There are myths among people that when you reach the age of thirty, and are still a virgin, you become a magician. Or at least, you gain magical powers.
Today, I, Jeon Kwonoo, will officially turn thirty years old as a virgin.
It's not that I'm proud of it, or that I want to prove my point. It's actually kind of a shame…
I wasn't that popular at school. I always used to go home early before staying to chat with my classmates. I also didn't talk to many girls. And when I fell in love with one and I confessed to them, they didn't even know my name or if I existed...
So I decided to give up, and just fantasized about what it would be like to have someone by your side.
Maybe it was during those high school years that I created him.
Anser Ciro, the protagonist of my first novel. Anser Ciro was initially like me: a loser, a complete nobody...but he lived in a world where he was often threatened by demons. And where the sects were in charge of getting rid of them, with powerful figures and supernatural powers.
But Anser was never interested in that, he just wanted someone who would love him. And the female lead, Liam Yoon Hee, was in charge of making him value his life, his goals, and above all, love him.
Yes, somewhat cliché, back then I never gave myself the task of putting much effort into the novel, that novel I called 'Mr. Detective' which focused on the kind of romance that all women loved.
They called me an expert, an expert in what? Oh, yeah...
In love.
But I'm still a virgin! And it's stupid when I go to autograph signings and everyone praises me like I'm some kind of god?!
My God...
I just wish all of that would come true...
That I truly become a master at love, and can get someone by my side, be it a woman or even a man, I don't care about that now.
I just want love and peace.
And stop thinking about that stupid popular novel I wrote years ago, 'Mr. Detective', ah, I wish it would just disappear…
But of course, something very wise my university teacher once said...
Don't wish for what you don't want.
And well, that's all I can think about now.
Grrrr…
Since I transmigrated to that novel that I hate so much.
My own novel.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" This time, I was running for my life. I mentioned that Mr. Detective, the novel I wrote, was set in a world of demons, right? "STOP…STOP CHASING ME!" Maybe my creations came to say hello or just...
"GAAAAH!" They're trying to kill me.
A beast that grew bigger every time it ran; it was a hunter demon, one of the weakest, but for unfortunates like me, with a weak body and untrained for this type of chase. I feel like I'm going to die very soon.
Ah, how did I realize I transmigrated?
It's easy.
_
"Happy birthday, hyung!" A guy with glasses, well-groomed hair and a suit was video calling me—it was my editor. He was the one who discovered my novel online and helped me market it. And unfortunately, it was a success.
It would have been nice if instead of calling me he had brought several girls to celebrate, but here I am; June 14th, in my apartment, drinking alone around books… "Thank you, Dowoo…" thirty years is...wild.
Of my friends, I am the only single one.
Damn them...they dare to get married before me! Those are not friends!
"You're drinking too much, hyung, make sure you wake up early tomorrow to go to the publishing house," ah, that again? "We need to talk about the final volume of 'Mr. Detective,' people keep wanting to know the ending!"
"I'd like to know the ending too..."
"…"
It was eight months ago that I released the fourth volume of Mr. Detective. I stopped putting effort into it when I found out the publisher wanted to continue it to the eighth volume. Of course, I don't allow it…
…I don't have that much inspiration.
Above all, knowing that I would soon be thirty, I didn't want to continue writing, but the publisher was on my heels to get me to publish a volume...and I had to do whatever it took to write anything.
However, I don't do it like I used to.
"You know what he would say?" I took a sip of my beer, maybe I was drunk, again, "He would say I ruined the story."
I heard him sigh on the other side.
"You're losing your mind more and more every day, hyung…are you sure you're not taking something illegal?"
This flea… "No. Shut up. And let me get on with it."
I hung up the call, and threw my phone aside. I didn't care about breaking it, the screen had suffered my outbursts of rage long before, and a simple blow like that was nothing.
However, he may be right.
Is there something to these beers? I can't stop thinking about him, Anser Ciro, the protagonist of my novel.
When I first wrote it in high school, I simply wanted a character who could empathize with my situation at the time.
There were no stories that interested me that had a protagonist like me—cowardly, shy, even selfish...
Anser Ciro is what I needed to not feel alone. Literally.
I thought he would understand my situation, no, I thought I could understand him. But, after so many years, and living with the hope of making him live a worse life, just because there's no end to his story, no end to mine...
If he were alive, he would hate me, and maybe force me to write him a happy ending. But is there a happy ending?
In every story, there's a good guy and a bad guy; the good guy will have a happy ending, and the bad guy will have a bad ending.
So really, the true happy ending does not exist.
And that's what everyone wants to see.
"Damn, since when do I start thinking so philosophically? I'm probably having another existential crisis..."
But.
I really want his story to end before mine?
I hate that novel, because it is a reflection of my soul.
I hate that novel, because it was always with me.
I hate that novel, because I never sought to communicate anything in it. I just wrote it to vent, and it's fair that it doesn't have an ending, if I don't have mine yet, right?
I don't know. But thinking about all that...
"My head hurts..." And my heart too.
And I'm not saying this metaphorically.
My heart literally aches.
"Damn it…" Oh, shit! This isn't romantic at all! I think I'm having a heart attack?! "What did I have to do...?"
My vision began to blur, soon I stopped seeing anything, feeling my limbs, and more importantly—my heart stopped beating.
Will I die from drinking so much…?
Shit...I wanted to die surrounded by girls, not virgin...
_
When I awoke, I saw that I was in the forest, and seeing the crimson sun, and the red and yellow sky of this world, I remembered where I had seen it before.
Yeah, from my novel.
And soon, this demon began to haunt me.
Normally, hunter demons hunt small demons and weak humans, so the fact that I'm still alive after running so many miles is just luck.
In the end, my theory was right.
All my creations would try to kill me if they knew I created them.
Thank God this demon doesn't know I created him, otherwise he would have eaten me by now.
"S-Shit…" My legs were starting to feel heavy, and I was starting to feel dizzy. Those kilometers I spent running were already taking effect on my body.
Inevitably, I lost the strength in my legs, and fell to the ground.
I'm so tired that I've already resigned myself.
Maybe I wasn't born to be a protagonist of transmigration novels.
Sorry.
I guess this is the end for me...
BANG!
As I opened my eyes, I could see my body being crushed by the demon's heavy, large foot, demolishing my entire body.
"Hah?" I blinked.
If my body was there...I am now...
"A ghost…." Wow, how lucky I am...
Being a ghost in this world is equivalent to; an exorcist will soon come and send me to wherever ghosts go. I never wrote down exactly where they would go, and I regret that.
If I were something I created, I would kill myself.
"AAAAAH!" I heard screams in the distance, echoing throughout the forest.
The screams were from a man, so curiosity got the better of me, and I followed the sound.
Maybe I could take and possess the body of some lost person...no matter who it is, anyway, I doubt I'd last very long in this world.
Soon, I could see a demon in the distance. I approached slowly, even though it couldn't see me.
He was a cannibalistic demon; demons that grew and gained power from human flesh. They're scavenger demons, so they're very common...in Hell, not in this world.
So what's a demon like this doing here?
At this point, it's safer to remain a ghost than to have a physical body...
…
"What…?"
It can't be possible.
Impossible…
My…ah…
That…
My main antagonist of the story, is being devoured by this demon…
It's even impossible...
The antagonist was never supposed to be defeated by these kinds of demons, however...
Seeing all his classmates dressed just like him, and him...
Maybe I'm wrong?
What's going on? What chapter are we on?
Still, whatever the chapter was, the antagonist would not be supposed to die in this way…
I heard a firework in the distance, and as I floated higher, I realized the city wasn't far away; surrounded by strong walls, with buildings in the distance, the city was the only safe place in this world.
Perhaps my antagonist, Elmetron, thought of that too…but why did he want to come here? It was not supposed to arrive yet, much less with all his companions.
Shit, what's going on? The story is...different?
No, it is not possible.
I have to know what's going on.
However, a force pulled me back when I wanted to fly towards the city, apparently, I can't get too far away from my dead body.
Damn! Do I really need to possess someone?
I'm in the middle of nowhere...surrounded by wild demons and...
"…"
Forgive me, Elmetron.
I went to his body, and I got into his body.
My soul settled into his, and soon, I was able to take possession of his body. Almost immediately, the wounds the demon inflicted on me began to heal.
The demon that was distracted eating my now leg, soon turned to see his black eyes towards me, his skin that was more like simply exposed muscles, It brushed a little against my other leg.
"Oh, busy?" I smiled, definitely, I wouldn't let this idiot get away with the fact that he killed my antagonist that easily...
My legs connected, and soon, I was able to kick him in the face. The air even broke with the force, and the demon flew out, taking a few logs with him.
I stood up, and looked a little at the clothes Elmetron was wearing; It was the clothing of a sect—a long white robe, with a green cross on it. The Sect of Eternal Life, that was the one Elmetron belonged to.
It almost reached the level of the largest sect of all: the Rosicrucian's. However, after their leader mysteriously disappeared, Elmetron and the members of the sect would go in search of him, the city in front of me; Anarxie, would be his final destination, and only he would remain alive.
However, Elmetron would arrive around chapter twelve of the third volume. So, the fact that he's come this far with his companions and not alone, especially at such a young age...
It meant that someone or something forced him to go straight to Anarxie.
"Damn…what happened?" No matter how hard I tried to search through Elmetron's memories, none of them seemed coherent, or indicated anything that would be of use to me.
Maybe it was amnesia because of how suddenly his body took over? I guess I'll have to keep him and take care of his body for a little while longer...
That's right! I have to go to the city!
That firework can mean two things: an attack on the city, or a celebration.
And I hope it's the latter.
I need time to investigate who the hell brought that demon to the forest, and most importantly, find out why Elmetron went straight to Anarxie.
_
Finally, I could see the entrance to the city, the dirt changing into a stone path, and soon, I could see what looked like the 'registration' to enter the city.
Ah, that's right.
If I want to enter the city, I need to register first.
It was a rule for anyone who wanted to enter Anarxie, that way, they could identify the demons camouflaged as humans, and be able to hunt them more easily.
A rule of the Rosicrucian's, and messing with them is literally suicide.
I tapped on the windowpane where the guard was supposed to come out to search me. After a few minutes, an old man came out, with a camera hanging around his neck, and a large white mustache that almost covered his entire face.
"Oh, young man…what brings you here?"
I guess now without an antagonist, I'll have to use my name, anyway, I don't think any character here will notice.
"I came to do my registration."
"Oh, to refrigeration? Me too, forty years ago, me and-"
"REGISTRATION. RE-GIS-TRA-TI-ON."
"Calm down young man, I heard it..." With all due respect, it seems not, old man.
I don't remember writing to an elderly guard, who takes longer to walk than to write.
Soon, the old man grabbed his camera, and took me a photo. "Huh?"
"It's for your registration, young man."
I know, but why didn't you tell me? I think I looked grumpy in that photo... "Y-Yeah…I know…"
Remember, Jeon Kwonoo, he's an old man, don't fight.
"So, your name is…"
There's no way he can make a mistake here, I trust this grandfather.
"Jeon Kwonoo. With double o." The man wrote in the air, with his finger, a golden line writing in a language that even I didn't know, when he finished, the letters disappeared.
Practically, with that, the magic letters would take care of looking up everything about the name I gave. Since it's my name and not Elmetron's, I don't have to worry about taking care of its responsibilities.
"Welcome to Anarxie, young Ji Noo…"
"Thank you old-…what, wait?" He...he called me...? "No, my name was…" No, it's impossible to change that now.
Shit, why did a deaf old man have to be there as a guard right when I arrived? Oh right, it's still my birthday, I guess that's why...
They say the birthday boy is the one who has the least fun.
"Hii-hii!" huh? What's that? It sounded like a bat screeching...
And as I turned around, a soft ball hit my face, the claws of that creature digging into my skin, "IT HUUURTS!"
"Be careful with that furball, young man, he tends to get out of control at this time of day, hoho." And this old man acts so normal?! He's a demon, not a bat!
A moth demon, light and especially fire attracts them, but they do not usually fly during the sun. So this creature...is more likely someone's pet. "Get out!" It's a guess, I mean, he hasn't used his teeth to eat me yet...so I guess if owner taught him not to use his teeth on people.
I finally managed to tear it away from my face, and threw it aside, the demon flying away. The skin that was scratched, soon healing.
It's not that Elmetron was superhuman; it's simply that, by belonging to a cult, some of the cult leader's powers could be used by its members. Each had a different ability.
That of the Elmetron sect, being regeneration, since its leader uses his powers to heal. Yes, that's also true... no one has any power except the cult leaders. Their members inherit it, but they don't have one by birth.
As I walked, I took it upon myself to admire my surroundings. There were no people on the street, so that confirmed my suspicions of an event.
Although, there was also the attack and everyone being evacuated... but the old man was still there, so...
BANG!
I heard another firework, looked up, and saw that I was getting closer. I ran a little, and soon, I heard the noises and shouts of people, until finally I reached a crowd; everyone was clearing the long, wide streets, while everyone seemed to be talking about a common topic.
"Today is the march of the sects, they said they are going in search of new members!" One of the girls next to me confirmed, and I pricked up my ears to see what else they were saying, "I hope we can see the Moon Sect this time…I really want to meet Mr. Detective…"
Ha, keep dreaming, woman…
Anser never attended events like these, and his sect is very busy protecting the city…
…
Are they really protecting it?
Now that I think about it, if they were really working, maybe Elmetron wouldn't have died, and neither would I.
But instead, there are a bunch of wild demons around the city...
So that means that Anser and his sect did attend this march?
"Look, there's the Third Round Sect!" I looked towards the carriages that passed by the march—seeing several men dressed in suits and marching in a coordinated manner, I could see Joakim Hans, the leader of the sect, at the top of the carriage.
He was wearing a black suit and a navy blue cape, short black hair, and a cap that almost covered his dominant and commanding gaze…
Ah, Joakim was the only character I truly enjoyed creating...and seeing him in front of me, wow, he looks just as awesome as I imagined!
"Wow, Layla looks more beautiful today!"
From behind, members of the first woman to lead a sect were approaching, The Wisdom and Redemption Sect.
Unlike the rude and intimidating appearance of the Third Round Sect members, they wore long blue gowns, and threw flowers to the children who watched them. It was to be expected; Layla J. Everest, a ex member of The Eternal Life Sect, the same sect to which Elmetron belonged. When Layla left the Sect, she decided to create one of her own, abandoning the regeneration magic of her former leader and instead creating 'artificial magic'.
So, that's where the name of her sect 'wisdom' comes from, since she herself was able to create artificial magic based on the world's largest bookstore of this novel, but, so far and for the safety of its members, they can only use very little, however, it does not mean that they are weak; it is the fourth of the five most powerful Sects, after all.
She greeted us all, then blew us a kiss. All the screams were from men, yes, I would be excited too, but I would like to see him instead.
Soon, the second sect of the five most powerful passed—The Ace Sect, and, for obvious reasons, its leader must be working…
Although it's just an excuse. Sherly, without a name to identify himself other than that pseudonym; he actually loved drinking more than work. Its power is based on creating indestructible shields for its members, however, if its members manage to master it, Sherly rewards them by offering them the ability to create weapons.
In fact, there is a key figure in Sherly's sect, but I don't know if he's still in the sect...
All members dressed in bandit clothes, and well, it was to be expected, their sect was based on physical training until being able to become a human shield.
It's a real shame that their leader decided to go drinking instead of attending...but hey, I did the same thing in my past life.
And soon, the rival sect of The Ace Sect took over; the Rosicrucians, the most powerful sect of all, and whose leader is considered a god. It was the sect with the most members, and all of them, being able to reincarnate at least more than once, and as a second ability, mental control of demons.
Their leader, Randy Bornman, may not be here, but like a god, he's watching. So, I guess I'm safe from the wild demons outside…
I hope so, of course.
All the members of the Rosicrucians marched, throwing candy to all the children, even I managed to catch some. They had an angelic appearance, and it was logical that they would bring something with them for the public.
Candies were strange in this world, too, they were not made with the same materials as in my world, but in their world, they were obtained thanks to fairies, another type of very weak demons.
And soon, it was the turn of the fifth sect of the five strongest Sects, the Mr. Detective Sect, still without a name, at least not for now. I was supposed to name his sect in the last volume, but of course...I died and now I can't write anymore.
He could see the carriage in the distance, and unlike the other sects, his...had no members?
What.
Why?
It was supposed to be in fifth place for being a sect with a good number of members, at least enough, not as many as the Third Round Sect, but enough…
But where is everyone?
"This is impossible..." I decided to move around, avoiding people, trying to see him; Anser.
Maybe he wasn't the leader of that sect…maybe...he's already dead? Like Elmetron? No, it can't be...he can't die!
Soon, trumpets were heard in the sky. It was the alarm of a demon attack.
Immediately, all the leaders and members who were marching went to evacuate all the people present.
However, I still couldn't leave, not without seeing him first.
"GAAAAAH!" However, apparently, I was once again detected by the hunter demon from before; one of the fastest and wildest demons, though not as wild as the cannibal demon.
Shit…
Why did he have to see me first?
I looked sideways at the carriage, I couldn't see him there.
"Damn!" If it weren't for the fact that I had no other body to possess, I wouldn't have started running away from the demon.
It's the only thing I could do, anyway.
Elmetron's body hadn't yet developed the power it should have had in the original story, so trying to confront the demon...would be suicide. And I think Elmetron realized that when he died, too; he knew he was weak, and that he couldn't fight the cannibalistic demon that attacked him.
There is another way to make your body strong, however...
No!
I still want to keep humanity in his body...
"Attack!" In front of me, the Third Round Sect soldiers began shooting at the demon chasing me. I immediately fell to the ground, members of the Joakim Hans Sect are known for not stopping, even if the life of a civilian like me was at stake. They were hunters, not saviors.
I crawled on the ground, the already fired bullets falling on me, soon, something pulled me, when I realized, it was Layla J. Everest herself.
"Be careful, once the demons see their prey, they won't let it go so easily..." she said, with a smile.
"A-Ah, thank you…" I muttered. I already knew that, but I never believed that the devil could be able to detect my soul in a different body.
Layla looked at Joakim, who was giving orders to his people, some splitting up to investigate other possible demons within the city, while Layla's people treated the wounded and scared people.
I guess it's a relief that at least one of my creations didn't try to kill me...
"Where the hell is that jerk supposed to be when we need him?" Soon, I heard Joakim's voice behind me, who approached Layla.
"Maybe he's still in his carriage...when I went to see him, he didn't even come out to answer my questions…"
Questions? Are they referring to Anser?
He was certainly that kind of person, but Layla had never dared to visit him. But now with this new change...
What's really going on?
"He will die if he continues to neglect himself."
What?
"Yeah, but…we can't do anything."
You can't do anything?! You two are super strong guys, and you can't just force him out?!
That idiot...what's happening to him? Where are his people? Why aren't he here fighting? What do they mean by neglecting himself?!
But as always, only the author can know.
And unfortunately, that's me.
"W-Wait! Where are you going?!" Layla's voice echoed in my ears, but I ignored it, running into an alley and finding another way back to where they said Anser was.
If he keeps throwing his tantrum, fine.
But if he's still alive, I'll save his ass, it took me ten years to write his story to let him die so easily.
Wait for me!