FIRST ARC
"HALLUCINATION OR REALITY"
An ordinary day—nothing special. Dark clouds, a gloomy face, as if he had already died on the inside.
Don't you want to become stronger?
A young man could be seen lying on the ground, completely exhausted from his training.
Diablo: "Your name is Hero, right? Then why are you acting like an NPC?"
Gasping for breath, he only frowned in response.
(Hero): "There's a limit to jokes. Besides, it's not my fault my name means 'Hero.' If you want to complain, complain to my parents."
He then stood up.
(Diablo): "Huh, you know I can't do that, right?"
Hero looked outside.
"Anyway, why am I talking to myself?"
Diablo is actually the name I gave to my own brain. I believe that my brain and I are two different personalities. Why did I name it? Because 95–99% of humans never scientifically refer to their brains with a name like Diablo. They prefer to call it "me."
But to myself, Diablo and I are different entities.
(Hero): "Damn it, why is Monday so long? Is Monday cursed by time or something?"
Hero prepared to go to school. At home, he only lived with his father and grandmother. He also loved ancient weapons specifically weapons made from basic materials, sharpened until they achieved incredible sharpness.
Once at school, he only repeated the same cycle: school, home, training, games, sleep, repeat.
Truly miserable days.
Since elementary school, he had always been bullied. No one ever defended him. In middle school, he joined the student council, but the bullying only got worse. He was bullied by the entire school just because he resembled a disabled person who went viral on the internet. Even the teachers never defended him.
(Hero): "Why do people enjoy laughing while thinking of cruel words for others?"
(Diablo): "That's your own fault. Why don't you try changing your appearance and stop acting like a main character? Realize it—you're weak. If you don't even start, why are you complaining?"
(Hero): "It's even more annoying when you say the truth. Fine, fine, I'll change—but I can't promise I'll be consistent."
After that, he slowly began to change. He exercised, though not consistently. He downloaded a 70 Days Six Pack app.
(Diablo): "Hahaha, how ridiculous installing something this embarrassing. Even funnier is how you always act like nothing's happening whenever someone comes near. It's fine, you don't need to be ashamed just because you don't want others to know you're trying to change. Damn, this is even more cringe than I thought."
While struggling through his 15th sit-up and barely reaching the 16th, Hero said,
"Isn't this better than doing nothing at all?"
And so it continued.
Time passed quickly. He was almost graduating high school now, sitting in the living room with the lights off. Light seeped through the doors and windows, yet the gloomy clouds never disappeared.
He asked weakly,
"Hey Diablo, it's been three years, right? Why does my body still look so ordinary?"
(Diablo): "Because you only got serious starting from the second year until now. That's normal. Especially since you're picky with food—you say you want to bulk, but your sleep pattern is terrible. Listen, I know you want to be strong. Your training sword weighs 3.9 kg, your katana 2.5 kg, and even your longsword is 1 kg. The old you couldn't even swing them. Isn't that significant progress?"
(Hero): "Maybe you're right… but my heart isn't satisfied."
(Diablo): "You watch too much fantasy, action, and drama anime. It's normal for your emotions to be unstable. You desire strength because of motivation, not ambition. Hero Oda Akira—sounds right, doesn't it? Strength can't be obtained instantly. It can't be gained through hard training alone."
(Hero): "I KNOW!"
He shouted as tears began to fall. He realized how much he hated this world. He could no longer see it as colorful as before.
(Diablo): "You're angry because you can't find the beauty of those worlds? Hero, I know the world you want is warm and colorful—gentle winds, blooming flowers everywhere, beautiful grasslands. But even if you went there now, you'd still see it in gray."
(Hero): "Yes… my heart might already be dead. BUT—EVEN SO, I REALLY WANT IT. AT LEAST ONCE. EVEN IF IT'S JUST IN A DREAM. WHEN I WAKE UP, I WANT TO SEE TREES MOVING WITH THE WIND, HEAR BIRDS CHIRPING, AND MEET A MERCHANT WHO SAVES ME IN A STRANGE WORLD. I KNOW IT WON'T HAPPEN. So Diablo, I'll accept this reality. I understand now why I wasn't sent to a world like that."
Even if I went there, I'd still be lazy.
From that moment on, Diablo never spoke to Hero again.
Sunday.
Hero trained as usual, swinging his sword as much as he could—until he accidentally struck the lamp in his house.
The moment it shattered, his vision suddenly turned white.
(Hero): "Damn it, why is my vision white—ha, huh?"
He suddenly felt his foot touch something sharp, yet it didn't injure him. He also heard a sound like ocean waves.
"Damn it… am I hallucinating?"
Hero slowly opened his eyes and muttered,
"W-what is this? Is this a severe hallucination? It must be shock from the broken lamp…"
He held his head.
"Wait—this feels too real. I'm still holding the sword… this grass sensation…!!! Don't panic. Isn't this like a coma? A coma can create extremely vivid dreams since it maximizes illusions that normal sleep can't."
"Then… I must be in a hospital right now."
Suddenly, someone approached.
(Mysterious Man): "Oh? Are you the one called Among?"
(Hero): "Among? You mean 'in between'? Like Among Us? Sorry sir, I don't understand what you're talking about. This is probably just part of my imagination."
(Mysterious Man): "Hohoho. Strange clothes, carrying a sword, black hair, tan skin… it seems you truly are an Among."
(Hero): "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll just enjoy this dream while waiting to wake up from my coma."
(Mysterious Man): "A dream, you say?"
(Hero): "See? An NPC in my dream asking questions. If this is my dream, isn't this like a lucid dream?"
Realizing that, Hero closed his eyes and imagined a beautiful, sexy elf appearing before him.
The mysterious man looked confused.
When Hero opened his eyes, no elf appeared.
(Hero): "That's strange. There should be a sexy elf here."
(Mysterious Man): "What nonsense are you talking about? This is the Land of the Fallen. Elves could never survive in such a mad place."
(Hero): "The Land of the Fallen…?"
Hero grew more confused. In a lucid dream, imagination should become reality. A lucid dreamer should be incredibly powerful.
(Mysterious Man):
"Among are those who have no purpose in life. They constantly complain about their existence. At the peak of their despair, they fall into a deep abyss within their hearts—
drawing the attention of demons, who drag them into another realm."
Cold sweat ran down Hero's body.
"Demons? A cursed land? What kind of nonsense is that?"
The man told Hero to look around carefully.
Hero felt nauseous. Piles of mutilated human corpses lay everywhere—grotesque, fused together, incomplete.
(Hero): "Was I really dragged here by demons?! FOR WHAT?!"
He panicked, fear replacing the emptiness inside him.
Moans of agony echoed from the corpses. Their bodies were red, merged with others.
(Hero): "How can someone still be alive in that condition?"
(Mysterious Man):
"They are the same as you—taken by demons. Though 'dragged' isn't quite right. You may be a warrior chosen by a demon to grant it freedom. Those corpses remain alive because they possess an imperfect immortality."
An immortality that cannot regenerate their bodies.
They all failed to free the demon. In response, the demon cursed them—summoning abyssal creatures from their own flesh to tear them apart.
(Hero):
"So now I have to do something I don't even understand? And end up like them?! NO—NO—I DON'T WANT THIS HORRIBLE TASK!"
He ran while crying, stumbling repeatedly. He slipped on rotting intestines and screamed.
(Mysterious Man):
"Give up. Accept your fate. There is nothing you can do except fulfill what has been destined for you."
Gasping and crying, Hero looked at his sword.
I don't want to become like them.
He stabbed his own stomach.
But he did not die.
An overwhelming pain surged through him, like being drenched in boiling water.
The mysterious man smiled.
"As I expected. The demon has chosen you. You've been granted immortality.
Now, put your organs back into your body—I'll help you."
With no choice, Hero accepted the task, filled with fear, sorrow, and trauma, allowing the man to stitch his body.
Afterward, Hero asked,
"Can I escape this curse?"
The man replied,
"Only by freeing the demon will it free you as well. Look at your left hand—that mark is proof of the demon's pact with you."
(Hero): "DAMN IT!!"
Crying, he swore to turn the demon into his servant—to enslave it forever. So this is fantasy world you want?
TO BE CONTINUED…
THE JOURNEY OUT OF THE CURSED LAND