Ch.23Chapter 23 – Some Things Are Forbidden Even in Dreams (4)

The basic ability of a succubus is to target the gaps in people’s hearts and show them the dreams they desire.

However,

‘In Azazel’s case, she can glimpse a person’s future just by making eye contact.’

Azazel had eyes different from others. Eyes that could see information about a person’s future simply by making eye contact.

Because of this, since childhood, she had harbored both a vague fear and trust about seeing the future.

She had experiences of fixing futures where an elderly neighbor’s precious flowerpot would break, and times when she couldn’t prevent the death of a stray cat that had grown attached to her.

For this reason, Azazel normally had to learn to either keep her eyes closed or avoid making eye contact while conversing with others.

‘This is similar for Bi-wol and Verdandi too.’

I bit my lower lip and lowered my head. It was all my fault that they had such unfortunate pasts.

‘Bi-wol, whom I thought of while looking at the moon in the slums.’

I thought of the Star of Heavenly Murder when I saw my father looking at me and calling me the child of the monster that devoured my brother.

‘Verdandi, whom I created because I didn’t want to live in the present.’

Because I was ostracized and pointed at by girls just for having a handsome face, I wanted the ability to know whether people were good or evil.

‘Azazel, whom I thought of while watching friends with angelic faces doing wicked things.’

And I dreamed of a successful future as a writer, thinking I could someday escape this sad past.

All the hopes that my past self had dreamed of to escape my miserable home environment had been implemented as the abilities of the final bosses.

“Azazel, I know this is confusing… but whatever future you saw, I’m not here to harm you.”

Just as Azazel and Gabriel had angelic names despite being demons, these novels had my life woven into them.

It was all my fault.

“D-don’t come any closer! If you come any closer, I’ll really have no choice but to kill you!”

Azazel threatened me with a flushed face. I wasn’t sure what future she had glimpsed, but it seemed like a major misunderstanding.

What future had she seen?

She had just referred to me as a “promiscuous man” and said she had glimpsed a future where they were deciding the order of who would roll on the bed first.

‘It could just be a pillow fight.’

I put aside my disbelief and thought deeply. The only scene I could imagine was playing happily on the bed with my three disciples.

After all, Azazel’s future visions weren’t infallible.

“Azazel, don’t you know that the futures you see aren’t always accurate?”

I said as I took a step forward. In the original story, she lost the protagonist Kang Si-woo to her sister because she trusted the future too much.

She had also made the mistake of believing unquestioningly in a hero who seemed like he would only look at her forever, and equating a character in the game with its real-life counterpart.

And,

“I know you’re sad that your sister took away the man you loved, but you can’t lock yourself away like this for the rest of your life.”

The variable arose because she didn’t realize that what she thought was her future was actually her identical twin sister.

“I’ve come to show you true love. To meet a proper man and learn what real love is.”

I was trying to have a calm conversation. If such a big misunderstanding occurred from the start, it might grow beyond resolution later.

I slowly raised my empty hands to show I had no intention of fighting, but,

“Stop lying.”

Azazel’s expression was full of disgust. I could see her frowning, pulling down the corners of her mouth, and showing her displeasure.

“You must be in cahoots with those old men from the Vatican, and I’m just being played. Otherwise, there’s no way I would accept someone as promiscuous as you as my master!”

Her attitude was as cold as ice piercing my heart. The tentacles pointing at me seemed ready to attack at any moment.

Her tentacles were offensive weapons that could freely move through dimensions, form defensive barriers, or be used as weapons like spears or whips.

“That can’t be true! Master came here to save you!”

Seeing the tentacles, Verdandi drew her holy sword from her chest. Her voice was filled with strength.

“Surprisingly, we agree on this, sister.”

“That’s right! If you lay even a finger on our master, we won’t forgive you!”

Bi-wol joined in, surrounding herself with demonic energy in preparation for battle.

“No, so what exactly is this future you saw? Azazel.”

Fighting like this wouldn’t solve anything. I pressed my fingers against my forehead to suppress a headache.

The “future” Azazel was talking about was really bothering me.

‘Am I really going to be kidnapped and imprisoned later?’

Gulp. At this sudden conclusion, I felt my heart pounding in my chest.

No way, our kind disciples wouldn’t do that.

They shouldn’t.

But they might.

“It was a future where you were tied to a bed, blindfolded, and they were playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who would get on top of you first!”

“…What?”

I froze upon hearing that future. It was too detailed and specific, like something my disciples might actually plan.

“Ah, so that’s the method…”

Bi-wol smiled mischievously after hearing Azazel’s future prediction, while,

“Huh, why are they deciding the order to get on top of Master? Are they going to ride horses?”

Verdandi tilted her head, not understanding the meaning. There was a tense tug-of-war between innocence and cunning.

“Ahem, you must have seen wrong.”

I couldn’t help but clear my throat. I was finding it hard to breathe.

The idea that children I had raised like daughters were waiting for a future where they would pounce on me—this didn’t make sense.

“Just as your sister took away your lover, the future can always change. So I hope you won’t put too much faith in it.”

I almost bit my tongue. My pronunciation was tangled, but I managed to finish the sentence.

Azazel was locked away in this monastery, building her strength with thoughts of revenge against that world where Gabriel, who looked exactly like her, had taken away the man she had a crush on.

“How do you know that? Are you perhaps sent by my sister? To comfort me after I lost my lover?”

Oops, I made a mistake.

Verdandi could have lied about receiving an oracle, but I should have been more careful with Azazel.

“Yes, you can think of me as someone sent by your sister if you like. Family members should face each other someday, shouldn’t they?”

I chose to confront this head-on.

After all, that’s what family is.

Of course, there can be bad relationships too, but in the end, what remains is not friends or lovers, but family.

Even I cried at my father’s funeral when I realized he had secretly been collecting the novels I wrote after he passed away.

“So you don’t have regrets later.”

I gave Azazel advice that contained my life experience, pushing aside my bitter feelings. I didn’t want her to regret like I did.

“…You really do have a way with words.”

Azazel lowered her head for a moment, then pointed at Bi-wol and spoke.

“Then how do you explain that person over there knowing I was making a prediction in the future?”

“She knew? How?”

Hearing this, I felt something was strange. I had never described such a setting in her abilities.

I already knew that many characters in this novel world didn’t move according to the predetermined plot or settings.

‘That’s why I got angry at the villagers in Verdandi’s town. Even one person could have acted differently, but they threw away the chance to admit their wrongdoing.’

But,

“Yes, she looked at me and said ‘You saw it, didn’t you?’ while deflecting my future prediction. Are you all really ordinary humans?”

This kind of influence across time was different. Novels have a predetermined order of episodes, and the drama progresses along that grand flow.

“We’re not exactly ordinary humans…”

It seemed that a final boss of a novel could even go against that flow. After all, novels where the Heavenly Demon regresses or reincarnates are common.

“If you don’t leave right now, I’ll have no choice but to hurt you. This is a place of memories that only I, Kang Si-woo, and Master can share.”

Azazel exuded killing intent while writhing her tentacles.

Since I had written that this was where the affection-raising events in the game took place, it was natural for her to cherish this place.

“There’s no choice! Words won’t work!”

“Master, just give the order, and this girl will capture that fierce wolf and bring her before you.”

Judging that further dialogue would be futile, my two disciples were preparing to fight her.

“Yes, then I’ll ask you.”

I cleared my throat due to the pain constricting my body and asked them to subdue Azazel.

I had already guided Bi-wol to the Transcendence Realm for this moment and taken Verdandi as a disciple to prepare a way to deal with Outer Gods classified as evil.

All that remained was to pray that this method would work on Azazel.

But,

“Actually, a few days ago, my holy Master gave me an oracle. He said that prophet-like people would come looking for me, and I should bestow grace upon them.”

Azazel spoke the name of the Outer God, Morgidian.

A sensation like my breath stopping, pain like glass shards scraping my lungs, and a desire to gouge out my ears for hearing something I shouldn’t have—all these feelings came at once.

I’m dying. I’m dying. I’m dying.

It felt like I was suffocating, like water rising to my chin, and a fear of drowning despite there being nothing around.

‘The reaction to Outer Gods that I described in the original novel…!’

Behind Azazel, a giant eye was quietly staring at us. Her attack was so meticulous and delicate that we didn’t know when we had fallen victim to the Outer God.

“Kheuk…”

“M-Master… I’m sorry…”

“Ah, aah…”

I tried to endure by drawing inner energy from my core, but even my disciples around me were suffering, bleeding from their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

“I’m a succubus too. Inviting you into a nightmare is one way to resolve this commotion peacefully.”

With that, Azazel gently raised the corners of her mouth and cast a spell to put me, Bi-wol, and Verdandi to sleep.

My vision wavered, and the space around me began to distort before my eyes.

What kind of dream would I have if I fell asleep now? A dream of repeated deaths? Or would I wander in the dream forever?

“Kuuugh…”

“My, you have impressive mental strength. I should revise my assessment.”

I maintained consciousness by biting my tongue, and with great effort, I spread my palm toward the distant Azazel and released the Ice-White Divine Art.

Paang—!

The freezing energy that could freeze everything flew toward her, but unfortunately, it was blocked by her tentacles.

“…Sleep well. This is the last mercy I can offer you.”

As she watched Bing-yeon collapse forward after losing consciousness, Azazel whispered softly.