Transmigrated as the Cuck.... WTF!!!

It had been a full week since I'd first stepped foot into Denus's secluded cottage, and now, finally, the moment of truth had arrived.

The choice before him was simple in structure, but monumental in consequence—whether he would use his deity for the sake of his people's survival… or cling stubbornly to ideals that had already cost them so much.

He was seated across from me in the same lounge where we had spoken so many times before. His chair creaked slightly as he leaned back, resting one arm on its armrest.

I broke the silence first. "So, Denus," I said, my voice cutting through the stillness. "It's been a week… you already know what I'm going to ask. Let's not play riddles or dance around it—let's speak plainly."

A smirk tugged at his lips, though his eyes held none of the light that usually accompanied it. "Yeah, I figured as much. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't press me for an answer sooner. For a while, I even thought you'd forgotten. Guess I was wrong."

I didn't respond—just kept my gaze fixed on him, letting the silence force its weight onto the moment.

He met my eyes for a few seconds, then exhaled heavily and shook his head. "I don't know… no, that's a lie. I do know what I would choose, and that's exactly why I can't say it aloud."

His voice was quiet at first, but there was a stubborn edge buried underneath. "It might seem selfish, maybe even foolish, but you can't bite the arm that feeds you. Even if… even if that arm drags you toward your own destruction."

I leaned back slightly, releasing a slow sigh.

"That's what you believe, then… But your choice here will only worsen your people's condition. You've been fighting for freedom for years your entire life has been in service of that cause and yet you're content to keep fighting the same losing battle for the years to come? Until your entire species withers away?"

He chuckled dryly, the sound empty. "Harsh words… but you're not wrong. And I suppose even in the deepest part of my mind I've known that the others aren't wrong either. Especially those who say… we can't survive on our own."

That caught me off guard. I tilted my head, studying him. "I didn't expect you to admit that. For a revolutionary leader, you have an oddly low opinion of yourself. What would your followers think if they saw you like this?"

Denus closed his eyes briefly, a faint hum escaping his lips as though he were contemplating the taste of the truth before swallowing it.

"They wouldn't like it. They'd lose faith in me. But…" he opened his eyes again, gaze steady now, "…even they know. Every single one of them understands it, even if they never say it aloud. We all know. The blue-tailed are more intelligent than us. The red-tailed are stronger than us. Each has their own specialty, their own strength… and we? We lack everything. Even their architecture surpasses anything we could hope to make."

I leaned forward slightly.

"Have you ever truly tried to change that? To improve yourselves? I'm guessing hunting is out of the question, but what about other skills? Your incompetence… it's not just something others have forced onto you—it's something you've accepted as truth. Just because someone oppresses you and paints you as a problem doesn't mean they're right."

I let the words hang for a moment, then continued. "And even if they are right then they've simply pointed out the flaws you need to fix. Think of it not as humiliation, but as an unasked-for guide to improvement."

His voice rose slightly. "We have tried. We've tried… but we can't. You saw it yourself during the celebration. We couldn't even manage a basic festival. It had to be cancelled… because of us."

He wasn't wrong.

I remembered the day clearly. The yellow-tailed had been entrusted with the responsibility to host the celebration, gather materials, craft the statues and sacred art for their deity, prepare the rituals.

Yet they had failed at every step. Materials were misplaced or damaged. Several statues and molds had been broken, sacred artworks ruined beyond repair.

Naturally, the authorities intervened, confiscating what little remained in an attempt to salvage the ceremony. But the damage was done, the celebration was abandoned.

It wasn't mere bad luck. It wasn't even a lack of resources.

It was something deeper—something rotten at the roots. They were wired for failure, not by nature, but by belief. A quiet, relentless voice in the back of every mind whispering: You can't do it.

And the worst part? They believed it.

A wry chuckle slipped past my lips as I looked him in the eye. "Well… that's great. I guess I know the answer to my suggestion now."

Denus gave a low, amused chuckle of his own. "Don't worry. You've already helped us more than enough. If you want, you could stay here for the rest of your life. We'd welcome you. But…"

His expression softened into something almost teasing. "I suppose you wouldn't want to live with a guy like me."

I shook my head, smiling faintly. "No, that's not the problem at all. I don't discriminate against people, and I certainly don't have any personal grudge against you. But—"

His brow arched. "But?" he repeated, drawing the word out as if testing it for hidden weight.

"But I wouldn't want to live here for free," I said, leaning back slightly. "Sure, I could hunt for my share of the food… but that would confine me to the same space, the same routine. I've got things I need to do, places I want to find. If I stay here and repeat the same cycle day in and day out, I'll burn out. And when that happens… well, I won't be of use to anyone, including myself."

Denus regarded me for a moment, his eyes thoughtful. Then he gave a slow nod. "Yes… I understand where you're coming from. Honestly, I saw it in you from the start, you carry your own purpose, your own drive. At first, I was skeptical. I thought you might have ulterior motives, maybe even ill intentions toward my people. But as time passed and you never made a move to harm us, I started letting that suspicion go."

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "Guess that's… good to hear. So, Denus… what about you? What will you do from here on?"

He let out a long breath, then shrugged, though the gesture carried a heaviness behind it. "I'll keep up my charade. I'll keep trying to build a separate nation for my people, even if I have to die trying. I know it won't lead to much, but… at the very least, it will give them hope. Even if that hope is nothing more than an illusion."

A short laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "You know… you're evil for that."

He smirked faintly, the expression carrying a strange mix of pride and regret. "I suppose… I am."