Chapter 1:
The Lich’s Disciple
✦ ✦ ✦
1
✦ ✦ ✦
“KANBARA, CORRECT? Kanbara Kanata…? Hmm, yes.”
A strangely accented voice called my name, so I opened my eyes.
I was floating in a white void. That’s the best way I can describe it. There were some black, wave-like things floating around me, but when I tried to touch one, my hand passed right through it.
Uhh… Is this a dream?
The owner of the voice stood directly in front of me, dressed in black with lustrous green hair that cascaded around their face. At first glance, they looked kind of masculine…but their voice was clearly androgynous. With their prominent nose and blue eyes, they had a European look.
“Shall I introduce myself?” they asked blandly. “I am a god. Well, to be precise, I am a Lower God—a servant created by the Higher Gods. My official name is too long for a human to understand, nor could it be translated into a human language. For convenience’s sake, the name Naiarotop will do for now.”
Wait, a-a god?
“What are you—?!” I tried to ask before my mouth sealed itself shut.
“Blah blah blah. Your chattering is a pet peeve. Allow me to close your mouth for you, so I can keep things moving along smoothly. I will tell you the information you need to know, and you will not annoy me by asking any pesky questions. I will reopen your mouth…later. And if you ask me any pointless questions, I will make sure that your next experience is far more unpleasant.”
Their talk about the gods combined with their nonchalant, arrogant tone made me suspect that Naiarotop was a real bullcrap artist. But…on the other hand, I was floating in a void with my mouth sealed shut. Maybe there was some truth to what they were saying, even if they were a weird jerk.
“Congratulations,” continued Naiarotep. “You have been chosen for my show. My duty—and now your duty—is to provide entertainment for the Higher Gods.”
I’m…entertainment?
“Kanbara Kanata. Twenty years old, no serious career.” They began ticking off points on their fingertips. “No hobbies, no special skills, not even any dreams for the future. No real friends, no romantic relationships, and no family you are close with.”
Harsh but fair. It was a pathetically accurate overview. I didn’t have any good friends, passions, or dreams. I didn’t even have my parents; they died in an accident while I was still in high school.
“Every now and then, I select a piece of garbage like you—some misfit with no real investment in their home world—and put them in one of my productions. You have heard of isekai novels? Of course you have. They came from your own culture after all! Ah, they are quite something. I find them incredibly enjoyable. So exciting…”
I nodded slightly. There was a whole genre of light novels where the main character was whisked to another world on the whim of a god. I’d even read a few series myself. The characters in those books either survived by using powers granted to them by the gods or knowledge they brought from their original world.
But Naiarotop’s talk of a production had me worried.
“The Higher Gods find those stories to be quite fascinating,” they continued. “But gods are more discerning and extravagant than you humans when it comes to their tastes in entertainment. For that reason, we have created a world suited to humans: Locklore, a fairy-tale world with some medieval fantasy game flair. Slightly different rules from your own world, but what do you think of the idea? Gets the heart racing, does it not?”
Th-they made a world?!
“Locklore wasn’t created until after isekai novels became popular in your world, but small things like time are trivial to the Higher Gods. Locklore already has ten thousand years of history.”
Unbelievable. Thinking about time distortion on that scale made my head hurt, so I cradled it in my hands. A wrinkle of annoyance appeared on Naiarotop’s brow.
Not good, I thought. It’s better if I just go with the flow and act like I understand. I didn’t want to risk getting on Naiarotop’s bad side.
“Yes, that is good. I dislike humans who get too clever,” they said, almost as if reading my mind. “Now then…time for your debut!”
Snapping their fingers, Naiarotop began to warp space around us. Faces of different shapes and sizes appeared, and a cold chill ran up my spine. Some looked like masks—one even looked like a weird copy of a clock—but they were disturbing no matter what form they took. To make matters worse, they were all staring at me.
“Ha ha ha!” Naiarotop laughed, pressing a hand over their mouth before speaking to me quietly, “The gods want to give you the cheat codes so you can run about Locklore however you want! It will be up to you whether you become a hero or a demon king, or even hide your powers and live an easy life. What do you think? The steaming pile you once called your life could never compare to this, right? Ah, you are such a lucky young man!”
Turning to the crowd of faces, they spoke loudly. “Now then! Higher Gods, with your impeccable tastes, I provide you with a new main character! Without your favor, this piece of Earth-spewed trash would surely be reduced to mincemeat in Locklore—a world dominated by magic, swords, and monsters! What shall I give him, aside from the standard skills of Locklorian language and Status Check? And where shall I send him?”
Naiarotop spread their arms and began turning to different parts of the crowd, trying to pitch me as the newest addition to their show.
The Higher Gods’ eyes rolled, and their mouths jabbered. Strange, hurried words in an alien language filled the void around me. I couldn’t do much more than sit there, dumbfounded and overwhelmed by the experience.
“Hmm…you make excellent points! Yes, indeed. I shall ask Kanata what he desires.”
At that moment, the power binding my mouth released. It seemed as if I was now expected to speak.
“Come now, tell me what you’d like! But bear in mind that the game would be boring if it were too easy—I will have to make limitations.” Naiarotop looked at me expectantly.
A thought occurred to me. I knew it would probably make Naiarotop angry, but I had to ask.
“Um. Could I…go home?”
The frantic language of the Higher Gods ceased as soon as I’d said the words, and Naiarotop’s face began to twist horrifically.
“What? Why?!” they demanded, pulling me close and whispering. “My research was flawless. You’re a human with no friends, family, or prospects on Earth. Are you afraid? Don’t worry. I’ll set you up with the powers you need—within reason. Don’t throw away this chance for a comfortable life.”
“L-look…I have a cat. You said that I was alone, but really, Kuromaru is like family to me. He’s my buddy. He helped me pull myself together after I lost my parents.”
Kuromaru was a stray I found abandoned in front of my house. At first, I didn’t want to take him in; I only planned to look after him until I found him a real home. But before I knew it, he’d become like family to me.
I was fairly confident he could get by without me, but…I couldn’t just go off on an adventure to another world without saying goodbye. If anyone understood how sad it was to be left behind, it was me.
Naiarotop’s face twisted further—their eyes, nose, and mouth swirling together and carving strange cavities into their visage. Some of their hair merged with their face in a way that was really unsettling. I gulped. It seemed like their true name wasn’t the only non-human thing about Naiarotop. I was getting an up-close look at their terrifying true form.
“This…this is exactly the kind of reluctant attitude that disappoints me. Get this through your thick skull: learn to read the room.” They grabbed me by the shoulders and gestured to the staring gods that surrounded us. “We want to see you strut about, flaunting human traits like greed and selfishness. I went out of my way to find and uplift a loser like you—and now you’ve embarrassed me. Can you even fathom how much effort went into summoning you? The Higher Gods were eagerly awaiting a new main character in the show, not a refusal from some petulant dweeb. And over what—a cat?! Are you screwing with me?”
Niarotop seemed really upset. But I mean…look, it was their fault for assuming I’d want to come here in the first place.
Naiarotop’s face continued to contort and spiral inward. The color of their face, hair, and clothes bled together as they morphed into a weird green monstrosity that looked more like the gnarled roots of a plant than a human being.
“Aah!” I exclaimed as they reached out to wrap one of their horrible green arms around me.
I tried to struggle, but my body wouldn’t move. My torso was trapped within their inhuman hand’s grasp, and curved talons pierced my back. I thought I was going to die. Terror silenced me as Naiarotop peered at me keenly.
“Actually… No. It’s simple to kill vermin, but the Higher Gods demand entertainment. Let’s make things interesting and give you a chance instead.”
A ch-chance? Am I saved…?
“I had planned to give you some special abilities, but not anymore. I will give you a language skill, and I will grant you the ability to use Status Check. And then…I’ll send you off to Cocytus.
“Come now, cheer up!” Naiarotop continued. “Cocytus is like a hidden dungeon in a game. Inside, you’ll have the opportunity to acquire Locklore’s most powerful items. You’ll also have the opportunity to encounter Locklore’s most powerful monsters.”
A strange circle wrapped in glowing characters of some unknown language appeared, centering itself on me.
“Take a good look, because I don’t think you’re going to live long enough to see many more magic circles,” said Naiarotop, bringing their face close to mine. The human features were almost completely gone, and the void in the center of the spiral stared into me before turning back to the crowd.
“My Masters! I deeply apologize for summoning this substandard offering who has failed to captivate your interest,” they shouted, lifting me up for the Higher Gods to see. “Please enjoy watching Kanata and finding out how long he will survive—and what kind of death he will encounter!
“You could have had it all, you piece of garbage! Have fun in Cocytus, for I doubt we will ever meet again. Space-Time Magic Level 28: Dimension Gate!”
The magic circle began to sparkle. Light washed over me, and the universe began to twist and warp. I blinked, and suddenly I was somewhere I didn’t recognize.
I was in a stone room with somber decorations.
Maybe this is some sort of church?
Along the walls were carvings of demon faces with flames burning in their mouths. The pillars also had carvings, but those looked like humans. Disturbingly, the stone was splattered with dark red stains—probably blood.
“Wh-where am I…?” I mumbled, but I already knew. I was in Cocytus, the most dangerous dungeon in the world of Locklore.