Flies swarmed in the sky, flying in groups like black smoke.
The flies darkened the sky.
Maggots fell to the ground and began crawling.
The ground was covered in maggots, which looked like one enormous living creature.
The collapse that started from the arms spread throughout the entire body.
The flesh on the body began to melt away.
Even though his body was transforming into flies and maggots, the young priest laughed madly, like a crazy person.
A pig’s head fell and rolled on the ground.
As the young priest, who had been laughing grotesquely, had his head decay and rot, it too rolled along the ground with the pig’s head.
Maggots covered both the priest’s head and the pig’s head.
The maggots crawled into every hole and began feeding on the flesh: the eyes, the ears, the nose.
The holes grew bigger, and the flesh continued to rot and decay.
The two heads, now rotten and eaten by maggots, became indistinguishable from each other—one could no longer tell which was the priest’s head and which was the pig’s.
“What’s this, damn it? That’s disgusting.”
“I was eating! I think I’m going to puke.”
“Why is it so brutal… Can’t we lower the cognitive filter?”
“In real mode, the cognitive filter can’t be adjusted.”
“This game is trash…”
The other priests watching this gruesome scene became silent, like dead rats, until one screamed and fled.
The priests scattered like baby spiders running away.
The festival, once filled with laughter and joy, turned into a carnival of flies and maggots, accompanied by screams and terror.
“I told you nothing would happen… That priest was a total fraud.”
Sian scowled and cursed Croyff priest.
I quickly stepped forward to protect Haru and stood in front of him, my nails sharp and my posture low as
I spread my wings wide behind me.
“Rrreeee…”
I took a threatening stance, ready to strike at any moment.
Flies that seemed to have come from nowhere covered the sky, darkening it.
Maggots crawled, and the flies began swirling and gathering into one place.
The gathering of maggots and flies started to take the shape of a human.
Soon, the maggots and flies formed a single human figure.
What a magnificent place.
The maggots are swarming,
The flies are writhing,
Desire overflows,
This is hell indeed.
“The Demon of Gluttony… Beelzebub…”
“The king of flies appears in the labyrinth city…”
“How…?”
“God…”
I had heard of Beelzebub, the Demon of Gluttony, one of the cruel and ruthless great demons.
They say wherever he passes, only maggots and flies remain.
People fell into despair.
Some prayed to God, others denied reality, dreaming, and some simply sat and wept.
An immense sense of pressure, as if death itself had manifested, was felt.
A warning sounded in my mind—this is something we cannot overcome.
“Please tell me this isn’t the boss battle from the start…”
– “It feels like the final boss though.”
– “Thank you for watching Arche Online Real Mode so far.”
– “Don’t just end it like that. Hahaha.”
In contrast to the people who had fallen into despair, Haru and Sian watched the scene with interest.
They seemed tense, but I thought that tension was more like the one you feel before riding a roller coaster at an amusement park.
Since this wasn’t a death game, they probably felt safe, believing nothing would happen to them.
For Haru and Sian, this world was just a game world.
For me and the people around me, it was reality.
To Haru and Sian, death in this world would simply mean the death of their avatar, a trivial event.
But for me and the others here, death was the loss of everything in pain.
I wish I could have enjoyed this world like a game.
If I had, maybe being stranded in this strange world would have been a small event, and maybe I could have enjoyed this situation like watching a movie.
The world wouldn’t seem so frightening, and I wouldn’t feel like I was walking on thin ice with every step.
Illusions are sweet, but reality is painful.
“In the past, we were taught that gluttony was a sin in the temple, but now it seems otherwise. There are many here who are greedy for meat and alcohol.”
The king of flies spoke, pointing at one of the priests.
“You there. What do you think? Recite the teachings of your precious god.”
The terrified priest could only stutter, unable to speak.
“Can’t speak, you worthless fool? Or are you daring to ignore my words? Either way, you’re unnecessary.”
Maggots began swarming on the priest’s skin.
“AAHHH!!!”
The priest, thrashing around as though burned by fire, was gradually devoured by maggots until he disappeared.
All that remained were his priest’s robes and the maggots.
“Please… please save me…”
“God…”
The people who witnessed this scene were gripped by even deeper fear.
“You there. This time, you answer,” the King of Flies said, pointing at a priest with his finger.
The priest looked around, but no one was there.
Only then did the priest realize that the King of Flies was referring to him, and his face turned pale.
“Do… do not associate with those who indulge in alcohol… and those who crave meat… Do not… do not follow their ways… Those who are drunk and… um, who crave food… will fall… into poverty…”
Under the grip of fear, the priest stuttered.
“Ho… what a meaningless teaching. Those who indulged in meat and alcohol here are wearing fine clothes, while those who haven’t eaten even a piece of meat wear tattered clothes. If that is so, then the teachings of your god must be wrong, don’t you think? You who claim to believe in God are demonstrating that God is wrong with your own actions.”
“Th… that’s…”
“Don’t be ashamed. No one can reject their desires.”
The King of Flies casually sat down at a perfectly set table amidst the chaos.
There were plates and meat on the table.
“Don’t you think fewer people would starve in the city if no one ate meat? Raising livestock isn’t very productive, so if everyone were vegetarian, we could accommodate more people in the city. But I bet you all would never do that, would you? Because…”
The King of Flies elegantly cut a piece of meat with a fork and knife, then took a bite.
He laughed wickedly.
“Meat is delicious.”
The King of Flies, unconcerned with me, exuded the confidence of a powerful being.
Now was my chance.
Maybe if I attacked now, I could land a blow.
“Everyone seeks taste. In order to seek taste, they slaughter livestock, even if it means letting someone starve to death. It’s just natural instinct. Don’t be ashamed of your desires. Living means denying that something must die for you to live.”
I concentrated all my strength into my legs and stomped on the ground.
I quickly closed the distance and swung my arm.
“Ho… you are one of the braver insects, I see.”
The King of Flies casually blocked my attack with his hand.
Why is he so tough? My claws, which can easily cut through steel, couldn’t break through.
“I don’t feel honored by your praise,” I spat.
“You’re a prickly little insect.”
The King of Flies waved his hand, and thousands of flies rushed at me.
They clung to me, trying to devour my flesh.
“Tiamat…!”
I heard Haru’s worried cry.
A water barrier formed around me.
The flies that came into contact with the water were absorbed into it and vanished.
“Ho… a demon with purifying powers… quite an unusual one,” the King of Flies said.
My body felt heavy.
Every time I exerted force, it felt like a brake was being applied.
Could it be the influence of the contract? Every time I drew strength, it felt similar to the pain I had experienced when I made the contract.
I had heard that the strength of a contracted being might be limited by the demon’s abilities, but I never expected it to be this limiting.
It felt like I was fighting with sandbags tied to my legs.
The King of Flies slowly rose from his seat.
“How pitiful. A wolf who has been castrated of his desires and turned into a hunting dog for humans. Today is a good day. I will offer you a chance for freedom. Follow me, Beelzebub, and I will personally kill your contractor and set you free. I will allow you to have legitimate desires.”
He glanced toward Haru.
Haru was watching, nervously wondering if I would betray her.
For Haru, this world is just a game.
A form of entertainment to relieve the stress of reality.
Even if she dies, it’s just part of the game, and she might be revived.
If I betrayed her, she’d likely just think,
“An NPC betrayed me in the game. That sucks.”
But…
Haru was the only familiar presence in this strange world.
And from her, I felt warmth for the first time.
After contracting with her, when I collapsed, the gaze she gave me between dreams and reality was my salvation.
Her warm touch was salvation.
It could have been just a dream, something I longed for, playing out in my sleep.
It could have been an illusion.
In this unfamiliar reality, like a raging current, I wanted to grab onto anything, even if it was a straw.
Even if it was an illusion.
Illusions are sweet, but reality is bitter.
When she tried to pet me in the street, I avoided her touch because I was afraid.
I was afraid that her touch might have no real emotion behind it.
I was afraid that I was just another NPC to her, someone she didn’t care about.
The thought of realizing that the warmth I felt from her touch was nothing would be terrifying.
Illusions are sweet, and reality is painful, so I held onto the illusion that I saw for a moment and wouldn’t let go.
I followed the illusion with my eyes, ignoring reality.
But I lacked the courage to grasp that illusion in my hands.
I didn’t have the courage to open Pandora’s box.
If I accepted the King of Flies’ offer, I could save my life.
I could stay alive, and Haru would only die once in the game.
In my mind, it seemed like the best choice.
But if I did that, the illusion I dreamed of would disappear like a mirage.
I am not confronting the King of Flies because I am brave.
I am confronting him because I am scared.
Because I am foolishly unwilling to lose the illusion of warmth for just a moment.
“Sorry. I hate flies, they’re disgusting.”
Haru sighed in relief.
“You’re quite cheeky,” the King of Flies said, scowling at me.