NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
For the past three days,
I’ve felt one painful lesson deep in my bones.
It is this: “No matter how fucked up it gets, use genuine products.”
Who would have thought that installing a private mode would pull me into the game?
“Deth.”
The moment I launched the game, a blinding light flashed, and when I regained my senses, I found myself in a world I’d never seen before.
No, it would be misleading to say I’d never seen it at all.
“This face is…!”
Looking at my reflection by the well, I was undeniably ‘Alben Oldeir.’
This could only be the world of the ‘Valdeon Saga.’
“Possession? What the fuck, possession!”
It took only a few minutes to plunge into despair.
After all, shedding tears wouldn’t guarantee I’d return to where I was. Coming into a world I know a little about is certainly better than an entirely unknown one, right?
…That was what I thought, until I realized I was broke.
“No money, no food? Ahahaha.”
The only thing I had was a letter tucked away in my pocket that read [Exile Notice].
At that moment, a memory flickered in my mind.
[Abandonment] +50p! You start exiled. Basic rewards cannot be received.
The keyword I input for a meager 50 points, [Abandonment], was the reason I was now a beggar.
Had I not input that keyword,
“I’d probably be living a lavish life in a prestigious family right now?”
What’s 50 points even worth?
Just for a little more, fuck.
Starting the Valdeon Saga should grant one status, money, basic gear, and basic skills.
But I have none.
“Hahaha…! Hahahalolololol!!!”
What a refreshing start this is!
*
“Ugh.”
Tap, tap.
I stared blankly at the unidentifiable bugs and mushrooms roasting over the fire.
One week into my possession,
I was surviving by eating unknown things in an unnamed mountain.
Whether it was the remote starting location or sheer bad luck, I hadn’t seen a village or another person in a week since my arrival.
Fortunately, the weather wasn’t too hot or cold, just a nice early autumn.
If it were summer, I would have been bug food, and if winter, I’d have frozen to death long ago.
“… It’s all cooked.”
I took a big bite of the golden-brown bug meat.
Juices exploded from it, and the chewy texture lodged itself between my teeth.
This bug, resembling a giant cricket, was called a ‘Goldwind Beetle.’ It’s used as a valuable ingredient in the Valdeon Saga.
At first, the thought of eating it made me want to gag, but
“Chomp, chomp.”
To my surprise, it wasn’t bad at all.
More than anything, I had no confidence about hunting wild beasts with my small and soft body, so I had to settle for the tame Goldwind Beetle.
Gulp.
While swallowing the Goldwind Beetle meat, I reflected on what to do next.
It wouldn’t be bad to live on while carrying on Bear Grylls’ legacy,
but I wasn’t prepared to infinitely enjoy the coming harshness of winter.
At this rate, I’d be an ice-themed ‘Possessed’ in a few months.
So I just kept walking aimlessly.
According to the [Exile Notice], my abandoned family, the Oldeir Family, is located in the southern part of the continent.
“There are lots of villages in the south of the continent.”
If I wander along the mountain paths, I should eventually come across either a village or people.
Then I can think about the next steps later.
First, I have to survive to have a future, right?
“Guh.”
As I filled my stomach with bugs and mushrooms, drowsiness began to creep in.
I gathered fallen leaves scattered around to make a blanket.
“Let’s walk energetically tomorrow…”
I will definitely get out of this shitty world.
And from now on, I’ll only use genuine products.
“… Fuck.”
While I kept repeating the same grievances for a week,
I was just about to surrender to sleep.
– Ah, it’s lonely…
– How long has it been?
A human voice drifted into my ears.
My drowsy mind immediately cleared up.
“People!”
My body jolted up.
‘I definitely heard it.’
Assuming it wasn’t just an auditory illusion, it was surely a human voice.
I held my breath and focused until the next sound came.
– Hehehe… As soon as we arrive at the village, we should go there right away.
“!”
My body instinctively moved toward the direction of the voice.
Rustle, rustle.
Dried leaves crunched beneath my tiny feet.
I wanted to scream out, “Hey, there are people here!!!”
But first, I had to figure out who these people were.
My [Delicate Face] easily made me a target for thieves and ruffians.
If the voice belonged to bandits, I’d be unboxed before I had a chance to do anything.
‘Please… please be good citizens!’
Sneaking quietly, I crept toward where the voice came from.
In the darkness, I saw a bright light.
It looked like they intended to make a fire and spend the night there.
I stealthily hid behind a tree and observed them.
Two women sat facing each other around a campfire.
‘Women!’
This is a good sign.
Every thief NPC in the Valdeon Saga was male.
‘But this isn’t a game, so…’
I quietly listened to their conversation.
“I’m starving, don’t you have any leftover food?”
“You ate it all earlier, you idiot!”
“Did I? Hehe.”
“Geez… tsk.”
The long-haired brown girl shot a glare at her short-haired companion while adding more wood to the fire.
Hmm.
She had quite a mouth for a woman in this world, but it’s sufficient behavior for a country girl.
“Ugh, I want to get to the village quickly.”
Oh, an adventurer?
If she’s a female adventurer, I can understand why her words might be rough.
‘But weren’t there any female adventurer NPCs in the Valdeon Saga…?’
…Well, it’s not a game anymore.
There could be a female adventurer.
“If it’s this far out, I didn’t receive any requests.”
“Just bear with it. The longer distance means it’s pricey. You could live off that for a few months.”
“Oh, that sounds tempting.”
The short-haired girl chuckled.
“What should I do when I get the money, I wonder~.”
“You’ll just blow it all at the tavern again.”
“Then what about you? You blew your last request money on gambling, didn’t you?”
“Fuck! That was because those bastards cheated! This time, I won’t fall for it!”
Drinking and gambling…
The more I listened, the more I felt the dissonance from what I knew.
“Still, I hugged a guy, so I think I used it more effectively than you?”
At that point, my suspicion deepened even more.
Hugging a guy?
What on earth am I hearing?
“…You’re spending 300 gold to sleep with a guy? You could just grab a passerby and eat him. If worse comes to worst, just kill him.”
“The men from that house are different, I tell ya! You’ll change your mind once you ride one.”
Her body trembled as if just thinking about it made her lower belly warm.
‘Th-This fuck…’
I couldn’t tell what was what, but I knew these people would be unsuitable for me to ask for help.
I took a step back to escape.
Crisp!
A large, thick leaf crunched loudly.
“…What was that sound?”
Oh shit, I’m done for.
“Isn’t it just a wild beast?”
Of course, it’s a wild beast.
Definitely not a human.
Oink, bark, moo, meow, hee-haw, whee-whee, humba-humba.
Please just let me pass by. Please, please, please, please.
“I think it is a wild beast.”
Yay.
“Then go catch it. I’m starving.”
Fuck!
*
In the hand of the short-haired girl who went to catch the wild beast was…
“…A guy?”
It was a boy.
“What’s that? Where did you find him?”
When the other girl asked, she smiled widely and replied.
“He was hiding around the back since earlier. This cute thing.”
“L-let me go…”
“Nope, not gonna happen.”
The short-haired girl looked at the boy and licked her lips.
“Coming alone without anything to a place with two women, you just want to get eaten, don’t you?”
“What are you…!”
As she loosened her waistline, the boy’s face flushed red.
“What’s with that reaction? Is it your first time?”
“…….”
“Puhahaha! This is too funny!”
The boy that got caught had top-notch looks.
With a small, petite body, white skin, and a delicate face.
He was the embodiment of a celestial male.
And to top it off, he’s a ‘virgin.’
“Ugh…”
With his small face and big eyes, it looked like tears would spill out at any moment.
Gulp!
The throat of the brown-haired girl rippled.
My lower belly tightened, and blood rushed to my head.
“Hey, can I eat him first?”
“…Why should that be the case?”
“What? I brought him, so I go first!”
“I asked you to catch him first, so I get to eat first.”
“…Hah! Why? Are you getting hot? Huh?”
Thus a debate arose over who would be the first to violate the boy.
Alben twisted his body, trying to escape the grip of the short-haired girl.
‘What strength…!’
Her grip didn’t even budge.
“Alright! But you have to increase my cut from the reward, okay?”
“…Fine.”
It seemed an agreement was reached now.
The brown-haired girl began to undress with one hand while lightly caressing Alben’s body with the other.
“Gheeeek?!”
“Stay still… If you resist, I might cut off a limb.”
“Don’t cut me! If you chop even one part off, I can’t sell it at the brothel.”
The moment Alben’s upper clothing was completely stripped off.
Swish!
A silver blade pierced the brown-haired girl’s neck.
With a thud, her body fell, blood spilling everywhere.
“Gah…”
Without even letting out a sound, the fallen woman’s corpse was overshadowed by a white-haired figure.
“Target acquired. One eliminated. I’ll handle the other.”
“What, who are you?!”
In the dead of night, a pair of crimson eyes glowed fiercely.
With beautifully flowing lustrous hair.
Slash!
She shook the blood off her blade and stared at the short-haired girl.
‘…That person is!’
Alben’s eyes widened.
Because that person was a character from the Valdeon Saga.