Sanity and Madness 1
It was a total disaster. Who would've thought she'd piss herself and pass out just from me choking her a little. I was sure I'd controlled my strength. Guess her defenses were shit compared to the power she wielded. Anyway, who'd have guessed this world had black magic users too. I figured it was just your standard modern fantasy setup, but now it's a pain in the ass. Even in Eldrion, black magic existed, and its power was downright terrifying. Just look at how she tried to hypnotize and control me—that alone shows the danger. And if she can pull off hypnosis with nothing but eye contact, she's no lightweight despite how she looks. If it'd been anyone else, they'd have been her toy ages ago.
I glanced down at the woman still sprawled out, unconscious. Taking advantage of her blackout, I'd run to the nearby convenience store and grabbed an eyemask and some rope. Now she was bound, eyes covered, helpless. Staring at her like that, I pondered my options. Kill her right here? Or hear out why she came looking for me first, then kill her?
Right then, I felt a massive disconnect staring at myself, calmly weighing murder. Thinking so casually about killing someone meant I wasn't normal anymore. But even so, I had no intention of changing my mind. I'd learned the hard way in Eldrion just how vicious black mages could be. Like I said before, if they want something or aim to achieve something, they obsess over it like madmen. They'd sacrifice anyone—even their own lives—without a second thought to get it. That's why the rule when facing black mages as enemies is to kill them fast and without mercy. Leave them alive, and they'll stop at nothing for revenge. Even cornered with no escape, don't let your guard down. They'll turn their own body into a bomb and blow themselves up just to take you with them. So letting her go was never on the table. Who knows what she'd do, and it'd only cause bigger problems.
The dilemma was what to do with the body after killing her. In Eldrion, everyone saw black mages as a plague worth exterminating on sight. But this was modern Korea. Get caught murdering someone—no matter who—and you couldn't escape punishment. No solid plan for cleanup, and I was deep in thought when she stirred, starting to wake.
"Ugh...! Ah, I can't see...!"
"Awake, huh."
"Ahh! Th-that voice... Prince! Prince! Where are you...!"
Thwack!
"Guhhh?!"
The second she heard my voice and started making noise, I kicked her in the gut. As she curled up moaning in pain, I warned her.
"Stay still. No moving or talking without my say-so. Pull any more bullshit, and I'll stomp every inch of you flat."
"Hnnngh...! Hehe... ♥! Priiiince... ♥!"
What the hell? I warned her, and she's happy about it? Or is she playacting to seem unbothered? Either way, she was no ordinary bitch.
"I'm gonna ask you some questions now. Answer honestly—it's in your best interest. I can tell if you're lying by feel. Lie to me, and I'll snap your neck on the spot."
"Hehe... You wanna know about me, huh...? I'm so happy... ♥! Ask anything... ♥! I'll tell you everything... ♥♥!"
"...First question. Who the hell are you?"
"I'm... Eunha. Kim Eunha. Twenty years old. Um... no job yet... B-but...! If you want money, Prince, I'll get it somehow...!"
Twenty? She'd reached that level right after turning adult? If that's true, it went beyond mere talent.
"...Second question. Where'd you learn black magic? Who taught you? The Demon Church?"
"No? Nobody taught me. I just followed the books, and it worked?"
"...Books?"
What kind of crazy talk was that? Just followed along and it worked? Other mages would lose their shit hearing that. But given her skill at such a young age, it wasn't implausible. I'd seen geniuses like that in Eldrion too. Anyway, time for the big one.
"Then why'd you come find me? What were you planning with that hypnosis?"
"Pl-plan...? H-how could I ever order you around, Prince...! Ah, I'm really sorry about the hypnosis. But... I just wanted to make you realize quick."
"Realize what?"
"Obviously...! That we're... destined for each other... ♥!"
"...Destined?"
"Y-yes... ♥! That intense shiver when I first saw you...! Your gentle touch and gaze, full of worry...! From that moment till now...! I never took my eyes off you, watched and felt it all... ♥♥! You're the one I've longed for...! My fated prince...!"
"...Hard to follow, but basically, love at first sight?"
"...Uhuhu... ♥! You could put it that way... ♥!"
Figures. All that destiny talk out of nowhere—now it clicked. I knew why this black mage had tracked me down. I stepped close to her, grinning like an idiot, and scolded her sharply.
"Where do you get off peddling that crap? Figures for a black mage—even in the modern world, out here proselytizing for your cult."
"Eh...? C-cult...?"
"Warning you: I don't know about elsewhere, but stay the hell away from here. I don't buy into religion."
Man, do cults these days just barge right in? Might be pricey, but maybe ask another mage for a barrier spell. And pick something more realistic next time. As if any woman in this world would fall for a guy like me who barely registers as male.
Her steam fizzled out, so I decided to let the simple cultist go. Killing her now felt a bit much. If her group grows into a real threat later, I'll handle it then. I approached to untie her when suddenly her eyes glowed, unleashing a shockwave. Even caught off guard, it shoved my body back. Regaining balance, I looked— she'd freed herself somehow and stared me down. Gone was the airheaded cultist vibe; now she radiated crushing pressure.
"It's not some cult...! I'm dead serious...! Why won't you believe me...? Or do you just not want to? Because I'm too fat and ugly...? My tits and ass too huge and gross...?!"
"...What the hell are you on about? I've never said or thought that."
"Liar...! Then why won't you believe me? I love you this much...! Why, why, why...!"
Her blood-red eyes flashed, whipping up a fierce gale. Mana surge incoming. When mages lose control and spew it all at once, shit hits the fan—and the stronger the mage, the worse the fallout. With mana this unstable, the whole apartment block—not just this place—could go up in smoke. Had to figure out how to stop her rampage. But why the fuck was I stressing over this? She'd barged in, trashed my place, and now she's pissed at me like she's the victim? Actually, this was my fault. Should've killed her the second I decided, no second-guessing. Coming back to the modern world softened me up, dulled my judgment. Time to fix that—kill her now.
The moment I resolved, she started closing in slow, eyes mad, voice ice-cold.
"How, how can I earn your love, Prince...? Should've asked the books more...? Hung a stronger hypnosis...? Huh...? Tell me, Prince..."
Crazy bitch. Still bullshitting to the end. Time to show her that's bullshit.
"Strip naked, submit, lick my feet—maybe then."
"...Pardon?"
She froze, shocked, then trembled. Face flushing—properly pissed. Yeah, even I knew it was humiliating. Crushed any shred of humanity or pride. She might snap and attack. Better hit first, break her neck in one go.
Just as I lunged before she could move—
"S-such...! Such blissful, perfect reward... ♥♥! Proves you're my fated prince... ♥!"
"...What?"
"I'll do it...! Get naked right now, submit, lick your feet...! Let me...! Ahh... ♥! Just imagining... ♥♥! Uhhuuuut—♥♥!!"
Squirt!Spluuuurt!