands wouldn't obey and awkwardly lowered them.

“….”

Maeve, who had been quietly watching that action, her eyes trembled faintly.

It seemed she only realized how terrible her actions towards me were after a whole day.

“I’m sorry…”

Now that her emotions could no longer be described as dead, she offered me a belated apology.

Maeve's sincere apology, of course, didn't resonate with me.

Just like with Eirene, we had come too far to share emotions through such interaction.

Would it have been a little different if she hadn’t tormented me?

If we could have seen each other as companions to rely on…

…Such a future was all an illusion.

“We’re almost there, let’s go.”

“Al…right.”

When I urged Maeve, who wasn't moving despite the urgency, she quietly followed by my side.

The distance between them was close.

But the emotional distance between them was too far.

* * *

Upon arriving at the long-awaited Labyrinth of Fissures, the familiar entrance came into view.

The checkpoint where I would resurrect after dying, and the massive walls towering into the sky.

The oppressive atmosphere made me feel phantom pain in my legs for a moment, almost losing my balance.

“Be careful, Dean.”

Unlike when I stumbled alone in the Labyrinth of Fissures before, Maeve, who was by my side, skillfully supported me, preventing me from falling to the ground.

Maeve showed an exemplary precedent of what a companion should do, but I didn’t express gratitude and remained silent.

I would die soon, so there was no point in exchanging more words with Maeve.

I didn’t want my heart to waver senselessly, like it did with Carmen.

Thus, I entered the Labyrinth of Fissures and naturally began to lead her down a dead end for my plan.

“This doesn’t seem right, Dean. Let’s go back the other way.”

But strangely, just before reaching a dead end, she moved in the correct direction every time.

As if proving that surviving until the ruin wasn’t a bluff, she instinctively knew this was the wrong path.

“…Lower your head, Dean. A spider is passing above.”

While navigating the labyrinth, avoiding dead ends, we encountered an Arachne, but Maeve showed no fear towards the large spider.

“I’ll handle it, wait here.”

She took out the musket stored at her waist and aimed it directly at the giant spider crawling on the wall.

Thwang-!!

The trigger was pulled, and with a savage gunshot, a bullet was fired.

“Screech!!?”

The bullet accurately pierced the Arachne’s face, and the creature fell from the wall after a final shriek.

…Just one shot.

Maeve, who instantly killed a spider five times larger than a human, nonchalantly reloaded the next bullet.

Just how high was Maeve’s level?

Even in the 2nd Playthrough, if she was this strong, she must be at least Level 200, at a conservative estimate.

“Let’s go.”

Maeve, having skillfully reloaded, nonchalantly continued through the labyrinth.

She easily dealt with Arachnes that popped out, hearing the commotion, with her musket.

…I needed to die and escape immediately.

But Maeve's one-sided massacre of the Arachnes left me no opportunity to execute my plan.

I thought about biting my tongue to harm myself right now, but Maeve never took her eyes off me, even while walking through the labyrinth and fighting Arachnes.

Ultimately, Plan A failed, and we reached the boss room entrance, guarded by two Gatekeeper Arachnes.

“Hiss…?!”

Thwang-!

Maeve’s musket spewed fire, instantly killing one Gatekeeper Arachne.

The remaining one belatedly realized the ambush and charged at us.

Maeve, not bothering to reload, used the blade attached to her musket to sever the charging Gatekeeper Arachne’s front legs, making it lose its balance.

The fallen creature hastily tried to shoot venom, but Maeve gave it no opening, instantly mounted its head, and plunged the blade into its eyes.

“Kiiiieeeek-!!!”

At the sensation of its eyeballs being crushed, the Arachne let out a ear-splitting scream.

“Be quiet.”

Maeve then drew a knife from her coat, and her coat-tails fluttered as all of the creature’s eyes were severed.

The movements, too fast for the eye to follow, continued for only a moment.

She plunged the knife into the Arachne’s head joint, twisted it, and then inserted her hand into the created opening.

Soon, with a crunch, all of its internal organs were pulled out.

The Arachne, with its insides spilling out, thrashed its long legs before finally dying.

A one-sided massacre.

The strength Maeve displayed was truly overwhelming.

…My plan is going awry.

At this rate, we'll smoothly conquer even the Giant Serpent Freud.

Sweating coldly in this desperate situation, I passed Maeve, who was covered in the Arachne's blood, and stood before the boss room.

《 Do you wish to challenge the Boss ‘Giant Serpent Freud’?

[YES] / [NO] 》

A window appeared, asking if I wanted to challenge the boss.

My first boss battle since being possessed.

But the goal of killing the boss was not on my mind.

“Wait, Dean…! Wait!!”

I pressed the [YES] button glowing below the window without hesitation.

Then, a mist arose, and my body was naturally sucked in.

Maeve, who entered before me, hastily followed into the boss room.

In this bewildering situation, Maeve hastily loaded her musket.

“Dean, are you crazy?! What are you doing entering without preparation!”

“…Maeve.”

“Huh, huh?”

“You asked me why I was alive before, didn’t you?”

I caught my breath.

My plan had gone completely wrong, but not perfectly wrong either.

“I never intended to be alive in the first place.”

“Wait a minute…! What are you talking about?!”

Maeve, whose emotions were agitated by my incomprehensible speech, shouted in an urgent voice.

But it was already too late.

Kwoooh---!

Because a giant serpent had sprung out from somewhere in the labyrinth’s massive cavity and was charging at me.

“It’s dangerous!!”

Maeve hastily reached out her hand to protect me.

“Goodbye, Maeve. It was fun for a short time.”

But the Giant Serpent Freud, with its maw open, was one step faster.

“No!! Dean!!!”

-Crunch.

By the time she belatedly grabbed my hand, only a forearm was left hanging out of my entire body, having been devoured by Freud.

“Ah…. Aaah…!!!”

Due to the shock of failing to save me before her eyes, Maeve’s emotions were swept up in a violent current, as if a new life had blossomed.

《 Perk ‘Addicted to Defeat’ activated!

- Target ‘Giant Serpent Freud’s’ level increases by 10. 》

《 Resurrecting at checkpoint. LOADING… 》

《 FER-DE SOUL ELIMINATED 》

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