But at this moment, Aino’s defenses crumbled. She even felt that her previous thoughts had been entirely wrong.
Because Alaya was special.
Though she had spent many years in this world, the people Aino had truly interacted with numbered only three: Carter, Molly, and now Alaya.
From the first glance, Aino’s attention had been drawn to Alaya—not just because of her appearance but because Aino could sense the aura of magic around her.
It was a mysterious, eerie power—faint yet unmistakable.
Searching through her memories, Aino realized this woman was a “sorceress,” though she had lost her powers.
This was worlds apart from the other women who had been brutalized! Her eyes still held a spark of life, and her words revealed a lively, spirited mind.
If Aino were the protagonist of a reincarnation fantasy novel, then encountering Alaya would be like meeting a key character in the story.
Aino was already speculating about her background, her experiences, and how their relationship might develop.
But Alaya’s words struck her like a blow to the head.
This shouldn’t be happening… This… This bright, spirited girl before me has been violated by goblins countless times, just like those other women?
Aino suddenly felt a sense of unreality.
Shouldn’t there have been some invisible force ensuring she rescued her just in time, at the most critical moment?
So, this is how the world truly is.
Alaya, unconcerned with modesty, began washing herself in the nearby river, her back covered in scars.
Aino was suddenly struck by a sense of reality.
“I’ve been wrong all along…” Aino murmured to herself.
This is a real world.
Everyone has their own life, their own thoughts, regardless of status or strength.
This is a real otherworld, not a game—there are no NPCs here.
Alaya is no different from those women reduced to mere beasts.
Carter is no different from the adventurers who die at the claws of monsters in the wild.
Molly is no different from the women abducted and tortured to death by rogue nobles.
People who die like ants may leave no mark on the world, but to their loved ones, their deaths are as abrupt, terrifying, and unacceptable as if Carter or Molly had died…
I am not some novel’s protagonist. I am just like Carter, Alaya, the women in the goblin nest, or anyone who has died in the river of history.
Just like my original form, the infamous Black Dragon King—wasn’t he also slain, with no one even knowing?
Aino looked down at her small feet, clad in boots.
This body is strong, brimming with immense magical power. In her true form, she is nearly indestructible.
Yet, she can hardly make a ripple in the vast river of history.
—
Inside the goblin nest, there was no daylight, no way to tell time. To keep track, I counted how many times I had been pregnant.
Though the magic I studied had nothing to do with goblins, in my quest for revenge against those vile nobles, I diligently learned everything I could to improve myself. I pored over every magic book I could find.
For human women, the time from conceiving a goblin’s child to giving birth is about a month. I might be the first sorceress captured by goblins, but I suppose it’s similar for me as it is for ordinary women.
So, I’ve given birth to seven litters of goblins. My belly would swell, and I could feel the creatures writhing inside. I tried to expel them as early as possible, not wanting to experience that disgusting sensation.
To most people, such days would be hell.
But unlike many who broke down, I kept my sanity. Perhaps because, as a sorceress, I’ve seen much—terrifying, absurd things. Or perhaps because my heart died long ago, when those beasts raped and killed my mother and sister, and my father was beheaded with a single stroke.
I want to live—to live and take revenge.
If my enemy were just one person in this vast world, I might not have such resolve, for the chances would be slim.
But I want to kill all the high-and-mighty nobles, all the filthy creatures no better than pigs or dogs.
That makes it simple. With blood already on my hands, as long as I live, I can achieve my goal. Because the target can be as grand as a powerful noble or as small as someone I pass on the street.
Live to kill—taking lives is the meaning of my existence.
But when I saw it, my dormant heart fell completely still.
What an evil creature, what a brutal existence.
Outwardly, it looked like a young girl—delicate features, pale skin, and rare black hair, all naturally harmonious. That’s what an ordinary person would see.
However…
Such thick resentment swirled around it, viscous blood almost dripping from its body.
Even though my magic had been stripped away, leaving me as an ordinary person, my ability to sense magic was still ingrained in me.
Ordinary people, and even most superhumans, might only see its human “skin,” but as a sorceress, I could see its “bones.”
Who knows how many lives it had taken to create such a monster.
Strangely, it was accompanied by a seemingly ordinary human. In my view, it was already bizarre that any living being could stay by its side, let alone appear normal, not controlled or anything.
Then, like adventurers raiding a goblin nest, they searched the lair and led the salvageable women out of the cave.
My ability doesn’t lie—the monster called “Aino” has devoured countless lives. It even admitted as much.
“Do you remember how many slices of bread you’ve eaten?”
Terrifying, yet logical. Only such a monster could be surrounded by an almost tangible aura of malevolence.
I don’t know what will happen next, but I suppose it can’t be worse than being a goblin’s breeding tool underground.
I am not afraid of death, so accepting such a monster comes easily.
The future… a gray world…
I washed the grime from my body, casually brushing aside the hair obscuring my vision, and turned around with a hint of contentment.
I met the monster’s eyes, which looked as if it were about to cry.
It was a strikingly incongruous sight, for I am a sorceress who can see the essence.
Can you imagine a monster that has trodden on countless corpses looking at you like a troubled young girl, her expression tinged with grievance?
It quickly turned away and stepped a few paces from the water, stopping at a suitable distance.
I continued to lean down and cleanse my body.
A strange emotion stirred in both our hearts.
—
