The Beginning of Reformation
I was definitely lying in bed.
Then I opened my eyes to a knife-edge wind that slapped my cheeks, the jarring vibration beneath my ass, and the rough feel of wooden planks beneath me.
What the hell? Where am I?
A dark forest path, lined on all sides by dense, grotesque trees.
And in my hand, a worn leather reins pulled tight in my fist.
I was sitting on the driver’s seat, guiding a horse.
“What the—...”
The instant I started to panic and reach for the reins,
rustle—!
Someone suddenly burst out from between the thick brush.
“W-wait, whoa—move!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs, but it was already too late.
The horse reared, letting out a shriek as it twisted its body, front legs kicking high.
BOOOOM—!
“Aaaagh!”
The carriage overturned, and my body flew through the air before slamming into the ground. I rolled across the dirt several times before finally coming to a stop.
“Haah, haah... fuck, what the hell.”
When I finally managed to push my upper body up, I heard a dreadful groan from beneath the shattered carriage wreckage.
“Sa... save me...”
A man lay with his lower body crushed under a carriage wheel, coughing up blood.
The bastard who’d burst out of the forest a moment ago.
“Please... save me...”
He reached out with a blood-smeared hand and clutched at my pant leg.
For an instant, anger surged through me.
You lunatic! You jump out and nearly kill someone, and now you’re grabbing me?
The moment I was about to kick his hand away in irritation—
Ke-ke-ke-kek! Krrrk!
A grotesque laugh that made my spine go cold.
Deep in the dark forest, red eyes began to glitter.
Green skin. Torn mouths. Rusted swords and spears in their hands. Goblins.
The disgusting monsters I’d only ever seen on the news.
“Ah...”
My heart lurched so hard my legs went weak.
Their gazes were fixed squarely on the man bleeding under the carriage and on me.
My mind went completely blank.
The thought of fighting didn’t even cross my mind once.
I was already starving, already weakened.
There was no way I could lift that heavy carriage and save him.
If I hesitated, I’d be torn apart by those monsters too.
“Please... please save me...”
“...”
The man’s voice only made me more certain.
I had to live.
I kicked off the ground and sprang to my feet. Ignoring the man’s desperate hand, I ran blindly toward the opposite side of the forest. I didn’t look back.
“Aaahhh!”
A horrible scream exploded behind me.
The goblins’ laughter. The thought of the man being torn apart alive.
I have to run faster!
My lungs were ready to burst and my heart felt like it was about to explode when—
fwoosh—!
Red text flashed into the air.
Failed
At the same time, a violent wave of vertigo hollowed out the ground beneath my feet. My vision went completely black.
“Hk...! Hah!”
I gasped and jerked my eyes open.
The nauseating stench of alcohol. The sound of the matrix.
I was back in Regina Prison’s solitary confinement cell.
This wasn’t a dream.
The scraped skin on my knees and the dirt smeared across my clothes proved the situation from moments ago had been real.
Click—!
Then came the opening steel door.
A silhouette stood in the doorway, backlit by the light. It was the Vice Warden.
Before I knew it, I was backpedaling into the corner, trying to get away.
But the Vice Warden came at me with the same cold efficiency as a machine and seized my hair roughly.
“Aagh! It hurts! Let go!”
“Prisoner No. 1. As expected, you didn’t disappoint.”
With her other hand, the Vice Warden thrust something toward my mouth.
“Mmph, ngh! No, I won’t drink it! Give me water, I said—water!”
“You must bear the consequences of your choice.”
Her hand forced my jaw open, and before I could even draw breath, liquor began pouring down my throat in a torrent.
Alcohol surged back through my nose and mouth. My esophagus burned like it had been set on fire.
“Cough! Ngh, aagh!”
Only after half the bottle had disappeared did the Vice Warden finally let go.
I heaved and gagged, choking on spit and bile.
“Reflect on your actions thoroughly until you are called again.”
Bang—!
The door slammed shut, and I was left alone once more.
I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face.
Water... please give me water... Warden... please...
*
I came to as if I’d collapsed unconscious.
The familiar knife-like wind against my cheeks, the rocking vibration of wooden planks, and the rank smell of horse sweat stinging my nose.
It’s the exact same situation as yesterday.
But this time I didn’t panic. I gripped the reins even tighter.
Rustle!
As expected, the man from yesterday burst out from the bushes. I already knew it, but there was no time to slow down or steer around the carriage.
BOOOOM—!
The moment my vision flipped upside down, I let go of the reins and rolled across the ground. I flew through the air and hit the dirt, but unlike last time, I didn’t get thrown around helplessly. Maybe because I curled up and absorbed the impact, I didn’t even get hurt.
“P-please... save me...”
The exact same plea as yesterday. Bloodstained hands.
I took one deep breath and moved toward the man trapped beneath the carriage.
“Move aside.”
I grabbed the broken planks and lifted.
Crick. The sound of wood warping. The carriage began to rise, even if only a little.
It’s moving. Just a little.
But there was no time.
Ke-ke-ke-kek! Krrrk!
A goblin horde appeared from the forest.
The killing intent pouring off the monsters made every hair on my body stand on end.
My instincts screamed at me to drop the heavy carriage and run for the forest right this second. But—
If I run...
The horrible memory closed around my throat.
That disgusting alcohol being forced down my esophagus while the Vice Warden held my hair. The burning throat, the hellish hangover that had made me roll across the floor.
No. Absolutely not.
The terror of that penalty crushed every instinct to flee. And just as my head began to spin—
Kiieek—!
The leading goblin raised its rusted spear and leapt at me.
“Don’t come any closer!”
I shouted hoarsely, and without thinking, I tore one hand away from the carriage and thrust it into the air.
Desperation to survive. In that instant—
whoosh—!
A sharp spike materialized in midair in a flash.
It flew straight through the goblin’s throat.
“...!”
Thud.
It crashed to the ground, spewing green blood.
Dead on the spot.
I looked down at both of my hands.
My ability works here too?
The moment I realized my power could manifest in this place as well, the fear in me instantly transformed into murderous intent toward the monsters.
“Die, all of you, you bastards!”
I swung my outstretched hand wildly.
Dozens of sharp spikes formed in rapid succession in the air.
Pa-pa-pa-pak—!
“Kiek!”
“Krrrk!”
The charging goblins took spikes to the head and chest one after another.
Disgusting green blood and flesh splattered in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, five or six of them were rolling on the ground, and the rest shrieked and fled into the forest.
“Haah, haah...”
Since it was my first time using my ability like this, my head swam and the strength drained from my legs. I dropped to the spot, sitting down hard.
My whole body started breaking out in sweat. As I was catching my breath, the man pinned under the carriage was staring at me, his mouth hanging open.
I snapped back to my senses.
“Right.”
I staggered to my feet and grabbed the carriage again, lifting.
Crack, creak. The instant the carriage lifted, just a little, from the lower half of the man’s body—
“Hurry up and get out! Crawl out, damn it!”
I shouted, veins standing out on my neck.
Only then did the man claw at the dirt with both arms and drag his legs along, finally managing to wriggle free from under the carriage.
Crash!
I slammed the carriage back down to the ground.
“Th-thank you! Thank you so much for saving me!”
I barely registered his gratitude. Half-dazed, I looked from the torn skin on my own hands to the man, then back again.
The monsters had been repelled, and the person had been rescued.
What do I do now?
*
I sat at the desk, staring at the computer screen.
The monitor displayed Prisoner No. 1, Kang Heesu, along with her status.
Prisoner No. 1: Reformation progress slightly increased
Pass
A window that appeared after Kang Heesu drove off the goblins and rescued the man.
I moved the mouse and clicked the button labeled “Pass.” Then I turned my head toward the Vice Warden.
“Let’s go.”
The Vice Warden lowered her head and went ahead of me.
When the cell door opened, Kang Heesu was crouched on the floor. Sensing someone’s presence, she instinctively crawled toward it.
“Warden...”
The sight of her made me take out a bottle of mineral water.
This time, she had passed.
It wasn’t perfect, but at least she hadn’t run away like the first time.
Surely she deserved some water.
Just as I was opening the bottle and about to give it to her, the Vice Warden’s hand suddenly shot out and blocked mine.
“Warden. Might I suggest giving water only when she has done exceptionally well?”
“I-I did well!! Please, Warden!! Please give me water. I’ll do whatever you tell me from now on! I’ll really be a good person, okay?!”
Kang Heesu clung to me miserably, but the Vice Warden remained firm. With a gesture of her hand, something like a cord flew out from the darkness and bound Kang Heesu’s eyes, hands, and feet.
“Prisoner No. 1. Do not act above your station.”
At the Vice Warden’s rebuke, Kang Heesu shrank her shoulders and trembled on the floor.
“Prisoner No. 1.”
“Y-yes...!”
“Why did you save that man?”
Kang Heesu flinched.
“......”
“Was it because of guilt?”
“N-no.”
“Then why?”
After a long hesitation, she answered in a shaking voice.
“If I failed... I’d get punished...”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Come to think of it, it was obvious.
She hadn’t moved because she wanted to save someone.
She’d moved only because she was terrified of the price of failure.
The Vice Warden spoke quietly.
“She has not yet been reformed.”
“......”
“But a reward is still necessary.”
I looked down at the bottle of water again.
“Then what should I give her?”
“You should not give the prisoner what she wants.”
“Why not?”
“Because reformation is not a transaction.”
The Vice Warden continued in that calm voice of hers.
“Submission in order to obtain what one desires, and assigning meaning to one’s own actions, are entirely different matters.”
I slowly nodded.
True enough.
Right now Kang Heesu wanted water.
She was so crazed by thirst she’d probably do anything for a sip.
Then was it really right to give her water?
“Then what kind of reward do you think is appropriate?”
Only then did the Vice Warden take a step closer.
“There are several methods.”
A low, composed voice.
“You may choose one yourself, Warden.”
I choose it myself...
I looked down at Kang Heesu, sprawled before me.
She was crazed enough by thirst to wager her life for a single sip of water.
But like the Vice Warden said, water didn’t seem like the right answer.
That woman hadn’t repented.
She’d only moved because punishment scared her.
What the prisoner needs is a reward.
But not the reward the prisoner wants.
Suddenly, a conversation from before came back to me.
Female criminals.
Charm tactics.
Temptation.
And the need not to be swayed by them.
“Vice Warden.”
“Yes.”
“That training you mentioned before.”
“You mean the training for not being swayed by female prisoners?”
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“Can we use that?”
The Vice Warden seemed to think it over for a moment before slowly speaking.
“Then do it this way.”
“How?”
The Vice Warden leaned close to my ear.
“Give the prisoner your semen as a reward instead of water.”
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