Chapter 10
I scratched my cheek and looked back at Mia.
“Shall we leave before more people show up?”
“Yes, we should. The bugs are starting to swarm.”
The word “bugs” was dripping with disgust. If my friend, currently being used as a chair by that girl with a roll bun hairstyle, had heard this, she would probably have groaned in annoyance. I wasn’t in such a bad state, so I just nodded.
“Alright, those coming with us, gather close! If you’re too far away, you might lose an arm or a leg.”
With my eyes wide with curiosity, I asked, “What happens to an arm that’s gone? Does it stay here?”
“No, it gets thrown into the dimension void and just disappears.”
“Oh…”
Usually, when a part of the body is completely severed, it takes quite a bit of time to heal. Just the other day, I had my arm show up as a baseball bat! Luckily, arms that go poof during transportation vanish completely, so mine would probably be back by tomorrow. After a sigh of relief, I gathered the kids and pulled them in closer.
Every time I tugged, the kids would flinch. I gave a sheepish smile and said, “Sorry, do I smell bad?”
As I let go, the little kid I was holding jumped back, wide-eyed. He seemed like he wanted to say something, his lips twitching, but Mia was faster with her spellcasting. I arranged the kids closest to Mia, then took my spot at the very end.
A dark red magic circle started glowing on the floor. Just as I was marveling at it, someone yanked on my pant leg.
“Huh?”
“…”
Jess had snuck up on me, pulling on my pants with big teary eyes, ears drooping, and tail curled tight. Just as I was about to say something to her…
Bam!
A burst of dark crimson light filled my vision and made my head spin.
*
They ended up in Mia’s lab. It was so flashy it put Odil’s lab to shame! Mia had a huge dormitory and cafeteria, plus loads of other sizable spaces.
She hardly ever brought in test subjects, so most areas were empty, making them available for comfy use.
A week had passed since we started living there, and I’d gotten used to life in Mia’s lab.
“Lian?”
“Right here.”
The moment Mia raised her hand, I handed her the documents I thought she’d need. She started reading them like a pro.
Swoosh.
I collected her unfinished tea and poured her a fresh cup, setting it at her side. She sipped the new tea like it was the only thing that mattered in life. Some might wonder if I was living like a real slave, but for me, it didn’t matter.
“Hehe, this is a piece of cake.”
Having taken care of my mom, who would collapse with exhaustion the second she came home, and with over ten years of experience, looking after easy-going Mia was like a walk in the park.
“Oh right, we’ve run out of supplies, haven’t we?”
“Should I get ready to go out?”
“Yes, please!”
Mia set down her cup and stood up, brushing herself off. I immediately grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe that Mia had set up for me.
“Yeah, this is it!”
Just hanging the clothes inside freshens them up and presses them neat — like the ultimate gadget! I handed her the clothes, and she changed behind a privacy screen. The light shining inside created shadows that looked like an artistic masterpiece.
When Mia took off her top, I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot. The moment she stepped out, I quickly composed myself; I didn’t want to be mistaken for a perv!
“Here’s your overcoat! Oh, and this is a subspace bag.”
“Okay, I’ll be back soon!”
She clipped the handy palm-sized bag to her waist, draped a navy cape over her shoulders, and sauntered over to the mirror set up in the lab. The mirror was a portal tied to pre-registered coordinates. When Mia drew a magic circle in the air, the mirror rippled like it was alive.
As Mia vanished through the mirror, I stretched casually and murmured to myself.
“Guess I should finish up the rest of the housework?”
The location may have changed, but my chores were still the same. I hummed a tune while strolling away when suddenly, a realization hit me hard.
“Wait… if I’m off with Mia, what happens to Iris?”
Cold sweat immediately broke out on my face.
“Did I… mess up?”
*
“What else was I supposed to buy?”
Mia muttered to herself as she stuffed the recently purchased items into her pocket.
“Huh?”
Just as she was trying to pull her hand out, she felt a piece of paper. Without much thought, she fished it out.
“What’s this…?”
[ To Buy ]
[ *Dried Motas Grass ]
[ *Rotikola Powder, 45g ]
…
The items on the palm-sized memo matched exactly with her shopping list. She smiled gently, thinking:
“Looks like Lian prepped this.”
She checked off the remaining items and strolled through streets that felt like a night market. After a while, her shopping spree wrapped up. Just when she was about to head home without a care,
Boom—thud!
A massive demon dragged a cart to the side and parked it. The cart was so heavy it made a noise like a rock crashing when he dropped the handle.
“Ugh, selling fresh veggies from Jikel Mountain!”
He didn’t even bother setting up a stall; he just started selling the veggies. In a place mainly frequented by demons and dark wizards, most goods were terrifying, but veggies were actually common too.
“Should I grab some on the way? I wonder what tasty dish Lian will whip up this time?”
Uncharacteristically, she picked a few veggies while thinking about Lian’s cooking. Just as she was about to head home, feeling good about it,
“Huh? Does the Frost Witch cook too?”
“…?”
A thick, high voice reached her ears, uncomfortable like a man trying too hard to mimic a woman’s voice. A guy with prominent cheekbones and triangular eyes was staring at Mia, his eyes full of mischief.
“Hehe, good at cooking too — you must be a prepared bride!”
“Wow, you’re full of nonsense.”
“It’s just a joke. Chill!”
“Tch… just go mind your business and scram.”
“Hey, no need to be harsh on a friend!”
Surprisingly, Mia knew him. There were hardly any sane folks among dark wizards, so having a chat was rare.
“Well, I’m not free either, so let’s call it a day.”
“…Okay.”
Despite normally taking at least two hours to chat her ear off, he breezily walked away, which made her suspicious, but she brushed it off quickly.
“I’m craving something with warm broth today.”
Mia was becoming more and more dependent on living with Lian without realizing it.
*
“Hehe… getting my hands on such a fine item? Gotta hurry back and try it out!”
The lanky man with pronounced cheekbones, skinny bottom, and swollen forearms was the one who just said goodbye to Mia. He smirked as he returned to his lab.
“Back already?”
“Sure am.”
Once he arrived, those with shackles on their necks and ankles knelt down and lowered their heads. All of them had skin that looked like a patchwork quilt with visible surgical scars.
“How are the subjects?”
“They’ve settled down.”
“Get them on the operating table.”
“Yes, sir.”
He hummed a little tune as he sauntered to the lab. On a pale, hard table, a beautiful girl was all tied up, looking terrified.
“Hehe… simply gorgeous.”
As he grinned, the skin above his cheekbones sparkled. The girl, tied up and yearning to speak, could only emit gasping breaths, nothing coherent.
“Would’ve been nice if she had a pretty voice too. No worries, she’ll make an excellent piece for ‘Dovan-nim.’”
The man giggled sinisterly as he wheeled over a cart.
“Don’t worry; I’m just checking today. I need to slice away any imperfections.”
Dovan chuckled menacingly while grabbing her unkempt white hair.
“Ah, so soft! Guess I won’t need to strip the scalp.”
Dovan picked up a sharp dagger from the trolley and waved it lightly through the air.
“Now, let’s have a look at how beautiful your blood truly is.”
The girl’s eyes trembled aimlessly, filled with pure terror.
*
“Sigh…”
I let out a long breath and bit into my bread. As I chewed, Lily, seated next to me, started chatting.
“Brother, is something bothering you?”
“Uh… yeah? Something’s up…”
I mumbled dejectedly; I couldn’t brush off being 170 degrees off from the original storyline as ‘no big deal’ without it showing on my face.
“Are you… really okay?”
Noah was eyeing my face closely. I absently touched my face.
“Oh, the sweat’s still there. Wait, is it still dripping?”
Thinking of how off the original plot had diverged was causing a non-stop sweat. I could shake it off like a dog, but since Lily was beside me, I didn’t want to splash her, so I quickly wiped my face with my sleeve and said,
“Sorry about the smell! I’ll be more careful next time.”
Noah looked like he wanted to say something but ended up shutting his mouth. Suddenly, a red-haired figure zipped towards me.
“Lian, do you hurt anywhere?”
“Uh?”
Why are they bringing up pain now?
Confused, I tilted my head. Jess was clinging to my leg, looking miserable.
“You look like you are in pain, Lian.”
“Nope! Not in pain at all!”
“Lian, you did something scary.”
“Scary?”
In an instant, the chatter in the bustling dining hall fell silent.
“Lian, are you feeling that much pain?”
Jess rubbed my stomach, her ears drooping. It finally clicked — when she said “pain,” she meant “experiment.”
