CH 53

Chapter 53

When Peaceful Times Cease To Exist : Beginner's Dungeon, Part 0 — The Last Moments Of Some Girl

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

The girl was hungry. She had not eaten anything for a long time. Who was it that said the world was at peace? Who was it that said everyone was getting richer? But the girl’s life did not improve at all.

＊＊＊

It seems that she had a『home』before the girl was born. The person who was rifling through the leftovers with her, holding the girl’s hand, told her. And that’s our mother dying over there, he said. Apparently, he is the girl’s『brother.』She don’t know what『mother』or『death』is, but at any rate, the girl understood what『brother』was all about. He’s the one who tells her how to get her stomach growling. At any rate, she can eat dinner with her『brother.』That alone was enough for the girl.

——There have been many hot days recently.

At first, some of them shared the rice. But lately, they can’t get rice well. The amount of rice being passed around to the girl was gradually decreasing. But the girl was told that it couldn’t be helped because she was the smallest of them all. But the girl has no idea what it means. What does『small』mean? At any rate, the girl’s stomach is not swollen.

「Apparently the mayor intends to run the vagrants out of town.」

One day someone said something like that. To strengthen the city’s sanitation by ensuring that leftover food is disposed of properly. Then the vagrants, having run out of food, would naturally reduce their numbers, said. But the girl has no idea what it means. Her『brother』is worrying about his food next to her. The girl did not want to be hungry.

But the『brother』shared the small amount of rice with the girl. Her『brother』gets less and less energetic by the day. But the girl’s stomach didn’t growl.

「It’s my job to protect my sister.」

Her『brother』used to beat his chest and tell the girl all the time. The girl thinks that『sister』probably means her. Other than that, however, the girl is not sure. What is『protecting』and『role?』As usual, the girl’s stomach is not expanding.

＊＊＊

——Recently, there have been many cooler days.

「They say they actively drive vagrants out of the area.」

Someone also said. They said they are willing to punish on the spot if necessary. What does it mean to『kick out?』The girl did not know what it meant, but the girl saw that her『brother』was very pale, more so than usual.

One day she went out to eat and someone with a stick was chasing her. Her『brother』quickly grabbed the girls in his arms, but regardless, everyone beat them repeatedly with sticks. The girl was not in much pain, but her『brother,』who had shed a lot of red stuff, did not move much from that day on.

「Ouch, ouch… my sister, I need to get a doctor…」

Her『brother』said so. But the girl had no idea what he was talking about. What is『doctor』and『call?』

After a while, her『brother』stopped moving. The girl shook, hit, and punched him, but he didn’t move. The girl did not know what to do. Because it was always her『brother』who decided what to do. So there is only one thing a girl can think of or do.

「…Can I eat it?」

After a few moments, screams could be heard from all around. The girl was dragged away and thrown outside.

「You, what have you done to your own brother?」

「Are you still a human being!?」

「She’s crazy, this girl!!!」

「You creepy little brat, don’t you ever come near us again!」

But the girl doesn’t know what they were talking about.

「(I’m only ×××× for things that don’t work. That’s all I could do.)」

After all, the girl’s stomach didn’t growl.

「Why is everyone getting in my way?」

The girl could not understand. And the girl moved away from the thing that was her『brother.』

——It’s been cold these days.

The girl recently got the hang of it. Topmost part in something—— If she had had the words, she would have been able to describe it as a head—— If she keep hitting them, the ones that were moving will stop moving.

「(It is hard and stops working as soon as I do it. If it doesn’t move, ××× is fine. That’s all I know.)」

Because the girl always saw her『brother』do it. But her『brother』only caught the small ones.

「(I wonder why? The bigger they are, the more they fill you up…)」

Her brother had killed a small little animal. But the girl’s unoccupied desire and her simple thinking moved the object to something bigger and bigger. It didn’t take long before her target was soon shifted to a human being.

The girl did not understand. Besides, it was cold outside, so she thought the red liquid would be nice and warm. When she put it over her head, that alone made her happy. She felt like there was that kind of warmth when her『brother』was around.

But lately they all ran away when they saw the girl. The girl was already beginning to become famous throughout the city. Adults could not believe their ears at first, but as more and more witnesses came forward, warnings began to be issued throughout the city. But the girl would never know such a thing.

「(I feel like I am always being chased. I wonder why?)」

The girl is distressed but does not know why. But her reflection in the mirror of a passing house was so stained red from head to toe with blood that it was difficult to find a part of her that was not red. In fact, her blood should have dried and turned black, but she was so thirsty that she had just bit down on the whistle of a woman who was walking leisurely in the area. So the body was stained a deep red, and red footprints were painted on the ground endlessly.

「Which way did that monster run?」

「Don’t tolerate her just because she looks like a child.」

「They say you can slay her as soon as you find her.」

「Last time I was in a graveyard——」

「Zella’s kid next door was less than a year old——」

「Last time I was here, it was a guard dog for a florist——」

Still, the girl did not know why she was being chased.

「(Even though I’m not ×××× as hungry as I’d like to be…)」

The girl did not know why. After much deliberation, she thought that everyone was angry because she was the only one feasting, so she offered the prey she had killed to the others on the way to the ××××, but everyone present screamed and ran away at the same time. But how it happened, the girl did not know.

＊＊＊

One day the girl was suddenly hit from behind. Her head hurts and there is some kind of red stuff flowing all over. And there were more and more people hitting the girl. The girl screamed as hard as she could, but no one stopped until she stopped twitching.

「This is how we’re going to avenge that girl…」

「I guess I can sleep calmly from now on.」

「What an absolutely outrageous kid!」

「No, it’s the devil. I can’t believe she would ×××× a human being…」

「How could such a child…」

The city’s residents had no idea why the girl kept killing. But even the girl did not know why. No one, because nothing was finally taught to the girl. She was never taught ethics, morals, until she finally died. She just moved according to one demand. It’s called『appetite.』

＊＊＊

From that day on, the girl was free to move around. When she look at herself closely, she saw that she was flying in the air in a fluffy manner. Walls can also be slipped through. But no one notices the girl, and she can’t touch anyone either.

「(I’m so hungry, and yet…)」

How could the girl’s stomach be filled? The girl had no idea anymore.

——Eventually warm days will come, then hot, then cold again. How many times have she repeated that?

The girl is still hungry. Still, she doesn’t touch anyone. The girl still does not know what to do. One day, then.

「Heh— you, it’s a big deal to be such a kid and become an evil spirit. You doesn’t seem to have the power as an evil spirit yet.」

A boy smirks at the girl. It’s bigger than her『brother.』It was the first time an entity had been able to talk to the girl.

「Is there something you’d like to do? I can help you if you want me to.」

The girl thought for a moment, but realized that there was only one thing to think about anyway.

「………I want to eat as much as I can………」

Upon hearing these words, the boy grinned and smiled a crooked smile.

「Then, I’ll take you to someone who might be able to do it!」

＊＊＊

She don’t know how long after that, the girl found herself back where she started. The girl could no longer fly or slip through walls, but now she could touch all sorts of things.

I suddenly saw a person at the edge of the girl’s field of vision and approached her, but the person looked rather small. The girl wondered why the man was so big, even though he was an『adult』and should have been bigger than her. At that moment,

「Hie… Nooooo!!!」

「W–What the!? It’s the monster!」

「Uwaah~! Help me~!」

「Someone call the neighborhood watch!」

For some reason, the little people are running away. But the girl doesn’t understand. She tried to catch one for now, but after a slight touch, it blew up and stopped twitching. I don’t know, but I’m going to follow my instincts and try to ×××× it out.

「W–What the hell is that monster…? Let’s ×××× the humans!」

「R–Run away!」

My stomach doesn’t growl at all. Why is that?

「Ah, I see. I’m getting bigger, I don’t have enough.」

The girl grabs people at random and x’s them out. After a while, people with swords and spears slashed at the girl, but this time it didn’t hurt at all. No longer do she have to cower under the beating. And if the girl nudges them a little, they all blow away like rolling pebbles. The girl was very interested, but when they realized that they could not beat the girl, they all quickly ran away.

There are a lot of things that stopped working later.

「Already finished? Boring… But can I ×××× a lot anyway?」

She try to ×××× things that have stopped moving one after another. This time there is no one to stop her. No matter how much she ××××, they don’t get angry, she don’t get punched, she don’t have to be reserved… How fun it was!?

The girl begins to xxx at random, regardless of whether the object has stopped moving, or even if it is moving. And the boy gazes happily at the devastation as his surroundings are filled with blood and screams.

「How’s it going? Are you satisfied?」

The boy asked curiously. The girl thought for a moment and answered honestly.

「……Not even close……」

The boy rolled his eyes at first when he heard the answer, but after a while he began to belly laugh.

「Puh, kukuku… ahahahahaha! You are a very interesting fellow!」

After a round of laughter, the boy continues.

「Ah— it was very fun. I like you so much I’m going to make you my employee. And I like girls! Well, what’s the point of being skinny… Women are more important than their looks, whether they are interesting to be with or not. By the way, do you have a name?」

The girl shook her head shakily. Come to think of it, no one had given the girl a name.

「I see. How about『Man Eater』then?」

「I don’t know about that, but can I have lots of food?」

「Sure! Until you’re satisfied, then… kukuku, a–hahahaha!」

「…What is your name?」

「Yeah, my name is? I am called Doom!」

And the girl was to follow the boy. She was sure this person was her new『older brother.』

More importantly. She don’t have to hold back anymore, her stomach may be full. It was enough for the girl to think so.