Young Master's PoV: Woke Up As A Villain In A Game One Day

Chapter 288: I Don’t Like To Be Tied!

We kept drifting on and off topic for an entire hour that night, discussing our plan from here on out.

Understandably, my allies were more than a little skeptical about everything I had told them.

"So this Vaeghar—" Ray began, but I immediately shushed him.

"No, no.

Don’t say his name out loud," I interjected sharply.

"...

Why?

" He raised an eyebrow.

"Because names create connections, Ray.

" I leaned forward, dramatically stressing his name to put it in focus.

"And higher entities only need a little connection to influence you.

" "But you just said his name?

" Vince pointed out, eyes narrowing like he’d just solved a mystery no one asked him to solve.

"That’s because I’m special.

Also, I’m already being hunted by one demon, so what’s one more?

" I shrugged with a grin, though it faltered when absolutely no one returned it.

"Besides, as I said, Vaeghar is sealed right now.

So he can’t do anything.

But for future reference, don’t just say any name out loud.

" Ray paused for a second, inhaling slowly.

"Fine.

So this...

Moon Eater.

You said he’s sealed at the top of a caldera.

Why do we even have to go there then?

" "Because the deeper we go into the forest, the more dangers we’ll face.

We can’t keep running blindly anymore, or we’ll stumble into something even deadlier than that Fog Monster.

We need to plan our route carefully from now on.

If we pick wrong...

" I glanced around at the flickering firelight.

"Then simply surviving will be the least of our problems.

" I was in no way exaggerating.

In the game, Michael and the others nearly died several times before escaping this region.

And more than once, they were possessed, brutally mutilated, struck with strange diseases, or all three at once.

I can still remember those scenes — not vividly, but enough to make my stomach twist.

It was exciting when I was playing the game and watching it all unfold on screen.

It was exciting to see Michael cut through horrors like the golden hero he was meant to be.

It was exciting because I was safe back then.

But the idea of living through those same events did not excite me nearly as much.

And speaking of Michael, he frowned slightly.

"So we’re basically heading toward a creature we can’t kill, who’s sealed in a volcano, where we’ll be trapped with him...

instead of going away from it?

" "When you say it like that, it sounds dumb," I admitted.

"But yes.

" "I still don’t believe this Moon Eater story is real," Lily groaned.

"But I believe we’re all going to die.

" "Well, if the seer says so...

" Juliana muttered, utterly deadpan as if the prospect of heading into the maws of a mythically powerful creature wasn’t a big deal at all.

Instead, she was poking the fire with her blade.

Sometimes I had no choice but to admire her dispassion for things.

And yes, she was sitting with us again tonight.

A miracle, I know.

Ray even offered her tea, which she threw away after one sip.

Just one sip.

That earned him a few pity Essence Stones from me.

Yes, we were still playing the game of testing our luck with Juliana.

After Vince’s impressive display of bravery by convincing her to sit with us without getting stabbed...

and Lily’s success at braiding her hair, everyone thought they could be the one to break Juliana’s icy exterior, even if a little.

Needless to say, everyone failed spectacularly.

Vince sighed, bringing my attention back to the topic.

"Fantastic.

Love the optimism you all have.

" The conversation was supposed to stay serious after that, but of course it didn’t.

Within minutes, Ray was suggesting increasingly stupid backup plans, Lily started debating Spirit Beasts’ mating rituals for some reason, and Vince insisted he once read that demons couldn’t touch people who didn’t believe in them — which earned him the collective stare of everyone present.

Soon, we lost the thread entirely.

"By that logic," Ray scoffed.

"If the Moon Eater is real and we face it, I’ll just shout, ’I don’t believe in you!

’ and boom — I win!

" Juliana’s lips twitched almost invisibly.

Then, to everyone’s shock, she gave a quiet, "Heh.

" Ray froze mid-breath.

"Did...

did she just laugh?

Did you guys hear that?

That was a laugh!

I made the psychopath laugh!

" Alexia applauded sarcastically.

"Woah!

Congratulations, you’ve achieved what every therapist dreams of.

" Ray pumped his fist, then turned to me eagerly.

"How many Essence Stones does that earn me?!

" "Nothing," I gave him a flat look.

"That wasn’t a laugh.

" Ray gawked.

"Huh?!

What do you mean that wasn’t a laugh?

Considering Juliana, that was a full-blown chortle!

" I turned to the girl in question.

"Juli, was that a laugh?

" "Nope," she yawned.

And then, naturally, that spiraled into another argument.

••• In the end, everyone agreed to go with my plan.

Most of them were still skeptical about the Moon Eater tale I’d told them, so they didn’t fully believe we’d have to face a Demonic Spirit Beast wherever we were heading.

The others — namely Juliana and Michael — couldn’t help but take my words a bit more seriously.

Regardless, I would just like to clarify that there was a method to my madness.

I wasn’t leading us to slaughter.

Vaeghar would still be sealed right now.

So even if we ended up facing him, the fight wouldn’t be impossible to win.

Well...

I hoped there wasn’t a fight at all.

Ideally, we’d just run past him.

But I knew I was hoping for too much.

Still, a known danger was infinitely better than an unknown one.

I’d rather take my chances against a single sealed, extremely weakened Demonic Beast than risk running into a group of whatever Greater or Ancient abominations lurked deeper in this accursed forest.

So we moved.

We traversed through the hellish jungle until we reached the end of the plateau step we were on, then climbed down.

After our descent, we braved the jungle again for many more miles, battling and running from monstrosities so twisted and vile that I still get chills thinking about them.

Oh, and along the way, we encountered the Clone Worms many more times.

Whenever any of us stepped out of sight, they’d return with a clone of themselves claiming to be the real one.

Michael was attempted to be replaced seven times, Ray five, Vince and Lily both thrice, and Juliana and Alexia twice.

My clone only showed up once.

I killed it before others got the chance to confirm who was the real one.

Naturally, paranoia skyrocketed — especially among the three idiots called Ray, Vince, and Michael.

At one point, all three claimed I’d been replaced by a fake.

They were convinced the shape-shifting worms had taken my place.

When I tried to defend myself, Vince hit me with a counterargument: "You were the only one who knew about the first Clone Worms that showed up!

It’s suspicious, because only a beast would know so much about other beasts!

" Yeah, Vince.

You were completely right.

My bad for being knowledgeable, apparently.

Gods forbid someone in this group had a functioning brain cell.

But logic didn’t matter to them anymore — not when paranoia had sunk its claws into the idiots.

They tried to tie me up.

Tie.

Me.

Up!

I had to use lethal force to get them off my back.

After that, at one point, Ray demanded we do a ’trust test.

’And what was this trust test?

Oh, what else?

A collection of extremely idiotic questions to see if we answered "like our real selves.

"And I mean extremely idiotic questions.

He started normally enough, asking about our birthdays and hobbies.

Then he drifted straight into nonsense like: "Would you still love me if I were a worm?

" Lily blinked.

"Why would I—?

" "Answer the question!

" Ray barked, holding a torch to her face like an interrogator in a third-rate crime drama.

She walked away.

Unfazed, he turned to Juliana next.

"Julia," he said with a suggestive smirk, "Do you think I’m the most good-looking Cadet in our batch?

" Juliana paused, then returned the smirk and whispered coquettishly, "Sure.

And I also think your skin would make good boots.

" Ray paled and wilted like a salted slug, then shuffled to Alexia.

"Ahem!

Okay, Lady Alexia.

What’s something only the real you would know about me?

" She tilted her head.

"Ray, I’ve known you for less than a month.

There is nothing only I would know about you.

" Ray looked emotionally destroyed.

And that went on for a while.

Kang refused to answer anything.

Michael, bless his kind little heart, tried to cooperate, but ended up with a migraine.

Dealing with Ray tends to do that to you.

And then, of course, came my turn.

Ray stepped up to me with the stupidest smile I had ever seen on a human face.

"Sam!

What’s something only the real you would say?

" I shook my head.

"You’re an idiot.

" "Hah!

" he pointed triumphantly.

"Got you— wait.

No.

That is what you would say.

" He paused.

"But it’s also what a clone pretending to be you would say...

" Before he could spiral deeper, Juliana casually drew her blade, and Ray dropped the topic instantly, too terrified to push her patience further.

I had no objections.

Honestly, saving me from Ray’s nonsensical ramblings was the most supportive thing she had ever done for me.