Yet the moment he came within reach, Baelgor suddenly extended his hand. His palm pressed against Cisco's shoulder with the weight of a falling mountain.

A cold, suffocating force slammed into him. It wasn't physical strength alone; it was something deeper, primal like a fragment of the abyss brushing his mortal shell.

Cisco's body jolted violently. His knees threatened to buckle, his spine screamed, and before he even realized it, he leapt back, eyes wide with raw terror.

"What, what kind of power is that…!?" His breath came in sharp bursts as sweat trickled down his back. "Just a touch… just a single touch, and it sent shivers straight to my marrow. No… this isn't a pampered rich son. This is something else entirely. Could it be… the product of one of those monstrous hunter families? Just what kind of monsters are these guilds breeding!?"

Cisco's heart screamed danger, but his mind screamed profit louder. He had already invested too much to stop halfway. And he knew better than anyone, greater risks often led to greater rewards.

Baelgor, on the other hand, withdrew his hand and smiled faintly, almost indulgently.

"It is alright, human," he said, his voice calm, regal. "That will only happen once."

Cisco froze, blinking. "...Only happen once? What the hell does that even mean?"

But before he could question it further, Baelgor was already walking again, as though nothing had happened.

Cisco clenched his teeth, straightened his coat, and forced a grin back onto his face. "Doesn't matter. I've already paid so much into this gamble. To back out now would be spitting on my own fortune. No matter what this fool is, he's worth following. Even if I have to bow, crawl, or lick his boots, I'll bleed him dry."

And so, despite the lingering terror in his bones, Cisco followed Baelgor.

"My lord, if you don't mind… what is your name?" Cisco asked carefully, eyes narrowing as if to study every twitch of Baelgor's face.

The question hit Baelgor like a spear. His steps froze, his shoulders stiffened.

"Name? Damnation—I never thought of that! Curse this human custom! Dungeon rulers do not need names; we need only titles. Yet these pitiful mortals demand labels before they kneel? Hmph… I must devise something natural, something ordinary… a disguise worthy of my brilliance."

His golden eyes darted around frantically for inspiration.

And then—salvation.

Across the street, a yellow carriage rumbled by with glowing letters plastered boldly across its roof: TAXI.

"Hah! A name fit for a king. Short, sharp, commanding. Taxi… yes, this has the ring of destiny."

But Baelgor wasn't finished. He needed something to sound so convincing, then he decided that use phrase; NORMAL HUMAN.

The heavens themselves were guiding him.

Baelgor's lips curled into a smug smile. He turned to Cisco and, with all the gravity of a monarch declaring his lineage, announced:

"My name… is Taxi Normalhuman."

He puffed out his chest, utterly convinced he had performed the greatest deception in history. "Yes, flawless. No mortal alive will ever suspect the truth behind this brilliant disguise."

Cisco blinked. His jaw slackened. For a moment, he thought his ears had betrayed him.

"…Normalhuman? Did he just…?" His mind spun. Is this guy serious? Taxi Normalhuman? That's not a name, that's the kind of thing you get when a donkey kicks you in the head while you're filling out paperwork.

A strangled laugh bubbled in his throat, and he nearly choked trying to swallow it down.

"No… no, hold it together, Cisco. Keep smiling. Don't ruin the con. He's rich, he's clueless, and, by the gods above, he actually introduced himself like that with a straight face. Is he insane, or just that arrogant? Normalhuman? More like Crazyhuman!"

But outwardly, Cisco forced a respectful nod, his lips twitching as he fought for composure. "A… a fine name, my lord. Truly… unforgettable."

Baelgor beamed, completely oblivious to the sarcasm dripping from Cisco's tone. "Indeed. Soon, the world shall tremble when they hear the name Taxi Normalhuman!"

Cisco, meanwhile, was already thinking: "Oh, they'll tremble, alright. From laughter."

Cisco practically dragged Baelgor by the sleeve, eager to leave behind the clapping crowd and their embarrassing cheers. His face still burned red, his pride was in tatters, and every congratulation felt like another dagger to his soul.

"Damn it all, embarrassment alone might kill me today… but fine. Fine! I'll endure. If it means wealth, if it means milking this fool dry, I'll crawl through mud and smile through shame. One day, this humiliation will be paid back in mountains of gold."

At least, that was what he told himself.

Yet when Cisco risked a glance at his "lord," he froze.

Baelgor wasn't embarrassed. He wasn't irritated. He wasn't even confused.

He was… smiling.

Not the awkward grin of a man caught in a scandal. Not the fake politeness Cisco himself often wore. No, this was a calm, confident smile. A smile that said everything was going exactly as planned.

Cisco's heart skipped a beat.

"…Why is he smiling? We were just mistaken for a couple out there, and he's smiling? Why? Don't tell me… don't tell me it's what I think it is…"

Slowly, Cisco turned to look at Baelgor again, his imagination running wild.

Baelgor's expression hadn't changed, still that calm, satisfied smile.

Cisco's mind exploded.

"That smile… I've seen it before. It's the smile of a predator who has found his prey. No… no way. Don't tell me this fool… plans to… to...!? Gods above, of all the sons of rich hunters, I had to run into this one! The rumors were true, weren't they? The rich and their… inordinate fantasies, their unnatural desires. He's one of those! Definitely one of those!"

His eyes went wide, his body stiff as a board.

Baelgor, oblivious to the storm of thoughts raging in Cisco's head, simply walked a little closer, still wearing that same serene smile.

Cisco nearly choked. "Oh gods, he's approaching me! Is he planning to do it now? Here? In public!? Have some shame, fool!"

He bit down on his lip, his thoughts racing faster and darker.

"Well… I suppose… if the payment is enough… if I can squeeze enough gold out of him, maybe… just maybe… I can endure it. It'll only be this once. One time, and I'll never see him again. Yes… for wealth, for survival, I'll grit my teeth and take it!"

Baelgor finally stopped in front of him, placing a hand on Cisco's shoulder with solemn dignity. His golden eyes glimmered, his aura radiating pride.

Cisco's face went pale.

Baelgor suddenly stepped closer, his golden eyes glimmering with a strange light. His hand came down on Cisco's shoulder, heavy as a mountain.

"Commoner," Baelgor said with a voice that rumbled like thunder. "Tonight, you shall provide me… pleasure."

Cisco froze. His mind short-circuited.

"…Pleasure? P-Pleasure!? Oh no. No, no, no. Don't tell me....?!!"

Before he could even stammer out a response, his vision twisted. The world spun, and when it cleared, Cisco found himself standing in a grandiose chamber of black stone.

Golden chandeliers blazed overhead, casting light across walls lined with gleaming chains, shackles, and whips.

Cisco's heart dropped into his stomach.

"Oh gods above… it's true! He's not just one of those rich sons with odd hobbies....he's the worst kind! Not just indulgence, but torture! He enjoys this kind of thing! Ancestors, save me!"

His knees buckled. Tears pricked his eyes. He had imagined wealth, riches, and treasures from following this "foolish rich son." Yet here he was, staring at a nightmare that looked straight out of a sadist's fantasy.

Then, with a snap of Baelgor's fingers, glowing chains coiled around Cisco like serpents, binding his wrists and ankles, spreading him into the shape of an 'X' in the air.

Cisco's shriek echoed across the chamber. "N-nooo! My lord! I was wrong, forgive me! I'll never scam anyone again, I swear! I'll donate to the poor! I'll live righteously! Please spare me!"

Baelgor, meanwhile, simply stepped forward, inspecting his trembling captive with a cool gaze. His massive frame loomed larger than life, his shadow falling across Cisco like a predator examining prey.

"You thought to trick me out of gold earlier, did you not?" Baelgor asked coldly.

Cisco's tears flowed freely. "He knows! He knows everything!"

"I-I never! Nothing of the sort, my lord! I was only trying to serve you! Please, I beg of you, let me go!" he sobbed, mucus dripping as he wailed like a child.

Baelgor lifted one of the golden whips from the wall. Its runes glowed ominously. A cruel smile tugged at his lips.

Cisco screamed. "Why me!? Why always me!? This is my punishment for greed, isn't it!? Ancestors, why didn't you abandon someone else!?"

His cries filled the chamber, as Baelgor raised the whip…

The whip came down.

SMACK!

Cisco screamed, his voice echoing across the chamber. "AAAAHHHHHHH! Forgive me, my lord! I was wrong! I'll never scam another rich fool again, I swear!"

CRACK!

"AHHHHHHHH! I'll feed the poor! I'll build orphanages! I'll even help old grandmas cross the road!"

CRACK!

"Mercy, mercy! I'll give up gambling! I'll stop cheating at cards! I'll even....AHHHHHH...I'll even pay my taxes!"

Baelgor's expression remained calm, almost regal, as though this was no more than a minor disciplinary act. Each strike was controlled, deliberate, not meant to kill, but to humble.

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