Chapter 3
Chapter 1
The Parasite That Drinks Blood
I have achieved nothing.
Because of that, I have lost nothing.
If there was anyone who gave me expectations or love, I am sorry.
I was never able to repay any of it.
.
.
.
At school, I always tried my best not to fall behind.
But effort alone never gave me results.
I had no special talent, so to meet my parents’ expectations, I ended up getting a nameless, unremarkable job.
But nothing really changed.
At home, at school, in society, I was nothing but a bundle of mistakes and trouble.
A parasite that drank the blood of others.
That was the kind of life I lived.
And then, in the end, I closed my eyes. I do not even know the cause of death.
When I opened my eyes again, the sky was a gray twilight.
Instead of the smog of a city, there was the smell of blood in the air, thick and heavy and stale. It looked like a medieval soldiers’ barracks from a game.
In my hand was not a mouse or a stack of documents, but a worn, chipped longsword.
My reflection in the scattered blades around me was not an ordinary Korean citizen.
It was a black-haired man with slightly foreign features.
After looking around in confusion for a few minutes, I came to a simple conclusion.
I had somehow fallen into another world.
The kind people call reincarnation or regression or something like that.
“Hey, Ruvel!! What are you doing standing there like an idiot instead of crawling out?”
Bang.
A soldier-like man kicked open the creaking wooden door and shouted.
Ruvel… is that me?
“Today is the day you sign the contract with the Saint. Are you going to be late even for this? If you keep dragging your feet, you can be the one swallowed by darkness on your own.”
Saint, contract… I had no idea what he was talking about.
But wherever I was, I did not want to cause trouble.
“Um… I will go out… where should I go?”
“What is wrong with you, Ruvel? Stop talking nonsense and follow me.”
I was dragged outside by the man.
Where I was brought to was…
Isn’t this a training ground?
It looked exactly like a military drill field from my army days.
Soldiers stood in neat rows with stern faces.
The sight brought back a faint trauma.
So… I just stand here?
I awkwardly found an empty spot and stood in line with them.
Soon, a massive armored man stood on a raised platform with a red roof and shouted.
“All troops! Attention!”
Snap. Snap.
Everyone froze instantly and faced him.
This really is the army… I felt my stomach churn.
“From today, those of you promoted from trainee knights to second-rank knights will be assigned a Saint of the Northern Diocese!”
I will just call that platform a reviewing stand.
A huge knight on the stand shouted, and women in black robes began pouring into the drill field.
Knights, Saints… the scenery… maybe this really was a medieval world.
The so-called Saints each glowed with different colors.
It was like fireworks or gaming keyboards lighting up, their bodies literally shining.
Soon, a small girl, shorter than me by a head or two, stopped in front of me.
Blue light was leaking from her body.
Black, slightly messy hair, golden eyes looking up at me.
Honestly, she was kind of cute.
“The Saints will perform the binding contract with their knights!”
At the knight’s shout, everyone knelt in front of their assigned Saints.
I followed awkwardly and knelt too.
The girl moved behind me, placed her hand on my chest, and then…
Thud.
A dark red stake pierced into my heart.
“Uwaaaaaa!!!”
Of course I screamed.
Anyone would scream if something like that was suddenly shoved into their heart.
My body trembled violently as my heart pounded wildly.
Was this some kind of human sacrifice ritual?
I braced myself for death and closed my eyes, but there was no pain.
When I opened my eyes again, the girl who stabbed me was looking at me worriedly.
Her face was slightly flushed as she asked.
“Are you alright… sir knight?”
Everyone was staring at me now.
Their gazes were worse than a spear through my heart.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
The pressure of their eyes tightened around my throat.
Then, a warm hand touched me.
“It’s okay. You were just nervous.”
Her small hand gently patted me, and I do not know why, but I felt strangely calm.
“Please take care of me. I am your Saint, Adela.”
Adela.
“…I am Ruvel.”
I introduced myself with a name that still felt unfamiliar.
“Those who have completed the contract may return in order.”
After the contract ended, I followed her hand and left the place without knowing what I was doing.
And so, that chaotic day ended.
The next morning arrived.
Still knowing nothing, I moved only as I was told.
I passed through a campsite filled with tents and arrived at a massive castle wall.
In front of me stood a giant arched gate that felt overwhelming just to look at.
It felt like the beginning of an adventure.
A beautiful Saint and a knight’s journey.
A familiar cliché.
People around me murmured.
Starting something always makes people nervous.
“As you all know, now that you are official knights, I will explain once more.”
The massive knight who had led yesterday’s ceremony spoke sternly.
Bang.
“Beyond this wall lies thick darkness. So what is your duty?”
He suddenly struck the gate and asked.
A knight with long reddish-brown hair beside me raised his hand.
“Yes. Our duty as knights is to break through the darkness with the Saint and bring light to the world.”
“Well said. You are from the House of Banein, are you not?”
“I am honored you know me.”
He seemed like some noble’s son.
Darkness beyond the wall… what exactly is outside?
“Um… Adela? What is outside the wall like?”
I asked hesitantly.
“Hmm? Just darkness. It has already swallowed up all ancient civilizations.”
She tilted her head as if it were obvious.
Apparently, this was common sense here.
“Then what happened to the people who lived outside?”
“Well, they either went insane or became monsters. Probably something like that.”
“So we are being sent into a place like that?”
“Don’t be too scared. That is why I, your Saint, am here. As long as you stay within the light, you will be fine.”
Stay within the light.
I engraved the first rule of this unknown world into my mind.
“Then depart in groups.”
The gate opened.
Beyond it was darkness.
An unknown fear spilled out from beyond the wall.
Knights and Saints went out one by one.
Soon, it was my turn.
I stepped forward on the hard stone ground, constantly glancing back to make sure Adela was still behind me.
The moment I stepped outside, I saw nothing but pitch-black darkness.
“Sir Ruvel, are you afraid?”
I am scared.
Of course I am.
Anyone would be afraid in a place like this without knowing anything.
As I moved forward, staying close to Adela’s light, I felt something writhing in the darkness.
I leaned forward slightly, and then—
Slash.
Something like a tentacle shot out from the darkness, piercing through Adela’s light and grazing my cheek.
“Ah—!”
“Sir Ruvel, be careful…!”
I swallowed hard.
Pain spread from my cheek, a sharp sting.
“Ugh…”
A soft groan came from behind me.
And then—
Screech… screech…
A sound that did not belong to any living thing echoed.
A black mass lunged at me.
“Uwaaaah!!!”
Tentacles burst out from it and pierced through my armor like paper.
I grabbed my sword clumsily and swung wildly, but I could not hit anything.
“What is this!!”
Slash.
Something struck my chest, and I collapsed instantly.
The cold ground pressed against my body.
I could feel the location of my organs as if I had always known them.
“Ha… ha…”
The black mass slowly retreated back into the darkness as if satisfied.
So I am going to die again.
Hot blood felt like it was spilling through my body.
For a few seconds, I just lay there.
Then—
“Aaaaaah!!!!!”
A scream pierced my ears from behind me.
I forced myself up in confusion.
Adela was clutching the same spot I had been hit, screaming in pain.
“What…? Are you okay?”
Blood dripped from her mouth.
Her body trembled violently like a fragile tree.
“Yes… I am fine… are you alright, Sir Ruvel…?”
“I am… fine…”
Then I realized something.
The stake in my chest.
The “contract.”
My head throbbed, and I understood instinctively.
She was experiencing my pain instead of me.
I had once again placed my burden on someone else.
Friends, parents, coworkers… and now even a girl after death.
I was still drinking someone else’s blood.
Cough.
Watching her cough in pain, something rose inside me.
Trash.
No.
Useless.
But…
Better if you did not exist.
Voices echoed in my head.
I could not breathe.
My heart, which had stopped, began pounding wildly again.
I felt like I was going to collapse.
“Sir Ruvel!! Are you okay!!?”
Adela hugged me.
Even though she had been screaming in pain just moments ago, she was worried about me.
Even after death, I am still a burden.
A knight is supposed to protect the Saint, but I was being protected by her instead.
And so, I was dragged back inside the wall by Adela.
I could not look up.
I was afraid of meeting anyone’s gaze.
Afraid I would vomit my filth in front of them again.
So I just walked, staring at the ground.
Half a year passed since that miserable first expedition.
I slowly adapted to this horrible dark fantasy world.
But I had not improved at all.
With a grinding sound, the massive gate opened again, and darkness once more spread out before us.
My vision blurred at the memory.
“Please do not throw up this time, Sir Ruvel. It is hard for those who clean it.”
Mocking voices filled my ears.
I ignored them.
And once again, I hid in Adela’s light and stepped into the darkness.
No matter how terrible this place was, I remained the same.
A person who never changed no matter where he was thrown.
A person who is protected by what he should protect.
A knight feeding on a Saint’s blood.
A parasite who only gives pain to the Saint.
Ruvel.
But…
I did not want to live forever drinking someone else’s blood.
At least, that was what I thought until that day.