Chapter 58
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Red-Eyed Snake
The loser of the game has no say.
A promise is a promise.
I’m not childish enough to break a promise I made.
Just as I’d first said, I had to grant one wish for each of the children.
I was prepared to accept any ridiculous request they made.
I’ve already faced numerous trials and tribulations. I was confident I could summon anything, and I wasn't one to shrink away from a child's simple request.
So, bring it on!
That was the confident attitude with which I faced the children's desires.
But I had severely underestimated them. The desires of children.
Ugh!
This is a bit much.
*Click! Click!*
Flashes went off incessantly before my eyes. I squinted at the blinding light.
I let out a small sigh and looked down.
Right now, I was wearing the kind of bright, pretty clothes you’d expect to see on a little girl. And I was busy striking various poses, having my picture taken.
Why am I…
I really hate this.
I hate clothes like these.
Even after all this time, the male consciousness within me still rebels against them. That’s why I usually prefer comfortable attire.
I wanted to rip them off this instant and feel unburdened, but I couldn't.
Because it was a promise.
But apart from that…
‘How many hours has it been…?’
Two hours? Three?
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I cautiously voiced my complaint, asking how long this had to continue.
But the girl just puffed out her cheeks as if pouting. Her eyes were saying, ‘That’s not it.’
*Gulp.*
“How much longer do I have to wear this…?”
Only after I spoke in a small voice did the girl's face brighten.
I had been sternly instructed to speak with words, not gestures, when communicating.
The girl placed her cupped hands against her cheek and beamed.
“Just a little longer.”
“…”
“Lily, you look good in everything, so I want to keep dressing you up.”
“I’ve already worn more than enough…”
“You won’t wear them any other time. So, until I’m satisfied. That was the promise, wasn’t it?”
“…”
I was at a loss for words, with no comeback to offer.
Thinking there was nothing I could do, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and I pressed my fingers firmly against my brow.
They say a single word can carry immense weight. I should have been more careful with mine.
Cursing my past self for making such a foolish promise, I continued to play along with the girl.
Her name was Nicole.
Nicole loved clothes. Perhaps that’s why she had more outfits than the other kids, and sometimes she even made them herself.
Nicole had a considerable talent for sewing.
Her skills were so remarkable for a child that even I was often impressed.
Nicole had made clothes for the other children, but until now, I had never participated in her dress-up sessions.
It felt as if all my past refusals had burst forth in this one moment, unleashing all her pent-up desires.
Nicole giggled with a bright, happy face.
Just how long do I have to humor her before I can be free?
A maid outfit and a glamorous dress.
A fresh, vibrant one-piece and a suit.
Cute animal pajamas.
I kept changing into clothes that appeared from somewhere.
I wished the other kids would complain and tell us to stop.
But instead of envying Nicole, the other children were watching me with sparkling eyes.
They certainly didn't seem to mind.
In fact, they looked just as happy as Nicole.
“So good… *Gack!*”
“Don’t make weird noises! But you’re really cute. So cute I just want to hug you tight.”
“So pretty… You really look like a princess from a fairy tale…”
The other children were also grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying watching me change into various outfits.
Hoping for some intervention, I turned my head toward the adults.
Red and Rene were busy snapping picture after picture.
They even brought out more clothes from somewhere, fanning the flames of the already heated atmosphere.
The mood was cheerful, filled with the sound of children's laughter. It was the very picture of peace.
Everyone was smiling except me. Feeling utterly pathetic, I swallowed my sorrow and struck a pose.
Damn it.
***
After Han Yiyeon left the building, he drove for a few more minutes until a village engulfed in flames came into view.
Yiyeon got out of the car and entered the village.
A town where peace had been shattered.
Smoke signaling the end of that peace.
A foul stench, devoid of any pleasant aroma.
Debris and corpses were scattered messily everywhere.
As if unfazed by the horrific scene before him, Yiyeon walked toward the place where people had gathered.
The surviving residents were gathered in the square, surrounded by cultists.
All the residents were deathly pale, their bodies trembling from the sudden disaster.
This had been a village of people who, despite the harshness of the world, had worked hard to live their lives.
Their peace hadn't lasted long.
The Cult of the Grim Reaper had descended, attacking the village and its people.
The sound of children crying echoed loudly.
Yiyeon, perhaps because he had just woken up, was annoyed.
Just as he was about to signal the cultists to quiet them down, one of the residents bravely stepped forward.
“Please. We’ll give you anything, just please spare our lives. I’m begging you.”
The man prostrated himself, his forehead touching the ground.
Yiyeon smiled with his eyes.
“Haha, you’ll give me anything? That’s a funny thing to say. Look at the situation. Do we really need your permission? If we need something, it looks like we can just take it as we please.”
“Please, I beg you. At least spare the children’s lives!”
“Why do you think we came here? Just to rob you? If you know anything about us, you should know it’s not for such a trivial reason.”
“Please!”
There was no one who didn't know what kind of organization the Cult of the Grim Reaper was.
A crazed group that committed acts of terror under the guise of salvation.
Knowing it was a meaningless gesture, the man pleaded earnestly, clinging to a sliver of hope.
Following his lead, other residents began to beg for their lives one by one.
For some reason, Yiyeon found this amusing and covered his mouth, chuckling softly.
Unable to bear it any longer, a man with a sturdy build shot to his feet.
The well-built man shouted in a loud voice.
“You… you crazy bastards! Who do you think you are, barging into our village to kill us! Did we ask you to?! Did we ask for this?!”
His voice was filled with rage, but it trembled with fear.
*Tap.* The cultists moved, and in the blink of an eye, they had their croziers pressed against the man’s neck.
The man fell silent, terrified.
Yiyeon approached the sturdy man.
He drew a pistol from the holster on his waist and rubbed the man's cheek with it. The cold, heavy metal against his skin made the man’s face turn ashen.
When Yiyeon did nothing and simply pulled the gun away, the man relaxed.
But just as he let out a sigh of relief, Yiyeon pressed the muzzle to the man’s forehead and pulled the trigger.
*Bang!*
The man collapsed and never moved again.
“Eek!”
“Mommy!!”
“Aaaah!”
With one resident dead, panic spread, and the crowd grew chaotic.
“Now, everyone, quiet.”
Yiyeon raised the index finger of his other hand and slowly opened his eyes.
His blood-red pupils seemed inexplicably ominous.
Like prey before a predator, the people had no choice but to fall silent.
Looking at the square, now shrouded in silence, Yiyeon lowered his finger and began to speak.
“You’re all too scared of us, but there’s no need to be afraid. We’re not bad people who bully the weak. We’re good people who have come to help you.”
“H-how are you going to help us…”
*Bang!*
The man who asked the question collapsed.
“Like this.”
The people wanted to scream, but their lips were sealed with terror.
“This world is full of pain and misery. That’s why everyone living in it is submerged in tragedy. Even at this very moment, everyone is suffering. How sad is that?”
*Bang!*
An old man collapsed.
“We are here to save you from your suffering.”
*Bang!*
A thin man collapsed.
“The pain is fleeting. If you can endure that fleeting moment, you can be free from the tragedy and pain of this world. Your souls will arrive in paradise, where you will live in eternal happiness. So, there’s no need to be afraid.”
*Bang!*
Another person collapsed.
Yiyeon raised his hand, and the cultists slammed their croziers onto the ground in unison.
“““All for the Grim Reaper.”””
The resounding chant and the rattling of the croziers’ rings echoed.
Once again, they struck their croziers on the ground.
“““In silence, a peaceful rest.”””
Faced with the cult's madness, the residents’ heads spun with terror.
Their eyes, witnessing the incomprehensible scene, were dyed with the darkness of despair.
“Send these poor residents to our god.”
With those words, Yiyeon turned and walked away.
The cultists gripped their croziers and approached the people.
Miserable screams echoed loudly behind Yiyeon.
But he paid them no mind and walked on silently.
After holstering his gun, he took out his phone from his pocket and made a call.
A deep voice answered from the other end.
It was Gray.
[Did you take care of things over there?]
“Yes, it’s finished without a hitch. More importantly, I have something to tell you.”
[What is it?]
“I’m thinking of moving up the prophecy.”
[What do you mean?]
“As you know, the plan I devised failed spectacularly. From this, I’ve concluded that petty methods are useless. I’m thinking of going myself and ending it in one fell swoop.”
[I see that as rash. There are still many opportunities. I believe it would be better to act patiently here.]
“No, in times like these, it’s better to end it at once rather than taking the long way around.”
[You’re being impatient.]
“Me, impatient? No, I’m calmer now than I’ve ever been.”
Yiyeon briefly explained his plan.
After listening, Gray spoke.
[Is it possible?]
“No problem. Let’s put an end to this tiresome time.”
[Alright.]
Yiyeon ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket.
As he approached the car parked on the road, a cultist opened the rear door for him.
Yiyeon sank into the back seat, a smile gracing his lips.
‘They’re all so stupid. To think they’d actually believe that nonsense about death being salvation. Well, it makes them easy to use, I suppose.’
Yiyeon gazed at the burning village through the window and steeled his resolve.
‘Everything is for the destruction of this world. I will make the people of this city that abandoned me feel the same despair I felt.’
Red was strong.
But no matter how strong a person is, there is always darkness in their heart.
And he would exploit that crack in her heart, planting his will in her mind.
Red would be no exception.
Yiyeon was delighted at the thought of the ending he desired coming to fruition.