---

*

‘Another World Online.’

This game, which appeared like a comet in the online MMORPG world, gained unprecedented popularity.

Graphics indistinguishable from reality and lifelike NPCs.

It was a legendary online game, servicing 20 countries worldwide and boasting nearly a billion users.

I was a huge fan of this game.

Well, to be precise, I was a fan of the original novel ‘Another World.’

The captivating characters and story drew me in, but even without those, it was undoubtedly a special work to me.

Why? Because the author of the original novel, Jeong So-ra, was none other than my younger sister.

‘Another World’ was a novel So-ra had been scribbling since high school.

Back then, I was just an older brother who read her novel and gave feedback upon her request.

But before I knew it, I had become an avid reader.

Ah, it was way more fun than I expected.

Anyway… right after my sister graduated, she submitted the novel to a contest, and it unexpectedly won.

That much was within my expectations.

It would’ve been strange if it hadn’t been selected.

But it didn’t stop there. A famous game company bought the IP of the work.

It was a massive hit.

As a result, ‘Another World’ was first revealed to the world as a game, not a book.

Vast maps and a level of freedom almost indistinguishable from reality.

Everything was exactly as I had imagined.

No, it was even better than I had imagined!

‘Wow… this is insane!’

There were countless NPCs there.

With emotions so real, you couldn’t tell them apart from actual people.

Being able to directly communicate with the characters from the original work, recreated as NPCs!

As the older brother of the author and as a fan, it couldn’t have been better.

That’s how it should’ve been, but……

-You know what? You can kill NPCs too.

-What?

-There’s that merchant in the square who buys junk items. I killed him as a test, and he actually died lol.

-For real? I’m gonna go execute the blacksmith who broke my weapon.

What started as a pastime for some users quickly spread throughout the entire server.

Many NPCs were killed for fun. But once an NPC died, they didn’t come back.

Eventually, it reached a point where users couldn’t receive quests anymore.

“Sigh… these crazy people, seriously…”

I had hoped that users would cooperate and communicate with the charming characters.

I believed that if anyone understood the charm of the NPCs, they couldn’t help but become friends with them.

I believed.

As a fan of the original work.

As a gamer.

That the players would create an ideal game.

But sadly, my expectations were completely shattered.

As the players’ NPC hunting began, the Neverland Continent, the stage of the game, fell into chaos.

Because they were angry.

Because they didn’t like how someone looked.

Because they didn’t give quests.

Just because they were annoyed, players started killing the characters.

Some users and I tried to stop those who were killing NPCs, but it wasn’t enough.

All I could do was watch as countless users thoroughly destroyed the world I cherished.

And finally….

[The Last Empire has collapsed at the hands of the players]

[GAME OVER]

This was the result after just one year of service.

“I knew it. These lunatics…!”

I immediately called my sister in a fit of rage.

Ring ring.

-Brother? What’s up?

-Sis, those bastards finally ruined the game.

-Ah… I heard. The service will probably end today.

-What?

-Well, the story’s over. There’s no more story to progress.

-So that’s it?

I was furious.

There were so many stories yet to be revealed.

What about the unique characters?

And it’s ending like this?

-Hey, aren’t you mad? The characters you created died without doing anything.

When the game was made into an online game, So-ra was also in charge of the story.

I had seen many endings she created based on the original work.

But among them, there was no such ending as this.

-Well… it can’t be helped. It doesn’t have to follow the story I created. Besides, the game company seems to consider this as one of the endings.

-This isn’t the ending I wanted! The players are all idiots from start to finish! Ugh, I feel sorry for the NPCs. Any one of them would’ve made a better ending than this.

-Oh… you think so?

-Of course, duh!

-Hahaha. That’s so like you, brother.

My sister’s laughter was full of mischief.

So I thought what she said next was also a joke.

-Alright. Then show me. The ending you want.

-What?

“What is….”

“How much did you say?”

The next moment, a slender shadow turned around.

…Huh?

Where did she come from?

A breathtakingly beautiful woman stood before me.

“……?”

I felt like my brain was freezing.

Looking around, the room was filled with antique-style furniture.

By all accounts, this wasn’t my room.

“Sigh… are you listening to me?”

“Ah? Ah…”

Our eyes met.

She was a beauty. A stunning beauty.

From her features to her noble and dignified demeanor, she was a woman of unparalleled grace. Her silver hair glowed under the backlight, and her blue eyes shone beautifully.

But the emotion in those eyes was none other than hatred.

‘What? Why is she looking at me like that?’

But… she looks familiar.

Who was she?

As I was thinking, she asked.

“Alright. Then let me ask you. How much do you think I’m worth?”

“How much… do you think you’re worth?”

At that moment, my gaze was drawn to the fan she was holding.

More precisely, to the message that appeared like a speech bubble next to the fan.

+

Name: Cheap Fan.

Description: A mass-produced fan with a beautiful design. Its quality matches its price.

Emotional Value: 500 Kael.

+

“500 Kael?”

“Ha! Even if you offer such a fortune, you can’t buy my heart. Hmph. As expected, you think everything can be bought with money… Wait, wait… what did you just say?”

Did she not hear?

“500 Kael.”

Hearing my answer, the woman’s face stiffened.

It didn’t take long for her face to turn red with shame.

“Y-you dare…! No, forget it! It’s pointless to say more!”

Unable to bear it any longer, she stood up abruptly.

She strode towards the door, then turned to look at me.

“Not 500 Kael, even if you paid 1 billion Kael, you couldn’t buy my heart!”

“No, that fan…”

“What…!? Are you saying I’m worth less than this fan!?”

She’s not listening to me…

Then, a scene flashed through my mind.

Ah, I remember now!

“And to think… I didn’t expect you to insult me like this at the end!”

This familiar situation.

Surely, at the end, she…

“I can’t marry someone like you. I won’t forgive you until the name of Ruelberta disappears from this country!”

Bang!

She stormed out, reciting the exact lines I remembered from the original.

Ah, to be precise, she was even angrier than in the original, but otherwise, it was almost the same.

Which means…

“Am I… in the novel? No, in the game?”

The situation I just experienced was a scene from the novel ‘Another World’ that I loved.

That beautiful woman was undoubtedly Bella Izakhel, the Duke’s daughter.

The flower of the cliff, praised as the most beautiful woman in the empire. Well… her only flaw was having a fiancé who was a complete scumbag.

“Wait, hold on…”

The lines Bella just delivered were about breaking off the engagement. But why did she say that to me…?

I started to feel uneasy.

“No way…”

I checked the mirror.

At the same time, I had to face the reality of my situation.

“No… this can’t be.”

I know many of the charming characters from the novel.

And I can confidently say.

I’d be happy to be any of them.

But not this guy.

This scumbag…

“Why did it have to be you…”

The reflection in the mirror was a fat man.

A noble with the worst personality imaginable.

“Tristan Ruelberta…”

I had become the villainous pig Count who would eventually sell the country to the players.

 

---