TCGAD 2

Hungry, predatory eyes gleamed, desperate to tear me apart. If not for the monster beside me, they would have lunged at me long ago. My vision darkened, as if I were dying.

“They must be starving. There’s nothing to eat around here.”

Just moments ago, I swore I’d never return to that place, but if I were thrown to those wolves now, I’d surely be ripped to shreds. Imagining myself as bones scattered on the forest floor sent shivers down my spine.

I shook my head frantically.

“N-No, please, no.”

“Oh, you don’t want that?”

The monster’s pupils narrowed into slits, unmistakably those of a predator. The kind of eyes that would leisurely burp after devouring prey to their fill.

“They’re making such a fuss to eat you up.”

“N-No, please…”

I clasped my hands, begging for forgiveness again. Tears burst forth once more. Hot liquid streamed down, pooling in my mouth.

“I’m s-sorry.”

The monster snorted with a huff. Then he bellowed again.

“Get lost before I tear your mouths apart! This is mine!”

His roar echoed through the forest. The wolves flinched at his overwhelming presence, their faces like they’d seen a goblin. Glancing at each other, they scurried away, tails tucked.

As if he’d seen enough, the monster tucked me under his arm. The stench of a beast radiated from him.

“You made my club break because of you.”

My aching ankle dangled helplessly in the air. I bit my lower lip, squirming in pain.

The monster grumbled irritably, not forgetting to mock my ankle.

“A bone like this couldn’t even crush a rabbit’s skull.”

At a rustle, a crow startled and cawed loudly. “D**n, that one looks tasty,” he muttered.

Now he’s saying even a crow looks delicious?

I looked at the monster uneasily. Our eyes met instantly. His pupils brimmed with madness. No way, no way… Was he talking about me?

“…….”

“…….”

A despair close to apocalyptic washed over me. It felt like my ribs were collapsing like dominoes from the top down. Sharp bone ends seemed to pierce my organs, causing agonizing pain.

I lost strength in my neck and fainted.

☀️

My jaw trembled. Hellish pain split my ankle in two. It felt like someone had chopped it with an axe, like splitting firewood.

While I was silently waging this war alone,

“…Bride-nim!”

A high-pitched voice rang out, piercing my foggy mind.

“I’ll leave the food here.”

My empty, skull-like head snapped back to clarity. I jolted upright.

“Hello, this is our first meeting.”

A woman I’d never seen stood before the bed. She wore a kind smile, but… horns protruded from her forehead. I curled up in fear.

“I’m Lemon, and I’ll be serving Bride-nim from today.”

My body tensed, and my ankle throbbed sharply.

“Ugh.”

I glanced down. It was already swollen red like a log.

“I’ve cooled it to reduce the heat, but you shouldn’t move yet.”

Even at a glance, it looked bad. I wished for some anti-inflammatory medicine, but there was no chance of finding such a thing here.

“I was the one who brought the baby crib into the cave and prepared the food.”

“Oh…”

I didn’t know how to respond, only letting out a foolish exclamation.

“When Bride-nim has babies, I’ll take care of them. Oh, babies! How adorable will they be? If they eat milk with their cute cheeks…”

She chattered like a cascading waterfall.

I rolled my eyes around. Black stone walls surrounded me. In the end, I’d spun like a top and returned to the starting point. Bitter saliva pooled in my mouth.

“Oh, I’d be so happy I’d want to bash my head and die.”

I forced an awkward smile at her escalating words.

“Yes… thank you.”

Cold sweat trickled down my spine. She was something not human. Though she was kind to me, it was natural that I couldn’t relax.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting, Bride-nim.”

She was utterly entranced. I cautiously broached the subject.

“Um, I need to use the bathroom.”

A crack split the mask-like expression on her face.

“Pardon?”

Her startled face quickly regained its cheer.

“Well… Bulkan-nim wanted Bride-nim to stay put.”

…Bulkan? Could that be the monster’s name?

The face I’d briefly forgotten flashed before me. The monster who strangled a wolf with his arm, drooling over me as “tasty.”

A chill ran through my body. My neck trembled involuntarily.

“Bulkan.”

I rolled the unfamiliar word on my tongue. The name, spat out with a rough gust, suited him perfectly, like pieces of the same puzzle.

“Yes, Bulkan-nim.”

She nodded vigorously, confirming.

“Bulkan-nim wouldn’t mind too much if you relieved yourself in here.”

I bit the inside of my cheek hard. Soft flesh gave way with a squish.

That monster, with his appearance suited for hunting or pillaging in the mountains… had someone serving him. He must hold some position.

“He’s as understanding as the vast ocean, wise, intelligent, and warm-hearted.”

She finished mechanically, her eight visible teeth gleaming white.

“Anyway, don’t worry, you can just do it in here!”

Her cheerful declaration, as if it were no issue, felt oddly carefree. I was momentarily speechless.

“Well…”

She blinked, saying, “Yes?”

“Um, well.”

I hesitated. My words spun uselessly in the air. I’d always struggled to ask for things since childhood. I didn’t want to trouble her, but I had no other choice.

I knew nothing about this cave. To plan an escape, I needed to see what was here.

“I haven’t washed in days, so I smell… He might not like that.”

She caught exactly who I meant.

“Hm, you smell. That’s certainly troublesome.”

She fell into thought. I seized the chance to continue.

“Actually, a few days ago, I had an accident in my pants.”

“Oh, you peed?”

The blunt word made my face burn. No normal person could avoid shame at such a statement.

“Yes.”

I answered quietly, face aflame. I wanted to crawl into an ant’s hole and hide.

“Then I’ll fetch flowers to prepare a bath.”

She clutched her cheeks and squealed.

“How happy will Bulkan-nim be if Bride-nim smells sweet?”

She strode over and lifted me with one arm.

“W-Wait, I can walk.”

I dangled, blinking rapidly.

“You can’t stand on that injured foot. I’ll take you quickly.”

She opened the door effortlessly, even while holding me.

When I’d struggled, it wouldn’t budge… Despair felt like a black curtain falling over my eyes.

The cave twisted like an ant’s nest.

“It’s very complex inside, so you might get lost. You must never wander alone, okay?”

There were doors here and there, but… the stone doors looked so similar I couldn’t tell them apart.

“The bath is here.”

After endless walking, she stopped. Green water rippled with the breeze. The round bathtub was like a lake cradled in the cave’s belly.

She set me down near it.

“Wait here a moment.”

She brought a vase and floated rose petals on the water, one by one.

“Thank you for preparing this… Um, I can take it from here.”

Her sparkling eyes wavered slightly.

“You want me to leave?”

“Yes, I can’t bathe with someone here…”

She sighed, “Haa.” I could read her thought: This one’s not easy.

“Fine, I’ll stand right at the entrance. I won’t even blink.”

She stared at me intently, as if to prove she’d keep her word.

“Call me if anything happens!”

Smiling brightly, she turned and left.

Left alone, I stared blankly at the bathwater. Bubbles rose with a pop. The steam alone told me how warm it was… I could feel its heat.

I desperately wanted to plunge into that water.

“…….”

Growl, my stomach rumbled. I hadn’t eaten properly in days and had no strength. A fruit basket she left sat nearby, but I wasn’t sure if I could eat it.

Grandma’s words coiled like a snake, pressing on my mind.

‘Don’t eat random things. It could be food offered to appease spirits.’

Aside from the unease, there was no guarantee this food suited me. I likely had no immunity to parasites or allergens here.

“…….”

Ignoring my hunger, I crawled around. No doors were visible, nor windows. I hadn’t seen any exits on the way here either…

While deep in thought,

“Oh, Bulkan-nim!”

Her voice echoed from outside. I froze like a statue.

“Bride-nim is bathing with rose petals inside. Their skin will be as soft as a deer’s hind!”

Thump, my heart dropped. The monster had returned.

“You must be hungry. Since Bulkan-nim is here, I’ll go help prepare dinner.”

Thud, thud, footsteps grew closer. Just footsteps, yet they crushed my heart like a club.

In a panic, I grabbed the vase. Bare hands wouldn’t do against him, so I prepared my own weapon. I quickly rolled behind a rock.

Huff, huff. I steadied my breath when a voice came from nearby.

“Where’s my human?”

He roamed the bath recklessly. A dog’s shadow loomed close. I gasped, holding my breath.

“Did it drown already?”

Splash, splash, water sounds followed. Judging by the long shadow, he was stirring the water with his foot.

Irritated, he kicked the bathwater, sending columns of water shooting up.

“Hmm?”

He suddenly stopped and stood still. The surroundings fell silent.

“Did it escape again?”

Sweat soaked the hand gripping the vase. I tightened my hold, afraid it’d slip. I stifled my breathing.

If he went to the cradle looking for me, I’d sneak out then.

I planned my escape. Night was too dangerous with beasts around. I needed to buy time until dawn. Being a cave, there must be hiding spots, right?

“…….”

A chill hit me. The silence was too deep. I hadn’t felt any presence for a while. His shadow had vanished.

Where’d he go? Panic surged. Only seconds had passed. I hadn’t heard a sound. Where the h**l did he go!

I whipped my head around, scanning the bath, looking up at the ceiling. It was empty, so I lowered my head.

‘…Huh?’

My shadow on the ground had grown several times larger. And huff, huff, the rough breathing above my head told me something was right above me.

Thump, thump… Keeping my head still, I raised only my eyes. The scene unfolded in slow motion.

“Thud.”

First, I saw quivering lips.

“Thud, thuud, thuuud.”

Twisted, deceitful, sneering lips let out a cracking sound.

“I can hear your heart.”

The monster—no, Bulkan—wrinkled his nose fiercely and inhaled deeply. His chest swelled massively.

“Your smell’s vibrating too.”

I felt s**ked into him like a vacuum cleaner. An intense, dizzying sensation…

“Odoor.”

I saw a red tongue drawling the “or.” The word, heavy with its final sound, felt sticky like a mousetrap.

Come to think of it, he’d called me that before. O… door. A word meaning smell.

“You haven’t eaten any of the prey.”

He clenched his fist and tapped my stomach. A dull force thumped inside.

“……!”

I flinched, curling up. Thankfully, there was little strength in it. He was just gauging my stomach’s size.

“To carry multiple pups at once, you need to stretch that belly. This one wouldn’t even fit my fist.”

It’s not about the size of my stomach. It’s the fundamental issue that I’m a man. He must know that.

“Open your mouth.”

He thrust something forward. A raw, blood-red chunk of meat.

“Why this…”

The metallic stench of raw meat hit me. I looked up, horrified.

“Open your d**n mouth.”

He pressed my jaw painfully. Hah, something was shoved into my open mouth. A foul odor spread. The texture was slimy.

“…Ugh.”

Nausea surged. I bent forward and vomited. Having starved for days, white gastric juice poured out.

“What are you doing?”

His face was expressionless. Inorganic eyes held not a trace of emotion.

“D**n, that’s filthy.”

I trembled. The cold face that strangled the wolf flashed in my mind. Fearing his rage, I mumbled desperately.

“…I can’t eat raw stuff.”

My voice stuttered pathetically. A mutter of disbelief came back.

“Raw meat’s the best in the world. Why not?”

Thud, he stepped closer. I instinctively stepped back. Then I dropped the vase. The glass shattered with a crash.

“……!”

My sweaty hand was to blame. The lack of friction made it slip.

Blood dripped from his hand. A glass shard must have cut him. Oh no, I’m screwed. He’ll strangle me now. My vision blackened, as if burning to death.

“D**n, annoying.”

He shoved his hand in his mouth, s**king it. Like a dog l**king its paw.

Then something unbelievable happened. The gushing blood was l**ked away, and the wound vanished as if it never existed. Astonishing regeneration.

“What the…”

It was like a thunderbolt. The vast gap in strength was already a problem, but such regeneration? Even if I got lucky and wounded him, he’d heal and chase me down.

One mountain after another. Just when I overcame one obstacle, a bigger one awaited.

I couldn’t find a way out of this. Maybe I was trapped in a maze with no exit.

A massive pit opened up in my chest. It felt like I was endlessly tumbling into an unfathomable abyss.

Only as the situation escalated to such an extreme did a more fundamental question surface in my mind.

“…Where exactly is this place?”

What kind of place had I stumbled into? I asked with a trembling voice. The monster snorted with a huff.

“Where, you ask?”

He puffed up with arrogance, as if graciously deigning to enlighten me.

“A land I claimed after driving out all the fools who were scurrying around.”

Then came the most surreal word I’d ever heard in my life.

“The very bottom of h**l.”

The word “h**l” dropped onto my forehead. I muttered it, dazed.

“H**l.”

A world I could never have known while alive. Sometimes, when Grandma talked about spirits or souls, I’d laugh awkwardly and brush it off. I was too busy dealing with the immediate struggles of life—poverty, the grind of reality.

But h**l? It was a world so foreign and unfamiliar to me. And yet, here I was, in that very alien place.

It was maddeningly incomprehensible, but on the other hand… it started to make sense, just a little. Yes, it’s h**l. That’s why such absurd things were happening to me.

“So…”

As I tried to continue, my tongue trembled. I spat out the question like vomit.

“Does that mean I’m… dead?”

Could this be the afterlife? Was this the mysterious realm that people, clinging to life’s regrets and fearing death, so desperately sought to glimpse?

A heavy silence fell. I swallowed dryly, gripped by chilling tension.

“Hahaha!”

Suddenly, hot spit splattered on my face. I was deadly serious, but Bulkan clutched his stomach and burst into laughter. He kicked rocks and rolled around on the floor.

“That’s a d**n funny thing to say!”

I stood there, dumbfounded, like someone doused with cold water, staring blankly.

His cascading laughter cut off abruptly.

“Look, dead things can’t bear pups, can they?”

The monster leaned in with a sinister voice. His eyes, perhaps teary from laughing, were bloodshot.

“An oracle came down.”

“…What?”

I asked, entranced.

“A place where the earth splits in two. It said my own would be born there.”

He spat out words quickly and forcefully, like driving stakes.

“I’ve been searching for you even before your body was formed.”

The monster turned away from me. He began pacing the cave. His strides were wide, his steps incredibly fast. He looked like a bull charging a red cloth or a stallion maddened with ecstasy.

“You know, I found that human you were with.”

An unexpected statement hit me.

“She entered the h**l I rule today.”

Thump, my heart sank to my navel. My lips moved on their own.

“My grandma?”

His face drew close again.

“This is a place for humans who’ve committed the worst of crimes.”

I gasped sharply.

“She dared to beg a snake’s power to hide you. Do you know how many times I came up empty because of that?”

He muttered to himself.

“Her sin was grave. Not only did she use the power that betrayed the gods, but she insulted me.”

Grind, he gnashed his teeth.

“No reincarnation for her. She’ll burn in hellfire forever.”

Images of h**l from temple paintings flashed before my eyes. It was utterly horrific.

Boiling people alive in scalding water, driving iron spikes into their heads to pin them in place.

“There’s no proof my grandma did that…”

I stopped mid-sentence as something struck me. Come to think of it, Grandma sometimes acted like someone being chased.

When passersby stared at my face, she’d point and curse them furiously.

‘…Crazy b**ch, vile wench, b**t**ds to tear apart, s**m to burn.’

My thoughts raced to the pregnant snake she made me consume, and to her sleep-talking words.

‘…A monster is coming!’

Goosebumps rose on my neck. A chill raced down my spine. I stared blankly into space, half out of my mind.

“She got what she deserved. Be thankful I didn’t tear her throat out.”

I bit my lower lip. To think it was all to protect me. My chest tightened unbearably. Then a thought struck like lightning, and I asked quickly.

“What if it’s not me? What if I’m not the one the oracle meant?”

I clung desperately to the last straw. A cold sneer, sharp as ice, answered.

“If you were an ordinary human, you’d have died the moment I dragged you here.”

His icy words pierced my heart. The pain was unbearable, impossible to endure sane.

I’d learned of Grandma’s death. And that she’d wander in fiery h**l forever… My vision blurred, dizzy.

“But there’s not no way to save that human.”

A sharp voice cut through my clouded, heavy ears.

I slowly raised my head. A pomegranate was thrust before me. Its seeds were reddish, like the blood that had gushed from his hand.

“Become my bride. Bear my pups in that black underbelly of yours.”

His sunken eyes gleamed with a predatory glint, like a beast salivating in the dark.

“Then I’ll send that old hag to Pluto’s h**l.”

“Pl…uto?”

I muttered, entranced.

“Yes, you humans call him Hades.”

…A place with luscious fruits and animals roaming the forests.

“When the time comes, she can be reincarnated.”

As he spoke, a sweet scent wafted from the ruby-like fruit. Warm saliva pooled under my tongue.

“Become mine.”

Drip, a water droplet fell somewhere. Even that small sound made my nerves bristle.

My hand fell limply. The surroundings stabbed painfully at my vision.

…The shattered vase, the scattered glass shards, and the dotted red blood.

A mocking laugh rang out.

“Thought you’d take my neck with that?”

My neck… A chill froze my nape. I waved my hands frantically.

“N-No, that’s not…”

Of course, I hadn’t thought that far. I just wanted a weapon to protect myself in case of danger.

“Of course not, it’s just that no one knows what might happen. This is my first time here.”

I babbled pathetically. Yet the air grew steadily colder. I bit my lower lip tightly.

“Fool, hahaha!”

His booming laugh echoed through the cave. Cold sweat trickled down my spine. Was he joking?

“Haha! You couldn’t even clean my ear with that!”

Each word shook my body and mind. I felt n**ed before a towering mountain. Powerlessness crushed me like a lump of iron.

“But humans like you die if they starve, don’t they?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. I felt like a bug’s life. A measly mosquito he could squash with one swing.

“So fill your belly with this. You said you can’t eat raw meat.”

He thrust the pomegranate at me again. I curled up like a pill bug.

The situation was unbearably unfair. A bolt from the blue had struck overnight. And now he demanded a choice. The coercion was beyond excessive.

It’s like I’ve become a mayfly… Resentment surged. My throat felt blocked.

“I don’t know about gods or h**l… or any of that.”

I burst out in frustration, my voice trembling with fear.

“I still don’t understand what’s happening. It’s so foreign, just hearing it makes my elbows ache and my knees bristle with goosebumps.”

“But if, just if, all of this was really my grandma’s doing.”

The monster tilted his head leisurely. Darkness pooled deeply in his sunken eyes.

“…Is it really such a big crime?”

Grandma and I always lived hand-to-mouth. The shaman’s house was always bustling, but she never enjoyed luxury. The money always went to others’ pockets.

“She didn’t harm anyone or steal.”

A frail life. In summer, we gulped cold water to beat the heat. We frequented the bathroom, pissing endlessly, but the sweltering heat persisted.

In winter, we piled tattered blankets to block the wind. When hungry, we scratched the kitchen floor with our nails. All we got was sour kimchi and a few ramen packets. Poverty was our every meal.

“Grandma was just trying to protect me…”

She was only protecting her young grandson.

But now, even that was a crime in death. What kind of life must pay for sins even after death?

“Then it’s a d**n big crime.”

The monster declared, as if passing judgment.

“You were born to bear my pups, weren’t you?”

His chilling voice stopped my breath. It was too cruel.

“If I don’t let you go, you’ll never escape me.”

“…Forever.”

Forever—that short word’s vast expanse made my shoulders slump. Dizziness blurred my vision.

“So swear you want my pups!”

Growing angry, he squeezed the pomegranate. Blood-like juice dripped.

…Red like blood. A bewitching color. The brighter a mushroom, the more poisonous it is. Could I trust the fruit this monster offered?

“Swear it!”

His thunderous shout shook the cave walls. A word echoed in my dazed mind.

Swear, swear, sw…ear.

It felt like stepping into a strange trap.

And no wonder—he kidnapped me here. There’s no one to call for help. My weapon was shattered. Yet why was he so fixated on this word “swear,” as if I had no choice?

“Why.”

I swallowed hard. I was anxious about provoking him, of course.

But I had a gut feeling this unease wasn’t baseless. Like a pebble in a shoe, there must be a reason for this persistent discomfort.

“Why do you keep telling me to swear?”

That’s when the ground began to shake.

Rumble, a thunderous sound roared. Then came a piercing scream from a woman. Amid the chaos, like a natural disaster,

The monster twisted his lips into a smirk. His cruel fangs gleamed menacingly.

“Because Hera1) found out I stole you.”

“What does that mean…”

Slosh, slosh. Bathwater overflowed, and the fruit basket rolled on the floor. Green water crept, pooling between my toes and wrapping my ankles.

“She’s raising h**l, telling me to spit you out of my maw.”

His black pupils boiled with disgust.

“The goddess Hera considers marriage sacred. She says a loveless marriage is a rotting corpse.”

My collar was grabbed, and I was yanked forward. My body was pulled like a magnet.

“But d**n it, I’m a dog! I don’t care about that!”

He was violent and domineering. Despite his overwhelming power, he hadn’t directly harmed me yet.

Why, I wondered. Because something was controlling him.

“I’ll drag you to Tartarus2). Even a goddess won’t find you easily there.”

With a growl, the cave shook as if it would collapse. Rock debris fell, kicking up a sandstorm.

“Then we’ll mate endlessly.”

His massive chest heaved with heavy breaths.

“And your bloodline will wander h**l’s depths forever.”

Haa, haa. I breathed rapidly.

Even if something controlled him, he remained terrifying.

So the best choice now… was to comply with his demands.

“My… my grandma.”

Through my blurred vision, I saw his black eyes. Eyes so dark no light could pierce them.

“How can I trust you’ll send her to a better place?”

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

“I swear on the River Styx.”

Another unfamiliar term.

“What’s that?”

His proud, high brow furrowed menacingly.

“Is my bride a dumb chicken?”

Blunt insults flew. I couldn’t even deny it and bit my lower lip.

“A river you can’t return from once crossed. Swear on the Styx, and even the mightiest god must obey.”

I hesitated. My mind tangled messily.

Weren’t gods all-powerful? That they had to obey something was deeply foreign. Could I really trust him?

“Human, I’m a dog with no patience.”

He chuckled.

“I bite when I want to bite, eat when I want to eat. That’s my way. I don’t show mercy.”

His chilling words sent shivers down my spine. My tailbone ached.

Meanwhile, Grandma was suffering…

No matter how I racked my brain, my ordinary mind couldn’t find a way out. I was just wasting time, I realized.

“I’ll do it.”

I whispered faintly. He narrowed his eyes sharply. I forced my hoarse throat again.

“I’ll sw-swear.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and spat the words like vomit. The commotion around us began to subside, as if it had never been.

I slowly opened my eyes. The thunder and lightning were gone, the earthquake shaking the cave had stopped, and the bathwater was calm.

The staging was unbelievably dramatic. I almost wondered if this was a hidden camera prank.

“Try escaping once more, and I’ll crush your other ankle.”

He growled savagely and shoved the pomegranate into my mouth.

‘Mmph!’

My mouth was stuffed with pulp, muffling my cries. He lifted me and threw me into the bathwater.

“D**n filthy thing.”

Splash! I was s**ked into the water at terrifying speed.

I struggled to escape, but sank deeper and deeper. Was it this deep? The thought was fleeting.

I stopped resisting. Like a leaf, I let the current carry me. Warm water enveloped me gently, like soft clouds.

My exhausted body relaxed. I hadn’t eaten or slept properly for days. I wanted to fall asleep, cradled by the water.

<<My child, born in my embrace.>>

A woman’s voice echoed somewhere. Strangely, it felt like it resounded in my head.

<<You’ve chosen to become the dog’s bride…>>

My thoughts drifted like faint afterimages. It was a choice stripped of my will, but that was the outcome.

<<If that’s your choice.>>

There was only one option to begin with. Could choosing it even be called a choice?

Haa, I don’t know. I’m tired of it all. I just want to throw it all away, float in this water, and sleep deeply.

The moment I let go of all strength in my limbs.