Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Awry Possession
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“No way! You’re that Debauched Young Master Sian?!”
“J-just kidding, right…? Then everything I’ve assumed up until now…”
“Hey, Sian. How on earth did you reach the Marrow Cleansing Realm? I really want to know! Please, tell me!”
The legendary game Ariel had been released.
Thanks to its highly advanced AI and ChatGPT system, players could enjoy a variety of lively reactions from the heroines.
True to its billing as a fantasy game into which the developers had poured a fortune with iron determination, the background and storyline were meticulously crafted.
I devoted my life to this game.
Total playtime: '10,000' hours.
Ariel was my sole sanctuary, the only escape from a soul-crushing social life of wearing the same clothes day in and day out, repeating the same drudgery—a place where I could flee reality.
“Grroooar!”
“Hah-!”
The character on my monitor unleashed sword energy at the Great Wyvern, its maw stretched wide.
To be precise, it was a basic attack.
But my character’s Dantian stats far outstripped those of a typical player, so even a casual sword swing generated a blast of mana-infused sword energy.
-Shooo!
-Kwa-jik!
“Grroooaaar-!”
It was cleaved clean in two with a single stroke.
The Great Wyvern, struck dead-center by the sword energy, split into halves and plummeted lifelessly to the ground.
300th one down…
Monsters like these mid-to-low-level beasts were now one-shots for me.
Before I knew it, my daily grind of work-home-Ariel had forged a character whose specs eclipsed even top high-level players.
I maneuvered my character to slice off the wyvern’s tail from the corpse and stash it in the inventory.
Then I headed straight back to the Royal Ariel Academy.
Once there, I spoke to Lucy of the Alchemy Club, who had posted the quest, and handed over the 300 wyvern tails.
“Wow! You really took down 300 wyverns? Cain, you’re incredible! These will cover all the materials we need for the alchemy portion of the final graduation exam!”
Lucy on the screen exclaimed in delight.
The quest rewards were some affinity points and a handful of Enchant Scrolls…
Truth be told, I didn’t need the affinity.
I had zero interest in the game’s heroine romance system.
My only goal was to roam this vast fantasy world, confront ever-stronger monsters, and chase raw power.
I’d only taken this heroine quest reluctantly because it offered those rare Enchant Scrolls.
Heroine quests were notorious for their stingy rewards, with affinity as the main payout anyway.
“Cain! My Countess Family is hosting a social ball—could you come?”
The Countess Family’s ‘Lucy Amelia’ handed you an invitation. Will you accept?
Accept: +1 Affinity
Are you insane?
Reject, obviously.
I could just trade the wyvern tails straight for Enchant Scrolls—no need to waste more time here.
Great Wyverns barely gave EXP at my level anyway. Do you have any idea how much grinding time you’ve stolen from me?
I clicked reject without a second’s hesitation.
“Ah… You’re always so busy, Cain… Sorry for asking.”
Good, now you know.
I sent my character off to the next hunting ground.
.
.
.
.
“Already 1 a.m.”
The nagging frustration from that time sink of a heroine quest had driven me to push too hard on leveling. Midnight had come and gone.
A glance out the window showed the night sky swallowed in darkness.
…Gotta work tomorrow. Any more gaming, and I’ll be useless on the job.
I shut down the PC, spread out my blanket in the cramped studio apartment, and killed the lights.
Then I settled into bed, fiddling with my phone.
“…Might as well peek at the Ariel community before lights out.”
I logged into the Ariel forums.
One post jumped out at me.
[High-level players. Help a newbie with Ariel.]
How do I shake off the Debauched Young Master creep?
Been popping up since academy enrollment, messing with my quests ffs.
Just stole my borrowed sword—can’t progress Chapter 1 Awakening of Talent quest because of this asshole.
Awakening of Talent… Haven’t heard that story quest name in forever.
Awakening of Talent was the ultra-early chapter, before protagonist Cain Varbo unlocked his genius swordsmanship talent.
At academy enrollment, his age-inappropriate sword skills drew heroine interest, breeding jealousy among the student body.
One guy couldn’t keep it in—he openly tormented Cain in the story.
The newbie’s culprit: Debauched Young Master Sian Brace.
He was the early game’s top villain.
I got pissed at that guy too, back in the day.
I got where the newbie was coming from.
Barrels in, snatches quest materials under some “borrowing” pretense.
Steals stuff around campus, frames the protagonist, triggers bullshit mandatory quests.
Users hated him.
No choice. Repeat the chapter till you dodge him.
For real. After Chapter 1, he barely shows. It gets playable. Hang in there!
Faculty office is OP. He skips it. Just watch hallways.
Strike when he’s hitting on heroines. Blitz the quests then.
Almost smashed my monitor over Sian. You got this, newbie.
Replies were already piling up from fellow players.
…No wonder it felt off. His name’s kinda like mine.
My name’s Jian. Debauched Young Master Sian.
Sian’s features even vaguely resembled mine, which left a bad taste. Similar name didn’t help.
…Looking back, he’s just a story-filler villain. No big deal.
Once the spineless protagonist Cain awakened his talent and flexed otherworldly power, the young master’s bullying stopped cold.
Classic bully-the-weak, fear-the-strong type. My character’s specs? He’d piss himself on the spot.
A quiet chuckle slipped out. Then, like I was compelled, I dropped a reply on the newbie’s post.
Lol. If I were Cain, I’d cuss that debauched young master out from the jump. Protagonist’s too much of a pushover—frustrating af.
I hit post.
Powered off the screen and set the phone by my pillow.
…I had no clue then.
That I’d regret typing that comment.
Regrets from late nights never turn back.
…Regret why?
Getting possessed?
Nah.
Landing in the protagonist? Hell yeah! Genius swordsman life, peak existence! No regrets—pure bliss. I’d embrace the new chapter.
What made me rue that comment…
Was possessing the body of the debauched young master I’d been roasting with other players just last night.
“Fuck, what the hell is this?!”
A hulking, obese frame. Gut bulging out, face bloated like it might pop.
I woke up like this.
Lifting my torso felt sluggish, unnaturally so. A chill ran through me as I scanned the room—unfamiliar ceiling, alien space.
A sickening hunch flashed by.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
I lumbered my heavy ass into what looked like the bathroom.
“Uwaaaak-!”
The mirror on the wall showed a face straight out of a horror show.
The premonition I’d desperately denied. The mirror confirmed it in the cruelest way possible.
…Ariel’s early-chapter archvillain, bottom-tier debauched young master Sian Brace.
His mug stared back from the glass.
“Gurgle…”
I foamed at the mouth and crumpled.
“What-! What’s going on!!”
My scream drew a stampede—footsteps thundering down the hall in chaos.
They flung the door wide.
Three maids in uniform, one butler.
And a man who looked like Debauched Young Master Sian’s father, Pablo Brace, spotted me sprawled out, his face a mask of shock.
“Kyaaaak!!”
“W-what in the world…!!”
“Priest! I’ll fetch a priest!!”
Like clockwork, each played their part to perfection. Even as I blacked out, I clung to denial of this nightmare reality.