Chapter 0
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 0
Chapter Title Claiming the Throne
Prologue
Waaaaah!
Cheers erupted from below the stage.
Countless lights flashed, and colorful spotlights swirled above my head.
Everyone taking the stage for the finale of Idol Training Simulationwelcome!
I flashed a confident smile as the MCs booming voice rang out.
Standing atop the platform where every eye was fixed on me, I waved to the crowd, basking in their cheers like a beautiful melody.
Yeah. This is why I went through hell all this time.
Just thinking about those past days made my blood boil.
The days Id locked myself in the practice room day and night, determined to become an idol.
The days Id charged onto battlefields, unleashing every strategy and show of force to save the kingdom.
The reason I was back here, carrying these absurd memories, was simple.
Karis!
Look this way just once!
To see the people calling my name.
That was why Id returned to this stage, and my goal was crystal clear.
And now, lets find out who will claim the throne at number onestarting right now!
I closed my eyes, gazing at the resplendent throne perched at the highest point of the set.
It was time to overwhelm.
Time to crush them so thoroughly that no one would dare challenge my place.
Final Linked Quest Achieve 1 in Idol Training Simulation has begun!
Bow down.
Kneel and look up at me.
Id give them a performance worthy of it.
Chapter 1
A snowstorm raged.
Even the ice dragon of the north wouldnt show its face in weather this brutal, yet I couldnt afford to rest inside my cave.
Crown Prince Karis! Crown Prince Karis!
A voice called from the distance, and the flap of my leather tent flew open.
The soldier, his black helmet buried under a layer of white snow, dropped to his knees before me, gasping for breath.
Reporting, Your Highness! Grant Generals detachment has just broken through the western walltheyve successfully opened the eastern gate!
The news Id been waiting for has finally arrived.
I checked the map once more, then turned to the knight standing beside me.
Hugo. Are all the troops at the main camp ready for deployment?
Yes, Your Highness. Theyre fully prepared and can move out at any moment.
Then we deploy immediately. Take half the soldiers and head for the eastern gate via Grants breakthrough. Ill handle the western wall myself.
Understood!
Hugo straightened his armor and strode out of the tent.
As I folded the map and buckled my sword to my side, a notification appeared before my eyes.
Grand Quest Saga Final Chapter Assault on the Demon Kings Castle has begun. Time remaining 2 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes.
Just get through this final battle, and the game is cleared.
Clutching that thrilled thought, I mobilized every last soldier for the assault on the Demon Kings Castles western wall.
What came after that was nothing but memories filled with snow, blood, and the frenzy of battle.
As I watched my white breath cloud the frigid air and drove my sword down, the status window popped up with a crisp chime.
Congratulations! The character Karis von Walden has repelled the Demon King.
The possessor Han Jihyuk has cleared the final chapter of Grand Quest Saga.
Clear reward An audience with God is now available. Proceed?
Yes No
Yes.
I pressed the Yes button with my bloodsoaked hand.
In an instant, my body vanished from the heart of the battlefield and rematerialized inside a dim temple.
Congratulations. I never imagined someone would make it this far. Summoning an otherworlder to this world for the first time was worth it, after all.
A voice brimming with immense power echoed from ahead.
My body, utterly exhausted from hours of nonstop combat, could barely respond.
I forced my head up and looked forward. With a burst of golden light, the figure of an old man materialized.
Youre the God of this world?
Indeed. Karis von Waldenno, player Han Jihyuk. Your feats will be remembered for eternity. Breaching the Demon Kings Castle that no one ever conquered was impressive enough, but you even took Demon King Balderichs head.
Spare me the sugarcoated praise and get to the point.
Even here in the temple, my grip tightened on the Holy Sword Durandal.
The reason I was so openly furious before this otherworld God was simple.
You dragged me into this world out of nowhere and tossed me into a decade of war. There has to be a purpose behind it. Isnt there?
Ah, you must be wondering why I chose you as the possession candidate. My answer is quite straightforward, unfortunately.
The God stroked his thick beard and let out a hearty chuckle.
Its because you spent the longest time playing Grand Quest Saga back on Earth. I figured youd adapt far better to this world than anyone else.
Thats it? Thats all?
As the God overseeing the Arcadia continent, I was simply curious whether the Demon King could be subjugated.
The player whod spent the most time on Grand Quest Saga.
Hearing that, no counterargument came to mind.
Just as the God said, back in the real world, Id been glued to that game every single daythe one derisively called a flop game.
Id been an idol trainee, but after six years of effort, I never debuted.
In a major agency, I wouldve debuted ages ago alongside equally talented trainees, but the limitations of a small company with so few were glaring. Add in the constant scandals from the agency and personality issues among the trainees, and there was nothing to be done.
It wasnt like I hadnt tried.
Id been praised for my musical talent since childhood, told I had exceptional gifts, but I never rested on it. I poured out blood and sweat in practice, just like everyone else.
For my final gamble, I joined Idol Training Simulation, KNets idol survival program.
I went in with a freshstart mindset, but fate played a cruel trickI tumbled just short of debut, landing in 8th place when they needed seven.
And so, I set aside the idol dream Id nurtured for so long and faced reality headon.
Survival came firstI needed money to eat.
Parttime jobs by day, holing up in my room for games by night.
Thats how I naturally stumbled upon Grand Quest Saga, the strategy RPG infamous for its brutal difficulty.
Hearing that no one had ever seen the Demon King subjugation ending, I dove in daily with a challengers spirit.
Everything after that was straight out of a generic fantasy novel.
The status window that appeared before me issued a simple directive.
Possess the game character Crown Prince Karis von Walden, breach the Demon Kings Castle, kill the Demon King, and it would send me back to my original world.
I took a deep breath and raised the most pressing issue.
The reason you brought me here doesnt matter anymore. I fulfilled the condition you set, didnt I? So send me back to my original world now.
A promise is a promise. Im deeply grateful for showing me something Ive never seen before. You seemed to adapt well to the Crown Prince roleever thought about staying?
Not for a second.
What a shame.
No matter how crushed Id been in life, rotting away in a game world was no substitute for returning to reality.
Word of the Demon King Slayer could spread, drawing assassins from demon forces at any moment.
And I had zero interest in following this Gods whims any further.
The God extended his hand forward. Particles of light coalesced into several system windows.
Now, where did I put the returntoreality function Ah, there it is.
Return to Original Body
Finally, I could shed Karis von Waldens body and return to my own.
I stared at the status window that had appeared before me and drew in a breath.
Well, it hadnt been a bad ten years, all things considered.
Sure, as Crown Prince, Id had to orchestrate endless Demon King Castle assaults, master weapons and magic as basics, and learn army command on top of it allmy head throbbed just thinking about it.
But when else would I get royal treatment like that?
I pressed Yes and closed my eyes.
I waited for the familiar twist of spacetime, the sensation of my body teleporting.
Hm?
Why wasnt anything happening?
Something felt off, so I opened my eyes. The God was flailing his arms in a panic, his beard whipping around.
This wasnt some slapstick comedy.
Uh, uhwhats going on? Im sure I set up the system properly.
What in the whats the situation?
An error in the return function! It wont register no matter how many times I press it. I poured my heart into building this system, and now this embarrassing mess!
How could it be this hopeless right up to the end?
I left the Godwho looked suspiciously halfbakedto wrestle with his own system and plopped down on the floor.
I watched his silver beard flutter as I healed my wounds with recovery magic, then whipped up some bread with creation magic during the downtime and ate it.
But even after I finished the bread and dusted off my hands, the God was still frantically tinkering with the system.
A sigh escaped me as I watched him hang his head.
IIm sorry. Ive got no face left to show you.
So youre saying I cant go back to the real world?
Well, its not entirely impossible. You just cant return in your original bodythat is, as Han Jihyuk. There are other ways to reach the real world.
Other ways?
The body youre using right now. Karis von Waldens flesh can make it to the real world.
The temple fell silent for a moment.
I let out a groan and slowly weighed my options in my mind.
Stay here in Grand Quest Saga as I was.
Or return to the real world in Karis von Waldens body.
Surprisingly, it didnt take long to decide.
Fine. Send me back to the real world in this body.
Rright, Ill get the system ready immedia!
One condition.
An idea flashed in my mind, and I flashed a grin.
I cleared your quest fair and square. But what Ive gotten in return is an absurd reward. I figure its only fair if I demand some compensation to match.
Ahem! The system glitch is on me, so Ive got nothing to say. Do you have a specific reward in mind?
Simple.
This was my chance.
If I returned to the real world right now, Id have next to nothing to work with.
Id just end up like old Han Jihyukscraping by with parttime gigs by day and cooped up gaming at night.
But right now, a genuine God stood before me. Sloppy and unimpressive as he seemed, he wielded a real system.
He could let me rebuild my life from scratch.
When you send me to the real world, rewind time as well. Say about twelve years back. Thatd be perfect.
Looks like youve got some unfinished business. Thats no trouble at all.
And one more thinglet me keep using that system once Im back in the real world.
A simple regression would be too onesided a deal.
Going back exactly twelve years meant returning to the time of my last shot at an idol career.
The era of that survival audition where Id fallen just short of debut.
This time, I had to make itno matter what.
By any means necessary, with all the help I could get.
Youre rightI do have one unfulfilled dream. Im rewinding time to chase it again. And to make damn sure I succeed, I want that systems power.
Splitting off the system core isnt hard But it was designed to assist players possessed into Grand Quest Saga. For you, itd just hand out quests and generate status windows in a similar vein.
Thats more than enough.
I stared at the Holy Sword Durandal for a moment.
Then I walked to the center of the temple and slammed it pointdown into the floor.
Thud!
I achieved my goal in this world. Now Ill achieve it in that one, too.
Youre sure this is all you want? Nothing else?
No need.
My curt reply drew a nod from the God.
A golden glow emanated from his fingertips.
Very well. Commencing the transfer of Walden Kingdom Crown Prince Karis von Walden and system integration process. I wish you the best of luck in that world.
I closed my eyes and welcomed the cascade of light.
Space and time twisted around me in a thrilling rush as I steeled my resolve once more.
This time, Ill succeed no matter what.