Mururunsoft
Online/Offline Compatible Roguelike MO Action + Online Versus Action.
Taka's Memory
Gamepad: L1/R1 to switch pages, L2 to scroll to bottom, R2 to top
The Delirium Killer – Chapter 1
I instinctively looked up when I noticed a long shadow swaying on the ground—just in time to see a steel beam slip from a crane and plummet straight toward me.
Someone screamed, but I didn't move. I could have dodged it easily, but on a whim, I decided I wanted to try swatting it away with my arm.
Fixing my gaze on the beam rapidly descending under the pull of gravity, I released the strength I usually kept suppressed. As I raised my right arm, a deafening metallic clang echoed through the air.
The result? Nothing much. My body didn't budge an inch. The steel beam bent severely and crashed to the ground. A faint bruise began to form on my arm, but there wasn't even a scratch, let alone a fracture.
* * *
Cold winter wind whipped against my cheeks at the construction site of an elevated roadway, where work was progressing at a frantic pace. Other workers gathered around me, eyes wide in shock, staring at me as if I were some kind of monster.
I glanced down at the steel beam and let out a sigh.
"Hey now, don't look at me like that. We've got a deadline, right? Let's just pretend none of this ever happened, yeah?"
Saying this, I casually lifted the steel beam and forcefully bent it back into shape. The groan of twisting metal split the cold air and rang in our ears.
Everyone stood frozen for a moment, but eventually, they exchanged silent nods and returned to work as if nothing had happened.
I too returned to work, suppressing the smoldering desire within me. I kind of liked this job—but even then, I was bored.
* * *
I was born with the power of bodily enhancement. When I activate it, I can exhibit tremendous strength for a short time, and my body becomes nearly invincible. If I felt like it, If I felt like it, I could probably lift a small truck. Of course, if people found out about this ability, things would get complicated fast. That's why I usually keep it hidden, but I don't hesitate to use it when the situation calls for it.
With this power and my large, muscular frame, I can handle any physical labor with ease. I know I'm not that smart, but it's never really caused me trouble. Still...
If I was born with a power like this, there must be something more fitting for me out there. With that vague thought in mind, I continue to spend each day in dull emptiness.
* * *
That evening, on my way home, I stopped by my usual bar and drank until I was full. When I left, the cold night air pleasantly cooled my flushed face.
Even a steel beam couldn't kill me—this truth hit me again, and I walked the night streets in a tipsy haze of invincibility.
That's when I heard it.
"I've had enough! Aaaahhh!!"
Suddenly, a man's angry shout and a girl's scream echoed from an old wooden house. Still staggering, I walked over and peeked through a sliding window that faced a yard overrun with weeds.
Inside, a middle-aged man was raising a metal bat over a girl, who looked like a scared middle schooler, cowering in fear.
Without thinking, I ran, leapt over the low rotting fence, and kicked through the window. Cold night wind rushed into the room. The man turned, his face a mixture of shock and rage.
Fueled by alcohol, my body moved on instinct.
As the man swung down the bat and lunged at me, I grabbed the tip mid-swing, twisted it out of his hands, and slammed the handle into his side.
He collapsed to the floor with a thud, groaning as he glared up at me.
"Calm down, old man. Is she your daughter? Families are supposed to get along, y'know?"
After saying that, I looked at the bat in my hand and activated my power. A creaking noise echoed as the metal twisted.
In my hand, the bat crumpled and shrank until it was about the size of a baseball.
"See this? If you think about calling the cops on me, you'd better consider the consequences."
I tossed the metal ball aside and glanced at the girl. She was staring at it with puffy, tear-filled eyes peeking through her slender fingers—not just in fear, but with a complex mix of emotions.
* * *
The next night, as I passed by that same house, I stopped in my tracks.
The front door slid open, and the girl I had rescued came running out. She had a bulging light-blue backpack stuffed full of belongings.
"You were the one who helped me yesterday, right? Thank you so much! I've decided to run away from home."
Her face was full of determination—nothing like the scared girl from the night before. She eagerly asked about my abilities, her eyes shining with curiosity.
Being thanked didn't feel bad. To show her, I tore off a nearby bakery's aluminum sign and crushed it into a ball with my power. But for some reason, she scolded me and made me uncrumple it. As she stared at the wrinkled sign, she murmured,
"Is that a bruise on your arm? Can I see it?"
The girl noticed the bruise on my arm—the one I'd gotten when the steel beam fell—and gently placed her hand over it. In that moment, her hand began to glow with a soft green light, and the bruise on my arm quickly faded away.
I was stunned. There were others like me—with powers?
"I've had this ability too. I've used it to heal myself from my father's abuse. But lately… it's only made things worse."
As she spoke, I looked closely at her. She had straight black hair that reached her waist and a fox-like face with sharp, clean features. She still looked young and innocent, but it was clear she'd grow into a stunning beauty someday.
"I'm going to stay with my aunt for a while. I hope we meet again."
The first person I'd ever met with a power like mine.
"Yeah… maybe, if we get the chance."
Though I felt a little reluctant to part ways, I turned my back and quickly walked away.
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The Delirium Killer – Chapter 2
What if some billionaire somewhere was hosting a game where reckless participants fought to the death? Lose and you're done for—but if you win, you get filthy rich. With my power, I'd have that in the bag.
I was entertaining that dumb fantasy while taking a piss inside a portable toilet. It had been a few months since then, and the season had shifted to early summer. I was still working at the same elevated highway construction site. Honestly, this job didn't even count as a workout for me. I kept hoping something interesting would happen already.
When I stepped out of the toilet, I noticed a commotion. Under the crimson evening sky, the foreman and a few workers were arguing with someone. Did some drunk guy wander past the barricade? I headed over to take a look.
That's when I saw her—a little devil. She looked like a blonde girl with an oversized head. Clad in a black robe, with demon-like wings flapping from her back, she was floating in the air. I instinctively categorized her as a "little devil."
"I definitely felt an Arcana reading from over here! You guys have pretty good bodies, I'll admit—but I'm not interested in plain old humans."
She was talking cheerfully, almost playfully.
"Have you seen anyone using abnormal powers lately? They've gotta be nearby... Oh!"
Our eyes met. The others turned to look as well.
"There you are! The muscle guy! I've been looking for a human just like you!"
Flapping her wings, the little devil zipped over and started circling me.
"Mmm-hmm. Just as I thought—an insane amount of power! You must've been so bored hanging out with normal humans, right? Wanna become the next Devil King?"
What the hell is this kid talking about? Is she nuts? …But still—'Devil World'? I've never seen a creature like this before. Maybe a world like that really does exist?
I asked her, "Kid. I might know what kind of power you're talking about. But what's this 'Devil World' supposed to be?"
"Ahaha! Even your voice is rugged and cool! I love it! That settles it—I'm making you the next Devil King!"
She ignored my question completely and just got more excited. Can I even have a normal conversation with this thing?
"I brought you a present from the Devil World, just for the new Devil King!"
From inside her robe sleeve, she pulled out something black and thin. It looked like a card, dimly glowing and wrapped in jet-black flames.
"If you use this, you'll get a crazy power boost. Ready? Here we go!"
She rushed at me, card in hand, and pressed its corner against my chest. It didn't stop at my thick pecs—it sank straight into my flesh.
"What the... ngh!?"
Did it reach my heart...? A heavy force surged through my entire body, and I lost all sense of where I was standing—
Rampage. Unleash. Kill...
"Ugh... What the hell did you do to me...!?"
"Oh wow, you're still conscious? You really are different from normal humans! If you're gonna be the Devil King, you've gotta have a strong mind too!"
"But hey, I bet you're just dying to let loose right now, huh? This isn't the time to hold back! A true Devil King should be able to crush humans like scraps of paper!"
"Ooh! I'll show you how it's done! Watch closely—"
She opened her mouth wide. Though her body was small, her oversized head housed massive, blade-like fangs.
"Bon appétit!"
Suddenly changing direction, she shot toward the foreman, passing right through him from chest to back. A gaping hole was left in his torso.
"See? Easy, right? Humans are so fragile."
She said this, her blood-smeared mouth still chewing on a heart. A person... died? For real?
The thick stench of death hung in the air. The voice of the black card whispered inside my mind, turning that scent into madness, and the forbidden hunger within me only grew stronger.
I...
"UVOOOOAAAAHH!"
I grabbed the entire portable toilet—box and all—and hurled it at the fleeing crowd.
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The Delirium Killer – Chapter 3
Killed. Killed. Killed—
I kept reliving the sensation, over and over. The crunch of bones, the tearing of flesh, the burst of blood in the air—every detail pushed my exhilaration to its peak.
Whenever the little devil activated a light-blue card rimmed in silver, we would instantly teleport to a location far from where we were. And there, I would indulge in pure slaughter. My long-suppressed power reveled in this unrestricted release of violence.
"Okay, let's move on to the next one, Lord Demon King!"
She beamed with excitement.
"We're broadcasting your exploits on the Demon World's monitors. You're already a total star over there! Sure, there's another candidate, but she's all cryptic and weird. Personally, I'm way more into your style!"
Apparently, the Demon King's time was nearly up, and they were now looking for a successor. Tradition dictates that the next king is chosen not from the Demon World's own citizens, but from humans.
"Usually, getting from the human world to ours is super hard! You have to burn through dozens of Arcana of Transfer, or use an Arcana of the Gate—super rare stuff. But this time, we lucked out—found a sweet little opening, and saved a ton!"
As we passed through the warped corridor of interdimensional space, the little devil chattered on. Soon, the exit came into view. Our destination this time was a campsite.
"A hockey mask and a campsite? Feels like this should be a movie."
Right now, I was wearing a hockey mask. I didn't want my face on a wanted poster, and it helped protect me from blood splatter. Besides, it just... fit the vibe.
"Hey. Gimme the thing."
"You got it! One Arcana of Delirium, going straight into those magnificent pecs of yours, Lord Demon King!"
The card, wrapped in jet-black flames, sank into my chest.
This card was amazing. I thought I'd been living freely, doing whatever I pleased—but turns out, I'd been holding back more than I realized. With this, I could finally unleash my real self. I was starting to feel genuinely grateful to this little devil.
"Oh, but heads up—we've only got three more of those left. So, like, use them wisely, okay?"
Damn... That took the edge off a bit.
Night had fallen over the campsite. In front of me stood a row of tents. If there's an audience, I might as well put on a show.
I yanked a tree—at least fifteen meters tall—out by the roots, and swung it like a giant broom. The tents collapsed like paper, crumpling under the weight. No idea what happened to the people inside.
From the untouched tents, panicked campers came scrambling out. Good. Time to sweep them up too.
"Stop! You're the killer they've been reporting on the news, aren't you!? Why are you doing this!?"
A woman stepped forward without hesitation. It was too dark to make out her face from a distance, but I didn't care. I swung the tree without mercy. She went down instantly, her body torn and battered by branches and leaves.
"Lady… I get that you wanted to be brave and stop me, but that's not courage—that's just suicide. You don't charge an elephant barehanded, do you?"
"…That voice…"
I froze. I thought she was unconscious—or already dead. But her body began to glow faint green, and just like that, she stood up as if nothing had happened. She rushed toward me.
"I knew it…! Did you really think a mask could fool my eyes?"
I was stunned again. Long hair. Fox-like features. It was her—that girl.
The madness that had been boiling in my brain cooled in an instant.
"Tch… You again."
"You know your power isn't enough to kill me. Someone like you—this dangerous—shouldn't drag others into your mess."
"Don't. Just stay out of it already."
"Wait! Please, wait!"
I leapt away, putting distance between us.
"Lord Demon Kiiing? You're not gonna kill her?"
"…I don't do things I don't wanna do."
The little devil pouted, staring back at the now-distant campsite.
"Hmph… Beeeh!"
Sure, I liked her face. But I probably wouldn't see her again.
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To be continued...