Ch.197Putri’s Stage

# 197. Putri’s Stage

A crazy plan to perform a devil summoning ritual, the kind that devil worshippers do, in order to catch a devil.

Although we had super-simplified the ritual by omitting over 95% of it and hadn’t sacrificed any innocent people, if nothing happened after all this, the disappointment would hit hard enough to make us question our life choices.

It was a ridiculous ritual that wouldn’t have worked on any other devil, but since our target was Putri, the “Devil of Yuyeol” who was known for unpredictable behavior even in the game, I thought it might be worth trying…

“Oh my! Oh-! My-! Oh my!!! Oh-!! My-!!”

When the chunk of meat placed on the mini altar burned abnormally fast and turned to ash, the bizarre voice that echoed through the empty space confirmed that our hopes hadn’t been in vain.

“It’s here!”

“This actually worked!”

“Never mind that, get ready!”

“Your! Interest is so hot! I just had to come out!”

Each time Putri uttered a word in that bizarre voice, the empty space began to warp dramatically. We held each other’s hands tightly to prevent anyone from getting lost, but regardless of what we did, Putri kept talking and the space continued to mix and twist like a child kneading liquid slime.

“I-I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Just close your eyes!”

“Urgh…”

“Ha! Ha! Ha-a-! La-dies- and gentlemen! Please bear with me! Since you came in so-o- quickly, I have to finish the stage more hur-ried-ly- than planned!”

Is this what it feels like to be inside a running washing machine? We had to endure the dizziness of the world shaking us around with no defense.

Not daring to close our eyes in case it pulled some new trick, we endured the terrible headache and nausea for what felt like an immeasurable time.

Fortunately, there were no additional antics while the “stage” was being set up, and we suddenly found ourselves standing in what looked like a theater stage rather than a glitchy space.

And the moment we noticed a figure sitting upright in the center of the empty audience seats, wearing a grotesque white smiling mask…

Flash- Flash- Flaash-

“Ugh!”

“My eyes, please!”

Intense spotlights shone on us.

“Welcome, interesting humans! I’ve been waiting for you. Ah! I was waiting, but you wanted to see me quickly so I came out early, but anyway, I was waiting for you.”

The eye-searing light made it difficult to open my eyes properly. So I couldn’t see Putri clearly either. Still, having been invited to its stage, I was confident we wouldn’t be attacked outright.

“It was you. You’re the one who broke the tower.”

“Whatever could you mean?”

“Let’s not pretend. We both know you showed us false dreams to torment us, and right after that, the tower broke down and abandoned us in an empty space. You knew everything and were watching us the whole time.”

“Oh-ho! That’s quite an interesting story. But even if that were true, what difference would it make to you interesting humans?”

*What good would knowing do? Yeah, I did it. But what changes if you know?*

That’s what its tone implied, despite the outward politeness.

“It makes a difference. A huge one. There’s a world of difference between 99 percent and 100 percent certainty.”

“Wo-ow. That stings. But you wouldn’t believe what I say anyway, would you?”

“That’s true too.”

“Ha-ha!”

In truth, even if Putri had said “It wasn’t me!” at this point, none of us would have believed it. Putri probably knew that and was speaking accordingly.

“Ac-tu-al-ly! The stage isn’t complete yet. Having to invite you to an unfinished stage is quite embarrassing! But we’ll make it work somehow, won’t we?”

“I don’t know what this stage of yours is, and I don’t care. If you want to fight, let’s fight. If you want to talk, then talk.”

“No-o? No? You have al-rea-dy stepped onto the stage, and until the curtain falls, you cannot leave. That’s the rule of the stage that even I, who invited you, cannot change. So I’ll somehow complete the unfinished parts while you’re standing on stage.”

Despite barging in and causing trouble, this lunatic was strictly adhering to its own concept. Expecting common sense from a lunatic would be a waste of time. It might be acting polite now before the real fight begins, but it was a boss we’d have to take down anyway.

Besides, even though we knew it was a false world, messing with the raid members’ mental state when we weren’t even in the middle of a raid was crossing the line by a mile.

“So-o-o let’s have fun, human friends!”

“Fuck off.”

“Fuck-off! Haha! Do I even have something to fuck off with, I wonder?”

After that question no one cared to answer, I heard it clapping its hands.

Soon, the spotlights illuminating us turned off one by one, and the entire stage went dark.

And then…

“First stage, rea-dy!”

The Putri raid that had infuriated countless users in various ways began.

**

‘Oh fuck.’

When I came to my senses, I was standing in front of a well that looked like it belonged in medieval times, holding a water bucket.

A bucket. A well. Small, white, delicate hands. Clothes like rags.

And to top it all off, the reflection of a “pretty girl’s” face in the well.

‘Of all things to get stuck with, it had to be this. This is driving me crazy…!’

Me, a woman!

Me, without male parts!!

Me, as Snow White!!!

Even though I’d entered Putri’s “stage,” the fact that I was Snow White!

Despite knowing I hadn’t really transformed, the psychological shock was no joke. I was seething at Putri’s vileness and cunning.

‘For real.’

Places that should be light felt heavy, and places that should be heavy felt empty.

While staring blankly at the well, still in shock, I belatedly realized that Snow White wasn’t just Snow White—there were also seven dwarfs.

‘Is being Snow White better than being a female turned into a male dwarf?’

Imagining my raid members forced into gender-swapped dwarf forms made me solemn. I took a moment of silence.

“Let me just think for a… Oh.”

Wait, what’s with this voice!

My mental state, which I had barely managed to stabilize, was severely shaken once again. As befitting the most beautiful woman in the fairy tale, I had a face that couldn’t be hidden even by shabbiness, but the problem was that such a pretty voice was coming from my throat. It gave me goosebumps.

‘Forget it. Forget it. Forget it. Just focus on the strategy!’

This too must be part of Putri’s scheme.

I leaned against the well and crouched down, recalling the “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” pattern.

Actually, before coming here, we had already reviewed the patterns of Putri’s raid “stages” in the glitchy space and shared them with the raid members, so none of them should be unaware of this situation.

By now, the raid members must have calmed their confusion and started planning how to properly end this stage. Fortunately, the dwarfs would be together, which was somewhat reassuring.

The seven dwarfs had their own unique patterns, which could be problematic, but that was beyond my control, so I didn’t worry about it.

The problem was me.

I had no particular strength and was alone. I don’t start out with the seven dwarfs.

I had nothing to face the evil stepmother. And there’s even an assassin who comes as a mid-boss.

In the fairy tale, not the game, the assassin feels compassion upon seeing Snow White, reveals that the stepmother ordered the assassination, then gives the stepmother a pig’s heart claiming he killed Snow White, and disappears…

But this wasn’t a fairy tale; it was a stage in a game. And not just any game—the “devil” Putri’s stage. A devil seeking entertainment wouldn’t pass up the fun of watching Snow White trembling before an assassin.

So before meeting the seven dwarfs, I had to somehow survive the assassin. In the actual game, if the raid member playing Snow White died during the assassin pattern, it was an immediate dead ending and total party wipe.

‘The strategy is to either kill the assassin, persuade them, or hide really well and not get caught.’

There were three ways to get past the assassin pattern. Each method had different risks and returns. In the game, most users chose hiding for first-timers or trial parties, and killing for experienced raid groups.

But as I clenched and unclenched my fists, I realized how limited my strength was. And I was a battle commander, no less.

‘It probably won’t work, right? Yeah, it won’t work.’

If it had been Yuri or Arang, they could have cleanly reversed the kill and joined the seven dwarfs.

I was pretty good at self-assessment. My judgment was quick, and I promptly gave up on the idea of killing the assassin.

That left persuasion and stealth. Whichever I chose, it was better to move quickly.

So after filling the water bucket, I started running fast.

**

“Ah shit, stage or whatever, I really want a beer. Anyone up for a round of beer?”