Scarlet collapsed to her knees, her stomach twisting violently. She gagged, dry heaving as her numb fingers clawed. Lars clenched his fists so tightly that his nails bit into his palms, blood welling at the edges. Even Luck, usually composed, had a flicker of unease in his sharp gaze.
Alex had committed a crime in broad daylight.
The second noble trembled violently, stumbling backward as his friend writhed on the ground. He staggered, bile rising in his throat.
"D-Don't kill me! Demon! Someone—knights! Help me!"
Alex crouched slightly, a cruel smile playing on his lips. His eyes showed a detached amusement as if the noble's suffering was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Leaning closer, his voice turned chillingly soft.
"I'm not going to kill you."
The noble froze.
Alex reached out, his fingers gliding through the air as if plucking something unseen. His nails were still damp with blood, crimson streaks glistening in the dim light.
"Go back to your dear Ragaltha family. Tell them this—today, I only took his skin. Next time, I'll take his soul."
His voice was barely above a whisper, yet it slithered into the noble's ears like a curse, a phantom touch creeping down his spine.
"And if I see any more of your filth near this inn…" Alex straightened, his expression hollow. "Prepare for a one-way trip to hell."
The noble let out a strangled sound, his entire body locking up. Then, instinct took over—he turned and scrambled away, dragging his howling friend with him. Their uneven footsteps pounded against the blood-streaked dirt. The air reeked of iron, bile, and something else—fear, thick enough to taste.
—
"What have you done?"
Shelly's voice cracked, raw with fury. She turned on Alex, her face pale, eyes wide and burning. "You—you're a demon!"
She pointed at him, her whole body trembling, as if the mere act of standing in his presence repulsed her.
Alex didn't react. His expression didn't shift. If anything, his eyes held only a hollow indifference.
"Think as you wish."
Scarlet and the boy remained motionless. Scarlet, still frozen, dug her fingers into the ground as if trying to ground herself in reality. But the boy—he was different.
His small hands twitched at his sides. He took a shaky step forward.
Then, tears spilled down his cheeks.
"Thank you, Sir," he whispered.
The dam broke. His shoulders heaved, his sobs raw as he clung to Alex.
Alex patted his head once, the touch was almost mechanical.
"Don't let anyone take from you again." His voice was quieter now, almost contemplative. Then, lower—so only the boy could hear:
"If they try, kill them first."
The boy's fingers clenched into fists.
Alex watched him for a moment, then turned away, his thoughts dark.
I did it again.
The thing I swore I wouldn't.
….
Outside the inn, at the corner, his robe fluttered in the wind. His long white hair danced with the breeze, making him look almost otherworldly.
He let out a slow breath.
I really felt pity for that kid… maybe because once, I was just like him.
Fragments of memory surfaced, blurry and distant, like looking through warped glass.
An inn. A filthy back room. The smell of cheap liquor and rotting food.
He could almost hear the soft creak of wooden floorboards, the hushed murmurs of drunken men outside the door.
I remember working in an inn once. No parents nothing. Just me, struggling to survive in Murim's brutal, lawless world.
Back then, killing was almost normal even in Orthodox sects. Wandering the lower realms, unfamiliar with everything, powerless. A woman took him in, gave him work… or so he thought. In truth, she did whatever she pleased—beating him whenever she wanted, pleasing herself with every emotion she could.
Though I can't remember exactly everything anymore. It's been too long. But I know one thing…
His breathing slowed.
That first transmigration was not a pleasant experience.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps.
A group of thugs surrounded him, led by a man who bore the same features as the noble whose face Alex had peeled.
"You filthy bastard!" the man shouted, his face red with fury. "Do you even know who we are? Do you know the name Ragaltha?"
Alex sat there, his mind still wandering.
Once She beat me till I got unconscious.
And then… she sold me like another pig to unorthodox faction.
The memory slammed into him like a torn hammer.
She didn't know I was an eighteen-year-old man in the body of a child.
His grip on reality wavered for a second.
Pleasant? Unpleasant? Maybe both.
The man roared again. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Alex's eyes snapped open. He tilted his head, feigning confusion.
"Huh?" He crouched slightly, rubbing his ears. "What was that? Did you just say… Thugoo?"
The man's face twisted. "What did you just call me?!"
From the balcony above, Lars, the boy, Luck, Scarlet, and Shelly watched in silence.
Alex ignored their gazes. He walked up to the man, grabbed his ear with a casual grip—then twisted it at an unnatural angle.
The man let out a guttural scream.
Alex leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper.
"If you want your precious Ragaltha family to stay alive… bring your head of the family here. And don't move a single inch."
The man was panting, his forehead drenched in sweat. "D-Don't move! Don't move! Someone—go back! Tell Father! Do what he says!"
His underlings hesitated, then hurried away.
Alex let go, watching as the man crumpled to the ground, clutching his ear.
Without another word, Alex walked back to the corner of the inn and sat down again, lost in thought.
I need to wrap this up quickly and focus on infiltrating the Dragon Kingdom for that artifact.
Over the past five years, Alex had learned a lot about this world—the gods, their affinities, and the kingdoms that ruled over the land.
But what intrigued him the most was the Dragon Kingdom. Or more specifically, an artifact that had separated the kingdom from the rest of the world.
I want that artifact. I'm not sure if it will be useful, but with it I hope, I can at least protect the people I choose. And if I ever find myself in a death battle, I'll have a subspace where no one can interfere. No one will be able to touch me—at least, not in this world.
From the merchants, he had gathered that the Dragon Kingdom had never once suffered a dungeon break. No one could enter or leave without the king's authority. But that authority wasn't his own—it came from the artifact.
Some believed the goddess Uxil had gifted it to the Dragon Kingdom. But that theory made no sense. Uxil had far more influence over humans. Why would she give such a powerful relic to dragons?
And then, there was something even more interesting.
The Dragon God.
His affinity color was violet—the same color that resided inside Alex's body.
I have five gods' affinities… yet I haven't used them once.
Cause I refuse to rely on borrowed power.