I Captured the Enemy Who Tried to Kill Me - Chapter 2

It was so routine that it wasn’t even new anymore.

I decided to shift my thoughts to something more positive.

At times like this, nothing beats escaping this sewer-like reality with fun novels full of dreams and hope.

When I get back, I’ll immerse myself in my only hobby, “I Imprinted the Tyrant Emperor’s Heart.”

Today happened to be the day when the finale of “Tyrant Emperor,” which I had been obsessively following daily for two years, would be released.

‘The SSS-class Emperor in the novel is so kind to his B-class Indoja…’

I was grumbling about reality to myself with a pout when it happened.

‘What’s this?’

Suddenly, I felt something strange.

It felt as if my heart was being squeezed tightly by a giant hand.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling this sensation.

“Kyaaaah! Oppa, over there, the gate is!”

Kang Ha-eun, who always wore a sweet and pretty smile in front of others, began screaming with her face contorted.

I could see the expressions hardening on the faces of the team’s four S-class members, who usually acted arrogant and unpleasant but seemed like they’d never experienced fear before.

And slowly, a shadow covering the front.

‘Ah.’

I reflexively reached out my hand toward the S-class teammates in front of me who treated me like an enemy, pleading for help.

“Help me!”

Please. Please save me.

But.

“Ha-eun! Why today of all days, damn it!”

“Ha-eun! It’s okay, hide behind me! I’ll definitely protect you!”

“Protect Ha-eun first!”

In their eyes, someone like me wasn’t even a consideration.

They thoroughly ignored me.

And then—something massive struck.

‘!’

I think I heard a heavy thud, and I think I felt a terrible pain.

If souls exist, mine must have been terribly angry in that moment.

This can’t be happening. I can’t die like this. I don’t want to die so unfairly, without accomplishing anything. I don’t want to die so meaninglessly!

It was at that exact moment.

Ding.

[You have satisfied the participation conditions.]

Even though I couldn’t see anything, I recognized that sentence.

[Please select a keyword for soul settlement.]

I don’t know, what does keyword mean?

I just want to see the end of “I Imprinted the Tyrant Emperor’s Heart”!

[Combining the keyword relationships most frequently read by the soul.

#HatefulRelationship #Misunderstanding #Struggle #Salvation #Sacrifice #RegretfulMan #Tyrant]

How embarrassing. I did like spicy stories.

But the selections continued endlessly.

[#TerminalIllness #BookPossession #Apocalypse #Guideverse]

What? Hey, wait.

[According to keyword classification, selecting a character for possession.]

I had a strong feeling that this shouldn’t continue.

I don’t know what it is, but remove Guideverse, remove Guideverse! Please remove it!

But the system did as it pleased.

[Keyword selection complete. We hope you successfully achieve the end of the world according to your soul’s wish. Thank you.]

What? Hey, wait! How can it end like this?

I reached out my hand.

I couldn’t see, but that’s probably what I did.

And so, as I tightly grasped something and opened my eyes.

“Gasp.”

The first thing I felt was bright light.

And the sensation of holding something in my hand.

The first thing that filled my slightly opened eyes was a pair of ice-blue eyes.

Blue eyes? Could it be Choi Ji-heon?

‘Yes, Choi Ji-heon! That bastard!’

My teeth gritted.

I don’t care about anything else, but today I’m prepared to quit my job and beat that S-class bastard.

How could you abandon and ignore a pitiful A-class, you damned bastard! Because of you, I! Because of you…?

“Ha. Now you’re insulting me in such a primitive way?”

Huh, that’s strange.

My hand, which had been shaking with rage, stopped.

At that moment, the face before me came clearly into focus.

…That bastard Choi Ji-heon wasn’t this handsome, was he?

“Let go. While I’m asking nicely.”

His voice was good, too. That’s why I was confused.

“Duke. Have you finally gone mad?”

Didn’t I die? Or did I not die?

‘That pain was real.’

And this man.

His face seems familiar.

Where have I seen this face…

Then, suddenly, something flashed through my mind.

‘Gasp! That face is from the “Tyrant Emperor” cover!’

***

“I Imprinted the Tyrant Emperor’s Heart.”

My favorite novel has been a ray of light in my shitty work life, and a bestseller that has been consistently popular from the start of its serialization until now.

It was the story of an Emperor with such a terrible personality that people said he must survive on looks alone, who meets his destined partner and transforms into a lovesick fool.

But what is this situation?

The man before me looks exactly like the male protagonist from that “Tyrant Emperor” cover.

That tyrant Emperor, Kaisis.

‘Sharp nose bridge, clear and clean blue eyes that should only exist in 2D, doll-like features, sparkling silver hair. It’s identical?’

Dumbfounded, I didn’t realize I had been staring at the man’s face in silence for quite some time.

While still grabbing his collar.

“What, is the Emperor’s face suddenly fascinating? Or are you in the middle of finding it monstrous and disgusting?”

What nonsense is this sculpture talking about? What monster?

“If not that.”

I had no chance to reply.

At that moment, slap! The hand grabbing his collar was knocked away. It stung.

“Remove it. How long do you plan to grab the Emperor’s collar?”

A numbing coldness that brushed against the back of my hand penetrated my skin.

This is real.

‘Esper.’

As I stared clearly into those blue eyes, a distinct chill ran up my spine.

It was the aura of an Esper.

And an extremely strong one at that, more eerie and destructive than any Esper I had ever encountered.

Only then did I realize this was reality. Not a dream, not a joke.

I had died. In a terrible and frightening sensation, in front of Espers who ignored me!

And now. The vicious aura of an Esper I encountered in some strange place was pressing down on me.

Thump, thump.

My heart pounded violently, threatening to tear apart.

‘I’m scared.’

I wanted to run away. I wanted to live. Whatever this situation was, I wanted to escape this Esper and live.

It was right then.

[Warning!

Character identity is wavering!]

Just as I was about to lose my mind, a window with bright red letters filled my vision.

[Confusion has exceeded the limit. For the safe protection of the user’s mind, selecting dialogue and actions appropriate for ‘Duke Hillaria Daen La Ariel’.]

What?

Before I could even be shocked, my body began to move on its own.

“To think you cannot endure even a moment of silence, it’s hard to find humility in a monarch. Your Majesty.”

A clean, cold voice.

A distinctly mocking tone.

It was a sound that flowed from me.

I clearly felt my mouth moving, but words I had never even imagined suddenly popped out.

‘What is this?’

The man, unable to guess my bewildered inner thoughts, exuded an unpleasant aura.

“I thought the Duke had gone mad. So this was just a new method of mockery?”

What seemed to be extending out in streams was probably the aura of a water-attribute Esper.

But it was still an eerily strong aura. And it was rough and sharp.

As if he had never received proper guiding even once.

If this were at a Guide Center, a bright red warning would be blaring loudly, and the aura was so rough that I felt like crying from fear.

But insanely.

“Pfft.”

This crazy body even went so far as to snicker at him?

Inside this body that moved on its own, I was as startled as a cat with its tail on fire.

Mom! What is happening? Hey, listen. I didn’t say anything! Really!

But the conversation continued relentlessly.

“The foul stench of monster blood and death assaults my nose. Ah, you haven’t gone hunting yet?”

“Are you saying I’ve offended the noble Duke’s sensibilities?”

Each word was so vicious that it was suffocating.

“My, I’m hurt by such sarcasm. I merely came to see you off, as is the duty of one who guards the palace while Your Majesty is away.”

“Since that send-off seems to have been completed successfully, I’d appreciate it if you’d remove your annoying face. You’re not raising morale for battle, but crushing it underfoot.”

“Shouldn’t Your Great Majesty move first so that I may return? Please depart for battle. I shall pray that today, too, you enjoy blood and slaughter to your heart’s content.”

“……”

“……”

The man closed his mouth.

With his fierce, glaring eyes and the spreading coldness, I could see even those standing around us shivering.

“Fine then.”

At some point, the aura was completely contained.

‘Wow, that’s insane.’

Watching that scene, I was genuinely shocked inside.

To neatly organize such a vicious aura that was on the verge of going berserk was impossible.

It would be like the pain of forcing a cold ice block down into your stomach and swallowing it.

The handsome man before me seemed to be quite a tough person.

A stubborn one, really stubborn. You shouldn’t mess with someone like him.

“I’m leaving, so get lost, Duke.”

“I wish you a comfortable battle.”

After the man left down the corridor without accepting my greeting, numerous people who had been watching from the side surrounded me with cheers.

‘And who are these people?’

They were the same humans who had been frozen like ice while I was confronting the man.

They exclaimed cheerfully.