A Monster That Cannot Pray

—Previously.

I, who had tried to save my parents who were praying for a suicide by fire with their child while caught up in a pseudo-religion, and was hit on the back of the head by falling pillar debris.

“Ugh, my head…”

Somehow, while smelling the scent of grass that shouldn’t exist in the city,

I hurriedly got up at the sensation of a cool breeze brushing against my skin.

‘Wait a minute. Cool breeze? Brushing against my skin?’

Setting aside the grass swaying in the wind and the strange insect sounds I’d never heard before coming from nearby… the sight of myself that entered my vision was strange.

“What is this…”

A clear, beautiful voice that I could hardly believe came from my throat.

“……”

Though covered in dirt from rolling on the ground who knows how much, an unmistakably white skin that couldn’t be hidden.

Judging by the weight I felt on my head, the white thread-like things that had been brushing against my eyes since earlier seemed to be hair.

“No, how… is this possible?”

Wondering if this might be a dream, I absentmindedly pulled at my cheek.

For some reason, along with a sense of discomfort from my shoulders, I noticed one particularly strange thing.

“…?”

Clearly, I was enjoying the unexpected softness of my cheek while pulling it with one hand.

At the same time, I could feel the rustling sensation of weeds and dirt on both palms.

“Uh, um…”

With a feeling of ‘surely not’, I quietly brought all my arms in front of my eyes.

“One… two… three… four…?”

I could see no less than four arms and twenty fingers moving according to my will.

“……”

Right. I had been deliberately ignoring the soft sensation I felt in my chest, or how empty my lower body felt….

“No, this isn’t right—!”

It’s not like I’m one-armed, but having four arms… isn’t this a bit too much, humanly speaking?

“Huk, huk…!”

So, for a long time, like a madman… no, now I’m a madwoman. Anyway, as I screamed like a madwoman, hoping desperately that this was a dream.

“Ha, haha… heheh…!”

Finally, to accept that this was certainly not a dream, and that this situation was undoubtedly reality. I forced out a laugh that wouldn’t come.

Yes. This was reality, an utterly terrible reality.

And that meant… whether I had become a woman, or something with four arms.

I had to struggle once again to live.

“…Achoo!”

At the moment I accepted reality, a cool breeze blew, making me sneeze involuntarily. While trying to wrap my four arms around my body, I quietly—stealthily looked around.

Silver petals faintly glowing in the moonlight shining from a beautiful night sky as if powdered stars had been scattered, trees so huge that I wondered if such plants existed in Korea. Even the nameless weeds I was stepping on were large. Or am I small?

“……”

Anyway, among such surreal scenery, what I focused on first was.

The entrance to a forest with an atmosphere that instinctively felt like I shouldn’t enter.

More precisely—it was a straw mat wrapped around the base of the largest tree visible at the front.

‘For now, it would be better to cover my body first.’

While trying hard to suppress the shrill laughter that was about to come out from the tickling sensation of weeds on my soles.

I wrapped around my body the straw mat—or rather, a cloth that looked like a cloak—that I had noticed earlier.

‘This is a bit better, even if it’s just this.’

Though it’s hard to call it clothing, I was relieved for a moment by the fact that I could cover my body.

“…Ugh.”

All sorts of smells suddenly assaulting my nose.

The foul smell of rotting grass crumbling, the fishy smell of old bloodstains.

Right after.

“…!”

From behind me, for some reason, I started to hear what sounded like noisy voices of people.

“——!!”

Perhaps because of the distance, I couldn’t hear the exact content, but… looking at the lights slowly brightening from far away.

Why? I had a feeling that I absolutely must not encounter them, that something terrible would happen.

Gulp.

I quietly swallowed hard, then.

Raising my head, I looked towards the inner part of that forest that maintained pitch-black darkness even in the moonlight brightly illuminating the surroundings.

‘…Right. Just in case, let’s hide and assess the situation first.’

At least, if this was modern society, there’s no way they would be walking around with torches like that.

To prepare for any possible situation, I moved my feet into the ominous darkness of that forest.

“It’s here—! Executioner—!”

“The corpse of that thing should be around here!”

“Surely, it was here… W-where did it go…!?”

Sure enough, seeing three Westerners in black clothes exuding a somehow fierce atmosphere.

‘It seems the language is understandable.’

Assessing the situation with a calmness that surprised even myself.

“I told you not to provoke it and just observe the situation!”

“We-we’re sorry! We thought we could catch it ourselves…”

“Why didn’t you think that if it was something you could handle, there would be no need for an Executioner to step in!”

As if fleeing from those torches illuminating the forest entrance where I was hiding, I headed further into the forest.

Given the circumstances, the corpse they were talking about probably referred to me.

In other words, it means I woke up in this body that had already died for some reason….

‘…Does that mean I died too?’

Well, considering I threw my body to protect even those who could barely be called parents while such a large piece was falling that it was clearly going to be a disaster, it would be more ridiculous to expect to survive that.

“Executioner! That way!”

“If it escaped, it can only be here.”

“But…!”

So, along with a woman’s voice full of sharp edges.

As the torchlight slowly began to illuminate the forest entrance.

‘Sseup….’

In the end, I had no choice but to go even deeper into the forest.

Even as I became scared of the low animal sounds that grew louder the deeper I went into the forest.

I tried to reassure myself that scary people with malice were scary, not mere beasts.

“Grrrr….”

It didn’t take long to realize what a big mistake that was.

“…Hiccup.”

The beast I had imagined was at most a large wild dog or wolf.

What was in front of me… looked like a mix between a bear and a wolf, with a body easily 2-3 meters tall, walking on two legs and flashing blood-red eyes.

“Grooooar—!”

“Kyaaaaaah—!”

I, without even thinking about my current situation. Screaming loudly, I turned my back and ran in the opposite direction from the beast.

“It’s that way—!”

Of course, the three people looking for me at the forest entrance must have noticed my position too, as an ominous light approached from ahead.

“Heek, heek…!”

Even in the midst of this, worried that it would be terrible if the monster following me now encountered those people.

Desperately swallowing the feeling of fear that made me feel like I would burst into tears at any moment, I turned my body again… and started running in the opposite direction from where the light was visible.

How long had I been running like that?

“Huff, huff…!”

After running at full speed for a while, when a sweet smell started wafting from my mouth.

I could notice that the monster that had been chasing me had disappeared at some point.

“Is, is it gone…?”

With the rush of relief, I struggled to hold onto my legs that were about to give out.

‘I, I need to hide….’

Only then, recalling how those people chasing me earlier had strangely avoided the forest.

Searching for a place to hide somehow, I looked around the base of nearby trees and between bushes.

Rustle, rustle.

Fortunately, not long after, I could see a hole just big enough for my body to fit into at the base of a large tree.

“Nngh….”

I managed to squeeze my four arms, still unfamiliar, into the hole and hide between the gaps.

I was able to somehow cover my front by brushing the grass that had been crushed while entering with my hands.

Thump…! Thump…!

Not long after… with angry breaths and thundering footsteps, the monster from earlier arrived.

Wondering if hiding here was the right choice, I tightly closed my eyes like a dead mouse, covering my mouth with two of my four arms.

“Grrrr…!”

The monster, seemingly very disappointed at not catching me, growled fiercely and left the place.

But perhaps due to the fear of death I had felt earlier… Even after it had left, until I was on the verge of losing consciousness from lack of air.

I couldn’t let go of the hands covering my mouth, and had to shake for a long time, just hoping that it had really gone.

‘Is, is it gone…? It must be gone, right…?’

So, after a long time had passed. When even the cold sweat that had been flowing all over my body had been blown away by the cool breeze.

“…Gulp.”

With the thought that I couldn’t stay in this dangerous forest forever, the moment I cautiously crawled out from under the tree trunk.

“—Found you.”

A chilling voice, along with a presence felt from behind.

“To catch you, I even risked death to enter the Forest of Calamity… Don’t even dream of returning alive.”

Turning around at the voice of the woman who had been called Executioner by the other two men earlier.

Seeing an unnaturally silver-glowing blade in the darkness. Not a kitchen knife, nor a fruit knife—but what is commonly called a broadsword.

Seeing a blonde woman in strange attire, wearing armor over a black priest’s robe.

“W-wait a moment…! I think there’s some misunderstanding, I’m not a monster but a person…!”

Urgently, I tried to explain that there must be some misunderstanding, that I was human, but.

“Your kind is always like this. Deceiving people with words, pretending to be friendly and then devouring those who are fooled. Did you think you could live like that forever, monster!”

Apparently, the original owner of this body was skilled at deceiving people.

Looking at the woman called Executioner who was taking a stance as if about to pounce at any moment, saying she wouldn’t even bother to exchange words with the likes of me, I shouted.

“Behind! Behind you! Monster!”

“I told you I won’t fall for it!”

No, I mean… there’s really a monster behind you, you crazy woman—!