Nightmare and Everyday Life
The voice of a slightly young girl echoed from somewhere. It was the voice of a girl who never listened, a complete tomboy through and through. At first, I thought it was just a hallucination. After all, no matter how I looked at it, there was no way some random girl would make an offer like that to me.
But from some point on, the voice became far too clear and precise to brush off as mere hallucination. It kept urging me to choose quickly because there was no time. I wanted to answer right away... but strangely, I couldn't. I couldn't feel anything at all. It was as if only my brain had been pulled out, every single nerve connection severed. I couldn't feel the mouth that should have been screaming for help, nor the arms that should have been reaching out to be lifted. Even further, my body and the very existence of 'me' seemed to be fading away.
Even so, as if possessed, I kept repeating in my mind, (I want to live...)(If only I could hold that person one more time...)
“…”
Everything grew blurry, and only the horrifying sensation of pitch-black nothingness swallowing me remained. Yet even then, Elphy's smiling face kept floating before my eyes. A sorrowful emotion surged up from somewhere inside me, threatening to burst out. But that was all. I could do nothing more. This was probably death—the disappearance of my sense of self and the complete severance of all external sensations. I didn't want to admit it, but it seemed I had no choice now. I was dead, and I could not answer her proposal.
But... why?
“What are you blankly staring at? Answer me already.”
“...?”
I was so startled that words failed me. What the hell was going on? And who the hell are you, standing right in front of me?
For a moment I just stared blankly at the being before me as if in a dream. Then I realized that all the senses that had vanished along with the nothingness were slowly returning to normal.
“...What? What the hell is...”
“What do you mean, 'what'? You said you wanted to see Elphy again. For that to happen, don't you need to come back to life first?”
“...Come back to life? No... wait, what the hell is...”
“Can't you see it over there?”
“…”
The moment those words left her mouth, the metallic stench of blood, dirt, and rain brushed past my nose. Like a scene from a horrific thriller film, my eyes reflected a mutilated corpse lying pathetically in the pouring rain.
“That... that's me?”
“Yes, it's you. Do you remember now?”
“…”
Her question acted like kindling, igniting the extinguished fire in my mind. That's right... I had been done in by that masked bastard. Just as brutally and cruelly as what I was seeing now. But what was this situation? How the hell could I be looking at my own dead body with my own two eyes? Astral projection? Something like that...?
“…”
This impossible situation clearly had something to do with the little brat standing in front of me. Thinking that, I stared at the unidentified being before me. A delicate, small girl who only came up to my waist, with a frail and slender build. Strangely, I couldn't make out her face—it was as if someone had taken a beautifully drawn picture and aggressively erased it with an eraser. From her appearance to her speech and even the mysterious aura radiating from her body, she was clearly no ordinary existence.
“...What are you looking at like that? I suppose your silence means you agree?”
“No... wait. Who the hell are you?”
“I'll tell you that later. Just answer me first.”
“What do you even...”
“Aish! If we waste any more time, I won't be able to save you...!!!”
She complained that if a man was going to do it, he should just do it, and why was I blabbering so much? The little brat in front of me suddenly executed a dropkick on me without warning. I lost my balance from the incomprehensible attack and collapsed.
“Ugh...! W-wait a second...!”
“Shut up! My condition isn't what it used to be, so I need to concentrate...!!”
Despite her delicate appearance, the overwhelming power emanating from that small body was no joke. I struggled desperately with my whole body, but it was useless against that crushing force. The black energy that followed the path of her foot had already turned into liquid and began devouring my body in an instant.
“Guh...! Hup... ngh...!!!”
Through my mouth, nose, and eyes. I could feel the oil-like black substance forcing its way into every orifice. I writhed in agony, staring at the unbelievable sight of my body turning half black.
(What the...?)
(My torn body is being put back together?)
It was like assembling scattered puzzle pieces. The sticky black liquid burrowed into my chest, pulling the fragmented pieces together. Every time the shattered parts found their proper places one by one, I felt with bone-deep certainty that I was being revived, and I began gasping for rough breaths.
“Hah...!! Ha... hah... hah...”
“What? I fixed you, so why are you the one panting like a dog?”
“…”
I couldn't understand it, nor could I explain it. The only answer that came to mind was Diiha. I didn't know the details, but she must have saved me using the other world's magic, Diiha. That didn't mean I could accept this absurd situation, though. Just who the hell are you...?
“...Are you curious about me?”
“Uh...”
“Then see for yourself with your own two eyes.”
“…”
Along with those words, the unidentified being held something out in front of me. It was a heart. As unbelievable as it was, the vivid red lump of flesh was twitching slightly in her hand. I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression.
“Wh-what is that? Is that... my heart?”
“Yes. Look at it closely again. Isn't it pretty?”
“…”
Pretty...? Is this bitch crazy? I had no idea what she was thinking, but I wanted her to stop the weird shit and put it back where it belonged. For a moment I made a face that was practically begging, but then the blood coating the heart began to flow down, revealing a strange mark I hadn't noticed before.
“...What? What the hell is that on my heart...”
“Ah... it's nothing much. I just stamped something like a seal proving the contract with my name.”
“What? Contract?”
“What do you mean, 'what'? The contract is already done, isn't it?”
“...?”
A contract...? What the hell was she talking about? I was momentarily flustered by the unexpected words. She placed the heart back in its original position and stood up as if to leave. With a mountain of questions piled up, I instinctively jumped to my feet and shouted.
“Wait...!!!!”
“Hm? Ah... right. Since it was emergency treatment and not a full cure, avoid anything strenuous like exercise until I wake up.”
“And no drinking or smoking~”
“No, that's not what I...!!! You... who the hell ar...”
“…”
Like a dream, the being who had saved me began to fade away little by little. The black liquid was gone now. All I could feel was the chill seeping in as cold sweat dried and an extreme lethargy that made my whole body feel limp. I sensed the dark red blood that had soaked into the ground slowly being sucked back into my body like a sponge. At the same time, she answered my question like this.
I am the god of this world.
“…”
A god... Yes, she definitely said she was a god. It was unbelievable. A god? That was ridiculous. But this... what the hell was...
User confirmation.
Administrator mode confirmed, account lock confirmed, account hidden confirmed.
From now on, you are a Super Account user.
Depending on the Creator's status, until Super Account activation... 1 year.
At those words, I opened my eyes. And so, I came back to life.
“Hey, hyung. Did you really do it with Elphy last night?”
“She used some kind of magic and now she's your slave or something? So how was it?”
“How was it... Fuck, do I really have to tell you that?”
“What? Like, did she scream 'Haaang♥ Master~!!!' while thrashing up and down... Is that what you want to hear?”
“Haha! For real? Really...”
“…”
The sound suddenly cut off. The face that had been laughing foolishly fell powerlessly toward the ground. A yellow beam of light pierced diagonally through his cheek. It happened so fast that his eyes were still blinking as if he were alive. Before the panicked pupils, a spear of light poured down and sliced my waist in half.
Everyone collapsed like broken reeds. Blood dyed the ground red, and the metallic stench soaking my entire body drove me insane. The others, even the old man who had greeted me with a gentle smile, were all dead. Without any chance to resist... as if a human had crushed bugs under their palm.
I couldn't do anything. I couldn't do anything at all...
“Uwaaaah!!!”
“Huk... huk.... huk...”
“Mmm... What? Another nightmare?”
“…”
My heart was still pounding vividly. I wiped away the cold sweat with one hand and caught my breath.
“Elphy... what time is it right now?”
“Hm? It's 9 in the morning...?”
“…”
I see... Has that much time already passed? I couldn't believe it, but the 9 o'clock news was playing on the TV, so her words must be true. No, more importantly, why the hell is that still on?
“…”
“What are you looking at?”
“What do you mean, what am I looking at... Why is that still on? Didn't I tell you to turn it off before sleeping? Huh?”
“Hm? Ah... I must have forgotten.”
“Never mind that, just make food already. I'm hungry.”
“…”
Fucking hell... It's not like she has ADHD, so how can she not even handle something this simple? The first thing she says after waking me up is to make food—it's enough to kill any affection I had left... As I tried to get up, I suddenly felt no strength in my lower body.
“What are you doing? Food.”
“No... wait, my legs have no strength...”
“What? Wait... did you break it because we went a bit hard yesterday?”
“…”
You idiot... Getting it up is one thing, but if you slam down on it like a beast, what man could endure that? You're not even a succubus, yet every single time you go four or five rounds... At first it's good, but later it becomes hell... Just thinking about having to take her insane libido with my whole body again today made me feel sick.
“What's with that face? Grossed out? Then should I wear a costume today?”
“No... that's not it... It's, um... chafed and hurts? Haha... So let's rest today.”
“...Chafed? If it stings, should I heal it with recovery magic?”
“…”
No, that's not the problem at all? This is driving me crazy... This slave's expression looked far from normal.
“Take it off. Let me check.”
“Eh? Uh... No no...!!”
“More importantly, we need to eat and go. Today's the last day of rift handling, right? Haha...”
“…”
As if fleeing, I stood up with an awkward smile, putting all my strength into my waist. To avoid getting caught, I shoved my head into the refrigerator.
“What are you doing? I said I'd check your wound.”
“Hm? What did you say? You want bacon?”
“…”
Grinding my teeth, I pretended not to hear. The moment I opened the door, I fiddled with the bacon I'd found and waited for her to go wash up. Whether my plan worked or not, not long after, I heard a somewhat regretful sigh.
“Haa... Fine. I'll wash first then.”
“…”
A beat late in answering. Only then could I finally breathe a sigh of relief at having barely avoided her sharp morning erection check. Ha... fuck... When she first started learning Korean from me, she was literally an angel... Alcohol really is the problem... That one impure intention I had definitely flipped some kind of switch inside her. Otherwise, how could her sex drive be stronger than a middle school boy's? It's already been a year since we started living together. Big breasts, pretty face, wide hips. Plus those handles on both sides... In crude terms, she's literally a living, breathing sex doll, which is great, but fuck, this is way too much.
(Haa... Should I start taking some stamina supplements or something...)
(With my current condition, I feel like I'd have to at least do a decent job as her live-in stud...)
Unfortunately, I didn't have the money for that, so it was sad that I couldn't even afford the luxury. I pushed the random thoughts that had crossed my mind aside and diligently prepared the baked bacon along with some bread to go with it. My roommate was already sitting at the table looking fresh and clean, urging me to hurry with breakfast.
“Is it still not ready?”
“No... It's done. Here...”
“What about you? Aren't you eating?”
“Yeah... I don't have much of an appetite, so I'll just have this banana milk.”
“Banana milk?! No... Why didn't you tell me?”
“…”
Are you asking because you don't know? I didn't tell you because I knew you'd eat them all. How much does she plan to stuff down from the morning... If I buy a six-pack, she eats five of them. I wanted to say that, but on the other hand, since this kid was basically the breadwinner of our house, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
“Haa... Fine. You need to eat properly if you're going to work... Here, banana milk.”
“...Why isn't it the yellow banana milk? I told you I like the yellow banana milk!”
“…”
Ha... fuck. I almost showed my dignity as her master for a second, but I had to hold back. I forced myself to calm down and smiled.
“Haha... Sorry. Next time I'll buy that ridiculously expensive brand you like, okay?”
“Yeah. Buy a lot. Why do you always buy just six at a time? Can't you just buy them by the box?”
“Haa... Where would I get that kind of money... I shouldn't be saying this, but our living expenses are tight.”
“…”
At my sigh-filled words, she went quiet too. I also stood up and returned to the living room sofa. Yeah, fuck... It's all my fault... It was good that I came back to life and returned to the place I used to live, but after that day, my physical abilities had dropped to a level that couldn't even be compared to before. How should I put it... It felt like my body had been forcibly glued back together with adhesive or something? Like my body wasn't my own, I couldn't even walk or run properly... As a once-successful mercenary, it was impossible to make use of the career and experience I'd built up until now. No place would take me after I'd suddenly become half-disabled overnight.
“Sorry... I've been sensitive lately because of work too...”
“Haa... No. It's fine.”
“By the way, you said we had to be there by 10, right? Should we leave a bit early...?”
“…”
Ha... fuck. Why did I bring up something so unnecessary from the morning... An awkward silence flowed after my suggestion to leave early. Elphy's eyes looked at me as if she had something to say.
“That... about the money... I thought of one way we could make a lot of it...”
“How about we make porn and sell it? Something like hametori...”
“…”
What? Fuck, did I hear that wrong? The completely unexpected, out-of-this-world answer made my head spin... Regardless, this kid suddenly started rummaging through the room and pulling out cosplay outfits.
“Here! What should we wear first?”
“Ah... No, wait a second... So you're saying we should film ourselves having sex and sell it online?”
“Yeah! I saw it on the news? On places like XHub or Xtreon...”
“…”
Ha... fuck, this is insane. Suddenly hearing about selling sex tapes while eating breakfast left me so dumbfounded that no words came out... Just looking at the dozens of cosplay costumes made me feel dizzy.
“Should we start with school uniforms? Or these Adidas leggings?”
“No, wait a minute... Are you seriously saying this?”
“Yeah. We're doing hunter work, but... honestly, at E-rank we don't make much money...”
“And honestly, the only thing that works properly on you is that thing down there, right?”
“…”
Right? What the fuck do you mean 'right'? I wanted to snap at her for daring to say that to her master... The problem was that Elphy's words were painfully accurate. Just like she said, right now the only thing that worked properly on me was that thing down there. But still, fuck, this wasn't right. As a Confucian boy born in a Confucian country, my pride would never forgive doing something like this. I pushed away the embarrassing reverse bunny outfit or whatever it was that she was pushing at me and stood up.
“Why? Isn't this outfit pretty? If we start strong with this to draw in the views...”
“No... That's not the issue. This is illegal, you know? Huh?”
“Aww... People like us have to break a few laws to get rich.”
“Honestly, how would they catch us? Pay for a 7-day VPN, change the IP to Paraguay and...”
“…”
Ha... fuck. Until a year ago she was pure and untouched, so how did she become this corrupted by 21st-century science and technology...? It made me dizzy... But regardless, this kid was dead serious.
“We should buy a camera first, right? Since we're buying one, should we get a good one?”
“No... Ha... Fine, let's say we do it. Who would do the filming...?”
“Obviously you'd hold it with one hand.”
“It's for the concept! Like... a boyfriend who wants to record his hot first night with his girlfriend...”
“…”
This crazy bitch is actually going to drive me insane... What if we really get caught? And above all, I don't want nameless bastards using videos of me having sex as masturbation material. I shook my head with desperate will, but the mention of three thousand a month made my eyes snap open.
“What!? Bullshit...”
“I'm telling the truth!! Look at this... Here, see...”
“…”
No... Fuck, there really are crazy bastards like this... Selling your own porn tapes online? What absolute lunatics... Or so I thought. But when I thought about it, to live with this insane sex addict I'd have to do it about four times a week anyway... If I could just lie there like a wooden puppet holding a camera, maybe it wouldn't be so bad?
“…”
No, Kim Chanhyuk! Don't trade your dignity for money!! No matter how desperate I am for cash, I'm not at that level yet. I regained my senses and pushed down Elphy's hand as she picked up the bunny outfit again.
“Why? You don't like this? If bunny doesn't work, there's a full-body fishnet one...”
“No... That's not the problem in the first place. Are you seriously making this suggestion?”
“Not necessarily~ Well... It's not like it has to be this, but... It's a blue ocean, right?”
“We could both wear masks... Haha;;”
“…”
Blue ocean my ass... What the hell is she so proud of that she's laughing? It was so absurd it felt like my nose was clogged, but on the other hand, since today was the last day of the rift she was in charge of, I couldn't deny that I was already worried about what we'd do going forward.
“Eh? What's with that face? Honestly, even though you say no, you're tempted, right?”
“Haa... No, I'm not? If you're going to talk nonsense, just put on some clothes.”
“Aren't you going to work? Huh?”