In the back alleys of Lake Kingdom, White Night lay sprawled, drenched in blood.
"Huff, huff..."
Her other self had taken over the Magic Tower, and the nest she had built as a fortress for hundreds of years transformed into a lethal labyrinth designed to kill her.
Barely escaping, White Night was severely damaged. The damage to her body was serious, but more than that, she had lost all her foundations.
"...What was it all for?"
White Night laughed while spewing blood.
Driven by the single-minded purpose of avenging herself against the Demon King and the Outer Gods, she had continued to live by killing herself repeatedly.
But was that purpose ever truly 'hers'?
In the countless processes of copying, pasting, and deleting, was there any guarantee that the original purpose hadn't been distorted or warped?
In this life she continued, changing bodies innumerably as an undead... was there any meaning left?
As White Night's blurry eyes began to droop,
"At last, have you realized the truth, O sorceress that stood against heaven?"
Someone had appeared before her.
"Now, at last, we can have a sincere conversation."
A figure made entirely of black shadows stood before her. Its fluctuating body was hard to discern even when focusing.
White Night, staring blankly at the figure, muttered dumbly.
"Who are you...?"
"Who am I? Haven't you been desperately searching for me?"
The figure slowly bent down, bringing its face close to White Night.
"It's me."
In the face made of black shadows, a white corner of the mouth was raised in amusement.
"Your enemy - the Demon King."
***
White Night, in a convulsive surge of power, unleashed her magic in an attack on the Demon King.
But the Demon King stood calmly, receiving all her attacks. However, he appeared unharmed.
"Don't waste your energy. You can't kill me in your current state."
"Damn...!"
They were literally on different dimensions.
That she would encounter them before even finding a way to reach them.
Realizing that none of her means could harm the Demon King, White Night clenched her eyes shut.
"Have you come to kill me?"
"I told you. I've come for a sincere conversation."
The Demon King sat down in front of the defeated and drained White Night.
"I have been observing you since the distant past. In a way, I understand you better than anyone. So answer me honestly - what do you desire, White Night?"
"What?"
"What have you desired while living this long life?"
White Night clenched her teeth and trembled.
"You've been observing me? And you're asking me that? There's only one thing I desire."
Unsure whether it was still her true wish, but based on the memories she had left, White Night blurted out.
"For the Demon King and the Outer Gods to vanish from our world! Not to use our world as your plaything. That's all!"
Then,
"...Pfft,"
The Demon King laughed.
"Puahahaha! Puahahahahaha!"
His booming laughter shook the area. It was as if an earthquake had hit the entire Lake Kingdom. White Night, spewing blood, barely held on.
After laughing heartily, the Demon King, catching his breath with wheezes, gestured with his hand.
"You're not good at lying, sorceress. I'll give you another chance. What do you truly desire?"
"Don't insult me... It's exactly as I said."
White Night shouted, trembling with rage.
"I've survived and continued my research to drive you Outer Gods out of my world!"
"Hmm? That's not it?"
The Demon King's white mouth corners curled up in amusement.
"Did you really hate us?"
"What?"
"Or did you actually envy us?"
"What are you talking about..."
"I know you better than you know yourself. Your anger stemmed from being in the position of an ant."
The Demon King's long finger pointed right in front of White Night's nose.
"What if you were in the position of setting fire to the anthill, pouring water into it, watching the destruction of that tiny world - enjoying the amusement? What then?"
"...?!"
"If you had observed all the destruction you experienced from our perspective... it would have been quite enjoyable, wouldn't it?"
White Night tried to deny it, but a distant memory flashed through her mind.
- It doesn't matter how long it takes. I will definitely reach them.
- Never again to be the object of those gazes. Never again to be looked down upon.
- I will reach their heights...!
Yes.
She had always wanted to reach them, to be on the same level.
To drive them out and save this world?
...No.
Perhaps the reason was... as the Demon King suggested?
The idea of saving the world was just a pretext. Could her true, ugly intention have been just as the Demon King described?
"No. I could never... My reason for enduring and researching all these centuries was..."
"White Night."
The Demon King shook his head disapprovingly.
"What's the point of the past few hundred years? Isn't what matters who you are now?"
"..."
"Forget about the past that you prolonged with copying and focus on your heart now. What would you want to do if given the chance?"
White Night looked at the Demon King with trembling eyes. The Demon King whispered like a serpent.
"Say it. You want to set fire, pour water."
"..."
"To stand at our level and crush the ants together. To watch the world's destruction with us."
"..."
"If you can be honest about it, I'll take you as my subordinate and gladly show you the way to the heavens."
The Demon King spread his arms and shouted resoundingly.
"Aspire for ascension, O sorceress!"
"...!"
"Attain divinity and rise to the stars! Not as an ant being trampled, but as a high-dimensional being who enjoys this destructive game, crushing the lives of lesser beings!"
Silence ensued.
For a moment, White Night reflected on her long life. She saw two hells in her mind.
The water hell that had come to Lake Kingdom.
And the fire hell that descended on her homeland.
Those numerous eyes watching that dreadful spectacle.
...If.
If she could really observe that scene, not from below, but from above.
"I..."
How delightful would that be?
"...What must I do?"
A cruel smile formed on the Demon King's lips.
"It's simple. I'll give you a bit of power, and you..."
The Demon King grasped White Night's shoulders and slowly helped her up.
"...Just act according to your instincts."
"According to my instincts?"
"Yes."
The Demon King grinned maliciously, his mouth stretching to his ears.
"Not as the researcher White Night trying to save the world, but as my subordinate, the monstrous undead Lich White Night...!"
***
White Night joined the ranks of the Demon King.
She proved herself as the most powerful sorceress by killing all sorts of magical monsters resurrected by the Demon King.
Preparing to destroy humanity with the Demon King, she took command of the Lich Legion.
As she planned the annihilation of humanity, White Night suddenly realized.
She was no different from the Demon King or the Outer Gods.
Eager to set fire to and flood the anthill, a mad monster.
The aspiration of her clan?
The goal of her life?
What of it? All of that disappeared when she died as a human.
She was already a monster.
White Night donned the imperial attire that the emperor of her homeland, the Eastern Continent, used to wear.
Adorning a beaded crown.
With a fluttering robe draped over her back.
Standing in front of a mirror, White Night, the third-ranked commander of the Nightmare Legion, laughed cruelly.
Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht?
Father, do you not see the Demon King?
Den Erlenkönig mit Kron und Schweif?
The Demon King with a crown and cape?
The sorceress who sought to kill the Demon King ended up becoming one herself.
It was such a common story.
***
"What a mess of a setup..."
Recalling the game's information, I crossed my legs and grumbled.
"A dilemma of duplicated selves. Isn't this supposed to be fantasy, not sci-fi?"
Having played the game tediously, I was somewhat familiar with the pasts of the named monsters.
Especially White Night, a bothersome enemy, I almost memorized the lore book, hoping to find hints about the gimmicks.
'The lore book doesn't cover all of her past...'
Roughly, she was a sorceress from the destroyed Eastern Continent, who became a Lich for some research, lived on in a Jiangshi body, realized she was a duplicated being, and then had a breakdown. Eventually, she joined the Demon King's forces... That's about all the lore book offers.
In other words, when playing the game, there was no useful information in the lore book. How could this be applied in gameplay?
But this is reality.
Even seemingly useless information can be exploited in strategy.
Unlike in the game, I am determined to use every imaginable tactic to take down these monstrous creatures.
And there was definitely something in White Night's past I could delve into.
"My Lord."
Lucas entered the office, gesturing behind him.
"As you ordered, I've brought the members of the Gambler's Club."
Following Lucas, the five members of the Gambler's Club entered.
Violet, Orange, Lime, Cobalt, Scarlet.
An illusionist, a psychic, a seer, a puppeteer, and a gambler.
Previously, these five, with faces full of sly gambling trickery, now appeared haggard and worn-out.
And for a good reason, as they had undergone hellish level grinding.
They were compulsorily involved in almost all dungeon free explorations, gaining experience alongside combat parties.
The Gambler's Club, entirely composed of non-combat utility skill members, faced a significant challenge in leveling up.
But in RPGs, there is a time-honored tradition of 'power-leveling'.
Just tag along with high-level players and follow them around in their hunts, and you somehow gain experience.
Through this brutal forced leveling, the five feeble gamblers, who once seemed unable to even take down a back alley thug, successfully leveled up.
Lacking proper combat skills, they now had enough combat experience to handle most monsters.
All five were on the verge of awakening, just shy of level 50.
"You all have trained hard, I see."
I smiled wryly as the gamblers shot me incredulous looks.
Well, it's not like they trained voluntarily; I more or less forced them, so their expressions were understandable.
But they need to reach level 50 and unlock their ultimate skills for this operation to work. Sorry, but hang in there till level 50.
Ahem! Clearing my throat, I began explaining the plan.
"The reason I've summoned you all is simple. I've caught a big fish."
"A mark...?"
"Yes. A juicy mark ripe for the picking."
I interlocked my fingers, lowering my voice.
"My gambler friends."
Games exist to be conquered.
In other words, mastering the strategy is all that matters.
I chuckled slyly.
"Are you ready to craft a scam for the world's smartest mark?"
It was time to show the ultimate evolution of gaslighting voice phishing scams, against the monstrous sorceress.