Chapter 1: Chapter 1 - Eight weeks earlier...
At the end of Floor 15 of the Continental Dungeon, a large group of adventurers were trying to defeat the Boss of the floor in order to advance to the next floor, but...
"Run!"
"Hurry! Run for your lives!"
"Damn it! They have been using us as bait!"
The situation was far from favorable. That group was facing an oppressive power capable of crushing crowds, leaving the majority with no option but to flee, while the rest, completely terrified, could barely move. The biggest problem was that, in fact, there was no expectation of victory. The opponent was not the Steel-Skinned Minotaur they had been expecting, but the terrifying Queen Lamia.
"So that's what human warriors offer!!!? They're light years away from my king~."
The Queen Lamia, although a monster, was intelligent and had tremendous beauty, with a voluptuous body and striking curves on her dark skin. However, as a monster, the Queen Lamia had no qualms about killing humans, which made anyone think of running away before she even attacked.
However, that group was in luck because, while practically everyone was running towards the door of the hall, there was one person who hadn't done so.
"Ma'am, there's still one human who hasn't run." said one of the gray goblins, pointing to Basara — a young man with brown hair and green eyes who had just taken off his hood.
"LEAVE HIM TO ME!" ordered Queen Lamia as she advanced against Basara.
Her every step made the floor of the cave shake, but Basara didn't even take a step back.
"HEARTY HUMAN, I'M GOING TO USE YOUR HEAD TO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL TABLE OF BLOOD FOR MY KING!" exclaimed Queen Lamia with a sadistic smile.
"What madness... Isn't he going to run?" muttered one adventurer, looking back.
"Don't stop running, you idiot! Take advantage of the fact that he's baiting the monsters!"
In the next instant, Queen Lamia caught up with Basara, but just as she raised her right hand to tear him apart with her claws, a different aura enveloped them both.
[Activated Skill: "I love the man in front of me."]
Queen Lamia's right hand moved forward and grabbed the back of his head. Without her devilish smile, Queen Lamia brought his face closer, tilted her head slightly and kissed Basara.
The gray goblins, who were running just behind the Queen, stopped, watching in surprise.
Noticing the silence, the adventurers turned and were perplexed. Everyone had expected Queen Lamia to break Basara in half, but a kiss???
"W-what's he doing?" Stunned, one warrior muttered.
"Is that some kind of spell?"
[You kissed Queen Lamia!]
[+100 Naughty Points have been added to the Balance].
[+50 Attack Points have been purchased. 100 Naughty Points have been debited from the Balance].
The situation was clearly unusual. However, Basara was no mere human, but a sixteen-year-old with Hero, Demon, Dragon and God blood. Normally, he wouldn't have to face a dungeon with so many floors, let alone kiss a lamia, but circumstances shape the man.
Better than explaining, I can show you everything from the start.
-:|:-
Eight weeks earlier...
For Basara, it seemed like any other morning. He opened his drowsy eyes, blinking several times as he tried to shake off the sleepiness. However, he soon felt a strange restlessness. Still lying down, he looked around, trying to see if anything was out of place.
The dark blue bedspread was in the bed's corner, the pajamas he always wore to bed were the same, the walls were covered in rock band posters... Everything was the same. But he felt something was wrong.
Basara wiped his face, rubbed his eyes and stood up. Counting his steps to the bathroom, as he did every morning — twelve steps, the same number as always — he felt the cold wooden floor creak under his bare feet.
The bathroom mirror gave him back his familiar reflection: messy brown hair, green eyes, and a scar below his right eye. Everything seemed in place, exactly as it always had.
Still, something was out of order. What could it be?
He filled his hands with cold water and splashed it on his face, hoping that the uncomfortable sensation would go away. However, even as the water ran down his face, the anguish remained. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, and went to the window, hoping to find some relief in the usual view of his surroundings. But it was exactly then that he realized what was different.
As he opened the curtains, he faced a vast city stretching as far as the eye could see. It was no ordinary city. Most of the buildings were made of stone, with simple pastel paintwork and red roofs. The streets bustled with horse-drawn carriages and giant lizards on cobblestone pavement.
In the distance, a gray castle with red flags fluttered on the horizon. The sky was bluer than ever, with no sign of pollution, skyscrapers, or airplanes.
Surprised, Basara took a few steps back, putting a hand to his chin as he tried to make sense of the situation.
"Are we being targeted by a demon? Or did Yuki cannot keep the villagers at bay?"
The theories he was trying to plan seemed to make sense. The house and the room were identical, except for the view from the window. Finally, after a few moments, he worried about his family.
'Dad, Mio and Maria! You must be all right!' thought Basara, hurrying out of the room.
He went downstairs, almost slipping on the wooden steps. When he reached the kitchen, he saw Jin Tojo, his father, sitting at the table, reading a newspaper.
Jin looked at Basara, arched an eyebrow and asked, "Basara? What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Basara tried to answer, but the words stuck in his throat at the sight of his father's calm. So Basara shook his head and went to the kitchen window, pulling back the curtain.
"Dad, have you seen what it's like outside? I think we're under attack!"
Jin leaned back, crossing his arms and looking over Basara's shoulder.
"Under attack?" Jin laughed out loud. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Yesterday, clouds covered everything, but now the sky is sunny. That's a good sign, don't you think?"
Basara's eyebrows rose. 'What's he talking about? Can't he see that the scenery is completely different? Am I the only one here who realizes that everything is out of place?'
Basara had always known Jin to be a rather carefree sort of man, but this seemed too much, even for his father.
"I'm talking about... that!" Basara pointed at a passing cart. "Since when does our neighborhood look like that?"
Jin looked more closely and gave a slight smile, trying to calm Basara down.
"Basara, I know you didn't like us coming here very much. But it's a big, beautiful city, and the house was very cheap."
Basara almost couldn't believe it. Jin really wasn't capable of realizing that everything had changed.
"Fiu~ I know what's going on. You're nervous because today is your first day at Ortigia Academy, right? Come on, give it a chance. This holds the title of the World Magic Academy for a reason."
"World Magic Academy?"