I should have known I'd regret staying up past 2 a.m. again.
The glow of my monitor lit up the empty room as my character charged toward the Demon Lord's castle in Swordsman Legend. Three months of grinding, sleepless nights, and too many instant noodles led to this: the final quest.
And the objective?
"To defeat the Demon Lord, first seduce his wife."
I stared at the screen, half laughing, half offended.
"Bro, what kind of medieval soap opera quest is this?"
Still, I played along. The Demon Lord's wife, Lady Serena, was stunning even in pixel form: silver hair, crimson eyes, elegance wrapped in sorrow. The lore said she'd betray her husband if she fell for the hero.
It was so stupidly dramatic that I muttered,
"If I were the Demon Lord, I'd actually adore my wife instead of letting her hate me."
The line left my mouth laced with sarcasm, but maybe the universe had a really messed-up sense of humor.
I saved my progress, threw my headset aside, and flopped into bed.
If I were him, I thought, I'd show her what love actually means.
---
When I opened my eyes, my ceiling wasn't cracked anymore-it was carved stone. The air smelled of incense, not energy drinks. And my blanket? Velvet, not budget cotton.
"My Lord," a soft voice said, "the ceremony is complete."
I sat up. A woman stood before me in a crimson wedding gown, veil lifted, expression unreadable. A golden ring gleamed on her finger—and on mine.
> "Congratulations, Lord Arkan," she said evenly. "We are now bound by vow."
Arkan. The name hit like lightning-the name of the Demon Lord.I looked around: towering obsidian pillars, a throne draped in banners, shadows that breathed magic. My pulse went wild.I wasn't playing the game.
I was in it.
And worse, I was the villain I'd mocked.
What the hell did I do to deserve this, I am literally just a collage student.
Then, memories struck—centuries of cruelty downloaded into my brain, it felt like: fire, wars, the terrified faces of servants. And Serena—her smile, her tears, her heart, which broke under the burden of the Demon Lord's madness.
She had loved him once. He'd utterly destroyed that love.
"You don't have to call me 'Lord,'" I said in a quiet voice.
Her look hardened.
"I will, as long as you remain the same monster."
The heels of her shoes sliced through the silence as she turned and left. I looked down at my hand, still wearing the ring. It felt heavier than a crown. In this game, I was to destroy this marriage in order to win. Now, my quest was the opposite-to fix what the real Demon Lord broke. And if I failed, it would not just be "Game Over." That would be the end of both our worlds.