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Join the ServerI stared at the figure opposite me without a word. So he stayed silent as well.
Though his hands and feet were bound painfully tight, at least they hadn’t turned purple.
He kept staring at the Black Mist, utterly fixated.
Inside his mind, he debated whether to speak—and if so, what to say. ‘Should I go with, “Hey, you pervert! Stop staring at me!”? He suspected such a line, while fitting for a comedic anime, would likely get him killed in this world. Or worse, his tongue torn out.’
‘”How dare a mere human speak to me like that!” Then—a claw to the heart, and I’d be dead.’
‘If I said, “Feel free to ask away,” no, that’s too haughty. Maybe, “I’ll tell you everything”? Too weak. Also no good.’
‘”Perhaps you could try to fish for information? See what you can extract.”‘
‘”Or even turn him into your bro!”‘
A certain personality of his chimed in.
‘Hmm… indeed.’
But before he could utter a word, the Black Mist spoke first. «Hmph. You’re just as I thought—a very interesting person. In my hundreds of years, I’ve never seen a human who wasn’t afraid of me. Nor have I ever seen a child with such steady composure.»
As he listened to the praise, he continued pondering how to respond.
The demon shrouded in black mist drifted from the table to circle around him, observing him with intense scrutiny.
He kept his face expressionless, his mind too occupied with crafting a survival strategy to spare any effort on facial expressions.
From their earlier conversation in the dungeon, he guessed the next questions would be: ‘Why did you come here?’ and ‘Who are you?’
If his answers fell short, he’d die.
If he told the truth about being a transmigrator, he was 99% sure he’d be killed. The Black Mist wouldn’t believe him.
He had no proof of transmigration. While certain scientific formulas might not exist in this world, that was merely his assumption—what if they did?
And even if he possessed knowledge, that wasn’t solid evidence.
Without evidence, he’d be lying. Suspicion would lead to torture.
If he played dumb, that might work. After all, he truly knew nothing of this world. He just had to manage his expression.
But if the Black Mist remained suspicious, torture would still follow.
‘So there’s only one outcome: I’ll be tortured no matter what.’
Conclusion: Direct answers won’t work. Answers without evidence won’t work either.
He had to satisfy both conditions while controlling his expression…
Honestly, it seemed impossible. He had no experience in bargaining or strategic dialogue, not even basic knowledge.
Yet he had no choice.
The Black Mist’s dark claws touched his cheek, a cold laugh escaping. «Heh heh, looking down on me?» The misty face pressed close, burning red eyes glaring into his.
He flinched, blinked slightly, and leaned back.
Oh? I was wrong. Seems you’re quite clever, human. Hehehe. The Black Mist chuckled, pulling away to float behind him.
You’re thinking about what I’ll ask, what I’ll do to you. Hahaha! The voice surrounded him, but the dark claws still lingered on his face.
‘That mist on his face has no smell, but those hands reek of blood. Note to self, note to self,’ another personality remarked unbidden.
Speak. What are you thinking?» The claw jabbed his cheek.
From this, he guessed the Black Mist couldn’t read his mind through touch or eye contact. If he could, the dungeon meeting would have exposed him. Then he wouldn’t be asking these questions now.
‘But what should I say?! I always choke at critical moments. That’s why I hate talking to people!’
«What do you want me to say?» The words slipped out uncontrollably.
‘Damn! GG!’
«Hmph, interesting. Then tell me—how did you get into our dungeon?»
‘Okay, I’m not dead yet. But what now?’
Say ‘I was teleported’? Then he’d ask how, and I’d say I don’t know, and then—slash, GG!
Say ‘I don’t know, I woke up here’? Too plain, he’d never believe it. He’d think I can’t lie, so a lightning strike, then GG!
‘Say “I was captured”? That’s workable. He’ll say “Impossible! We didn’t capture you! You’re lying.” Then torture… GG!’
‘Maybe combine both sentences?’
‘I was captured…’ He’d add a shifty look to sell the lie.
Then a smile that says ‘lie exposed’: «Hmph, even I don’t believe that, do you?»
Preempting the other’s response increases credibility—a trick from RPG trading.
Then a blank or helpless expression: ‘Actually, I don’t know either. I woke up here… my memories are all jumbled… I even forgot my own name…’
Such shifts in emotion might convince him. After all, someone so expressive is easy to read.
But if he saw through the act: «Hmph, sounds real. But someone as clever as you might be putting on a show. You think I’d fall for it?»
‘Then I’d agree: “Hmph, as expected, milord is one step ahead. Actually, that was my first performance. Even I didn’t believe myself. I just didn’t want to be tortured…”‘
‘Yeah, I’ll go with that.’
He couldn’t believe his mind was racing this fast, but it was.
Perhaps it was a mental overclock in crisis, like solving the last big problem under time pressure.
Seeing the Black Mist float to his front again, he hesitated, then said, «I… I was captured.» As soon as the words left, the Black Mist let out a drawn-out «Hmm?» and leaned in close.
Immediately, he smiled, meeting the fiery eyes. «Hmph, even I don’t believe that, do you?»
The excitement doesn't stop here! If you enjoyed this, you’ll adore I Want To Bite You. Start reading now!
Read : I Want To Bite You
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