Chapter 01 – For F*ck's Sake!

Inside a dimly lit bar, filled with the chit-chat and laughter of the people who had come after a long day at work, with a bit of classical music playing in the background. Some were there to relieve stress, while some came to celebrate their promotion.

Most were in groups, but there was one person, sitting alone at the corner of the bar, tightly clutching a glass of whiskey. His posture slumped forward, shoulders slightly hunched. Lines of weariness etched on his face, his brows frowned. He radiated a palpable aura of frustration and sadness.

"That piece of shit! I'm gonna kick the living shit out of him the next time I see him!"

Ryou chugged his whiskey, letting the burn linger as he stared at the amber liquid.

He remembered his buddy Ryan's words from high school, the one who convinced him to join an engineering college.

"Dude, you gotta go for it! Engineering colleges are filled with hotties. It'll be like a buffet of babes, just waiting for a stud like you."

Ryou couldn't help but let out a small chuckle of despair, thinking how naive he was back then. Well, it was bound to happen, as he had grown up going to an all-boys school, and with no female contact whatsoever made him desperate.

'That bastard didn't even join me!'

He took a swing of his drink, grimacing at the memory of his first class. Instead of a haven filled with beauties he'd envisioned, he found himself surrounded by smelly dudes in stained t-shirts and cargo shorts.

'Come to think of it… everyone wore the same fucking dress as if it were the official uniform.'

The few girls unlucky enough to be in the male-dominated lecture had developed an impenetrable force field against any male attraction.

"The girls… They may as well have been dudes too."

Ryou's grip tightened on the glass, knuckles straining white. Another mouthful of whiskey burned away momentarily, unable to quell the acrid taste of resentment lingering on his tongue.

He raised his hand to order another bottle of whiskey but stopped when he heard a melodic and strangely enchanting voice.

"A bottle of whiskey here, please."

It was soft and charming, flowing like smooth honey in the buzzy bar. Ryou slightly turned his head to see who had spoken, and his eyes widened as they landed on the source of the voice.

And there, as if materializing from the depth of his fantasies, was a young woman who had taken the vacant stool beside him.

At first glance, this woman seemed utterly out of place in this rough-edged bar. Her beauty was otherworldly, But what caught Ryou's attention was her outfit.

The flowing medieval-inspired gown draped elegantly around her, adorned with intricate patterns. With her chestnut hair tied in a ponytail, flowing down her waist, and slightly pointy ears, made her look like she'd come out of a fictional tale.

As if feeling Ryou's gaze, she slightly turned and looked at him, her lips curled up slightly, before turning back. She raised her hand slightly, her thumb pointing at where Ryou sat.

"And one for this gentleman as well."

The woman's gesture caught Ryou off guard. He blinked in surprise, his whiskey-addled brain trying to process what'd just happened.

'Huh… What?! Uh, O-off course…'

A slow, lopsided grin spread across his lips as the realization sunk in.

'Hehe, She couldn't resist my irresistible rizz. About damn time a fair maiden recognized my charm.'

Ryou's momentary fantasy was interrupted by the young woman's patient gaze. She leaned towards Ryou a little before opening her small mouth.

"Excuse me... Could I have some of your time?"

To be honest, she was the most beautiful woman Ryou had ever seen. He couldn't believe that the same woman was calling out to him.

"…Y-yes. Of course."

Any man is bound to get embarrassed in a situation like this, whether they like it or not.

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For Fuck's sake.

Currently outside, Ryou was walking down the road.

"That woman had to be a damn cultist. I should have known better, why else would a beautiful woman approach me?"

Ryou cursed, recalling their conversation. For the first few minutes, their conversation flowed naturally -introducing each other, small talk about the bustling city and more.

Even though the conversation was normal, he couldn't but feel an ominous feeling. At first, he had dismissed it as just nervousness and anxiety. But the longer he talked, the more this ominous feeling increased.

And finally, she started talking about how he'd been chosen and had to save them. Something like… this was their last chance before the apostles decide to take action.

"Tsk, tsk, Damn bitch."

Ryou sighed bitterly.

Of course, the only woman that showed interset in him had to be a cult recruiter. First getting suckered into engineering college and now this.

'Come to think of it. These cultists are getting out of hand. If normal persuasion wasn't enough, they started using beautiful woman to entice young man into joining their cult.'

Ryou's steps quickened as he veered down a darker side street, away from the main street. His mind raced with frustration and disbelief. How could he have fallen for such an obvious ploy? Was he really that desperate for attention?

With a frustrated growl, Ryou shoved that thought aside. His grip tightened, but feeling some foreign object in his hand, he looked.

In his hand was an ornate pendant adorned with an emerald pattern, the pattern shimmered in dim light. It felt oddly familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen it.

This pendent was forcefully handed to him by the cultist woman, after he declined and tried to leave. Trying not to cause a ruckus in the bar, he had no choice but to accept it.

Ryou looked at it for a few seconds, feeling bitterly angry. He decided to throw the emerald pattern pendent.

But the next second his vision went blank, he felt something wrapping around his head, his vision was obstructed by a dark hood, and before he could react he was forcefully dragged away into the shadows.

He was being kidnapped.

Panic settled in, Ryou tried to struggle against the restraining force, he was hit in the head by something, losing consciousness.

Ryou slowly regained consciousness, his head throbbing with pain. As his senses came back into focus, he could hear two male voice nearby.

"Brother, I thought he was rich 'cause he was sitting with that beauty," one voice said with a sneer. "And with his face, ain't no way a fine woman like that would give him the time unless he had some serious money."

Ryou tried to move but found himself tightly bound, his wrists and ankles tied together. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of his stomach, and as he squirmed, a sharp pain lanced through his abdomen. It was then he realized that he had been stabbed.

The second voice tutted. "Tsk, he doesn't even have a penny. I almost feel pity for this sad guy. No looks, no money. Haha, even I am doing better than him. What a poor soul. I did good, sending him to afterlife. At least he won't have to suffer there."

They both started laughing loudly as if it were just a joke to them.

White-hot anger surged through Ryou's veins. How dare these lowlives judge him?

'I can't die... like this. I haven't... even began my playboy... journey.'

His eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and a warm wetness was spreading from the wound in his stomach. As darkness closed in around him once more, Ryou clung to the fantasy of the life he had dreamed of — a life of wealth, success, and a lover on each arm. 

Somewhere, in the recesses of his fading mind, the image of the beautiful woman from the bar flickered…

'Th-that damn woman! It's all her fault. And these bastard... If only I wasn't tied.'

The last of life seemed to slip from his consciousness, but as if hearing his silent wish, Ryou's hands suddenly came free from their bindings. At the same time, life seemed to come back to him as a surge of power coursed through his body. Without thinking, he swung his fist, feeling the sickening crunch as his knuckles collided with one of the kidnappers' cheekbones.

"Shut the fuck up, bastard!!"

Ryou blinked his eyes open, squinting against the blinding light of the sun. When his vision finally settled, he found himself in an entirely different scene.

'What in the...'

He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. Instead of his fleshy hand, it was the hand of someone who was under nourished. He touched his abdomen, feeling no trace of the stab wound that had seemed so real moments ago.

The sun's warmth bathed his skin, and a gentle breeze carried the refreshing scent of freshly turned soil and blooming flowers. Confusion washed over him as he took in his new surroundings, trying to make sense of the abrupt shift.

Gone were the dank alleyways and harsh voices of his kidnappers. Instead, Ryou was surrounded by three teenagers, likely no older than seventeen.

One of them was just punching distance away from him. Grunting, he held his swollen cheeks, which was likely Ryou's doing. He looked at Ryou, anger cursing through his eyes.

"This fucker's audacity!!