Cruel, thirsting for fear and misery. Those who spread fear as a source of energy, those who worship the absolute king, worship not only as a matter of necessity, but also as a form of torture and destruction.
Those who represent the so-called 'end of the world,' and those who make misery a joke and a feast. A feast that is one with war, blood, greed, and darkness.
The Abyys, creatures devoid of empathy or emotion. Knowing only destruction, they are like demons tempting humanity. But this is more than mere demons. They are far more savage than demons, far more insane than demons, far more than demons themselves.
It could be considered more like hypocrisy and humanity.
'Born from boundless darkness, driving the decline of humanity. Bringing destruction through incitement. Truly more than mere demons.'
They are not human, but they are almost human within them. Those who have fallen into the abyss's grip can only accept their souls as vessels.
The terror they perpetrated was also cruel, and one of the reasons why the villain became such a cruel and heartless person. The massacre of the villain's village since childhood.
"But come to think of it. Who am I here now?"
Looking into a cramped space, there was a small mirror serving as a vanity mirror. Although it was a decorative mirror, it still reflected the reflection of people and objects.
He began to stare at her face, her eyes, her hair, and now he began to realize. Just one word shocked him.
"Who is this...?"
To his surprise, even a gamer who had spent almost a week locked up in his room like a vampire unable to feel sunlight couldn't even remember who the girl in his body was.
From the outside, she looked like a noble trying to disguise herself in villager clothing, with a cheap linen thunic–looking but quite cool and a long skirt made of simple fabric.
But when someone tries to hide their noble identity, this alone isn't enough. A hat is needed to cover they handsome and elegant face.
And she was one of them. She even began to wonder if she was being banished or what, for something strange or... possibly sinister!?
'No, it can't be! Could it be that I'm an NPC in this game who rarely gets the spotlight, or even never gets it at all?'
Considering his confidence in his long-term memory, he tried to delve into it all. He pondered silently, focusing all his attention on his past memories. But the result was nothing.
It was quite a disappointing outcome for him. Well, it couldn't be helped, I guess this character rarely gets the spotlight, to the point where her name wasn't even mentioned or even appeared onscreen, even once in the game.
Really, had he now become something like, "a supporting character who could easily be used as a pawn by the villain," or something? And, gosh, it would all end now, leaving him no time to think about what the future holds for this character.
So, for now, he could only look around, which felt quiet. And besides the neatly arranged bookshelves and the table and chair she now sat at.
However, in the silence of hers thoughts, the sound of a door opening reached his ears. Indeed, it startled him at first, almost making him scream like a woman.
But what she didn't expect was that the person opening the door would be a girl, a cute and petite girl peeking in. Calling someone's name, something like "Nina," but too low in her voice, made her a little confused.
But that wasn't what she was thinking now; something about this girl felt very strange, and only after further investigation did she realize it in his memory.
The girl before her was no ordinary girl, but someone capable of undeniable terror, everything felt absolute destruction and misery.
And it seemed, whether fate had brought her good or bad fortune, the villain was now in front of her. In the form of that "little child."
"Everyn..."
The girl, called everyn, tilted her head in confusion. Why did she feel like she had just seen something strange? That was her first thought.
Entering a room filled with books, the girl named Everyn glanced briefly at an empty book filled with strange drawings and random notes.
As if she trying to note down all her random thoughts.
"Sis Nina, why are you here? Mom called you earlier." Everyn crossed her arms angrily, but it was just a pose.
Nina, or kikonomi, stared at the little girl in front of her, who was now as tall as she was. Even this light and agile feeling wasn't the same as before.
Averting her gaze innocently, she scratched her cheek lightly. She couldn't resist trying to make an excuse, but telling her would be dire.
'Should I tell you? No, no, I have to find a good excuse. But what?'
Glancing around, which turned out to be quite spacious, she turned to a window that was wide open. A glimmer of an idea immediately popped into her head.
"Umm... actually, I was looking for a book I dropped. But I accidentally found something in here, so I came in through the window." Nina gave a casual smile. However, this excuse was incredibly stupid, and it would be stupid to believe it completely.
Considering how bad she was at lying, even before she got to this strange situation, she could already tell how stupid she was at lying, so she didn't have much hope for it.
'If I get caught, god. I hope nothing strange happens to me.'
Resignedly, she could only close her eyes quietly, as if accepting the fate that was about to descend upon her like a storm.
But nothing happened. For a minute, two minutes, three minutes, nothing changed, nor was anything hurtful said. Only silence and the sound of the wind and birds chirping outside.
She could even hear her heart pounding, as if it had been running fast. The girl's voice roused her from her senseless reverie.
"Hey, sis, if you want to play, it's better to go outside." Her puffed cheeks felt cute, but she couldn't rush in. She was afraid of being thought a freak and being locked up in this place forever.
"Whatever it is, come on. Mom's waiting outside." She grabbed her older sister's hand, still pensive, and pulled her back toward her.
Her steps felt very steady, perhaps with enthusiasm. And it seemed she was still in the years when hers life was prosperous and colorful.
The way she still maintained that expression, so sweet and warm, made her believe this was a very, very good start. How could she possibly pass up the role of "older sibling" here? Of course she would take it with joy.
Just thinking about it made her proud, but if only her little sister were here, maybe it's different way. Oh well, it was just two words that can explain on it: "Death comes."
The hallways leading from the bedroom to the living room weren't very wide. As expected of village houses, they were always minimalist. It just seemed like these houses were made of concrete, like a regular building material, and not like they had rattan or anything like that.
Or maybe the village economy was so good, that life and prosperity were so secure. Maybe if the village hall had been like this in her previous world, they would have prospered again.
"But speaking of which, are her parents still there? If not, then half the main story has already happened. And if is not, then the plot hasn't even begun yet."
Thinking about this, everyn, who would be slowly leaving by her parents. The first incident occurred when their father saved them from being chased by bandits before being brutally hacked to death.
And the second was when their village was burned down by bandits. Everyn's mother was burned in the fire while Everyn was outside the village. This incident was also one of many reason why she hatred all the world.
I actually think Everyn is the nice and sweet girl who transitioned into a final boss-level villainess. It's crazy and exhausting, but once you learn her backstory, even onions aren't enough to make people tear out aloud.
Catching the warm sunlight, her gaze adjusted for a moment before truly staring at the busy path.
Um... how should I put it? It looked more like a small town than a typical village. Considering how the streets weren't always made of dirt and sand, but rather concrete.
Most of the villagers' houses, as far as the eye could see, had concrete walls. Could it be that this village was so advanced that bandits wanted it?
'These bandits must be quite intelligent, but they're still stupid.'
Still being carried by Everyn, they had now arrived at a fairly large rice field. They gazed at the green surrounding land and the shady trees. It was certainly quite refreshing to look at and breathe.
'Could it be that they live in the highlands? Coincidentally, there's a mountain there, too.' Not far from her eyes, a mountain appeared large yet dwarfed by their immense distance.
Kikonomi's guess was correct. She was indeed in Everyn's village, and her parents were still together, so the story likely began much later. This made Kikonomi feel calmer.
Not far from the rice fields, an adult man was seen waving his hand. His hair, covered by a hat, his white hair peeking out, accompanied by a warm smile. A smile to welcome his two children who had returned home. Even his voice was high-pitched, calling out to them.
"Hey, you guys! Come here!"
"Okay!" Everyn excitedly brought Nina back with her, but this time with more force than before. "Hurry up sis! Hurry!"
"Whoa, calm down. Oh my." Although his voice sounded complaining, he was actually quite happy now. Happy to know Everyn's smile was so honest and pure.
This is what she hoped for, seeing how her beautiful smile, like the morning sun, inspired those who saw it. Not with blank eyes and cold eyes that can be pierching through the soul someone.
This is what she would call the morning sun, not just a philosophy, but a confirmation in her own eyes. Pure happiness, shining brightly like the warmth of the sun's rays today.
Maybe, if only it were possible, she'd come to protect Everyn's seemingly pure smile. So innocent that she didn't know what would happen next. But it doesn't matter now; she wanted to be with her now.
Besides by her, side by side, helping each other, carring problem together without any bondary nor barrier future. She will protect her, no matter what, no matter how hard is it, she will, always with her. Because now, she will taking care on her, now.
"Hey, you kids. Let's go to the hut. It's time for lunch, and work will be done soon," the large, burly man said to the two of them. This guy seems strong enough to carry sack full of the thing, like anything else.
'I always wandering to this guy now. He is the father from everyn, back then i didn't know what his face with her mother. But now, i can see it.' She blink twice there, clearing her eyes for the vision on her. It's so strong yet like been consumed by time.
If he's body on his young shape, how can it be he is? Well, that didn't she want to think, beacuse she will never imagine nor get what she want to hear on it.
"That's right, where's Mom? haven't you seen since now?"
Everyn looked around carefully, but couldn't find anyone he thought of as his mother there at all.
This large man, who was now her father, was now laughing loudly and forcefully, as if he were laughing at something funny right in front of them.
"Hahaha! Your mother's there," his thumbs told them that his mother had been at the hut. "Come on, let's go. She'll get angry again if we didn't come out yet."
Despite his muscular and powerful build, the phrase "husband is afraid with his wife" is still popular here. I suspect the developers of this game share the same sentiment among households. Perhaps they are one of them too. No wonder.
Despite the intense heat of the sun, they remained enthusiastic about working in the rice fields. Perhaps this was also their source of income.
The green rice paddies were still young and immature, and would certainly need several more months before they were ripe. Farming indeed requires immense patience, and tending these crops requires considerable energy.
Once, a friend kikonomi, who lived in a village in his previous world told him how hard it was to care for rice and rice paddies. From planting, to monitoring for invasive insect pests, the relentless changing seasons, to the constant threat of crop failure that haunted a farmer.
Although market prices were high at the time, the agricultural sector was sometimes not as popular among young people. Perhaps some were, but not all, like journalism and literature, which were still popular; farming was too prestigious.
It felt very refreshing. It was undeniable that being a villager afforded the things people desired for relaxation: flowers, silence, the absence of noisy traffic, and a distance from the hustle and bustle of the city.
This was truly peaceful. It was as if the grass and the sky were providing us with their best service, soothing and calming.
The surrounding greenery was also breathtaking, as if heaven and earth were providing their best service to those who enjoyed nature at dusk.
Even the symphony of nature felt like the strains of a sleeping instrument, hypnotizing the mind until it felt like it was floating in space, without thought, without burden, just a sense of well-being.
Even the seemingly ordinary hut now shone with brilliance, like a grand welcome beyond its simplicity.
Perhaps this was what they call, "cherish your time, and cherish your surroundings." And indeed, it was truly delightful. Without even realizing it, I was smiling.
A smile that felt genuine and joyful. Emotions peaked due to genuine joy from the heart, a long-lost love, a feeling of affection for this parent he missed so much.
So now, he made a promise to one important thing. 'Wherever he is, now. He will protect this smile. No matter how dirty my hands get, I will do it for them. For this village. For my family here, for my everyn. I'll take that path, I promise.'