15. The Inevitable

I barely made it back home.

After such an eventful day, I was starving and exhausted to the point of collapse.

As an introverted homebody, I needed to lounge around and rest, but three straight days of constant external stimulation left me feeling nauseous.

This won’t do. I’ll examine that weird monster’s brain tomorrow-right now, I desperately need to rest.

“I’m fucking starving…”

First things first-food before rest. Too lazy to cook properly, so I decided to settle for instant ramen again today.

But this time, I’m making jjapagetti (black bean noodles) instead of soup-based ramen. I’ll fry an egg to go with it for a somewhat decent meal.

‘First, a quick wash.’

My whole body is sticky with blood and bug fluids-disgusting beyond words. A quick rinse, then food, then maybe some meditation.

In this state, reading would be difficult, so I’ll sit cross-legged, meditate to aid digestion, and then start reading.

“Ugh. What a waste of water.”

Washing off the blood felt like squandering precious water.

Not that I’d skip washing, but with my stored water running low, I’ll be out of drinking water in two days. Unsettling, to say the least.

No running water is brutal. Using the bottled water I scavenged for washing would be an even worse waste.

‘A way to get water…’

Is there any? Maybe if I could learn water magic-like how I picked up fire magic-I could conjure water for showers.

“Sigh.”

Jjapagetti it is. That’s all I can manage right now. For water, I’ll just boil what I collected during the rain. What else can I do?

-Slurp.

Despite my worries, the jjapagetti tasted amazing-seven times better than usual, probably because I was starving. So good it brought tears to my eyes.

It feels like I’ve been living off instant noodles since waking up in this world, but what choice do I have? No time or energy to cook properly. I wish someone would just make food for me.

Maybe I should enslave a housewife with the Collar of Subjugation. Since inhabiting this body, I’ve felt zero sexual urges anyway, so having a middle-aged woman who can cook well might not be bad.

‘But seriously, it’s weird how I don’t feel any sexual desire at all.’

No urge to masturbate either. It’s like I’ve become completely asexual. Maybe it’s the fusion of my male memories with this female body-now I dislike both genders equally.

Still, no libido is better than being constantly horny.

“Haaah.”

Anyway, now that I’ve eaten, I’m getting sleepy. But I can’t just sleep-I’ll meditate instead. Sleep is a waste of time.

Meditation will help replenish my magic and organize my thoughts.

Oh, before that, I should prep some shikigami and make healing potions from goblin ears and gallbladders.

After using them today, I realized they’re way faster-acting than store-bought meds, and since they’re liquid, they’re great for emergencies. Better stock up while I can.

I relit the gas burner.

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“Hmm…”

After finishing my tasks, I meditated for about six hours. My fatigue must’ve been high because I managed to go deep for quite a while.

‘The sun isn’t up yet.’

I started meditating at 9 PM, so it’s only 3 AM. Plenty of time to start the day with reading.

‘Then…’

I turned on a few scavenged flashlights and settled in to read the spellbook. My goal was to finish both the spellbook and the blood magic book in one go.

Completing the blood magic book would also fulfill the “Read 300+ Pages” quest, rewarding me with a random book-type item-a potential power boost before dawn.

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[You have learned Shikigami Exorcism Method.]

[You have learned Blood Replenishment.]

[You have learned Blood Flow Acceleration.]

“Ugh…”

My body felt stiff, so I stretched.

Before I knew it, the sun had risen while I was reading. A new day-Thursday-had arrived.

Another day of grinding for points until my balls fall off.

Oh wait, my balls are already gone… Fuck.

[Quest Completed]

[Rewards granted.]

As I turned the last page of the blood magic book, the quest completion message popped up, depositing 100 points and spawning a new book on the floor.

A random book, they said. What did I get? A magic tome? A spellbook? Anything works. I need to grow stronger to survive the insane, violent bastards out there.

[Archangel’s Magic Book: Records usable incantation spells to compress chanting. Effect activates when opened.]

“This is…”

I expected another skill book, but surprisingly, a magic accessory appeared.

A small, unassuming book with a chain attached, perfect for hanging from a bag or belt.

‘Having to open it every time is a bit annoying…’

But compressing incantations is incredibly useful. No more cringey 20-second muttering sessions.

‘Another Archangel item?’

First the Archangel’s Baton, now this. Is “Archangel” the creator’s name, the previous owner’s, or just a brand? Maybe it’s part of a mage set.

“For now…”

I inscribed Fireball and Flame Emission into the book. No fancy theories-just wrote the names in pen, and the letters absorbed, auto-registering the spells.

Now I just need to mutter the final line to cast. Amazing.

“Fascinating.”

Holding the book in my left hand and the baton in my right, I’d look like a real mage.

Only incantation spells can be inscribed-passives like Magic Accumulation or basic magic release don’t qualify. Same for non-incantation spells like shikigami or blood magic.

Still, I love this reward.

“Cough. Ahem.”

After drinking some water for my dry throat, I prepped to head out.

‘How many points do I have now?’

Checking showed 510 points. Still far from 6,666. Another day of hard grinding awaits.

First, fill the empty quest slot.

[Quest: Save 30+ people within 7 days. (0/30)]

[Reward: 3,000P,大幅 increase in trust points]

[Warning: Failure results in大幅 trust point loss]

“The fuck? What is this?”

Save 30 people in a week? Might as well ask me to kill them.

What does “save” even mean? It’s harder to keep people alive now.

Wait, they’re asking ME to save people? Rescue them?

Me, who distrusts and despises humanity?

‘Did they figure out my biggest weakness?’

Maybe these quests were tests by some divine being-or the author-probing my limits.

They possessed me after I wrote hateful comments, but without knowing my flaws, they threw random quests to gauge me.

Now they’ve noticed. My distrust of people, slight social anxiety, and communication struggles.

Yeah, I’m that type. Honestly, everyone-including family-irritates me. I never showed it much, but that’s how I am.

I’d rather live with a mute dakimakura doll than deal with people.

I even needed scripts for phone calls.

That’s who I am.

Getting dragged here over a toxic comment proves how twisted I am, right?

Damn it.

‘I killed people too well, and now it’s a problem.’

Whoever put me here has caught on.

That I feel no guilt, remorse, or shock from killing.

So now they’re testing me.

-Can you save people? Aren’t you afraid they’ll come back to bite you? You can’t do it, can you? Just give up.

That’s what they’re saying. After all, I’ve only killed without talking-they’d think that way.

‘Honestly, I want to refuse, but 3,000 points is huge.’

It feels like a setup-save people, get points, buy the Collar of Subjugation.

‘If I don’t take this quest…’

I’d have to risk my life repeatedly to scrape together that malicious 6,666 points.

‘A trap I have to step into knowingly.’

No-don’t think of it as stepping in. Think of it as counter-fishing.

I’ll prove I have no issue saving people-that I only killed out of necessity for survival.

‘Fuck it, thirty people? Fine. Let’s do this.’

Save thirty people.

It feels weird because it’s not killing, but I’ll just rescue them in emergencies and leave them be.

No need to get involved deeply-just meet the quota, then ignore whether they live or die.

I don’t want close relationships in this world or to lead a group of whiny survivors.

Right now, I need a mute cooking aunt-not a pack of needy survivors.

More people mean bigger targets and higher raid risks.

‘Sigh…’

Time to head out.

Before leaving, I put on the gear I took from the delinquent Awakened at the pilates studio.

Normally, I’d just wear a mask since I planned to leave no witnesses, but now that I have to save people, I need better concealment.

‘Balaclava.’

A face-covering balaclava-hides my hair too. Technically, it’s a motorcycle winter mask, but paired with goggles, no one will recognize me.

‘Let’s go.’

Time to gather points and rescue some doomed humans.