The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

68. Rebecca the Grim Reaper (1)

I’m sprinting down the path. No time for hesitation.

The distance from Arsen’s main gate to the guesthouse is several kilometers, but a well-trained superhuman body like mine won’t tire easily.

“Wait a minute! Student! Don’t go there!”

“Sorry, I’m in a hurry.”

“Wait! Stop! You student……!”

There’s no time to respond.

Arsen’s main gate is closed, but I jump over it without hesitation and dash towards the guesthouse.

‘Why is this happening? Already?’

Rebecca has become the Grim Reaper. The final chapter of Act 1, which shouldn’t have arrived yet, has suddenly unfolded at this midpoint.

And it happened without any warning signs.

My [Intuition] didn’t even have time to catch on.

The episodes I should have experienced in the middle have been skipped. Whatever the case, the main quest has announced the end of Act 1, and as a player, not a character, I have to resolve this situation.

-Rescue the students and stop Rebecca. Only you can resolve this situation.

It’s what the main quest has been saying.

Only I can resolve this situation.

I have no idea how things turned out like this. I don’t know how the snowball that was rolling along got tangled up in this mess.

There are too many variables.

From the moment I entered Arsen and met the main characters, to fighting against the Grim Reaper, there were many events that could have become variables.

It’s impossible to consider every possibility and act accordingly with just my one body. It’s a feat only a god could accomplish.

It’s arrogant to think that I can calculate and prepare for everything from the start.

Not only can I not control others’ thoughts or minds, but every event that occurs in this world is a variable.

This isn’t a problem that can be solved by an individual.

That’s why I’ve been preparing for everything that will happen in the future by supporting the growth of the main characters, and characters like Kyle have certainly achieved some growth.

I’ve been watching from afar, preparing to overcome the trials that lie ahead, and offering a helping hand when needed. That’s how I’ve made it this far.

However, the final chapter of Act 1, which has now arrived, cannot be halted.

For the main characters who have just taken their first steps, this trial is an insurmountable barrier.

…Which is why I must make a decision.

Perhaps I can bring an end to the final chapter of Act 1, which may have been triggered by my own desires.

Like in the original story, I can join forces with the main characters to stop Rebecca and restore peace to Arsene.

Or, I can deviate from the original story and lead them down a path they’ve never taken before.

‘…What to do.’

The first option is straightforward. I can proceed according to the original story’s development. Even with the main characters’ current stats, it’s not impossible to overcome with my support.

However, if I take this path, all my efforts to understand Rebecca so far will be for naught.

So, I had to choose the second path.

The end of Act 1 is approaching faster than expected, rendering most of my predicted scenarios useless.

Still, I’ve been preparing for this eventuality.

I met with Lara, Kyle, and Airi. I met with Isabelle, the priestess of the Holy Order.

Preparations for ending Act 1 were underway, and even though it’s happening faster than expected, it’s not like I can’t handle it.

‘Using brute force to suppress it is difficult.’

Rebecca is strong. She’s even known as the strongest 2nd-year student.

The inner self that has taken over Rebecca’s body, the Sword Demon, is still an incomplete personality. If I can stop it before it devours Rebecca, I can still salvage the situation.

That’s the only chance I have.

However, to do so, I must not borrow the power of the main characters this time.

‘No.’

That premise is wrong.

‘I must completely exclude the main characters.’

If Kyle, Lara, and Serin Annette join forces, this situation will undoubtedly unfold like the original story.

The provoked Sword Demon will become even more violent, and when the main characters take damage, it will go berserk. That’s the worst-case scenario I don’t want to see.

So, I must prevent the main characters from gathering together. I must disperse the original party and prevent them from facing Rebecca.

In the end, there’s only one person who can confront Rebecca.

‘I must do it.’

As the student council president of Arsene and the final boss of Act 1.

‘I must confront Rebecca von Anastasha Grandeur.’

Without relying on anyone else’s power.

Instead, I must thoroughly exclude them to prevent their interference.

…I must do it with my own hands.

This is undoubtedly an impossible task for the main characters, but as a player and an irregular, it’s something only I can do.

I’ve organized my equipment, leaving only the necessary items in my inventory and discarding all unnecessary items.

Time is running out. The situation is urgent.

The Sword Demon grows stronger as it feeds on blood. If I don’t act quickly, the damage to the student council will only worsen.

Even the original Kyle initially tried to persuade Rebecca.

When persuasion failed, he tried to suppress her.

When suppression failed, he ultimately drew his sword.

After that, it’s connected to the epilogue of the first act, just like the original.

There were various circumstances behind Rebecca’s awakening as the main villain, and her reevaluation as a villain who opposes the main characters.

Was Rebecca really a villain, and was it really the best to defeat her?

Was there no other way to overcome her without killing her?

The developers added such unnecessary drama and introspection, and chose Rebecca as the final boss of the first act.

They set the system to make it impossible to save her, no matter what, and left the player with the question of whether there was another way.

…It’s a ridiculous situation that makes me laugh.

If they wanted to leave a lingering impression, they shouldn’t have fixed Rebecca’s fate in the system from the start.

If they wanted to give the player an unsatisfying ending, they should have given them the right to choose a different path.

I didn’t like the developers’ way of setting things up and then leaving the player with doubts.

I tried to defy the developers’ plans more than ten times, applying every possible scenario, but Rebecca’s fate couldn’t be changed.

The unveiled background was like that.

From the beginning, Rebecca had a special trait called [Ghost King]. Becoming a raging Ghost King was her fate.

That trait was connected to the game’s core system, so it couldn’t be removed even with an update. If Rebecca didn’t die, the story wouldn’t be able to progress.

So Rebecca was consumed, and the main character and player moved forward.

The first trial was overcoming Rebecca.

But I saw a different scenario. I saw it with my own eyes after entering this world.

Camille Esperanza’s personality changed, no one died during the ghost riot, the original non-existent gluttonous demon was defeated, and Lara Steihelden contracted with Elfin, and Grande and Esperanza didn’t separate like they originally did.

This world isn’t a world bound by the system like the original. Anyone can have a different scenario, and that’s the same even for Rebecca, the final boss of the first act.

I saw a watch. I saw a short message sent to Silia Reppard.

[Silia: The student council room is locked. Everyone else has left, but it seems like Amelia Secretary is still inside. What do we do?]

I closed the messenger and looked out the window at the pouring rain. The sky flashed, and a streak of lightning fell.

…Boom!

A thunderous night.

The day I first fell into this world was also a gloomy day like this. I held my Glock and left the guesthouse.

Tonight, no one will die.

***

A heavy rain poured down on Arsene.

The entire city of Arsene was flooded like a late monsoon season.

The sky was dark, and the streetlights on the promenade flickered dimly, only brightening when the thunder struck.

The student council room, the heart of Arsene, was shrouded in a thick, dark fog.

I saw the fog with my [Watcher’s Eye].

What was originally classified as a high-level barrier was now downgraded to a mid-level barrier. That’s why I could see the flow of magic with my [Watcher’s Eye].

To be precise, it was a barrier composed of magic, not magic itself.

As long as I had this dagger given to me by Camille and I could see the structure of the barrier.

‘…Let’s give it a try.’

This fog that prohibited others from approaching would only become a physical obstacle that could be torn apart.

I grasped the dagger with an inverted grip.

I thrust the dagger into the black fog, and it ripped apart momentarily.

Pazik!

The black fog, which had been resisting fiercely, began to regenerate.

A small opening was created, allowing one person to pass through, but this narrow passage would close up on its own over time.

I advanced into the black fog. The magical energy was so intense that it felt like my whole body was numb. It had descended upon the student council building.

I had mentally prepared myself for the gruesome scene that I would encounter inside. The number of victims was unknown, as the Black Reaper had awakened faster than expected.

There might already be someone who had lost their life. I had prepared myself for that possibility in advance.

However, the student council building was clean.

There was no blood splattered around, and no corpses were lying about. At least, there were no victims on the first floor, which corresponded to the lobby.

“It’s too early to make a judgment yet.”

Silvia Rutherford said.

Everyone from the student council had left the building.

Only one person, Secretary Amelia, remained.

From noble mtl dot com

Then, one victim was already confirmed.

In the original story, the first victim was Amelia, the secretary.

She was always clinging to Rebecca, and that’s when she met her demise.

Thud- thud-

I slowly climbed the stairs. I found the student council room on the second floor. I took a deep breath, slowly opened the door, and…

…there was no one inside.

The broken glass window and the interior, which was in disarray due to the strong wind, did not reveal Amelia’s figure. Only the bloodstains on the floor told me the path Amelia had taken.

Following the trail of blood, I finally found Secretary Amelia. She was lying at the entrance of the skybridge, which connected to the annex on the second floor.

“What happened?”

“Shion Ilierhart, no… Shion Esperanza.”

“…Did you know from the start?”

“I’m the secretary. As the secretary of the student council… anything that happens in Arsene will pass through my eyes at least once.”

Amelia suddenly coughed up blood while speaking.

There was a penetrating wound on Amelia’s side. Fortunately, it wasn’t too severe, so I began to apply pressure using the gauze and bandages I had prepared in advance.

“Rebecca has changed. That person is not the Rebecca I knew.”

Amelia’s trembling hand pointed towards the skybridge. Normally, it would directly connect to the annex, but now it was blocked by the black fog.

“So, I tried to escape through the annex, but strangely… it was blocked. By that strange fog.”

It seemed Amelia had tried to escape towards the annex.

The student council building was now surrounded by the black fog. It was impossible to enter or exit from both the outside and inside.

I had managed to pierce through it once with my dagger, but it wouldn’t work a second time. The fog had become even thicker and would not allow the dagger’s blade to pass through again.

I didn’t know when Lara Stillheid and the other main characters would arrive, but I had excluded them. So, I had to resolve this situation on my own.

“I’ve stopped the bleeding, so just stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

That was all I could say to Amelia at the moment.

I handed her extra potions and hemostatic agents. Although the bleeding had stopped, I prepared for any unexpected situations.

“Rebecca could have killed me if she wanted to.”

But just as I was about to leave, Amelia grasped the hem of my pants.

However… only scars were left, and you disappeared like you were running away. It’s as if you were the one who was more shocked.

I lowered my body and listened to Amelia’s words quietly.

“Rebecca-nim still has a will. So, it’s clear that it can be undone. Please consider it as my last request. Sion Illeionhart, it took quite a lot of effort to handle your illegitimate admission…”

…It’s an ironic situation.

Rebecca asked Amelia to protect her, and Amelia asked Rebecca to save her in return.

The two, who had never had a sincere conversation under the student council organization, had the same precious feelings for each other.

My response was already decided.

No, it was decided even before that, perhaps even before I fell into this world.

It was an answer already set in stone.

“I’ll do it.”

***

Tap… tap…

The sound of high heels echoed through the hallway, a cold and lonely sound.

Rebecca von Anastasia Grande walked through the student council hall with a hollow and sorrowful gait, as if she were dancing.

It wasn’t her will. She was only moving according to someone else’s will.

With an intense impulse she had never felt before, she surrendered her body and reached out into the air. She had been suppressing her magic for a long time, but now she was unleashing it without restraint.

A loud, ripping sound echoed. It was as if thunder had struck, and the entire area was destroyed.

Rebecca gazed at the torn space with emotionless eyes. She knew this phenomenon.

…Gate.

It was an artificial rift, not a natural one.

But she didn’t question it further.

Her thoughts were blocked.

As it had been until now, her unconscious mind, which had been slowly rising, took control of her body. She wandered aimlessly through the student council hall.

There was no destination in sight. She was being led by something, wandering the hallways impulsively.

Waiting for her own rival, who would eventually appear.