I'm the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 131

Chapter 131
A Strong Sip of Dark Fantasy

As the sky turned the color of dusk and people began heading home or to restaurants for a drink…

“This time, I’ll be it!”
T h i s w as c o p i e d f ro m k i n gm t l .or g

“Okay!”

“Don’t sing the song too fast! Got it?”

Like children do, the village kids and the children from the Nest organization quickly grew close and played until the sun set.

With the older kids helping their parents, the average age of the group was around eight years old.

The child who was “it” covered their eyes with both hands and crouched down before starting to sing.

“In the mountains, a rabbit met a goblin.”

Not knowing how to count, the child sang a song to measure time. In their eagerness, some kids would sing the song quickly, drawing complaints from the others, so the child took care to sing slowly.

The other kids, faces flushed, began to dash off to find hiding spots. Those who hadn’t thought of a spot just ran around in circles, unsure of where to go.

Thud.

“Ah!”

A seven-year-old running to hide behind a large oak barrel tripped over a stone, and their body pitched forward. Just as their soft, delicate face was about to scrape against the ground…

“Oops!”

A firm hand caught the falling child. The child looked up with wide eyes at the person who had saved them. Recognizing the familiar clothing, a bright smile spread across their face.
T hi s w a s co pi e d f r o m k i n g mt l . or g

“Grandpa!”

“Hahaha, you’ve grown so much in such a short time!”

The village’s sole high priest, who was in charge of the temple, chuckled warmly as he set the child back on the ground. Then he pulled a neatly folded piece of paper out of his pocket.

As he unfolded it, several small candies fell out. The old man picked up a candy and handed it to the child.

“Here, this is a gift from Grandpa. Enjoy it.”

“Wow! Thank you!”

The child beamed, raising a fist in delight.

Th is w a s cop i e d f r o m k ing mt l. o r g
“Huh?! Fesil is eating candy!”

“Really?! I want some too! Please, Grandpa!”

The children, who were supposed to be hiding, gave up and started running toward him, even the one who was “it.”

“Haha, there’s plenty of candy, so line up and I’ll give you some. Here you go. You too.”
Th is w a s c op i ed fr o m k i n g m t l . o r g

The old man, with a gentle expression like the kind grandfather who visits on December 25th, handed out the candy to the children. However, the supply of candy he had on hand quickly ran out.

Seeing the kids who didn’t receive any candy looking up at him with sad faces, the old man scratched his head with an awkward laugh.

“Oh dear, I’m out of candy. But Grandpa has some left at home… Would you like to come get it?”

“…! Yes!”

“Okay!”

The village kids, who treated the old man like their own grandfather, quickly nodded.

“Those of you who got candy, it’s time to head home. The sun’s already setting.”

“Yes!”

The majority of the kids who received candy cheerfully waved goodbye and left. The remaining five consisted of two kids from the Nest organization and three from the village.

The old man chuckled darkly to himself.

‘Five should be enough.’

He glanced over at the hesitant children from the Nest organization.

‘Hmm, kids from an outside region… They should be plump and tasty.’

Despite such horrific thoughts, his expression was so kind that the children had no idea they were in danger.

“Come on now, let’s go before the sun sets.”

“Yes!”

“Heehee, candy! Candy!”

The children from the Nest organization, partly swayed by the old man’s kind face, pushed aside the warnings about following strangers. The candy was just too tempting.

As the old man and the children walked along, villagers heading home smiled and greeted him.

His efforts to maintain a spotless image in public, despite his filthy actions, paid off in moments like this.

“Oh my, if you spoil the kids too much, they’ll develop bad habits!”

“Hahaha… I’m strict with them at home, so it’s okay to spoil one of them a little.”

The villager’s expression softened at the old man’s affectionate words. With no one to interfere, he successfully led the children to the stately temple.

“Wow…”

“Whoa…”

For the children who had lived their entire lives in the Demon King’s land, the temple, with its subtle holiness, seemed like a world apart. Enchanted by the sacred atmosphere, the children from the Nest organization pushed aside any lingering doubts and happily followed the old man.

Creak. The door leading to the back of the temple opened to reveal a long corridor, welcoming the old man and the children. The old man quickly made his way to his room. When he opened the door, a musty, old-man smell wafted out.

“Wait here for just a moment.”

The old man entered the room and opened a drawer against the wall. From it, he took out a round glass jar. The jar’s heavy lid clinked as he pulled it open, revealing a collection of colorful candies inside.

Pop.

He removed the lid and took out two candies for each child, placing them in their hands. The old man smiled warmly, his wrinkled eyes crinkling as he patted the head of a child whose eyes sparkled with delight.

“You must be tired from the walk, so I’m giving you two candies each as a special treat.”

The old man put a finger to his lips.

“But remember, it’s our little secret from the others. Got it?”

“Yes!”

“Yes, yes!”

The children’s eyes twinkled as they eagerly popped the candies into their mouths.

“Alright, head back home before it gets completely dark.”

Chirrr, chirrr.

The sound of insects came from somewhere, casting a dark shadow over the old man’s face as he stood with his back to the window. The children’s cheerful voices echoed through the unsettling atmosphere.

“Yes!”

Not a single child remained as they all exited the temple.

That night, a few children went missing.

***

Shaak, shaak, shaak.
T h i s w a s c o p ied f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g

A sharp sound pierced through the air, ringing in Pia’s ears and reverberating inside her head.

Shaak, shaak.

‘What is that sound?’

Th i s w a s c op i e d f r om ki n g m t l . o r g
In her groggy state, Pia tried to make sense of the unfamiliar noise.

Shaak, shaak, krrk.

As her mind gradually surfaced from the depths, the noise’s volume increased, growing louder in her ears.

‘Ah, that sound is… someone sharpening a knife.’

Pia forced her heavy eyelids open.

Shaak, shaak.

In her foggy vision, she could make out a narrow back, white hair, and a faint, unpleasant smell that reeked of blood.

Drip.

“Ah.”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d fro m k i n g m t l. or g

A cold drop of water fell on her cheek from somewhere, fully awakening Pia. Her eyes snapped open, taking in her surroundings with clarity.

A hunched old man sat on the ground, sharpening a broad knife on a whetstone. Beside him, four candles, half-melted, cast a cold light.

‘This is… a cave?’

The damp air, the uneven floor and ceiling, and the night sky visible through a long tunnel beside the old man. Pia was lying bound, her limbs tied in this unfamiliar cave.

‘Why am I… here…’

She quickly tried to recall her memories.

‘I was praying as usual and then fell asleep.’

Pia struggled to calm her increasingly muddled mind, forcing herself to think clearly.

‘Now that I think about it, something was off when I fell asleep.’

Pia frowned as she remembered the odd sensation of passing out, as if she had been drugged.

‘That kind of reaction… only happens when you’ve taken something. So when did this…’

As Pia racked her brain, trying to remember…

“Ugh…”

“…!”

A small groan came from behind her. She twisted her body and looked back, spotting a child shackled hand and foot. The sight triggered a sudden memory she had pushed aside.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k in g m t l .o r g
‘The candy…’

The child, who had received two sweet candies, had returned to the inn, eager to share one with someone special. Pia had accepted the candy without suspicion, hearing it came from the temple, and had patted the child’s head.

As the memory resurfaced, Pia realized something new.

…The sound of the knife sharpening had stopped.

“Oh, you’re awake already.”

Th i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
“…! You…!”

Pia’s head whipped around at the sound of the old man’s relaxed voice. The old man stood beside her, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at her, holding a large cleaver in one hand.

“I was going to send you off without pain… But you must have committed many sins.”

Pia remained silent, not offering any retort to the strange words of the old man. In the Demon King’s land, people like this old man were not uncommon.
T h is w as c o pi ed fr o m ki ng m t l . o rg

‘Aah… Even in this paradise-like land, impurity abounds.’

Pia bit her lip so hard it bled, cursing her own complacency in being content with a place that seemed like paradise compared to the Demon King’s land, and realizing that her carelessness had brought about this situation.

Thud, thud.

When Pia didn’t respond and continued to glare at him, the old man walked past her toward where the children lay.

“Let’s see… They’re starting to wake up. I’m not quite finished, but if they wake up, it will be painful for them. I must show mercy.”

The old man spoke as if humming a tune, lifting the cleaver high into the air.

Thunk!

The sickening sound of flesh being pierced echoed through the air.

End of Chapter.