"My head feels heavy..."
"They say you have to bear the weight of the crown."
It certainly was quite the treatment.
As soon as they won, they seated the two of them in a palanquin as if it were an actual coronation, placed a throne and a crown upon them, and paraded them around everywhere.
After that, the participants joined them as they paraded around, sharing in the glory of the Colosseum.
"What a shame. Someone like you is just a traveler." —Eaven (Previous Champion)
"Exactly! Why don't you just settle down here!" —Ione (Master of the Iron Lion)
"That's right! Settle down! That way, I can challenge you again and win! Right? Urakan?" – Salo (Owner of the Fire Lion)
"Roar!!!" – Fire Lion Urakan
Before they knew it, the three of them had become friends with the newbie.
The mood around Excel was good, too.
"Wow! This is great! It's cooking up nice and golden brown!" – Excel
"Mmm..." - Iron Lion Nemeia
"Mmm, mmm!" - Fire Dragon Urakan
Excel grilled the meat using the flames spewing from Fire Dragon Urakan's back, and King Wyvern and Nemeia enjoyed eating it.
At the same time, Excel scratched Fire Dragon Urakan's chin.
"How's that? Good, right?"
"Mmmmmmm~"
Honestly, as a newbie, he wanted to keep his distance from the NPCs, but the three of them stuck to him until the very end, trying to charm him.
They stayed by the newbie's side, clinking glasses, right up until the final night of the festival.
Eiven poured the newbie a drink.
"Still haven't made up your mind?"
"You want me to become one of the Colosseum's Four Heavenly Kings with you guys?"
"Yeah. If it's you, you'll definitely become a trainer just as great as that guy."
"That guy? Come to think of it, you're called the Four Heavenly Kings, so why are there only three of you?"
"You're sharp. That's right. Including him, we were the Four Heavenly Kings."
"What happened to him?"
"He left. Without a word."
The moment Even finished speaking, a bitter taste stung the corners of his mouth.
To anyone watching, it clearly hadn't ended well.
"Can you tell me a bit about him?"
"Ollie. He was the greatest trainer the world had ever seen. He was the conductor leading the Festival of the Hundred Ghosts, and an undefeated champion in the Colosseum. Above all..."
He downed his drink in one gulp.
"He was the master of the Crypt Horror Lord."
'He was Wonhyo's master?'
For a moment, Newbie almost blurted out the name Wonhyo but managed to hold back.
Seeing him like that, Even apologized.
"I guess we got him a little too drunk. We should head to the winners' quarters. They have special vomit bowls reserved just for champions there."
Thanks to Even's consideration, Newbie entered the quarters without hesitation.
"Hey, Excel! It's time to go in..."
Just then, in the sky, accompanied by fireworks created by fire magic, Excel—riding on the back of the wyvern Palum—was enjoying a midnight flight show.
"Yee-ha! This is the first time I've ever flown this high!"
"...I'll just let him enjoy himself. Really."
Upon entering the incredibly luxurious winner's quarters, a skeleton lay on the bed, looking quite at home.
Wonhyo adjusted his posture and sat up.
"You're really pulling off unprecedented stunts this time. The first-ever walkover champion in history. I hear the crowd's in an uproar because of it. The people demanding ticket refunds are fighting with those who say it was the best match ever."
"We're not in trouble, are we? Like, do they have to investigate because it was a walkover?"
"What are you talking about? Both sides liked you, didn't they? No one was mocking you for being a walkover champion. They're too busy bashing the other participants who chickened out and ran away. Everyone just thinks you're amazing. Don't you realize what it means to have defeated the proxy?"
"Seeing all those NPCs recognizing me, I think I might be starting to get it."
Thanks to that, the two people who were supposed to be the least noticeable in this city ended up becoming the biggest celebrities of the festival.
At first, they were worried if that was really okay.
"See? I told you it'd be fine."
Just as Wonhyo had said with his arms crossed, nothing major happened.
In fact, under the pretext of protecting the winner, the two were receiving tight security.
Feeling a strange cognitive dissonance, Newbie lay down next to Wonhyo.
"We're getting all kinds of treatment from the NPCs on the way here. First it was VIP treatment, and now we're getting full protection."
He muttered in a bitter tone.
Regardless, the biggest challenge they had to tackle lay ahead of them.
In the ultra-luxurious suite provided to the winners, the three of them were huddled together, brainstorming their next move.
"The plan has changed 'a little.'"
"For the better? Or for the worse?"
"A little for the better."
Wonhyo grinned and unfolded a map on the table.
The guy scratched his temple and said.
"Starting with the Colosseum, the winners of each pet tournament have to sit in the White Ghost Night Parade's carriage and lead the procession."
"Wait a minute, nobody mentioned that!"
"Well... I didn't know I'd win. I figured I'd be lucky to make it to the round of 16."
From Wonhyo's perspective, it was unfair.
He never thought he'd even make it past the preliminaries—who could have predicted that a first-time participant would go on to win?
And not even through a straightforward victory, but suddenly because of a whim from the highest authority in the kingdom.
Newbie started to get a headache.
"No wonder they're guarding the winner so closely..."
"Either way, it's just as dangerous if we get caught, right? Might as well use it to our advantage if we can."
"Do you really think I can do this in the first place?"
That was definitely something they needed to address.
Why did Wonhyo believe Newbie could save the monsters and pets infected with the bug?
No matter how much he thought about it, Newbie simply couldn't understand.
"Because Olin said so. If Olin says it, I'll follow him all the way to the Helgrad Bug Nest."
"Olin?"
"My friend."
That Olin Even mentioned earlier.
It felt like the pieces of a puzzle were finally coming together.
"Right. You know, don't you? When I first saw you, who was standing behind me."
At that moment, Newbie replayed his memory like a rewound CCTV footage.
He remembered clearly.
'So that mask back then wasn't an illusion after all?'
"You mean that mask?"
Wonhyo, catching Newbie's reaction, nodded his skull as if to say, "I knew it."
"Just as I thought. Olin said he was sure you'd seen him, and it turns out he was right."
"Let's just assume that's true for now. But how can you be so certain?"
"...I've heard Sado mention you before."
Come to think of it, this guy was the city's top mascot, wasn't he?
He must always be present wherever the city's most secret and important conversations take place.
Even so, Newbie couldn't believe Wonhyo's words.
"Me? Don't joke around."
"It's true. To be exact, it was a few days before you showed up."
"Sado... knows me...?"
"He said you're so low-level it's practically meaningless, and that you're walking around with a fairy pet that isn't on the pet list. Who else could it be but you? Honestly, I had a hunch too. But when I saw you asking for a level-up potion, I was certain."
Newbie's heart was suddenly gripped by the terror that, while he thought he was tracking the Apostle, perhaps he was the one being tracked.
Just how much did those guys know about him?
They might even know him better than he knew himself.
At that moment, Wonhyo clenched his dainty hand bones tightly.
"That's when I realized. If I let you slip away, I'd never get another chance. Ever."
Surely there wasn't a single muscle in that skeleton's face capable of forming an expression, yet Newbie could tell that Wonhyo looked more serious than ever.
It was Newbie's turn to give it his all, too.
"First, I need to double-check exactly what kind of authority I have."
Back when I fought in the carriage with Arien—it was only once, but it became the key to defeating Captain Lucel, that formidable devotee.
I hadn't had a chance to use it since then, but now was completely different.
'I don't know why that guinea pig gave it to me, though.'
"Status window. Can you share this info with the kid in front of me? Um... ah! Like how players share info with their friends."
Ding!
[Possible.]
"While we're at it, share this with Excel too, not just Wonhyo."
[Information confirmed. Name: Horror Crypt Lord, Tutorial Fairy No. 9134241]
[Sharing information with two entities]
Suddenly, the status window—visible only to players—began to appear before Wonhyo's eyes.
He stared in wonder, blue flames blazing from his empty sockets.
"Oh... So this is the status window? The ability that only outsiders—no, players—can use?"
"What? Are you new to this?"
"That's amazing... Information just popping up in midair without any books or parchment."
It seems the status window really is a novelty to the residents of this game world.
He gestured here and there in the air with his tiny finger bones, showing his curiosity.
Anyway, Newbie and Wonhyo checked their permissions.
Whether the gift Ku-i, the representative, had mentioned had been delivered or not, their permissions, which had been at Level 10, had increased.
[Level 9 Permissions (Staff)]
[These are permissions available to official employees of the game company. As a member of the operations team, you may use the minimum necessary permissions. If you encounter any issues beyond this, please contact your superior.]
"I've ended up getting a job at the game company. Tell me what abilities I have."
[Permission List]
[1. Automatic Bug Debugging (Enhanced)]
[2. Bonus Stats for Punishing Illegal and Unruly Users (Temporary)]
[3. Access to NPC and Player Information (Limited to 3 times per day)]
[Warning: When using these permissions, report to a superior first. Failure to do so may result in disadvantages regarding promotions and could lead to disciplinary action, so please be cautious]
He was certainly just a low-level employee with no official title, but he held significant authority, as if to prove he wasn't just some random operations staff member.
"The first one lets me handle multiple bugs at once... The second one seems to be like acting as the game company's police. The third one is a permission I already had... Wait, it's actually gotten better?"
[Note: Permissions for penalizing illegal or unsportsmanlike behavior require authorization, and users with Level 8 permissions or higher cannot impose penalties]
In short, there was a procedure of sorts.
Even taking that into account, the permissions were definitely impressive.
Even at Level 10, which was temporary, I could only access NPC information, but now I could view information on other players as well.
"Multi-bug debugging? What's that? What does 'debugging' even mean?"
At Excel's question, Newbie scratched his head.
"Well, you can think of it as basically fixing bugs. Honestly, I'm not a programmer, so I don't really know much about it."
"That's good enough."
Wonhyo spoke excitedly upon seeing something that was just right for him.
"Have you tried it before?"
"Yeah, I have. It's not particularly hard."
At the newbie's words, Wonhyo grew even more excited, his eyes glowing a deeper blue.
"The problem is how many of these guys need their bugs fixed."
That was the last and biggest problem remaining.
Given the Great Escape and the fact that the syringe had already been used on so many, there could be hundreds, or perhaps even thousands or tens of thousands.
Wonhyo responded bluntly.
"One. Just one is enough."
"What...? Don't joke around."
"No, I'm serious."
All sorts of complex explanations and theories were exchanged, but to put it simply, there were three key points.
First, the bug created by the illegal code had been injected into nearly every pet and monster in the city.
Second, however, all those bugs were under a single control.
Third, if only the entity controlling the bug were debugged, everyone would be temporarily free of the bug.
And the entity controlling that bug was...
"That mask… no, that friend named Oli?"
The newbie quickly caught on to the answer.
It was true that he'd felt a sinister, unpleasant vibe the first time he saw it—it hadn't just been his imagination.
Wonhyo nodded once, his skull feeling even heavier.
"Yeah."
That answer raised a lot of questions.
Why had Wonhyo's friend become like that?
What was Wonhyo really hoping for?
But he didn't explain any of it.
"Can you save my friend?"
For some reason, Wonhyo's face overlapped with Axel's in his mind.
For some reason, Newbie's hand tightened.
I wanted to offer all sorts of kind words and comfort, but...
"Yeah."
Just that one word was enough.
*
True to its name, the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons began in the early evening.
Since the main event, the grand procession, wouldn't start until midnight, the participants were still taking their time and enjoying the festival.
In contrast, Wonhyo, Newbie, and Excel's group were busy reviewing the operation plan they'd devised the night before.
"My friends, who haven't been infected with the bug yet thanks to our behind-the-scenes work, are ready to divert the route. You stay on the parade float, and when the giant fireworks signaling the start go off, that's when you move."
After that, once Newbie fixed Olli's bug, they planned to take advantage of the moment when the bug's control was lost to have the pets and monsters participating in the parade riot, and then ensure as many of them as possible escaped the city.
However, thanks to their title as Colosseum champions, Newbie and Excel were able to secure better positions this time.
The only concern was the security detail participating in the parade...
"Don't worry about that. I'll distract them."
Wonhyo assured him he would handle it.
With the upcoming barrage of fireworks and the crowd's commotion, they would easily be able to shake off the security detail.
After all, those tasked with blocking the outside wouldn't expect the very person they were supposed to protect to cause a major incident.
As the appointed time gradually approached, the sun and moon began their full-scale shift change.
Now, in the sky, the stars created by the natural program and the fireworks stars created by the NPCs began to blend together, illuminating the dark sky.
At the same time, the massive crowd on the ground parted in two, like the parting of the Red Sea.
Amidst this, the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts was taking place.
It was no metaphor—literally, countless pets and monsters, along with their companions—trainers and festival winners—began to illuminate the dark ground.
*
At the center of it all stood the Maestro, the conductor leading the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.
Traditionally, the person conducting the festival's procession was someone who held the highest honor in the city.
However, the guards watching him now felt no respect whatsoever.
"Is that the test subject, Oli..."
"Ugh! Don't you know using his real name is forbidden?"
"Ah, I'm sorry."
"They say if his real name gets into his ears, he might go berserk."
"I don't get it. They keep him locked up tight normally, so why do they only let him out during the festival?"
The security detail (more accurately, surveillance) stationed behind the Maestro just in case muttered among themselves.
In their hands, there were no spears or swords—the sort of weapons a typical security detail would carry.
"And to think... they gave the most important role of conductor at the festival to a test subject like that. I don't get it at all."
Instead, they held antenna-like rods that emitted a crackling noise.
It was the only weapon capable of inflicting pain on a being consumed by bugs.
"Well, they say he was the city's greatest Colosseum champion before he became a test subject... Rumor has it he was the master of the Crypt Horror Lord..."
"Eh, really?"
"Well, it's just a rumor. Anyway, this thing lets him control the monsters and pets whenever something goes wrong."
The bodyguard snorted derisively.
"So, in the end, he's not a conductor—just a living leash."
Just then, the Maestro swung his baton with a dazzling flourish.
Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
It was one of the highlights: a massive firework display.
As everyone was mesmerized by that immense light,
beneath it, a figure clad in a dark cloak was walking among them.
"Huh…?"
"Wait, who are you—"
The reply was swift.
In that figure's hand was the very sword that the guinea pig Kui had been clutching.
Before they could even register the sword's presence, their heads were severed, and they scattered into specks of light.
Maestro, recognizing the figure, hurriedly fixed her red eyes on it.
"..."
Maestro was speechless.
Or rather.
"!$#%^$#^@%#%@%@"
Having been consumed by the bug for so long, she had even lost the ability to speak.
"Poor thing... We'll see if he can save you after all."
With those words, her sword suddenly turned into light.
Thud!
That sharp beam pierced the Maestro's heart.
Immediately, black masses of bugs began spewing out from the Maestro's chest.
The entity watching the scene vanished without a trace.
But the light that had pierced the Maestro's chest continued to twist his body.
"!#@$!$!$#!%@..."
The Maestro tried desperately to block the bugs gushing from his body with his hands, but it was completely useless.
Just like trying to block the floodgates of a cracked dam with both hands, the bugs simply flowed through his frail hands.
Wriggling, wriggling...
Beneath the dazzling fireworks, the masses of bugs blending into the shadows began to wriggle.