ARML 08

Chapter O8

“Ugh… Cough, cough.”

I sat down, coughing and trying to catch my breath.

A piece of debris from the pavement almost hit me, but I barely managed to dodge it.

“Lowell, are you okay?”

“I-I think I’m okay…”

And it was all thanks to Grape-head.

Just before the black fog hit me—

‘He pulled me by my collar!’

Sure, it choked me for a second, but better than getting my face smashed.

But when I looked around, I felt afraid.

“What happened here?”

A swirl of black fog was spinning violently around the female lead.

Everything it touched split apart like it had been cut by a giant blade.

‘Wait! Is this dark magic going out of control?’

That happened sometimes in the original story—when someone under dark magic got overwhelmed by emotion and went into a destructive rampage.

But in the middle of the imperial palace?

‘And it’s happening to the female lead?!’

That wasn’t supposed to happen!

Grape-head glanced at me and asked, “Lowell, do you know any magic?”

“M-Me? Only the basics…”

“Tsk.”

…Did he just tsk at me in this situation?

But I didn’t have time to feel offended.

The black fog spreading from the female lead was coming right at us.

“Finley! Move out of the way!”

I turned around and shouted. Grape-head was already casting a spell.

When he stretched out his bracelet-covered hand, a purple light shot toward the fog!

It looked like it worked a little—the black fog started to scatter slightly.

Grape-head shouted at me, annoyed, “Run! Get inside the building!”

I turned around and ran as fast as I could.

“Hah, huff…!”

But one strand of fog that Grape-head missed chased right after me.

‘If I can just shut the door—!’

Inside the hallway, Allison was watching the situation through the window.

When I pulled the door open—

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!”

“Ah!”

Allison shoved me back with full force!

She was so strong that I got thrown backward.

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

I looked up just in time to see the black fog hissing like a snake and rushing toward me.

‘Crap!’

Last time I died in a traffic accident. This time, is it an occult incident?!

Bang!

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from above, and the black fog started to scatter.

My ears were ringing.

“Ugh…”

But at least all my limbs were still attached. Thank goodness.

‘What just happened?’

Was that Grape-head again?

But then I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Lowell!”

“Male…!”

It was the male lead!

He had come to help.

I pointed toward where the female lead and Grape-head were and panted.

“Right now! Yuliana is—!”

The black fog around her was growing bigger and bigger.

If it kept going, both she and the others were in serious danger.

The male lead stared straight ahead.

“Cover your ears and get down, Lowell.”

“Yes, sir!”

I crouched down and covered my ears.

‘I don’t know what he’s planning, but—!’

Then, a silver pistol appeared in the male lead’s hand.

And without hesitation—

Bang!

He shot the female lead.

‘……WHAT?!’

The genre just changed from romantic office drama to an action blockbuster.

The bullet hit the black fog around her directly…

Zzzap!

It made a crackling noise and was wrapped in white light—but that was it.

It didn’t hurt the female lead.

The male lead clenched his teeth beside me.

“At this rate, it’ll drain her life.”

“What?!”

Wait, is this really going to be a bad ending for the female lead?

I could barely see her face, but the fog was getting thicker.

The male lead ran toward her and shouted back at me.

“Lowell! Get out of here!”

“O-Okay!”

I got up in a panic.

But where could I run?

‘The fog’s everywhere…!’

Trees that touched the fog dried up instantly.

Stone pavements were cracking.

‘The only safe place was that building…’

But the door Allison slammed shut was now firmly closed.

There was nowhere left to go.

‘In that case… is there a way to stop her rampage?’

Then suddenly, the fog briefly cleared due to Grape-head’s magic, and I saw her clearly.

‘Huh?’

A white stone was floating in front of the female lead’s chest.

It looked like a bone—dull and spooky.

Then it hit me.

‘That’s the core of the dark magic!’

It’s where the dark energy comes from. It feeds off emotions. It’s powerful but unstable, so if it’s hit, it stops working.

‘At least in theory. And wait… shouldn’t the core only be visible after the magic ends?’

‘Never mind! I’ll think about it later!’

The male lead was busy saving someone from the fog.

I ran up to him.

His face twisted in shock.

“Why didn’t you run?!”

“There’s nowhere to go! But more importantly, look!”

I pointed toward the female lead again.

The white stone was still floating in her chest.

“Can’t you see that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Right near her heart—!”

“Lowell, are you trying to kill Crosswell—?!”

“No! I’m saying I see the core!”

“…!”

“If you hit that, something might happen!”

Would he really believe what I just said out of nowhere?

But the male lead quickly nodded and adjusted his aim.

“Lowell. If I create an opening, can you touch it?”

“Me?!”

“I can’t see it! That makes it riskier!”

“But…!”

You’re asking an office worker to do something like that?!

‘What if I get infected just by touching it?!’

But the black fog covered the female lead again, and the male lead started firing at it.

Bang! Bang!

The fog paused from the impact.

“Run!” he shouted.

The order was terrifying.

‘This is insane!’

All I wanted was an easy life, but now here I was, running for my life again.

I shouted to the pale female lead in front of me.

“Yuliana!”

Her eyes had turned gray—she looked like she couldn’t hear anything.

Meanwhile, the strange white stone was glowing brighter and brighter.

It really looked like it was sucking the life out of her.

I slowly reached out and grabbed the stone.

‘Ah! It’s hot!’

As soon as I grabbed it, I pulled it out with all my strength.

And just like that, the black fog melted away like snow.

“Hah… hahh…”

I collapsed to the floor.

My hand was burning, and adrenaline was rushing through my veins.

‘The female lead…’

Thump.

As the last of the black fog disappeared, Yuliana dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

I crawled over to her.

“Is… is she dead…?”

“She’s not dead.”

A tired voice came from behind me.

Grape-head wiped his sweat as he walked over.

“Finley!”

“You… what’s that in your hand?”

“Huh? Oh, this.”

He meant the core, I guess.

I opened my hand and looked at it, confused.

‘Wait, did it always have a pattern like this?’

It looked like a black crescent moon.

But Grape-head’s voice suddenly turned sharp.

“How did you know the core was there?”

“Huh?”

“Even mages from the tower can’t see it that easily.”

His black eyes gleamed coldly.

That’s when I really remembered—he’s a second male lead.

I shrank back without meaning to.

And then the male lead came up behind him.

“Lowell…”

His red eyes stared straight into mine.

I looked between the two men staring down at me and swallowed hard.

My survival instinct whispered to me—

So much for that easy life. I’m screwed.