I Became a Monster in a Novel

Spinning around like a dizzy whistle, Hong Yu-ri somehow manages to hold onto her sanity. Though her true form is revealed, all she can see in the eyes staring back at her is nothing but black fur. Right now, she was so shocked she could barely imagine the Wolf’s form.

“…Hik!”

A hiccup escapes her mouth, but she can’t cover it. Snuggled up to Alpha like a stuffed bear…

‘Why, why did it turn out this way?’

The Wolf had indeed explained everything, but not a word reached her blank mind. What if she moved and made it uncomfortable? She was told to stay still, but… isn’t it a bit weird to keep being held like this?

These weren’t the usual worries for her, and her mind was a tangled mess. Though the fear had faded a bit, it was still there, weighing her down infinitely. As time passed with nothing happening, her quickened breath gradually started to steady again. As she got used to the fear, what popped into her mind was surprisingly…

‘…Warm?’

Without realizing it, she burrowed deeper into the warmth of the embrace. Leaning against the body heat that wrapped around her frozen form, she found herself oddly at ease amidst the anxiety. The hitching heartbeat in her chest was still terrified, yet it felt more comforting than unsettling.

‘…Why?’

…Her melting body, the small thump of her heart.

Listening closely to the rhythmic sound, a wave of tiredness washed over her. As she felt her eyelids grow heavy in the warm, cozy air, the last thought that crossed Hong Yu-ri’s mind was surprisingly that it felt cuddly and warm…

“Time to stop…”

She tried to tell herself to wake up, but upon hearing the steady breaths, she lost her words. Glancing down at her face, now devoid of her usual poisonous anger and fiery personality, she just stared for a moment.

“Kkyu.”

“Yeah. If you just stay asleep…”

So adorable… I poked her cheek without thinking. It felt soft like a steamed bun. Then suddenly, it hit me—I knew nothing about Hong Yu-ri.

‘She’s been so indifferent…’

Why she became a hunter, why she ended up with such a fierce personality… But then again, it felt like she had become much gentler since that time. It made me feel a bit sorry for her, so I glanced at the wrist I had bitten.

‘Is it still not healed?’

Half of my palm had grown back, but it wasn’t a proper hand yet. I clicked my tongue in disbelief at how long it was taking. No matter how much I wanted it, I couldn’t acquire a recovery skill I didn’t need.

As time passed and Hong Yu-ri fell deeper into sleep, I felt the warmth returning to her body. – It seemed like it was about time to take off. As I wrapped the transformed fur around sleeping Hong Yu-ri and used it as a platform, I moved closer to the ceiling when the Wolf invoked the Void. Instead of squeezing through an entrance full of eyes, it aimed to devour the cave ceiling and rise up.

“I’m relieved you’re both safe…”

The Wolf nodded as Baek So-yul placed a hand on her chest, easing her worry. The cliff was higher than expected, making it a slow journey, but thankfully, it was safe.

“Did you take down the Frost Vale’s boss?”

At that question, I nodded. With Frostborn defeated, there was nothing left to threaten us. Noticing the anxious expression on Baek So-yul’s face, I cautiously released the transformed form, gently setting her down.

“Teacher…”

Surprised, Baek So-yul rushed over, and upon seeing her peacefully sleeping face, she let out a relieved sigh. No matter how you looked at it, she didn’t seem injured. As the White Deer had said, there was no need to worry…

“I’m glad you both returned safely. Then, let’s…”

“Right. Just need to absorb the magic power, and we’re done.”

Then we could clear the dungeon. After that, we just had to get ready to fight the Volcano Ceratops. It looked like our phobia was also getting better since, judging by her not fainting…

“I’ll go back in when Hong Yu-ri wakes up.”

Baek So-yul opened her backpack and pulled out a mat to lay Hong Yu-ri down. Apparently, they said it would take a couple of days to absorb enough magic power. So, there was no need to stray far from the dungeon’s border. I wanted to rush back into the dungeon, but given that the Fairy was still shivering from the cold and Baek So-yul looked tired despite not showing it, we decided to take a short break.

– Fwoosh.

We sat around the crackling black flames that replaced the bonfire and waited for Hong Yu-ri to wake up.

“Kkyu~!”

Was it that delicious? The expression on the Fairy’s face while munching on the flesh was pure bliss. A sudden thought crossed my mind—wouldn’t she enjoy it more if I cooked it a bit? But she looked oddly unenthused.

“…Kkyuu…”

It wasn’t bad, but maybe it just wasn’t her taste? Just as I was about to offer her some other meat, Baek So-yul flinched. She had just fallen asleep for a moment but quickly sat up straight.

“You can sleep more.”

Since Hong Yu-ri wasn’t awake yet. But Baek So-yul shook her head.

“…I don’t feel sleepy.”

Could it be because we were in the Fantasy World? She didn’t seem restless but looked comfortable as if she had already gotten solid sleep. It might relate to her constitution.

“It seems the White Deer was right.”

I gave no reply and simply listened to her words.

“They said there was no need to worry… And it really seems true.”

Leaning back as she sat on the mat, Baek So-yul rested her head on my shoulder. She stretched her hand towards the ceiling, and instead of the sky, it was the sea. In place of stars, the scene was adorned with images of fantastical creatures, which made her say, almost in a trance, “…It’s really beautiful.”

The place she had long dreamed of. Earlier, when Baek So-yul had briefly closed her eyes, she wasn’t able to dream for the first time in ages. Was it because we were in the Fantasy World? No, it was probably…

“…After this is over, where will you go next?”

“Yeah.”

There were still a mountain of tasks left. I had to prevent the Butterfly of Covenant from being recruited and take down the wastrels. Neverland was still not cleared, and there was also the purple Black Tiger to deal with. I couldn’t ignore the sea disasters, plagues, and diseases either. And eventually, I had to stop the apocalypse, too—though it was a burden passed onto me, I couldn’t avoid it. If I didn’t act, the Fantasy World, the Fairy, and all of humanity would perish. I absentmindedly patted the sleeping Fairy’s head.

“…I’m envious.”

At the softly spoken words, I turned my gaze, but she just shook her head, acting as if it were nothing. As I observed, Baek So-yul suddenly said something a bit unexpected.

“If you leave, I want to go with you.”

It was something I had heard during our first meeting. This time, I said nothing in response. She must have known how ridiculous that was. The reason I gave her the Elixir and brought her to the Fantasy World was solely to allow her to protect herself. Sure, I couldn’t deny receiving help along the way…

“That’s true…?”

With a pout, she wrapped her arms around her knees, and I gently tapped the top of her head. She seemed to have given up quietly—at least, that’s what I thought, but Baek So-yul’s eyes were shining brightly.

“–Are you all not sleeping?”

A voice suddenly broke the silence and made the Wolf turn his head. There stood the White Deer, squinting sleepily.

“You’re awake? Sorry about that.”

“…I don’t particularly need sleep anyway.”

That statement surprised me a little. Calmly conversing with one another—the White Deer was casually speaking the human language without issue.

“White Deer…”

“Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve spoken human language in front of you. I’ve practically forgotten it for quite some time.”

“Forgotten for a long time?”

“Well… It feels like it’s been a few hundred years.”

Those words, said so casually, stunned me. It’s easy to say a few hundred years, but could one even imagine that time? Not to mention the nonchalant attitude towards those years… It struck me anew just how much of a being the White Deer truly was.

“That’s… strange, isn’t it?”

Baek So-yul looked puzzled. She seemed to hesitate, then finally spoke up.

“I learned that magic and monsters started appearing nearly 50 years ago. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the White Deer is a monster. I don’t think you’ve lied either…”

Her words implied that if that were true, it was odd, and it was clear she was expecting an explanation. In response, the White Deer spoke calmly.

“The Fantasy World has existed for a long time.”

“A long time?”

The Fantasy World is a realm like a mirror. If the real world met its end, then so too would the Fantasy World. Countless parallel worlds of the Fantasy World must have disappeared as well… A thought crossed my mind, causing me to frown.

‘If the White Deer doesn’t know about the apocalypse, then…’

“That’s right. Legends tend to come down through the ages, don’t they?”

“Could it be that…?”

“Unless it’s something utterly outrageous, you all simply didn’t see it or believe it, but we’ve always been here.”

While the two conversed, Hong Yu-ri stirred from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes, yawning, and stretched before suddenly freezing. As she tried to raise her arms, she stumbled, then tightly closed her eyes.

‘Ah.’

Come to think of it, she was in her true form now. She hadn’t been visible in the cave. It seemed she could manage contact at least, but revealing her true form was difficult. As she attempted to shrink back again, Hong Yu-ri took a deep breath and calmed herself.

‘Surprisingly okay?’

Considering she had been in her shadow form previously, maybe the slight change in appearance had an effect. Swallowing hard, Hong Yu-ri eventually turned her head, but she didn’t faint, and I nodded in approval.

‘Well done.’

“Then let’s start heading out.”

When we entered the dungeon again, I could sense the monster buried deep within the snow. There were only a few left, and if they vanished, the dungeon would collapse. In this absurd situation, a chuckle escaped me.

“I’ll be right back.”

Ignoring the gazes turned my way, the Wolf jumped up and activated detection, scanning the surroundings. Reaching out with tentacles towards the nearest presence, the Wolf captured the monster and dragged it out into the open.

“……”

The few monsters left were left breathless, and then they charged at the Wolf before collapsing as their tendons snapped.

‘I need to leave one alive.’

Most had succumbed to the avalanche, but a few with strong wills had survived. I needed to keep them alive until I absorbed their magic. The Wolf repeatedly cut the tendons of the monsters buried in the snow and thus two days passed.