Chapter 1:

I, who lived in Gapodong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, had a completely ordinary life—graduating from elementary school, middle school, and high school before enrolling in a provincial technical college S at the age of 20.

Then at 21, I applied for a leave of absence and underwent a physical examination for military service. I was Shin Mooyoung, a 21-year-old young man. When I received a Grade 4 physical classification, I was so happy I could have jumped for joy.

In reality, I was 22 when I began my service as a Social Service Agent.

At the end of my 21st year, I published a fantasy novel as an e-book.

Since I was about to enter military service, my novel received criticism for its rushed ending. As soon as I completed basic training, I checked my bank account to find 1.18 million won deposited, along with a message from the publisher.

My novel had spread across 12 web novel platforms.

I was secretly pleased, but slightly anxious due to the harsh criticism of the ending.

Finally, as I was about to begin my life as a Social Service Agent at 22... I unfortunately died after colliding with a truck while crossing a crosswalk.

That was the end of my utterly ordinary and modest life...

*...or so it should have been.*

When I opened my eyes, a beautiful woman and an ugly, fat man were looking down at me with frowning expressions.

They were chattering about something, but I couldn't understand their language.

Korean?

No, it wasn't Japanese or English either.

While listening to this strange language, I soon became aware of my own body.

Tiny palms and a head I couldn't even hold up properly.

"Bueh...?"

I couldn't even communicate properly!

Had I developed some kind of disability from the accident?

I could make sounds, but couldn't express my thoughts!

The moment I saw the woman holding me, I realized everything.

Let me check my reflection in the mirror.

My expression automatically twisted into a frown.

I was a very tiny baby.

When I moved, the baby in the mirror moved too.

But why was I frowning?

*What... what the hell?! That ugly baby is...!*

The baby seemed to be a few months old, but I had never seen such an ugly baby in my life.

Even my cousin's nephew was quite cute...

This was serious.

After three months, I began to grow while drinking my nanny's milk.

My bedroom was surprisingly spacious.

About 33 square meters, perhaps?

Held in my nanny's arms, I looked out the window.

I could see a village lined with strange buildings.

*The countryside? No, what's with those outfits...?*

The women in maid uniforms and men in butler uniforms entering and leaving my bedroom were sights I'd only seen in webtoons.

After two years passed, I learned a lot about this world.

I had wanted to buy a new laptop with my first royalty payment...

I hadn't accomplished anything before I died.

My heart still aches when I think about my parents who invested tens of thousands of won every month in my academy despite our difficult circumstances.

But now, what matters is how to live in this world.

The woman who appeared to be my mother muttered some strange words and then created a water droplet in her palm.

*Magic...?*

Literally, I had been reincarnated? Possessed? I'm not sure how to explain it, but anyway, I had been given an opportunity to live a new life in a fantasy-like world.

By the time I turned seven, I experienced an identity crisis and shook my head while comparing male and female bodies.

*Well, I was already dead anyway. No need to despair over a change in gender. I should be grateful, actually. Yes, gender isn't that important.*

Compared to this ugly appearance...

I could understand all too well why my parents frowned when they looked at me.

This appearance must be due to inheriting my father's DNA, right?

My mother was quite beautiful, after all.

Black hair and narrow, dead-fish-like eyes.

A blunt, large nose.

Pouty lips and cheeks full of freckles.

And if you touch it, you can feel... a square jaw too!

It's serious.

I had reached the highest level of plainness, and no one could argue if I claimed to have reached a divine level of unattractiveness.

Unlike me with my plain looks, my two older brothers had inherited our mother's features more strongly and were quite handsome.

My two brothers, now 9 and 13 years old.

These guys would frown whenever they saw me and ignore me as if I didn't exist.

As if they didn't want to acknowledge me as their sibling.

"Sigh, it would be one thing if it were just those two, but even Mother and Father are trying their hardest not to show me to other nobles..."

The reason was that they found it shameful to show me to others.

Hey, Father looks like me too, you know?

Why am I the only one receiving this kind of treatment?!

For these reasons, I occasionally slipped out to the city through a small hole in the castle wall.

Oh, I should explain.

My name is Eliana B. Terres.

I am the youngest daughter of the Terres Barony in the Small Kingdom of Galeios.

The Kingdom of Galeios is a small kingdom with a population of 8.5 million.

And this Terres Barony is a small territory consisting of one small city and two villages.

The population is only 10,000.

Because of this, they say the private army doesn't even reach 500 soldiers.

"Eli!"

On a hill located in a corner of the small city.

Under a giant tree growing on that hill, three children—boys and girls—greeted me with welcoming faces.

Lilith, Allet, and Daris.

All three are 7-year-old boys and girls like me.

And it seemed that Allet and Daris had feelings for the cute-looking Lilith.

On the other hand, for Allet and Daris, I was simply a female friend who looked like a boy.

Of course, I wasn't interested in being liked by boys either.

"Let's go to our hideout today too!"

"Let's go!"

Our group entered an abandoned house in the slums adjacent to the city's underworld.

A small, shabby abandoned house that had been used as our hideout for several months.

The abandoned house was filled with chairs and desks collected from the dump.

It was exactly the kind of hideout kids would have.

Making small talk, playing marbles with pebbles, and so on.

We spent time with various games and gradually became closer.

"See you tomorrow, then!"

I hurried back to the mansion.

A small mansion with two floors and a small yard attached.

How grand could a baron of a small kingdom really be?

Our family was generally regarded as an insignificant noble house.

Moreover, the Small Kingdom of Galeios was always compared to the neighboring Labadian Empire with its vast territories and the Molt Kingdom with its powerful military and dense population.

Returning to my bedroom, I immediately flopped down on the bed.

At that moment,

*Bzzzzt!*

I jerked upright at the loud mechanical sound that nearly split my eardrums.

[A message from the Grim Reaper has arrived. Would you like to check it? (Yes/No)]

"Ugh... w-what is this now?"

A game system notification?

"Wh-what..."

I remember that there are no RPG game notifications in this world.

That means there's no system like status screens.

But just like magic, swordsmanship had Sword Aura, and among demonic beasts, there were monsters that could handle a red aura similar to Sword Aura.

The so-called Fighting Aura, as I had learned from books.

Unfortunately, I had been told by a high-ranking magician who visited the city when I was three that I had no talent for swords or magic.

How much I had cried at the magician's cold voice saying, "I cannot sense any mana within your body."

For me, who had dreamed of magic and swordsmanship...

To be given such a cruel future!

"...Grim Reaper... message? Are... are you going to give me some special power?"

Protagonists in novels who are summoned or reincarnated to another world are usually born with special abilities.

Like a game system, for instance.

With an expectant face, I moved my finger toward "Yes."

*Ding!*

[I am Derbella, the god who governs death. You, who should have lost your life, were destined to live a new life on Earth after your soul was purified. Of course, all memories are erased during the soul purification process. But... it seems there was a slight error in the existing system. Your soul crossed the dimensional gap without undergoing purification.]

"So... what? Isn't there some kind of special benefit?"

I read through the message quickly.

[Since I am not the Grim Reaper in charge of that dimension, it is impossible for me to return your soul to Earth, but I will tell you one thing about you who was born with such a tragic fate. The place where you have been reincarnated is a world created based on a novel from Earth.]

"A novel?"

[A world created by the Creator God after reading a novel from Earth... The name of that novel is "Demon King Zexitt, Reincarnated into Another World"]

"What the fuck, that's my novel!?"

I inadvertently shouted out loud.

Immediately, I was startled and covered my mouth with both hands.

I hope no one woke up?

I turned my attention back to the message.

My eyes widened.

[I thought you might have guessed.]

I was already certain.

You bastard.

[That novel was written by you. That place is precisely the world created from your novel that the Creator God happened to see. I haven't read the novel myself, so I'm not sure, but it seems you are not loved by your parents and siblings because of your appearance.]

Are you really sympathizing with me?

The wording made me increasingly hopeful that I might receive something.

[Unfortunately, what I can do in that world is limited. No, it would be fair to say almost nothing. I cannot give you any special abilities, nor can I hand you anything... so I can only wish you happiness living there.]

*What the fuck, you bastard!? You said I was born with a tragic fate! You should at least give me superpowers or a game system... at minimum, you should provide some kind of weapon!*

I wanted to scream and curse so badly as I squirmed on the bed, wanting to throw a punch at this Derbella character.

And you end with wishing me happiness?! Damn it! At least give me one gold coin...!

When the translucent blue message disappeared, I became even more furious.

The next day, I looked outside with puffy eyes and heaved a deep sigh.

Still, I had learned something important. That this world was based on the novel I had written. If that was the case, I remembered the story up to its conclusion.

I had finished writing this novel and published it before enlisting in the military.

"I wonder how that vague ending will actually unfold... It's currently Continental Year 834, right? Zexitt is reincarnated in the year 841. There are still 8 years left. No, to be precise, about 7 years and 6 months?"

Zexitt is truly a Demon King, a villainous protagonist who is popular even on Earth.

Born from a human's womb and raised as an orphan, he single-handedly faces armies of thousands and achieves tremendous feats while becoming the enemy of the world. He collects beautiful women like collectibles and regains his past life's powers.

He's a madman who feeds kings, crown princes, and princes of certain royal families to demonic beasts and enjoys showing this to their queens and princesses. Of course, before becoming the enemy of the world, he disguised himself as a human and traveled the world pretending to be a mercenary.

During those times, incidents and accidents never ceased, and he would solve them—a typical story. And...

"Damn it. There's not much useful information."

*Ding!*

"What now? Again?"

[By order of the Creator God, you have been granted the right to use "The Shop." The amount you can use in this shop will be provided based on how many copies of your novel are sold. Don't worry, the work published with your parents' permission was contracted for 3 years. Well... I wish you good luck.]

"H-hey! This is c-crazy?"

The 1.18 million won that had been deposited into my account after completing basic training appeared in the bottom right corner of the shop.