Chapter 2: Patron Anais (1)

Chapter 2: Patron Anais (1)

"How's it going?"

"It's the same as always. He told me to leave it in front of the door."

A towering giant, over 2 meters tall, scratched his head.

Rough, reddish skin and well-developed muscles.

Sharp horns protruding and tusks reaching down to his neck.

He looked like a demon straight out of hell.

But the girl sitting cross-legged in front of him showed no fear whatsoever.

In fact, her expression remained unchanged, making the massive monster unsure of what to do.

"What's that guy up to anyway? He's been holed up for days."

The girl propped her chin up with one hand and tapped the table with the other.

The ringmaster's behaviour had been strange these past few days.

Not only did he avoid encountering the other performers, but he also refused to leave his carriage.

"Hmm, what are you doing there? The ringmaster used to pop up out of nowhere and startle the performers."

He had always been so careless in his actions, so this cautious behaviour was peculiar.

Ella was bothered by it.

"What wicked scheme is he planning now?"

No description suited him better than "Devil."

The image of people dying at his slightest gesture still haunted her.

Knights clad in armour turned into piles of flesh and gore in an instant, rolling across the field.

Twisted bones, spilled entrails, clinging flesh,

"Ugh, let's not think about it... Let's not think about it..."

Not only his unbelievable power but also the nonchalant smile he wore while committing such acts was astonishing!

He was truly a devil in human form.

Slish...

"Hmm?"

A sound of snorting.

The monstrous being with red skin was eyeing the food on the table, salivating.

He desperately wanted to dig in, but he held back because the girl hadn't given permission.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought for a moment. You did a great job today. Sit down and have breakfast."

"Yes."

The monster, in an incongruous manner, chuckled and sat down across from the girl.

Then, he slowly began to eat his food.

Chewing loudly.

His razor-sharp teeth glistened as he tore into the pork, bone and all.

Even in the face of his terrifying appearance, the girl didn't flinch.

She knew.

She knew that the "monster" in front of her was just a child, barely ten years old.

A child with a tender heart who wouldn't harm a single bug.

Womon.

To the girl, he was merely the cute youngest member of the circus.

"I'm sorry for making you work every morning. I can do it myself, but I make you do it..."

The girl said, and Womon wiped the seasoning from his mouth with a grin.

"It's okay, sis. This is what the youngest member is supposed to do."

"Aren't you scared?"

"What's there to be scared of? I'm just bringing food."

Womon thumped his chest confidently.

The girl glanced over at another corner of the campsite.

It was the table where the other performers were eating.

Some of them had been watching her and Womon.

They averted their gazes with uneasy expressions.

Are they embarrassed?

They're pushing all the hard work onto the youngest.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

It's not a big deal to me, but...

"Others can't do what you do, you know. They're all too scared to even get close to the carriage. Silly big brothers and sisters, aren't they?"

"Hehe, I like it. I get to eat delicious side dishes every meal."

Womon picked up a whole rib and chewed on it.

For the past few days, he had been having meals like the ringmaster and assistant ringmaster in exchange for running errands.

Failure Penalty:

Death in reality.

When I was eagerly anticipating Tril Trilo 4 after watching its teaser, I received a proposal from the game developer. It was common in the gaming industry to release a prequel when launching a new title. I was the most famous Tril Trilo YouTuber, so I readily accepted the offer. And this was the result: I had been transported into the game.

However, I couldn't possibly think of it as a game. Everything I saw and felt was incredibly vivid, to a horrifying extent. Just looking at that monster who brought me food every day was enough to prove it. With his terrifying size, crimson skin, sharp teeth, and horns, it was undoubtedly "Vampire" Womon from TT1 Stage 3.

Crunch, fresh human!

With his insane defence and health, he was a nightmare for beginners in TT, who would rush in without a strategy and be defeated instantly. Seeing warriors who charged recklessly and fell in an instant was an experience that any TT player could relate to.

But his infamy wasn't limited to the game difficulty. The sight of skinned and hanging male and female corpses, human bodies roasting on a metal plate, and the bloody apron and cleaver were all part of TT1 Stage 3 a true horror movie.

Did that stage deserve to be classified as a horror game genre?

However, when I observed them over the past few days, they were merely superficially similar to their game counterparts. The monstrous behaviour from the game was absent.

They talked and acted like regular people. Should I feel safe around them?

Come to think of it, there was no reason for me to fear them. In fact, they were afraid of me.

"Ri-Ringmaster!!"

"S-Sorry!"

They jumped in fright and moved away whenever I approached. When I looked at them, they lowered their heads and broke out in a cold sweat.

This was a crucial moment for me to learn how Wonderstein had treated them. But I was just superficially Wonderstein; the core was a regular person. I had stayed inside the carriage, not wanting to be discovered by acting awkwardly.

As days passed, I became accustomed to my new body and my mind grew calmer. I could accept the situation I was in. Yes, I had entered the world of TTT.

Although I didn't understand the details, it had already happened. I had my pride too. I was the world's best TTT YouTuber, with over a million subscribers. Given that, I would clear the game, no doubt about it.

First, let's check my abilities again.

I confidently shouted at the empty space, "Status screen."

Name: Frank Wonderstein

Age: 27

Occupation: Biomancer

Debulroots: 10/10

Muscle Strength: 1.0 (Weak)

Tissue Hardness: 1.0 (Naked)

Cell Regeneration: 1.0 (Sluggish)

Traits:

[The Smiling Man]

[Biomancer]

I had the same abilities as Wonderstein had in the game, specializing in manipulating genes to transform bodies. I could absorb the genes of various creatures, gather Debulroots, and modify my own physique.

Wonderstein's abilities were just as they appeared in the game - the power to manipulate bodies, whether his own or others. In the game, he used this ability to create monsters and even modify himself into a monstrous form. However, at this moment, nothing had been modified. My body was nothing more than an empty vessel, just like an ordinary human.

"Well, it's like any other RPG," I thought.

Even the characters I controlled in the game, the knight, the rogue, and the mage, were similar in this regard. Despite their impressive backgrounds and traits, they all started with basic level 1 abilities when actually playing.

Being the final boss didn't change that fact. Based on the reactions of the circus members, it was clear that until yesterday, Wonderstein had been wielding demonic powers, but overnight, he had become powerless.

Debulroots: (10/10)

That was the basic capital I had been given. Debulroots were the resources needed by a Biomancer to modify the physique, equivalent to basic stats in the game.

But what could I accomplish with just ten Debulroots? At best, I could add another arm to my back.

Trait: Extra Arms

Applied Area: Shoulder.

Effect: Adds one extra arm identical to your own. No fingerprints on the extra arm.

Required Resources: Debulroots x10

Even this required removing two fingers and their fingerprints to barely meet the cost.

What use would I have for something like this? It might be somewhat helpful for someone without arms, but it had little practicality.

As an experiment, I input the powerful abilities that appeared in the original work. They required several times more resources than this, and the path ahead seemed bleak.

But there were the initial abilities to consider, too. Displayed on my status screen was the "Smiling Man" trait. Maybe these basic abilities were quite useful?

I checked the contents of "The Smiling Man."

Trait: The Smiling Man

Applied Area: Facial Muscles

Effect: Always wears a smile. Maintains composure even in the face of fear, astonishment, or sadness.

Cost: Unique trait. Cannot be removed.

Smiling was considered an ability? Having a smile as a unique trait? Wow. Seriously?

Of course, the original Wonderstein was such a character. He smiled even when his limbs were cut off, when his belly had holes, when he spouted venomous words, and when he committed cruel deeds.

But to consider this a superpower... Wasn't that a bit much?

"Hey, a guest has arrived!" Ella's voice called out.

Well, whatever. Game on.

I looked into the mirror. A handsome man with long, shoulder-length blond hair and a fake yet exquisite smile. I was The Smiling Man.

In a different way, I would have to approach this new Wonderstein. I smiled at my reflection while donning a hat.