Living as an Incubus in This World (1)
Exactly when had it started?
Since I came to this world, the moment I fell asleep, I realized it was a dream.
Was this the lucid dream they talked about?
I squinted around the pitch-black space, clenching my fists and unclenching them again and again.
Not only did it feel like a dream through instinct, but I could move my body at will too.
"What? Why does it feel so real..."
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.
Even so, the surroundings stayed pitch dark.
Or perhaps the rush of energy coursing through my body was just an illusion.
"But why isn't it waking me up?!"
I had experienced this many times before, but never like this.
Up until now, something always jolted me awake.
"Grrrr!!"
"Grraar. Grrrrr!!"
The roar of a beast echoed from nearby.
The darkness gradually faded from my vision as the shape of something large appeared.
It looked like a big cat, or maybe a gigantic beast.
The problem was that there were not one, but several of them.
The gazes of the creatures before me turned toward me.
Their eyes sparkled as they advanced, sending chills down my spine.
"Stay back!! Don't come any closer!!"
Of course, no matter what I said, they weren't going to stop.
I had no choice but to shout, so I did.
In the end, the black leopard opened its mouth wide and lunged straight at me, drooling.
"Aaaah!!"
I squeezed my eyes shut tight.
Even if it was a dream, the vividness made it terrifying.
If it had been a cute kitten, I might have reached out to stroke it gently.
But this was no kitten.
Those razor-sharp teeth would make anyone tremble.
"Grrrr. Grrroar!! Grrrr!!"
"Grrrr, grawl! Grrrrr!!"
The black leopard that had been charging at me was blocked by a red jaguar.
Soon, the creatures began smashing into each other and fighting among themselves.
"Grrrr, grawl!!"
Then a golden tiger charged toward me, as if it had been waiting.
At that moment, the others reached an agreement and ganged up on the tiger together.
"What's happening..."
I had no choice but to take advantage of the opening.
While they were distracted by their brawl, I slowly started walking away.
I didn't even know where I should be going right now.
After all, it was just a dream I was having, so I figured I could just endure until it ended.
"Haa... haa..."
I could just get bitten and wake up.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I shook my head.
If I didn't wake up, I might suffer endless pain in a dream I wouldn't know when I would escape.
Without making a sound, I quickly scanned my surroundings and began to run.
I sprinted at full speed through the pitch-black darkness.
Ta-da-da-da.
"Grrrr~~!!"
"Grrrr!! Grrrr!! Grrrr~~!!"
The roars of the beasts echoed from behind me.
They were just fighting among themselves, yet they seemed to be chasing me with full intent.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest.
My legs trembled as I gasped for breath, the sound ringing clearly in my ears.
When I turned my head slightly, I saw the beasts stuck to my nose.
Shivers ran down my spine from their glistening eyes.
Finally, I reached a dead end and slowly turned my head.
It was complete surrender.
Emotionally, it was more than I could bear, far more than any physical issue.
As the tiger, leopard, and jaguar-like beasts charged toward me all at once.
I woke up from my sleep.
⁕⁕⁕
"Seonghyun-ssi, a-are you okay? L-let me see your sweat!!"
When I opened my eyes, I saw Yuse.
He looked at me with worried eyes and asked.
I wiped my tearful eyes with my fingers and asked.
"Give me some water."
"Ah. Yes. J-just wait a moment."
After a moment, Yuse quickly handed me a cup of water.
I thanked him and immediately gulped it down.
I placed the empty cup on the table beside the bed and stood up.
Looking out the window, I saw the sights of the city that differed from modern Korea.
"I-I will bring hot water for washing."
"Yeah. Please. And clothes to change into."
Yuse nodded and left the room.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve and gently massaged the back of my neck.
It had been a month since the Hero Party left.
Since they left the palace, I had lived like a rat in the hole.
After all, there was nowhere else to go.
I just had to wait quietly for Yu Inna to defeat the Demon King.
And then receive proper rewards from the princess and return to modern Korea.
I would sell the precious metals received from the imperial family and make a good profit.
Soon after, Yuse brought in a basin of hot water.
When he saw my expression, he suggested in a cautious voice.
"Seonghyun-ssi, what clothes were you planning to wear today? Ah. Even though you came from another world, wouldn't you like to take a walk outside the city? I-I mean, for a change of mood."
Honestly, I was tempted.
I had wandered around the palace a bit, but I had never been outside the city walls.
Even if I did, it would just be the same street scenes I had seen in previous videos.
Somehow, I felt like a princess locked in a castle.
That made me a little amused, so I slightly curled up my lips.
After deciding in my heart, I accepted the suggestion.
"That sounds good. And Yuse, as I said before, you don't need to speak to me with honorifics.
I'm not a noble, just a guest."
"As I said, Seonghyun-ssi is a valuable guest who came to this world with the Hero.
Even if you're not a noble, it's proper to treat you with utmost respect.
I-I explained it to you last time, didn't I?"
"I got it. Do as you please.
Then, since we have the chance, shall we go on a stroll? There's a monthly subsidy too.
We can't just sit around doing nothing.
Good. Let's take all the gold we've received so far.
Come on, let's go!"
A fantasy world exploration, huh?
It was a bit thrilling.
Well, it's not a prison, and it's not like I'm just locked up, so maybe it's okay.
"T-then I'll give you a robe.
M-men like Seonghyun-ssi are definitely dangerous outside, you know."
Men like me? I felt like adding something, but now I was used to it.
"Wow. I've wanted to try wearing something like this at least once.
It's really like a fantasy!"
The robe he brought was of quite good quality.
Looking at myself in the full-length mirror, I had an adventurer-like vibe.
Is it because I was only indoors?
My skin looks a bit whiter.
I was just loafing around, yet I feel like I've lost weight and gained muscle.
Is it an effect of this world?
Because it's morning, maybe.
I feel a bit taller.
It must be an illusion.
I shook the robe I was wearing and asked in an anxious voice.
"But are we really allowed to go out? Don't we need permission or something?"
"Don't worry. I already told the servant about it earlier.
After all, seeing an imperial guest touring the empire is strange, isn't it?"
That's true.
Yuse's execution seems faster than I thought.
It wasn't for nothing that Elina liked him.
He seemed more capable than I thought.
Having perfectly changed our clothes, we soon left the quarters.
Thanks to the documents Yuse had prepared, we could leave the palace with a free pass.
⁕⁕⁕
"Wow. This is really delicious."
I bit the tail into my mouth and muttered.
The sauce was sweet and spicy, and my hand kept going back for more even after eating several.
Thinking about it, Yuse wasn't being overly dramatic for nothing.
Surprisingly, there were quite a few men on the streets not wearing robes.
"Hehe. The young master is eating so well, it's a sight to see!!
Right. It's a new one we developed recently, so try this too.
We won't charge you for it.
Instead, I ask for an honest evaluation!"
The female owner of the street food stall laughed boisterously and handed me the tail.
I glanced at Yuse eating the food beside me and smiled faintly.
The fantasy-style market was quite eye-catching.
If I had a camera, it would have been great.
Snapping a selfie and uploading it to the Insta would definitely make it a hot topic.
I'll go to the weapon shop later too.
"Since it's free, I can't refuse.
Ma'am, I'll give you a proper taste evaluation.
Huhuhu"
I took the tail the owner handed me with my hand.
Even though I had already eaten a lot, it was a strong stimulus.
Then, let's try one.
Thud-!!
"Ah..."
What a sad accident.
Of all people, a running person collided with me, and the tail fell.
Even sauce got on my robe.
If I pick it up within three seconds, it won't be okay, right?
It wasn't a funny thought, but out of pity, I thought of something pointless.
The sauce on my clothes quickly made my mood gloomy.
"A-are you okay? Seonghyun-ssi."
"Yeah. More importantly, who did I bump into?"
When I turned my head, I saw a boy sitting on the floor.
His thin clothes were torn in places and he was even barefoot.
In this world's sense of fashion, that clothing is problematic.
The boy looked red-faced, whether from embarrassment or anger.
This is weird. The situation feels off.
Somehow, I felt uneasy.
"You dare to run away?!"
Three burly-looking women stood in front of us.
They all had significant physiques, not just size.
Could those be muscles?
Was the woman I hit?
I realized that in a fantasy world, not everyone is beautiful.
"W-what is this misconduct? S-stop coming any closer!"
Yuse, who had swallowed the remaining tail, muttered and blocked me.
His sturdy figure made me secretly clap.
"Forget it. We just came to catch this one.
This thief-like bastard.
How pretty was Jane to you?"
"Enough. Move."
A seductive voice came from behind them.
Upon hearing that, the three women stepped aside and a woman with a bewitching atmosphere walked out.
The first thing I noticed was her fiery long red hair.
From her sensuous features, a somewhat decadent charm flowed out.
She was probably the leader.
The way the burly women treated her showed it.
I stared blankly at her as Yuse whispered.
The man was already in the hands of the women, unable to run away.
"Seonghyun-ssi, that man is probably a runaway from the brothel.
If we get involved, it will be troublesome, so let's just go elsewhere."
"Brothel? Is that like prostitution?"
Yuse looked at me with a troubled expression.
The man caught by the women glared at me with a resentful expression.
No, he was the one who collided with me.
Well, strictly speaking, I was the victim.
But seeing the bruises and scars on his body, I felt sympathy first, not anger.
"Then what happens to that man?"
"...Runaways are usually used in the researchers' experiments of mages or nobles' dirty play."
What? Yuse, how do you know this well? You seem out of place.
But that meant this guy was going to suffer a terrible fate.
I hurriedly approached the woman in luxurious clothes.
I recalled the novels and comics I had seen so far.
In such cases, the protagonist would rescue the slave and make her a companion.
Of course, I wasn't the protagonist.
Also, the man who seemed like a sex slave didn't seem to have any special abilities.
"Excuse me."
"Huh? What is this. A commodity?"
The red beauty opened her eyes wide and smiled.
Like a person and a commodity. It's creepy, but I kept speaking.
"If you're selling that person, can I buy him? Given his condition, it seems hard to process."
The man's eyes widened when I said that.
But what surprised Yuse was the same.
"W-what? A-are you serious?!"
"Yuse, take out your wallet.
It's not like the subsidies I received from the imperial family can't buy a person, right?"
Yuse mumbled and took out the pouch with gold.
They exchanged glances with each other, waiting for the leader's decision.
"Jane-ssi."
"..."
Ah. So this woman's name is 'Jane'.
"Hehe, isn't it fun? Are you thinking of working with me?
I can make you earn a lot of money.
You look like a rare virgin, but you don't seem to be a noble.
Will you come play at our store?"
Jane smiled brightly and spoke to me in a teasing tone.
"Shut up. I don't do that kind of thing.
More importantly, how much is that guy?"
"That kind? Puhu. Right. That guy's debt is 3 million gold, and with interest, it's 5 million.
Can our young master pay it right now?
Or is he letting money rot? Considering he's trying to buy a random person, yeah."
Jane's eyes narrowed with sarcasm.
Following my gesture, Yuse handed over the pouch with trembling hands.
Since he handed it over all at once, it was probably his entire fortune.
Still, since subsidies would come again in two days, this amount of bleeding was manageable.
"Hehe, what is your identity? From your hair color, are you from the east continent?"
Jane's white finger reached toward the tip of my chin.
I put force into it and harshly swatted her hand away.
The gazes that instantly became fierce felt overtly menacing, making me a little scared.
The burly female gangsters surrounding us felt like ticking time bombs.
"Don't touch my body, please? I thought the transaction was over."
"Hmm. Yeah. We actually profited too.
Hehe. See you later."
The four women stepped back from their positions.
The female owner of the street food stall just looked at us with a dazed expression.
I stared at the pimp and the gangsters walking away.
As their figures grew smaller, the heart I had been pounding with gradually calmed down.
No matter how there was no hierarchy in jobs.
Is this human trafficking and pimping something to be proud of? Rather than.
"Why do those guys live like that? It's disgusting."
I spat it out without meaning to.
I was surprised to myself, but who would have thought I would hear it on this street?
After all, it was an extremely small sound.
What if I heard it? What does it matter?