Afterword & Complete Monster and Item Compilation
The story of I Possessed a Character, but I Don't Know the Story ends here, with this afterword and the complete compendium of monsters and items. This was technically my fifth fantasy work, and among all the fantasy novels I’ve written, it managed to deliver the most respectable results. Leaning on the game framework to flesh out item stats and every little mechanical detail was genuinely enjoyable. Even so, I can’t shake the regret of not fully utilizing the countless systems I had imagined existing within that game world.
When I first started writing, I pictured something close to an open-world feel. Over time, however, non-combat sections evolved into a tile-based movement system, while battles played out in real time yet followed the turn-based logic of classic Tsukur games. Think Final Fantasy IV on the Nintendo DS. You know how games sometimes hide ridiculously powerful items in obscure side areas as Easter eggs? That was the spark. The initial idea was simple: give the protagonist those hidden treasures. But once the premise became “the game has become reality,” the story needed proper buildup, supporting characters, and someone to watch over the protagonist’s childhood. The traveling merchant who appeared early on helped him begin his journey, and Reina became the one who ultimately set him free to roam the world.
The rifts, which created tension without feeling like immediate doom, drew heavy inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The differences, of course, were that the rifts gradually drew closer to the capital and eventually triggered a full defensive wave battle once the three-year timer ran out.
I never expected Reina to receive such passionate support. From the very first hints, I was certain Rein would dominate the popularity polls as the childhood friend. A childhood-friend decisive defeat… some of you were rather harsh about it. As for why there was no harem ending, it was never planned, I never added the tag, and I felt it would be unfair to suddenly introduce one midway. Around the middle of the story, several readers even asked if all the female characters meant this was turning into a harem. I still don’t have a good feel for that genre, so I prepared two distinct endings instead.
Overall, I wrote this story with classic RPGs in mind. Hidden items found in unexpected places, companions recruited along the way, a final boss that appears exactly when you think the journey is over—everything followed that spirit. Shen’s role began as a player enjoying the pure pleasure of farming and treating the game world and reality on equal footing. As the story progressed, he slowly became aware of the final boss, started cherishing the people around him, and ultimately stepped forward not as the protagonist’s replacement, but as someone who would protect others to the best of his ability. It became the tale of a boy who came to genuinely love a world he had once seen only as a game.
I finished it in a way that satisfies me. I did consider writing one adult scene for Reina’s ending… but I decided a sincere conclusion was better than an awkward one. And now that the story is complete, another writing contest appears on the horizon. I had sworn never to enter one again, yet here we are—the timing overlaps perfectly once more.
One hundred and seventy-five chapters. Long for some, short for others. To every reader who stayed with me until the end, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will return with even better stories in the future. Starting with my next work, the line spacing might change. I used to add extra blank lines in descriptions and dialogue because I worried it would be hard to read, but now I realize it doesn’t actually feel that disruptive when you’re immersed.
Finally, I will close by listing the monster encyclopedia, item descriptions, foods, and materials I referenced while writing. I have excluded the patterns and skills of boss-level monsters that appeared relatively late in the story.
Habitat: Near the Royal Capital
A curious wild pig. Unlike adults, they often approach people. They only attack once they feel threatened, so cases of being ambushed first are rare.
Habitat: Grassy fields near the Royal Capital
A snake with many teeth. It carries no venom. Wearing metal equipment is usually enough to avoid bites. Thick boots are recommended since it can pierce thin leather. It flees quickly when at a disadvantage, so finishing it in one strike is best.
Habitat: Deep forests near the Royal Capital
The grown form of the young boar. They have grown wary and avoid people, attacking aggressively if their territory is invaded. Their meat has a pleasant chew that differs from the younger ones.
Habitat: Near Selindale
A wolf whose staggering walk resembles drunkenness. It acts alone. This is its natural behavior, not injury or exhaustion. Many travelers have been attacked after mistaking it for a wounded animal and trying to help. Its solo combat strength is not particularly high.
Habitat: Deep forests near Selindale
A four-legged reptile with a distinctive long tail. Some scholars claim that creatures commonly called “lizards” are actually a subspecies of dragon, judging by their vestigial wings. The tail whip is surprisingly powerful and requires caution.
Habitat: Riverbanks near Caldera
A frog monster as large as, or larger than, a human. It attacks with its long tongue or by swallowing prey whole. Because it tries to swallow smaller targets entirely, one strategy is to let it swallow you and tear your way out from inside.
Habitat: Riverbanks and deep forests near Caldera
A moving mass of mud. Sizes range from under 50 cm to over 3 meters. It has no vital points, shatters easily under any attack, yet remains annoying until completely dismantled. Its swinging arms are genuinely threatening. Scholars still debate its true nature.
Habitat: Fields and forests near Windren
A rabbit with a sharp horn on its head. Not normally aggressive, but when cornered it leaps with tremendous leg strength and aims for the heart with its horn. There are reports of dull individuals leaping in fright at passing carriages and embedding themselves in the wood.
Habitat: Deep forests near Windren
A deer with glowing red eyes instead of normal ones. It lives alone. Average lifespan is 25–30 years. Antlers grow indefinitely regardless of sex and become harder with age. Broken antlers are sometimes found caught on trees, but so are trees scratched or snapped by them. Generally gentle, yet once provoked it rarely backs down.
Habitat: Deep forests and mountains near Pardin
A black bear that constantly searches for food and rarely stops. Distractions are possible, but it prefers moving prey. It is aggressive and will charge anything not clearly larger than itself. When severely starved, it will even turn on its own kind.
Habitat: Deep mountains near Pardin
Wolves that travel in packs. Spotting one means at least five are nearby. Individual strength is low, but their numbers are the real threat. Even ten may fail against a Hungry Bear, yet packs of thirty have been seen. Do not let your guard down. Stragglers occasionally wander into human settlements and are hunted.
Habitat: Skies near Elhain
Small birds with extremely sharp feathers. Normally docile and do not attack first, but when threatened they launch their feathers without mercy. They have a predator-prey relationship with the Yellow Silky Larva nearby. They fire feathers at anything yellow, so wearing yellow clothing or hats near Elhain is not recommended.
Habitat: Fields and forests near Elhain
A seemingly slow yellow caterpillar. It shares a predator-prey relationship with the Sharp Bird. Its durability is higher than it looks. When struck by feathers, it plays dead, then spits silk to bind the bird when it approaches. It is omnivorous and can eat almost anything. Surprisingly, it is said to taste decent.
Habitat: Forests and skies near Elhain
The adult form of the Yellow Silky Larva after pupation. Unlike its larval stage, it has no attack methods and should be easy prey for Sharp Birds. However, when threatened it scatters a paralyzing powder through its respiratory system, making it unpopular as food. This trait is believed to paralyze Sharp Birds and provide nutrients for other larvae. Those who have eaten it describe the taste as “like eating a handful of fur.”
Habitat: Inside mines near Marnia
A moving lump of stone, also called a living rock. Extremely resistant to physical attacks but weak to magic. Some believe it is simply a Mud Golem that adapted to a different environment, but this remains unconfirmed. Occasionally seen carrying gems or coal embedded in its body.
Habitat: Mines and forests near Marnia
A bug that digs out stones with sharp teeth and uses them as homes. When threatened, it hides inside the stone and blocks the entrance with its hard forelegs. Stones inhabited by Rock Bugs somehow become harder than before. Strong against physical attacks but weak to magic. On very hot days they are sometimes seen abandoning their heated homes and wandering exposed.
Habitat: Plains and deep forests near Helm
Scorpion monsters that move in groups. Extremely sensitive to ground vibrations and very fast, making them rarely seen. Not normally aggressive, but stepping on a sleeping individual that has strayed from the pack can cause disaster. Their tail stinger carries deadly poison. Apothecaries in Helm are particularly eager to obtain specimens.
Habitat: Forests near Helm
A creature classified as both plant and monster. It uses root-like or arm-like appendages to slowly constrict prey. For a plant, its hunting speed is quite fast. The thorns on its bush-arms carry poison. Human bones are sometimes found among thickets of these bushes.
Habitat: Deep forests near Helm
A strange creature that moves on four legs or two. Its 360-degree rotating neck and large eyes constantly scan the surroundings. Superstition says rare herbs grow wherever these thieves are seen. They are herbivorous and flee from humans, but the poison in their claws is many times stronger than a Raptor Scorpion’s, so chasing them is unwise.
Habitat: Plains near Elid (night) and dark forests
A mass of unidentified energy given form. Mages’ analysis suggests it moves by a power other than mana. It mimics human shapes and voices, but the forms are inconsistent and disturbingly twisted. Physical attacks have no effect, yet magic works for unknown reasons. Any living thing in the wake of this energy has its vitality drained, making wraiths the natural enemy of close-combat classes.
Habitat: Plains and forests near Elid (daytime)
Thugs of uncertain affiliation. They wear pure white clothes and wander near Elid, asking passersby what religion they follow. If the answer pleases them, they let the person go. If not, they swing their weapons without hesitation. Every citizen who has survived an encounter with them turns out to be a believer of the Lantern of Peace… surely just coincidence?
Habitat: Dark forests near Elid
A plant that releases unidentified gas at night. Opinions were divided on whether it qualified as a monster due to its complete lack of offensive ability, but its strong reproductive power and the gas’s ability to induce severe lethargy led to its classification as one. Some scholars insist it is the source of wraiths, though this remains unproven.
Habitat: Plains and skies near Dryia
A beast monster with large protruding tusks and forelegs fused with wings, resembling a boar. Adults are roughly the size of a grown man. With proper handling they are not overly threatening, but being struck by their hind claws or tusks offers no safety even in metal armor. Their hide and tusks make excellent materials.
Habitat: Swamps near Dryia
A monster found only near Dryia. At first glance it resembles a Long-tail Lizard, but the small flame at the tip of its tail and the spikes protruding across its body make it easy to distinguish. It seems aware of the danger of its own flames and lives only in damp swamps.
Habitat: Deep forests near Jurde
A single enormous tree that moves using its trunk and roots. Merely moving causes smaller trees to snap. It has no special abilities, yet swinging its trunk-like arms is threatening enough. Some call it a forest spirit; others theorize it moves on principles similar to golems.
Habitat: Forests and plains near Jurde
A small green dragon-type creature. Though herbivorous, it is ferocious and extremely territorial. Its appearance resembles a guardian of the forest, hence the name. Not very large, but its exceptionally hard claws can easily tear ordinary metal equipment.
Habitat: Plains and forests of Nordelia
A four-armed humanoid monster with a child-like frame. Named for its habit of carrying weapons and body parts from defeated foes. Almost nothing is known about its ecology. Its greatly hunched back evokes the image of an elderly man.
Habitat: Plains and forests of Nordelia
An insectoid monster with hook-like enormous forelegs. They always travel in pairs. Despite their size they are surprisingly fast and exist in a predator-prey relationship with Collectors. The gripping power of their forelegs rivals a dragon’s bite.
Appearance: Near the Nordelia rift
An unidentified monster born from the rift. Composed of weak, brittle bones, they are not individually threatening but appear in overwhelming numbers.
Appearance: Near the Nordelia rift
An unidentified monster born from the rift. It resembles a person melting. Weak impacts cause it to collapse easily, but the resulting liquid contaminates the ground and renders it unusable.
Habitat: Streets and plains of Irer
A monster said to retain the appearance of a distant past. Its massively developed torso and vestigial wings may not match the dragons of legend, yet its durability and strength fully deserve the name.
Habitat: Skies above the Irer plains
A giant bird monster that lives above Irer. It imitates the death cries of creatures it has killed to draw attention, then strikes vital points. Highly intelligent, it can distinguish male from female and mimic the appropriate gender’s scream.
Appearance: Plains near Saion
A small bug monster said to spend its entire life underground. Eyeless, its vibration-sensing organs are highly developed. It detects ground vibrations, selects suitable prey, and drags it underground. It does not usually attack adults. It is often blamed for the disappearance of children who sneak out of the city.
Appearance: Plains near Saion
A bird monster with a somewhat stupid appearance. Its comical large pouch-like beak and tiny wings that only allow flight for a few seconds are laughable. It constantly carries water in the pouch. The water is viscous but hardens when it seeps into soil. Scholars believe it is a mixture of transported water and sticky saliva. The bird deliberately spills this precious water on the ground to hunt Dig Worms.
Habitat: Plains near Eron
A bipedal wolf-like humanoid monster. It relies more on its extremely sharp fingernails than its claws. A scratch on bare skin can leave flesh dangling in tatters, requiring extreme caution. It is one of the main reasons Eron mercenaries carry abundant potions. For unknown reasons it travels with and protects Illusion Tails. Scholars debate whether this is symbiosis or one-sided parasitism caused by the Illusion Tail’s abilities.
Habitat: Forests near Eron and Necrovia
A four-legged beast monster with a fantastical pale pink body. Small in size, its illusory appearance led many nobles to attempt keeping them as pets, but all attempts failed. Its curled tail is said to induce illusions and hallucinations in those who see it. Not dangerous alone, but it befriends other nearby monsters. Many mercenaries lose their lives while entranced by its hallucinations.
Appearance: Inside the Necrovia rift
An unidentified monster. The inside of the pitch-black robe is dark as an abyss. Mercenaries report that touching the black energy emanating from it causes poisoning, paralysis, and other abnormalities.
Appearance: Inside the Necrovia rift
A round, plump bug monster. It explodes several seconds after death, dealing heavy damage to its surroundings. It usually appears alongside Black Robes to prevent close combat. Its eyesight is good, but other sensory organs appear to have atrophied.
Appearance: Inside the Necrovia rift
An enlarged Bomb Beetle that has absorbed rift energy. It has lost its explosive ability but can now rapidly produce and eject offspring. Its enlarged body is covered in extremely hard carapace, making it difficult to damage with ordinary attacks.
Habitat: Entrance to the Western Wildlands
Much smaller than a wolf, yet it tears prey apart with four forward-protruding claw-like organs. Not strong individually, but they travel in groups of at least eight and sometimes dozens. Never underestimate them.
Habitat: Entrance to the Western Wildlands
A bizarre monster with a long worm-like body and sprouting arms. It can only move through parched ground. It drags prey underground in an instant and devours them headfirst, replenishing moisture from the victim.
Habitat: Central Western Wildlands
A monster that moves using an oversized fist as a leg. A blow from it will shatter every bone in the body even if the victim survives. It mistakes solid rocks for kin and smashes fists against them in greeting.
Habitat: Central Western Wildlands
A four-legged beast with a hard shell and a mouth that constantly spews fire. It attacks by spitting sharp, flame-heated needles. The needles are hollow; metal armor can block them, but once embedded in flesh the hollow channels cause blood to gush out.
Habitat: Edge of the Western Wildlands
A monster that looks like a small child encased in stone. It appears weak but can make the earth ripple like water or artificially trigger earthquakes, demanding extreme caution. Its “kee-hee” cry sounds like mocking laughter.
Habitat: Edge of the Western Wildlands
A monster resembling a floating eyeball drifting in the sky at the western edge. The flash emitted when eye contact is made inflicts various curses. Reports include reopened healed wounds, sudden paralysis, and blurred vision.
Appearance: Inside the giant rift
An entity that wanders inside the rift, moving around a large clock and gears embedded in its torso. The pocket watch held in its hand-like appendage is said to manipulate both its own time and that of its enemies. When immobilized, the pocket watch shatters and the body rusts and collapses on its own.
Appearance: Inside the giant rift
A square composite entity that wanders inside the rift. It has no distinct body parts; square cubes move freely to form its shape. It attacks using cubes that ignore physical laws. When it collapses, it leaves no debris and simply vanishes as if disappearing elsewhere.
Appearance: Inside the giant rift
A subordinate of the dark dragon that guards the spatial center so the rift does not disappear. It no longer possesses enough intelligence for conversation, yet it seems to know what it must protect. It has a snake-like long body, but the hard scales and ominous horns that appear to inherit some dragon traits are faint evidence that Exitium is a dragon.
Appearance: Inside medium-sized rifts
A beast monster wrapped in shining crystal. The crystal shell is not particularly hard but possesses self-repairing power. If attacked faster than it can repair itself, it can be defeated.
A small gold ring set with a red gem.
Effect: Greatly reduces damage taken while standing on earth-type terrain (ground, mountains, forests, wilderness).
A wooden sword with no killing power. It can only be used for swinging.
Weapon Attack Power: 0
A heavily rusted dagger. Not sharp, but you still wouldn’t want to be cut by it.
Weapon Attack Power: 3, chance to inflict poison on hit.
Brown boots that look brand new. Why they were thrown in a trash bin is unknown. Made of some unknown leather that is both tough and light.
Effect: +30% movement speed when HP is above 70%. +50% evasion when HP is below 30%.
A brooch received after handing a few silver coins to a mysterious person behind the red-light district. So worn that neither the decoration nor the gem pattern can be recognized.
Magic Defense: +7
A common dagger. Sharp and effective, but the edge does not last long.
Weapon Attack Power: 5
A strangely shaped dagger with a round hole inside the blade. Made by an unknown blacksmith, yet extremely sharp.
Weapon Attack Power: 10. 100% chance to inflict continuous bleeding on critical hit.
No matter how great a mage becomes, everyone starts with a single small branch.
Weapon Attack Power: 1, Magic Attack Power: 15. Mana consumption of basic spells reduced by 15%.
The rest of the items, materials, foods, and companion skills follow the same detailed pattern I referenced while writing. From the lowest-grade potions to the legendary Dragon Slayer, from Yellow Wrinkle Fruits to the Miracle Pocket Watch, every entry was carefully considered so that readers could visualize the world Shen walked through.
Thank you once again to everyone who accompanied Shen on his journey. Until we meet again in the next story.