Chapter 1: That's When My Life Went Wrong

The cause of my death was simple.

A building collapse. The studio apartment where I lived crumbled while I was playing games.

The rent wasn't even that cheap, who would've thought it was built so poorly? I wanted to sue the construction company for their shoddy work, but that never happened.

My head got smashed like tofu before I could.

[GAME OVER!]

The monitor flickered before my eyes one last time, and then I lost my life.

But apparently that wasn't my complete end.

"Ack!"

"Oh! Are you okay, Yor?"

I was reborn in some strange medieval era.

In a fantasy world of swords and magic, as an orphan named Yor at an orphanage.

But this world had another peculiarity besides that.

"Ugh... yes, I'm fine."

"You need to be more careful. What are you doing running around so recklessly, young man?"

Namely, that gender roles were completely reversed.

Here, women did most of the physical labor, and women dominated the higher ranks of society.

"Ahaha, yes..."

It's not like men were reduced to just doing dishes at home, but many things had definitely changed.

From what I could tell, even moral standards around chastity seemed to have flipped.

While it was a world that felt quite alien, it wasn't particularly uncomfortable.

The stuffy atmosphere at the orphanage was a bit stifling, but at least people were kind. Though I didn't have any close friends, I generally got along well with everyone.

If nothing had happened when I turned 10, I probably would have lived an ordinary life.

My life completely changed on June 6th, my 10th birthday. In this world, they conduct a peculiar test when children turn 10 years old.

They blast divine power into children's bodies to check for abnormalities. In this world, everyone has a chance of manifesting a harmful trait called "Demon's Blood" when they turn 10.

"Wait, this mark...?"

"Ah, a demon! It's a demon!"

And this time's winner was me.

When they infused the divine power, a dark red tattoo appeared on my right collarbone.

The ominous horns of a demon. Proof that I was born with Demon's Blood. Come to think of it, this setting sounded familiar.

Not just because it was cliché, but because there was a game I'd played that had this exact setting.

[Demons Saga]

The game I was playing right before I died in my previous life. An online RPG where the goal was to hunt down demons scattered throughout the world.

'Well shit...'

The gender reversal had thrown me off, but I'd actually landed in a world identical to Demons Saga.

Right, Demon's Blood. While it might sound like some chuunibyou nonsense, that one bit of chuunibyou nonsense sent my life straight to hell.

"Damn it, to think we were raising a demon's spawn!"

"Take it away immediately! Who knows when it might go berserk!"

"I'm sorry, Yor. But there's nothing we can do..."

Those who manifest Demon's Blood are considered dangerous elements by their very existence. No one knows when they might lose their minds and go on a rampage.

Moreover, since Demon's Blood manifestors are living weapons in themselves, they required special caution.

The medieval people tried to resolve this through a convenient and barbaric method.

"Send it to the execution grounds at once!"

"Purify the evil blood!"

That method was executing 10-year-old children.

If you ignore the ethical issues, it's quite a convenient way to eliminate potential threats.

Thanks to that, I ended up locked in the Empire's dark underground prison.

Along with the unfortunate fact that I would soon be executed.

During my escort to prison, I saw countless gazes.

Citizens looking at me with disgust, knights with annoyed expressions. There were occasional sympathetic glances too, but those were the minority.

No one objected to my death.

...However, there were two things they didn't know.

First, that the iron bars were spaced just wide enough for me to squeeze through.

Second, that my blood had already progressed quite far in its manifestation.

When Demon's Blood manifests, it seems to enhance basic physical abilities including regeneration and strength.

After a few attempts, I could break the iron chains binding my hands and feet. Though the process involved my wrists and palms getting scraped and healing several times... but that was a minor issue.

A small price to pay compared to the value of my life.

Anyway, after that I ran away.

Evading the guards watching me, the citizens who despised me, the Empire trying to kill me.

While I was on the run, bounties were posted, and I could hear rumors about me spreading among people. I saw search parties armed with swords and bows.

Still, after running frantically, I somehow managed to escape the Empire. I could see vast plains stretching out with not a soul in sight.

Once away from the threat, sudden sorrow welled up.

'...Why.'

Why did I have to go through this?

What crime did I commit to deserve being hunted like this?

No, was there even a crime to begin with?

There was.

Being born with Demon's Blood was the crime.

According to their logic, I was a criminal from birth, and my offense was revealed when I turned 10.

And this crime was a capital offense throughout the entire world. One worthy of execution.

"Hic... sob..."

Tears welled up from the misery, but I couldn't stop walking. If I stayed here, the pursuit squad would catch up and capture me.

'I want to live.'

I wanted to live. Though the situation seemed hopeless, I wanted to live.

As I walked endlessly, I asked myself:

'Where should I go?'

The Empire was obviously out. I'd be executed the moment I showed up.

Other countries were impossible too. And I couldn't quietly live in some remote village either.

The horn mark on my collarbone would follow me like a brand. I'd surely be discovered quickly and executed by the knights.

In other words, I couldn't survive anywhere with civilization.

So where?

Where should I go?

"Ah."

After walking like that for a while, I suddenly spotted a forest. But not just any forest.

It was a restricted zone teeming with beasts and monsters corrupted by demonic power. In the game, this was probably a high-level hunting ground.

Though it was a place no one visited due to its complex paths, that made it perfect for me.

I heard the monsters near the entrance were weak, so I could probably manage to hide and survive somehow.

After walking and thinking for so long, I got hungry. I craved something sweet.

I wanted the strawberry jam pastry they used to sell near the orphanage.

Of course, there was no way to eat that now. And probably never would be for the rest of my life.

Swallowing my constantly flowing tears, I entered the forest...

*

...A long time has passed since then.

"Damn, no matter what I do, this venison still stinks."

Though it was tough at first, this forest turned out to be quite livable.

The winding paths became familiar over time, and though crude, I could manage proper nutrition.

There were well-placed water sources like lakes scattered about, and if you looked carefully, you could find decent places to sleep.

Monsters were my biggest worry, but they turned out to be manageable too. Well, more accurately, they became manageable over time.

Though it dragged my life down to rock bottom, Demon's Blood granted considerable power.

Besides simple physical enhancements, it also gifted me with various unique abilities.

Now I'm a strange person who can freely move and solidify my blood. Except for some monster-like beings deep in the forest, I basically had no equals.

Though I feel a bit suicidal every month when Rage Mode A and B trigger, Demon's Blood is surprisingly controllable.

In short, it's livable.

There are some inconveniences, but nothing that seriously impacts survival.

Thanks to that, I've managed to keep this stubborn life going for 12 years now.

Is that right? Being in the forest all the time makes my sense of dates a bit hazy.

"...Still edible though."

The biggest inconvenience is loneliness.

Crackle- Crackle-

The campfire lit to cook meat brightens the cave.

Sometimes in this narrow cave, I feel bone-deep solitude.

People often call humans social animals.

Humans don't exist as mere individuals, but constantly confirm their existence through others.

The desire to interact with others is encoded in our genes, not our reason.

But 12 years have passed without any meaningful conversation with people. During that time, loneliness snowballed and occasionally tormented me.

Come to think of it, this is supposed to be a gender-reversed world, but why don't I seem to get any benefits from that?

I can't just randomly chat with people who come by either...

Once again today, I mutter an impossible wish.

"...I want to make friends too."

The echo that returned was just empty.

*

[Open Beta Service Ended!]

[Otherworlders will now visit!]

[Acquired trait 'Player's Eye'!]

"...Huh?"

These strange system windows appeared before my eyes a few days later.