Chapter 1: Cosmic World
“She was a real knockout, Hyung.”
A man with a gleaming bald head and a large scar spoke pleadingly. His appearance alone was intimidating, but the man he called “Hyung” didn’t even flinch.
“And?”
“And what? You know what I mean. I’m saying let’s have some fun.”
“There’s a patrol in town. I hear some high-and-mighty priest is coming too. Best not to do anything risky.”
The ‘Hyung,’ who had two swords at his hips, had a chiseled face and rugged muscles. He exuded an aura of dominance that made even the bald man, Riven, seem like a mere boy. Riven became anxious when his leader reacted with skepticism.
“Do you think those guys would care about us bedding one woman? Come on, Hyung, you know better.”
It was a valid point. The sad truth was that the security in this place was, at best, questionable. In fact, it wasn’t just this town; most of the continent was the same. Riven’s group was one of many contributing to this reality.
His brother’s eyes turned toward him.
Riven gulped.
“Who said I didn’t know that? I said ‘risky.'”
“What have we done that isn’t risky? I’m just saying, let’s add one more to the list.”
“I’d agree if it were worthwhile. But just to bed a woman? Hmph, brothels exist for a reason. You should have enough for a visit or two.”
While true, to a lust-blinded Riven, these words were frustrating. This guy was strong and generous with the spoils, but his stubbornness was a flaw. He was obsessed with money, but he wouldn’t touch outside women.
Riven recalled the earlier scene.
He was in the tavern he frequented, downing cheap beer on the first floor and chatting with his companions. The woman entered quietly.
He didn’t know when she arrived.
She was simply there when he turned around. But once he saw her, he couldn’t ignore her presence.
She was heavenly.
He seriously wondered if she was an angel from legend.
Looking closer, she had a somewhat ominous aura, less like an angel. At first, he felt no lust. Like staring at a masterpiece leaves you speechless, he agreed wholeheartedly. But after leaving the tavern and regaining his composure, natural desire surfaced.
‘Wait, isn’t this a golden opportunity? A woman like that walked in on her own.’
He lived a life at rock bottom.
When would he get another chance to hold a woman like her? He was sure the opportunity wouldn’t come twice. A noble or someone of high standing would snatch her up and make her their possession.
His life had no real purpose anyway.
The risk was worth it.
Even if things went wrong, he could just leave town. He was already a wanderer. If he went far enough, the patrol wouldn’t chase him for just one woman. Having reached that conclusion, Riven immediately sought out his Hyung, which led to the current situation.
“A brothel, Hyung? You won’t find a woman like that in all the brothels on the continent.”
Riven was unusually insistent.
By now, the Hyung was getting curious. The other men seemed to have already let their imaginations run wild, their eyes filled with lust. It was true that he needed to boost his men’s morale.
“That good, huh?”
“Yes. She looked like an angel… no, a noble lady. You know, that noble.”
“A noble?”
The Hyung’s eyes twitched.
Touching a noble was dangerous. But they’d have a lot of money. Of course, she couldn’t really be a noble. A noble wouldn’t wander around a small town like this without an escort.
However, if she looked the part, there was bound to be something to take.
“Of course, she can’t be a real noble, but she looks the part. Let’s have some fun. When will we ever get to lay our hands on a noble again?”
The Hyung realized something.
The reason Riven wanted to do this as a ‘group’ and not alone. He was worried about what the woman might be hiding. A primal fear.
Logically, it made no sense, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.
What kind of impression did this woman make to evoke such a feeling? The Hyung made up his mind. A ‘small risk’ was worth taking.
“Alright. But I’m taking the spoils.”
“Oh! Of course! Naturally! Every last piece of undergarment! Though it’s not much of a trade, but if it’s possible…”
“I’ll give you the first go. You found her. Second is mine.”
“Yes! Let’s do it!”
With Riven, whose forehead was flushed with excitement, leading the way, the group headed to the tavern. It was nighttime, when the tavern was busiest. Bright light spilled out into the dimly lit street.
Just as they were about to enter, the door opened, and a pair of white legs stepped out.
“···!”
As they followed the alluring skin with their eyes, the Hyung’s breath hitched. Skin as white as snow, a perfectly straight nose, and ruby-red eyes that shone brighter than any jewel. A slender, divinely sculpted jawline and flowing silver hair he’d never seen before. A perfect, celestial woman, yet somehow shrouded in a sinister aura.
No words were needed.
They all knew this was the woman Riven had described.
Finally, the Hyung’s gaze landed on the woman’s hand. A strange pattern ran from the back of her hand up her arm, disappearing under her sleeve. It was clear proof that she wasn’t a noble. A noble lady wouldn’t have a tattoo; their bodies were worth their weight in gold.
“Lucky us.”
They had intended to be discreet, but she came out on her own. She was even walking toward a less crowded area.
It was as if she was asking to be attacked.
He wasn’t foolish enough to hesitate in this situation. The dark figures followed her with quick, quiet steps.
Their pace quickened.
The Hyung apologized to Riven inwardly. He no longer intended to give him the first go. He usually preferred money over women, but this woman was different. Perhaps it was because he was excited after so long, but a sense of urgency filled his steps.
‘Did she notice?’
It wouldn’t be surprising.
Even if she did, it didn’t matter. The heavens were on their side. The plan wouldn’t change. Finally, the woman’s legs stopped in an alley.
They heard her voice at an unexpected moment.
“I can see you, idiots.”
Perhaps it was the mismatch between her appearance and her words. Even though they were accustomed to all sorts of vulgarities, her words felt harsh. They looked at each other.
Were they caught? They exchanged glances, but soon realized it was pointless.
“Come out. Don’t bother me.”
One by one, the men revealed themselves.
The woman frowned. There were more of them than she expected, and nothing came to mind.
Irritation slowly crept onto her face.
“No quest… Don’t you want to just leave?”
“Quest? What’s that?”
“There is such a thing. So, what’s your answer?”
“We refuse. You’re even more stunning in person. I wouldn’t be a man if I let this go.”
Her expression remained unchanged.
It was the expected answer. Even in the world beyond the screen, things rarely went smoothly in situations like this.
The men were puzzled.
There were usually two reactions in this situation.
Flight or pleading.
The woman did neither. She simply stood there calmly.
Did she have something up her sleeve?
There were no signs of a knight’s aura or a mage’s magic. They weren’t strong enough to sense such things clearly, but they should have felt something if a fight was imminent.
She must be frozen in terror, they concluded.
“Looks like you’ve lost your mind. Too bad. We’ll make it quick.”
“What? You’ve lost your minds.”
As the Hyung stepped toward the woman who retorted, he ignored Riven’s look that seemed to scream, ‘That’s not what we agreed on!’ Clicking his tongue, Riven also stepped forward, and the other men naturally advanced, surrounding the woman.
Only then, as if finally sensing danger, the woman muttered something with her small lips.
Simultaneously, the pattern on her hand glowed black, and something resembling a magic circle appeared in the air. The men’s faces darkened.
“
! A mage?!”
“
! Stop her!”
“
! I knew something was off!”
Before the men, charging with fierce momentum, could reach her, strange beings appeared in the air.
Three of ‘them’ emerged from beyond the magic circle. They had bulging eyes, saw-like teeth, and wildly disheveled hair, forming grotesque and terrifying figures. The men’s pupils trembled uncontrollably as they locked eyes with the creatures holding bows and fire in their hands.
“What… are those?”
Animalistic fear gripped them.
They had never seen or heard of such monsters.
“…Goblins?”
“No, goblins don’t look like that. They’re not gremlins either… what are they?”
“I don’t know. Whatever they are, they’ll die if we stab them! They’re small.”
The man’s judgment was correct.
But they had lost their timing due to fear. One creature brandished fire, blocking their approach, while the other two shot arrows.
Whoosh – Fwoosh!
The monsters’ archery skills were exceptional. The men screamed as arrows pierced their arms and torsos, but they couldn’t find an opening to counterattack. The fire wasn’t magical. There was no trace of mana.
It was inexplicable.
The monsters’ fire wasn’t fueled by wood or paper.
It simply emanated from their hands. Producing such a phenomenon without mana was far beyond their comprehension.
“Aaargh!”
A man with an arrow through his throat died.
That was the signal. Realizing they were in a life-or-death situation, not just a bit of fun, the men mustered all their strength. Calvin, the group’s leader, drew his sword, and Riven pulled out a dagger.
He threw the dagger at the woman.
Though different from what he’d heard, she seemed to be using some kind of summoning magic.
The weakness of such summoners was their lack of physical prowess. Summons couldn’t be maintained without the caster, so the best strategy was to attack the caster directly.
His idea seemed correct.
One of the creatures swiftly deflected the dagger.
Though a failure, he had discovered a weakness. The creature’s hasty defense suggested the woman’s body was frail. Riven realized what he had to do.
‘
! So
close. But I have no choice but to kill her.’
Despite the life-or-death situation, he hadn’t abandoned his lust. The woman was that captivating. But even so, survival took precedence over his desires. He watched Calvin charge.
The swordsman who knew no defeat. A dependable back. Clumsy assistance would only hinder him.
His role was to support him.
So that he could cleanly cut down the woman.
“Get out of the way, monster!”
Calvin swung his sword.
The monster scattered flames. Unable to cut through the black fire, he had to retreat like the others. That’s what the monster thought.
It was a misjudgment. The man’s sword cut through the flames and grazed the monster’s skin.
A faint blue aura shimmered on the blade. It wasn’t even close to a proper sword aura, just a hint of imbued mana, but it made it different from an ordinary attack.
Kieeek!
The monster screamed.
To Calvin and Riven, it was a sound of hope.
Immediately after, another scream followed. Another one of their own must have fallen.
The two men ignored it and focused on the woman. The sacrifices were regrettable, but as long as they survived, it didn’t matter.
And their safety would be ensured once the woman was down. The cut was shallow.
Unsure of the monster’s vitality, he decided to target the summoner rather than finish it off. Another monster tried to block Calvin’s onslaught.
Just then, a thrown dagger hampered the monster’s movement.
Calvin smirked at the timely support.
“Good job, Riven! Haha, it’s over, woman!”
Footsteps approached from behind.
Yet, the man focused only on what was in front of him.
The woman alone. No monsters around.
He would be the first to reach her.
Calvin was certain of victory.
The moment his sword mercilessly pierced the woman, it stopped abruptly.
“What…?”
“You know…”
The tip of his stopped sword was gripped by the woman’s hand. There was no other force acting on the sword besides her hand.
She caught and stopped the sword.
That was all. How could a frail woman stop his attack, imbued with mana?
As if to answer his question, the woman murmured softly.
“Did I ever say I was weak?”
Thud! Something struck his head hard.
He realized a moment later that it was an arrow. As if that wasn’t enough, flames that erupted from his back spread throughout his body.
Calvin collapsed.
The last thing he saw were the woman’s cold, red eyes looking down at him.
“N-No way…!”
The Hyung was down.
The complete defeat of their powerful leader, who had never lost to anyone and even wielded mana. Riven shuddered at the unbelievable truth.
The woman and the monsters. Four pairs of eyes turned toward him.
Suddenly, he looked around.
He was the only ‘human’ left standing.
Everyone he had been talking to just moments ago now lay on the cold ground.
When did this happen? The question vanished instantly, replaced by the instinct to survive. He quickly turned and ran as fast as he could.
“Aaagh!”
His struggle was, of course, futile.
With arrows embedded in both calves, Riven fell face-first onto the ground, his momentum carrying him forward. Only light footsteps echoed in his ringing ears.
“S-Save… me…”
He pleaded.
The woman didn’t respond.
A blunt hand, presumably belonging to a monster, brushed the back of his neck, and a burning heat spread. The flames consumed Riven’s life along with his flesh.
“…You brought this on yourselves.”
His life was extinguished so quickly that no one heard her softly spoken, emotionally charged murmur. The woman stared down at him for a moment before taking in her surroundings. Blood and corpses. A gruesome scene.
She had never been in a fistfight in her life and had only witnessed such scenes on a screen.
She placed a white hand on her chest.
A steady heartbeat. Slightly faster than usual.
That was the extent of the change.
She observed her own strangely calm state of mind with curiosity. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head. Impossible things had already happened.
It wouldn’t be surprising if her mind had been affected.
“Yes, yes. Good job.”
The woman stroked the heads of the monsters gathered around her. It was a sight most humans would find horrifying, but her expression was calm.
She even seemed to find them somewhat cute.
There was a cut on her chest. The mark left by Calvin’s sword.
The woman stared at the wound before losing interest. It was a small wound. According to her ‘settings,’ it would heal on its own.
Chirp, chirp.
Listening to the monsters purring happily at her touch, the woman looked up at the sky.
A black sky.
The night sky, saturated with darkness, was as ominous as its color. It wasn’t just the sky.
The world itself was distorted.
The woman knew this better than anyone. Her beautiful, jewel-like eyes closed slowly.
To fully grasp just how crazy a world she had fallen into.
👀👀👀