I Became the Terminally Ill Character in My Friend’s Academy Novel – Chapter 61

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Ki-san was in a very good mood.

Because he had recently found what he had been searching for.

A successor to inherit his farm.

Although he currently looked physically weak, he would become strong someday.

“Is he not a picky eater because he’s weak?”

In his experience, those who weren’t picky eaters all became strong.

Although he currently had a weak and unreliable body, he would eventually become strong as he worked to protect the farm and eliminate picky eating from the world.

Ki-san smiled brightly, already considering the boy’s successor status as a given.

Suddenly, his smile stiffened due to an ominous presence he felt on his farm.

‘A vegetable thief…?!’

He thought so as he ran.

If someone wanted to eat vegetables but their circumstances were so dire that they had to steal some, he was willing to give them part of his harvest.

But vegetables were more delicate than one might think.

If a novice handled them incorrectly, the vegetables could get damaged, and conversely, the person could get hurt by the anti-theft traps he had set up.

However, upon arriving, he realized that his worries were unnecessary.

It seemed that the intruder’s objective wasn’t his vegetables, and after seeing them in person, he was sure they weren’t someone who would be hurt by a simple anti-theft trap.

“Impressive.”

It wasn’t something to brag about, but Ki-san was rather insensitive.

So, the fact that his senses were warning him meant that the person in front of him was exuding a dangerous, ominous aura.

“Yeah, I see you’re not here to steal my vegetables. What’s your business?”

He might have to take out his real weapon for this.

[Are you afraid?]

The man, whose face was covered by a pure white oni mask, muttered as if he could see right through him.

[There’s nothing to fear. I’ve only come to make a proposal.]

“…A proposal?”

Because of the intruder’s voice modulator, he couldn’t even tell if the person was male or female.

But one thing was certain.

[Yes, a proposal. A rather sweet proposal, where you have nothing to lose.]

The person in front of him was quite dangerous.

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Although it was a bit of a stretch to call it a terrorist attack, the ranking match was postponed for a day to allow the participants to readjust their condition.

Taking this as an opportunity, I decided to begin my first activity as the mastermind (temporary) of the academy.

I took out the mask I had humanely inherited, or rather, stolen from the elf.

Originally, it was shaped like a dragon as a symbol of a Twelve Zodiacs executive, but since it was a relic, its shape could be adjusted.

After much deliberation, I finally decided on a simple pure white mask with two horns.

“Sigh, shit.”

This was embarrassing.

Honestly, the fact that I had to wear this mask and go scouting was almost despair-inducing.

I had chosen to be the mastermind myself, so I had to endure this, but the fact that I had to do such things while wearing this mask was agonizing.

But I had no choice but to do it.

And since I was going to do it, I had to do it thoroughly.

The residents of this world were generally excessive.

Thanks to my friend, the author, their gestures, their speech, and every little action they made were excessive.

For me, who was acting as the mastermind, to act normal and restrained among such people would be illogical.

I had to thoroughly play the role of a mastermind, and create a character that no one would doubt was a villain.

“Yeah, it’s more embarrassing to do this half-heartedly. If I’m going to do it, then I need to go all out. Remember that day.”

I recalled the notebook I had burned after graduating from my edgy middle school phase.

Everyone has a burned notebook in their heart.

I forcibly pulled out the most excessive persona from the countless dreams and delusions written there.

Polite speech, but an arrogant attitude.

A black suit would be good.

My main weapon was Black Shadow hidden within the shadows, so there would be no problem on that front.

Wearing the worst ideal of my younger self, reality and nightmare merged.

Today, I would become a villain.

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“…A proposal?”

[Yes, a proposal. A rather sweet proposal, where you have nothing to lose.]

Damn it. I’m not embarrassed. Everyone else here does this much.

I had to be confident. If they noticed my embarrassment, it would all be for nothing, so I decided to think of it as cool.

I wore a jet-black tailcoat and a mask.

Since there was no way they could recognize me anyway, I might as well go all out.

[Won’t you become our comrade?]

At this moment, I was the mastermind who controlled the academy, an executive of a secret society operating in the shadows, and an existence that the farmer in front of me couldn’t even dream of reaching.

“…A comrade?”

[Yes, take His hand. Then He will grant you what you desire.]

Of course, we didn’t really exist yet, and there was no such thing as “Him.”

Still, it was better to make it seem like there was someone great behind me backing me up rather than me being the final boss, right?

I had a plan, so it wasn’t entirely a lie considering the future.

“…Can I ask a few questions?”

[As much as you like. If you are chosen by Him, you have the right to question me.]

Fortunately or unfortunately, I was surprisingly eloquent.

As if an unknown impulse that had been wriggling within my heart had awakened.

…No way, right?

“Thank you. Then my first question is, since you said ‘we,’ can I assume that there are others at a similar level to you in the organization…?”

Ki-san looked quite nervous as he spoke.

He was even sweating, and he seemed to be quite wary of me.

…Why is he acting like this?

-It’s because of the mask you’re wearing.

‘The mask?’

A voice came from my jet-black tailcoat, or rather, Ruyi I had transformed into my tailcoat.

-Yes, because of the mask’s perception interference, the energy of your relics is distorted, making it seem as if they are yours.

‘I don’t really understand what you mean, but it’s a good thing, right?’

-Well, it will help set the mood. It probably feels like a sinister aura to him.

…Is that so?

[Hmm, those at a similar level to me…]

I pretended to ponder his words, pausing for a sufficient amount of time.

[Many.]

There weren’t. He was the first person I was trying to recruit.

[Those who have received the grace of the Great One. It would be troublesome if they couldn’t even keep up with me.]

“Huh, good. Then, this might be a rude question, but your master, He knows what my goal is and will grant it, right?”

This guy was sharp.

[…I don’t like the way you’re doubting Him, but since I allowed questions, I’ll tolerate it once.]

“…Sigh.”

No, seriously, why are you so nervous?

-…This is getting interesting. What are you going to do, kid?

[Ban Ki-san. What you desire is a vast farmland filled with food. To be precise, your goal is to solve all the world’s hunger and poverty with that food, right?]

“…How did you know that?”

It’s in the settings book!

[It’s nothing for the Great One’s power to see through a mere human’s desires.]

“Haha, that’s quite impressive.”

[It’s a simple, yet noble goal. However, it’s also true that it’s a goal you can’t achieve alone.]

“If I keep trying, someday…”

[You can’t achieve it. No matter how much food there is, humans will monopolize it, throw it away carelessly, and waste it. That’s why you’re secretly running a website, receiving reports, and carrying out these ridiculous terrorist attacks, aren’t you?]

“…You know that too?”

[Don’t make me repeat myself.]

“Haha, I see. The grace of the Great One, huh?”

[But if it’s us, those who receive His grace, it’s possible. The day will come when the world kneels before us and He reigns as the true ruler. Then, He will grant your wish.]

“…How can I believe that?”

[I’ll tolerate your insults twice. There won’t be a next time. Do you think He would lie to a mere human?]

“Good, that was a slip of the tongue. I apologize. Then my last question. What is your goal, and what are your means of achieving it?”

Hmm? What should I say? A goal? I haven’t thought about that.

I thought I was caught off guard for a moment, but then my crazy tongue started moving before my brain could think.

[Don’t you think there are many?]

“…What? Many what?”

[Conflicts. There are too many conflicts in this world that are difficult to resolve with simple goodwill. The standards of justice and evil aren’t even clear, and there are too many hypocrites who call themselves righteous and third-rate villains who can’t even comprehend true evil.]

I paused for a moment before speaking.

[An absolute being.]

Slowly extending my hand forward and pretending to clench it.

[A ruler with overwhelming power who will not allow any conflict.]

Ah, this is bad.

I don’t know why, but this was starting to get fun.

The sensation of the person in front of me being afraid of me was more to my liking than I expected.

[We will judge the hypocrites hiding behind justice with evil. We will execute true evil upon the third-rate villains who don’t even have a standard of evil.]

I didn’t even know what kind of bullshit I was spouting, but wasn’t the atmosphere important in this kind of thing?

[You asked what our goal is? It’s simple. A standard. We will become the standard. An absolute, arbitrary standard that no one can defy, that no one can even dare to think of defying.]

“…Is that your justice?”

[Justice? Don’t make me laugh. It’s the standard of evil.]

The moonlight, hidden by passing clouds, shone down on us at the perfect timing.

“Even though I look like this, I consider myself a hero. I haven’t been stripped of my qualifications yet. Do you think I’ll just follow you after you say something like that?”

[Hmm.]

He tilted his head as if genuinely puzzled.

It was an action that I would have normally considered excessive, but now it felt perfectly natural.

[You seem to be mistaken. I said I came to make a proposal, didn’t I?]

“What?”

[He is pleased with your abilities and ideals. Abundant food is essential for eliminating conflict. That’s why He wants to embrace you.]

Enhance.

As I enhanced the power of the mask, as expected, his face contorted in fear.

It probably seemed like the energy was raging more violently.

[Don’t act like you’re essential to our plan.]

I turned my back on him as he cowered.

[Well, I don’t expect an answer right away. After all, you need time to think. I’ll give you two months.]

During that time, I needed to find our “Him,” and recruit other comrades.

“Wait a minute!”

Yeah, I’m not waiting.

It’s common practice for villains like this to just say their piece and leave.

“What’s the name of your organization?!”

…Huh? A name? Oh shit. I really didn’t think about that.

[You’re trying to know too much when you haven’t even agreed to join yet. I hope you’ll be ready to hear our name when we meet next time.]

…What? Damn it, my brain wasn’t thinking about anything, but my tongue kept moving naturally.

As the teleportation relic finished preparing, a slight dizziness washed over me as I felt my body dissolving into space.

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In the forest near the academy.

As I transformed Ruyi back into its usual knife form and hid my mask, the masked man in the tailcoat disappeared without a trace, and I became an academy cadet enjoying a night stroll once again.

“…Ah.”

And…

“Shit.”

It’s coming.

“Holy shit.”

The embarrassment.

“Uwaaaah! Holy shiiit!!!!!”

An indescribable embarrassment washed over me like a broken dam.

No, wait.

Right, Kang So-hyun and the oni-masked villain were different people.

There was no reason for me to be embarrassed.

If anyone figured this out, I’d have to bash my head against tofu and die, but for now, it was okay.

Did I start enjoying it for some reason halfway through? No such thing happened.

I’m not edgy…!

-…The child denies himself. This too is a heart demon.

Shut up…!

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T/N – Hey guys! You may have noticed that I posted this chapter way earlier. After doing a poll on discord, I decided to move my release time earlier to around 11am EST. The schedule will still be the same Mon/Wed/Friday though.

T/N – Hahaha! I was laughing so hard this chapter. The MC awakening his past chunibyo persona, him subconsciously acting without even thinking midway, and the embarrassment afterward was all comedy gold! Kudos to Sun Wukong for his last comment too. It was the perfect way to end it.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.