When all the children of the tribe were born with heaven's blessings, she alone was shunned by the stars.

On the day of her birth, the sky clouded over as if to shield its eyes, and a flock of crows cawed ominously.

The tribal members, frightened by these omens, were ultimately soothed only by the intervention of the priest.

A circle was drawn in blood. A large sigil was etched into the ground.

Astrology. The power handed down through generations by those who worship and serve heaven.

The reason the empire sought to eradicate them.

Symbols of the stars were placed all around. Humanity gazing into the heavens to divine the principles of the world.

Into the priest's mind flowed the knowledge of the heavens.

And then... it wasn't long before the priest's face turned ashen.

It was inevitable.

The Star of Heavenly Slaughter*

Born to drench the world in blood, a child with the nature of a murderer.

The girl born today was destined to kill hundreds, no, tens of thousands.

But...

The priest did not disclose this to anyone.

He could not.

- How is it? Just as I said, right? It's not an ominous omen. It's my child, so I can tell.

The woman spoke with a face nearing death. Likely, she would depart this world just after giving birth.

She, too, was a member of the tribe.

Thus, she could not be ignorant of all these ominous signs, the foretold future of her child.

- Surely, she will live a happy life.

'Even without me.'

'Even without him.'

'Firmly, more firmly than anyone else.'

'More happily than anyone else.'

Even as she spoke these words, tears streamed down her face.

Ignoring all the principles of the heavens she had devoted her life to learning, she envisioned a happy future for her child, left alone in this world.

A future for this child marked only by blood and death.

A path through a realm made of corpses.

Denying all these truths.

She spoke of her child being born into the world, experiencing various things, meeting someone, falling in love, and living an ordinary and happy life like others.

The only regret was that she wouldn't be there to see it.

Faced with this vision, the priest found himself utterly unable to speak the truth.

That the child must be killed.

That this child was born with a destiny that should never have been fulfilled.

In the end, all discussions related to the child's fate were shrouded in secrecy.

And then, a girl was born.

Born from the death of her mother.

Her life began with a sin.

Yet, the priest tirelessly tried to guide her onto the right path, time and again.

He endeavored to raise her rightly in a world where she was left alone, without a mother or a father.

It was a foolish endeavor.

No one knew better than the priest how absolute a destiny bestowed by the heavens could be.

In the end, no matter how much one struggles, it's impossible to escape one's inherent fate.

Because it's inescapable, that's why it's called fate.

The girl, Lien, grew more with each passing day.

Her hair was as white as snow, her eyes as black as night.

Her beauty, a spitting image of her mother's, only grew, secretly admired by many within the tribe.

Only the priest knew of Lien's true nature.

Lien's hunting was not for daily sustenance.

Whenever she killed her prey, she would always watch slowly... as the life drained from the body, as if mesmerized by death itself.

As if she savored death.

'If Lien were ever to kill a person...'

There would be no turning back then.

The girl would fulfill her destiny, staining the world with blood.

Countless people would lose their lives.

No one would be able to control her.

And to the priest, that future didn't seem far off.

The more Lien grew, the less she would be satisfied with merely killing animals.

That day would come soon.

She would inevitably kill a person, fulfilling her destiny and being consumed by her true nature.

'Then what should I do...'

The priest made his decision.

She must be killed.

The child must be killed before it's too late, as soon as possible.

*****

Intent to kill.

Lien felt it in the eyes of the priest looking at her.

The situation where the man who raised her in place of her deceased parents, almost like her father, was trying to kill her.

However, Lien was not perturbed.

She already knew. That she was a peculiar being.

The villagers. Every time she saw their faces, brimming with kindness, Lien always imagined how she could efficiently kill them.

Of course, she knew such thoughts were wrong.

In reality, she had never once harmed another person, not even with a fist, throughout her life.

She liked the villagers just fine.

Yet, the thoughts inevitably intruded. That stabbing here would be lethal. That cutting there would do the trick.

Losing focus for even a moment meant such thoughts would emerge.

Such a being couldn't be anything but a monster. And it wouldn't be right to let such a monster live.

So, it was only natural for the priest.

For her father-figure to want to kill her.

There was no need to grieve.

"...Lien? Where are you going at this hour?"

But, feeling a bit, just a bit suffocated, Lien headed to the forest for hunting.

A man she ran into asked her. But it wasn't really a matter of concern. It was an everyday occurrence.

"I'm just bored staying still, thought I'd go stretch my legs a bit."

"Is that so? But why do you look... No, never mind. Maybe I've had too much to drink. I must be seeing things. Better head home and get some sleep."

With those words, the man disappeared.

Lien brushed off the man's strange reaction as insignificant.

Now, nothing stood in her way.

Her snow-white hair was soon to be drenched in red blood.

In the midst of the night, the forest echoed with the death throes of animals.

This was what she did whenever she felt something inside her unfulfilled.

Only these acts could satisfy her instincts.

Only these acts could bring her peace

Thinking about it, her father's reaction was indeed inevitable.

She was a monster, after all. If she found satisfaction in such vile and horrific acts, it was understandable that her father would want to kill her.

So, it shouldn't matter.

It shouldn't affect her.

She could feel a pain in her heart.

But it didn't matter. It was probably just from running around too much.

Something was trickling down her cheeks.

But it didn't matter. It was probably just blood, after all.

So, she should be fine.

She had to be fine.

"You are..."

These thoughts occupied her mind as she was finishing off a deer.

Suddenly, a man's voice came from somewhere. Through the bushes, she could see a man approaching.

Lien, startled, forcibly suppressed her murderous intent.

She must not kill a person.

This was something the priest had admonished her about time and again. But... it was hard to hold back.

She was already intoxicated with blood, her mind becoming hazy.

"Don't come any closer... I told you not to come..."

He shouldn't come.

If he did, she wasn't sure she could control her instincts any longer.

But ignoring her words, the man kept walking towards her, and then...

"What on earth do you think you're doing?"

He hugged her.

"Just, you seemed to be crying."

The man said something that made no sense.

She couldn't have been crying.

Because she was a monster.

A monster that savored death and got excited by blood.

She couldn't have felt disgusted by her actions.

She couldn't have felt disillusioned with herself for being drawn to such vile acts.

She couldn't have been crying because she hated herself so much.

Because she found herself so abhorrent.

Surely, she should have been smiling.

She must be smiling even now.

"It's okay. You'll feel better after you calm down a bit."

But why then.

Why are the tears flowing so freely?

She couldn't understand why.

It was okay if her father tried to kill her.

She was not afraid of being seen as a monster by others when her true identity was revealed.

To the villagers, to those who were like family, being treated as a monster and dying doesn't bother her in the slightest.

She had never been afraid of dying hated by everyone.

Really, it doesn't bother her at all.

She was a monster, after all, so why should she be scared?

There's no reason for her heart to ache.

But why then...

"Crying will make it better. If you're struggling, you should cry. Why hold it in?"

Could those words bring comfort?

The more she sobs,

The more tears burst forth, as if to reassure her that she was not alone, did she feel the warmth more intensely, as if being held tighter in that embrace?

Warmth was transmitted from the man's embrace, whispering something about herself to her.

That, it is okay.

That she is the same as him.

Not a monster.

So, it's okay to cry.

It's okay to be sad.

The world slowly regains its original colors.

The vision once stained with the color of blood now reflects the most beautiful and majestic night sky.

That was Lien's first encounter with that strange man.

[T.N. - The Star of Heavenly Slaughter: This term '천살성' is the Korean rendition of the Chinese term '天殺星'. In Chinese astrology and cultural folklore, this refers to the celestial body or star believed to influence human lifespan, often associated with calamity, misfortune, or significant change. It is also considered a bad omen.]

==Chapter 9: On the Boundary Between Humans and Monsters (2)==

I stood transfixed, taking in the scene unfolding before my eyes.

White hair, black pupils. A girl with an unearthly beauty soared freely through the sky.

And then, in an instant, a large prey was cleaved in two.

So cleanly. With just a single stroke of her blade.

Yet, what truly unsettled me wasn't such an overwhelming display of force.

I saw that girl sobbing. A girl crying sorrowfully all alone.

Why would she be crying? After skillfully hunting down her prey. One would think she'd be overjoyed, yet here she was, engulfed in sadness.

I couldn't understand.

But if there was one thing I could be sure of:

'...Lien?'

This girl, she's the reason I came here.

Just like with Siel before. In such circumstances, to encounter a girl of such a unique appearance, crying and suffering alone, it couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

It wasn't chance, but fate. A meeting that was meant to be.

But the problem was.

'...What should I do?'

I knew there had to be a story behind that appearance and her tears.

But I lacked the eloquence of a protagonist. I had no experience in consoling a crying child.

In the original story, the protagonist would have somehow comforted her, healed her trauma, and resolved the issues she harbored.

But I was at a loss. Even up to the moment I revealed myself to the girl, I had no clue how I should act.

Yet,

"Don't come any closer... I told you not to come..."

I knew the crying child's plea was a lie. She wanted someone by her side. It was unmistakable.

Therefore, I slowly approached the girl.

Step by step, gently.

And then,

"What on earth do you think you're doing?"

I embraced her.

She questioned me in return.

But contrary to her words, she made no attempt to leave my embrace.

It was as if she was searching for something to cling to.

As if she desperately needed someone to lean on, her hands trembled as she weakly grasped onto me.

I was not accustomed to such situations. It was to be expected. How many could truly say they've been in such a position?

Yet, despite it all, I couldn't bring myself to let go of those small, trembling hands that clung to me so precariously.

So, I hugged her over and over again as she shed tears.

Telling her it would be okay, that crying would make it better, spouting such clumsy reassurances.

Time simply flowed on endlessly like this.

Gradually, the girl's sorrow began to fade.

It's amazing.

Just the mere presence of someone, just letting them know you're there, can heal a person's sorrow like this.

I found myself gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.

For a moment, I remembered my mother who had once done the same for me.

Not that I particularly wanted to return to my original world to reunite with the family I left behind.

After all, it's been over a decade since both my mother and father passed away. Their faces are now a blur.

It's just, perhaps the night sky was so beautiful, and I got lost in its beauty.

Feeling just a little, a very slight sense of longing.

*****

The Might of the emperor suppresses the energy of ■ flesh demon ■.

Such an incomprehensible message flashed briefly before my eyes.

It disappears almost instantaneously, barely giving me a moment to read, let alone understand it.

Curious if this meant my status window had been restored, I tried various things, but to no avail. Only a message about resetting some pathway appeared, leaving me with no response.

Eventually, I shifted my focus away from the status window to more pressing matters.

"Yo-you. Who exactly are you? Why did you do this all of a sudden?"

The girl rambled on in a fluster.

Thinking about it, her reaction was entirely justified.

Overwhelmed by the moment, and perhaps reminded of a childhood memory, I had impulsively embraced her. Reflecting on it, it was indeed madness.

For a stranger to force his way towards a woman screaming for him to stay away and to embrace her without consent.

This is downright criminal.

It must have been an impulsive act driven by the vitality of a healthy body.

This characteristic viciously manipulated me, a person with common sense and a strong sense of ethics, and led me to engage in such strange behavior.

"Wh-Who are you, exactly? You didn't cast some kind of seduction spell on me, did you? Are you a warlock or something?"

But what's done is done and cannot be undone.

Nor is it a situation where I can simply apologize.

To do so would be to publicly declare that there was a foul intention behind that embrace.

As someone who had to gain the girl's trust, there was nothing worse than that.

Thus, I pointed boldly to the sky.

"Do I look like a grand sorcerer to you, capable of casting a seduction spell lasting over 3 hours without a wand?"

What rose in the sky was the sun.

A beautiful sunrise that made one ponder whether it should be captured in a photograph.

In other words, this girl had been clinging to me for hours on end.

Considering all she had vented while crying, it seemed understandable that she had so much to let out. But this was admittedly a bit too much.

"...That, that's..."

Another sun seemed to rise in the sky.

Of course, there's only one sun in this world, so the other must be someone's face, blushing as if it might burst at any moment.

She must have realized the absurdity of complaining now, after she had spent 3 hours, or perhaps even longer, pouring out her troubles to me.

I concluded by pointing to my clothes.

The girl could no longer meet my gaze.

Her face flushed, she focused on something seemingly fascinating on the ground.

It was perhaps inevitable.

My clothes were as if I had been meditating under a waterfall.

They were wrinkled and tattered here and there from her strong grip, and the shoulder area was completely soaked with tears.

"......Sorry."

Lien spoke in a barely audible voice.

Her face swollen, her eyes red and unable to look me directly in the eye due to shame. The way she offered her apology was endearingly awkward.

"Don't worry about it too much. It's natural to feel overwhelmed sometimes. I'm not particularly bothered."

Somehow, the situation was resolved.

And then......

A slightly awkward exchange of glances followed.

I had a pretty good idea why Lien was hesitating and diverting her gaze from mine.

It was only natural.

Objectively speaking, I must seem incredibly suspicious.

An outsider who suddenly appears in a place where one is hiding. Someone who approaches with an unsettling familiarity.

To any observer, I'd look like the hidden mastermind.

The very embodiment of a villain with ulterior motives.

Yet, the girl's silence likely stems from gratitude for what transpired earlier.

She's just ordinarily honest and inherently kind.

I felt a resurgence of sympathy for her.

"If there's anything you want to ask, go ahead."

With that, I took the initiative to speak to Lien.

After some hesitation, Lien posed her question.

"Why did you come to this remote mountain?"

"I just happened to pass by. Is this a place I'm not allowed to enter?"

"Not exactly, but..."

It's clear she remains unconvinced.

And understandably so. I wouldn't buy such an excuse either.

But that's okay.

I have the perfect alibi.

"Besides, if I had any ill intentions, I wouldn't have spent hours holding you. There would be no reason for me to initiate a conversation with you."

Lien's face, which had just calmed down, flushed again. She averted her gaze from mine and nodded, her face still red.

It seems she's somewhat convinced.

"Now, isn't it my turn to ask?"

"......Huh?"

"So, you can ask anything you want, but I'm not allowed to ask anything? Well, if that's the case, there's nothing I can do."

Suddenly, the girl became visibly flustered, rambling off excuses.

That wasn't her intention, she said. That I could ask anything I wanted. That she wasn't trying to interrogate me, and if it came across that way, she was sorry.

This transparency was different from Siel's in its own unique way.

She's straightforward in nature, unable to hide anything, with every emotion plainly visible on her face.

If Siel spoke exactly what was on her mind, this one seemed like she'd give away everything with just her expressions, even if she tried to lie.

She's amusing to tease, with such vivid reactions.

But now wasn't the time to be concerned with such things.

"What you said earlier, what does it all mean?"

The situation this girl was in turned out to be more serious than I had thought.

I had assumed Lien was forcibly taken by the people of some cult village, a misunderstanding due to the sparse information in the spoiler post.

But from her tearful complaints, it turns out she was born a member of this village.

Moreover, it appears that Lien's stepfather is the one trying to kill her.

"Why would your dad want to kill you?"

"Because... I was born wrong."

An incomprehensible explanation.

Seeing my puzzled expression, the girl seemed to realize I hadn't fully grasped the situation and continued her explanation in her own way.

Hmm...

It is quite extreme. I can somewhat understand why her fanatical father would deem her a 'Star of Heavenly Slaughter.'

But... is that really such a problem?

I understand possessing a talent for killing and sometimes losing consciousness in a frenzy of bloodlust.

But still.

"Is that really such a grave issue?"

I had a hunch about why the girl exhibited such symptoms.

It's simple.

Considering the characteristics of my healthy body, one could deduce the reason.

The 'Weakness Insight' trait always includes the text about easily identifying others' weaknesses.

When the game became reality, it might have led to a side effect where meeting people always triggered a perception of their vulnerabilities.

Given her straightforward nature, it's plausible for a protagonist's ally character like her to have a low-grade 'Frenzy' passive.

The text indicating excitement in combat could lead to being swayed by such influences.

"But... I almost killed you."

"But you didn't, did you?"

"A slight mistake, and I could have."

"But you didn't kill me. That's what matters."

Lien still wore a look of incomprehension.

So, I continued, locking eyes with her.

"People can't choose the traits they're born with."

It's a simple truth.

No one chooses the circumstances of their birth.

Just because Lien has a dangerous disposition doesn't mean it justifies her father's wish to end her life.

"That's why what really matters is how you choose to live your life. You chose not to kill me. Isn't that enough?"

"......But still."

Yet, Lien seemed unconvinced.

So, I said with a playful smile, "If you ever lose control again, just like before, I'll be there to hold you. Don't worry."

Her face turned bright red.

Indeed, she's amusing to tease.

Such a lively reaction.

As I smiled at her response, I suddenly frowned.

"Lien."

Before us unfolded an unusual scene, naturally bringing an ominous premonition.

"That's not some traditional ritual of your village, is it?"

She turned to look at my indication.

Instantly, Lien's complexion turned ashen.

Rising smoke.

The village ablaze.

The terrible screams of people could be heard if one listened closely.

The situation was clear.

The Empire had found this place.

Today, they intended to erase a tribe from the face of the world.

==Chapter 10: On the Boundary Between Humans and Monsters (3)==

Upon hearing the boy's words and rushing to the village, Lien was met with a scene that defied comprehension.

Bodies scattered everywhere.

Houses ablaze.

In the distance, a familiar face appeared.

The lady who had always treated her kindly.

But from that face, the gentle smile that seemed to say she had unwittingly made too much food and was sharing it, was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there was only a woman with empty eyes, shedding tears.

She clung to a lump of flesh.

As if it were something incredibly precious.

And then, Lien realized that the lump of flesh was the village's infamous troublemaker, who used to play pranks on her.

Behind the sobbing lady, a knight approached mercilessly.

And then...

The lady's head was severed with frightening ease.

Lien couldn't comprehend it.

Her mind couldn't keep up with what was happening.

Just one slash of the sword.

Had ended someone's life.

Never again would Lien eat the pies given to her by the lady.

The village's infamous troublemaker would no longer bring her insects to play pranks and laugh about it.

"Why?"

Lien numbly stared at the face of the knight who had beheaded the lady.

No sign of guilt could be seen on that face.

Just smiling, as if pleased to have added another to his collection, he would carefully preserve the ears he cut off.

They joked among themselves, betting on who could kill more.

Talking such talk.

They were killing those who were like family to Lien.

The uncle who always reeked of alcohol and only received scolding was now trembling with fear, yet still trying to protect his child and wife.

And the knight, with a disturbing smile... pushed the uncle aside and approached the child.

He hugged the child and, while the mother screamed in agony, crushed her head with his hands and then slit the child's throat.

"Daddy, save me!"

Like playing with dolls, the knight held the child's head up to his face like a mask and mimicked these words.

Imitating the child's voice, he let out an unpleasant, snickering laugh in front of the uncle who was wailing in sorrow for his lost family.

He even applauded the sight of the uncle, driven to madness, plunging a knife into his own throat.

Lien's head was spinning.

She couldn't understand it.

It was utterly incomprehensible.

That he could be of the same species as her.

That he could be human like her.

"Lien."

Someone places a hand on her shoulder.

It was her father.

The priest was looking at her.

"You mustn't go."

It was an expression she had never seen before. Such sadness, such torment, she had never seen on his face.

"Fate has found you. Fate has come for you..."

What that fate was.

Why her father was trying to stop her.

She had a faint idea.

"If you go, you may never return."

Yet, even hearing such words, her feet wouldn't stop.

The girl simply moved forward, her eyes unfocused, towards the knights.

Fate was leading her.

Among the fleeing people, she alone faced hundreds of knights.

Their gazes focused on her.

A man, seeing her, approached her with vile words spewing from his mouth.

And then... Lien cut off the man's leg.

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

The knight, realizing he had just lost a leg, panicked.

And Lien blankly watched the scene.

Then she understood.

Why she had cut the leg.

She knew where to cut, where to slash, where to stab.

Despite seeing the most efficient way to kill a person, why she chose such an inefficient method.

She realized it.

"Oh, don't come! I said don't come! Didn't you hear me!"

The ugly struggle to survive.

It seemed beautiful to her.

Bleeding out, trembling in the terror of dissolving into nothingness.

Realizing that one is not immortal, that one is made of flesh and blood.

The screams lost in pain.

It was too...

...too delightful.

"Ah..."

Tears streamed down the girl's eyes.

Lien recalled the promise she had made with the boy just moments before.

She remembered the playful promise to embrace her again if she ever lost her senses, as he had done before.

It was embarrassing, it was shy, but it was a promise that made her happier than any words could.

However, that promise would never be fulfilled.

There was a smile on her lips.

Even as she cried, there was a sense of immense happiness in her smile.

The girl realized her true nature.

It wasn't much different from those knights.

A murderer who takes pleasure in the death of others.

That was her true essence.

She was not a person but a monster.

A monster who had deluded herself into thinking she could be a human.

*****

The Empire's Knight, Sian, who was in charge of this expedition, desperately tried to quiet his breathing, consumed by fear.

He felt an overwhelming urge to cover his ears.

Laughter.

He could hear laughter.

Mad, filled with insanity, the laughter echoed.

Sian could not comprehend the monster before him.

The Empire's knights were not weak.

They were the elite of the elite.

They were men who could crush a human skull with their bare hands.

Yet, no one could resist this girl.

Humans turned into mere lumps of meat.

The knights, with whom he had fought countless battles, were degrading into something non-human.

Even with magical defenses.

Even with the use of magic.

Nothing worked against this monster.

Laughing grotesquely, the monster tormented people.

Sian could see no future in which he could survive.

If only the opponent were a demon, there would be a way.

Demons are not incomprehensible adversaries.

In fact, they make good contract partners.

Last time, when he purged the commoners who rebelled against the Empire,

It was a demon that gave Sian great power just for amusingly playing with a few children in front of their parents.

They were grateful beings who even paid for hobbies.

But this was not a demon.

It was a monster that could not be understood with common sense.

A monster beyond human reasoning.

The laughter was getting closer.

But there was no escape.

His body wouldn't move.

He had run out of subordinates to use as meat shields.

Therefore, Sian could only sit still and watch the girl approaching him.

He saw something incomprehensible, crying more sorrowfully than anyone else, yet smiling more happily than anyone else.

That was Sian's last memory.

*****

The priest, numbly, looked up at the sky.

He knew without having to perform any more rites.

The very thing he had feared had finally happened.

Fate had found its way to the child.

In a way, it was inevitable.

Fate is fate because it cannot be escaped.

In the end, the fact that the priest couldn't bring himself to kill the girl he considered his own daughter,

The fact that such a tragedy happened today,

It was all predetermined.

Unchangeable.

The villagers fled in terror.

Or rather, they were too terrified to even flee.

The only one who could maintain his composure was the priest.

Everyone else couldn't withstand the ominous curse pouring down from the sky.

The sky was dyed red.

A divine presence was felt.

However, this was not the deity they worshipped.

Could that even be called a deity?

Something that drives people mad just by being seen, that corrupts the minds of those merely in its presence with its ominous curse.

'Lien.'

The something that would be born using that child as a vessel.

Could it be called a deity?

'...I don't know.'

The only thing certain was that this was the end of the priest's journey in life.

When an entity that brings only death descends upon this world, there is no chance for them to survive.

The priest's strength was reaching its limit.

He could no longer withstand the curse.

Something was eroding his mind.

Whispers of tales that could not, and should not, be understood were infiltrating his ears.

His vision slowly blurred.

And within that fading view, the priest saw.

A man.

The knowledge that confounded the mind, was incomprehensible.

A fear and oppression that engraved themselves upon the body involuntarily.

He saw a man who, bearing the curse that could drive anyone mad at a touch, walked towards the source of the curse of his own accord.

It made no sense.

It was utterly incomprehensible.

After all, nothing could be felt from that man.

He wasn't protecting his body with divine power like the priest. No magical energy was detectable.

With will alone,

With a mental strength that seemed beyond human, he was enduring the curse.

And yet, he was walking towards the source of the curse with his own legs.

Priest's consciousness was gradually fading.

With the last of his strength, the priest managed to say.

'You mustn't go.'

If he set foot there, he will never survive.

But the man did not stop.

Without even looking back, he walked towards his doom with his own steps.

Leaving behind only the incomprehensible words that he had a promise to keep.

==Chapter 11: On the Boundary Between Humans and Monsters (4)==

'How did things end up like this?'

In the rugged mountain paths, unable to sprint in a straight line like Lien, who was almost like flying, I wander in search of a path to the village, trying to organize my thoughts.

It's strange.

No matter how much I think about it, it doesn't make sense.

Why on earth is the empire attacking now, and what exactly is Lien's condition? And even...

'Why is the sky like that?'

A red sky. That irrational scene made me even more perplexed.

In a way, it's expected. I know the reason.

The identity of that red sky.

It's a scene that appeared once in a previous work. When the Demon King was about to be born in this world.

It's a premonition that someone with the right qualities is about to become the Demon King.

But why?

No matter how much I think about it, the only reason that comes to mind is... Lien.

She must have been chosen as the vessel after losing her mind at the sight of the village's condition.

So, why exactly?

That's why it's even more incomprehensible. There was nothing about this in the spoilers. Not a single word about this story was mentioned.

But logically thinking, it's bizarre that such an important event wasn't mentioned in the spoilers.

It doesn't make sense at all.

The contradiction felt like it could drive me crazy at any moment.

'...Let's calm down first.'

I take a deep breath and try to compose myself.

Let's sort out the situation step by step.

If this event wasn't described in the spoilers, it means it didn't happen in the original story.

So, what's the difference between the original and now?

First, it's Lien's traits.

The text in those skills, whether it was Enragement or Weakness Insight, made Lien's condition worse.

As the game became reality, the descriptions written in the traits directly reflected in her personality, leading her to dangerous tendencies like losing her mind to bloodlust.

Probably, that increased Lien's suitability as a vessel.

Second, it's me.

The impact I've had on this world. I can't help but think that my involvement with her somehow twisted the future.

If I hadn't stopped Lien back then, if I hadn't informed her that the village was under attack...

What could have possibly happened?

Lien would have arrived at the village much later than now.

Engrossed in hunting far away, she would have found only the burned village, left alone as the sole survivor.

What followed would have been predictable.

Even if the villagers had treated her as an ominous child, the affection built up over time meant Lien would have been saddened.

She would have embarked on a journey for revenge, accidentally met the protagonist, become friends, and through the protagonist, completely overcome her trauma to become a reliable companion.

But now, things are different.

Lien arrived at the village too early.

She must have gone berserk upon witnessing the villagers being slaughtered by the empire's knights.

Moreover, she had the traits and talent to be used as a vessel.

'...How can there be such an absurd twist of fate?'

A sigh naturally escapes me. The worst outcome created by coincidence upon coincidence.

There should be limits to the butterfly effect. Does it make sense for such minor changes to complicate matters this much?

It feels so unfair, I could die on the spot.

'...There's not much time left.'

I once again recall the quest I played in the previous game.

A quest where an orphaned boy, having lost his last family member, his younger sibling, goes mad and transforms into a Demon King.

The solution to that quest is...

To kill the orphan as soon as you meet him.

To cut the throat of the little boy trying to protect his sister with his small body against the protagonist.

If you don't kill the sister, she will come for revenge later, so you just have to cut the throat of the 5-year-old girl crying over her brother's body.

But.

'This isn't a game.'

Lien isn't some NPC in a game.

I know what worries Lien, what makes her sad.

I know she's a good person.

She's an honest girl to the point of foolishness, unable to hide her feelings, and easy to tease.

"......."

I can feel a curse penetrating my body. If I had chosen something other than the trait to protect my mind, I would have already gone mad.

As I venture deeper into the heart of the curse, an ominous aura surrounds me.

Yet, I find myself moving forward, continuing to walk.

It's peculiar.

If killing is abhorrent, fleeing is the logical choice.

If it's too much to bear to kill the child with my own hands before they're completely transformed.

At the very least, escaping to preserve one's life would be the correct action.

And yet, my feet won't stop. I just keep walking aimlessly.

Voices reach my ears. A man, desperately resisting the curse, warns me that going there will lead to death.

Hearing this, I wonder.

Why don't my feet halt?

Why do I continue to press on?

I ponder the reason... and then it hits me.

It's simple. Ridiculously simple.

"Because I promised."

I promised that if she ever lost her senses again, I would turn her back into a human.

So, I must go to keep that promise.

*****

In the mountain of corpses.

There are no more living humans left there.

In the end, this was the conclusion she faced. Her father's prediction had come true.

She should have died.

She should not have harbored hope.

She was not meant to live.

With these thoughts, she points a blade at her own throat, desperately ignoring the ominous whispers in her ear.

And then,

She notices it.

The presence nearby.

A man, bearing the entire curse, approaches her.

She couldn't help but notice.

This strange man always appears at times like this.

"Don't come. You shouldn't come."

Even as she says this, she knows. This man won't back down at such words.

He won't leave her alone.

So,

"Didn't you hear me? I told you not to come!"

She points the blade at the man's throat. Blood begins to flow.

With just a slight movement of her hand, the man would lose his life.

Yet, despite it all.

"When you say it with that expression, it's too obvious you're lying."

The man approaches, undeterred by the wound on his neck.

Unconcerned by her blood-stained appearance.

Just like that time, he approaches her with an unfazed expression.

"Kill me..."

The words slip out. Her mind, intoxicated with blood, is too hazy.

The whispers in her ears are too enticing. If she lets go of her sanity, she feels she might succumb to those whispers at any moment.

She might transform into something that isn't herself.

So, she pleads.

"Please... kill me."

It must end here.

She must die here.

She should have died long ago.

But why, why on earth.

Why does he keep coming closer to her?

At this rate, she will end up killing him.

She can hardly restrain herself any longer.

'You're full of vulnerabilities.'

It would be so easy to kill him.

She doesn't want that.

She can't kill him, of all people.

She doesn't want to kill him.

'So, stop tormenting me further.'

However, no matter how much she begs, the man does not listen.

She's terrified.

She sees no future for herself.

Someday, she might completely lose her mind.

Someday, she might transform into something entirely not herself.

In that case, rather than being treated as a monster by those she loves, by him,

It would be better to die now.

Despite clearly knowing her

Yet, despite it all,

The man simply looks at her.

He looks at her with eyes full of trust.

It's too much. Even cruelty has its limits.

Because when he looks at her with those eyes,

She start to wish she could go back.

She start to wish she could spend more time with him.

Then, she would once again be on the boundary between humans and monsters, forced to suppress her instincts for a lifetime.

Living in constant fear of losing her mind, that would be her life.

And yet,

"Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

The boy says this with a smile, spreading his arms with a playful grin.

When he says that, when he makes that expression,

She has no choice but to return.

She has no choice but to embrace him.

While shedding endless tears,

Just feeling his warmth,

She has no choice but to return to being human again.

Knowing it will be a painful path, she has no choice but to choose it.

The world, once stained with blood, regains its original colors.

The night sky shines high above, just as before, more majestic and beautiful than anything else.

But for Lien, such things no longer matter.

It's only natural.

Because something more beautiful, something more precious,

Was right before her eyes.

There was no way she could care about the night sky anymore.

==Chapter 12: On the Boundary Between Humans and Monsters (5)==

Lien is not killed.

The Demon King of Carnage descends upon the world.

...Lien's affinity has reached a certain level.

Hidden route discovered, Lien commits suicide to prevent putting you in danger.

Lien commits suicide.

Li■ commits su■■■de.

■■■ ■■■■■,

...The Emperor's Might absorbs the energy of slaughter.

The vessels' bloom state has been reset.

A critical error has been detected.

The path of fate is being reset.

*****

Fortunately, the situation was resolved more quickly than expected.

Just like before, unknown message windows appeared and disappeared at an unreadable speed, then vanished.

Lien hugged me too tightly, too overtly, forcing me to desperately suppress my natural bodily reactions by singing the national anthem.

I witnessed a tearful reunion and apology between Lien and her father.

The priest managed to skillfully shift the blame to the imperial army for Lien's rampage to the villagers, who were, fortunately, all unconscious, making it easier than expected to oversee the cleanup.

Exhausted from the day's events, both Lien and I were not ready to leave, so we rented a relatively intact house from the priest to stay in.

Despite the numerous incidents,

considering the magnitude of the disaster, things had turned out fairly well.

Therefore, only one question occupied my mind.

'Why on earth?'

A sense of discomfort...

An unavoidable sense of discomfort loomed.

It seemed almost natural.

The villagers, they were too normal.

The description from a spoiler post about them persecuting Lien based solely on their bogus fortune-telling results seemed slightly off.

Lien's father had intended to kill her based on those fortune-telling results, but... he couldn't bring himself to tell everyone, out of a sense of pity.

It was ambiguous.

Was I misremembering the spoiler post?

Had my memory become muddled?

But that wasn't the only issue.

'In the end, no matter how it happened, the prophecy came true, didn't it?'

Lien was on the verge of awakening as a Demon King.

Although I deemed it a coincidence brought about by the butterfly effect.

Still, the precision of it all was too eerie to dismiss.

'...I'll have to investigate this further.'

I advised Lien to rest in bed and then stepped out the door.

Perhaps due to most of the houses being burned down, the priest had provided us with a place that had only one bed.

I wouldn't have been able to sleep there anyway.

...I must do something about this infuriatingly healthy body trait of mine.

I can't sleep with anyone because I feel like I'll go crazy if I lie down with them.

With that thought, I went to seek out the priest again.

"Is it you? What brings you here at such a 'busy' time...?"

I couldn't fathom why he emphasized 'busy,' but chose to ignore it and spoke up.

"Can you foretell my future?"

This was the plan I had come up with.

There was no better way to verify the reliability of that spoiler post.

Thinking about it.

What if this person could actually make an accurate prophecy?

It would mean that I must act on the assumption that the spoiler post might contain some inaccuracies.

And if I could learn about my own future, it would compensate for my lack of original knowledge.

But what if the prophecy turns out to be false?

Then it would simply confirm that the spoiler post can be trusted. There's no downside for me.

Either way, it's a win-win situation. It would be strange not to try it.

"Lien, that kid. Even if she's taken a liking to a boy, to blabber about our tribe's secret divination..."

The priest grumbled something about the futility of raising daughters as he prepared for the ritual.

...Now that I think about it, I had read about this astrology divination in the spoiler post.

I felt a bit guilty for Lien, who had fallen asleep immediately upon lying down, probably exhausted from crying.

But let's just go with what Lien has told me for now.

"What was your name again?"

"Ian."

Upon hearing my name, the priest draws a double circle and places various symbols around it.

And then...

"This shouldn't be happening."

Nothing happened.

I tried to hide my cold expression, but it seemed I got caught.

The priest, not wanting to lose face, got irritated and declared that he would read someone else's destiny.

Using a straightforward approach that only requires the name and appearance. I called out a suitable person's name.

"Please look into Siel's fate. The hair is black..."

As I finished describing, the priest once again began to chant incomprehensible words and draw a circle with ashes.

And then...

Suddenly, the priest's expression turned to one of sheer horror.

"You, whoever this person might be, you must sever ties with them immediately!"

...What does that mean?

I looked at the priest, bewildered, and he continued, agitated.

"This person is destined to bring calamity. A hidden spark of vengeance in their heart will ignite, threatening to engulf everyone around them... no, to set the entire world ablaze!"

...Vengeance?

Her?

That naive and thoughtless kid, a harbinger of revenge?

There's a limit to how absurd things can get.

Of course, I knew Siel had lost her mother; I had even asked if she was okay out of concern.

-I'm fine.

-...Really?

-I know she loved me. That's enough for me.

She said she'd say she loved her mother at her grave and that would be her farewell. That was her idea of closure.

And this kid is supposed to destroy the world over revenge?

"...You need to take this seriously! Fate cannot be escaped!"

The priest shouted, losing his temper.

But, if he insists on that, I have something to say too.

"Lien is doing just fine now, isn't she? Is fate really that absolute?"

Whether Lien was close to awakening as a demon king or not, she's just peacefully sleeping now.

Is this all just a cult thing, after all?

Thinking this, I was about to step back...

But then I reconsidered.

A strange intuition held me back.

A feeling that I shouldn't back down at this moment.

"I would like you to look into one more person's fate..."

With that, I described Yuli's name and appearance.

The reason I asked about Yuli was simple.

While gathering allies is one aspect, a more significant reason is that I had directly encountered Yuli in the previous work.

From the moment of birth to growing up, I knew everything about this character inside out.

After all, Yuli was the daughter of the protagonist in the original story.

A saint born with divine powers.

A beacon of hope in the grim Bone and Blood world, a little one who healed the player's heart with her innocence.

Testing with her would give me a clearer picture.

Once again, the priest prepared for the ritual.

And then...

"How ominous, truly ominous. I sense an evil and dreadful aura... Why do you only associate with such people?"

In the end, there was no twist.

What?

A eveil aura from a saint?

That doesn't make any sense.

I started to understand why this man had been spouting nonsense about Lien having a heavenly slaughter aspect, destined to kill countless people, and so on.

He was just blabbering negative things without basis.

"...Is it because I'm getting old? Seems like I'm running out of energy. I'm sorry, but you can't ask for more."

The priest shamelessly acted exhausted, as if doing more would expose his deceit.

However, I wasn't rude enough to say such things to his face. I politely thanked the priest and left.

'...Strange.'

My intuition is usually accurate.

This is the first time it's been so off the mark.

But with such clear evidence to the contrary, I can't insist based on a hunch alone.

'Well, even intuition can be wrong sometimes.'

With that thought and a sense of emptiness, I trudged away.

*****

The priest was left alone, deep in thought.

The reason was simple.

He sensed that the young man earlier didn't believe in his fortune-telling at all.

Normally, he wouldn't have cared so much.

But...

'After all, we're going to be family... I can't start showing my future son-in-law such incompetence.'

This thought kept nagging at the priest.

When that man named Ian and his daughter visited, the priest immediately noticed the affection in Lien's eyes for the man.

Of course, the priest didn't ask Ian what he felt about the daughter.

Seeing them embrace so tenderly, what more was there to inquire? Besides, it would take someone quite blind not to appreciate a woman like his daughter.

"Hmm..."

With that in mind, the priest pondered for a moment before spotting a strand of Ian's white hair on the floor.

He then realized why he couldn't see Ian's fate earlier.

It was because 'Ian' wasn't the man's real name.

...Considering the number of orphans in the empire, it wasn't unusual.

Many lived under a second name they chose for themselves, not the one given by their parents at birth.

'But with this.'

A part of the body could be used to cast another fortune.

With this, the priest was confident that the ritual would yield a definitive result this time.

With that thought, he prepared for the ritual once again.

And then...

Only silence followed.

The heavens were eerily quiet.

"Perhaps I've grown old indeed."

In the end, the priest said so, smiling wistfully.

It seemed almost inevitable.

The notion that a single soul could weigh more than this world, more precious than the heavens they worshipped, too sacred for its fate to be read.

Who could have possibly noticed such an implausible truth?

==Chapter 13: On the Boundary Between Humans and Monsters (6)==

"Show your face once in a while."

As I finished packing and was about to leave the village, the priest who came to see me off said so.

...Although his words were all too reminiscent of something a father-in-law would say, I chose to ignore them.

No matter how much I tried to explain, it seemed to fall on deaf ears anyway.

I had heard him entrust his daughter to me countless times.

"You should... come visit once in a while as well."

The priest said this with a smile.

Lien responded to the priest's farewell with a bright smile and shared a hug with her father.

It's a strange feeling.

The relationship between people who, according to the original story, would have ended in tragedy, has changed like this.

Feeling somewhat proud, I watched their farewell with a contented expression... then something came to mind, and I rummaged through my bag for a moment.

Fortunately, what I had made last time was still there.

"...This is."

The priest's eyes widened in surprise.

It was, perhaps, to be expected.

What I handed him was a map of this world.

A map drawn by me, a gamer who had poured his life into Blood and Bone.

Sure, there might be some discrepancies due to the time difference between the previous work and this one. But still, there's nothing in this world as accurate as this.

What kind of surveying tools could this era possibly have?

And how would one go about mapping the terrain of dangerous areas teeming with monsters?

'I'm glad I made an extra one to give to Siel.'

Maps can be made easily enough by me, so they're not particularly important to me, but it's different for these people.

They've been marked by the empire.

It seems their location has been exposed.

In any case, they need to leave here and find another safe place.

"You might want to consider moving somewhere around here. There's a monster habitat nearby, but if you're careful, there's a route that can be safely navigated."

I suggested a place they could move to, away from the prying eyes of the empire.

Having played the previous game and personally evaded the empire's pursuit, offering advice wasn't particularly challenging for me.

"What exactly do you do?"

The priest looked at me and asked.

...Indeed.

Even to me, I seem suspicious.

Who would carry around such information?

'But I can't just not share what I know.'

Especially when it's about people like Lien's family.

It seems wrong to let people die just to avoid suspicion when I could save them with a mere scribble.

Just handing over a piece of scribbled paper could increase the chances of dozens of people surviving.

I quickly thought of a suitable excuse, but it never made it out of my mouth.

"...No, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

The priest spoke before I could, saying just that.

"Whoever you are, I know you care for and cherish my daughter. That's enough for me."

He's truly a kind and good person at heart.

It's a shame he's caught up in a strange cult.

That such a person could have been led to kill his own daughter.

The dangers of cults are truly frightening.

"Should you ever need help, just say the word. We're all on your side."

With those words, the priest nudged me towards Lien, urging me to go to her.

From his expression, it seemed he genuinely meant what he said.

Have I been acknowledged as an honorary member of the tribe?

Having the backing of a cult village is a mixed feeling... but let's take it as a good thing.

Having more people willing to help can never be a bad thing.

"Shall we go?"

At my words, Lien nodded.

Watching her, I suddenly realized something.

"Come to think of it, you haven't heard my name, have you?"

At this, Lien looked puzzled for a moment, then noticeably flustered.

It seems I was right.

"I... It's not like that! I didn't just decide to follow you and I don't know your name, but because it's you..."

"...Because it's me?"

Asking this, Lien's face turned even redder.

She's still so easy to tease.

Her reactions are so genuine, and now she's even creating her own teasing material.

I feel the urge to tease her more, but I decide to hold back this time.

"Ian. Just Ian, no surname."

Hearing my name, Lien repeated it softly.

Her appearance was so endearing that I was lost in observation when suddenly, the plains came into view.

We had emerged from the mountains.

Only then did I feel that this whole affair had finally concluded.

Admittedly, there were complications along the way, but the outcome was quite satisfying.

I had successfully recruited Lien. Moreover, I had gained an unexpected ally and verified the superior performance of the Emperor Might characteristics.

It was a result beyond what I could have hoped for.

'...Well, there's still a long way to go.'

There was still the need to rendezvous with Siel, accumulate power through various means, find and avert the cause of the impending doom, and recruit Yuli...

There was much left to do.

The thought was somewhat daunting, but when had it not been?

The approach was to tackle things head-on and find solutions along the way.

As I chatted with Lien on our way to the guild, I began to organize my plans for the future.

'With this, we've certainly gathered a considerable force.'

Two companions, Lien and Siel, along with the acquisition of mental resilience.

With this, we could definitely make our move.

To the imperial capital.

To the heart of the empire where all its forces are gathered and monsters swarm.

This would finally enable me to do what every protagonist possessed by another soul does as a matter of course: 'dealing with the enemy using future knowledge.'

A smile naturally formed on my lips.

Perhaps my luck was finally turning.

Things were going smoothly.

*****

The man furrowed his brows in irritation as he smoked his cigar.

That troublesome tribe.

The forces he had sent to annihilate those who could potentially sabotage the empire's plans had gone silent.

Wondering if it was an act of disobedience, he had tried triggering the self-destruct runes that were engraved on the necks of the empire's soldiers as a test upon enlistment, but there was no response.

The implication was clear.

They had been overpowered.

The entire force had been wiped out.

'How many times has it been?'

Things have been going terribly wrong since the last time.

And in the man's opinion, the cause was simple.

Those despicable beings who dared to defy the empire's leadership, the empire's ruler, deserved nothing less than a painful death.

The Black Fangs.

'What are they trying to accomplish?'

Their intentions and objectives were a mystery, but their power was undeniably abnormal.

Even the dark mages hired by the empire now refuse all requests to investigate the Black Fangs.

The empire doesn't give a second chance when its own dogs don't obey, yet here they are.

They feared more to dig into those fiends than to face death itself.

Everyone who has tried to uncover information about that organization has met the same fate.

They laugh maniacally, their bodies so mutilated they're unrecognizable, before dying.

Each corpse was marked only with the bite marks of the Black Fangs.

If the troops sent to attack the village were entirely annihilated, there could be no other culprits but them.

Only those damned Black Fangs could be capable of such an act.

It's infuriating.

Utterly infuriating.

Therefore...

"Is there no choice but to use it?"

The man, the empire's second prince, slowly made his way forward.

The temple, off-limits to the public.

It's in the domain of the Sacred Imperial Court, but the court is in league with the empire anyway.

They exchange benefits and share the same secrets.

Walking through the temple filled with secrets that must never be revealed, including the corpses of former heroes and the devices powered by them, the empire's Second Prince finally reached his destination.

There lay the Holy Grail. Or more accurately, it would be correct to call it a counterfeit of the Holy Grail.

Not a miracle's creation but a replica made by sacrificing children full of faith and brimming with divine power as the main ingredient.

This one was the most pure abomination among them.

A factory that turned children into mere animals capable only of reciting prayers to harvest high-quality divine offerings.

From these, only the highest quality was meticulously selected, resulting in a supreme product made from the corpses of a thousand.

However, it didn't matter.

If it could eliminate that damned organization, the cost was not too great. The Second Prince was willing to use even the treasured artifacts he had conserved.

Thus, with a smile, he prayed to the Grail.

He prayed for the death of the damned traitor of the empire, the 'Commander overseeing the Black Fangs' who dared defy the empire.

And then...

Nothing happened.

The Grail merely sparkled before losing its power, as if such a person didn't exist at all.

The Second Prince's face turned to shock.

It was clear what this implied.

'Could it be that this, too, can be easily blocked?'

Before the powerless Grail, the man laughed hollowly.

The Black Fangs.

He was aghast at the monstrous nature and unfathomable strength of the commander who oversaw this mysterious organization.