Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Twice Possessed? That's Too Much!
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"Kasian Revnant, heed me."
The emperor's dignified voice filled the vast audience chamber.
Multicolored light poured through the stained-glass windows, cascading onto the crimson carpet that lined the floor, flanked on both sides by hundreds of nobles and knights standing in formation.
All of them gazed at the back of the lone figure standing at the center.
Emperor Alexander von Reinhardt slowly rose from his throne.
Behind him, the massive sun emblem embroidered in gold on the banner rippled and flowed in the breeze. In the face of that overwhelming presence, every subject in the chamber bowed their heads.
All except one man: Kasian Revnant.
"..."
Kasian silently looked up at the emperor. Amid the nobles in their splendid attire, his worn coat—still stained with the blood and dust of the battlefield—stood out starkly. Yet no one dared mock his appearance.
That very outfit was proof that he had saved the empire.
The emperor descended from the dais and stood before Kasian.
"Bear with it just a little longer. I know you've suffered, but this ceremony is necessary."
"I understand, Your Majesty. You promised you'd let me rest once this was over."
Kasian grumbled just under his breath. The emperor chuckled softly before resuming his stern expression.
"Therefore, the empire shall bestow upon you its highest honor. Your name shall be etched into the imperial records, and your martial feats shall be passed down to posterity for a thousand years."
The emperor's hand rested atop a black box. He slowly lifted the lid, revealing the medal inside—a golden emblem crafted solely for one person.
The Supreme Martial Merit Medal.
It was a nameless medal, never once awarded in imperial history, reserved only for those who had accomplished mythic feats of valor.
Demon of the Battlefield
Empire's Blade
Savior of Humanity
The guy you absolutely shouldn't turn into an enemy
These were the many epithets that had preceded Kasian Revnant's name.
A few feared or opposed him, but even they had no choice but to acknowledge him. Naturally, Kasian himself wasn't particularly attached to such titles.
'Well, they're not wrong.'
They were grim monikers, to be sure, but looking back on his path, they seemed almost inevitable.
He had reclaimed the fallen elven borders, repelled the demon horde's advance, and brought the hero party—mired in endless despair—to victory, putting an end to humanity's protracted war.
In the process, he'd employed every dirty trick in the book: founding black magic, raising an undead legion, double-contracting with archdemons, forbidden alchemy, wielding demon swords, even carving marks into prisoners' flesh to make them explode for intelligence warfare.
In the real world, that would've violated the Geneva Conventions and landed him straight in an international war crimes tribunal. But this world had no such lofty ideals. Without those methods, the empire—no, humanity itself—would have perished.
Kasian knew that better than anyone. And everyone had silently consented to his ways. Vile or cruel, the victor's methods were always justified.
And now, that very man stood quietly before the emperor.
His face was calm, but inside, he was fighting back a grin.
'Finally... finally, I can go home...!'
Twenty years since his possession.
He hadn't been native to this world from the start. He'd simply been dragged here in some incomprehensible way after writing a 5,700-character review for the game Crimson Chronicle.
When he'd first arrived, the system had left him with just one line.
[Lead the Empire to Victory.]
Just one line. Concise, but a goddamn tough goal.
Kasian closed his eyes quietly. Memories of the past flowed through his mind like water.
He'd mastered the noble tongue that once felt foreign on his lips, learned swordsmanship where the blade moved before his body, woken every day to insomnia and blood, and endured endless days of unrelenting war.
Yet he'd persevered. Leveraging his knowledge of the original story, he'd survived to the end with his comrades, cleaned up the battlefield, and as a member of the hero party, slain the demon king.
That long journey—a brutal, seemingly endless chain of battles—had finally reached its conclusion.
'It's really over now...!!'
Kasian extended a trembling hand. The moment the cold metal of the medal touched his fingertips from the emperor...
Ding.
The clear alert tone he'd longed for rang in his head.
[Goal achieved.]
[Reward: Return to the original world.]
Shwoooosh.
Space warped, and massive magic circles unfurled beneath Kasian's feet like interlocking gears. Blinding white light flooded the golden audience chamber.
"Are you leaving?"
Emperor Alexander stepped down from the throne, blocking my path. The naive crown prince from twenty years ago, who'd entrusted his back to me, was now a middle-aged emperor.
"I don't belong to the natural order of this world. I've done my part, so going home is only natural."
"Cold bastard. Even offering you half the empire wasn't enough."
"Too much hassle to manage, Your Majesty."
Alexander gave a wry smile at my curt reply.
"What will you do when you get back?"
The emperor's question stemmed from simple curiosity—or perhaps the bond of comrades who'd endured twenty years together. Kasian answered without hesitation.
"Chicken."
The emperor blinked, uncomprehending for a moment, then nodded with a small laugh.
"I hope you find the peace you desire. Farewell, my brother, my mentor, and my hero."
The center of the magic circle blazed brightly, mana rumbling through the ground.
At that instant, the emperor shouted.
"Kasian Revnant, the empire will remember your name for a thousand years!"
The light from the magic circle exploded outward. And with that, the being known as Kasian Revnant vanished completely from this world.
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"..."
I slowly opened my eyes.
It was a familiar sight.
But at the same time, utterly alien.
Fluorescent lights on a low white ceiling that stung my eyes. The hum of an old refrigerator. The muffled TV noise from next door through the thin walls.
The musty smell of mold and dust tickled my nose.
The real world I'd longed for so desperately.
The ceiling was low, the bed plush, the air suffocatingly warm.
No alien mana, no stench of the battlefield. The world I'd waited for.
Kasian—no, Kim Min-su in the real world—stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, catching his breath.
His body still remembered combat stance. His right hand twitched to grip something, his back instinctively scanning for intruders.
"I'm back..."
Twenty years.
Sucked into a fantasy world for the crime of writing a long review for my favorite game.
Finally, it was all over.
"I really made it back. Time's frozen too."
The calendar on the wall was stuck on the day I'd vanished. Twenty years had evaporated like a single night's dream.
I collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion. A hollow emptiness washed over me, different from post-battle fatigue.
And then my stomach growled loudly, insisting on its existence.
"Chicken..."
That one word flooded my mouth with saliva. On the battlefield, I'd survived on hard wartime rations. Sometimes filtered porridge from moldy grains. Days fueled by calories, not flavor.
Every moment, I'd imagined it.
Steaming kimchi stew broth.
Juicy meat bursting under crispy skin.
A golden-fried drumstick.
If I ever returned, I'd eat that first.
I got out of bed and grabbed my smartphone. My fingers felt awkward on the screen, but the apps were just as I'd left them.
I opened the delivery app and quietly selected my order.
One whole chicken. Plus kimchi stew and rice. No more wars here, so I had to eat properly.
The doorbell rang. Not fire magic or demon infiltration—just an ordinary sound.
I opened the door, and a helmeted delivery guy handed over the food with a blank expression.
"Enjoy your meal."
That dry greeting sounded so good. I nodded mechanically, took the bag, shut the door, and headed to the living room.
The house was quiet, too familiar to feel real.
I carefully peeled off the plastic and opened the kimchi stew lid. A savory, spicy aroma hit me. My hand paused as I tore open the chicken bag.
Golden crispy skin, glistening meat.
Just looking at it choked me up.
'Ah, I really made it back.'
I turned on the TV, flipping channels on autopilot. On screen, people laughed and joked, living ordinary lives.
And I quietly bit into the chicken.
Crunch.
Oil, seasoning, and hot meat sensation spread through my mouth. The emotion that burst forth could be summed up in one line.
"Fuck... this is goddamn delicious."
I mixed rice into the kimchi stew and took a spoonful. Deep broth, soft rice, warmth filling my mouth.
No matter how grand the fantasy world, elven banquets, or imperial feasts—nothing beat the taste of home's MSG.
The imperial chefs would clutch their necks if they heard, but oh well. My tongue was trained on delivery food.
I sat there for a long time, slowly savoring each bite while watching the TV drone on without dialogue.
After finishing, I quietly cleaned up. Tossed the containers in recycling, downed a glass of water.
The cool water tasted better than I remembered.
I showered, roughly towelled my hair, slipped into familiar pajamas, and lay on the bed.
The blanket was fluffy, the mattress creaked like always.
Just for a bit, I thought, but my body surrendered to the bed instantly.
"Gotta apply for school reinstatement tomorrow... Time to live normally now."
I wondered if I'd adjust. But after surviving twenty years in a fantasy world that dropped out of nowhere and becoming a hero? I could handle my old life.
I'd manage just fine. Better than fine.
With that thought, I closed my eyes.
And when I opened them...
"What?"
"You've opened your eyes!"
"Lord Kasian! We desperately need you right now!"
"A miracle! The summoning actually worked!"
"According to the records, this is the man who led the empire to victory!"
"The magic circle can only be used once. No retreat."
"No time! The imperial court—no, the entire empire—is collapsing!"
"Kasian Revnant, we've been waiting for you! The empire needs you now!"
"..."
I'd returned to an empire on the brink of ruin, five hundred years later.