Marik and his group had willingly gone the extra mile for Rishir, the noble who had won their favor.

Setting up the cumbersome tent, something they typically avoided unless the weather was unbearable, they had made an exception for Rishir’s comfort.

"Should we set one up for you two as well?"  
The offer was begrudgingly made, without the enthusiasm shown when it came to Rishir. The apparent annoyance in their tone had piqued Pien and Eron’s pride, leading them to refuse.  
Thus, there was only one tent at the campsite, and it stood as a small luxury.

“…”

Pien, by mere luck, ended up being the sole beneficiary of this luxury, as Rishir had volunteered to stand watch, leaving the tent for her.

When Rishir had offered the tent, Pien had felt some anticipation, spurred by how much Marik and his group had fussed over setting it up as if it were a palace.  
That hope, however, was soon dashed.

“This is infuriating.”

She sat up with an irritated huff.  
The makeshift bed of old blankets only succeeded in transmitting the full texture of the ground beneath, with little stones poking into her back.  
The sleeping bag she had discarded earlier in disgust smelled like an old rag, and now, she regretted tossing it aside.

“My head hurts…”

The tent was suffocating, filled with the damp, musty smell from the discarded sleeping bag. She realized now that she should have thrown it outside, not into the corner of the tent.  
But, then again, maybe it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.  
That unpleasant odor was embedded in everything the tent was made of.

Expecting some kind of surprise from a tent that looked so shabby had been a mistake.

So, what now? Sleep on the ground like everyone else?

"That’s ridiculous."

Pien was a special being.  
Not because she felt that way and acted accordingly, but because others saw her as such and treated her accordingly.  
Since she became aware of her exceptional status, she had lived her life basking in special treatment.

Need to travel? One glance from her was all it took.  
Merchants leading large caravans were more than happy to let her join.  
They offered her the best seats, the finest meals, the most comfortable beds—grateful for the chance to show her favor.

That had been Pien’s life. Sleeping outdoors? Unthinkable.

This whole journey had been like that.

"Is the carriage always this bumpy?"  
"My rear hurts. Can’t you at least give me a cushion?"  
"What do you mean there aren’t any cushions? It’s just a cushion!"

"What is this for dinner?"  
"I thought this was horse feed."

"And where do we bathe?"  
"What do you mean you don’t know? You don’t bathe on the road?"  
"...You mean not until we reach our destination?"

Now, adding insult to injury, came this horrid place to sleep.

"Ugh, seriously!"  
She tugged at her long white hair in frustration.

‘Why am I even in this situation?’  
Everything was because of that man.

Even now, the memory made her shudder in helpless rage.  
She had approached that worthless bastard of a Vendell heir, planning to use him to seize control, expand her influence—but he turned out to possess some inexplicable power that rendered her primordial strength useless.  
It was absurdly unfair.

Normally, such humiliation was unimaginable for her. She didn’t even want to think about it.

If she could turn back time, she would never have approached Rishir—  
No, that wouldn’t be enough.  
Just fixing that mistake wouldn’t erase the shame of what happened.

She still vividly remembered it.  
That moment of utter humiliation.

When her primordial powers had been rendered powerless, she had thought she’d lost everything. To regain it, she had cast aside her pride entirely.  
She had offered herself—something everyone desired, but no one had ever been given.

And in return?  
She had been treated like a child.

“What did I do wrong? Why was closing my eyes and leaning in for a kiss so strange!? Isn’t that how it’s supposed to go!? Why was I treated like a kid!?”

Pien thrashed on the ground, flailing her slender limbs.  
In some circles, such behavior would be known as a "blanket kick" moment—born of mortifying regret.

After a few more moments of venting her frustration on the blankets, Pien muttered bitterly.

"I hate him…"

She meant it.  
She hated how he failed to see her specialness, hated how he treated her like a child with no rhyme or reason.

As she fumed over Rishir’s flaws, a memory surfaced in her mind.

She remembered the moment he had extended a hand to help her up, wiping away the dust and tears with a handkerchief.

“…”

Pien’s once-angry eyes now held a different kind of emotion.

At that moment, he had worn the same expression.  
‘Even knowing I was a primordial being. Even knowing I had lost my powers.’

It was a thought that had plagued her since that day.  
What would happen if, one day, the primordial power she possessed suddenly disappeared for good?

Before, she couldn’t even imagine such a scenario.  
But now, when she did, the first person that came to mind was Rishir.

She couldn’t help but wonder—if she truly lost everything, would he still treat her the same?

"Annoying…"  

And so, Pien couldn’t get him out of her head.  
That annoying man kept occupying her thoughts, keeping her from sleeping.

"…"

As her eyes drifted to the outside of the tent, something in her demeanor shifted.

Gone was the lively young girl, replaced by the cold, calculating gaze of a primordial being.

Pien stood and quietly stepped out of the tent.

Marik’s group and the coachman were near the campfire, engaged in a grotesque struggle.  
They had lost their senses, fighting fiercely as they sought to satisfy their carnal desires.  
They looked more like beasts than humans.

"That vile creature… he really went and caused a mess."

Pien muttered under her breath, recalling the name of the one responsible—Eron.

Marik and his group suddenly stopped, turning their gazes to Pien.

"White woman…"  
"Rishir’s bodyguard…"

They crawled toward her on all fours, drooling, panting heavily with lust.  
Like wild animals.

Pien’s expression twisted in disgust.  
She raised her arm, preparing to unleash a power that no weak-willed human could withstand.

But then—

"Ah."

Pien lowered her arm, as if something had crossed her mind.  
Marik, now fully animalistic, lunged at her.

"Female…! White woman!!!"

Marik’s bloodshot eyes stared at her as he tried to tear off her clothes.  
Pien gently placed a hand on his head.

"...!"

The beast’s eyes widened, and a glimmer of light returned to them.  
Pien repeated the process with the others, one by one.

The beasts reverted to humans.  
The humans went back to their places, returning to sleep.  

They wouldn’t remember having become beasts.  
They wouldn’t remember what they had done while under the influence.

Such was the grace of a superior being with an innate talent for mental magic.

"Hmhm…"

The primordial being laughed softly, already having resumed her guise as a young girl.

She began walking toward where Rishir was standing watch, eager to see how he would react to what had just occurred.

──────────  
[Your actions have had an impact.]  

▷ Target has learned a new skill.  
▷ Target: Pien  
▷ Skill: Primordial Mercy [Blessing (High)]  
──────────  
──────────  
[Your influence has reached a critical threshold.]  
[The corresponding reward has been issued.]  
──────────  

──────────  
■Rishir  
Level: 13  
──────────  

"...What exactly is going on here?"

Pien arrived at the spot where Rishir stood on watch.  
But the scene before her caused her to forget her original intent.

"It might not look like it, but that woman… that’s still Eron."  
"...A woman?"

The Eron Pien remembered had been a creature hiding behind a thin mask of deception, using vile powers to ensnare humans.  
But the person in front of her now—  
A naked woman, trembling on the ground, looking at Rishir with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

This was no fiend.  
Just a terrified, ordinary girl.

"...What exactly is going on here?"  

Pien tore her gaze away from Eron and looked at Rishir.  

"It might not look like it, but this man… he’s still a bastard."  

Rishir’s rank had only just reached the third tier before his watch.  
But now, a few hours later, his rank had stabilized at a solid third tier.

"This is so frustrating."  
"Why are you suddenly getting mad?"  
"Do you even realize how frustrating this is—"  
"Kyaaaah!"

Eron’s scream cut off their conversation.  
Her arms brushed against the sensitive parts of her chest, triggering a disgusted reaction.

"I hate this!!!"

Eron looked down at her body and let out a tortured scream.  

"Hideous, hideous, hideous—give me my body back! Give me my power back, you monster!!!"

Pien, reminded of her own past, spoke with a weary look.  

"Don’t tell me… did you use that

 normalization power on her again?"  
"...I’m not sure, but it seems like that’s what happened."  

Rishir began explaining the events that had led to this, including Eron’s identity and the details of the incident.

"I suspected something was off, but to think she’s a succubus…"  

Pien glanced at Eron again, her brows furrowing.

"Is she really… a succubus?"  
"She was."  
"WAS?"  
"As you can see, she’s no longer one. For some reason, she’s become a non-succubus."  
"Non-succubus? What kind of ridiculous term is that?"  
"Then what do you call that?"  
"..."

Pien examined Eron closely before answering.

"She looks like… just a regular human now."  
"No!!! I’m not a human! I’m not!!!"  
"Eron."

Rishir’s voice was calm and gentle.  
Eron stopped her tantrum and listened despite herself.

"Let’s put some clothes on. Now that you’re no longer the pure, perfect being you once were, but a beast ruled by desires, you have things to cover."  
"... AAAAAAAAH!!! You lunatic!!! What are you even saying—I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you!!!"

Eron broke into sobs, her wails filled with anguish.  
Pien, watching her, was reminded of her own past and felt a bitter sense of discomfort.

Reluctantly, Eron draped the cloak Rishir had offered her over her body.  
Turning to him, Pien asked.

"So, what are you going to do with her?"  
"The proper protocol for dealing with demons or captured monsters is to report it to the nearest city hall or adventurer’s guild."  
"No!!!"

Eron’s sudden outburst drew both their attention.

"If they find out I used to be a succubus, they’ll kill me…!"  
"Well, you should have thought of that before running around doing things worth getting killed over."  

Rishir’s gaze had grown colder after hearing what Pien told him about the camp.  

"Please… let me go. I’ll do anything… anything you want…"  
"..."

Rishir considered her plea.  
Interpreting his silence as hesitation, Eron quickly added, her tone defensive.

"I-I’ll do anything, but not anything dirty!"  
"Now that’s awkward. If someone were to overhear this conversation, they’d think I was the one who showed up naked in the middle of the night, asking for some 'fun'. How’d you suddenly get so shy?"

Naked? Fun?  
Pien, muttering under her breath, responded with an icy tone.

"Shall I just kill her?"  
"Whoa, Pien, why are YOU suddenly angry?"  
"Angry? Me? Not at all. Just stating the obvious. If we take her to a city, she’ll be executed anyway. Why not save ourselves the trouble and deal with it now?"  
"Then, what would you do with a captured primordial being?"  
"...You’re kidding, right?"  
"I’m joking. Unlike her, you never hurt anyone despite having so much power."  
"..."

Pien huffed and turned away, clearly trying to hide her satisfaction.

"Of course. Your nature doesn’t exactly align with harming defenseless people."  
"Why do I suddenly feel better?"

"What’s with the mood swings?"  
"Anyway, enough of this indecision. Eron, you’re now Rona."

"...What does that even mean?"  

The newly christened "Rona" looked up at Pien in confusion.  

"You said you’d do anything if we let you go, didn’t you?"  
"That doesn’t mean…"  
"So now you’re Rishir’s slave. It’s the most common way to pay off debts when you’ve got nothing else."  
"No…"

Rona didn’t argue, though.

"And my opinion?"  
"What’s there to discuss? If you don’t need her, you can sell her."  
"What—"

Rishir was appalled by Pien’s suggestion, but Rona’s silence only affirmed the idea.  
It was common knowledge that becoming a slave was the standard means of repaying debts when one had nothing else.

"This is terrifying…"  
"What did I do?"  
"No, not you—this world…"  
"?"

*Why did Eron suddenly become a woman?*
*Because he’s no longer a succubus. By the way, Eron belongs to me now.*  

Rishir couldn’t imagine explaining that conversation to Marik’s group in a way that made sense.  

In the end, they left camp before dawn, departing in silence.

---

Hours later, as dawn broke, Rishir spotted a carriage parked across the road.  
Its occupants seemed busy, likely preparing to set off after their night of camping.

"We’re saved."

He sighed in relief. He had worried they might have to walk for days, but now they might have a ride.  
Rishir approached, hoping to ask for a lift.

As they drew near, a young man, clearly the owner of the carriage, stepped forward, eyeing them warily.  
His hostility was palpable.

"We refuse."  

The man’s demeanor was calm, yet something had him on edge even before Rishir and his group had approached.  
It made it difficult for Rishir to even consider persuading him.

Rishir felt the relief from earlier slip away. Were they really going to have to walk for days?

Reluctantly, he started to turn back.

"Young master!!!"

A desperate voice rang out from inside the carriage.

"Milady has regained consciousness…!"  
"How…?"

The young man muttered, clearly dazed.

──────────  
[A unique target is nearby.]  
[You are being influenced by the target.]  
──────────  
──────────  
[The effects of the status ailment have weakened.]  
[Status Ailment: Black Curse]  
──────────  

──────────  
[Title: New Fate Quest Unlocked]  
Content: How do I break the Black Curse?  

- : Do you have to break it, though?  
- : Deep, man.  
- : So you think the curse is black, huh? Racist.  
- : Is there such a thing as a "white blessing"?  
- : No joke, there actually is.  
- : This game is wild.  
- : It’s nothing major, just [Link] check it out.  
- [OP]: Are you sure it’s no big deal? This is practically a thesis.  
- [OP]: What’s with all these prerequisites?  
- [OP]: It’s like, bring both the Chinese president and the U.S. president at the same time. Seriously.  
──────────