I had firmly believed in the principle of “one deadly incident, one mastermind.”

The “Demonic Authority” can only be used by one person at a time.  

Thus, I thought that there could only ever be one mastermind involved.

But that was my misconception.  

Shall we take another look at the first deadly incident?  

How many masterminds were actually behind the Awakening Test?

– One mastermind who cast Rage on the Outbreak Goblin  

– One crazy scientist mastermind who unleashed the yellow-eyed goblin  

– One grasshopper boss  

In total, three people were active simultaneously.  

To resolve this contradiction, I came up with a new hypothesis:

◉ Hypothesis 2: The masterminds are collaborating.  

Only one person uses the “authority,” and the others assist without using it.  

If I’m right… this is a huge clue.  

It means there were masterminds hiding in the blind spots of every incident in the story!  

There are masterminds who take center stage and those who stay hidden in the shadows.  

While Gyeon Junhwi handles the visible masterminds, I’ll track down the ones in hiding.  

If I can complete the formula “6 + 3 = 9,” we’ll have a happy ending!  

That’s my job.  

But that’s not all.  

Surprisingly, I think I’ve figured out the true identity of the grasshopper boss.  

Why?  

Because I’m a devoted fan!

Q. What’s the difference between a reader and a devoted reader?

This was a small question I had on the first day of my possession.  

Why is Gyeon Junhwi called a “reader” while I’m labeled a “devoted reader”?  

Now, I think I know the answer.  

It’s because Gyeon Junhwi and I read novels differently.

Gyeon Junhwi is the quintessential “reader.”  

As a reader, he memorized the original work word for word and used its information to climb his way to the top.

On the other hand, as a “devoted fan,” I read the novel while obsessing over it.  

It might seem similar, but there’s a subtle difference.  

I also explored information outside the novel.  

For example, while rereading <Doomed Academy> for the 11th time, I suddenly had a question:

“Why are there nine Demonic Powers in this universe? Is there some hidden meaning to this number?”

If there were seven demons, I’d have thought it was inspired by the seven deadly sins. 

But the number nine seemed a bit random.  

I was so curious that I ended up looking it up.  

Why would I do such a thing?  

I don’t know. I just felt like it.  

Maybe it’s because I used to obsessively research the lore of my favorite idols in the past.  

There was a time when I analyzed every scene in a music video, every word in a song lyric, to understand my favorite idols’ universe.  

I believed with unwavering faith that every piece of merchandise, album, and music video contained hidden clues about their story.  

Even after quitting 3D fandoms when my dad passed away, those habits seemed to stick. I ended up doing the same while reading <Doomed Academy>.

As a result, I discovered something amazing:  

There’s an occult philosophy book written in the 16th century that features nine demons.  

Six of the demon names appear in Demise of an Empire.  

So…  

The “Demonic authority” wasn’t a completely made-up concept.  

The author must have based the mastermind’s settings on real-world sources, and I once read those sources using a translation app.  

The material was so difficult to understand that I had to look up explanations, which led to me learning a lot of useless trivia.  

For instance, one of the nine demons in the occult book is named “Abaddon.”  

Abaddon also appears in the Bible as the king of locusts who unleashes a swarm during the apocalypse.  

[Locusts]

There’s even a foreign band named Abaddon, and one of their hit songs is titled ‘Lord of the Flies.’

[Flies]

That was the source of the déjà vu I felt during my hypnosis session with Ha Sunwoo.  

Locusts, flies, Abaddon.  

Could it be a coincidence?

“No way! That can’t be!”  

The author must have searched the same material as me and adapted it into the novel.  

This is the difference between a “reader” and a “devoted reader.”  

Gyeon Junhwi knows only the information within the story, but I also know the information outside it.  

So, let’s formulate another hypothesis:

◉ Hypothesis 3: The grasshopper boss is based on Abaddon.  

◉ Hypothesis 4: Among the countless bits of trivia I encountered while obsessing over <Doomed Academy>, there might be a critical hint hidden somewhere.

“Do I remember anything else?”  

I feel like I’ve seen more information, but nothing comes to mind.  

I reread Demise of an Empire 33 times, but I only researched it once.  

In fact, I’d completely forgotten about “locusts,” “flies,” and “Abaddon” until I suddenly had an “Aha!” moment.  

Ha Sunwoo gave me some good advice regarding this:  

— “Your subconscious holds more information than you think.”

Maybe there are important clues buried in my subconscious.  

If I want to prevent the apocalypse, I’ll need to dig them out.  

Can I get Ha Sunwoo’s help?

— “Vice Guildmaster! Actually, this world is from a novel I read! And the world is about to end soon! My subconscious holds hidden information I researched while reading the novel, and if we can uncover it, we can prevent the apocalypse! Please help me!”  

… Revealing the truth is not an option.  

I’ll need to figure out a better way later.  

After organizing my thoughts, I added the first item to my “Prevent the Apocalypse TO-DO List”:  

☐ Get Ha Sunwoo’s help to uncover the TMI buried in my subconscious.  

☞ Look for specific methods!  

There’s plenty more to do:  

☐ Identify the grasshopper boss’s right-hand man.  

☞ Suspects: No Ji-tae, Lee Hyo-jun, Park Ra-hee  

☞ Investigate the right-hand man to uncover the boss’s identity.  

Since investigations can only begin after enrollment, I’ll put this on hold for now…  

☐ Meet Gyeon Junhwi and finalize my “prophet” act.  

I had dropped vague hints about being a prophet and then ran away.  

The next time we meet, I’ll prove my identity more convincingly.  

It’ll be fine.  

I’ve already prepared everything.  

And then there’s…

“Sora?”  

Hearing a sudden voice, I looked up to see the secretary fully recharged.  

“It’s already six o’clock. Time to head out?”  

“Oh, right.”  

To prevent the secretary from working overtime, we had agreed to leave at six.  

I obediently stood up and left the Hideout café, but a thought lingered in my mind.  

Why hasn’t Gyeon Junhwi shown up yet?  

If this were the original, he should have by now…  

# 

At Yeon Sora’s house.  

During dinner, I had to endure a barrage of questions from Yun Sora’s father, mother, aunt, uncle, both sets of grandparents, and her twin younger siblings.  

This was because I had informed them that I would be assisting the Phoenix Guild’s investigation at the Tower for the next three days.

“Why did the Phoenix Guild call you?”  

“Did you meet Ha Sunwoo again today?”  

“What was he wearing?”  

“Did they properly adjust the indoor temperature? I gave them a detailed list of instructions…”  

“Right, do you have any hives? Let’s check your arm to make sure!”  

“Did they feed you properly?”  

“It’s for the Outbreak investigation, right?”  

“Everyone! That’s her pride, so stop asking questions!”  

“Pride?”  

“Privacy!”  

“That’s called privacy.”  

“Same thing.”  

“If it’s the same, why not just call it fried chicken instead of pride?”  

“But Sora, why aren’t you answering?”

I couldn’t even swallow my food.  

I had asked Ha Sunwoo to make up a fake alibi so I could visit the Tower, but now I was being bombarded with questions about it.  

I didn’t see this coming.  

How should I handle this? I hesitated for a moment.

“Stop it. You’re making Sora uncomfortable.”  

Yeom Juwan stepped in to shield me.  

“This is information that can’t be disclosed to outsiders. Remember last time?”  

“Really?”  

“Yes, and they specifically asked us to be careful about spreading rumors to avoid causing unnecessary confusion. So please stop pressuring her with questions.”

Juwan’s gaze then shifted to me.  

“Sora, you shouldn’t say anything either.”  

His eyes were earnest, as if he knew something.  

Now that I think about it, I might have mentioned something about bugs to Juwan.  

I’ll have to probe him about it later… as I was thinking this, the room became lively again.

“But why was Sora the only one called?”  

“Exactly. Juwan was with her, wasn’t he?”  

“Didn’t they both experience the same thing in the same place? Why not call Juwan too?”  

“No, they only asked for Sora…”

Juwan silently bowed his head, eating his meal in silence—but his chopsticks moved faster and faster.  

At this point, it wasn’t eating but shoveling food into his mouth and swallowing.

“Thank you for the meal.”  

Finishing his meal in record time, Juwan washed his bowl at the sink and grabbed his jacket.  

“I’m heading out for a bit.”  

“At this hour? Where to?”  

“The playground. Just going to get some exercise.”  

The apartment playground was visible from Yun Sora’s living room.  

After finishing dinner and looking outside, I saw Juwan diligently doing push-ups at the playground.  

My boy… he’s working way too hard.  

#

For the next few days, I experienced the happiest days since my possession.  

After breakfast, a vehicle from the Phoenix Guild would arrive promptly at 9 a.m.  

The car would take me to the Tower, where the secretary would greet me, and I could enjoy exploring the Tower until 6 p.m.

‘The Tower!!! It’s the best!!!!’

I visited Tower World, the Tower Museum, and all the famous restaurants inside the Tower!  

I focused solely on my pilgrimage as a fan.  

I wandered around so much that I lost track of time.  

And finally, the last day came.

“Sora, where shall we go today?”

The secretary, who had inadvertently become my pilgrimage partner, looked noticeably thinner by now.

“I’m thinking of visiting a toy store.”  

“Oh, there’s a popular one called Players—”  

“No, not that one. I have another place in mind.”  

“All right, as you wish.”  

By now, the secretary didn’t even question or argue with me anymore.  

His “whatever happens, happens” attitude was something I found quite endearing.  

He had finally mastered the art of letting go!

Today’s pilgrimage destination was Chinko’s Toy Store.  

It had been closed the last couple of days when I passed by, and today was no different—the [CLOSED] sign still hung on the door.  

This shop didn’t seem to have any intention of doing business.  

Well, that’s what made it special.  

I had really wanted to try the claw machine there, but I’d have to leave that for another day.

“The shop’s closed?”  

“Looks like it. Let’s head to the next place!”

There were plenty of places left to visit.  

Today’s itinerary included the Tower Stationery Store, the Monster Zoo, and the Haunted House!  

On this final day, I maximized my time exploring, and at exactly 5 p.m., I headed toward the Hideout café.  

The pilgrimage always ended at the Hideout.

“Sora, you must really like this place, huh?”  

“The food’s great.”  

“True, their tarts are phenomenal. I wonder why there are so few customers… huh?”

As the secretary entered the café, he stopped in his tracks, stunned.  

Following his gaze, I too froze in surprise.  

The usually empty café wasn’t empty today.  

There was another customer besides us.  

And not just any customer—it was someone I had been waiting for.  

‘Finally, he’s here!’  

Sitting by the window was a tall figure with glossy black hair and ruby-like red eyes.  

My favorite, Gyeon Junhwi.