In a dark, grand space resembling an abandoned hall or station, a group of people walked cautiously. The vast area was overgrown with moss, hinting at its age, with cracks in the walls, holes in the ceiling, and countless fallen stones scattered across the floor. It was, undoubtedly, ruins.
The group continued their journey, delving deeper into the ruins. The sound of their footsteps echoed loudly, their conversations reverberating through the empty space. It was clear they were alone here. Suddenly, as they moved forward, they all stopped, and someone with cat ears exclaimed:
"They're slimes!"
"How many of them, Petal?!" asked the one with dragon horns, readying his fists.
At that moment, the distinct sound of slimes hopping grew louder, and from behind a large door, a horde of slimes emerged, leaping toward the group. Without hesitation, Evol launched fireballs at them, setting many ablaze. Yet, the sheer number of slimes was overwhelming. Petal dashed forward, clutching a slightly rusty iron knife, slicing through the slimes one by one.
"Laos, show me what you've got!" Petal shouted while cutting down slimes.
A young man stepped forward, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, with dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn't slept for a week. Laos ran toward the slimes and began punching them. However, his attacks only knocked them to the ground without inflicting any real damage. After a while, his strength waned, and exhaustion took hold. Seeing the opportunity, the slimes pounced on him, one after another, until his body was buried under their squishy forms.
"Help!" Laos screamed, trying to push the slimes off his face.
"Hahaha!" Petal laughed.
Maris quickly rushed to his aid, pulling the slimes off him. Soon, Camellia and the others joined in, rescuing Laos. He sat up, gasping for breath, his body trembling with fatigue, before collapsing back to the ground.
"You're absolutely terrible at fighting," Evol remarked.
"Of course I am! I've never fought slimes in my life—except in games!" Laos retorted, sighing deeply.
"See those blue spheres inside the slimes? They're like their eyes and also their weak point. Next time, aim for the sphere; it'll weaken them and turn them into a more liquid-like state," Maris explained.
"I'll try," Laos replied as he stood up.
He approached a slime that was trying to hop away, cornering it. Blocking its path, Laos squared off against the slime. The creature paused, facing him directly, both seemingly preparing for a showdown. Clenching his fist tightly, Laos shouted:
"Louie Punch!!"
He struck the slime's core with all his might, causing it to collapse and melt slowly. Raising his hand high, Laos let out a triumphant cry, a wide grin spreading across his face. For a brief moment, the sadness and despair that had marked his expression earlier were replaced by pure joy.
"Amazing!" Maris exclaimed.
"Well done! Alright, let's keep going," Petal said, moving ahead of the group.
"Do you want to take on the first-floor boss?" Maris asked, shielding her eyes from the sunlight that streamed through the cracks in the ceiling.
"Yes," Petal answered confidently.
The group pressed on, entering another room within the ruins. This one, however, was empty, with no monsters in sight. After a quick glance around, they moved on, descending a staircase leading further below. Before stepping down, Petal asked:
"This staircase might lead to the boss' room. Are you all ready?"
"Just go already! I'm out of patience!" Camellia snapped.
"I think we should turn back," Laos muttered.
"I'm thinking the same," Evol added.
"Should we go back?" Petal asked, turning to the others.
"Yes," Maris replied.
By then, Petal had turned his attention to Laos, scrutinizing him closely. "By the way, Laos, you don't look so good. And those dark circles under your eyes? Disgusting."
"What dark circles?" Laos muttered under his breath.
Why do I even have these dark circles?
Oh, right… I remember now. Because every time I lay my head on the pillow, I drown in an endless sea—over and over again. I sink, deeper and deeper, until I wake up, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. And then I cry. While everyone else sleeps peacefully, I endure this torment. It happens so often that I haven't truly slept in what feels like forever. A few fleeting seconds of rest before that dream… no, that nightmare, drags me under again.
But as I fought those slimes, I forgot about it. For a moment, I forgot the nightmare. Killing that first slime brought me a small, unfamiliar joy. But now it's back. The nightmare. The sleepless nights. This torment that's driven me to thoughts of ending it all. This nightmare is my greatest suffering—far worse than anything I endured in my previous life.
what a dream?! it made me think about suicide as well.
God, even when I find a glimmer of happiness or peace... it's snatched away. Fuck!! Why now? Why now?!
All I want is to sleep. That's it. I don't want to hear that girl's voice calling me again, dragging me into that endless abyss. If I could catch her, I'd rip her tongue out. I don't even know if this is some kind of divine vision or just a cursed nightmare. It's the same scene, the same voice, every single time. Nothing ever changes.
I've suffered. I've truly suffered. This isn't an exaggeration—it's unbearable. Maybe death would be better than this. Just imagine… every time you try to sleep, you're thrown into the same relentless nightmare. God, I'm on the verge of tears. Maybe… maybe dying really would be better. God, God, God, no, no, no, no, no!
Just when my life in this world seemed to find balance, it tilts again. I wanted to be a hero—a great adventurer, slaying mythical beasts and having lots harem. But I got none of that. Then, I just wanted to climb the ranks so I could resign. I've traveled from one place to another, hoping to find peace, but all I've found is misery.
Hell nah!, not even sex makes me happy anymore. I'm falling apart.
Honestly, if I were given a choice between everyone's death and the end of this nightmare, I'd choose their deaths in a heartbeat. I don't want anything anymore. Not the role of a hero. Not happiness. Not to adapt to this world. I just want sleep. Just sleep. Do you hear me, oh gracious and beautiful goddess Lunariss? You're the greatest goddess there is, so please, rid me of this dream!
Please, goddess. I just want to sleep. I'm suffering—suffering more than Subaru ever did. Seriously, who even thought dying and coming back was suffering? That's the best gift anyone could have in another world. Real suffering is what I'm going through right now.
And it seems my luck in this world is zero.
I've been fooling myself into thinking I was happy here. But I never was. I couldn't adapt, couldn't understand others, couldn't find a place for myself. Yet I kept walking forward like a puppet with a painted smile. I've lost the ability to think. I've become a doll driven by fleeting emotions.
Maybe I need to return to my true self. The real Laos—the vengeful one, the one who aspires to destroy everything. But… how?
"Ah… I just haven't been sleeping well these days," I muttered, stepping away from the staircase.
◆ ◆ ◆
In a spacious room, Sabrina sat on her usual chair, her wooden desk in front of her piled high with scrolls and books, like a strategist in the midst of a fierce war. Across from her sat Gaziel. Suddenly, Sabrina stood from her chair, exclaiming in shock:
"What do you mean by the princess' orders? Has she lost her mind?!"
"I don't know. It shocked me too, but she's adamant about this," replied Gaziel.
"My God, this is impossible! What is she trying to achieve?!" Sabrina asked, sitting back down.
"I don't know. Maybe it's just hatred. You know Tiana's personality—she's the most complicated person I've ever met," Gaziel responded.
"When will you announce?" Sabrina asked.
"Now," Gaziel answered, rising from his chair.
"Fine, I'll gather the servants on the first floor," Sabrina said, leaving the room.
Sabrina and Gaziel exited the room and descended to the first floor. Her expression was distant, clearly preoccupied with Tiana's strange decision. But what was this decision? After walking for some time, she approached a group of servants and instructed:
"Bonnie, gather all the servants on the first floor."
The servants dispersed throughout the palace to carry out Sabrina's order. Meanwhile, Gaziel ascended to a balcony on the first floor, as if preparing to deliver a speech. After a long wait, the servants reassembled, much like they had when they bid farewell to Tiana.
The first floor buzzed with chatter, with everyone curious about what was happening—among them was Laos, lost in thought, dark circles still under his eyes. Soon, they lined up in organized rows, awaiting someone to speak. Silence fell across the floor, and then Gaziel's voice rang out loudly:
"Today is promotion day, and I've gathered you to announce your promotions."
Suddenly, everyone erupted in cheers and applause. Among them, Laos stood stunned. Finally, after hard work and extra hours, the long-awaited moment had arrived—his first promotion. Excitement flooded him, momentarily making him forget his nightmares. All he wanted was to hear about his promotion.
"As you know, the servant ranks in Princess Tiana's palace are as follows: new servants at the lowest rank with no stars, junior servants with one star, intermediate servants with two stars, senior servants with three stars, and finally, royal servants, distinguished by a hexagonal star," Gaziel declared loudly.
"Now, unlike previous times, I have great news: every servant will receive a promotion!" he added, looking down at the servants from above.
Once again, cheers and gratitude erupted from the servants, but Laos felt a pang of unease. That fucking NPC hated the idea of everyone getting promoted. He wanted to be the only one promoted, so he wasn't as thrilled as the others. He believed he was the only one deserving of this recognition—classic Laos and his selfishness.
"Don't celebrate just yet. There is one person among you who will not be promoted," Gaziel continued.
The crowd fell silent, stunned by this announcement. Anxiety crept into the hearts of many, each fearing it might be them—except for one person: Laos. He wasn't worried. With all his extra work hours, there was no way he wouldn't get promoted. He felt confident and had no doubts about himself.
But confidence can often be misplaced.
"Everyone will receive a promotion... except for Laos!" Gaziel shouted.
And so, misplaced confidence leaves us looking like arrogant fools instead of self-assured individuals.
"..."
"What? How?!" Laos yelled, his voice rising in shock.
"Leave now," Gaziel commanded, ignoring Laos.
"Answer me!" Laos shouted again.
Gaziel leaped down from the balcony, landing before Laos, and looked at him with a condescending gaze.
"Is there a problem with what I said?" Gaziel asked.
"Yes! I worked hard, even took extra hours! Isn't that right, Sabrina? Tell him!" Laos shouted, his gaze shifting desperately between Gaziel and Sabrina.
But Sabrina gave him no attention. She ignored Laos entirely and ascended to the second floor. Suddenly, an aura emanated from Laos' body. Gaziel instinctively drew his sword and stepped back, as though he had seen something terrifying. Sabrina returned immediately, stunned by the aura's intensity.
Meanwhile, Laos stood frozen, his expression one of shock, doing nothing.
After a moment, Laos turned and climbed the stairs, walking slowly, ignoring everything around him. He walked as if in an empty void, utterly alone. Step by step, he ascended, his spirit heavy with disappointment. He felt nothing but sadness, misery, depression, anger... and a burning desire to kill, to destroy everyone who had caused him such torment.