Chapter 19: Master of the Hero and Heavenly Demon (4)

Bi Wol, Verdandi, and I moved further north.

To meet Azazel Blackheart, I judged we needed to meet her sister first.

In Bi Wol's case, we had found her by tracking human traffickers, and with Verdandi, we learned her location through Wolfram.

The probability was high it would be similar this time. Though we had already spent much money and time crossing the Western Regions.

- Dragon! It's a dragon, Master!

- No, that's a wyvern with limbs and wings.

We made fun memories along the way. Bi Wol and Verdandi jumped around shouting like children at a zoo when they saw the wyvern.

- Are these people colored-eyes?

- Senior! You shouldn't refer to elves that way!

There was also a time when Bi Wol unintentionally made a racially discriminatory comment about elves, which Verdandi hastily tried to smooth over.

- It's annoying how you keep saying 'Senior, Senior.' Why don't you use a different title?

- Then I'll call you Bi Wol just like Master does!

When Verdandi almost carelessly used Bi Wol's name, she took it as an insult and unleashed her Heavenly Demon Divine Technique.

- How dare you casually use the name Master gave me?!

- Are you picking a fight?!

The hero drawing her holy sword, and the Heavenly Demon taking a stance to throw a punch. After all, my sect's teachings were rooted in fist techniques.

Like her Heart Demon, Bi Wol using a sword was the Heavenly Demon that appeared at the end of the original novel "The King of the Vajra Fist," so I had her avoid using swords as much as possible, but.

'...Should I buy her a sword later?'

Now the Heart Demon that had been eating away at her heart was gone. Though she became more aggressive in showing affection, like demanding kisses when greeting me.

But it no longer led to endangering others out of jealousy like before.

Things had improved so much that she now relieved stress by sparring with her fellow disciple Verdandi.

- Huff, huff... How can you parry a holy sword with bare hands?! This is cheating!

- You're one to talk, how can someone without internal energy resist demonic energy...?

After dozens of times growling at each other over such trivial matters, they realized their abilities were evenly matched and fought less frequently.

- When Miss Azazel comes, we need to be prepared!

- The Dream Demon race is like succubi, living off the essence of adult men.

Perhaps because they were similar in age, they later showed signs of bonding and working together.

Though it was unsettling how they whispered about things while discussing Azazel, whom I hadn't yet accepted as a disciple.

'Azazel is certainly dangerous. Maybe I was lucky with Verdandi and Bi Wol.'

Their instincts weren't wrong.

In the original work, Azazel was a character who turned evil after losing the protagonist she secretly loved to her twin sister.

The final boss who contracted with Outer Gods for love and tormented the novel's protagonist while seeing the future.

That was the true identity of the girl called Azazel Blackheart.

"Is this... the Street of Dream Demons!"

"It's so different from what I imagined. Master, is this really the place?"

Our group raised their voices in confusion while looking around. As they said, the Street of Dream Demons was a place where gentlemen in suits and dresses walked around.

"Yes, human desires are most frightening when wrapped in goodwill like this."

I quietly pierced through passing people with qi sense. Those living while hiding their demon horns and tails were all succubi or incubi.

"By the way, they show up as evil! What should we do, Master!"

To Verdandi, who immediately put her hand to her chest to draw her holy sword, I shook my head to signal her not to.

"Don't draw your sword here. Not until we meet your sister disciple."

It would be madness to express intent to fight in the middle of enemy territory. Even more so to fight Dream Demons without proper mental defense magic or countermeasures.

"Master, then where should we go?"

"Originally, we should go to the monastery here, but..."

In the original work, after being betrayed by her sister, Azazel shut herself in the monastery and tried to contract with Outer Gods.

However,

"Let's think about it over a meal first. Has anyone had any nightmares recently?"

As if fate was blocking us from meeting no matter what we tried.

Like with Bi Wol and Verdandi's examples, we would need someone who could guide us to meet Azazel.

My prediction was that it would be the person most closely connected to the original story's flow.

"Nightmares...?"

"How can nightmares help with meals?"

Because at "Heaven's Dream," run by Azazel's twin sister Gabriel, they cooked using people's nightmares as seasoning.

* * *

Past a small alley, in a street full of countless restaurants, there was a shop with impressive gold-plated doors.

The name of this restaurant, with an appearance that seemed out of place in the Street of Dream Demons, where winged men and women served drinks and food, was:

"Welcome to Heaven's Dream!"

This was the Heaven's Dream I had mentioned to the group earlier. I looked around searching for a pink-haired succubus.

Since Azazel's sister Gabriel also had pink hair and wings near her waist like her.

"The women's clothes here are too lewd! Master, please cover your eyes quickly...!"

Suddenly my vision went dark, and Bi Wol's flustered voice came from behind me.

Her small hands were drenched in sweat. Indeed, the clothing here was quite revealing for children to see.

Like clothes worn by heaven's angels, just a few scraps of fabric were all that covered their bodies.

"It's amazing! No matter where I look, their clothes don't fall off!"

In complete contrast, Verdandi looked around with an excited voice. Having received an oracle from the Main God, she showed interest in this place that embodied heaven.

"Customers, what dream would you like to order?"

Just then, a succubus walked toward us. She was a woman with narrow eyes and distinctive small angel wings on her back.

"I'll have a lamb steak based on childhood nightmares, sprinkled with spicy despair, and a spoonful of sweet love."

I ordered a special menu item only available at this shop. This order was dialogue from the original "Possessed by an Idle Game."

Originally, it was a setting I had added thinking I would use it if my web novel became a game and collaborated with cafes or fast food restaurants.

"...Yes! Then adventurer, I'll let you taste a moment of heaven!"

In the original work, saying this order meant you had business with the succubus waitress, indicating you would pay with your dreams in exchange for information.

"For these children, please make sandwiches based on their recent nightmares, with two spoonfuls of sweet future imagination, and finished with a sprinkle of pure first love."

I spoke for Bi Wol and Verdandi, whose stomachs were growling. Unlike what I had ordered earlier, this was actually edible food.

'...Well, eating food in dreams will be a unique experience.'

It would be a special experience for my disciples who had recently been crossing the line with their displays of affection.

They would dream of falling in first love with someone kinder and better than me, and satisfy their hunger within that dream.

"What kind of dish is that? Making sandwiches based on dreams! It's food I can't even imagine!"

"You'll understand when you eat it. I'm being generous for your sake."

I nodded to Gabriel to indicate my request. After my disciples fell asleep, I had things to discuss with her.

* * *

Several dozen minutes passed as Bi Wol and Verdandi munched on their sandwiches with both hands full.

"Snore..."

Verdandi immediately rested her head on the pillow placed below. The blonde-haired hero began appearing before my eyes, sleeping face-down on the table with light snores.

"Mustn't... fall asleep..."

Unlike Verdandi, Bi Wol's head nodded up and down as she struggled desperately against the approaching drowsiness.

She even tried circulation and breathing techniques to expel the energy within her body.

"Sleep comfortably. The charm of this shop lies in what happens in dreams."

"Master..."

I gently stroked Bi Wol's hair making rustling sounds, telling her it was okay to sleep.

This was something I often did when she first stayed at my sect and said she couldn't sleep.

"Master... love you..."

Snooze snooze. Bi Wol, who had somehow snuggled into my arms, wore an angelic smile as she slept.

Having succeeded in putting everyone else to sleep, I asked the staff to take them to rooms with soft beds.

They had already received nightmares as payment, so they wouldn't do anything impure like stealing others' essence.

I had written the setting that in the Street of Dream Demons, they would only play with fire a little to recreate perfect first loves, as their heads would fly if they acted carelessly.

"You were looking for me?"

Since succubi and incubi cannot dream like humans, this street formed a culinary style of entering others' dreams to share their experiences.

That was the hidden truth of the place called the Street of Dream Demons.

"...Gabriel Blackheart."

I spoke while carefully examining her appearance.

She was a woman so eerily similar to Azazel as I had described in the original work that the only difference was her hair braided to one side.

"My, I didn't expect you to know my name. Did you come recommended by another Dream Demon? Even so, I personally don't purchase men's essence..."

"...Do I look like that kind of person?"

"Huhu, aren't you? I can tell just from your scent that you live an ascetic life."

Gabriel came closer while lightly sniffing. Her characteristic pink eyes peeked through narrowed lids as she exhaled hot breath.

"I came to talk, Gabriel."

"While giving off such a stimulating virgin scent of 20 years that excites Dream Demons...?"

"Yes."

I denied her statement while firmly pushing her face away with my palm.

"How disappointing, if you had seduced me a little more, I might have changed my mind..."

Among succubi, the highest value is placed on purity and innocence.

That's why the phrase 'Looking for a man who's never had a girlfriend!' wasn't just a joke - they were obsessed with first loves and all first experiences.

This was also why the Dream Demons here entered humans' dreams for vicarious satisfaction.

"I know you have a younger sister named Azazel Blackheart, Gabriel."

"Why are you suddenly mentioning my sister's name...?"

I took a breath while preparing what to say to Gabriel. Specifically, about the cause of Azazel's corruption in the original work.

"Didn't you steal the man she was secretly in love with?"

What's commonly called NTR in vulgar terms - taking someone's loved one by making the first move.

"...My, you're quite an interesting person, aren't you?"

As soon as I mentioned those words, Gabriel grinned as if excited.