Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Demon King is Dead
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The Demon King is dead.
The Demon Kingisdead.
The Demon King Subjugation Party, composed solely of the continent's top powerhouses, had finally pierced the Demon King's neck.
The group that would later be known to the people as "The Seven Stars" was resting and celebrating their achievement of the ultimate goal.
"Haa, haa... I feel like I can't even twitch a finger."
"M-Me... too."
The Subjugation Party consisted of diverse figures like the Hero of the Empire, the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom, the Grand Elder of the Elves, the Grand Archmage of the Magic Tower, and more.
"Iris, how are the fallen party members doing?"
"No threats to their lives. They're all just exhausted and asleep."
"That's a relief..."
Most members were heroes counted on one hand across the continent, so they'd succeeded in subjugating the Demon King, but nearly everyone had collapsed from exhaustion.
"Sion... seems fine, though."
All but one.
Sion, one of the founding members of the Subjugation Party alongside the Hero and the Grand Archmage.
Sion alone stood steadily on her own two feet, staring blankly at the Demon King's corpse.
"So, what now, Karl?"
"We'll probably head back to the Empire. For now, let's rest until everyone can move again."
"Yes. Then we'll set up a watch with those who still have some awareness—"
As the Hero, the party's de facto leader, and the Saintess discussed post-battle measures—
"Th-then—"
—their discussion was cut short by a bizarre voice.
"—as... promised... I'll take... the Demon King's Core."
A grotesque voice that made listeners endlessly uncomfortable. Its owner was none other than Sion.
"What?"
Most party members could barely stand in the aftermath of the battle, and some had even fainted.
In that situation, Sion's abrupt move to claim her reward for joining the Subjugation Party left most of the party feeling a twinge of discomfort.
"Hey, you..."
Linie, the elf who'd never liked the cold-blooded, creepy Grand Archmage, was ready to unleash everything she'd held back.
Can't you see everyone's collapsing right now?
How can you only think about your own gain in this situation?
Did you ever even consider us comrades all this time?
"Yeah! Take it, Sion. You've worked really hard all this time!"
"Yes, a promise is a promise."
Of course, that attempt was quickly stopped by the other party members who'd sensed the bad vibe.
"..."
The other party members felt the same displeasure as Linie, even if they didn't voice it.
The time they'd spent together as a party wasn't that long, but it wasn't too short either.
Yet not a single one of them had ever exchanged even light chit-chat with Sion.
Who in the world would want to talk with someone hiding their identity behind a mask and speaking in that creepy voice?
Because of this, the only ones who'd ever had proper conversations with Sion were the Subjugation Party's leader and Hero, Karl Leonhardt, and the Saintess Iris.
That said, kicking Sion out of the party wasn't even worth considering.
Weighing the pros and cons her presence brought to the Subjugation Party, the pros overwhelmingly outweighed the cons.
They'd defeated the Demon King twice as fast as planned, all thanks to Sion.
In the end, Sion had become the party's most shunned yet most indispensable member—a walking contradiction.
"...Then."
With their permission granted, Sion immediately approached the Demon King and began extracting the core.
Watching her, it was hard to tell who the real Demon King was, but the party members tried their best to look away from Sion.
After all, they'd all gathered for one goal: subjugating the Demon King.
Once this was over, they'd never have to deal with her again, so there was no need to provoke her now.
I killed the Demon King.
In this world where I'd been inexplicably possessed without knowing why, I'd finally accomplished the one and only way to return to my original world: subjugating the Demon King.
'Now... I can go back...!'
I can go back.
Back to my original world from this place called Rilteia.
Rilteia.
An MMO RPG emphasizing player adventure—the very game I'd been possessed into.
I wasn't sure if it was true possession or some kind of rebirth.
I hadn't been hit by a truck or trashed the game with bad reviews; I just woke up one day like this.
It didn't matter that I'd gone from a safe real world protected by laws and public authority to a fantasy world where I had to fend for myself.
I was what you'd call a hardcore veteran player who'd memorized every pattern and strategy in this game.
Of course, even as a vet, turning the game world into reality made adapting to this new one pretty tough.
Controlling a character as a player versus becoming the character yourself—the difference couldn't be bridged easily, no matter how much info you had.
But I pulled it off.
Character building and raiding vertical content like boss fights? That was my specialty.
Using that, I'd not only survived in this fantasy world but gained the power to return to my original one.
And here's the proof.
The 'Demon King's Core', glowing ominously in my hand—the final condition for the main quest.
With this, I could clear the final main quest, and what awaited me after was undoubtedly a return to my original world.
I can go back.
Just thinking about it brought an involuntary smile to my face.
Back to my world with its soft beds and pillows, computers and TVs that let me roam countless worlds with a few clicks.
No more forcing down food that didn't suit my taste; I could order delicious delivery from my world.
No more... no more—
'I won't have to deal with people.'
—I won't have to rub shoulders with others.
The journey to subjugate the Demon King had gone smoothly.
But that was only for the process of reaching the Demon King. For me, the journey itself had been pure hell.
As a member of the Subjugation Party, I always had to interact with the others, and unexpectedly attend banquets and parties.
It would've been fine if people like the elf or assassin who hated me just ignored me, but the natural social butterflies wouldn't leave me alone, constantly striking up conversations.
Asking if I had any discomforts, to just say the word anytime, that they'd help.
As if they couldn't fathom that such questions themselves could make someone uncomfortable.
They approached me as naturally as breathing, and to me, it brought more tension and stress than fighting the Demon King.
Night watches with the Hero, who chatted endlessly no matter the time? I wanted to die.
You might ask why I didn't just travel alone instead, but that had its own problems.
No matter how you sliced it, without them, I couldn't have taken down the Demon King this fast.
I'd considered going solo several times midway, but nothing was as reliable and quick as sticking with them, so I'd given up on it.
Anyway, this stress is finally over.
I'm going back soon.
To a world suited for someone like me, who prefers walls between others and a solitary life.
As I pondered filming a speedrun video upon returning to reality and waited for the moment I'd go back—
*Ding—*
A translucent window popped up before my eyes, and I had no doubt it would send me back to reality.
'Huh?'
It should've been that way.
'Achievements...?'
The smile beneath my mask froze solid.
Only then did I realize how badly I'd strayed.
Let me say it again: being a vet didn't mean I knew every nook and cranny of the game.
Especially horizontal content like achievements—I'd never paid them a scrap of attention, and that hadn't changed after possession.
Moreover, I'd rushed a Demon King speedrun to get home fast.
As a result, I'd ignored the countless subquests that popped up during the journey to the Demon King.
"Ha... haha..."
The results were as horrific as ever.
And worst of all, what despaired me most—
Hero's Drinking Buddy
Achievement Condition: Become Karl Leonhardt's one and only friend!
Conversation is the Cornerstone of Evolution
Achievement Condition: Have a conversation lasting 5 minutes or more with someone you've just met.
"H-How am I supposed to do th-this—?!"
They were affinity-related achievements—the kind where I had to forcibly befriend other NPCs.