Episode 1: Became the Apex of the Species
Episode 1: Became the Apex of the Species
-Clink.
"Thank you, sire. Have a blessed day."
On the street of the slum in the royal capital as the sun was dimly setting.
I am currently here, desperately begging from passing merchants by tap-dancing to get a single leaf-coin.
Just a few months ago, I was clearly a fresh-faced university student, but one morning I opened my eyes to find myself in an inexplicable fantasy Otherworld.
And on top of that, with no protagonist perks like you'd expect, I was a penniless beggar.
The only things I, reborn as a beggar brat in this Otherworld, could do were pickpocketing or street begging.
Since getting caught pickpocketing in this place, which is not the modern era, often meant a beating to death and jail time, I chose street begging.
-Clink.
"Thank you very much."
And so, today as well, I am dancing desperately to buy a piece of bread, my daily sustenance.
"Hey!! Beggar!. That's useless, you'll be a beggar forever."
The teasing voices of the local brats reached me.
I know too... you brats, but what can I do, there's no other way.
While being teased by the brats and dancing desperately, in an instant, I missed my step and ended up flat on the ground.
"Argh, fuck, really."
As I sat on the ground clutching my waist, the voices of the brats, who would normally mock me for falling, did not come.
'What's this.'
Only then did I sense something strange, and when I lifted my head, I saw a noble man dressed in splendid clothes before my eyes.
The problem was that as I fell, I had splashed mud onto the clothes of the noble sire.
He must be a low-ranking noble who stopped by a brothel in some corner of the slum and was on his way back.
But even a low-ranking noble was like a massive wall to me.
"You trashy little brat."
The noble, who had just kicked my coin bowl, grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and hauled me up.
"Do you even know how much these clothes cost? Huh?"
"I'm sorry, sire. I apologize."
Only then did I beg for forgiveness as if my hands were feet, but it seemed the noble, furious to the tips of his hair, couldn't hear it.
"You couldn't buy these clothes even if you worked your whole life, huh."
As the noble man's shouting continued, people began to gather one by one.
Seeing the gathering crowd, the noble glanced around and then dragged me by the scruff of my neck into a slum alley.
"Help me."
-Thud.
"I'm sorry."
-Thud.
One word and a hit, another word and another hit.
Before I knew it, the sun had set and darkness had arrived, but the noble, perhaps because he had other things making him angry besides the mud splatter, kept beating me relentlessly as if beating a dog on Boknal.
-Thud.
-Thwack.
How much had I been hit? I had lost so much strength I could no longer utter words of apology.
I couldn't raise my arms or curl up my body, I just kept getting hit.
'Right, maybe it's quicker to just die like this and be reborn.'
Just as I was resigning myself to everything and my eyes were slowly closing.
"My, isn't that a bit much against a little brat?"
An antiquated woman's voice came from somewhere.
"Who are you? If you're not involved, piss off. I'm still punishing this guy."
The noble paid no heed and tried to hit me again.
"Hmm, I absolutely detest rude people."
As the woman gestured, the noble floated up into the air and then slammed into a wall.
"Kyaaaaak!"
The noble, who had crashed into the wall and fallen, screamed as if in pain and rolled on the ground.
"Making a fuss over just that."
The figure of the woman, who had somehow approached right before my eyes, came into view.
Long silver-white hair, starlight-like eyes, a beauty with a mysterious aura about her.
"Beautiful.... Princess.... Just one coin."
Without realizing it, I spoke in a weak, trembling voice.
Had the habit of begging already become ingrained in my body? I myself found it hard to understand why such words came out at a moment like this.
"My~ I'm a Princess? Thank you."
Showing a refreshing smile, the woman gently swept back my bangs.
"Hmm, not bad? You might become useful when you grow up later."
A warm light began to emanate from the woman's touch.
From the warm touch of a person, the first I'd felt since opening my eyes in this Otherworld, tears trickled out unknowingly.
What was appearing before my eyes now was probably magic.
I felt strength gradually returning and small scratches and bruises healing.
"I used a simple recovery spell, so you won't die."
A short while later, as the woman shook her hand and spoke, my body had recovered to a point where I could move somewhat.
"Thank you!! Thank you!! You are simply light, the GOAT, a god."
"What are you saying? Carelessly putting gods in your mouth will get you in big trouble in this world~"
As I giggled and praised the woman as if elevating her, she too seemed to be in a better mood.
"You trashy bastards."
The voice of the noble who had been beating me came from behind.
"I'll kill you all, just you wait."
The noble took out a small knife from his bosom and glared as if he would charge at us any moment.
"Try and kill me, then."
The laughter in the woman's voice had vanished, replaced by a cold, cruel tone.
"Yaaaaaaah!!!!"
The noble screamed, clenched the knife, and charged at us.
"Halt."
With the woman's single word, the noble froze in place.
"A mage? Using magic means you're a fellow noble, what the hell are you doing, you bastard!!! Release me now!!!"
"Noble? Mage? Hmm~ I'm neither~ Have you heard of the Witch of the Swamp?"
The face of the noble, who had been speaking with only his mouth gaping, turned pale.
"W, Witch? The ones who catch people to use as dark magic materials?"
"I don't use them as materials, but I do catch people sometimes."
"Spare me, Witch-nim. Please, just this once."
The noble sobbed with his immobilized body.
"Mm, it's already too late."
-Snap.
As the woman snapped her fingers, the ground crumbled and moved, then soon dragged the noble down as if swallowing him.
"Aaaak, aak."
Before the noble's scream could even grow loud, he was absorbed into the ground and it fell silent.
"Was that too harsh? No, but I'm not originally the forgiving type."
The woman swept back her silver-white hair and looked at me.
"Kid, knights might swarm here soon, so you should run away quickly too. I also need to go home and rest."
The woman waved her hand with a refreshing smile and floated up on the spot.
Just before the woman, who looked like she might fly away any moment, I hurriedly ran and prostrated myself before her.
"Beautiful Witch-nim, please take this lowly wretch into your service."
I saw it as an opportunity.
Even if I ran away from here, I'd just go back to being a beggar in rags, begging again.
I thought that if I could somehow latch onto this witch now and gain something, I could reverse my situation.
"Sorry, I'm not the type to take disciples. And only women can become witches."
The woman slowly ascended into the sky.
As comfortably and naturally as if sitting on an invisible chair.
"Wait, stop. How about a slave?"
"Huh?"
"Great Witch-nim, might you perhaps find housework bothersome, or have miscellaneous errands to run?"
"Hmm, that's true."
I felt the woman's gaze change slightly.
"This wretch, if you just provide food and lodging, I will become your faithful slave."
It was my last desperate struggle.
Frankly, what did I have? There was nothing else I could do besides this.
"Hmm."
After stroking her chin for a moment, the woman slowly descended back towards the ground.
"Kid, what's your name?"
"Right now, I am the faithful slave of the beautiful Witch-nim. I have decided that the name I had before is useless from this moment on."
"For a brat, your skill at prostrating yourself is no joke? Alright, I'll give you a new one. From today, your name is 'Ban'."
"A magnificent name!! From today, I am Ban!! Thank you, Witch-nim."
I bowed my head in greeting so deeply my back almost broke, exceeding a 90-degree angle.
"Kkuk, cute~ Alright, let's go together. Having one errand-runner would be nice."
As the woman snapped her fingers once more, this time I began to ascend into the sky with her.
"Oooh. Pardon me, but may I ask the name of the great Witch-nim?"
Sometime while flying through the night sky, I cautiously asked the woman.
"The Witch of the Swamp, Priscilla. I'm scheduled to become the most famous witch in the world soon."
"Yes, long live the world's greatest witch, Priscilla-nim!!"
And so, my new Otherworld life began.
**
A deep, quiet swamp in the depths of the forest.
There stood the mansion of the Witch of the Swamp, Priscilla-nim.
Late at night, the moment I arrived at Priscilla-nim's mansion, saying I smelled, I was stripped of my clothes and sent straight to the bath.
"I can wash myself."
"You were just living on the streets as a beggar, even if you wash, you'll do it sloppily. Let's go in together."
I threw off the rags I was barely wearing, became naked together, and the bath with Priscilla-nim began.
After soaping every nook and cranny to scrub off the accumulated grime and washing my hair with fragrant shampoo,
My eyes grew wide at the sight of my own appearance for the first time.
"Hmm, see? I said you might be alright."
My reflection in the mirror after rinsing off the soap with water poured over me.
Once clean, even I could see a handsome face with deep black eyes and thick black hair.
Looking to the future, I got the feeling I'd definitely become a handsome man.
The surprise was brief; before I could properly check my own appearance, my gaze naturally turned to Priscilla-nim beside me.
"Perverted for a young one, aren't you? I'll let you look plenty later, but for now, let's finish scrubbing off the old grime."
"Ah... yes! Priscilla-nim."
After finishing the bath and having a simple soup for a meal, I was guided to a small storage room prepared by Priscilla-nim.
"This will be your room from now on. Do the cleaning tomorrow."
-Snap.
As Priscilla-nim snapped her fingers, a small bed appeared.
"Then, sleep well. I'll tell you what to do starting tomorrow."
As Priscilla-nim bid farewell and left the room, I finally leaned back on the soft bed.
On the first bed I'd lain on since opening my eyes in this Otherworld, my eyes closed on their own and sleepiness washed over me.
"I'm already looking forward to tomorrow."
**
Life at the mansion of the Witch of the Swamp, Priscilla, was a continuous ordeal.
Waking up early to sweep the yard, preparing breakfast, waking Priscilla-nim, starting with various chores, the life continued where I spent the whole day running errands.
"Mmm, this is tasty. Ban, where did a beggar learn to cook?"
"It's basic common sense for someone living alone. Thank you, Priscilla-nim."
While doing housework, I occasionally found moments when Priscilla-nim was in a good mood and begged her to teach me magic.
-Fwoosh.
"You really have absolutely no talent for magic, huh?"
Cruelly, I realized I had the constitution of a magic impotent in this Otherworld, unable to even use simple basic magic.
I had finally secured a stable life and now could do something, but of all things, I had a constitution that couldn't use magic.
'Gods are cold-hearted too, fuck.'
But I wasn't one to give in.
From that day on, whenever I had spare time, I began exercising like crazy.
If I couldn't use magic, then I could just overwhelm everything with overwhelming physical power and strength.
Just countless drills, stamina, strength training.
I lifted anything heavy I could find for exercise and ate like crazy.
Before I knew it, time passed and my body gradually grew.
"What's this, now you're almost as tall as me?"
"I'm a growing youth. Priscilla-nim is still as beautiful as ever."
"What are you saying~ Ahem! Witches don't age originally! Anyway, come to the bedroom tonight too."
"Yes."
I did all sorts of chores and errands and then exercised like crazy again.
Occasionally, when Priscilla-nim told me to go clean up the monsters near the swamp,
I seized the opportunity to practice hitting monsters with logs, punching drills, and even prepared for real combat.
"How far are you going to grow?"
"I don't know either?"
Before I knew it, I had surpassed Priscilla-nim's height and exceeded the height of most men.
"You've grown a lot, I brought a gift. It's said to be a Great Sword made by a famous artisan?"
One day, Priscilla-nim brought me a massive sword.
It was too big, thick, and heavy to be called a sword, more like a mace.
"It's like something from a comic book...?"
"To be called a man, you should at least be able to lift and swing something of this level. Do your best~"
Clearly, Priscilla-nim gave it to me as a joke, but instead, my will ignited and I entered endless training to lift that sword.
Again, crazy exercise, meals, exercise, meals.
To perfect pure, high-concentration power, I continued endless drills.
And finally.
"Hey, aren't you too big?"
"Priscilla-nim, I succeeded."
I lifted the massive Great Sword.
I had finally reached it.
The moment I became a living bioweapon, surpassing 2 meters in height and over 120 kg in weight.
The day I lifted the sword, I realized.
Before this sword, I felt like everyone would be equal somehow.
-Swish, swish
"Priscilla-nim, please stop touching me."
But Priscilla-nim, as if uninterested in the fact I lifted the sword, just slowly touched and poked my abs.
"No, the muscles.... You know for tonight, right?"
"Yes."
As I lifted the Great Sword high into the sky, I thought.
'To think I've come this far from being a beggar brat in this world's slums...'
I chuckled briefly at the old memory, then with one hand around Priscilla-nim's waist, I went back into the mansion.
Unaware that I had already become the apex of the species that would overturn this dark fantasy world.