'This world?'
I was incredibly shocked after saying it aloud. No, did I just refer to this as "this world"? The boy named Sian in front of me simply gazed at me with a smile, saying nothing. Thanks to that, I could sort out my thoughts. His appearance definitely suggested this world might be based on the game I had created. But why?
The answer to the question swirling in my head was standing right in front of me. The terrifying aura emanating from him naturally made my body shrink back, but I forcibly shook it off and pried open my heavy lips.
"Sian, is this... is this place the game?"
Fortunately, my voice didn't tremble. But I had slipped into informal speech without thinking. Seeing the corner of his eye twitch, I belatedly regretted that I should have used honorifics. Come to think of it, I couldn't understand why I had spoken informally. We were strangers, and I wasn't someone who lacked manners. It was probably because of my confused state and the way he had looked at me and said, "Creator."
Surprisingly, though, he nodded in satisfaction, as if pleased with my reaction. It was the face of someone saying, *Yes, that's more like it.*
"Indeed, only you, the Creator, could call my name so casually. To answer your question, I would like to say 'yes' for now, but in truth, it is 'no.'"
"I don't understand..."
He didn't seem bothered by the informal speech, so I tried to speak naturally, but out of courtesy, I added the polite ending. At that, he widened his eyes in surprise.
"Please speak comfortably. Because it's you, of all people. In fact, that makes me more at ease."
"...Alright, then. Got it. So the point is, this isn't the game, right?"
"Haha, that's not it."
I had no idea what was so funny, but he waved his hand as he spoke.
*Are you enjoying this? Having fun? I don't even understand if this is some kind of hidden camera prank!*
I barely held back from shouting it out.
"Don't make that face. I only told you the truth as it is. Because this place is the game you know, yet it is a reality that is not a game. The system is only partially open to others, but everything is open to you. In other words, it's no different from a game—it's just that others don't know this world is a game."
*Whoa, my head's spinning. It throbs.*
The most important question remained.
"Then why am I here? How did I end up here?"
"You're calmer than I expected. Or do you think this is just an illusion or a dream? Unfortunately, I can't tell you the answer to that yet. Creator, you simply need to enjoy this world like a game and gather all the fragments. Isn't that very simple?"
Sian seemed to be saying that was my mission.
Doubt and resentment welled up simultaneously.
"Even if it's simple, why do *I* have to do it?"
I spoke with furrowed brows and an unpleasant tone, but in this child's body, it just sounded like childish whining. If even I felt that way, how ridiculous must it seem to him?
He let out a chuckle, then spread his arms wide like he was in a historical drama.
"Oh, Creator. This is a game for you alone, but it is also an 'obligation.' Here, I will impose compulsion. If you wish to leave this world, if you want to end this endless game, though it may anger you, you have no choice but to gather all the fragments and become Perlnern's successor. As per the great fate you yourself set."
"..."
"One promise I can make is this: if you successfully become the successor, I vow to grant you immense power and wealth to return to your original world. Like a dream of one night, you can go back to that moment when you arrived here."
Sian kept his smile as he looked at my speechless face.
"Of course, just as I impose this compulsion, you, Creator, have no right of refusal. You may resent me for forcing this upon you, harbor grudges— I gladly accept it all."
"But what if I die? What if I don't gather the fragments? Will you impose compulsion there too?"
"If you die, you start over. If you don't gather the fragments, it never ends. Truthfully, your mere existence in this world, whatever you do, satisfies me fully. Just that achieves my purpose to a degree. But dying... that's certainly a problem. The potential of the body you're currently inhabiting is actually tremendous... but indeed. This world is dangerous, so you'll die countless times, and even restarting, gathering the fragments would practically be impossible."
What started as a conversation turned into self-muttering by the end.
His gaze dropped to the ground, tilting his head and mumbling something incomprehensible.
But only for a moment—soon, as if decided, he nodded.
"Very well. To prepare for death, I'll give you two gifts along with a benefit. They'll be extremely helpful. The moment you acquire a fragment, it will become a save point for when you die and restart. And once, before obtaining the next fragment, you can save at a time of your choosing."
He pulled a small pouch from his bosom. It looked like a luck charm.
"The second is this pouch. You can't open it now, but on your fifteenth birthday, it will naturally open. Simply possessing it has a talisman-like effect, so don't lose it. Well, you can't lose it anyway. Heh heh."
He tried to stand to hand it over, but slumped back weakly. With a stunned expression, as if he couldn't believe it himself, he looked down at his legs.
"Oh dear. As expected, pulling in a higher-dimensional being is too taxing."
I couldn't catch what he muttered. With a bitter expression, he stood again. Unlike before, he planted his feet firmly. As he approached, he looked like a colossal giant.
Sian knelt on one knee to match my eye level and handed over the pouch in his hand. I accepted it in a daze, feeling an unknown power. Then he placed his hand on my head.
"Finally, my blessing. However, to receive it, some qualification is needed, so I'll add restrictions. Sorry for putting limits on a gift, but once you reach a certain level, you'll naturally understand and it will aid you."
A strange power flowed from his hand, seeping from my head throughout my body. It was wondrous.
*Is this magic?*
I looked at Sian with interest, but he wore a deeply apologetic expression.
"Resent me if you wish. When all is done, I can even leave my fate in your hands. But that is only if you gather all the fragments."
"..."
"It will be hard. You'll face suffering. Your emotions may wear thin. But I hope, Creator, that this world becomes an enjoyable game for you. Farewell."
He stood, waved, and vanished just as when he first appeared.
*An enjoyable game? What nonsense.*
I raised my middle finger toward where Sian had disappeared, then sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.
*'How did it come to this?'*
I had taken a huge advance payment, planning to live leisurely, but in an instant, this happened.
Realizing I couldn't go back made me miss the wealth, computer, family, and friends in my original world.
I'd even gone through two years of hell as a private in the military!
But no matter how much I complained, this was reality now. Strangely, I judged the situation coldly. My personality should have had me bawling, yet I didn't know why I was like this.
With a sigh, I decided to first examine this body I was in.
No command prompt? Nothing to touch with hands. Hoping something would appear with voice or thought, when I recalled the status window, a holographic display appeared.
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「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arsher]
[Title: None]
[Level: 1]
[Job: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revival Count: 0]
[Strength: 20 (D) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 15 (F) / Potential S]
[Agility: 15 (F) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 30 (D) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 50 (C) / Potential S]
[Luck: 75 (B) / Potential A] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 0]
──────────────────────
I stared blankly at the window before me. My mouth slowly gaped open at the first thing that caught my eye: the name.
"Judah Arsher? Wait a minute."
*Damn it,*
The thought flashed, and I cried out in despair.
"I'm... screwed...!"
Without realizing, I yelled at the window in front of me, then let out a hollow laugh.
Judah in this world? Of all things, Judah!
I clutched my head. No wonder the reflection in the small mirror had seemed familiar—I should have realized it right then!
Of all the countless characters, why Judah? Did Sian target me for this?
I blinked and checked the status window over and over, but the text didn't change. It was definitely that Judah I knew.
The character positioned as the protagonist's rival.
Judah had excellent stats, skills, and looks, but bad luck, lost all female companions to the protagonist, and was even betrayed in the end.
Even when gathering fragments, the protagonist faced no temple sanctions, but this guy, after great hardship crossing to the second continent with fragments, was declared a public enemy by the temple. Ultimately, he lost all fragments to the protagonist, serving only as a stepping stone for the hero's growth—a tragic character created purely for story fun and pacing. And now, I was in it.
* * *
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Tip 1. Traits and skills are allotted five slots each to all NPCs except the player. Completing achievement-like quests or special NPCs can unlock additional slots, but the maximum cannot exceed 10 slots.
──────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arsher]
[Title: None]
[Level: 1]
[Job: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)]
[Revival Count: 0]
[Strength: 20 (D) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 15 (F) / Potential S]
[Agility: 15 (F) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 30 (D) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 50 (C) / Potential S]
[Luck: 75 (B) / Potential A] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 0]
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