Chapter 35 : Karma’s Swift Retribution

Eliminate 20 monsters causing trouble in the farm of Zone 3. 

‘This one looks decent. The reward seems pretty good too.’ 

According to the mission description, mole-, water deer-, and wild boar-like monsters were frequently appearing on a farm located on the outskirts of Gyodam City, causing a headache for the owner. 

The mission difficulty was marked as “Easy.” 

Iris, who applied for the mission through the app, clenched her fist in determination, only to sigh under the pressure. 

The idea of having to take down monsters without Teresa made her head hurt. 

Besides, since it was a suburban area, she’d have to rely on public transportation for long hours, which meant she’d be more fatigued than before after completing the mission. 

Still, the job paid well, so it was probably best to just take a taxi. 

‘I’ll prepare thoroughly tomorrow. Thankfully the reward is high. If I take a taxi and get it done quickly, I can save time too.’ 

After successfully applying for the mission, night had fallen. 

As she was getting ready for bed, Iris casually opened YouTube—and froze in shock. 

There was breaking news about Laika. 

One of the lead actors, Desnes, was reported to be the culprit behind the chandelier crash incident. 

The article even mentioned that there was a reliable informant—not just a rumor. 

A transcript of a conversation between Desnes and the anonymous tipster had been leaked. 

‘Whoa, the news came out fast. I overheard it secretly too, so how did the reporters find out? Must’ve been someone who helped Desnes who reported it.’ 

The comment section on YouTube was, unsurprisingly, a mess: 

No way Desnes would do that!

Stop spreading baseless rumors. 

What a load of crap.

There’s a transcript, and you’re still denying it? 

I knew it.

He played a criminal in that last movie.

Fit the role too well.

Guess appearances really do say a lot… 

Here come the “I knew it” folks again. 

Why do all these wannabe face-readers crawl out at times like this and start preaching like prophets? 

What a mess.

Just because he was in a mood, he ruins a film and tries to wreck the life of a promising, handsome actor?

Pathetic. 

Ugh, I even went to his fan signing recently. Time to burn that autograph. 

The comments were mostly filled with hate toward Desnes, while a few desperate fans were wailing that it couldn’t be true. 

Arguments broke out between those defending him and those attacking him, turning the comment section into chaos. 

He’s live! 

When a new live stream announcement popped up in the comments, Iris quickly searched the channel. 

A news YouTube stream featured the film’s director announcing that Desnes would be removed from the cast. 

It seemed like a calculated move to quickly calm public outrage and simultaneously generate buzz for the movie. 

Iris munched on some microwave popcorn, eyes glued to the chaotic live chat—full of Desnes haters and die-hard defenders. 

Laika ran faster than the chandelier fell on her head… 

Knew Desnes was shady.

Just look at his face. 

The transcript is fake.

It was made with AI.

That’s not even Desnes’ usual voice. 

All you dumb fangirls rushing in to defend him.

The director cut him off immediately—what more proof do you need? 

Iris timidly added her own piece of truth in the live chat. 

I’m a staff member and overheard Desnes on the phone.

It’s real.

The director made the right call. 

But her truth was immediately buried under trolls all claiming to be staff too. 

I’m staff too.

Desnes is trash. 

If you’re staff, then so am I.

Actually, Desnes and Laika are best friends. 

A nonstop parade of lies and delusion filled the chat. 

After the live stream announcing Desnes’s removal ended, Iris scrolled through news comments for a while. 

It was already past 1 a.m., and her eyelids were growing heavy. 

‘Guess I’ll sleep now… just one last check of the news and YouTube comments… wait, what?!’ 

She dropped her phone in shock. 

With trembling hands, she picked it back up and her eyes wavered like a candle flame in the wind. 

[Breaking News] Actor Desnes crashes into guardrail while drunk driving.

Currently unconscious. 

‘No way. Is this fake? How could this happen?’ 

She quickly searched for more news articles. 

Since multiple outlets were reporting it, it had to be real. 

All of them said the same thing: Desnes, the actor who had harmed Laika, crashed into a guardrail while driving drunk. 

Iris sat up. 

It was hard to believe that someone who had been completely fine during the day was now unconscious. 

She grabbed her glasses from the side table and put them on to watch the news video. 

The wrecked car shown on screen was completely mangled—meaning Desnes must be in terrible shape. 

‘Was it the transcript that shocked him so badly? Driving drunk… still, even so, that kind of reckless behavior…’ 

He was a bad man, sure—a very bad man who tried to harm a fellow actor. 

But hearing he was seriously injured didn’t feel good. 

Especially when the real villain—the one endangering all of Gyodam City—was just pretending to be unconscious and lying in a VIP hospital room. 

As she searched for more updates, a new headline appeared in real time: 

Desnes, transported to hospital, dies of cardiac arrest. 

Iris stared blankly with her mouth open. 

Too many things were happening all at once—it was hard to tell whether this was fiction or reality. 

May he rest in peace. 

Condolences to the deceased. 

Good riddance.

Drunk driving?

Not something to sympathize with. 

No sympathy deserved.

People already forgetting the transcript?

He tried to kill a fellow actor.

And then drunk drove?

What if he had hurt someone else?

If you’re going to die, do it alone. 

Desnes… guess the “death” in his name was prophetic. 

The news comment section was filled with condolences, but there were also a fair number of sarcastic and mocking remarks. 

Given the context—his plan to harm Laika being revealed before his death—it made sense that public sentiment wasn’t purely mournful. 

Iris furrowed her brow as she read the articles and comments. 

Something about the situation felt off. 

Artificial, even. 

‘Ugh, this is weird. I’ve got a bad feeling… no way Laika did this, right?’ 

Public opinion continued to shift toward “Desnes got what he deserved.” 

People said it was fortunate he hit a guardrail and not another person. 

That trying to hurt Laika and then dying right after was karma. 

Laika’s image was improving, and so was the public perception of his father, Kaisar, a three-term congressman running again for office. 

‘He’s a villain. A major character who throws Gyodam City into danger in the comic… This kind of scheme is well within his range. Laika’s not just a gifted person—he has the money and power to cover up any crime.’ 

Iris couldn’t know the truth, but she had a strong hunch that Laika was involved—whether in just leaking the transcript, or also in orchestrating Desnes’s death. 

There was no way to know for sure. 

Still, if it was Laika who drove Desnes to his death… 

Sure, Desnes was at fault. 

If Laika were just an ordinary person, that falling chandelier could’ve seriously hurt or even killed him. 

But did Desnes deserve to die for it? 

‘No… it’s just suspicion. We don’t know who leaked the transcript, or whether Laika had anything to do with Desnes’s death. It’s all guesswork.’ 

Since this episode didn’t happen in the original comic, even her “plot sense” skill didn’t trigger—she couldn’t determine what was true. 

And even if Laika had done it… well, it wouldn’t be surprising. 

A villain doing villainous things. 

“Enough. No point thinking about this.” 

Iris shook the thoughts from her head and laid down. 

But just then, the phone screen beside her lit up. 

It was a message from Laika’s manager.