Every word Ishizaki spoke resonated deeply within Ethan.
And that was exactly why the cursed developer smiled with such satisfaction.
"You've realized it by now, haven't you, Ethan?"
Ishizaki leaned forward, bringing his face close to Ethan's.
"The terminology I'm using… it isn't unfamiliar to you, is it?"
Outer God.
Messenger.
Another world.
It was as if he were talking about—
"Ordeal," Ethan muttered unconsciously.
Ishizaki nodded with delight.
"That's right."
The developer straightened up and continued.
"You're here to receive your reward—and to become the new hero who will embark on the adventure."
"The adventure that no one before you has ever survived."
Ishizaki grew visibly excited as he spoke—but Ethan suddenly stopped him, raising his palm.
"W–wait, wait, wait! Stop right there!" Ethan shouted, springing to his feet.
"I'm barely keeping up with you—and now you're dragging Ordeal into this out of nowhere?!
Wasn't that just a game you developed?!"
In response, Ishizaki shook his head.
"Of course not. Ordeal isn't a game," he said calmly.
"It's a simulation of a real world—with events that mirror reality perfectly."
"The world of Ordeal is completely real. Just like the world you used to live in."
"But it's a special case—a chaotic world without a god to govern it."
"A world where the mysterious Dark Lord spread corruption and destruction without restraint."
None of this was new to Ethan.
He already knew Ordeal's story—the Curse of Darkness, the fall of the world, the devastation brought by the Dark Lord.
"The situation in Ordeal spiraled completely out of control," Ishizaki continued.
"There was no longer any way to save it."
"That's when the Outer Gods intervened—using their power to summon heroes from other worlds."
"Heroes whose mission is to save that world… and defeat the Dark Lord."
He pointed directly at Ethan.
"And that is what you are, Ethan."
"Or rather ..
the chosen hero destined to fight the curse."
The moment Ishizaki finished speaking—
a long, suffocating silence fell between them.
Ethan stood there for a long time, processing everything he had just heard—
trying to comprehend a truth no sane mind would accept.
Then ..
his first reaction came.
Laughter.
"Pfft— hahahahaha…"
He laughed.
And laughed.
And laughed ..
until tears streamed down his face.
All of it under the gaze of Ishizaki…
and the grotesque entity looming above them.
He laughed for a long time.
Then wiped the tears from his eyes with his finger.
Ishizaki tilted his head, wearing a broad smile.
"So?"
"What exactly is so funny?"
In response to that question, Ethan waved his hand frantically.
"Ah—sorry, sorry… it's just that I find this funny. I mean, what you're saying right now sounds exactly like the plot of those cheap novels I used to read back in the day."
"So, let me get this straight. You're about to send me into the world of Ordeal so I can fight the Dark Lord and his curse, right? Something like reincarnation… or transmigration."
Hearing this, Ishizaki nodded.
"That's a rather unique way of describing it—but yes. Something very close to what you just said will happen to you."
The moment Ishizaki confirmed his suspicions, Ethan sat down on the dark ground.
The trembling left his body completely, as if he had finally regained his composure.
"What a cliché story… I don't get it. Why the hell should I do something like this in the first place?" he said.
"I spent years trying to conquer that game. I know better than anyone how hellish the world of Ordeal is—and how utterly unfit it is for a human to live in."
Ethan lay back on the ground, as if he were resting in his own bedroom rather than a strange realm described as a space between life and death.
"You said that thing up there is a god. Aren't gods supposed to be overwhelmingly powerful beings?"
"In that case, why doesn't it step in and clean up this mess itself instead of sending a pathetic gaming addict like me? This whole situation makes no sense."
Ethan spoke freely, not really expecting an answer.
Yet Ishizaki answered anyway.
"Unfortunately, the Outer Gods cannot directly interfere with the material world," he said calmly.
"That's why they have no choice but to summon heroes from other worlds—entrusting them with the task. Through us, the messengers."
"So I'm supposed to be this so-called hero?" Ethan sighed, wondering how his life had ended up like this.
A shut-in gaming addict suddenly becoming the chosen savior for some incomprehensible entities ..
beings that claimed to be gods from another world.
Everything Ishizaki said sounded ridiculous to him.
But Ethan's expression suddenly changed when he recalled a specific detail in the developer's words.
He raised his head, staring straight at him.
"You said heroes," Ethan said slowly.
"Does that mean… I'm not the only one who's been dragged into this insanity?"
In response, Ishizaki nodded.
"As I mentioned earlier, many heroes have been summoned from different worlds in an attempt to save Ordeal."
"Ordeal is not merely a game—it is a cosmic ordeal, one that has intersected with countless other worlds."
"Just as you experienced it as a game, others experienced it in different forms."
"A fantasy novel. A simulation. A graphic story. And many, many other variations."
Hearing this, Ethan let out a light chuckle.
"And here I thought I was special."
In response, Ishizaki laughed as well.
"What? Did you think you were the Messiah or something?" he said with a grin.
"Hehe… sorry to disappoint you."
Then Ishizaki slowly stepped closer to Ethan, looking at him with a strange gaze—
one completely different from the dismissive look he had worn until now.
"But you're not entirely wrong, Ethan," he said quietly.
"You are special."
Slowly… the fog thickened, spreading further .. as if ghosts were dancing around Ethan and Ishizaki.
The two continued their conversation, indifferent to what was happening around them,
and to the grotesque entity looming above.
"So far," Ishizaki continued,
"a great number of heroes have been summoned in an attempt to save the world of Ordeal."
"Each of them was exceptional—each capable of starting a legend of their own."
"But they failed."
"They all failed, Ethan."
For the first time since they met, Ishizaki's expression turned serious.
"You, Ethan, are the last one.
The final hero to be summoned.
Our last chance."
Suddenly, Ethan remembered the strange conversation he had with Ishizaki when he finished the game.
The developer had said something similar back then .. word for word.
That Ethan's victory had given them hope.
That they still had a chance to survive.
"Think about it, Ethan," Ishizaki said, his eyes telling an entire story.
"Isn't this the real opportunity you've always wanted?"
"Are you truly satisfied with a trivial achievement like 'the guy who beat a game'?"
"I mean… what guarantees that someone else won't come along one day and beat it too?"
Ishizaki struck a nerve.
Ethan's face darkened immediately.
"If you ask me," the developer continued coldly,
"what you achieved is nothing more than a fleeting accomplishment—one everyone will forget soon enough."
He belittled Ethan's achievement on purpose.
The only achievement Ethan had ever earned in his life.
And that ignited his anger.
"What do you know about what I went through?!" Ethan shouted.
"By what right do people like you judge me and what I've achieved?!"
But Ishizaki cut him off immediately.
"I know, Ethan. Because I've been watching you the entire time."
"No one understands you better than I do. Be certain of that."
Ishizaki stood before him and extended his hand.
"That is precisely why I am offering you this opportunity."
At the same time, the dark heart above them released another call—
a resonance that shook the entire void.
"The man who conquered the curse…
who defeated the Night Lord…
who achieved what every hero before him failed to do."
"How does that sound, Ethan?" Ishizaki asked softly.
"Appealing, isn't it?"
"Do it. Finish the game once more—with your own hands."
"And you will gain everything."
"An achievement no one else will ever be able to replicate."
"And that's not all."
Ishizaki lifted his gaze toward the entity above.
"If you succeed, my lord will grant you any wish your heart desires."
"To be reborn in your original world…
or to continue your life in Ordeal."
"Wealth. Glory. Anything."
"All you need to do—
is conquer it, Ethan."
"Conquer Ordeal."
With those words, Ishizaki said everything he had to say ...
leaving the final decision entirely in Ethan's hands.
Ethan sat in silence, trying to fully grasp his situation.
It felt as though the developer was trying to give him something he had never truly possessed before ..
A reason.
A real, tangible reason to fight.
Otherwise, there would have been no reason for him to go through the trouble of bringing Ethan here ..
he could have simply hurled him straight into the world of the game.
But he hadn't.
And that alone lent a measure of credibility to his words.
It seemed that Ishizaki truly believed in Ethan—
even if he tried to conceal it behind his mocking tone.
Considering his circumstances,
the decision was not difficult to make.
Ethan slowly rose to his feet, a new resolve reflected clearly in his eyes.
"I'll do it," Ethan said, his voice heavy with determination.
"I'll conquer this damned game… once more."
As for Ishizaki ..
this was exactly what he wanted to hear.
"Thank you, Ethan… truly, thank you."
With those words of gratitude, the matter was settled.
And so, the journey of the final hero
was about to begin.