[How is it?]
When I didn’t respond, Roberi cautiously asked.
“What if I don’t awaken within three days?”
[I can guarantee you this. If you don’t awaken, you won’t last three days.]
“So basically, I either die or awaken, one of the two.”
Roberi nodded in agreement. Framing it this way actually made my head clearer.
‘I just need to make sure I survive and return alive.’
When I shifted my goal from awakening to survival, I felt like I could do it.
“Alright. I’ll accept your proposal.”
[Oh, then.]
Looking at his delighted face, I smiled brightly.
“But Serubi is coming with me.”
I crossed my arms as I watched Roberi’s expression turn to despair in an instant.
“You might try to get rid of me, so how could I trust you blindly?”
[Gasp. I hadn’t thought of that!]
He genuinely seemed like he hadn’t considered that possibility, but I needed to take out some insurance.
“If I bring Serubi, you’ll have no choice but to find me.”
My point was undeniable, and Roberi whined in agony.
That night, I crossed over to the Masu world with Serubi in my arms, without the Guides knowing. I thought I could face their reproach later since I’d return alive anyway, but when I arrived in the Masu world and saw the red-tinted earth, I realized how naive I had been.
“Intense right from the start.”
The ground was red because of the blood of Masu that had been crushed beyond recognition, and a giant Masu was feasting on their corpses. The Masu spotted me as I came through the gate and rose its enormous body. The dizzying sky, a mixture of purple and red, was instantly blocked, casting a shadow.
[Human, delicious.]
Though it could speak, the Masu that charged toward me didn’t seem particularly intelligent. Fortunately, it was an A-class Masu, lower ranked than me, but facing an A-class Masu immediately upon arrival was quite jarring.
The Masu world was crawling with Masu, and they would attack first if they sensed weakness. I figured this out within an hour of arriving, and from then on, I deliberately kept my power open. The small fry avoided me, but I couldn’t avoid A-class or higher Masu. I hadn’t encountered any S-class Masu yet, but I had endured half a day without relaxing my vigilance for even a moment.
“I miss home already.”
I sighed as I hid between some rocks, barely escaping the eyes of the Masu. I had packed only the essentials in my bag—water, three days’ worth of food, a blanket—but even this felt cumbersome as I battled Masu.
After taking out water from my bag to moisten my throat, I relaxed my tension-stiffened muscles. Perhaps due to the physical training I received from Peter, aside from psychological pressure, my body condition wasn’t bad.
“Serubi, what have you been thinking about?”
Serubi, who had been in low spirits since I mentioned going to the Masu world, hadn’t said a word since we arrived.
[I was thinking about the old days.]
His expression was too gloomy to be merely nostalgic.
“I heard from Roberi that all the Masu we see in dungeons are born in the Masu world.”
In human terms, the Masu world was the homeland for Masu.
[That’s right.]
Serubi stretched and then climbed onto my lap.
[Going to sleep.]
After that, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. I stroked Serubi’s soft fur as I relaxed my body.
‘I’m glad I brought Serubi along.’
It was a great comfort to have even one ally when surrounded by enemies on all sides.
‘Just about three days.’
Though I was already regretting coming to the Masu world before even a day had passed, the thought of it being only three days made it bearable. But at that time, I didn’t know what would happen to me three days later.
* * *
“Serubi. It’s been three days, right? I’m not dreaming alone, am I?”
[Today is precisely the fourth day.]
Roberi had said he would find me exactly three days later and take me to where he was, but when I greeted the morning of the fourth day, I sensed something had gone wrong.
I had rationed the food in case of emergencies, but even that was completely depleted by the seventh day.
“Do you think Roberi betrayed us?”
As Roberi said, I achieved my third awakening exactly on the third day in the Masu world. The awakening wasn’t as spectacular as in movies. I encountered an SS-class Masu and achieved my third awakening just before dying, as I was fleeing from the hands of a Masu that was playing with me like a toy mouse. Even after awakening, my wounds from the Masu were so deep that without Serubi’s help, I would have struggled to survive.
[I don’t think he would have lied to send us here.]
“Then what could have happened?”
[That’s possible too.]
Maybe because Serubi was also a Masu, he firmly believed that Roberi wouldn’t have lied. Despite usually disliking him, this aspect was unexpected. But whether Roberi had betrayed us or something else had happened, we were effectively unable to leave the Masu world and were in a situation where we could barely feed ourselves.
“Whatever has happened, if we stay alive, the opportunity to return will come.”
After my third awakening, my body had definitely changed from before. My sensitivity to hunger, cold, and fatigue had significantly decreased, and conversely, I gained new abilities. Even while sleeping, all my senses remained open, allowing me to detect the slightest disturbance in the surrounding wavelength. All my physical senses, including motion vision, had improved dramatically, making even the fastest attacks seem boringly slow. I had gained some confidence that staying in the Masu world for a day or two longer wouldn’t pose a threat to my safety.
“As long as SS-class Masu don’t attack in a group, I’ll be fine, probably.”
Serubi nodded at my words.
[Unless you go to the Demon King’s Castle, that won’t happen.]
“You mean the Demon King’s Castle in the center? Don’t worry. Having already achieved my third awakening, I have no desire to rush into danger again.”
[Good thinking. Going there means certain death.]
The Masu world’s ecosystem appeared chaotic, but there was one definite law: the weak are eaten by the strong—survival of the fittest. Perhaps because of this, the closer you got to the center, the stronger the Masu became, but the land also became more fertile. When I first landed on the outskirts, I wondered how such a place could exist, but as I moved toward the center and saw landscapes becoming more like Earth, I couldn’t stop moving despite knowing the dangers.
But even that had a limit: the Demon King’s Castle in the center, which Serubi cautioned against. That place boasted natural scenery more beautiful than anything on Earth, but Serubi warned that it was filled with Masu stronger than I could imagine.
I had no reason to go to the Demon King’s Castle, and survival was now my only goal, so I decided to avoid taking risks.
“Serubi.”
One month after settling in a rabbit hole in a region near the Demon King’s Castle.
Now accustomed to life in the Masu world, I was depressed but still went outside to find food. I returned immediately to the burrow and woke up Serubi who was sleeping.
Serubi, who had maintained his original form throughout our stay in the Masu world, half-opened his eyes as he raised his massive body.
[Sleepy.]
“There’s a human in the Masu world!”
[A human? That’s impossible.]
“I just saw one.”
Because I could penetrate all surrounding wavelengths, I was certain it was the wavelength of an ordinary person with no special abilities.
[Then a corpse?]
“No. He was alive.”
Only then did Serubi seem to realize the seriousness of the situation, opening his eyes wide.
[I must see for myself.]
“No!”
[Why?]
“What if he gets scared and runs away when he sees you?”
[Then I’ll go in this form.]
Serubi’s body rapidly shrank, disguising itself as a cat.
[Carry me.]
“Oh, um. Okay.”
I carried Serubi and went outside again. The human I had seen earlier was stealing fruit from the garden I had planted. It was a plant that bore fruit once a week after feeding on Masu, and the sweet fruit made a good snack.
“Hey, hello?”
Since the fruit would grow again in a week anyway, I wasn’t concerned about the theft and awkwardly tried to greet the man.
A beautiful young man who looked like he had stepped out of a masterpiece painting turned to face me. Blonde hair and blue eyes. He had such a noble appearance that it made me wonder if this was what it would feel like if a god descended. Serubi, perhaps shocked that there really was a human in the Masu world, felt stiff in my arms.
“I’m Woo Jeongjae. What’s your name?”
The man said nothing.
Just as I was wondering if he couldn’t speak, or if it was because I was speaking Korean, the man’s lips moved slightly.
“Herth.”
It was a voice so small that I would have missed it had I not been listening carefully. Herth, clutching the stolen fruit to his chest, stared at me intently before turning and running away. I couldn’t bring myself to chase after him and just blankly watched his retreating figure until he completely disappeared, then asked Serubi:
“Was I scary just now?”
[……]
For some reason, Serubi said nothing, and I thought that if I met Herth again, I should be more careful not to frighten him.
Fortunately, Herth came back the next morning, and the day after that as well. He came every day, showing his face and then leaving, but we hardly spoke. Even when we did, it was mostly one-sided from my end.
But Herth kept coming, and at some point, his hands began to carry flowers or fruits that he had brought for me. Most were things I had never seen before in the Masu world.
And so, two months passed since Herth first appeared in my unconventional life.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
