Once upon a time, I was a human.
This was before I got sucked into a novel I didn’t even know.
It must have been about a year and three months ago. I can’t remember exactly.
In fact, even the memories of my time as a human were blurry.
The longer I lived as a monster, the more I forgot the memories of my previous life.
I guess the more I got used to the sensations of being a monster, the duller the feelings from when I was human became.
Things that used to be there scattered and disappeared.
My emotions were paler than before. That’s why I always felt empty inside.
If I had never had those feelings from the beginning, it wouldn’t have mattered. But losing what I once had only made the emptiness seem even greater.
That was one of the reasons I was in a hurry to return to my original world.
Because time was running out for me.
If this time kept flowing like this, if what was inside me continued to disappear…
“······.”
I might not want to go back to being human anymore.
*
Surprisingly, the security in the underground prison wasn’t as tight as I had imagined.
Maybe it was because the mercenaries who sold Iria to the slave market were taking care of it.
In any case, they weren’t that strong. Most of them fell after a quick sword strike by Iria.
In the dark, damp corridors of the underground prison, silver hair shimmered.
She walked leisurely, holding a small dagger in one hand.
The reason Iria chose not to hide her body was that she was confident in her strength. Besides, after today, they wouldn’t remember her anyway.
“······.”
“······.”
As Iria escaped from the prison, silence filled the once-bustling corridor for a moment.
Despite there being quite a few people still hanging around, there were several reasons for this strange phenomenon.
First, some mercenaries had fainted after recklessly charging at the back alley monster.
Second, those who witnessed the scene all lost their fighting spirit.
She might be a girl with a smaller physique than them, yet her small presence felt enormous. The mercenaries were trembling in fear at her sharp aura.
Fortunately for them, Iria hadn’t attacked them first.
The monster who trampled down all the humans that charged at her showed little interest in the remaining lackeys.
She cast her gaze over the fallen humans. A chilly air seemed to emanate from her expressionless face.
The gaze looking down from above was exceedingly cold.
It was the kind of look you give to an insignificant being who couldn’t inflict any harm on you.
“Nothing special.”
After observing them for a while, she finally left.
It seemed there was no one here she was looking for.
And there was a human who reached out toward Iria as she turned her back to leave.
The first to get knocked out by her and who had just regained consciousness, the second-tier mercenary, Evelyn.
He was a renowned mage in the group.
With his outstanding skills, he had achieved overwhelming results in a short period and was practically second-in-command of the organization.
It was hard for his pride to remain intact after being utterly defeated by a girl who was much younger and smaller than him.
Eventually unable to suppress his anger, he aimed a spell at Iria’s back.
“You monster…”
Even if she was a monster, she was still an ignorant little girl regarding the ways of the world.
Turning your back to an experienced mage on the battlefield? That kind of arrogance had limits.
Sure, she had overwhelming strength, but her actual combat experience was likely lacking.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake.
On the other hand, mercenaries always gamble with their lives to earn money. There had always been a difference in mindset between her and them from the start.
So, regret for his past actions and close your eyes. That sky-high arrogance could be your downfall.
Evelyn thought this as he gathered mana with his hands. The incantation of a high-level military spell was inscribed in the air.
– Fwoosh!
Blue mana shimmered and ignited the incantation. He maximized mana expenditure to enhance its lethality.
No matter how much of a monster she was, being hit head-on wouldn’t end well for her.
By the time Evelyn finished preparing his spell, Iria stopped in her tracks.
“If you shoot that, you’ll die.”
She said casually, turning just her head slightly. As expected, her tone was cold.
Hoisting the dagger in her hand, she warned him coldly, as if to say to back off if he didn’t want to die.
However, that only made Evelyn scoff.
He had already executed the incantation, and there was quite a distance between him and Iria holding the sword.
Dashing up and swinging the sword while penetrating a high-level spell with no blind spots? That was just nonsense.
That was beyond human capability. Therefore, her words were bravado.
“Stupid, you’re the one who’s gonna die!”
Evelyn unleashed the magic he had prepared.
– Fwooosh!!!
The blue flame blazed fiercely, engulfing the corridor of the underground prison.
There was no escape. The corridor was too narrow.
The power of a second-tier mercenary using up all his mana for magic was more than enough to cover the tight corridor.
Thus, Evelyn was confident of his victory.
The flames of high-level magic burned flesh and melted bones. By now, she would have vanished without a trace as she was engulfed by the flames.
As expected, after the flames died down, Iria was gone from the corridor.
Only the cleanly cleared corridor remained as if nothing had ever been there.
“Hah, hah… Serves you right, idiot.”
That’s what you get for messing around in enemy territory.
With a wry smile, Evelyn exhaled harsh breaths.
But not long after, he realized something was wrong.
– Swish.
Evelyn’s vision spun.
He soared through the air for a moment before crashing to the ground.
He didn’t even have time to figure out what had happened. He merely closed his eyes and reopened them. Before he knew it, he was separated from his body and head.
His face was buried in the dust. Only after that did the delayed pain come flooding in.
Did I get beheaded? When did that happen?
No idea. He probably wouldn’t know for the rest of his life.
Just before his consciousness faded, the last thing he saw was shimmering silver hair and red eyes.
“So, you die.”
Iria, looking down at the severed head with icy eyes, frowned slightly as she spoke.
Human blood doesn’t wash off easily when it gets on your clothes. Therefore, she wanted to avoid unnecessary killings if possible.
Iria, covered in blood, seemed a bit annoyed. She hadn’t entirely avoided the flames, so her hair and clothes were slightly scorched. It bothered her.
This wasn’t something that could be resolved just by killing the victim. Killing him wouldn’t improve her mood either.
Both sides ended up in a lose-lose situation. Iria felt bad, and he lost his life.
That’s why I told you not to do it. Humans are wise yet sometimes foolish.
With a sigh, she moved on, spotting something.
A half-broken mirror that should not be there. She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
“······.”
What a sight.
Her once-white hair was stained red with blood, and her red eyes gleamed brightly even in the dark space.
A woman walking along the half-collapsed corridor of the underground prison, drenched in blood.
Moreover, she held a blood-stained dagger in her hand.
“What a crazy girl.”
That was the literal truth.
No matter how you looked at it, her reflection in the mirror didn’t seem normal.
Yet strangely enough, Iria thought her appearance suited her very well.
Was it because she was a man-eating killer? Perhaps it reflected her characteristics as a creature.
Iria let out a bitter smile and continued to move forward.
Since then, the guards in the underground prison were nowhere to be found.
They probably all fled. It seemed they realized that an ordinary guard couldn’t even catch my ankle.
So it was more convenient for me to move forward. It would have been better if they had stepped aside sooner.
Contrary to the typical image of monsters, I surprisingly wasn’t hostile toward humans. Unlike regular monsters, I had some intelligence.
If they had just let me pass quietly, there wouldn’t have been any bloodshed.
It seemed like money really is a great thing.
Although I was a monster, I still needed money to survive in human society. I could understand how they felt.
But I couldn’t wrap my head around the man I killed at the end, Evelyn.
What on earth was his reason for stopping me? I pondered seriously, resting my chin on my hand, then eventually gave up.
It wasn’t something that could be solved just by thinking about it. Human emotions were perplexing.
Clearing my mind off such thoughts, I ascended the stairs.
Is this the first basement floor? I just need to pass through that corridor to get outside.
I hurried my steps to leave this place, then abruptly halted.
I sensed a threatening aura.
As I noticed the anomaly and stopped in my tracks, a blade was already sailing toward me.
An attack aimed straight at my neck. I raised the dagger in my right hand.
– Clang!!
With a heavy metallic clang, the impact was felt in the hand gripping the sword.
Since it was such a surprise attack, I took a step back and countered.
I twisted the sword in my hand, channeling my strength into the swing. The sharp blade traced a shimmering arc.
– Swoosh!!
But I didn’t hit anything. The man, realizing something was off, retreated at great speed.
Good instincts, perhaps? Maybe he had fast reflexes.
“Did you block that?”
The middle-aged man who had swung the sword at me flashed a fierce grin.
I hadn’t sensed any presence until he got right up to me. An assassin-type mercenary, perhaps. He looked quite different from the ones I had seen underground just a moment ago.
“······.”
He was looking at me. So, I was looking at him.
He had a sharp impression. His body was covered in scars from numerous battles, and there was no sign of a faltering breath.
Just from that, I could tell. He was a first-tier or higher mercenary.
But I was puzzled.
I just wanted to get outside. I had no intention of causing them any harm.
Sure, I had no choice but to kill his subordinates who came at me first, but why was he hostile toward me?
Was it because I stirred up trouble underground? No, that wasn’t it. He wasn’t affiliated with the slave market.
If anyone was going to fall apart, it would be the slave market owner, not him.
But the killing intent radiating from him was unusual.
At first, I thought he was angry because I had killed his subordinate, but now it didn’t seem to be the case.
His face was tinged with not rage, but greed.
So, I asked.
“Why?”
He answered my question.
“Money.”
“Oh.”
I got it right away. It was a far more ridiculous reason than I had expected.
Was his life not worth more than a few coins? Perhaps he genuinely thought he could beat me.
But that was fine. After making eye contact with him, I understood what type of person he was.
And from that moment, I had no intention of letting him live. In fact, it was fortunate I encountered him here.
Because he was the person I had been looking for.
“Beorn.”
So that’s his name.
I aimed my sword at Beorn.
“I’ll play with you.”
I didn’t usually enjoy moving my body, but there were exceptions for him. He was worth it.
I smiled slightly.
Today was a lucky day.
