Chapter 9
No one knew she was struggling to merge her body and soul with the Lu Core within her.
Nor did anyone understand that every prayer meant to awaken the Realm of Gloom had instead turned into a curse that slowly corroded her mind.
Even her own family hid that truth, concealing it behind excuses of discipline and perfection.
So when Theo—the madman who had only spoken to her twice—was able to uncover that secret so casually, Erietta's gaze lost focus for a fraction of a second.
As though the cold world itself suddenly realized that she, the woman without emotion, could still be surprised.
Yet Erietta Bathee was not someone who bowed to emotion.
In silence, she gave a small nod—a subtle gesture, nearly invisible, that only the keen could interpret. She neither refused Theo's offer nor fully accepted it.
That movement was more like a form of acknowledgment—that she understood who stood before her.
A man with demonic instinct, frightening intellect, and the ability to read the soul of others without any spell at all.
Within Theo's cynical smile, Erietta saw something she herself did not possess—the courage to defy fate.
Thus, though she despised him deep down, Erietta still knew that perhaps only this man could unveil the dark layers within her, shrouded by false light.
'I understand why you struggle, Erietta.
In this game, anyone who's ever read your profile would know how perfect you were before everything collapsed.
You were the most ideal supporting woman for Ilux Rediona—complete data, clear family background, stable power, even your emotional record was nearly flawless.
But precisely because of that perfection, the game system chose you to be broken, torn apart, made proof that even the perfect could be erased.
I still remember the data.
First arc, episode twelve—the moment your torment began.
And it didn't stop there.
Every day after that, the game turned you into Ilux's experiment—a character said to be a protagonist, yet closer to a beast.
They even wrote it in detail—every suffering, every loss you endured—until your own body was declared "permanently damaged."
Ssssh!
'Funny, isn't it? The world that claims to praise beauty instead turned you into the symbol of ruin.
But I know, that wasn't the end of it all.
I understood more than what a player should have known.
Because I didn't just see you on the screen, Erietta.
I read the way you stared into the void, the way you fell silent when others spoke, the way you struggled to contain the dark aura constantly overflowing from your body.
All of that was written between the cracks of a narrative even its developer didn't notice.'
Theo, of course, understood that clearly.
Erietta Bathee was not merely a supporting role for Ilux Rediona.
She was the one with the most complete profile among all supporting characters—ranked first in the list designed to map strength, potential, and storyline.
Every detail about her was neatly recorded, from combat ability, reactions to various attacks, to interpersonal relationships with other figures.
In the world of Flo Viva Mythology, before the tragic transition from arc one, episode twelve to arc two, episode one, her fate had already been sealed.
Routine torture through Ilux's twisted experiments shaped and destroyed her body until certain functions were lost entirely.
Cruel and agonizing, yet all of it was recorded as part of the story the main hero must experience.
And Theo, who watched from beyond the screen, understood those consequences perfectly.
Erietta's frequent appearances in the first arc made her easy for Theo to recognize—not only as a character but as an indicator of the story's progression.
For him, every appearance of that girl was an opportunity to understand a world not merely played, but now alive and breathing around him.
When his own body grew weary from writing long novels, when his mind was exhausted and his hands ached from piling words upon words, Flo Viva Mythology became both an escape and a laboratory of experience.
He interpreted every scene, every battle, every movement of Erietta as living data—
Not to be admired, but to be analyzed, understood, and, if possible, used to minimize risks once reality and game began to merge.
What made it all more complex was Theo's awareness that he was not the creator.
Once again, this world was not his creation.
He was merely a player, an observer who knew too much.
All his knowledge about Erietta, all his strategies and calculations regarding Ilux, were merely interpretations of what already existed.
Yet the real world now absorbed by the mechanics of this game forced Theo to act—not merely as an observer—but as a small agent capable of influencing the course of fate.
He understood the consequences of every small decision.
Helping Erietta a little meant delaying her tragic fate; failing to aid her meant hastening her ruin—and silence meant accepting inevitable chaos.
'I accepted this offer with consideration.
Forced or not, this must be done.
I fully understand the risk, the complexity of everything involving you, Theo Vkytor.
But if this is the only path to ensure the Lu Core functions within the Realm of Darkness, then I am willing.'
"One last request."
"Hah?"
"My secret must remain sealed, Theo.
It must not leak to anyone.
You understand the consequences if this becomes known."
Tsuuuf!
"So, think carefully before you speak.
Once you reveal it to anyone, even a single sentence, I guarantee—you will not be given a chance to regret it."
'I can understand your attitude.
You're beautiful, Erietta.
Too enchanting, beyond the standards of any Star Academy.
You and Aldraya—the two women who made the entire academy hold their breath when you walked by.
Yet, yes—I understand your charm is only a mask.
The data in Flo Viva Mythology states it clearly—your family was never normal.
Wealthy, yet rotten.
Cold, and cruel.
And you... a girl struggling to survive among the ruins.'
Fuuuuh!
'I know you didn't enter the Academy through honest means.
You deceived—but not out of arrogance, rather to save yourself.
Had you stayed at home with your deranged family, your mind would have long collapsed.
And after hearing your threat, I'm torn between laughing and being impressed.
Because from now on, you'll be watching my every move more carefully.
You fear I'll expose your secret—when in truth, I already hold the whole truth.'
After all, Erietta didn't have many choices left.
Theo's offer, though wrapped in an inhuman smile and an aura that sent chills down her spine, stirred enough discomfort to force the girl into acceptance.
Her gaze was cold and piercing, as if able to devour anyone who dared approach, affirming that this was no ordinary agreement.
Behind her calm face, Erietta reminded Theo with a voice barely audible—but filled with pressure—that this secret must never be leaked to anyone.
Her words were more than a warning.
They were a seal marking the boundary of her own territory—a declaration that every violation would be repaid without mercy.
Theo clearly caught her meaning.
That secret wasn't merely about Erietta's abilities or weaknesses—it was about her entire life.
Though her beauty often made her seen as one of the academy's icons, worthy of standing beside Aldraya Kansh Que, her reality was far darker.
Her family was rich, yet Erietta's mind had been carved by unending oppression and pressure—wounds impossible to ever heal.
Every step she took in the real world—or at least before this world was consumed by Flo Viva Mythology—had always been watched, restricted, and controlled.
To be continued…