I Became a Monster in a Novel

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It was Agail who first felt the killing intent, enveloped by magic in the area.

As he was chanting a spell, he noticed a wolf howling from across the corridor.

‘A beast?’

No, it was a monster.

A creature with a white skull disguised as a giant wolf—Skull Wolf.

‘Right. I did see one around.’

It seemed like it had broken free amidst the chaos. But in this place, fully engulfed in his magic, it couldn’t move properly. He had no time to waste on just a Skull Wolf, so he continued to recite his spell.

“Esti pierdut. Nu există cale de întoarcere―”

Agail’s determination began to solidify into magic.

While he wasn’t particularly attached, it was a bit regrettable that the organization he’d painstakingly built had crumbled so abruptly. It seemed like it had been waiting for him to lose confidence.

‘Anela.’

This had complicated things further. Agail frowned.

Surely, he hadn’t lost the fake elixir… But the news of Derek’s death was somewhat unpleasant.

‘If I kill my sister here…’

Would Mother be sad? No way. Just as he was about to complete the remaining magic…

“―――.”

He felt a chilling presence behind him, one that intended to kill him.

***

Like shaking the dawn’s tranquility, the ceiling collapsed.

As the dust settled, a robed man slowly descended the purple staircase. The overwhelming magic emanating from him—had weight just by itself.

‘Pressure.’

The colossal magic commanded him to kneel. Even though he resisted and summoned his own magic, it felt like he would be crushed at any moment.

‘Agail.’

Agail Morest.

Before he knew it, the hideout was shrouded in a deep darkness, rendering it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

[Hypnosis (F) Lv.7 has reached maximum proficiency. Hypnosis (F) Lv.7 -> Hypnosis (F) Lv.8]

Had he noticed my gaze? The creature met his eyes. For a brief moment, it felt as if their gazes just brushed past each other. It was a cold stare, as if looking at an insect, suggesting that he wasn’t even worth bothering about.

‘……!’

An oppressive pressure that felt like it would crush him.

This was different from the fantasy world. Magic with will couldn’t simply be brushed off.

Grinding his teeth, he persisted. Memories of the horrific scenes from the hidden space beyond the laboratory ignited a fire inside his cooling heart.

Tearing the scroll he’d brought from the underground, a faint light flickered out.

Derek and Agail. The trash from the blind spot. Vowing to eliminate every last one of them, he glared at the creature, feeling a fervor rising within himself.

‘Agail!’

With the power of the spellbook, he leaped through space to his base. Just as Agail turned his head, he snapped his jaw shut.

“Kugh!”

The pressure gripping his body delayed his movements. The bloody metallic taste in his mouth was oddly sweet. The creature with a missing wrist glanced at him in disbelief.

The wolf didn’t hesitate; it didn’t stop. A whirlwind of ash ignited.

And in that moment, Agail raised his hand.

Magic swirled around—it went without saying that the target was the wolf.

As their eyes met, Agail shouted loudly.

“Sleep forever in lies―!”

Rest forever in falsehoodsㅡ!

Finally, the last spell was chanted. The five-verse incantation. It was a magic that was, by itself, called a miracle. It was the great magic Hong Yu-ri had used before. Instead of crimson magic, it was crafted of purple, pulling forth the very essence of illusions and projecting another world for the wolf.

Agail coldly murmured as he wrapped his bitten wrist.

“Too good for a trash like you…”

He had brought far too much money for the toll to the afterlife. With a frown, Agail gulped down a potion and exhaled.

“A wasted death.”

This was magic that shouldn’t be wasted on mere monsters.

But in that moment, Agail felt as if ‘he might actually die.’

If he had been just a bit later, it might have really happened. Agail twisted his lips in a crooked smile.

“Lumea din oglindă. Nu te vei întoarce―”

He began chanting again.

***

“Don’t touch this. It’s the Alpha’s ability.”

“Alpha? The Skull Wolf you’ve been chasing?”

“I suspect it’s his skill.”

Anela was bewildered. A mere monster had such a skill?

The roaring black flames greedily expanded, gradually engulfing the space.

Suddenly, the magic that enveloped the area lurched violently.

‘Is it the Alpha?’

This was an unexpected opportunity. The lurching magic indicated that Agail’s concentration had faltered.

“I can see a bit better now.”

Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness. While she couldn’t illuminate the flames, everywhere else was within Anela’s reach.

“This fire won’t extinguish easily. Let’s find a way back.”

“What about Agail?”

“Kugh… He’s right up ahead.”

Euna, clutching her wound, pointed straight ahead. The largest laboratory… the central lab.

“Did you sense him?”

“Just now. It was very brief when the magic surged. We need to hurry!”

A corridor ahead was aflame with black fire. Thanks to it, the magic couldn’t spill over, but the team leader turned his head, deciding they couldn’t pass through here.

“That path, then.”

“Are we turning back?”

When asked if they had time for that, he nodded.

“If it was something we could handle easily, we wouldn’t have engaged. That creature has a measure of intelligence.”

“Hah… Intelligence?”

Anela muttered as if she couldn’t believe it. While running down the right corridor, Gu Jin-ha encountered a disgusting monster wriggling there.

“Chimera? No, it’s a bit different.”

“Looks like it just crawled out of a bathroom.”

A massive, slimy mass filled the corridor, as if it had just been made a gooey mess.

“I should have expected a keeper to be set up here.”

This was typical for the heir to Square to be meticulous. A mass blocking the corridor. Staring down at his sword with strange déjà vu, the team leader sighed.

‘This isn’t what I’m here for.’

Sure, they could blow it up and get rid of it… but it felt like their eyes met as if they understood each other.

“Go ahead.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Instead of answering, she raised her spear.

The disciple of the Spear Saint. When her magic completely enveloped the spear, she took an almost perfect stance and launched it.

“Spear to kill the devil!”

The spear, already away from her grasp, surged with boundless magic alongside her incantation. The moment it made contact with the gooey monster, it pierced it soundlessly.

“Piercing spear of the dried-up!”

As Euna shouted at the top of her lungs, light flickered. As the light that had illuminated everything vanished, so did the monster blocking the corridor, leaving no trace behind.

“Truly impressive.”

While Gu Jin-ha was amazed, Anela couldn’t hide her shock.

“What the…!”

It was absurd.

Not a single part of the spell and incantation connected. Therefore, it was hard to believe.

As a mage of Square, she understood how nonsensical it was. She hadn’t just released raw magic. Using magic as a medium, she hadn’t implemented the spell with a highly calculated incantation. It felt as though the magic followed her will as if it had to.

This was sheer absurdity, far from common sense.

“Go ahead.”

Euna’s expression distorted as she kneeled. The wounds she’d barely held back were beginning to swell and rot.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Hastily, Gu Jin-ha led Anela through the thick purple magic that shrouded them like mist.

***

I had an incredibly vivid dream. But I couldn’t recall what it was about.

“Is this real?”

Upon waking up, my back was clammy with sweat. Annoyed, I quickly washed up and sat at the computer. I tapped the power button with my toe, and the old junk made a ruckus. I briefly checked out NewTube before immediately launching the game.

“Wasn’t it a promotion battle…?”

When I logged in, the promotion battle had ended, and my ranking had dropped. Why? Did someone mess with my account? Even searching my phone yielded no one borrowed my account.

“What the hell.”

Digging into my history, it stated I had quit.

When did I ever quit? It was so ridiculous that I let out a hollow laugh. I went straight to the homepage to file an inquiry and felt a little deflated.

“Frustrating.”

I didn’t feel like playing anymore. While browsing the internet watching a crazy NewTube video with a guy in a red mask, I received a notification in the meantime.

[About your inquiry…]

They said I was in the wrong. So, did I have some sort of amnesia? Early-onset dementia? Irritated, I shut off the internet and flopped back onto my bed.

‘I might as well read some old stored stories.’

I opened the novel site and clicked on my favorites list. While scrolling down, an alert came in saying one of the novels I had notifications for had updated.

“Oh.”

It was a novel I’d continued to enjoy.

“It’s completed?”

Chapter 462 (完).

Seemed a bit rushed. Probably an epilogue. Whatever. I clicked on the last chapter without much thought.

[I died, and the world met its end. (完)]

‘My eyes are blurry.’

I rubbed my eyelids, but the blurriness persisted. That means this is the real deal.

“Where’s the final boss I’m supposed to defeat for a happy ending?”

It felt terribly funny to me, so I clicked on the comments section only to find a message from the author.

[If you’re unhappy with the ending, feel free to change it yourself.]

“What the hell does that mean?”

Then the app crashed.

“Seriously, this is ridiculous.”

Slightly deflated, I tried logging back in, but the novel that previously had 462 chapters had shrunk to just a 50-chapter short story.

“Oh shit.”

This must be a prank. Isn’t this deceiving the readers? I was ready to rage and dashed to click on the first chapter, intending to type a 5700-character rant. But at some point, I found myself reading it blankly.

“……”

It was the story of a man.

After typing out a long 5700-character comment, I entered the novel about a man who became a monster.

“This is frustrating.”

He occasionally behaved in a way that was confusingly frustrating.

“What an idiot.”

There were times he acted so foolishly you wondered if he had eaten logic for breakfast.

Among the characters, there was a girl who acted so senselessly you might think she had been raised on a diet of nonsense.

[Truly a stupid bitch.]

If it were any other time, I would have dropped the story.

‘Be grateful for your luck.’

Out of loyalty to the stories I had read, I left a comment before pressing on to the next chapter.

“Are we dealing with another frustration here?”

Almost got killed by that crazy girl from the original story.

I gulped down the soda from the fridge. My throat felt parched from all the frustrating narratives. The protagonist was just dense and foolish. Where could you find another idiot like that? But still… somehow, I couldn’t stop reading. Was it out of habit? Or loyalty? I didn’t know. I just kept reading.

“……”

Next chapter. Then the next chapter.

‘What is this?’

I didn’t know.

In reality, there wasn’t anything special about the content. Just a completely ordinary novel. Did it really need a remake? It was just sharing the same universe and telling a completely different story. It wasn’t about the original protagonist but someone else’s narrative.

“……”

I found myself spacing out and read all 50 chapters. Before I knew it, twilight was setting outside the window.

“So this is the end, huh.”

So this is where it ends. This insane abrupt ending. Lost in the aftertaste of the story, I found myself staring blankly at the sunset, but my vision grew hazy.

‘……?’

Something fell. When I wiped my cheek, it turned out I was right.

“Seriously?!

This was getting ridiculous. A notification ping went off on my phone, indicating the story had updated again.

‘Oh. A new chapter?’

Unfortunately, it was just an announcement. It went too far to tease someone like that… but somehow, the title felt familiar.

[Choose.]

Choosing? I absentmindedly clicked on the latest announcement.

[To move forward, or to stop.]

It was the same question tossed throughout the story.

Sometimes it lifted the protagonist up, offered him advice and guidance.

“What a crazy concept.”

Insane writer, huh.

With a chuckle, I exited the app. But then the phone in my hand disappeared.

“Huh?”

Where did it go? Where could it have vanished?

After searching for a while, it still didn’t show up. Frustrated as hell, tears began to swell in my eyes. The one drop that had fallen earlier was now streaming down my face.

“Shit. How embarrassing.”

I don’t think I’ve cried like this when I got scolded by my senior… But as I cried, something began to well up within me.

“What the hell.”

Today felt off.

Strange things kept happening. Then, as if finishing it all in a grand finale, a voice echoed.

[To move forward, or to stop.]

I tried to dismiss it as something I misheard, but chills went down my spine. As I froze in shock, the voice startled me.

“Kyuurrk. Kyuurrk!”

Turning my head, I saw a strange creature plastered against the window, staring at me intently.

‘What is that.’

It didn’t look quite like a snake. Nor did it resemble a bird. It had a long serpent-like body with wings, looking odd and grumpy, tapping its tail on the window.

“Kyuurruku! Kyuurruru!”

I had no intention of opening the window. I rummaged through the fridge to find something to eat, grabbing a can of tuna and hastily mixing it with rice before microwaving it.

‘Tastes bad.’

I usually enjoyed it well, but it felt off today.

‘I feel like I’m forgetting something.’

It was as if a fog enveloped my mind. But no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t recall what I was forgetting.

‘What is it? What am I forgetting?’

My throat tightened.

There was a whiny voice, along with a calm voice that seemed to ring in my ears. All of a sudden, my heart sank. Something was rising within me.

With eats still untouched, I returned to my room, and that creature was still plastered against my window.

“What are you?”

As I approached the window to take a look at it, it wagged its tail as if it was happy to see me.

‘It’s like a puppy.’

It didn’t seem like it meant any harm. After pondering for a while, I finally opened the window. The instant I did, it entered the room, swirling around freely.

“Hey! Hey!”

The room filled with sparkling light dust. Then, it approached me.

“…What?”

It spread its wings, as if asking to be held. Am I going crazy? Ignoring it, I turned my head, but it clung to the back of my head.

“You little!”

Then it slipped inside me and vanished.

“Huh?”

It entered my mind. But it didn’t hurt. In fact, oddly enough, I felt a sense of peace.

‘Maybe I should go to the hospital tomorrow.’

Perhaps I’d simply been experiencing hallucinations. Truly losing my mind. With a sigh, I tossed myself onto the bed, which collapsed under me.

“Shit, really!”

I was trying to get up when I noticed something was off with my arms. Where my arms should have been, there were feet instead.

“What? What is this?”

Paw. A large black beast’s paw was pressing against the broken bed.

I had transformed without realizing it. Into a massive monster wolf with a white skull. Inside the skull, the Fairy Dragon tilted its head as if to ask what was going on.

‘What I had forgotten.’

Memories surfaced.

The consciousness that had been buried resurfaced.

As the déjà vu grew stronger—it distorted slowly. It was as if an earthquake was occurring, and eventually, the world began to collapse.

At the same time, the bubbling sensation that had been roiling within me erupted like a volcano.

‘…….’

Despair. Rage. Disappointment. Doubt. Guilt and helplessness. And an overwhelming sense of grievance.

“Ah.”

These were the emotions the man who became a monster felt—yes. They were the very emotions I was feeling.

[Please choose.]

The voice echoed in the empty void. I gazed up blankly.

[To move forward, or to stop.]

The man—no, I had always made the same choice. And surely, it would be the same this time.

[Then move forward.]

But how? How could I escape this exquisitely crafted false world?

[Illusions are a false world seen by the weak.]

The voice changed.

This was different from before.

It was a voice not of the system, but of ‘some beings.’

Filled with regrets. A voice sounding as if it had been unable to achieve something.

[Overcome yourself and finally see the truth.]

The Fairy Dragon nudged the skull with its tail.

It clung to me urgently, whining, wanting me to leave and not stay here any longer.

‘Ah. Right.’

I chuckled.

There must be a way to break this illusion—

[Overcome (克己) : 4 → 10]

And then the world crumbled away.

***

The shattered world, the vanished wolf.

As I surveyed the empty imaginary world, I quietly murmured.

[…I will wait.]

Until the near future, when you come looking for me.

 

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