episode_0004

I’ve been reincarnated into a novel. Damn, and not just once, but twice.

[Administrator Warp Function] – You can transfer your possessions to the desired user using the Administrator Warp function. The Administrator Warp function is only available to certified users.

It seems like this is the so-called Administrator Warp function. The administrator unconditionally warps, and items are incidentally taken along. Shouldn’t they have explained it that way from the start? I wanted to blame them for writing the explanation like that, but it’s my fault for using the function without any doubt, even after seeing the word “together.”

Coming here, I’ve learned and felt many things, but the most important thing is not to be flustered. This place is not the first novel I’ve been reincarnated into, but a different fictional world. It’s a world devoid of flesh, blood, or tears, unlike where Hiddenglyph and Giyeon exist.

“I should have brought a wand at least…”

If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have brought a weapon. Being in my current situation, wearing a typical loose wizard robe with no contingency plan is quite dangerous.

I’m a weak wizard in close combat, and without a weapon, it’s as good as begging to be killed. But I’ve avoided the worst-case scenario. There’s a positive aspect to it. First, I know exactly where I’ve been reincarnated, and second, I’ve read this novel I’ve been reincarnated into.

On the flip side, there are several negative aspects. Because it’s been so long since I read the novel, I don’t remember the details, and it’s because of the lunatic serial killer right in front of me.

“Nice to meet you, killer…?”

The girl, covered in blood, clearly dying, was beautiful at first glance. Despite being covered in dirt and bloodstains all over her body, she gave off the vibe of an actress in a war movie. It was surprising to find out that killer was not a man, but the fact that this girl was a named member active on the extinction forum under the name killer remains unchanged. Because it’s written right above her head.

[Warp Target: killer]

I’m not sure if this is also an administrator privilege, but the nickname “killer” is clearly written above the girl’s head.

“Is the system designed to identify who has warped?” I’ll have to test the details later, but regardless, there was a need to control the immediate danger in front of me. In the annihilation gallery, she seemed like an attention-seeking troublemaker, writing hundreds of posts a day, but here, it was completely different.

Even in her torn state, the girl menacingly grasped weapons like a sword and a dagger. Just reaching out would make those weapons swiftly fly towards me and strike my body.

“Can I use magic here?”

It’s impossible to test someone who might become an enemy. If she shows any sign of doing something else for even a moment, she’ll immediately throw her dagger at me. If only magic is available, it could quickly subdue her, but assuming the worst and acting accordingly, given that she’s warped from another novel, was the right thing to do.

Right now, it’s not about confrontation; it’s about persuading as much as possible. Without showing any signs of fear, I naturally walked slowly toward her, raising my hands to signal that I was unarmed.

“Ms. Killer, please calm down and listen to me. I am not here to harm you. I am not one of the many assassins who have come to kill you.”

“Who are you?”

“I am the administrator of the Annihilation Novel Gallery. I came here directly from afar to help you.”

As the girl stared intently at me, she eventually lowered her knife. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief and approached her a little more. That’s when it happened.

Swoosh!

The dagger she threw came straight at me.

“This is insane!”

I deployed a defensive spell without time to think.

Clang!

The dagger flew away uselessly.

“You… You almost killed me! What are you doing? Do you think I’m your enemy? I had no intention of attacking you!”

Upon hearing my words, the girl raised her hands and stepped back.

“I surrender.”

I wanted to curse at this crazy person, but I held back. After all, a foreboding message had just appeared.

[You are in a state of warping to another world. Due to the low administrative authority, some of the mana and magic possessed by the player are restricted. The cooldown time for the warp skill is 23 hours and 51 minutes remaining.]

Being in a situation where mana and magic, essential to a wizard, are limited, and with dozens of assassins nearby, being forced to stay here for 23 hours seems absurd. It’s impossible to survive alone.

Just in case, I picked up the dagger that had just fallen, and tried to hide my annoyance as much as possible while questioning the girl.

“Why on earth did you do that just now? You could have been killed. Don’t you believe that I’m an administrator? If you don’t, I could write a post on the forum to prove it..”

“I can tell that you’re not lying. So, I believe you’re an administrator. But coming to help me was a lie. Approaching secretly with hidden intentions is all hostile.”

As soon as the girl spoke, one possibility came to mind. If the novel I was in was a place where magic was based on psychic power, then this was a novel where strange things could happen based on mental strength. While I couldn’t create something out of nothing like magic, I knew there was a way to determine the truthfulness of what someone said.

The girl, killer, was right. I hadn’t come here to save her. I probably got warped involuntarily, not voluntarily, after intending to finish with just throwing two elixirs. So, they must have judged it as a lie.

“Ha…”

Seeing her crouched in a corner like a hedgehog, I let out a deep sigh. Then she quietly spoke as if to defend herself.

“If coming to save me was a lie, it could also mean you came to harm me. I’m injured right now, so with proper judgment and response, I could die.”

“Why are you explaining so kindly now?”

“Saying you came to save me was a lie, but saying you won’t harm me was the truth.”

Finally, I understood. The reason she raised her hand and stepped back. Even after being attacked unjustly, if it was deemed that she wouldn’t harm herself, then she had no reason to fight.

Isn’t the situation around us full of assassins? She’s injured, and if her safety is confirmed, it’s best to end the situation quickly. It might be better not to appear resentful, as unnecessary hostility could turn into real enmity. From her perspective, the worst thing would be to make an enemy out of me.

“Quick judgment, and cold-hearted. No wonder she survived for a year.”

When she judged me as an enemy, she immediately aimed for my vital points, and as soon as she determined I wasn’t an enemy, she raised her white flag and expressed there was no hostility, even clearly explaining her actions.

Unjust, but well, in this messed-up world, this is considered acceptable.

“Alright. I’ll let it go this time. I also think I’m at fault.”

“You’re lying.”

“Damn it…”

I don’t know how to use that ability, but it was incredibly annoying. The girl seemed pathologically sensitive to lies. That’s why I decided to speak honestly, excluding empty words.

“Yes. I don’t think I did anything wrong. I thought you were a madman when you threw the dagger as soon as you saw me. But I really have no intention of being hostile to you. I didn’t come here because I wanted to. So, I’ll just take a little time and leave.”

“…”

Finally, the girl tore her clothes, staunching her wounds again, and spoke quietly.

“How long until you leave?”

“About 23 hours and 52 minutes… Why?”

She stated the most specific time possible. If she was vague, she might accuse me of lying again.

“You can’t stay that long. They are gradually closing in. Even though I tried my best to hide our presence, we’d be discovered in about 12 hours at the longest.”

The girl tore her clothes and handed me a venomous sting.

“It’s a non-lethal poison. If you want to live, stick it in your arm and crawl out. If people who look like assassins ask some questions, just pretend you were stung and fainted.”

“Even if I’m wearing a suspicious wizard’s robe and lying here after being stung by a venomous insect, wouldn’t you be suspicious and try to kill me?” The girl nodded. “You’d probably die over 95% of the time. But that’s still the best chance to survive. They have to deal with the bodies if they kill people, so sometimes they just move on, thinking someone else will take care of it. If you’re lucky, that might happen a few times, giving you a chance to live. On the other hand, if you stay here with me, you’ll definitely die 100%. And once they decide you’re my accomplice, they’ll start torturing you. Since I won’t give them any information even if they torture me, they’ll target you, looking weak as you do. It’s better to take a chance at surviving, even if it’s just a little.”

“What are you trying to accomplish?”

“…I’ll just die like this.”

“But you said you wanted to live.”

“When did I say that?”

“Aren’t you the ‘killer’ who used to post hundreds of messages a day on the community saying you wanted to live?”

“That was when there was a possibility… There’s no way for a single wizard and an injured assassin to survive here.”

“But you’re such a great wizard. You just thwarted an ambush earlier, didn’t you?”

“It’s a confined space, limiting the use of magic. I don’t have any proper weapons, while the other side is heavily armed as a group, holding all the advantages in terrain, numbers, and resources.”

It’s true. Coldly, since warping here earlier, my mana level has become so weak that it’s hardly worthy of being called that of a grand wizard. I don’t even have a common wand, let alone any mana-amplifying crystal orbs. All I have is this shabby robe. But that wasn’t the big problem. After all, what I’ve honed and practiced in isolation isn’t just related to magic.

Tadadadak

Then, from a distance, we heard someone urgently running towards us.

“Darn it… our conversation was too loud.”

The girl quickly raised her weapon, and the sound of footsteps grew closer.

Finally, a man covered in black stealth armor appeared before us. As he confirmed me and killer, he opened his mouth to shout. At that moment…

“Acceleration.”

Just a moment ago, as the killer thrust the poisoned needle with all his might, I infused a small amount of mana into it to accelerate its speed. As a result,

Phwoosh!

The man struck precisely by the needle didn’t even have a chance to gasp for breath before collapsing to the ground. The girl beside him blinked her eyes and looked at me with a dazed expression.

“How…? He was definitely a wizard…”

I interrupted her and said,

“First, it seems like our location has been compromised, so let’s discuss how to escape from here while we move.”