NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19
Biwal, Verdandi, and I continued our journey further north.
I figured that to meet Azazel Blackheart, we first needed to meet her sister.
In Biwal’s case, she had tracked the human traffickers to find her, while Verdandi learned where she was through Wolfram.
The chances were high that this would happen again. We had already spent a lot of money and time crossing the Western Region.
– Dragon! It’s a dragon! Master!
– No, that’s a dragon with limbs and wings.
And so we built some fun memories. Biwal and Verdandi jumped up and down like kids in a zoo when they saw a wyvern.
– Are they color-eyed beings?
– Senpai! You shouldn’t refer to elves like that!
Biwal unintentionally made a racially discriminatory comment about elves, and Verdandi had to step in awkwardly.
– It bothers me when you keep calling me senpai. How about using another title instead?
– Then I’ll call you Biwal, just like Master!
Verdandi almost called Biwal’s name casually, and in response, she unleashed the Heavenly Demon Art.
– How dare you call my name, which my Master gave me, so thoughtlessly?!
– Do you want to try saying that again?
The Hero pulled out his sacred sword while the Heavenly Demon got into stance to throw a punch. The teachings of my sect were fundamentally rooted in the fist.
Biwal, using a sword like a true protagonist from the original novel “King of Diamond Fist”, made me try to keep her away from sword fighting.
‘…Should I buy her a sword later?’
The demon that had been gnawing at her heart was gone now. She became more affectionate, demanding kisses when she greeted me, but she no longer made others jealous or put anyone in danger like before.
It was enough for her to relieve her stress by sparring with Verdandi, who was also a fellow disciple.
– Huh, heeek… How can you parry my sacred sword with your bare hands?! This is cheating!
– How about you? How can you resist a demon without any inner energy…?
They had been growling over trivial things dozens of times. They slowly realized their skills were equal and started fighting less.
– When Azazel arrives, we must prepare ourselves!
– Demons are similar to succubi; they thrive by sucking the essence of adult men.
Since they were around the same age, they seemed to bond as time went on.
Talking about Azazel, who I hadn’t accepted as a disciple yet, felt a bit uncomfortable.
‘Indeed, Azazel is dangerous. Verdandi and Biwal might have just been lucky.’
Their instincts were correct.
In the original story, Azazel was the character who turned dark after her twin sister stole the protagonist she loved.
She contracted with an outsider to gain love and tortured the protagonist of the novel as the Final Boss.
That was the true identity of Azazel Blackheart.
“Is this… the Street of Dreams?!”
“I can’t believe it’s so different from what I imagined. Master, is this really the place?”
Our group looked around, noticing how odd it was. Just as they said, the Street of Dreams was filled with gentlemen in suits and ladies in dresses.
“Indeed, human desire is most terrifying when wrapped in kindness like this.”
I used Qi Perception to subtly see through the people passing by. Those hiding their devil horns and tails were all succubi and incubi.
“By the way, I sense evil! What should we do, Master?!”
Seeing Verdandi immediately reach for her sacred sword made me shake my head, signaling her to stop.
“Don’t draw your sword here. Not until you meet your sister, that is.”
Expressing an intent to fight in the heart of enemy territory was madness, especially without proper mental defense magic or countermeasures against demons.
“Master, where should we go then?”
“Normally, we’d head to the monastery here, but…”
In the original story, Azazel isolated herself in a monastery after being betrayed by her sister, trying to contract with an outsider.
But,
“Before that, let’s grab a bite and think it over. Has anyone had any recent nightmares?”
It felt like fate was blocking our access no matter what we tried, as if some unseen force was preventing us from meeting Azazel.
Similar to the precedents of Biwal and Verdandi, we would need someone who could guide us to meet Azazel.
I suspect it would be a character closely tied to the original flow of the story.
“A nightmare…?”
“How does mentioning a nightmare help us with food?”
At the restaurant run by Gabriel, Azazel’s twin sister, they cooked using people’s nightmares as seasoning.
*
After passing through a small alley crowded with restaurants, we found a shop with a prominently gilded door.
It looked out of place on the Street of Dreams, with winged men and women serving drinks and food.
“Welcome to Heaven’s Dream!”
This was the place I had mentioned to my party earlier. I was scanning the area for the pink-haired succubus.
Just like Azazel, her sister Gabriel also had the same pink hair, with wings near her waist.
“This place is too lewd for ladies! Master, quickly cover your eyes…!”
Suddenly my vision went dark, and I heard Biwal’s panicked voice from behind.
Her small hands were drenched with sweat. This place was indeed too risqué for kids.
They barely wore a few pieces of fabric, leaving little to the imagination, like the clothing of heavenly angels.
“How astonishing! No matter where I look, their clothing doesn’t fall off!”
In stark contrast, Verdandi was excitedly looking around. She had received divine favor from the gods, showing interest in a place that embodied heaven like this.
“Dear customers, what dreams would you like to order?”
Just then, a succubus approached us, her small angel wings charmingly fluttering behind her as she opened her half-lidded eyes.
“Based on childhood nightmares, add some spicy seasoning to the devastation, and finish it off with a spoonful of sweet love for a lamb steak, please.”
I ordered the special menu that only worked here. It was a line from the original story, “I’ve Been Transported to a Game That Prevents Cheating.”
Originally, I wanted to use this when my web novel was adapted into a game in collaboration with cafes or fast food chains, so I had added this setting.
“…Yes! Then Adventurer, let us treat you to a moment of heaven!”
In the original story, when you said this order, it meant you’d negotiate with the succubus employee by offering your dreams as currency.
“For these girls, based on their recent nightmares, add two spoonfuls of sweet visions of the future, and finish it with a sprinkle of their first love.”
I spoke for the growling bellies of Biwal and Verdandi. Unlike what I mentioned before, this was genuinely edible food.
‘…Well, having the experience of eating in a dream would be unique, to say the least.’
It would indeed be a special experience for my disciples, who recently started crossing boundaries in their affections.
They would be dreaming of meeting someone kinder and better than me, falling in love for the first time, while experiencing this meal.
“What kind of dish is that? Making a sandwich based on dreams! I can’t even imagine such a food!”
“You’ll find out when you eat it. Just letting you know I’m being generous.”
I nodded at Gabriel, signaling my thanks. After all, I had things to discuss once my disciples fell asleep.
*
It had been dozens of minutes since Biwal and Verdandi staggered out with their arms full of sandwiches.
Grrr…
Soon, Verdandi leaned her head against the pillow below, snoring softly as she sprawled over the dining table, the golden-haired Hero right in front of me.
“You can’t… sleep…”
Unlike Verdandi, Biwal was nodding her head up and down, desperately fighting the drowsiness creeping over her.
Soon she started trying to focus her energy, attempting to expel the fatigue within.
“Rest easy. The charm of this place is waking up from a dream.”
“Master…”
I gently stroked Biwal’s hair, producing soft swishing sounds, reassuring her that it was okay to sleep.
I used to do this often whenever she had trouble sleeping during her early days in my sect.
“Master… I love you…”
Soon, she nestled into my arms, falling asleep with a blissful smile that resembled an angel.
Having succeeded in putting everyone else to sleep, I asked the employees nearby to take them to a room with soft beds.
They had already received nightmares as payment, so they wouldn’t do anything inappropriate to siphon energy from others.
They would only indulge in a bit of harmless fun to recreate the perfect first love, since acting recklessly on the Street of Dreams would mean losing one’s head.
“You were looking for me.”
Even though succubi and incubi cannot dream like humans, this street fulfilled the form of culinary experiences where one can share dreams.
That was the hidden truth of the Street of Dreams.
“…Gabriel Blackheart.”
I said, carefully observing her figure.
The only difference compared to how I described Azazel in the original was a single braid on one side; otherwise, it was eerily similar.
“Oh my, I didn’t know you knew my name. Did another demon recommend me to you? Even so, I personally don’t buy male essence…”
“…Do I look like that kind of person?”
“Hmm, then you’re not? Even your aura gives off the vibe of someone who lives a chastely.”
Gabriel approached me with a teasing grin, sniffing the air around me as her characteristic pink eyes peeked between her eyelids.
“I came to talk. Gabriel.”
“Surprisingly enticing, you’re giving off a 20-year-old virgin aura and all.”
“Indeed.”
I denied her words by pushing her face away with my palm.
“Oh, what a shame, if you seduced me a bit more, I might have changed my mind…”
Among the succubi, purity and cleanliness were highly valued.
Therefore, the phrase “Looking for a guy who has never had a girlfriend!” did not sound like a joke at all; they were obsessed with first love and everything experienced for the first time.
This was also why the demons infiltrated human dreams to seek vicarious satisfaction.
“I know you have a younger sister named Azazel Blackheart. Gabriel.”
“Why are you suddenly mentioning my sister’s name…?”
I took a deep breath, preparing the words I had to say to her. It was about the reason Azazel fell into darkness in the original story.
“You took away the boy she had a crush on, didn’t you?”
This was what people often called NTR, stealing away someone they loved.
“Oh my, you have quite an interesting perspective, don’t you?”
As soon as I uttered that term, Gabriel grinned as if she found it thrilling.