Frilian: This Demon Isn't So Cold

More than a thousand years before the Xin Dynasty.

A small village on the border of a unified empire.

"Damn it! Where did that demon go? There's not even a trace left!"

"Be careful! There are demons who can disguise themselves as humans; this has never happened before!"

"I know! But they're probably planning something bad. Luckily we came!"

An hour ago, Carlos could still hear similar words: several well-dressed men were searching for him around the village, looking alert and acting efficiently, but of course, it was all for naught.

Because he was quite skilled at hiding and escaping.

I don't think I really am human...

Carlos sighed inwardly.

He had already accepted the fact that he had traveled through time.

After a long, unnoticed period of eternal sleep, when he opened his eyes again and caught the light of the world, he found himself in what seemed to be another world.

At least before he closed his eyes, he was lying in his own warm bed, unlike now, where not only is the bed gone, but he's also surrounded by dense woods, not to mention...

Feeling as if my body had just been born into this world, and the name that inexplicably appeared in my mind, belonging to this life.

"Carlos?" he murmured.

In conclusion, after Carlos discovered that he had no parents and no memories of them, he knew he had to fend for himself.

Just when he thought he could finally live in that village for a long time, this human mage came and he was kicked out again. Damn it! It's just that he has horns on his head, is it really that big of a deal?

After admitting that he didn't seem to be human, Carlos cursed those so-called mages from the capital in his mind.

Haven't they heard that a gentleman judges by his actions, not his intentions?

Does he live a good life there eating your rice? He also works hard every day to earn his food, you know!

Although he didn't know why, even after living in that village for more than five years, he only felt a little reluctant to leave. But that didn't matter, because he was very angry now!

Carlos reached out and touched the horn on his head, then silently covered it with [Light Interference Magic].

Despite his words, his curses, and his anger, the fact that this damned horn, once broken off, not only caused him pain but also allowed it to regenerate! So he had no choice but to use magic to cover it up.

Yes, magic exists in this world! And Carlos discovered that he was born with the ability to use magic; he can even fly!

As long as his horns are covered, he becomes a perfect human being—this is Carlos's experience after living in this world for six years.

They believed their race was demons, because demons all have horns, while humans do not.

Strangely, aside from having horns and being born with magic, humans and demons are almost identical.

They have similar appearances and speak the same language, which is why Carlos was able to blend into the human village after concealing his horns.

I really don't know why the demons want to fight with humans. Is it because those who are not of our kind must have different intentions?

"Boom—!"

Thinking this to himself, Carlos keenly sensed a strange sound coming from a distance in the direction he was heading, and at the same time, there was an unpleasant smell of smoke in the air, as if something was burning.

Carlos frowned, his innate instinct to join in the fun kicking in.

He started running towards the direction from which the sound and smell were coming.

The closer Carlos got, the uglier his face became, as the air gradually filled with the smell of blood, and the temperature rose as he approached.

Although Carlos didn't know exactly how to achieve this, what had happened before was clearly not something to be trifled with.

He stopped and asked himself whether he should continue.

After much hesitation, Carlos decided to take the first step.

This time, however, he had no intention of joining in the fun at all.

Are there any survivors?

"I'm not sure, but there's no more magical fluctuation."

Two figures with horns on their heads were talking in front of a burning house. Cries and pleas for mercy could be heard from near the two demons from time to time, but these sounds gradually subsided over time, accompanied by the sound of chewing food.

Upon hearing the answer, Demon A nodded expressionlessly, then turned to face the deserted forest.

Demon B was wondering what his companion was doing when Demon A spoke up, his tone indifferent.

"You have three seconds to come out, or you're dead."

A chill had begun to gather on his hands.

Under the watchful eyes of the two demons, Carlos emerged from behind the tree.

He raised his hands above his head, a gesture of surrender, though it's unclear whether such gestures are universal.

Good heavens! Carlos thought his ability to hide was good enough, after all, even those human mages who looked very powerful hadn't found his trail!

But now, this unknown demon has pinpointed his location with pinpoint accuracy, and the palpable killing intent makes Carlos tremble with fear, and he has already begun to regret his actions.

Why not just stay in another human village and blend in? Why did he have to come here, thinking he might be able to get some information about this world? Although he has indeed gotten some now, he would rather not know.

He felt an intense hatred for himself from just a few minutes ago.

Now, whether they can escape from the other side is still unknown.

Carlos didn't believe that being a fellow demon meant he would be spared. After all, humans were best at killing each other, so there was no reason why demons, who were so similar to humans, wouldn't do the same.

"Demons?"

Under Carlos's tense gaze, Demon A's tone carried a hint of doubt.

"Genuine or genuine."

Carlos had never felt so certain of his demonic identity as he did now. He had already canceled the [Light Interference Magic] before coming here, because skilled mages could detect traces of magic—a skill he had learned from being hunted by humans.

So now, Carlos has two horns hanging brightly on his head, silently declaring his identity to the other party.

"I've never seen you before. What were you doing there just now?" Demon A asked, his tone now indifferent.

Carlos pondered what reason to use, but time was running out, and his answer would lose credibility over time. So he gritted his teeth and chose an answer that was neither wrong nor right:

"Just passing by."

As soon as he finished speaking, Carlos rolled to his right. The spot where he had just been standing was now pierced by a crystal-clear icicle, and a terrifying chill emanated from it. Only then did the sound of the icicle growing reach Carlos's ears.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Carlos didn't want to say anything more. He was panting heavily, and a huge fear gripped his heart. If it weren't for his superhuman perception of magic, which allowed him to anticipate the attack, he would have surely died from that blow.

Indeed, we cannot let our guard down just because they are of the same kind.

"Um?"

Demon A frowned slightly, quite dissatisfied that his sure-fire attack had been dodged. And what displeased him even more was about to happen.

The unfamiliar demon before him, the demon who had crept up to him from a short distance before he noticed him, the demon whose body showed no trace of magical energy, had actually used [Fire Magic] on him after narrowly dodging the attack.

A small fireball hurtled towards him, moving at a ridiculously slow speed; he could easily dodge it by simply sidestepping...

If it weren't for the fact that a dozen or so fireballs suddenly appeared and attacked him in an instant.

After casting over ten [Fire Magic] spells, Carlos turned and ran. This was the only type of attack magic he knew how to use, which he had secretly learned while being chased. He didn't know if it would be effective against his opponent, but that didn't matter. As long as the demon could focus his attention on him, that was enough.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye; Carlos didn't even have time to think about why he did it.

Upon arriving in the vicinity, he first witnessed demons with horns, just like himself, killing people. This was not important; what was important was that the demons not only killed people but also ate them.

Carlos will probably never forget the image of the demons chewing and swallowing on the corpses.

Then, he sensed the presence of a single living human in the village. Before he could think further, he was discovered by the demon who could use [ice magic].

And then came what just happened.

Carlos flew deeper into the forest, not heading back the way he came, but flying wildly in a different direction.

Carlos wasn't good at [flight magic]. Living among humans, he didn't have many opportunities to use this magic. But now, although it would leave magical traces, [flight magic] was still faster than running on the ground. His immediate priority was to create distance before blending into the forest.

Now he understands the meaning of his demon identity. If the relationship between demons and humans is that of predator and prey, then it is understandable that he is rejected by humans.

Although he, as a demon, has never eaten a human, nor does he want to, he is still alive and well.

After understanding this information, Carlos was filled with despair.

It seems there is no place for him in this world.

"Should we pursue them?" Demon B asked Demon A.

Even though such a thing had just happened, his tone was very calm.

"Can you catch up?" Demon A looked at Demon B with disdain.

Demon B lowered his head: "We can't catch up."

The strange demon's [flying magic] was incredibly fast. If it weren't for the intervention of Grand Duke Lester, the rest of the demons would have been forced to watch helplessly as the demon escaped.

After giving Carlos an eight-second head start, Lester began the pursuit.

The other party's magical reaction was very conspicuous in this silent forest, like a candle emitting light in a dark room, guiding him forward.

Noticing the pursuit behind him, Carlos abandoned using [Flight Magic], landed on the ground, and instead played hide-and-seek in the forest.

He was filled with pessimism about whether he could escape in the end, but if asked whether he regretted provoking the other party, his answer was no.

Although he still really wants to live.

"I see, that's how it is."

Lester floated above the forest, looking down at the dense trees below.

That strange demon had absolutely no pride as a mage. Not only did he hide his magic, but he even gave up on using magic to escape. He was a disgrace to the demon race.

"Do you think you can survive by doing this? That's incredibly naive."

Lester waved his wand, releasing a large amount of magic, and the temperature in the air began to drop.

"You cowardly coward, let me end your life!"

Just as Lester was about to unleash a wide-range attack spell, a massive beam of light shot out silently from the village.

The terrifying light engulfed him in place, and when the beam dissipated, there was no trace of Lester left in the air.

Carlos had no idea what was happening outside. He hid at the bottom of the river and decided to pretend to live as a fish for the time being.

[The magic that allows one to breathe underwater] is a magic created by Carlos himself. As long as one can imagine having gills like a fish, it is easy to do this.

Moreover, although he hadn't tried it on others, Carlos's experience of being hunted down told him that the magic detection method used by all mages had a flaw: once there was a medium in between, the reliability of magic detection would be greatly reduced.

By simply hiding in the water, Carlos managed to evade a considerable number of pursuers.

He's in the water now, while the demon chasing him is flying outside. There's a decisive difference between them in the medium they're in!

In other words, if he only uses magic that doesn't consume much magic power, such as the magic that grants the ability to breathe underwater, it's virtually impossible for outside mages to find his location!

Don't underestimate his determination to live, you bastard!

Carlos drifted silently along with the school of fish, like a fish swimming in the water.

In the village, a blonde girl with golden eyes and pointed ears lowered her hand that had been pointing towards the sky.

Seria glanced towards the river, then looked at the group of demons before her who appeared to be facing a formidable enemy, and smiled:

"I'm giving you 10 seconds to escape."

"..."

The Demon King has given an order to exterminate the Elf race.

Even he did not inform the demon Seria of his existence.

The reason is very simple: they can't beat them, and Celie has no intention of actively heading north to attack the demons, so they simply leave her alone.

Back to the present, although they didn't know Celie's situation, the incredibly powerful magic had already made the demons present instinctively choose to remain silent.

The moment Celia spoke, driven by their desire to survive, the demons scattered in all directions.

A demon tried to get close to Celie while fleeing.

"act recklessly."

Before she could even see how the other party made their move, the demon, who had been trying to pierce Celie with its sharp claws, vanished into thin air.

He lived nine seconds less than all the other demons.

After dealing with those annoying guys along the way, Celia arrived in front of a collapsed house. The raging fire that had been burning just moments before had gone out, and all around was silent.

She happened to pass by here today, but she discovered something very interesting.

"You can come out now; it's safe outside."

"..."

After waiting quietly for 10 minutes, Celia finally realized that the other party would not come out on its own, so she used magic to blast open the ruins of the house, and a hidden basement entrance appeared.

Celia stepped forward and opened the entrance, then saw a little human girl crouching inside, looking at her with fearful eyes.

"They all said it's okay to come out now."

Celia's tone was somewhat helpless. The game of letting those demons run 10 seconds ahead was not fun at all. She wondered if this human in front of her could bring her some fun later.

"Who are you?" the little girl asked fearfully. She had actually heard what Celia had just said, but she didn't dare to respond.

"The person who wants to take you as their apprentice knows you have a great talent for magic."

Celia had noticed the orange-haired girl's presence from the beginning. Out of interest, she decided to come and take a look. As for the apprenticeship she just mentioned, that was just a whim.

After all, this was the only human who survived the demons' annihilation of the village.

This was the first time Celia had encountered such a situation.

"Can I take revenge after becoming your apprentice?" The little girl blinked, and her green pupils began to glow with life.

"Of course," Celia said. "My name is Celia, what's yours?"

"Volame, Master."

Celia laughed.

So this is what it feels like to take on an apprentice?

feel good.

"Alright, come with me now. I have something else to do." Celia looked in the direction where Carlos was hiding.

"Can I come back later?" Vlamé also had things he wanted to do here.

Celia gave her a strange look: "Okay."

The two walked toward the river in the forest.

Carlos is moving along the river. Although this is a slow pace, as time goes by, the distance he travels will be terrifying.

He was certain he would survive, and the process was so easy that even he himself could hardly believe it.

But surviving is all that matters; nothing else matters.

As Carlos thought this, he swung his legs and clasped his hands together in front of his head, looking exactly like a fish swimming from a distance above.

He didn't know if that person would survive, but he could only wish them good luck.

It seems we can't go to the demon realm now. The cannibalism is absolutely unacceptable, and the society there is definitely abnormal.

But I need to be careful when interacting with humans. Does that mean I'll have to start living alone? But what's the point of living if that's the case?

After the intense will to survive subsides, what remains is a sense of bewilderment at the very fact that one is alive.

While maintaining the mechanical movement of his body, Carlos pondered the existence of a human... a demon.

Then he noticed that the movement of the water around him had changed.

No, it's the entire area around me that has changed.

Carlos stared blankly as he and the few small fish around him rose higher and higher until they broke through the river and reached land...

This description is not accurate, because Carlos is still in the river, only he has been separated from the main river and is now surrounded by a small section of the river, which neatly encloses him.

The next second, the water-based cube collapsed with a crash, leaving several small fish behind, just like Carlos. The fish hopped around on the grass a few times, looking quite happy.

After a moment of confusion, Carlos realized he had to run away.

However, before he could make any move, a terrifying pressure slammed down, forcing Carlos to kneel on one knee and leaving him immobilized.

"Who are you?"

Seria was curious about the situation of this demon.

She had previously used her magic to sense that Carlos had deliberately approached the village, and that he had been discovered, chased, and forced to flee by the demon army.

Among them, Carlos, being the weaker one, even took the initiative to use magic to provoke other demons.

This is extremely rare among demons.

"Will I live if I tell you?" Carlos asked cautiously.

How scary! How scary! How scary!

This was the first time Carlos had encountered someone who could put so much pressure on him. If he still had a chance to survive against the previous demon, then against this one, there was only one answer—death.

There is no other possibility.

"That depends on your answer later," Celia said noncommittally.

"Carlos," he said, uttering his name and praying that this world did not possess magic that allowed spells to be cast using names.

At the same time, Carlos noticed that the long-eared, elf-like loli was accompanied by a cute little girl, but the little girl was looking at him with hostile eyes.

Carlos was not surprised by this fact at all, because if he put himself in the other person's shoes, he would have the same look in his eyes.

"Mmm," Celia responded softly.

"What were you doing there just now?"

Seria didn't specify which place she was referring to, but Carlos knew perfectly well.

"Just joining in the fun."

"...?"

Upon hearing this, not only Celia but even Vorame, who had been looking at him with hostility, paused for a moment, his eyes revealing a clear confusion.

The immense pressure that Carlos had been feeling suddenly vanished, but he did not have the slightest thought of escaping.

The indifferent-looking little girl in front of him was putting immense mental pressure on Carlos.

"Joining in the fun?" Celia repeated, her tone puzzled.

"Yes." Carlos nodded repeatedly, then added, "I also want to gather some information, as I'm not quite sure what kind of species I am."

"Tell me more about it."

Celia became interested.

So Carlos gave a general account of his experiences after being born into this world.

At first, it tried to contact humans, but because it had horns on its head, it was not only driven away but also hunted down. After learning its lesson, it began to use magic to disguise itself and successfully infiltrated a human village. However, it was recently discovered that it was a demon, so it began a new round of escape.

"You mean you developed magic yourself?" Celia asked with a half-smile after hearing his story.

"Uh... is there a problem?"

Carlos stood rooted to the spot, wondering if developing magic was such a remarkable thing.

"Show me one now," Celia said with great interest.

With permission, Carlos used his magic to cast [Light Interference Magic], and the horns on his head disappeared from their sight. Now, judging from his appearance alone, he looked exactly like a human.

"A demon is a demon! What are you doing pretending to be human?!"

Vlame, who had been silent all along, suddenly got angry.