My Demons

As I accompanied the Elemental wizard towards the docks, the girl’s tears began to flow as she spoke.

“I will take revenge on those scumbags.”

I glanced down at her, my gaze filled with mixed emotions.

Her brown robe was covered in footprints, and blood trickled down from her scraped knees.

Despite her pain, the girl continued to murmur with determination.

“I will find them somehow and make them beg for death. I’ll start with their hands, then their feet, and then—”

Thud!

“Ouch!”

My knuckles connected with her face, interrupting her words. She glared at me, her face a mess of tears and mucus.

“What are you doing, you bastard!”

“Bastard? Don’t behave like one.”

The Elemental Wizard was a typical blonde, white girl, while I, Kim Seung-soo, had lived my entire life as a Korean. It was challenging for me to understand her fully, but it was clear that she was not yet an adult.

In a modern civilized country, she would be protected by the law. However, the short time I had spent in this world, along with the atmosphere of Dark World, made me realize that common sense didn’t apply here.

Just two days into my journey in this world, I already despised it.

But even though she was young, it was foolish for her, having grown up in this world, to act so recklessly.

Biting her lower lip hard, the girl shouted with wide eyes.

“Acting like a bastard? I’m talking about the right that I should exercise. The right to revenge!”

“Fine, seek your revenge. Who said I was going to stop you?” I replied to her, glaring back while she sobbed.

“You should save those kinds of words for when you’re alone. Or under the covers.”

“…I didn’t say it for you to hear.”

“Yeah, I get it. But think about this.”

“…”

“What if I took everything you have, handed it over to the soldiers, and said, ‘This girl, she’s a runaway with no mage seal, and she’s fantasizing about revenge. I was briefly enchanted by magic and said nonsense, but I have nothing to do with her’?”

“What? No, you can’t.”

She stumbled, shocked by the idea. Then, she closed her mouth and stopped sobbing, looking up at me.

Ah, I see. It’s a secret that she’s a fugitive from La-Palais Palace.

Observing her questioning and wary eyes, I spoke with a calm expression.

“It was just an example. But what if, after hearing your murmurs, I think to myself, ‘Ah, if I keep her with me, it could lead to trouble. I should cut my losses soon’?”

“Cut losses?”

“Yeah, cut my losses. Don’t you know what that means?”

“What is it?”

“Well, that’s not important. Just be cautious with your actions and words.”

Upon my advice, she pouted quietly. Her foolish behavior and sulky expression were reminiscent of a child her age.

Oh dear, she looks like a princess, but why does she look so miserable?

Leaving behind the bustling docks with its various goods, people, tangled ropes, stacked leather bundles, leaking wooden barrels, and haphazardly piled boxes, we entered a street lined with bars and street vendors.

The girl, her face pale, pointed towards a shaded area under a large tree.

“I want to receive some treatment before we continue.”

“Huh? Alright.”

As I nodded, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

What should I do with her? The Elemental Wizard is a character from Dark World, so she must have an important role…

This brief moment of contemplation led to another thought.

An important role? What could it possibly be for? Am I expected to save the world with this girl by my side? Do we work together like a party, gathering items and defeating bosses? Me, a thirty-year-old office worker?

These thoughts continued to swirl in my mind as I helped her settle on a flat rock under the shade.

How can I find a way back to Earth? Trickster mentioned something about a hidden quest and an invitation. Could it mean that the hidden quest involves completing the campaign in real life? Who exactly is this Trickster? Is he some kind of god or transcendent being?

Is the Elemental Wizard the ultimate goal? What about the Blood Knight, the Berserker, the Paladin, the Soul Shaman, the Arcane Hunter, the Necromancer, the Martial Artist, the Swordmaster? There are so many other characters to consider.

While lost in my thoughts, she took out a potion and took a sip before groaning in pain as she tended to her knee.

I halted my contemplation, drew my dagger from my waist, and squatted in front of her.

“Let me see.”

“!!!”

With my dagger, I cut away the blood-stained fabric above her knee. Unlike my sturdy leather pants, her trousers were made of thin cloth, making it easy to cut through.

“Ah, it must hurt.”

The wound appeared deep, reaching down to her shin below the knee. I wiped away the blood using the piece of cloth I had cut off, and she winced in response.

“Uh…”

Tears streamed down her face once again, contorted in pain. It was understandable, considering the extent of the damage to her muscles and tendons.

I grabbed the potion she had been holding and sprinkled a bit of it on the wound. It was unpleasant to see the flesh froth and squirm, but I didn’t let it show.

“Do you have any other injuries? Anything broken?”

“…My hands and arms hurt a bit. And my ankle too.”

“Which side?”

She pointed to various areas that were swollen or bruised. I applied a small amount of potion to each of these injuries.

The potion worked wonders, visibly accelerating the healing process. It was like watching a time-lapse video of the body repairing itself.

“Do you have another bottle?”

In response to my question, she wiped her face with her sleeve and answered.

“I think I’ve used up enough for now.”

“Quit the chitchat and hand it over.”

She seemed to have gained some trust in me, as she retrieved a potion from a small bag that resembled a sling bag under her robe and handed it to me.

“Just so you know…”

As I took the potion, I shook it in front of her nose and spoke.

“This is mine now.”

“What?”

“I saved your life, didn’t I? The least you can do is give me one bottle.”

“Yo—”

I mimicked her, causing anger and tears to fill her large eyes. I chuckled and opened the cap.

“Why do you look so pitiful? It’s only fair to receive as much as you give.”

“You—”

About to swear with an infuriated expression, she suddenly widened her eyes. I had poured the potion on her knee.

“So, you owe me this?”

At my smirking words, she closed her mouth tightly.

I had seriously contemplated using the potion for myself, but thanks to the effect of my passive skill, ‘Flowing Blood,’ my wound had already started to scab over. Though I felt a twinge of satisfaction, seeing her in such a state dampened my enthusiasm.

Besides, regardless of how valuable the potion was, it was evident from the circumstances that the Elemental Wizard held great importance. It would be foolish to ruin our relationship over a mere potion.

As I observed the fresh skin forming on her knee, I asked her a question.

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“…Ellen.”

“Ellen?”

The name seemed strangely familiar somehow.

Ellen. Ellen? Oh, the default name for the Elementalist was Elenar or something like that.

Ellen appears to be a nickname or an alias.

” You?”

“Me? I am…”

What should I say? The character’s name is ‘NuclearWarStarter’… but that can’t be used as a real name.

Kim Seung-soo? No, that doesn’t feel right either.

Coming up with a suitable name was not difficult. After all, the Blood Knight also had a default name.

“Phoenix.”

“Phoenix…”

Ellen seemed to ponder my name for a moment. Now that I’ve said it out loud, it doesn’t sound as great as I thought.

“Just call me Mister. It’s easier.”

“Mister?”

“Yes. Why?” Ellen looked me up and down, her eyebrows furrowing.

“How old are you?”

“Huh?”

Ah, right.

The male Blood Knight character looked like a cold and handsome young man in his mid-twenties.

Right. ‘Mister’ is a nickname that suits a thirty-year-old office worker who appears older!

Realizing this in an instant, I brushed back my hair and gave her a cool smile.

“Then, Bro-“

“Okay, fine. I’ll call you Mister.”

“……”

“What did you say?”

“…No, nothing.”

Wizards were beings that tapped into the energy of the second dimension.

As a result, there was a theory that the more magic they used, the closer Dark World and Middle World (the otherworld and the present world) became.

Although it was an unproven theory, many people viewed wizards in a negative light. They were seen as selfish beings who advanced the world’s destruction for their own greed.

Therefore, it was common for wizards to hide their true identities.

Of course, there were exceptions.

In cases where they worked for powerful individuals, belonged to strong organizations, or attended deeply traditional academies, wizards openly revealed their true nature.

The Elementalist faction, with its headquarters based in La-Palais Palace, was one such example.

The Elementalist faction was the most renowned magic faction in the Middle World, and Elemental Wizards, as the name suggests, belonged to this faction.

From what I knew, most of the spells on the Elemental Wizard’s skill tree, excluding the ultimate skills, belonged to the Elementalist faction.

The spell Ellen demonstrated on the ship, ‘Wind Blade’, was also a form of elemental magic.

In the game, it was a skill that could be learned at level 15, so I assumed that Ellen’s level would be at least 15.

It was a bit strange that she, at a minimum level of 15, was defeated by ordinary soldiers… but it wasn’t impossible to understand considering she was ambushed unknowingly. After all, the Elementalist class itself was known for being a glass cannon.

So, I considered myself lucky to have met Ellen. That was until I heard the details from her.

“So…”

Letting out a deep sigh, I looked at Ellen sitting across from me at the worn-out wooden table.

“So, in other words, you’re now… a useless person, right?”

“A useless-.”

“Ah, be quiet. I’m distressed right now, so shut up.”

Ellen furrowed her pretty forehead, but I ignored her and took a sip of beer from the wooden mug.

It was warm and lacked carbonation, so as a beer lover, I didn’t even want to touch it. However, I had no other choice since I was burning up inside.

Even if I wanted to drink water, it was unpleasant to see particles floating around and the murky appearance.

“So, the wand that broke earlier was passed down to you by your master.”

Nod.

“And the magic you used relied on the power infused in that wand?”

…Nod.

She’s staying quiet just like I asked her to.

“You can’t use any magic without the wand?”

…Nod.

“What kind of wizard are you?”

You’re a wand holder, you idiot!