Chapter 132: Nightmare.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132: Nightmare.
Just what did she do?
Well, although the Succubus Queen appeared to have vanished, it was easy to guess she had simply moved somewhere else, considering I’d used the Touch of the Devil to form a contract with her.
And that “somewhere” was likely a place related to the devil who lends me strength.
If I had to guess, the Succubus Queen and the devil probably struck some kind of deal there, which resulted in all the lower succubi transferring their authority to me.
…But if that’s the case, I can’t keep pretending to be unconscious.
As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw everyone rushing toward me.
Guys, what if a brainwashing-type villain was forcing me to act? Why are you running over so defenselessly?
Wait, actually… looking closely, they all had weapons in their hands. Were they coming to finish me off…?
“So-hyun! Are you okay?!”
Ha-ni was the first to reach me, checking my condition.
For a brief moment, I couldn’t think of what to say, but the answer came to me quickly.
“Where am I? We were just in the ballroom. No, my head… Ugh…!?”
Let’s just roll with this for now.
I’d managed to ad-lib my way this far, but honestly, I still needed a moment to calm down.
I had seen many deaths in my memories before, but Lilac’s death this time was far too unexpected. The emotions transmitted through the dream were different from usual, leaving my head spinning.
I tried to act as naturally as possible.
“It’s alright. You don’t need to try and remember. You were kidnapped by a villain, and we just rescued you.”
Cheon Yu-hak, seemingly having caught on to something, nodded and made eye contact with the others.
Oh, why don’t you guys just put up a billboard announcing that something happened to me while you’re at it?
Lilac explained the situation to Lee Yu-na, who had arrived last. Ha-ni, seemingly intending to get her story straight with Cheon Yu-hak, left me out of her account of the battle that had just taken place.
Is this enough?
Since the authority over the Dream World had passed to me, I decided to pretend to slowly collapse the world.
It wasn’t particularly difficult.
Ever since I realized the authority had shifted to me, I instinctively knew how to maintain or destroy this place.
As soon as I cut off the demonic energy and power that were being consumed to sustain the world, the realm began to shake.
“…It seems the world has become unstable because the core entity was defeated.”
“Is this really okay? Shouldn’t we escape?”
Ha-ni asked anxiously, but fortunately, Lilac shook his head.
I suppose he felt something, being the protagonist and all.
“No, I can’t explain it clearly, but I think it’ll be fine.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong. If it just collapsed, the kids would be trapped in the Dream World, which would be a major problem—but as long as I held ownership, that wouldn’t happen.
I’ll just send them out one by one.
The first to be released was Lee Yu-na.
She wouldn’t suddenly awaken as a succubus, but there was no benefit to keeping her in the Dream World for too long.
“Huh? My body?”
Yu-na panicked as she was suddenly enveloped in a cluster of light, but there was no need to worry.
I’d be sending the others back the same way soon.
Next was Lilac.
…In the memory, it looked like Lilac had met his end because of me.
Perhaps this was why the Lee Yu-na in that memory had resented me so much.
The pieces of the puzzle were slowly starting to fit together.
Cheon Yu-hak gazed at me calmly even as the light took him. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I could see a strange flicker of worry in his eyes.
Ha-ni and Ga-eul momentarily tried to resist the light and reach for me, but once they were touched by it, interfering with the Dream World was impossible.
Don’t worry. I’ll be back after I finish up a few more things.
Finally, Professor Cathy, who was unconscious, and the Elder Sister, who was being lectured by Sun Wukong, began to disappear into the light in sequence.
Seeing Sun Wukong nod with a satisfied face, I assumed their conversation had ended well.
After liberating everyone who had been trapped in the Dream World, I was truly the only one left.
Back in the outside world, people were probably panicking as they realized that no time had passed since they woke up from the dream.
Well, once I freed everyone, the Dream World became unstable instantly.
It made sense; there wasn’t enough human desire left to sustain it.
Of course, this was exactly what I wanted.
I had to leave too, but I still had work to do.
If this world collapsed, I would be in danger, but I was certain of one thing.
I was certain that the entity who would never stand by and watch me get hurt would act.
The Authority nestled in my heart forcibly held onto the crumbling world.
Right, you want to protect me. You won’t just let me die here.
And using just a part of your power to prop up a collapsing world must be a bit taxing, right?
— …?
As if sensing that I would immediately escape if it bought me time, the Authority tightened around my heart as if urging me. However, my goal from the start was this very moment—the moment it used its power to prevent the collapse.
I gripped the Touch of the Devil and shed a little blood. Following the contract, the Succubus Queen, who had been moved elsewhere, reappeared.
Realizing its mistake, the entity gripped my heart with its remaining strength, but it didn’t hurt much. Who told you to use violence and threats like a coward?
Meanwhile, the Succubus Queen, perhaps under the impression that I was still acting, knelt before me and showed her respect.
“Consort of the Demon King. You summoned me?”
“No, the others are gone, so you can stop the act. Anyway, you remember the contract, right?”
“Of course. Furthermore, even without such a contract, I would follow any command you give without a word of complaint.”
…Seriously, what on earth happened in that short span of time?
When I looked at her with questioning eyes, she read my intent and provided an answer.
“Since you saved all the children who follow me, it is only right that I repay you with the proper attitude. Moreover, how could I dare to treat someone so highly regarded by that person with anything less than respect?”
I think I have a rough idea of what she’s misunderstanding, but it feels a bit weird to hear a friend’s mother speaking to me in such formal honorifics.
The Succubus Queen.
I hadn’t killed this woman, the mother of Lee Yu-na and the culprit behind this incident.
It was because of the guilt I felt toward Lee Yu-na.
Because if I let Lilac kill her, it might ruin his relationship with Yu-na in the future.
And because she possessed abilities I needed.
I had spared her for many reasons, but honestly, I still wasn’t sure.
No one had died, but there were victims. Even if there was no malice, the situation could have easily spiraled into a catastrophe.
Was it really okay for me to spare such a person on my own whim?
“…I understand your distrust. Even with a contract, you may still feel uneasy.”
As if sensing my hesitation, she began to bow her head deeply.
Ah, stop with the guilt-tripping…!
“But please, show me mercy. If you cannot trust me, then please trust your contract with the Demon King. I will never betray you or disappoint you.”
Seeing her plead so desperately with a face that looked just like Lee Yu-na’s made me feel strange.
Fine, she wasn’t a villain in the original story anyway, so let’s trust her just this once.
“…I’ll trust you for now, so please raise your head.”
“Yes.”
Right, it’s better to get straight to the point than to waste time worrying.
“I have a situation where I need to look into some memories. Can you help me?”
“You do not need to speak formally to me. Please, speak comfortably.”
…This is driving me crazy, seriously.
“Can you help me?”
“Yes, of course. I am more than happy to be of assistance so soon after our contract.”
The Succubus Queen reached out her hand.
The Authority once again gripped my heart, threatening me to stop, but the pain was even weaker than before, as if it was struggling just to maintain the world.
Now was the chance.
The memories blocked by Noise—cracked and seemingly ready to shatter at any moment—flowed into me at her touch.
The memories began to surface.
Until now, I had denied them as if they weren’t mine, but these were undoubtedly my memories.
From the moment I first transmigrated into this world and became So-hyun, to the memories I had forgotten before I regretted everything and regressed back to that day.
The memories you had erased.
* * *
“So-hyun.”
At first, I didn’t recognize that the name was being used to call me.
“So-hyun~!”
Because I wasn’t yet used to the new name I’d been given, she always had to call me at least twice before I would open my eyes.
A month had passed since the Lord of Myriad Worlds forced me to transmigrate into the novel my friend wrote.
…I mean, usually, when people transmigrate, don’t they end up in the middle of the story or at the prologue?
What kind of jerk transmigrates someone right after they’re born?
“Oh my, So-hyun looked this way! What do I do!”
And this person squealing beside me was the mother of this body, Yu Ha-na.
With her ash-colored hair and silver eyes, combined with her frail body, her overall impression and presence were quite faint. However, she seemed exceptionally full of life only when she was playing pranks or looking at me.
“My little So-hyun. Why do you call for Na-hyun and Daddy but not for Mommy? I’m the one who spends the most time with you. Just once, please? Ma-ma! Ma-ma!”
“Ba-bu.”
“…You didn’t just call me a dummy, did you? That was just a coincidence, right, So-hyun?”
Sharp, aren’t you? I did call you a dummy. I’m not even your real son; can’t you even tell that much?
…To be honest, I did feel a bit sorry.
It wasn’t by my choice, but I had essentially stolen the body of the real Kang So-hyun, who should have been born as her son.
Yet, while feeling that guilt, I especially didn’t want to call that person “Mom.”
Listening to her voice often brought back unpleasant memories.
— Ha-neul! I love you, my son!
Neither her face nor her voice resembled my original mother’s in the slightest.
Nevertheless, whenever I felt her affectionate gaze and heard her voice, memories of that day would resurface.
The thought that this person might also abandon me and leave made it impossible for the word “Mom” to come out of my mouth.
“Ubu…”
Because of this infant body, I couldn’t even control my movements, let alone my thoughts, as I wished.
Memories I thought I had moved past would stubbornly crawl back up whenever this person was in front of me.
But that feeling lasted only a moment. The second she turned away and began to cough, my mind went blank.
Right, there was no need to wonder if she would leave.
Judging by the fact that she didn’t appear in the original work, she was going to die.
The exact cause was unknown, but her illness would likely worsen, or there would be some other reason.
“…Mommy is sorry she can’t hold you more. I need to get healthy quickly so I can give So-hyun lots of hugs.”
The moment she pulled me into her arms, despite thinking I shouldn’t, the warmth made my heart feel cozy.
I wanted to squirm away, but my body wouldn’t move.
“Ah! But I feel a bit better today, so maybe it’s okay to try!?”
“…Ubu?”
I had a bad feeling.
Whenever she had that sparkle in her eyes, she always tried to do something to me.
“So-hyun, let’s have some mamma!”
It was breastfeeding.
No. Stop. Don’t do it…!!!
“Do you like it that much? Hehe! It might actually come out today!”
I struggled desperately, but she seemingly took my resistance as a baby’s giggling and began to unbutton her top with a smile.
A massive mound of flesh approached.
Save me.
Agh! Aaaaaagh!!!!
…Well, it went something like that.
Days passed where I, transmigrated into a toddler’s body, was subjected to mental harassment without even being allowed to resist.
At first, I definitely hated it, but ridiculously, the more it happened, the more my resistance faded and I grew accustomed to it.
I even felt strangely at ease, and I’d find myself smiling whenever she approached.
…Wait? Is this full-on baby-fied corruption?
No, it’s not.
I’m not sure what it’s not, but anyway, it’s just not.
* * *
An infant’s body is inconvenient in many ways.
Not only can I not act or think as I please, but I also have trouble controlling my physiological functions, and I can’t resist the urge to sleep if I’m even slightly drowsy.
But if I had to pick the most inconvenient thing, it was the fact that I couldn’t resist anything.
“So-hyun. You like this too, don’t you?”
“Abu…!!!!”
“Right, you love it!?”
I think it’s truly admirable for a young child to try and hold a baby, but listen, kid. Babies can’t support the weight of their own heads. If you hold me like that, I’ll die.
“Ah! Right! They said I shouldn’t hold you like this!”
Fortunately, she realized it immediately, sparing me from the fate of dying right after transmigration without having done anything.
“Oh, look at the time! You must be hungry. Noona will make you some formula!”
…And babies are sensitive to temperature. If I drink formula that’s too hot, I’ll get seriously hurt.
Can you please just let me live?
“Na-hyun. Babies can’t handle things that are this hot.”
Thankfully, a savior appeared.
Kang Hyun-woo took the bottle with a gentle tone as if teaching a child, then put the bottle in ice and… huh?
“Since he can’t handle hot things, wouldn’t it be better to give it to him cold?”
…Are you insane? Do you have no common sense?
In the end, as a result of my resistance to drinking the formula, Yu Ha-na appeared and scolded the two of them, allowing me to survive safely.
…Will I really be able to survive until the age where I can walk upright?
Seriously.