Chapter: 29
I went to deliver some dolls to the kids’ room when I ran into Pia. With a cheerful heart, I handed her the doll and was about to speak carefully when, out of nowhere, Pia pushed me away.
Suddenly, my body was sucked into something, and my vision started wobbling like crazy. Flailing about, I shouted, “What on earth is happening?!” just before being spit out into the air and landing on a pile of garbage.
They say you can’t think straight when you’re really shocked, and that was totally me right then.
“Khahaha! Success! It worked!”
I heard the sound of some caveman dancing and laughing. I straightened myself up from the trash heap and looked at the man who appeared to be a homeless guy.
‘What is this place? Where am I?!’
In the world of comedy, abrupt space-time transfers happen all the time, so I quickly got my bearings.
“If I have this guy, I’ll create the ultimate masterpiece…!”
The man approached me, guffawing with his mouth wide open, revealing a creepy smile thanks to some missing teeth. He looked completely like a lunatic, swaying with a broken staff.
‘Wait, haven’t I seen this guy before?’
Just as I was trying to get a better look at him…
Boom!
Something crashed down onto the man’s head from above. The garbage and I went flying backward. I landed on a bed with springs popping out all over. I wasn’t hurt, but my mind was completely blown.
“Good thing I waited!”
A guy in a thin floral shirt, looking like a total thug in his pointed shoes, was stomping on the homeless man like he was some trash.
“Krughk…”
The stomped-on homeless man was foaming at the mouth, shivering like a fainted frog. I slowly got up and began to back away stealthily.
“You brought me a fine treasure, huh?”
Suddenly, the man in front of me vanished, and I heard his voice from behind. Startled, I turned around only to find a slitty-eyed man grinning and grabbing me by the nape.
“Wouldn’t it be perfect to present this with that other thing I got before? Right?”
“Yes, that definitely seems like the case.”
Next to him stood a beauty with her hair tied up high. Seeing the thug-like slitty-eyed man and the noble cat-like woman, I quickly realized who they were.
‘That’s Jiso and his right-hand gal Baekroo!’
A bolt of lightning struck in my mind. Instinctively, I shrank back.
“Well, it looks like we’ve gathered everything we can, so let’s head back.”
“What about that one?”
Baekroo, the cat-like beauty, pointed to the squirming homeless man in the trash.
“Should we drag him along as a slave or use him as a material? Your pick.”
“Let’s go with that.”
In a flash, Baekroo vanished and instantly reappeared next to the homeless man.
Chhrrk.
A creepy sound came from Baekroo’s shadow, and dozens of black hands began to emerge.
Shhrrrll.
Dark hands enveloped the homeless man and quickly dragged him into the shadows.
“Should we store ‘that one’ too?”
Baekroo’s gaze turned toward me, and I shivered.
‘No, no, no, let’s just stay calm!’
Even with a comedic filter, I really didn’t want to be torn apart or end up in some monster’s belly, so I looked at Baekroo with my best innocent expression, trying to seem harmless.
It must’ve looked like a pitiful abandoned kitten!
Baekroo, glancing at my face, froze for a moment.
‘Are you really going to put me in some terrible place when I look this pitiful? Really?!’
That was definitely what my gaze was saying.
“If you shove it in there, it might lose its mind. Just carry it like this, okay?”
“…I’ll put it somewhere safe.”
“Is that even possible?”
My ‘cute kitten’ strategy crashed and burned. Just the thought of being swallowed by those shadows made tears threaten to spill.
“Yes, I will take great care of this cu-… substantial slave!”
“Well, if you insist on putting it that way.”
Jiso casually tossed me aside.
“Woahhhh!”
I went flying straight into Baekroo’s shadow.
Chhrrk.
With a sinister sound, I was sucked into the shadow.
“Huh?”
Soft.
The first thing I felt was this blissfully soft and squishy sensation. Reflexively, I opened my tightly shut eyes and was greeted by a pink sky.
“What, WHAT is this place?”
I began to glance around immediately.
“Hee-hee.”
A unicorn with pristine white wings was strutting about, and soft, squishy animals were rolling around everywhere. The floor was white and soft, just like the clouds that kids imagine.
‘Wasn’t Baekroo’s shadow supposed to be as terrifying as hell?!’
My head was spinning in disbelief, feeling like the original story’s knowledge was being completely smashed. I staggered upright and started to wander through this shiny pink world.
*
“Puhihih, yes! This is Baekroo’s world, where she keeps all the stuff she likes.”
“I could’ve sworn it would be hell…”
“Hell? Are you talking about the demon realm? Well, it’s not like those places don’t exist. Baekroo’s shadow has two worlds in it, you know. I think what you’re talking about is the other side.”
The unicorn, with its snowy wings, kindly laid out all the details for me.
“By the way, it’s the first time a human’s ever come here.”
“First time?”
“Yeah, Baekroo simply loves cute things but isn’t so keen on humans.”
The unicorn gazed at me with big, curious eyes, then laughed and said, “You’re pure, which is nice!”
“…What does that even mean?”
“Ah, I guess a young human might not know. Us unicorns—”
“No no no! Don’t say it!”
I clutched my chest and dropped to my knees. I felt glad to get the unicorn’s help, but it hurt my heart, and tears started flowing.
“You’re a delicate one, huh?”
“Let’s… just go with that.”
Sniffling, I hugged a round, squishy puppy that wiggled its tail vigorously and licked my chin.
At first, I thought Baekroo had fattened up these animals forcibly, but nope, they were naturally like this.
While I was healing myself, sniffing the puppy’s scent, the pink sky suddenly ripped open. A jet-black hand reached down and snatched me.
The puppy I held tumbled from my grasp, rolling around, and eventually came to a stop bumping into the unicorn’s leg. The unicorn looked up at me and said, “Farewell, human! Keep your purity intact!”
“Noooo! I really didn’t want to hear that!”
Of course, I’m in a child’s body. So naturally, it’s expected! But in my past lives too, I remained pure. I didn’t want to be pure; I got shanghaied into it!
‘Wahh…’
While I sobbed internally, I was pulled out of the shadow. The dark hand gripping me didn’t loosen its hold.
Because of that, I was suspended in midair, held by this hand. Luckily, it was supporting me from below, so it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Wooooo! Aaaaaah! Eeeek!
As soon as I emerged, I was greeted with loud roaring and screams, along with the cries of monsters. The place was as dark as night. Torches hanging on the walls cast just enough light for me to figure out where I was.
‘Am I in a prison?’
My sight was filled with rows of jail cells. It was too dark to see clearly, but I could vaguely make out human shapes inside.
Clang, squeak.
Following the eerie sound of metal, I turned my gaze to a plump fellow who looked like a human rotundity opening one of the nearby cells with a creepily obsequious smile.
“Everything’s ready for you!”
The round guy held up a lantern, revealing a cold stone floor covered in torn rags. There was a chamber pot that looked like it was for waste on one side, and on the other, a dull sword lay on the ground.
“Gasp…!”
I gasped and looked inside the cell at its occupant. Hair as grey as if they’d rolled in a dust pit, golden eyes with a vacant stare—despite the filthy digs, she sported an undeniably beautiful appearance.
“Iris!”
There she was, Iris, the protagonist from the original story.
“What? You really know her?”
Jiso lightly whistled, a sly grin on his face. He glanced between me and Iris, nodding with a twisted sense of pleasure.
“Separated siblings finally meet again? Now, that’s touching.”
Jiso muttered something about product value increasing, then started humming a tune.
“Put them together; we’ll use this for an event later.”
“Yes! Understood!”
“Ah, not here. Move them down to the lower level. That’ll be more fun.”
Jiso chuckled, then turned to Baekroo.
“What’s taking you so long? Get on with it!”
“…Yes.”
Baekroo fell silent for a moment before placing me inside the cell. Then the rotund man waddled over with an iron collar in his hands and secured it around my neck. It was heavy enough to nearly make me topple over.
“Don’t close the door. Move immediately.”
“Yes! Got it!”
The rotund man responded in an overly enthusiastic voice. Jiso shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away nonchalantly, while Baekroo gave me a long, hard look and then trailed after him.
“Hey, you two, come follow me.”
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