A Bad Investment

In the turbulent world of Terramyr, under the relentless scourge of the Demon King’s invasion and his continuous, unstoppable conquest, humanity ended up divided into two opposing factions: those who betrayed their own to join the demonic forces, giving in to their darkest desires, and those who still desperately resisted to stand against them.

"I have finally captured you, wise elf Filińska!"

However, as an inevitable consequence of this global chaos, third parties emerged in the shadows: humans who, showing not the slightest interest in the fate of the world or who ended up ruling it, continued executing their own plans away from the war.

"..."

As a result, in the middle of a dense forest, the figure of a young transmigrated woman belonging to this latter group advanced with cold indifference.

"...I got the last thing I was missing... With this, I'll finally be able to go home..."

Sick and tired of the conflict consuming the continent after arriving in this world by a mere mistake, she had made an irrevocable decision: she would return to her true home on Earth, no matter the cost.

"Come on, walk!"

For years, the transmigrator endlessly researched all kinds of methods and escape routes to leave Terramyr. She delved into forbidden rituals, forgotten formulas, and topics considered taboo by the great academies of magic, until she finally found a beacon of hope: the archaic wisdom guarded by the oldest scholars of the elven race.

"...Do you really think I will cooperate with someone who resorts to such barbarous methods?"

To achieve her goals, the young woman took advantage of the outbreak of a fierce battle between the Demon King's forces and the elven armies. Moving through the slaughter and disorder, she managed to capture the elven scholar Filińska just as the defensive lines collapsed.

"Heh... I knew you'd say something like that."

Filińska presented a unique appearance that betrayed the wear and tear of recent years. Her long, lime-green hair fell frizzy and faded over her shoulders down to her back, while pronounced dark circles framed her eyes—the result of continuous insomnia that had tormented her since the war began.

"I really don't care whether you want to or not. All I need is your brain..."

Yet despite her evident exhaustion and the tolls of captivity, the scholar possessed a remarkably voluptuous figure with ample curves, whose generous volume stood in stark contrast to the fragility of her fatigued face.

"Your knowledge accumulated over hundreds of years is what will allow me to leave this hell."

Touching the elf's forehead, the young transmigrator made her intentions clear through a disturbing gaze, completely clouded by madness.

"I am going to get my life back."

Oblivious to the physical toll, the remarkable beauty of her prisoner, or even the tragic fate of that world, she had abandoned every trace of morality in her desperate craving to return.

"...Alright... Let's begin the surgery."

And without a shred of compassion, she proceeded to execute a special magical surgery, extracting Filińska's brain with the precise intention of assimilating her accumulated wisdom.

"Done... However, I don't know how long it will take me to finish the preparations... And being hunted down by elves thirsty for vengeance over the death of a scholar isn't ideal... Mmm... Alright, I think I have an idea."

Conscious of the immense danger of earning the enmity of the high elven command in the middle of an era of global conflict, the young woman used forbidden medical magic to keep the elf's body biologically alive, even after removing her brain.

"BUGII~!"

Right after, to buy the necessary time and divert the trackers' attention, she decided to create a living decoy.

"I transplanted the brain of a beast into her empty body... Though with that kind of body and brain, it's an appearance very fitting for a pig-elf."

To spread rumors that the wise elf was still alive and corroborate them with tangible proof, the transmigrator extracted the brain of a pig and surgically grafted it into Filińska's cranial cavity.

"BUHIII!"

Consequently, the consciousness and impulses of a farm animal took absolute control of the elven vessel.

"Maybe... to speed things up, I should take you to a freak show."

Despite retaining the scholar's voluptuous and attractive physique intact, lacking all intellect or judgment, Filińska's body was reduced to the erratic and instinctual behavior of livestock.

"BUHO!"

As a result, several days after that horror, in the labyrinthine underground market, the body of the wise elf lay on display like a circus attraction.

"I-It's impossible for that lunatic to be Lady Filińska!"

Because of that, stripped naked and bound to be showcased to passersby, the creature defiled herself without the slightest shame on the straw of her cage, attracting both morbid customers and elven infiltrators desperately searching for her whereabouts.

"BUGYA~!"

In the end, the transmigrator's plan had indeed worked perfectly when it came to diverting attention: rumors about the tragic and bizarre degradation of the wise elf spread rapidly through the underground market, sparking endless theories about her true location and who could have caused such an abomination.

"Haaah... Damn it..."

However, in commercial terms, things didn't go quite as well for those trying to profit from it.

"Kyaaaaaaaa!"

"Ugh... it smells horribly bad..."

"Is she eating while defecating...? Even a public latrine smells better than this corner..."

Despite the overwhelming and undeniable physical allure of the elf's voluptuous body, the crude and uncontrollable behavior enforced by the pig's mind completely ruined the experience for buyers in the market.

(thrrrrrrppp~!)

Lacking any sense of modesty or hygiene, the creature turned her cage into a filthy mire.

"...This is looking really bad," the stall owner muttered under his breath, watching the scene with a expression of deep disgust.

"...That damned woman... scammed me."

The man, who had shelled out hundreds of gold coins believing he was acquiring an exotic gem capable of bringing in fortunes, now watched his losses pile up day after day since the purchase.

"The expenses of keeping her are starting to eclipse the profits... Plus, lately she's been drawing dangerous attention onto my shoulders..."

Without the intellect, dignity, or consciousness of the original brain, the scholar's body held no real value beyond mere sexual exploitation.

"At this rate, if I don't get rid of her..."

Nevertheless, due to the pig's instinctual habits when controlling that body, it reeked to unbearable levels.

"If only she wasn't covered in mud and filth, she'd sell so well!"

Consequently, her absolute lack of hygiene ended up completely obscuring her natural beauty, making the sky-high initial asking price entirely unviable for anyone with even a slight stomach.

"Hey, that one over there..."

But at that precise moment, as the merchant debated desperately whether to slaughter the beast or sell her off for a few silver coins, a hooded figure carrying a massive stone urn on her back pushed her way through the discontented crowd.

"What?"

Immediately after, a pair of electric-blue eyes gleamed from the shadows of the hood, locking their gaze directly onto the cage.

"Is that an elf?"

Ironically, thanks to the network of false rumors about a auctioned wise elf said to possess boundless knowledge—and after wandering blindly for five straight days through the runic labyrinth—a twist of fate finally brought "Silvia" to the spot.

"Ah, she's right... It IS an elf!"

That was one of the very few times something sparked enough interest in her to stop and ask a question.