Prologue

TL/ED: Lolz

"Is this really the end...?"

The hero defeats the Demon King, and peace is restored to the world.

The end.

"No, is this seriously the ending...?"

Amidst the confusion, my forced laugh escaped.

Having played numerous games, such a ridiculous ending was unprecedented.

What was the reason for clinging to an unfinished game until now?

I wanted to see an ending with a peaceful world.

But my expectations were completely shattered.

A pointless conclusion awaited me.

"No, at least collect the loose ends. How am I supposed to end it like this?!"

'Fantasy of Darkness'.

As the name suggests, it is a game set in a dark fantasy world.

The story revolves around a hero who emerges from a dark background, confronts the Demon King, and saves the world.

Overcoming hardships and challenges throughout numerous journeys, the Hero becomes victorious by defeating the Demon King.

I thought a game that perfectly targeted my preferences had finally come out.

Even before the game was released, I eagerly awaited it, watching the trailer repeatedly.

After the game was released, I immersed myself in it for months.

From character creation to customization, equipment setup, and story progression.

I enjoyed it so much that time seemed to fly by without me noticing.

As expected, the game was quite enjoyable.

High-quality graphics and beautiful backgrounds matching my expectations.

Intense difficulty and the joy of growth.

I genuinely believed it was a game that would leave a lasting memory in my life.

My affection for 'Fantasy of Darkness' was unparalleled.

However, this game had various issues.

Firstly, the difficulty was excessively high.

"No, even if it's a weak monster, how am I supposed to survive?"

From the early stages, there were too many sections where dozens of monsters appeared, and if you didn't notice, you would die.

I died from being ambushed by mobs crawling into the boss room.

I died from traps that suddenly appeared.

I died from being hit in the back by an NPC who appeared without any foreshadowing.

The difficulty was a problem, but it was intentionally filled with unreasonable elements.

There's a limit to discomfort even in a game.

Even for someone who played countless games, there were more than a few times when I almost smashed my keyboard.

Moreover, there was a more serious problem.

Despite the game being officially released, it had no ending.

You couldn't even meet or defeat the Demon King, despite being told to kill him.

They implemented only up to the Four Heavenly Kings and released it.

When this fact became known, the community erupted in flames.

People who were playing in anticipation of the ending began cursing en masse.

Eventually, the game developers announced that they would add the ending through an update, accompanied by a lengthy apology.

Naturally, the anger of the people did not easily subside.

After going through numerous criticisms and a large-scale refund turmoil, the situation seemed to calm down.

I also endured until this point.

Even though the developers were shameless, the game itself was not at fault.

Above all, I hoped that they would make up for it by creating a proper ending later on.

Despite the endless wait, I persevered in playing the game, anticipating that update.

Even forcibly continuing to play the game, I held onto my affection for the character I created.

Finally, a year passed since the game was released.

The long-awaited additional update was released.

And the game company sold the game's ending as DLC.

Naturally, public opinion exploded.

Even the ending created in this way was so unsatisfying that it was inexplicable.

"The world becoming peaceful."

Good people died for no reason, and villains stubbornly survived.

It was not even explained why the Demon King was invading humanity.

The goddess did not appear at all; she simply disappeared.

Numerous loose ends and settings were abandoned without reason.

Episodes were left unfinished without even collecting the subplots.

Characters vanished without a trace.

Unnecessary side stories and MacGuffins were scattered around.

And the irrational and unfair difficulty persisted.

For the first time in a long while, game critics and gamers joined forces to leave negative reviews.

Every day, the community was in chaos, and numerous people criticized the game and the developers.

Even after receiving so much criticism, it seemed like the developers couldn't get their act together.

With the announcement that there would be no more updates after the DLC, it was essentially nailing the coffin shut on the game's lifespan.

“Why on earth did I get hooked on this game..."

In the end, I gave up too.

At least the game company seemed to have some conscience and distributed the second playthrough for free.

(TLN: aka New Game Plus)

Second playthrough reportedly included changes different from the first.

But the interest that had already cooled did not return.

‘Anyway, even if I try again, it's probably going to end up with a crappy ending.'

Not only me but most people had already quit the game.

Since then, for over a year, I hadn't touched 'Fantasy of Darkness'.

But upon seeing the game package that had been stored in the drawer for a long time, my heart wavered.

Among numerous game titles, 'Fantasy of Darkness' had been gathering dust.

It was a game that I had cherished for over a year.

Even though it ended with an unsatisfactory conclusion, I couldn't deny the enjoyable memories of playing up to the ending.

"Well, maybe I should give it another try."

At the same time, I was getting sick of the game I was currently enjoying.

I dusted off the drawer and took out 'Fantasy of Darkness'.

I inserted the CD into the game console and started it.

I connected the controller and waited for the monitor to turn on.

But no matter how long I waited, it didn't start.

"What...?"

Could it be that it's broken from being covered in dust for too long?

With an uneasy feeling, I approached the monitor.

"...?!"

Suddenly, sparks shot out from the monitor.

Although I quickly withdrew my hand that was reaching toward the monitor, it was already too late.

As white sparks flashed before my eyes, my body lost strength.

As it was, my vision went dark.

***

I am a being that can do nothing without my master.

He created me. The sole reason for my existence is to follow orders.

That alone is my only joy, salvation, and the blessing bestowed upon me.

My master gave the command.

Save the world and defeat the Demon King.

I gladly followed his command, wandering the world, exterminating monsters.

I wielded the weapon chosen by him and wore only the equipment he selected.

Following my master's command, I only encountered people and received rewards as much as he specified.

It felt like a prophecy. If I followed my master's command, I could defeat the most powerful of monsters.

Sometimes I faced defeat in battles, but eventually, even the Demon King fell at my feet.

I was always happy. Every day, my heart trembled as I waited for the voice of my master.

I was different from others.

I was the only one who could receive master's blessing.

The rest were nothing more than ordinary commoners.

After the adventure and defeating the Demon King, he became the hero of the world.

Since my master never revealed his presence, all the fame became mine.

I merely followed orders.

But only I was remembered as the hero.

Who in the world is my master? How are they watching over me?

Among countless people, why am I the only one receiving his blessing?

I had so many questions, but I couldn't even ask.

I wanted to see his face at least once.

But there was no response.

Nevertheless, I was happy.

I wanted to live my life following his commands.

I believed my master would always be by my side.

But my master abandoned me.

He left my side.

On the 437th day since I was created by master, for the first time, I couldn't hear his voice.

The voice that used to reach me every day was silent.

I couldn't maintain my sanity all day long.

I looked back at the past.

I constantly thought about what mistake I might have made.

But I couldn't find an answer.

Maybe master was angry with me. As doubts blossomed in my mind, I couldn't hold back tears.

That day, I couldn't sleep properly.

Fortunately, the next day, I could hear the voice again.

But since then, the days without my master's voice increased.

One day, two days, three days, four days. The days without hearing his voice grew longer.

While waiting for my master, I lived in constant anxiety.

Will my master bless me with his voice today? Will he look at me tomorrow?
(TLN: I'm going to open up my old Minecraft worlds and find all my dogs… I can't. This is so sad.)

I wondered if I had become useless to him.

Each time, I earnestly prayed with all my heart.

'Please look at me. Please give me a command. Anything is fine. Please, don't leave me alone...'

But eventually, master's voice disappeared.

A week passed, then two weeks.

His voice still didn't return.

After a month, after two months, I finally realized.

He had left me.

From the day that realization entered my mind, I lay on the bed every day, crying.

After three months, I finally got up from the bed.

For the first time, I moved my body without my master's command.

I looked out into the world through the window.

Now, I had become no different from ordinary people.

There was no longer any meaning for me to continue living.

I contemplated ending my own life.

But maybe master would come back someday.

Unreasonable hope held me back.

Four months passed.

During that time, I stayed locked at home, constantly pondering.

Why did he abandon me?

Was it because I couldn't follow orders properly?

Did I unknowingly commit a grave mistake against him?

Or,

If not that,

Had the reason for him to look at me vanished?

I wanted to hear his voice again.

I wanted one more chance from my master.

In the meantime, half a year passed. For the first time, I ventured out of my home.

In front of my home, I encountered a colleague named Serika.

She looked at me and she was shocked.

She said she was very worried as I had not been out of the house for half a year.

I killed her.

I slashed her body with a longsword.

She collapsed without saying a word.

I heard screams around me.

It was an old lady who owned a flower shop.

I killed her too.

After that, I began wandering the world.

I killed everyone in the village. I reduced everything into ruins.

I defeated everyone in the capital, destroying the kingdom.

I killed even my comrade who was with me.

She tried to stop me until the end, but eventually fell at my feet.

The world fell into chaos as it was before.

Now, there was a reason for my master to look at me again.

I waited, believing that my Master would bestow upon me the blessing to save the world.

But still, his voice didn't return.

Nevertheless, I didn't give up.

I killed more people and created more chaos in the world.

But still, his voice didn't return.

Master.

Why did you abandon me?

What should I do to make you look at me again?

How long do you plan to leave me like this?

Is it my fate never to meet you again?

Do I no longer deserve the right to hear master's voice?

Please answer me.

Please let me hear your voice again.