Ch. 34 Last Carnival
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 34 – Last Carnival
By now, I could roughly guess what these two ordinary students thought about joining such an abnormal club.
Geon-Woo was practically vibrating with excitement, unable to hide his anticipation, while Yuri watched us with disinterest.
In Geon-Woo’s case, he was probably drawn to the thrill of stepping outside the mundane. But Yuri…
‘Come to think of it, why did she even join this club?’
She had no interest in the activities and didn’t seem the type to believe in the supernatural.
Even now, as the club president rambled on about gods and summonings, she didn’t take it seriously.
When the term “Deus Ex Machina” came up, she looked like she wanted to gag.
Honestly, I felt the same.
“What kind of name is ‘Deus Ex Machina’? And the explanation—’a shadow veiling the dawn of human history’—sounded like pretentious nonsense.”
She wasn’t at the stage of being fully immersed in this theatrical nonsense yet.
But seeing how she still treated reality like a play, I realized I had a long way to go too.
Anyway, more importantly—how did Yuri end up in this club?
She clearly had no interest in these decadent, unrealistic activities. Yet she stayed.
‘The only reason I can think of… is the president.’
The underground-class president was undeniably charismatic. With a soothing voice and a likable personality, it made sense they’d be popular.
If Yuri had a crush on them, it wouldn’t be strange for her to stick around.
Maybe she found out the president ran this club and drifted in because of that.
‘Is she really that infatuated? Enough to endure this nonsense every day?’
Well, not my problem.
While I was lost in thought, the president busily prepared for a “demonstration.”
From a small bag, they produced a vial of deep-blue liquid and a brush with splayed bristles.
“Today’s just a simple preview. It’s not perfect yet, but I want to give you all a taste of what we’ll be working toward.”
“President, your sleeve’s all tangled!”
“Ah, thanks, Hongryeon.”
Hongryeon handed over a repaired doll.
The president examined it briefly before uncorking the vial.
“Honestly, dolls are unstable vessels. They break easily, aren’t organic enough to anchor a soul, and limit the size of what we can summon.”
Then why choose a doll?
To avoid the grotesqueness of using an animal carcass?
I glanced at the president—and they looked right back at me.
…Oops, eye contact.
As if they’d been waiting, the president immediately handed me the vial.
“You’re the junior, right? You should know what this liquid is. Care to guess?”
I had no idea what they were getting at.
Why the sudden interest in me? Why ask me about the liquid?
I stared at the eerie blue fluid.
And soon, I realized—no, instinctively knew—what it was.
Blood.
Not just any blood.
Very aged goat blood.
I opened my mouth to speak but hesitated, scanning the room.
Everyone was watching me.
Three pairs of eyes, all glinting under candlelight, made it impossible to look up.
Being the center of attention was unbearable.
Every little movement felt scrutinized—Was my posture weird? Did I seem suspicious?
My legs itched to shift, but I forced myself to stay still.
In the end, I couldn’t answer. My throat burned.
…What if they ask again? What if my voice cracks?
…Forget it.
I met the president’s gaze with trembling eyes and shook my head.
They didn’t seem disappointed.
Honestly, their expression never changed—just that cryptic smile, like some all-knowing sage.
“A medium to bridge the spirit world. This liquid is aged goat blood, the ‘paint’ for drawing the gateway. It’s cheap for now, but we’ll use higher-quality blood for the real ritual.”
Dipping the brush, they began tracing an intricate pattern on the doll.
At first, it seemed random, but the final design was disturbingly systematic.
“President… this really is just an experiment, right?”
Even Geon-Woo sounded uneasy.
Yuri’s face twisted in disgust—so it wasn’t just me. The thing looked wrong.
Hongryeon, however, was uncharacteristically solemn, eyes locked on the doll.
“We begin now. Watch closely. This is something we’ll all partake in later.”
The president’s voice dropped into a low Latin chant.
As the last syllable faded, the blood-drawn pattern bubbled—and the doll twitched.
Creak. Creak.
“KYAAAAH!!”
Yuri screamed, stumbling back.
Geon-Woo stayed put, though his breath came fast.
The president smiled, satisfied.
“…And that’s it for today. We’ll start with weaker entities first. The real thing will be cleaner, clearer, brighter. So don’t be afraid.”
Clapping their hands, they added, “You’re all essential to this.”
We stood as if under a spell.
“Dismissed. Think carefully about what you saw—especially you, junior.”
Their gaze lingered on me.
…They know.
The first club meeting ended at 2 AM.
Later…
“S-So, my lord… how was it?”
“I hate it.”
I grumbled, irritated.
Hongryeon fidgeted under my glare.
“That president knows I’m a vampire.”
“What?! Really?!”
“You didn’t notice? They kept asking me about blood and supernatural phenomena.”
Not to mention that unsettling, knowing smile.
The president was definitely backed by something—no ordinary high schooler.
The real problem? Everyone else was.
How those two ended up here was a mystery.
“I’m already exhausted. Didn’t think I’d dread school again.”
“You… went to school, my lord?”
Hongryeon’s sharp question caught me off guard.
I hesitated before turning away.
That’s not the point.
This was about human relationships.
Explaining why Yuri annoyed me would be lost on Hongryeon—she didn’t even realize how people talked about her.
The only thing Hongryeon excelled at was saying bizarre things at random.
No way she’d understand social maneuvering.
…Better to give up.
“Tired…”
“Want to stay at my place?”
I stopped walking.
Where was I even going?
Right. I’d been following Hongryeon.
Why? Because Round Ark’s headquarters had kicked me out.
“Neutrality violations,” they said. “Bring us a few billion if you want a room.”
Meaning: Don’t come back.
Which left me with one option: homelessness.
“…Fine. I’ll stay at yours for now.”
“Hehe~ You won’t regret it!”
What’s there to regret?
Too drained to care, I yawned.
“…Hongryeon.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Carry me.”
“Of course!”
No hesitation.
Well, I was tired, frustrated, and suffocated by today’s nonsense.
…Hope Yuri steps in a puddle and falls.
I drowsily slumped onto Hongryeon’s back.
Too tired to remember what kind of person she really was.
Which is why, the next morning, I woke up—saw a horrifying taxidermied rabbit—and immediately passed out again.
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