I’m the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 57

A jetting fountain of blood, an old man rolling on the floor, a man with his mouth slightly open looking at the elder in confusion, and Lian bound and considering whether or not to call Gargandoa while watching the fountain of blood.

The chaos was unparalleled.

“Uugh, ughh…”

Despite his age, Bansook had been in excellent physical condition. He had always received the best medical attention from top healers, priests, and mages whenever his body was off, maintaining him in the best of health. That’s why such horrendous pain was unfamiliar to him.

‘Tsk tsk, should’ve been more careful.’

Lian clicked his tongue internally, looking at Bansook with a gaze full of pity. The fact that Bansook was groaning and rolling on the floor was all due to Lian’s comedic filter.

In the world of comedy, old men were beings who could throw out their backs with just a little overexertion, especially when doing strenuous work.

Even a body pampered and maintained with money suffered equally under the comedic filter. Lian looked at Bansook for a moment before his gaze shifted to the man looking bewildered at the elder.

“Excuse me, how long do I have to stay here?”

His tone was too calm for someone whose thigh wouldn’t stop bleeding. The man had been mentally broken by Bansook’s numerous tortures into a well-behaved dog, but his instincts remained intact.

In front of this bizarre and incomprehensible scene, the man was frozen, unable to utter a word.

***

‘Hmm…what to do?’

I was momentarily lost in thought. It didn’t seem likely that the elder in front of me would gather himself and untie me. Nor did the man who was zoned out appear to be of any help.

The image of Iris waiting for me flickered before my eyes.

‘Right, there’s an elderly person collapsed on the floor; I should offer some help.’

I decided to use that excuse to free myself. Internally calling Gargandoa, my forearm started to glow with a dark red light as blood spurted out. My wrists were tied, but there was no problem grasping something with my hands.

Squelch.

The sound of moisture trickling could be heard, and suddenly, I held a knife suitable for dining.

[ Eh? Partner, why are you in such a state -…wait, wait…! ]

Gargandoa, having questioned my bound state, suddenly bellowed and detached from my hand, floating in mid-air.

[ Eek, eek?! What is this, partner! Don’t tell me you’ve made a contract with another Demon Sword in my absence? That’s double contracting! It’s a crime! Fraud! ]

He seemed shocked as if he had received a blow, finding another blade in the place he had been sheathed.

‘Never mind that, just cut me loose.’

[ Such audacity! Don’t you realize how important this is? Partner and I are bound by contract. Your blood is all mine! And yet, without discussing with me, you’ve given my blood to this…this stranger! ]

I sighed heavily at Gargandoa’s ridiculous tantrum.

‘It’s not like that. I didn’t want to stick that sword there either. Besides, that’s not even a Demon Sword. It can’t absorb blood.’

[ What? What do you mean… ]

Gargandoa, who had been too excited to observe the surroundings properly, stuttered and moved closer to my thigh.

[ Hmm, hum… Indeed, this is nothing but a shoddy sword that can be found anywhere! ]

His voice sounded much lighter, as if his mood had improved.

[ Even so, it’s still offensive that it coveted the blood of my partner! ]

‘Just pull it out and sever these ties.’

[ Hmph, if that’s the case, I’ll help! ]

Gargandoa swiftly sliced through the belts securing my wrists, ankles, and waist.

Snap.

I was free. Then Gargandoa urged me to remove the pathetic sword from my body. Not wanting to keep such a thing embedded in me, I grabbed the handle and pulled it out.

Woosh!

Once again, blood started to spurt out. I heard Gargandoa inhale sharply.

Swirl.

The blood that had flowed and now spurted was absorbed by Gargandoa in mid-air. The clean stream of blood looked unexpectedly beautiful.

Greedy for the blood, Gargandoa transformed into a size similar to the pulled-out sword and plunged into the wound.

“Ouch, what are you doing?”

The sensation was like the slight sting of a finger pricked by a needle. I looked at Gargandoa who was slurping up the blood.

[ Ahem, leaving the wound as it is would be dangerous, wouldn’t it? I’m just acting as a bandage! ]

‘There are other techniques. Like a transparent cover…’

[ That… Did I have such a thing? ]

If Gargandoa had eyes, they would be rolling wildly. Not wanting to argue any further, I decided to leave it as it was.

When I got up, I met the eyes of the elder who was just managing to sit up.

“You, you…!”

I extended my hand towards Bansook, partly considering it was my fault that he hurt his back. But Bansook clenched his teeth, trying to shout something.

“You…! Ahhuk…”

Shouting made his back hurt worse, and Bansook’s face contorted in pain. Handling old people carelessly could make their injuries worse.

At such times, it was better to seek someone else’s help rather than getting involved directly. I withdrew my extended hand.

“Maybe we should help the grandfather here, he seems to be in a lot of pain?”

“…?!”

As I spoke to the man who was still rigidly standing by, his face colored with the same confusion as before. Bansook, displeased by the sight, ordered in a low voice.

“Come here and support me!”

Only after Bansook’s command did the man rush to help the elder stand up. Despite the remaining back pain, Bansook stood up with tears brimming in his eyes.

He scowled at Lian, now free, and clattered his teeth together.

“I’ll make sure to repay you for today’s humiliation…”

With a line like a departing villain, Bansook exited the room with the man’s assistance. Left alone, Lian scratched his head and decided to follow them out.

Click.

“…Oh?”

But the door was locked. I considered for a moment before speaking to Gargandoa.

“Gargandoa, can you change your form for a moment?”

[I’m quite busy.]
“Are you going to skip dinner if you keep this up?”
[Kuk… It’s not about eating!]

Yet, as he emerged from my thigh, it seemed he didn’t want to miss dinner after all.

I conveyed my will to Gargandoa, asking it to transform into the necessary shape.

Swoosh.

Gargandoa took on the form of a long piece of wire. It was a magical key capable of opening any door.

***

While Lian was struggling in Bansook’s prison, Iris was fidgeting anxiously.

‘Lian, when will you come?’

She murmured the words she couldn’t speak aloud, rising from the sofa and heading towards the room she shared with Lian. Opening the wardrobe with a clunk, she gathered Lian’s neatly folded clothes and headed to the bed.

Like a bird nesting, Iris cradled Lian’s garments and rubbed her face against them. She wanted to see him, to rush out and find him right away.

But she couldn’t.

‘He told me to wait. To take good care of the house.’

So she couldn’t. No matter how much she wanted to see him, she had to endure. Iris clung to Lian as a lifeline to endure the cruel situation. She decided that everything he said must be right, and she must follow it.

That’s why, no matter how much she wanted to see him, she was powerless.

‘Lian, Lian…’

Iris closed her eyes and visualized Lian in her mind. He seemed within reach yet always on the verge of turning to dust and disappearing.

For some reason, this thought made Iris anxious.

As she conjured up Lian’s image, other memories related to him began to surface — the scent of blood faintly detectable even when he returned from matches without a scratch, the small scars that increased whenever she stepped away, his dismissive attitude even when he cut his hand or was hurt in some way.

Iris remembered Lian’s hand, which healed so quickly that no trace of the wound remained.

How carelessly must he have treated his body, which healed so quickly? How many cuts and blood…

Her thoughts, one leading to another, suddenly snapped.

‘Lian, Lian told me to wait. To take good care of the house.’

Iris erased the thoughts that dragged her into the abyss and repeatedly summoned the tender voice of Lian in her mind.

…Otherwise, she felt she might collapse at any moment.

Click.

“…!”

Just then, she heard the sound of the front door opening. Iris’s eyes widened as she leapt up from the bed and headed towards the entrance.

“Iris, I’m out.”

The gentle voice she had been longing for in her mind now echoed in her ears, along with the smell of blood numbing her nostrils. The faint smile that had been on her face slowly solidified.

“Sorry, it took longer than I thought.”

Lian stood there, covered in blood, smiling as if it was nothing.