Chapter 77 - How Many Times?

My head turned to the four-horned demon.

"Are you saying one of us will have to eat the other to survive?"

The four-horned demon smiled.

"What else could I mean?"

A smirk appeared on my face.

"So what? You're going to kill me now?"

The four-horned demon remained silent.

Despite the tense atmosphere, it didn't seem like I was concerned.

"Well, it was a fun talk while it lasted."

The four-horned demon casually nodded.

"Yeah."

My muscles tensed, ready for a last stand.

My legs forced me up while my fist clenched.

...Then, I froze.

The four-horned demon twisted off its maimed leg and handed it to me.

The four-horned demon handed the leg to me with a grimace on its face.

"Hah... take it."

My body wouldn't move. It seemed like I was in shock.

After a few seconds, my lips parted.

"...Why?"

The four-horn demon looked away from me.

"I don't know."

It smiled.

"There's not much I can do with a broken leg anyway, you can leave me to die."

My hand dropped the gemstone that my fingers wrapped around, letting it clatter onto the floor.

Then, my hand reached for the leg, albeit slowly and shakily.

After a moment of hesitation, my fingers grasped onto the leg.

It was squishy, leaking out blood once I grabbed it.

A soft chuckle escaped me.

"This isn't exactly the most... appetizing thing."

There were various wounds that leaked pus, while the flesh was twisted.

The four-horned demon laughed.

"Then just take off one of my other limbs."

I crouched down and laid the leg on the floor.

My steps brought me towards the four-horned demon and caused echoes throughout the cave.

The four-horned demon closed its eyes, not attempting to resist.

As for me, my hand curled up into a claw, then shot out like a viper.

There was a horrifying sound of tearing flesh and broken bones.

The four-horned demon slowly opened its eyes.

...They were filled with confusion.

It saw a mutilated arm being held in front of its face.

It was my arm.

What remained of my shoulder leaked a few drops of blood.

The four-horned demon laughed.

"You're a damn softie."

A chuckle escaped me.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

The four-horned demon accepted the arm, looking at the scars with fascination.

"You look like you've been through a lot."

I walked back and picked up the maimed leg.

"Same goes for you."

The four-horned demon looked at me awkwardly.

"So... we just dig in?"

My shoulders shrugged.

"I guess so."

The four-horned took a bite of my mutilated arm while I took a bite of its maimed leg.

Hunger greatly stimulates one's appetite and can make horrible food taste amazing.

There was no doubt that my stomach was empty.

Yet, the leg was still disgusting.

The worst part would be the pus, making a grimace unconsciously appear on my face.

The best part would be the flesh, but it had a sharp taste of copper while being difficult to chew.

However, despite how horrible it was, my teeth dug into it with fervor.

Frankly, it was essentially inedible. Perhaps the benefits of eating this leg would not outweigh the costs.

But I just kept eating.

It was almost like it had been the most immaculate meal from a top restaurant.

Yet, I think I was eating this leg faster and more ravenously than I would eat the tastiest meal in the world.

The four-horned demon was doing the same.

My body instinctively resisted my actions. It convulsed while my stomach churned.

The stomach acid started acting up, boiling upwards. At any moment, vomit would spill out.

However, my lips pressed together. My arm pressed hard against my mouth, forcing it to stay closed.

Then, I swallowed the vomit.

It was disgusting and there was a bitter aftertaste.

Yet, my teeth ripped more of the flesh off the leg. Not bothering that it was essentially poison.

My meal only finished when the only thing left was a set of bones.

Instinctively, my hand began to toss the bones away. However, at the last moment, my fingers grasped tightly on it.

It seemed I decided to keep it.

The four-horned demon was also finished. Like me, it held onto a set of bones.

The four-horned demon laughed.

"That was terrible."

A laugh uncontrollably slipped out of me.

"You don't say?"

The four-horned demon sighed.

"...Doing this might have made our slim chances of surviving even slimmer."

My shoulders shrugged.

"Haha, perhaps."

My head laid on the four-horned demon's shoulder. A smile was on my face.

"Do you regret it though?"

The four-horned demon chuckled.

"No."

A soft sigh escaped me.

"Me neither."

...

My body suddenly sat upright.

My eyes scanned the room around me.

It was my room, inside of Ela's palace.

...These visions seem to take away the time from the start of my reincarnation.

"Ah, you're awake!"

Mildred perked up. She was holding a feather duster, cleaning the inside of my room.

My lungs forced in a deep breath.

"Ah... hello."

Mildred smiled.

"Haha, you must be pretty surprised."

A smile emerged on my face.

"Yeah."

Mildred cleared her throat.

"Alright, I will make this short for you. This isn't the world you are used to. However, there is no need to panic. After a year of stay, you will go back to your world."

She giggled.

"You also have three other companions that come from the same world as you! This is perfect timing. If you feel ok, you can join them in going to magic school! It starts soon, so if you want to go, hurry!"

I nodded.

"Ah, got it Mil-"

I cut myself off.

My throat cleared.

"Ah, I haven't gotten your name. Mine is Jay, just so you know."

Mildred gasped.

"Ah, my apologies! That completely slipped my mind."

She bowed.

"My name is Mildred. Pleased to meet you, Jay."

A chuckle escaped me.

"Pleased to meet you as well Mildred."

Mildred nodded.

"Haha, I thought you would be quite the shy person from how you looked."

My hand scratched the back of my head.

"Haha, me too."

Mildred shook her head.

"Anyways, I should get back on topic. Your clothes are on the table and there is a bathroom in your room for you to wash up."

She waved.

"I will take my leave so you can go do that. If you have any questions, just ask me!"

My hand extended outwards to give a thumbs up.

"Thanks."

Mildred opened the door and looked over her shoulder.

"It is simply what I am obligated to do."

Then, she closed it.

My hand scratched the side of my head.

"Magic school..."

It really has been a while since I've been there.

With a heavy heart, my body flopped out of the bed to shower.

My hand pressed against a small blue gemstone, causing water to magically appear above me.

As the water cascaded down my skin, my mind wandered off.

What was the point of becoming more powerful?

So much effort... yet where did it get me?

In the end, my life and death was out of my control.

...The amount of power I would need to change this world.

Would I ever reach that point?

A sigh escaped me.

"...Perhaps one day."

Treading the path of power was a lonely one.

It made me think of the day I talked to Ned.

He told me how lonely he was.

I wonder... was this how he felt?

A small smirk appeared on my face as my hand touched the blue gemstone.

"Well... I should get going."

After getting into my clothes, I left my room.

"Ah, you're out!"

Mildred was outside waiting for me.

"Come quickly! They are getting ready to leave."

A smile emerged on my face.

"Alright!"

She grabbed onto my wrist and we jogged across the hallway.

As we were going down the stairs, Mildred exclaimed.

"Ah! I forgot."

She reached into a pocket within her uniform, pulling out a piece of bread.

Then, handed it to me.

I accepted it without much hesitation.

"Thanks, Mildred."

She winked.

"It's just what I'm obligated to do."

We reached the palace entrance quickly.

Ned, Alyx, and Erin were waiting there. They looked towards me and Mildred as we rushed over.

My hand waved in the air.

"Haha, sorry to keep you guys waiting."

Ned laughed while waving his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. You must've rushed quickly, your hair is still wet!"

My thumb and forefinger pulled on a strand of my hair. Indeed, it was wet.

"Haha, I suppose so. Anyways, my name is Jay. What about all of you?"

It felt strange to ask them for their names when I knew them. However, it would probably be more awkward to explain if I just started calling them out by name.

Ned was the first to respond, grinning widely.

"The name is Ned. Nice to meet you Jay."

I couldn't help but wonder.

How many times would I hear him say that?