Chapter 1

■ Chapter 0. Prologue □ ᓚᘏᗢ

I have a lot to say, but let's get to the point. I was a writer. I wrote fantasy novels that, while not famous, had a dedicated fan base.

Of course, that was before I was reincarnated.

I still don’t know why I was suddenly reincarnated, but the memory of my death is clear.

While writing a novel as usual, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest, and soon I couldn’t breathe.

It was probably a heart attack. Since I lived alone after becoming independent, no one could have helped me.

Well, I wasn’t particularly disappointed.

After all, my family had died in a traffic accident right after I entered college, leaving me alone. In a way, you could call it a lonely death.

The only thing that bothered me was that I hadn’t finished the work I was writing. My death would be known, but I felt nothing but regret for my readers.

So, as soon as I realized I had been reincarnated, I thought I would write a new work based on my memories from my previous life, partly to alleviate my boredom.

That was before I realized I was in a world commonly called 'fantasy.'

“…What can I do?”

I might as well just give up and live.

Fortunately, in this world, which is set in a medieval era, I was born into a noble family.

Although my territory only has a quiet countryside, it has everything I need, and it’s much better than being born a commoner.

Commoners, after all, are lower-class citizens who can’t even defy the nobles.

Additionally, being born as the youngest son, not the heir, means I don’t get involved in pointless power struggles, allowing me to live a peaceful life.

“Hmm…”

And now, back to the present, many years have passed, and I’m 16 years old.

I was lying on a soft bed, reading a thick book.

Reading was one of my hobbies in my previous life, so I naturally took it up here as well.

The problem is…

“Damn. What is this supposed to mean?”

Every book is a collection of poetry. They’re just anthologies of poems by poets.

Even popular romance novels are so difficult to understand in terms of expression and readability.

If I had to compare, it’s like a college entrance English test filled with unnecessary words. The legendary English test that even native English speakers can’t solve.

“Damn. No wonder only nobles read these.”

I threw the book aside in frustration. Reading each sentence feels like solving a problem, making my head hurt.

Why can’t they just write in a way that sparks imagination? What’s even funnier is that reading is considered a basic form of culture among nobles.

The format is something like this…

- Have you read this work? What do you think of this part?

- I think this and that, so I think this way. What do you think, My Lord?

- I think differently. So...

They read a book and then have a 100-minute debate.

When I asked my parents, they said it’s a way to test how deep one’s culture is. It’s ridiculous.

Moreover, I heard that nobles often fight when their opinions don’t match because they have strong personal beliefs.

Hearing this, I inwardly thought, 'What a mess.'

'To these people, my previous life must be a fantasy.'

I looked up at the ceiling and muttered to myself.

This world has monsters, elves, dwarves, merfolk, and demons, among other races.

The characteristics of these races are a bit different from what I know, but there are similarities.

Elves are nature-loving, dwarves are skilled with their hands, and merfolk have animal-like features.

However, 'demons' are a bit unique. They are shunned and despised by the people of this world as 'cursed beings.'

Demons are the descendants of the 'devils' who brought the world to the brink of destruction in ancient times.

This might sound like a silly story, but the problem lies in the unique racial characteristics of demons.

Perhaps because they inherit the blood of devils, if they can’t control their 'desires,' they completely turn into 'devils.'

When they become devils, they are nothing more than monsters that destroy everything in their path.

Because of this racial characteristic, people associated with demons often meet tragic fates, and the demons themselves curse their fate, wishing to live as 'humans.'

In exchange, or perhaps because they don’t turn into devils, they have formidable powers and have established their own country, influencing the surrounding areas.

“Hmm…”

I have an idea for an interesting work.

In this world, gods exist, and there are priests who borrow the power of the gods. So, what if I connect the contrasting elements of demons and priests?

It might be more interesting than I thought.

'After all, tragedy is what deeply imprints on people’s minds.'

Should I call it an impossible love? A love story between a priest and a demon could attract a lot of attention.

And then, I’ll give it a dramatic twist. For example, becoming a devil to protect the one they love, or sacrificing their body to stop the other.

By the way, in my previous life, I was known as a professor of Satan University, or a 'yuri' writer, as some called me.

“Wow. This is good.”

Reading books that are as difficult as college entrance English tests, I need something simpler to read.

But if I can’t find such a book in this era, I might as well write one myself.

There’s nothing else to do, so I got up from my bed and headed to my desk.

‘Damn. If I make a mistake, I’ll have to rewrite it.’

In this era, there are no pencils, let alone ballpoint pens.

So, I had to use ink and a quill, but fortunately, the paper is quite well-developed.

After preparing everything, I pondered how to start the introduction.

Language is not a problem. When I think in Korean, it automatically translates into the language of this world, and the grammar is the same as Korean.

“First, let’s keep the background simple…”

Writing a fantasy novel in a fantasy world felt strange.

I’m writing it as a hobby to pass the time, and if it does well, great, but if not, that’s fine too.

My family is wealthy enough that I don’t need to make a living as a writer.

“Good. This will work.”

With a light heart, I started writing with the quill.

Even in this fantasy world, it felt like I was writing a normal fantasy novel.

‘I don’t think anyone will say anything about this.’

If it comes to it, I can show it to my family and decide whether to publish it or not, so there’s no need to worry.

“Oh. Just in case, I should mention that this is all fiction.”

This is, after all, a fantasy. Hmm.

* * *

'Demons' are the descendants of devils. This is an unchanging truth and a curse upon them.

With horns that symbolize devils, blood-red eyes, and ominous black mana, they are similar to devils in every way. When they lose their sanity, they become real devils, making them objects of avoidance for people.

As a result, even though they have established their own country, other countries do not recognize it, and if it weren’t for their incredible power, they would have been eliminated long ago.

Despite the tragic discrimination, the demons have silently accepted it and are working hard to live as humans.

However, their efforts are often overshadowed by the occasional demonization of some demons, making their dreams distant.

Until a book appeared in the world.

-A writer who revolutionized the new paradigm of novels. Who is this person?

-A heroic epic that will be remembered forever. But it contains tragedy and sorrow.

-Expression and readability that spark imagination. A book that can be easily read by anyone, regardless of status.

The Saga of Zaxon.

It was a novel that was published unexpectedly one day.

At first, it was thought to be just another literary novel, but after a rumor spread that a certain noble read it day and night, it gradually became known.

The overall story is about a great devil who brought the world to the brink of destruction in the past, a group trying to revive the devil, and the hero who stops them.

On the surface, it seemed like a typical heroic epic, but the deep connection to 'demons' caught people's attention.

-A book that represents the sad fate and loneliness of demons.

-It expresses the desire of demons, who are neither human nor devil, to live lonely lives.

-The final moments of 'Sakuran,' who moved countless readers. He sacrificed himself as a human, not a devil.

Especially after the part about a demon's sacrifice, the news was filled with nothing but this story. People who usually showed no emotional changes were said to have wept after reading this part.

Most notably, even those who usually despised demons couldn’t help but feel sorrow and regret.

-Is the unjust and discriminatory treatment of demons really right?

-They are beings who wish to live as humans, not devils. We have made them into devils.

More surprisingly, the perception of demons changed dramatically.

Originally, most people treated demons as devils, but after the publication of The Saga of Zaxon, it changed 180 degrees.

From a ticking time bomb to a pitiful race that yearns to be human.

From beings who were born with a tragic fate, not as devils.

This unbelievable change even led to a review of The Saga of Zaxon from the demon nation, 'Helium.'

-We don’t know who this person is, but we want to express our sincere gratitude. This person understands the sad fate of demons better than anyone.

-The phrase 'true heart'—the heart to help someone by overcoming desire—taught all demons self-restraint.

Even the king of Helium, who was feared as a 'demon king,' expressed gratitude to the author of the book.

As the story progresses, the author, who has been tormenting many people, is currently…

“What… What is this?”

I was stunned while reading the newspaper.

“I haven’t finished it yet…?”

What should I do?