episode_0092

“Ahh!”

I snapped to attention at the loud scream.

‘This is…’

I was looking down at a messy room with a translucent body. I reflexively realized that what unfolded before my eyes was a scene from the past.

“Ahh!”

I saw myself crying loudly in a baby crib placed in one corner of the living room. The house was a mess. Clothes were scattered on the living room sofa, and black smoke was rising from the kitchen adjacent to the living room.

“Oh my! Baby!”

Mom, who came running from the kitchen belatedly, was seen.

“Oops!”

Thud!

Mom couldn’t reach the baby crib, stepped on clothes scattered on the floor, stumbled, and rolled on the ground. She rubbed the back of her head and laughed.

“Ahh!”

Meanwhile, the young me continued crying incessantly.

‘I was completely panicked back then.’

Somewhere, I could smell something burning, intermittently hear Mom’s screams, a sound like drilling something, and an unidentified “kwek” sound (it was from Mom’s cooking).

‘…It was difficult to adapt at first. Now it feels like a memory.’

To me, who had lived in an ordinary world, the comedy world was so alien. It felt like a world inhabited only by crazy people.

Now it’s just a memory – I can say calmly, but until middle school, I found it very difficult. I even thought about wanting to die. However, the comedy world was a world where you couldn’t just die as you pleased.

To survive, I had no choice but to accept this strange world.

‘If only I had accepted it when I was younger, it would have been easier.’

The moment I decided to accept it, everything miraculously became normal. To be more precise, everything was naturally accepted.

Using people’s lives like toys, terrible events happening frequently.

Of course, unlike the original residents of the comedy world, I lived aware of the ‘strangeness’ of the comedy world. If I hadn’t had that awareness, I wouldn’t have been able to adapt in the dark fantasy world.

‘But why am I dreaming this dream?’

As I stared blankly at myself crying, I heard music coming from somewhere.

Jang ~ Jya-jang~ Jya-jya-jang ~

A sound imitating guitar playing with the mouth grew louder. My gaze turned towards the direction of the sound.

Jya-geong ~ Jya-geong-jya-geong-jya-jang!

The sound came from the TV attached to the living room wall. A silhouette smaller than a finger was wriggling and dancing on the white screen. It looked like it was filmed from very far away.

‘Huh? Why is it getting closer?’

The silhouette, which was only a little finger before, began to approach. Along with that, the music became louder.

‘Wait, that…!’

As the silhouette approached to the point where the face could be identified, I understood why I was having such a dream.

Jya-geong ~ Jya-gya-geong!

A maid outfit suitable for a maid cafe, pointed cat ears and tail, hands wearing cat paw gloves, pretending to be a cat by waving the fist in the air.

If a god of the comedy world appeared, nothing around would be surprising.

Jya-jang! Jya-jya-jang!

The god of the comedy world was gradually growing on the screen. As if it were natural, the god of the comedy world that popped out of the screen in the living room stood still and started dancing a bizarre dance.

“Ahh! It’s coming!”

Unable to resist such a comedy world god, Mom rushed into the kitchen where the monster was causing a ruckus.

“Hehe, here comes this body.”

At that time, after finishing the dance, she flipped her black hair back and imitated a strange lady.

“Ugh…”

Suddenly, I stop crying at the sudden appearance of a god. The god of the comedy world comes briskly towards my baby crib and looks down at me.

“Huhuh, huh-uh. So you’re born like this.”

The god looked down at me, imitating a refined voice. I wanted to shout at such a god from the air.

“This wasn’t in my memory!”

No matter how memories distort with age, I couldn’t forget the appearance of the god.

“Do you like it? Let me make a contract with you.”

Chuckling, the god extended a hand with a geometric magic circle engraved on the back, looking like a disposable tattoo sticker.

“Isn’t that a line from ‘Contractor of the Girl’?”

Seeing a being like a god quoting famous anime lines to a newborn baby, contempt unconsciously filled my eyes.

“What are you trying to do to a newborn reincarnate?”

Terrifying thoughts crossed my mind.

Snap.

Her outstretched palm split open.

Thud! Thud!

Blood started pouring out. Naturally, her blood poured into my young mouth.

“What are you doing to a baby!”

Wanting to shout at the god committing absurd acts, I couldn’t convey any meaning as a mere bystander.

“Cough!”

As blood suddenly poured into my mouth, I coughed and tears welled up. The god seemed to make a face saying, “This isn’t right?” A face I wanted to slap.

“Hmm, h-hem. I’ll grant you mercy specially!”

The god uttered another familiar line before flicking their finger. A milk bottle fell from the air. The god filled it with blood and fed it to me.

Slurp, slurp!

Not knowing the taste, I began sucking the god’s blood with a dazed face.

“Hohoho! With this, our contract is sealed!”

Looking at the god laughing with baseless speech, I wanted to smack my forehead.

“What did you feed me exactly? No, more importantly, feeding that to a baby…”

“Of course, it’s fine~”

Before I could finish my thought, the god’s gaze precisely focused on me.

“Now it’s time for you to wake up!”

Upon hearing that sound, my vision began stretching like taffy. Before long, everything turned black.

***

“Ah…”

Opening my eyes, I saw the familiar ceiling. It was my windowless room where I had spent three years.

“I feel like I had a strange dream… a dream where a god fed me their blood like a pervert.”

Whether it was a common dream in the comedy world, a nightmare because of drinking a god’s blood, or just a weird dream since a god appeared, I couldn’t distinguish.

“Just a silly dream.”

Thinking so, I sat up. There was no one in the room.

“How long did I sleep?”

Thinking that, I moved my body sideways.

Clank.

“…?”

I heard a strange metallic sound coming from under the blanket. When I pulled it back… I saw shackles around my ankles.

“Am I captured by an enemy?”

But this was my room, and I was lying on a soft bed. At that moment when countless hooks came to mind…

Crash!

The door opened with a loud noise as Noah’s pale face appeared, visibly shocked.

“Ri, An…”

Calling my name with a trembling voice, Noah almost rushed towards me and embraced me without slowing down.

Thump!

“Ugh!”

“Rian, Rian…”

Usually, when a same-sex friend rushes at me like that, I unconsciously push them away, but strangely, Noah couldn’t do that. Is it because of his insurmountable appearance? Is this the ego of an ordinary student (lower class)?

For some reason, my body instinctively stiffens.

“Oppa!”

“Jjuin-nim!”

While lost in thought, other people started to appear.

“I’m glad everyone is safe…”

As I mumbled in relief, I felt Noah’s arms around my shoulders tightly.

Thunk.

“Huh..? Did I hear a cracking sound?”

Before I could ponder that question, my shoulder was abruptly pushed back. Noah, with red eyes and furrowed brows, was glaring fiercely.

***

“Do you…! Do you know how terrible you looked when you collapsed? You almost died! Your stomach was pierced, blood gushing out as you were dying!”

His voice mixed with sobs carried resentment, anger, guilt, worry, and various emotions.

“You almost died! Shouldn’t you at least ask if your own body is okay?”

When Noah found Lian, due to Lian fainting for a special reason, the demon sword was summoned back. As a result, the wounds covered by clothing were exposed, blood pouring out.

When Noah embraced Lian, there was already a pool of blood on the ground. Even when trying to staunch the wound with both hands, the blood kept flowing.

“No, no…”

Trembling, Noah tried to staunch the bleeding with their clothes, but blood continued to flow. Their clothes and Lian’s clothes wrapped around the wound only turned red from the excessive bleeding.

Supporting Lian with a trembling body, Noah began to return to headquarters, holding onto hope that Lian’s breath had not ceased.

Walking on a red carpet made of Lian’s blood, Noah gasped for breath.

Noah felt like a fish dragged onto land, as if their breath would stop at any moment. Their vision turned yellow, feeling dizzy. Their nose was numb from the smell of blood, a metallic taste lingered in their throat.

Compared to the weight she usually trained with, Lian, who should have been light as a feather, felt unbearably heavy as if carrying a huge mountain.

Humans cannot survive losing this much blood.

The common knowledge ingrained in their mind suggested that despair awaited at the end of this path.

Memories after arriving at headquarters were hazy for Noah. The pungent smell of blood, screams, cries.

Amidst the heaviness, the only sound that reached Noah was Lian’s faint breathing.

You’re going to die. You know that.

As darkness gradually engulfed Noah, those words echoed in their mind. But a miracle happened. Lian’s wounds quickly healed thanks to the magic and potions, stabilizing their breathing.

However, there was no one to share in Noah’s relief.

What if I suddenly die today? What if I stop breathing tomorrow?

Everyone, including Noah, who cherished him, spent the night with open eyes. Three days passed like that until Lian finally opened his eyes.

Realizing that the magic device in the room had activated, Noah ran madly towards Lian’s room. Seeing Lian sitting there looking fine, tears welled up in Noah’s eyes.

“I’m glad everyone is safe…”

Those were the first words spoken by the now-awake Lian, enough to infuriate Noah.