Episode 2) While Asleep for 99 Years (1)
Episode 2) While Asleep for 99 Years (1)
Kartia Estellin. In imperial society, she was known as the second daughter of the prestigious noble Estellin family and a capable individual with exceptional economic acumen, but her true identity was, in fact, the succubus Azarin Ebonhart, known as the second-in-command of the demon world and Commander of the Legion of Greed.
As a spy for the Imperial Security Department, I had been monitoring Kartia when I realized her identity and tried to contact headquarters, but I was discovered midway and ended up being subdued by her subordinates.
Right now... completely disarmed, I am confined in the basement of Kartia's mansion.
"Hmmm... How disappointing. I thought someone like you would sympathize with my grand plan to some extent... To think you were just scum from those stupid imperial bastards. Honestly..."
"If it were up to my feelings right now, I'd love to execute you immediately and get you out of my sight..."
"I know all about it... that scum like you spies all have a curse engraved in your hearts that triggers upon death..."
Teok- After coming down the stairs, Kartia placed her foot right on top of my head. I could feel the soft texture of her tights touching the back of my head.
For a split second, a thought crossed my mind that it might have been better to just get caught, but knowing this might be another trick to get sucked into the succubus's scheme, I even pinched my thigh in a desperate effort to keep my wits about me.
"..."
"Well, but it doesn't matter."
"Because a pretty interesting item has fallen into my hands. I needed to run some experiments before full-scale commercialization... and right on cue, there's a fitting test subject right here, huhuhu..."
It was a wicked smile that made me realize once again that her true identity was a demon.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Kartia lifted her foot off my head and accepted a syringe handed to her by a subordinate standing beside her.
Inside the syringe was a deep pink medicinal liquid, and since I had been secretly watching Kartia from behind all this time, it wasn't very difficult to guess what that drug really was.
"Is that the elixir thing?"
"A forbidden drug that turns anyone who takes it into a monster loyal only to their instincts... From what I heard last time, it hadn't been developed enough for practical use yet."
"That's why it's for experimental use. Is there any reason to test a drug that has zero risks?"
"..."
That's right. Yeah, this demon was going to shove that unverified drug straight into my veins and just stand by watching to see what kind of side effects would kill me.
If so, is there any reason why I should obediently live up to that expectation? Rather than meeting such a humiliating death, I'd much rather...
Choosing death by my own hand would be far better.
I immediately tried to bite down and shatter the suicide poison hidden beside my molars.
But at that moment- I briefly locked eyes with Kartia.
Uung...! A crushing magical power forced my mouth open. My face distorted hideously, and I felt the sensation of Kartia's touch reaching every corner of my face.
"I'll give you credit for one thing: your thoroughness. To think you were preparing for your own death to this extent."
"But that's as far as it goes. Get rid of the notion that you're still playing above my head. Your life and death are matters that depend solely on my will and decision."
"...Keogeok."
As my mouth stayed open, saliva eventually began dripping out. Seeing that sight, Kartia frowned as if thoroughly disgusted, and waved her hand abruptly to force my head back up.
"...My eyes are going to rot. For now, listen to the rest in that state."
"Once the elixir takes proper effect and you are ready, I will take you to the demon world and corrupt your body and soul."
"After that, when you undergo changes by resonating with the demonic power of the demon world, a new demon will be born."
...Is her goal not to kill me?
Indeed, it is true that all creatures in the mortal realm, including humans, can become demons if they are corrupted and go to the demon world. Such stories frequently appear in traditional fairy tales and various oral folktales as the end fate of a corrupted human...
But for me to become a demon? I had never even imagined such a thing until now.
"It's quite a troublesome task, but if successful, it's also a huge benefit for you. Wouldn't it be far more interesting to corrupt into a demon than live on as a pathetic human?"
"So... don't even think about dying on your own accord. Who knows... a day might come when you actually thank me."
That's absolute bullshit... Where on earth in this world is there a human who would welcome being forcefully turned into a demon? Well, unless they had some intense conviction in themselves... Demons are generally creatures whose brains are pickled in the demonic power of the demon world, possessing consciousness at the level of insects or, at best, beasts.
The woman right in front of my eyes maintains such a lofty appearance precisely because her very lineage is that of a succubus, but for someone from the mortal realm like me to be corrupted and become a demon would nine times out of ten degrade me into nothing more than a hiss-spitting imp.
"A-argh... A-aorok..."
I opened my mouth to make a sound, trying to beg for even a shred of mercy, but all that came out was a cawing cry like some crow.
I'm not normally the type to care much about keeping face, but this sight is truly beyond embarrassing.
"Hahaha-! Keuk... That crying sound, well... it was kinda funny. I'll give you praise for that."
"Now... since I'll be injecting the drug directly myself, behave nicely. The only one who will suffer if something goes wrong for no reason is you."
Teop- Kartia grabbed and pinned my shoulder with one hand. Her sharp nails dug deep into my skin.
"Injecting... One, two..."
"Three-"
*
*
*
My name is Zephyr Haul. Everything that happened above took place when I was around 30 years old. No, perhaps not.
I was living a life where my actual age didn't matter at all. There were so many other things to worry about anyway, and living as a secret agent moving under the Emperor's orders was just like that.
A life where, even while knowing full well that I was being used as a cog for someone's selfish desires and incompetence, I had to willingly follow their will...
Sometimes the thought crossed my mind to turn everything back and return to the beginning, but I lacked the guts to put it into action.
If, just if, according to the religious ideology believed by the countries to the east, another life could be granted to me next time...
Then next time, without fail, I too...
'...'
'What is this, did I end up dying after all?'
'Damn it, if I knew this would happen, I should've at least copped a feel of that woman's breasts when I had the chance at the end...'
A hazy mind, a fading consciousness... But I was definitely awake. It felt as though I were dreaming while my consciousness remained wide awake.
I was floating naked through a quite bizarre space. A pitch-black background, a space that was nothing but empty... Completely different from the descriptions of hell or heaven I'd only heard in stories.
And as a little more time passed, my mind began to clear up again, and though I was still just leisurely drifting around that space, I realized that I wasn't dead yet.
'...I see.'
'I'm alive... I can feel it.'
'I can feel sensation gradually returning to my fingertips and the soles of my feet...'
'If I hold on just a bit longer, I might be able to open my eyes. Once again...'
'...'
'But would opening my eyes again bring anything good?'
'In the end, it would just mean going back to my old life anyway...'
Furthermore, a long time passed. One year... Two years... I had no way of knowing how many days had gone by. Because the sense of the passage of time had been lost long, long ago...
Jjirit...!
But one day, I could feel an unusually annoying pain spreading along my fingertips.
'...?!'
'Wh-What... What is this...?!'
Before long, I realized that I was bleeding. It wasn't a serious wound, but there were countless scratches. It felt as if my entire body was being pricked all over by tiny thorns.
And a moment later...
Finally, I opened my eyes.
"Catch him-! If we let him get away again this time, everything we've suffered through up to now will go down the drain...!"
"It's already been two weeks...! I can't stand doing this crap anymore..."
"On three, everyone throws their nets... One, two..."
"Three! Now-!!"
Chochahak...! Caught helplessly in the netting flying in from all directions, I was trapped.
"...?! Keuwoeok...!"
Startled for a moment, I flailed my arms and legs wildly in the air trying to break free, but the more flustered I got, the more tangled the nets binding me became.
"Waah-! Fuck, we finally caught him-!! That fucking bastard..."
"Just how much running around like dogs did we do to catch this single bastard...?! Seriously..."
Coming to my senses amidst the excited cheers pouring out because they caught me, I began looking around my surroundings.
A red sky, trees with purple leaves growing on them... Even the trees were gigantic. And those things dancing excitedly among the trees were demons.
Even without being in my right mind, I could figure it out easily enough. This place was the demon world, the world ruled by the Demon King, known as the greatest evil across the three realms.
"Kreureuk...?"
But why on earth am I in the demon world? Could it be that while I had completely lost consciousness all this time, my body somehow kept moving on its own all the way to this distant demon world?
It was hard to easily believe, but... taking it together with this sudden situation right now, it wasn't completely absurd.
"Keureuk..."
'Anyway, what is this crying sound that's been keeping up since earlier?'
'......Sounds like it's coming from right nearby... Strange, could it be the sound I'm making?'
'Ah... No way, am I still not fully awake?'
Meanwhile- for the first time since coming to my senses, I examined my hand properly. For a split second, I was so flustered I didn't even think it was mine. But after repeatedly clenching and unclenching it a few times, I could confirm that this was definitely my hand.
Yet, despite that, I couldn't help being flustered. Understandably so... because this had way too much hair to belong to a human. No, this definitely didn't belong to a human!
"Kreureuk-?!"
That wasn't all. This unidentified crying sound was also mine. And looking at it now, my eye level was also considerably higher than before. It felt as if I were standing on top of a box placed under my feet. But no, this was simply because my body size had grown.
"Kreureuk... Kuwaaaaaaak-!!"
"Uh-oh, fuck?! That bastard's trying to throw a tantrum again! Catch him-!"
"Are you insane? How are we supposed to catch that, it's not like we're dying to throw our lives away... It's a good thing we caught him with the net. Hurry up and call the warden! Since we've set it up to this point, that guy will take care of the rest anyway!"
"Khaaaaaaak-!! Keuhak-"
"Crazy, at this rate that bastard's gonna tear the net to shreds!"
"As if that's possible? It's not like some ordinary fishing net, it's made from iron chains straight out of hell... If he rips that apart, he won't just be at the level of a mere demonic beast anymore... Uh-oh...?!"
Dudududuk-! I grabbed the net binding me with my hands and tore it apart. As gaps opened up, I escaped right through, breaking past the demons and sprinting deep into the forest.
Ppakk-! When I charged forward, the demons standing there were sent flying as if bounced off, unable to even lift a hand.
"Hey, you fucks...! Chase him! If we miss him this time too, we're really fucking done for! Run-!!"
The furious voices of the enraged demons echoed from behind my back.