"Since Bulut and Sergeant accompanied you, they must have told you everything."
"Yeah, I mean, I guess."
The girl ran her eyes over Arda with a playful smirk. "We're really lucky they ran into you. You know, this is Hell. Even those who arrive here by chance eventually lose their goodness and innocence."
She stepped closer, gently touching his chin with her finger. She lifted it slightly, making their eyes meet.
Now that she was this close, Arda realized there was a height difference between them. She was at least a few centimeters taller than him. Normally, he didn't find tall girls attractive, but for some reason, this girl seemed like the most beautiful person in the world.
Still smiling, she locked eyes with him as if searching for the deepest depths of an ocean within them. "Fortunately, someone as pure and untainted as you joined us before you had the chance to be corrupted."
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
Arda couldn't stop himself from swallowing. There was an indescribably sweet, fruity scent lingering around her. As he breathed it in, it felt like his lungs were being cleansed.
The girl let go of his chin and took a step back, though she was still close. Arda struggled to keep his eyes from drifting to her firm chest, accentuated by her tight shirt.
"But since you've just arrived, you probably want to go back, don't you? After all, like everyone else, you must have unfinished business keeping you stuck in limbo."
"I mean… yeah," Arda said reluctantly.
The girl's radiant smile faded, replaced by a sorrowful expression.
Arda's heart clenched. It was like an artist discovering a stray mark on their otherwise perfect masterpiece.
"B-But I'm not sure!" he blurted out. "It looks really dangerous out there. Maybe… I won't leave?"
Her bright smile returned in full force. "That makes me so happy! Having someone like you stay with us is wonderful! We should celebrate!"
Before he could react, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the tent. "Oh, by the way, my name is Bihter!"
"I-I'm Arda!"
As she led him forward, Arda glanced down at their hands. Her skin was smooth and white like silk, while his were dirty and rough. Yet she didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she held onto him so naturally that it made him feel like his filthiness was staining her beauty. He wanted to pull away—but at the same time, he didn't. He didn't want to lose the warmth of her touch.
In what felt like mere seconds, they arrived at the center of the settlement. People were rushing around, too preoccupied with their tasks to notice them.
Then, Bihter suddenly shouted, "LOOK OVER HERE, EVERYONE!"
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
All at once, every head turned toward them! The moment people realized their leader had arrived, they burst into cheers!
"OOOH, LADY BIHTER IS IN THE SQUARE!!"
"LADY BIHTER!!"
"OUR LEADER!!"
As the crowd quickly gathered, Arda was left speechless by Bihter's presence. Just how extraordinary did someone have to be to command such admiration?
Among the surprised faces, he even spotted Sergeant looking completely stunned.
"I have wonderful news for you all!" Bihter announced loudly. "A pure-blood has joined us!"
"OOOOOH!!"
Gasps of excitement and shock filled the air.
Arda shrank under their collective gaze. He hadn't expected to become the center of attention so suddenly. Was being a "pure-blood" really such a big deal? There had to be plenty of people who failed their first mission, right?
As he scanned the crowd, he saw even more shocked expressions—including Sergeant's.
"This calls for a celebration!" someone shouted.
"LET'S DO IT!!" another voice cheered.
Bihter laughed as she watched their reactions. "Then, I declare today a day of celebration!"
"HOOORAY!!!"
"YIHUUU!!"
"LELELELELE!"
"AHEY AHEY AHEY!"
The settlement erupted into joyous cries, each person expressing their excitement in their own way.
Work was immediately abandoned as festivities began!
A massive, bear-like man emerged from the crowd, effortlessly placing a giant table in the middle of the square.
Then, out of nowhere, a short, almost dwarf-like man jumped onto the table and started strumming a tiny guitar!
The moment the strings vibrated, it was as if a grand concert had begun! The music filled the air as though invisible speakers surrounded them, and more instruments joined in as if from thin air!
People wasted no time breaking into dance. Partners twirled each other around, and the entire square transformed into a stage.
Their eyes burned with excitement, their feet moved as if they were on fire! It was as if they were celebrating the happiest day of their lives!
Then, without warning, Bihter spun Arda around and pulled him into a dance!
Her movements were fluid and effortless, and with her arm wrapped around his waist, they looked like a pair of seasoned dancers.
Her delighted gaze remained fixed on him, and before he knew it, Arda found himself grinning as well.
As they danced, warm droplets began falling from the sky.
But… this rain was sweet!
Everyone except Arda knew that this was someone's ability—it gave the sensation of drinking a delicious, sugary drink.
The music constantly shifted. At times, it became a romantic waltz; at others, it turned into an energetic folk dance, then suddenly transformed into something wild and fast-paced. But no matter how the rhythm changed, everyone moved in perfect sync.
Everything was happening so quickly that a normal person would have found it strange. Perhaps that was the nature of Hell—where stress and suffering were constant, people found any excuse to celebrate. Arda embraced this thought and continued dancing. After all, he was having fun! More fun than he'd had in a long time! No—more fun than he'd ever had in his entire life!
The festivities lasted for hours, continuing until the sun finally disappeared beyond the horizon.
As the crowd settled down, Bihter expressed her gratitude to everyone who had joined the celebration. One by one, people dispersed. Oddly enough, none of them had introduced themselves to Arda. Perhaps they had been too shy with their leader nearby. Either way, to him, they were simply the people he had shared a dance with.
Now, walking alongside Bihter, Arda followed her toward an unknown destination.
He was still caught up in the excitement of the celebration, swaying slightly as he walked. Bihter occasionally burst into laughter as she watched him.
Leaving the settlement behind, they arrived at a massive structure.
Arda finally stopped moving. The entrance was narrow, and the walls had been reinforced with makeshift barricades, blocking any view beyond them. The entire place was illuminated by mysterious lights from unseen sources.
He recognized this location—it was once a small stadium used for concerts in Varyant.
As they stood before the entrance, Bihter spoke.
"That was fun, wasn't it?"
Arda nodded eagerly. "It felt like I was at a real party!"
"It was real, you dummy! We celebrate like this every day!"
"Every day?" he asked in disbelief.
Bihter smirked confidently and nodded.
"Wow, that's amazing! Doesn't that make this place better than the real world?"
"Exactly! Don't you think so too? Up there, we had to deal with society's problems every day. But here, we can celebrate all we want! And we never have to worry about anything!"
Just then, the massive doors creaked open, revealing a pitch-black interior.
Her words deeply affected Arda. So much so that he momentarily forgot his original goal. He no longer wanted to return to the real world. He wanted to stay here—with them.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
"Come on. Follow me," Bihter said, stepping into the darkness.
Arda hesitated, staring into the abyss. Something felt—
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
"I'm coming!" He hurried after her.
They walked down a dimly lit corridor, their footsteps echoing in the silence. There was no one else around.
Normally, such a setting would have been unsettling, but as long as he kept his eyes on Bihter's back, Arda felt safe.
"You know, Arda," Bihter suddenly spoke, her tone serious, "every beautiful thing comes with a price. If there's one rule that carries over from the world above, it's that."
Arda sensed that the conversation had taken a serious turn and focused intently.
"Unfortunately, keeping everyone here happy comes at a cost. You must have noticed the invisible wall when you arrived."
Arda recalled how the empty scenery had suddenly filled with people. "Yeah, I did. It was mesmerizing."
As they walked down the corridor, the lighting seemed to dim. However, Arda didn't pay much attention to it.
"That wall… it doesn't actually belong to us. It belongs to a demon."
This revelation caught him off guard. "A demon… helping humans? That's not how I imagined them."
After all, Annie had also been somewhat sympathetic toward him—but that was because she thought he was a demon. If she had known he was human, she likely wouldn't have acted the same way.
"You're not wrong to think that. Humans and demons can't coexist. They are the embodiment of evil."
Arda didn't respond. He could tell there was more to the explanation.
Bihter continued, "This demon can surround the area with that invisible barrier you saw. That way, no one from the outside can see or perceive us. Not even other demons. It's the only way we can stay safe."
By now, the corridor ahead was completely shrouded in darkness. However, this darkness didn't seem natural. Arda noticed something felt off. A stadium this small shouldn't have such a straight, narrow corridor. Instead, there should have been a wide, open space leading into it. And at the start of this darkness, there should have been a door. But now, there was only an impenetrable void.
"But for that to work, the demon has to stay alive. So, we locked it in here to keep it safe." She placed a hand on the darkness as if touching an invisible wall. Arda stepped beside her and looked at her face. A sorrowful expression clung to her beautiful features, as if she resented having to rely on a demon's power.
"Unfortunately… this demon needs to eat just like we do. But it can't eat just anything—it needs to consume humans." Her gaze darkened even further. She seemed regretful, either about the decision she had to make or about the many times she had made it before. "And what's worse… the human has to be killed by the demon itself. In other words, they must still be alive. We… have to sacrifice people to this agony. Every life we give it grants us another month of safety." Her expression shadowed over. "That is the duty of the Repairmen."
Arda's face fell. Even though death here wasn't necessarily the end, being eaten alive by a demon was still a horrifying fate. Especially if you were handed over willingly. It was like a nightmare come to life.
He hadn't expected this to be the Repairmen's role. They sacrificed themselves to maintain the shield, spending the rest of their time in relative comfort. At least they were compensated, but how could anyone endure such brutality? Could they truly remain sane after being devoured alive multiple times?
Bihter turned her tearful eyes toward him. "Even so, we can't force anyone into this role." Her voice trembled. "We could never make someone endure something so cruel, so painful. Only…"
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
"…Only those brave enough to volunteer can do it."
With those words, she suddenly grabbed Arda's hands, pressing them together against her chest. Her full bosom, barely restrained by her clothes, pressed against him.
"Still, I have to ask you. Because you're not just anyone. Your soul is pure… untouched. A single sacrifice from you would grant us three whole months of safety."
Despite everything, Arda's expression remained calm. After coming this far and hearing all of this, he already knew what was expected of him.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
He smiled. "I'll do it. If it means keeping these people happy, it's worth it."
Bihter's sorrow vanished in an instant, replaced by overwhelming gratitude. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
She let go of his hands and stepped aside, gesturing toward the darkness. "Now all you have to do is go inside and face the demon. I'll never forget this kindness!"
Arda turned to the darkness before him. It reminded him of the void from his first mission, but this one felt different. It was more like a door. Passing through it would lead him to where the demon was held. Maybe this darkness was part of what kept the demon imprisoned.
He realized he was staring at the entrance to the place where he would be eaten alive. The pain awaiting him beyond was unimaginable. He swallowed hard.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
He took two steps forward and entered the darkness.
For a moment, he lost his balance as everything around him turned pitch black. However, just as he felt like he was about to collapse, the world brightened again.
He was now standing inside the stadium. It was large enough to fit about 150 people, but nearly a third of it was occupied by something else.
At the far end of the stadium, chained with thorn-covered restraints, was a massive figure. The chains were pulled tight, restricting almost all movement. The creature was at least three meters tall, a towering monstrosity. Its skull-like head had no flesh—just exposed bone, utterly devoid of life. Its skin was an unnatural gray, and its humanoid body was covered in wounds. Despite its hollow eye sockets, Arda could feel its gaze locked onto him.
Seeing such a massive being brought to its knees was unsettling. It felt like something out of Gulliver's Travels, except this time, Gulliver was the one shackled, and Arda was the tiny islander looking up at him.
Yet… it wasn't as horrifying as he had imagined. When he thought of a demon, he had expected a nightmare given form, something truly terrifying. But this thing, while undeniably supernatural, was strangely… plain. More than a demon, it looked like a tortured prisoner.
"Another fool."
A voice, ancient and weary, filled the room. It sounded like an old man, exhausted… but not terrifying.
Arda glanced around, but there was no one else. He turned back to the demon. "Was that you?"
"Who else would it be?"
There was a heavy sigh, filled with exhaustion. "Whatever. Talking is pointless. Just get it over with."
Arda understood exactly what it meant.
He swallowed hard.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
He took a step forward, thinking of the happy people outside. How safe they felt. He wanted to protect that happiness.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
Another step. He thought of Sergeant and Bulut. The things they had told him. The suffering and fear that awaited outside these walls. He didn't want the people here to experience that.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
Another step. This time, he thought of Bihter—how warm and kind she was. How she was the source of all this happiness. How much she cared for her people.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
One more step. He was now close enough to see the demon's torn flesh. The thorned chains had pierced deep into its body, and blood dripped from its wounds. Surprisingly, the blood was red. Arda had expected something black and vile, like tar.
He was about to take another step when a sharp pain seized his chest.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
A message appeared before his eyes. He had seen this phrase multiple times since arriving, but he had never paid attention to it before. What did it mean? Was it connected to the pain in his chest?
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
"Agh!" He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest.
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
[The Sinner's Mind Is Shaken]
He writhed on the ground! His heart felt like it was about to shatter!
Then… the message changed.
[The Sinner's Mind Awakens]
[Protection Mode Activated]
[Scanning…]
[Anomaly Detected: 'Charm']
||||||
Charm: Enchants the target and makes them believe your words.
||||||
[Anomaly Removed]
The pain vanished.
Suddenly, Arda felt… free. His mind raced with clarity, seeing everything in a new light. And then, realization hit him.
He brought a hand to his mouth in shock.
"…That bitch."