Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 153

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Pretending to Be Human: Episode 153
Asmo-rina steadied her mind as much as possible and surveyed her surroundings. No matter how much experience one gained, confronting death never became familiar.
Worse still, this wasn’t even a battlefield—it was an ordinary civilian dwelling.
‘I can’t hear breathing. They’ve been dead for quite some time now….’
The corpse was devoid of warmth.
Asmo-rina had left the lodging only a few hours ago. Which meant the victim had been murdered around the time she departed.
‘Who on earth? And why?’
Asmo-rina ascended to the second floor, muffling her footsteps in case enemies lurked in hiding. She then opened the door to the room where she and Lua had been staying.
‘…It’s pristine.’
Unlike the first floor, not a single bloodstain marred the room. Instead, a white sheet of paper lay waiting.
As Asmo-rina unfolded the letter, she read its contents and bit her lip.
[I will wait at the logging camp at the southern end. Tell no one.]
Unlike the letter Asmodina had written before, this one bore rigid, emotionless handwriting that revealed nothing of its author’s intent.
Though the letter didn’t explain why such an act was committed or who the author was, one thing became clear upon seeing the only undisturbed room.
‘They took Lua. So that massacre on the first floor was staged to provoke me.’
For a premeditated murder, the scene was excessively chaotic—clearly designed to ignite her fury.
Asmo-rina crumpled the letter and stared at the open window through which Lua had presumably been taken, her mind racing.
‘The enemy’s identity remains unknown. I don’t know their full strength, let alone what traps await. Therefore… ignoring this threat would be the rational choice.’
It was merely a human life. They would part ways soon anyway, and with her power weakened as it was, there was no need to gamble recklessly.
Besides, her purpose of meeting Asmodina was nearly within reach.
There was no reason to risk danger over such a matter.
‘…But I should.’
Despite what reason dictated, Asmo-rina’s legs were already moving. Without hesitation, she left the lodging and headed straight south toward Monos.
‘Damn it, living in the Human Realm has clearly driven me mad.’
She scratched her head irritably. She could conjure dozens of reasons not to go, yet none were strong enough to overcome the desire pulling her forward.
The outcome was predictable enough.
The enemies would use Lua as a hostage and demand something, while Asmo-rina would decide whether to ignore the hostage and attack or comply with their demands.
But appearing at the negotiation site was tantamount to proving she couldn’t abandon Lua.
Yet Asmo-rina walked toward a battlefield where defeat was already assured.
Waiting for her, unable to reach a conclusion, were five masked men with their faces concealed.
“Are you the perpetrators?”
“….”
One man stepped forward at the piercing edge in Asmo-rina’s voice.
“Are you a Demon?”
“Answer my question, you insects. Are you the perpetrators?”
But the man didn’t respond. Instead, he suddenly raised one hand.
In that instant, an arrow streaked toward Asmo-rina’s head.
“This pathetic trick….”
Asmo-rina furrowed her brow and blocked the attack using her demonic power.
‘I sense no presence. These must be quite skilled assassins.’
She glanced briefly toward the brush where the arrow had flown.
Dark clouds rolled in at that very moment, swallowing even the moonlight. The shadows within the brush deepened, making it impossible to discern how many figures lurked within.
“You’re using mana—so you’re a Demon after all. Bring her out.”
The man, having confirmed Asmo-rina’s identity through that attack, gestured to his nearby companions.
One of them lowered the bundle strapped to his back.
As he roughly opened the bag, a familiar face emerged.
“Lua.”
“…Sister?”
Lua, who had apparently been unconscious until now, slowly opened her eyes with a dazed expression. Fortunately, she appeared uninjured, but terror and despair soon filled her gaze.
“Ah, ah—Sister, our… our mother…”
“…Just wait a moment.”
It seemed she had witnessed her family being slaughtered.
As Asmo-rina bit her lip and moved forward, the Masked Leader blocked her path.
“If you wish to keep the hostage alive, follow us.”
“Stop spouting nonsense and release Lua. Killing you all would be nothing to me.”
“If you truly felt that way, you wouldn’t have attempted conversation. Isn’t this child’s life precious to you?”
One of the men pressed a blade against Lua’s throat.
No matter how powerful Asmo-rina was, she couldn’t eliminate an enemy at this distance in a single moment.
‘And these humans are no ordinary fighters. Had I been at full strength, this would pose no problem, but now…’
After fighting Gregory, my mana still hadn’t fully recovered. For Asmo-rina, who primarily relied on magical combat, this was an overwhelming situation.
As Asmo-rina didn’t move immediately, the man spoke in a measured voice.
“We act under the orders of one of supreme authority. Should you comply with our demands, I swear the safety of this girl will be guaranteed.”
He too seemed reluctant to engage in combat.
Despite possessing overwhelming force, they hesitated to fight—Asmo-rina realized they knew of her strength.
‘A human who knows my power… it’s not that creature from Jins Kingdom, so could it be the Emperor?’
If it truly was the Emperor, the situation had become far worse.
Should she follow them, the Sun God’s authority would prevent her from resisting.
At that moment, Lua opened her mouth toward the hesitating Asmo-rina, who bit her lip.
“No, Sister… just go back.”
“…Lua.”
“There’s someone waiting for you, isn’t there? You found them, didn’t you? That person.”
Lua seemed to have realized that Asmo-rina had found family. With wet eyes, she gazed at Asmo-rina and forced a smile.
“I… I’m late, but Sister, you must meet your family. It’s your wish, isn’t it?”
Asmo-rina’s fists clenched as her body trembled with unbearable rage.
It had been centuries since she felt such resentment toward her own powerlessness.
She had believed that with greater strength, by no longer entangling herself with the weak, she would never feel such fury again.
Yet she had repeated the same mistake once more.
“…Fine, I’ll follow you.”
“Sister!”
“So put the blade away. We can talk after that.”
To avoid repeating the past, she had to change first. Asmo-rina made a choice she had never made in her entire life.
As if confirming her resolve, the blade fell from Lua’s neck. Of course, they hadn’t left the sword within reach to strike her throat at any moment.
The Intruder, nodding with satisfaction, spoke to those around him.
“A wise choice. Then, dispose of her.”
“…Dispose?”
“We promised only the safety of this Child. Your condition was never part of the agreement.”
Just as she was about to protest, the Intruder who had drawn near pulled a small dagger from his bosom.
From the ornate dagger gleaming with golden light, she felt a sharply honed divine power.
“Don’t move. I’d prefer not to take your life.”
Before his words even finished, the Intruder swung the dagger without hesitation.
“Ugh…!”
Golden light streaked past, cutting deep into Asmo-rina’s shoulder. Skin that had been impervious to any legendary blade tore open.
Asmo-rina, clutching her shoulder as blood gushed forth, wore an expression of shock.
‘They refined divine power… to this degree?’
She hadn’t sensed their presence even as they approached. The divine power was so minute, honed so thinly, that it had escaped her notice.
The dagger appeared to be single-use; after cutting her once, it lost its radiance. Then another Intruder drew an identical dagger.
“Since you could resist during transport to the destination, I’ll sever your tendons. Demons’ lives center on the heart, so losing an arm or leg shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You damned bastards….”
Asmo-rina, her lips bitten, glared at the Intruders drawing daggers one by one. Even now, the one who appeared to be their leader beside Lua remained vigilant. The moment she resisted, he would strike Lua.
“Sister, you can’t-!”
Lua cried out through tears, screaming at Asmo-rina to flee. But hearing that scream, she found herself unable to move at all.
‘Damn it, this is why people shouldn’t change so suddenly.’
She closed her eyes as the daggers flew toward her.
In that moment when she braced herself for the approaching pain.
“How dare you.”
The surrounding air twisted, and all the Intruders holding daggers froze.
“Cockroaches like you—where do you think you’re laying your hands.”
And a voice filled with fury descended from the sky above.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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