63 – BAD END: Wizard (4)
There is a person who has received almost nothing but praise throughout their life.
From birth, they possessed innate talent and always received recognition from various mentors.
That person’s name is Lily.
Born into a noble family, they were a prodigious child who showed talent at an early age.
The process of honing their skills was harsh, but it was rewarding, and although they didn’t have much free time, the environment itself was luxurious.
If someone were to ask them about their childhood scenery, they would answer with kind mentors, elegant banquets, sincere compliments, and flowers blooming in the garden, and so on.
It was a beautiful and privileged life.
Unfortunately, it did not prepare them for the stench of the battlefield.
That’s why. When their comrade faced death, their body froze in an instant.
Slash!
With a sword strike, the hero’s head fell off. Although they had been diligently regenerating even during battle, they couldn’t regenerate a severed head.
Just like a volcano erupting, blood spurted, and the life of the comrade next to the hero also extinguished.
*
[The skill, ‘Noble Sacrifice’, has been activated!]
[Caution, the range of the skill is too vast!]
[Calculations for causal ratio adjustment begin!]
[Causal ratio adjustment in progress······ 0%]
*
Thud.
In an instant, the body that had already become lifeless collapsed to the ground.
Although he was a colleague who was highly suspicious, it was the death of a colleague she had never seen before. In shock, she momentarily lost her composure, and before she knew it, the other colleagues were also lying motionless.
“It was a tough fight! But now, only the two of us are left!”
The sound of breathing echoed from all directions. Among them, Lily was the only one left alive.
She desperately tried to summon her magic, but her body wouldn’t move. It was because the enemy’s ability had already reached her.
My arms, they move as if they’re not my own.
Lily found it terrifying.
What kind of ability is this, that is so powerful?
She couldn’t even see the enemy’s magic moving, and there were no special signs. Although the enemy’s main strength was formidable, this ability was truly beyond reason.
It was so alien and bizarre.
It was truly a power befitting an anomaly.
As time passed, her entire body was rapidly being corroded.
“Do you know why I spared you?”
Net approached her.
There was a faint smile, filled with a subtle madness.
“These days, there aren’t any ‘toys’ left, so life in this world isn’t fun anymore.”
Lily was suddenly filled with fear.
“So, I decided to make a new one while I’m at it.”
His face was very attractive, but Lily could only feel chills.
It was an otherworldly smile, as if something that wasn’t human was pretending to be human. Lily could sense her own fate there.
“I hope you have fun.”
Ah, my life is f*cked now. That’s what she thought.
*
[Adjusting the causality coefficient······14.261816%]
*
Among all the Four Heavenly Kings, Luke hated the Monster Maker the most.
It was partly because of the annoyance caused by his ability, but there was also a human disgust among them.
The other Four Heavenly Kings had at least minimal reasons to torment the heroines. The Loyalty King was focused on creating his inventions, someone inevitably sought revenge.
Even if they were twisted, they all had their own circumstances and goals.
“My ability can be divided into two main parts. One is to brainwash the mind, and the other is to control the body.”
But the Monster Maker was different.
“When using abilities normally, I usually mix these two. Just putting someone in a state of [unconsciousness] or something similar makes them defenseless. But with you, I’ll only control your body. Why?”
Pure enjoyment.
“Because it’s fun.”
Born into cruelty and violence, it was a being that treated people like dolls and found pleasure in it, possessing a nature close to absolute evil. Because of that, people feared it the most.
The monstrous Net slowly lifted its abilities as it spoke those words.
And then Lily began to break her own limits.
Her slender and delicate limbs slowly bent backward.
Lily tried desperately to stop it, but her body wouldn’t listen.
As her limbs continued to bend and bend…
Snap!
“Ugh…!”
A painful groan escaped from Lily’s throat.
Her limbs, bent beyond the limits of human structure, were grotesque.
Seeing that, the monstrous Net laughed brightly and continued speaking.
“I believe that people are instruments. Instruments that produce a wide variety of sounds.”
Snap!
“Depending on how you handle them, the sound can change drastically. Sometimes it screams as if it can’t bear it anymore, and sometimes it writhes in ecstasy. Each of those sounds…”
Snap!
“Is so delightful.”
The creature laughed as if in ecstasy. Lily tried to suppress her voice to not react to it, but the pain couldn’t be held back.
“Oh, and don’t worry about running out of fingers.”
Although I can’t write, there are plenty of superior potions that humans listen to.”
The alchemist opened his own dimensional space. Then, holy-looking potions poured out.
Each one was a superior or top-notch potion carefully made by priests.
Although they were of no use to the Demon King’s army, they were invaluable recovery potions that could regenerate even a severed arm for humans.
Normally, one would feel a sense of stability at the sight of such a large quantity, but now all I felt was fear.
Each of those bottles was a torture tool that extended one’s pain dozens of times over. She trembled with fear.
“You look so scared. Well then, let me give you a chance.”
That’s when it happened.
Snap.
The alchemist flicked his finger. And then her freedom returned. The arm that had been frozen in place began to move, and the sense of suppression that felt like being crushed by a rock disappeared.
With the sudden freedom, she tilted her head in confusion.
Nett opened his mouth again.
“Take off your clothes. All of them.”
It was a disgustingly repulsive command.
“Depending on how you behave, I will decide how to treat you. Whether you will scream in pain or writhe in pleasure. It’s up to you to choose.”
So, he wants to educate her.
Not through brainwashing or physical control. He wants to make her follow him willingly, just like a slave, by using rewards and punishments.
Of course, Lily had no intention of obeying him, so her response was already decided.
“f*ck you.”
She spat at him. Although the spit didn’t reach him since she wasn’t close enough, at least her will was conveyed loud and clear.
The grotesque sighed as he saw it.
“Well… I guess there’s no other choice.”
Thump, thump, thud!
And so, for a while, his abode was filled with the sound of bones breaking and faint moans.
*
From Noble mtl dot com
[Adjusting Cause and Effect Ratio… 32.829201%]
*
After a few days had passed.
When Lily’s broken finger crossed into triple digits, the torture finally came to an end. It wasn’t because her magic had run out or her mental strength had been depleted. It was simply because it had become boring.
“Hmm, let’s stop.”
Snap!
As Net flicked her finger, Lily regained her freedom. But even so, she couldn’t flick a single finger. Her body and mind were exhausted. The sensation of breaking her own finger with her own hand was still vivid and chilling.
Her right hand continued to move, even though she knew she shouldn’t. Her left finger burst beyond the limits of her body.
To witness the horrific consequences while being powerless to stop it… It was too cruel for a highly skilled magician like herself to experience.
As Lily lay on the floor, gasping for breath, the creature spoke.
“Hah… hah…”
“I admit it. You’re tougher than I thought. I suppose one must reach this level to become a member of a hero’s party. It would be a waste of potions to continue.”
“…”
“There’s no other choice. We’ll have to find another way.”
Lily looked up in fear.
Am I supposed to write more here? It’s already so difficult that I feel like collapsing, and it’s going to get even worse here.
She couldn’t bear it.
“Oh, okay. That’s good.”
The guy who had been contemplating for a long time suddenly faced the wall.
The smile drawn on his cheerful handsome face felt sinister.
And then, the guy spoke.
“I’m sure you have the worst memory that has stayed with you throughout your life, right?”
“······?”
“It doesn’t matter what it is. Whether you had a big fight with someone, or someone precious died, or everything feels unfamiliar like this moment, etc… I’ll help you recall those emotions. Actually, emotions are just part of the brain’s stimulus response, so I can control them!”
“···Uh?”
Until then, Lily didn’t understand. No, maybe she didn’t want to understand. But, whether she wished for it or not, the situation was inevitable.
Snap!
When he flicked his finger, numerous emotions flooded into Lily’s mind. Along with the emotions, dreadful memories were replayed inside her head.
The incident where she got scolded by her master due to her obsession with talent.
The event where her loved ones left the world. The incident where her colleagues were killed by the monsters. And even the empty eye sockets of the hero who saved her from the underground prison… all of them played back in her mind.
“aaaH-!”
Fear, self-loathing, sadness, everything rushed in at once, and she screamed. It was a kind of panic. Seeing her like that, the guy smiled satisfactorily.
“Indeed, it has an effect.”
It seemed that the torment would be decided by this for the time being.
*
[Updating Causality Ratio······ 71.3729961%]
*
To be honest, mere mental attacks were not as painful as breaking a finger.
At most, it was just a little noisy in the head.
It was all an illusion. It was in the past. She had overcome all those things and now she wouldn’t be swayed by such negative words.
By thinking like that, she could momentarily achieve a mental victory.
But as the days passed, after one day, after two days, after a few more days, her thoughts changed.
When she closed her eyes, the emotions and memories of that day still vividly returned. The constant auditory hallucinations, day and night, made her even want to break her finger instead.
“Please, please stop···!”
If she stayed still, various memories would surface.
The first time she got scolded by her master. The day her precious parents passed away. The day she installed something carelessly and received harsh criticism from those around her, and so on.
However, because she had grown up quite well, there weren’t many unpleasant memories.
Therefore, the person who she had fought with, doubted, and hated the most was also the one who made her feel the most negative emotions.
The hero.
The person she fought with the most, doubted the most, and hated the most, but still saved her.
Because they had fought so much, it was only natural that they appeared in her memories a lot.
But ironically, she didn’t feel the same hateful emotions as back then. The lingering emotion in her memory was guilt.
Looking back now, she didn’t know why she got so angry.
She was suspicious and learned black magic, but ultimately, he never harmed his comrades.
Until the very end, he fought for the sake of his party members.
So, it would have been okay to believe me once··· Lily deeply regretted not being able to do that.
“I’m sorry···.”
Lily kept apologizing like that for a while.
*
[Adjusting causality rate······94.483938%]
*
Snap!
···At some point, it happened.
At some point, the voice that had been echoing in her mind stopped.
The act of breaking fingers with my own hands, and all the other torment, all came to a halt.
The tormentor had stopped.
When the pain that seemed like it would never end finally ended, Lily blinked with a puzzled expression. She was relieved to have some time to catch her breath, but she couldn’t understand the monster’s intentions.
And even then, the monster’s actions didn’t end there.
He ordered the servants to bathe her and called the maids to dress her beautifully.
It didn’t take long for her to transform from a beggar into a noblewoman.
Judging by her appearance alone, it felt more like she was being cherished than tormented.
As Lily sat there, stunned, the monster gave her an answer.
“Soon, there will be an important event.”
It was a statement that felt ominous.
Until then, Lily didn’t understand what the monster was planning.
However, such doubts were naturally resolved the next day. In a rather unpleasant manner.
*
[Causal Ratio Adjustment in progress ······ 98.873822%]
*
The next day, Lily and Gwera headed towards the city where humans lived.
Perhaps because news had spread of the defeat of the hero party, the city was in complete chaos.
Despair, sadness, fear, anger, and other emotions overflowed everywhere.
Lily, who was a member of the party, couldn’t help but feel responsible for it all and couldn’t lift her head.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings entered, but no one noticed because of the polymorph magic.
Thanks to that, they were able to easily reach the center of the city.
In the center of the city, there was a podium.
A podium used when nobles give speeches, confess crimes, or deliver important messages.
As a result, there were always many people here, and they easily gathered.
Lily and Gwera climbed up onto the podium.
Until then, Lily didn’t really know what he was going to do.
Finally, Gwera took out some items from his dimensional storage.
Four large wooden stakes, each the size of Lily.
And the heads of the heroes.
Adele’s head.
Camilla’s head.
Yuris’s head.
The heads of dead party members, their eyes closed, are lined up one by one on the table. Grotesque heads are displayed in order.
As each head is placed on the table, the attention of the surrounding citizens is drawn. The curious gazes at first gradually turn into astonishment.
“What is that?”
“A head…?”
“Who would do such a horrible thing these days…!”
“Wait, look over there! Isn’t that the head of the hero?!”
“What?!”
Lily wanted to run away right now.
But the power of the curse that had taken hold of her body made it impossible.
Thump thump!
Her heart pounded like crazy. She felt dizzy and thought she might vomit.
In such a situation, the villain spoke.
“Behold, everyone! Your hope, the last lifeline, the hero has finally died!! Your lives will now be plunged into darkness!”
“What?”
“What is this guy saying?!”
“Come down here, you bastard!!”
Angry voices of citizens erupted from various places.
However, the villain continued to speak without any concern.
“Of course, the hero was strong! Maybe we would have lost if it hadn’t been for her help here!”
“What?”
She couldn’t help but ask. The Gweroi looked at Lily and spoke with a tender voice.
“Thank you, Lily. The reason the Demon King was able to win is all thanks to you.”
Lily wanted to deny it immediately. She wanted to shout, “What nonsense is this?” But her mouth wouldn’t move as if it were sewn shut. It was because of the Gweroi’s ability.
Was it because he showed interest in her?
The hatred and anger that had been swirling among the audience started to be directed towards her.
“You traitorous woman!”
Lily denied it silently.
“You devilish woman!”
She denied that she was like that.
“You killed our hero!”
She defended herself, saying she had no intention of doing that.
Internally, she shouted and pleaded dozens of times, as if she were falsely accused. She desperately hoped that her true feelings would burst out of her mouth, even just once.
But what came out of her mouth was…
From Noble mtl dot com
“Why? Why does that make it my fault?”
Words manipulated without her will.
“No matter what, in the end, the hero lost because he was weak, right? It’s better to surrender quickly than to be tortured with false hope. So in a way, I helped you.”
Arrogantly. Shamelessly.
“So be grateful to me, you trash.”
Spewing out words that were baseless.
Lily was shedding tears inside, but outwardly, she only fueled the crowd’s anger.
Raw hatred and anger flew towards Lily.
The fact that everyone hated her was vividly felt.
Because she had grown up in privilege, she was not immune to direct blame like this.
Then, at some point, she realized.
“Ah.”
Although she hadn’t experienced it herself, it was a familiar scene.
Yes, this is it.
“This is the sight that the hero used to see.”
It was the scenery that he looked at, with no one to rely on.
After a while, at some point.
The grotesque figure, who had been merely spectating, opens its mouth with a mischievous expression.
“I can’t listen anymore. Isn’t that right, Lily?”
“Yeah, yeah. I deserve punishment.”
Continuously spewing words she didn’t want, it felt as if she had become a doll for fortune-telling.
The guy lightly bows his head in response to Lily’s words and greets her.
“If that’s what you want, I can give you as much as you want.”
And soon, his abilities are manifested.
The bodies of the crowd, who had been berating her on the platform, start moving on their own.
“Huh? Wait, why is this happening all of a sudden?”
“Suddenly, my body moved on its own…!”
And then, from somewhere, a dart flew towards me. We clashed.
“Ahh!”
“Wait, hold on! It’s not intentional…!”
“Oh no, stop! Stop!!”
Blood and screams erupted from all directions.
On the stage, Gweroesa and Lily laughed maniacally.
Amidst such a bizarre situation…
*
[Correction of causality ratio complete!]
[Activating skill!]
[Searching for a save point!]
*
Suddenly, time stood still.