NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 2
Chapter 2: It Just Feels That Way
Let me explain what I was just moments ago.
Yeah, just a moment ago, I had reached the end of the ‘Main Quest.’
The war between the ‘Celestials and Demons,’ a classic trope that now appears in nearly every MMORPG game.
Celestials and Demons were incredibly strong.
And this wasn’t just a matter of being strong.
They were born strong.
Even a one-year-old angel could crush a fully grown orc with a single ‘goo-goo ga-ga!’
Everything touched by an angel was purified, making it impossible for anything undead to even approach them.
And what about demons?
Born with an innate mastery of magic and dark arts, even a low-rank demon could wield magic on par with a human archmage.
The leader of the demons had an insane ability that could bring the entire continent to a standstill.
Because of this, the Celestials and Demons were in a league of their own, far beyond the reach of other races.
It was no exaggeration to say that the fate of the entire continent rested in their hands.
So then, what was I?
“What even am I?”
Maybe just an extra, something like number 297 passing by.
I was one of those distant, distant, distant descendants of Celestials and humans—so diluted that even if you boiled it down for hours, the bones would practically dissolve.
Just an ordinary village girl.
Not from a poor village, but also not from anywhere particularly special.
That was where I had reincarnated.
The only small blessing was that even having 0.1% of Celestial blood meant I was treated as some sort of ‘saintess.’
Though that didn’t last long once they saw the real saintess, and I quickly lost confidence.
Anyway, the first thing I encountered wasn’t the mother of this reincarnated body or the village chief.
It was a system window.
[Clear the Main Quest to return to Earth!]
…What a piece of garbage.
Shouldn’t you at least give me something before telling me to clear a quest?
And the final task of the Main Quest? Ending the war.
They threw me into the human faction allied with the Celestials and expected me to solve a war filled with rampaging monsters?
In the first two years, when I was still clueless about the game, I followed the quest to some extent, gradually gaining confidence.
But after seeing a ‘real’ Celestial, I gave up.
Ah, this was never meant to be completed.
How was I supposed to defeat beings that could turn a massive ogre into mush with a single gesture?
So I changed my plan.
I gave up on returning and decided to just live as the village’s saintess.
It wasn’t like I had any family to return to or any special bonds tying me back.
That’s why I was able to move forward so quickly during those first two years.
“Heh.”
For about ten years, I lived as a small-town saintess.
And as the years passed, I started missing reality.
Not the people I left behind, nor any relationships I had.
Just the modern conveniences—food, culture, games.
At the same time, I reminded myself that this was still a game.
And if it was a game, there had to be special items or skills.
So I started exploiting the system.
Though I was the only standard for comparison, and I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about this game, with enough time and effort, anything was possible.
I began searching for game-related abilities.
There were countless times I almost died and faced numerous ambushes, but as long as I emphasized my Celestial heritage, things went relatively smoothly.
Unlike demons, Celestials valued their own kind.
If someone harmed a Celestial and word got to a higher-ranking Celestial, it was basically guaranteed that their entire family and territory would be wiped out.
Of course, half-bloods like me weren’t included in that protection, but let’s be real—most people can’t tell the difference between banana milk and actual bananas.
It was just one of those things.
After awakening abilities one by one and traveling the world for twenty years, I had grown quite strong.
Compared to the real Celestials, I was still just a half-blood human, but at least I wouldn’t get beaten up just anywhere.
No matter how diluted my Celestial blood was, the power itself wasn’t weak.
Then, after thirty years…
I had fought through countless battlefields.
The Celestials and Demons were still powerful, but I did everything I could as a half-blood human.
And after all those years, I finally cleared the last part of the Main Quest.
That’s right. I actually cleared it.
“They really made peace, huh.”
The final requirement of the Main Quest was the end of the war.
I didn’t even have to do anything—once the war ended naturally, the quest was marked as complete.
[Co… Congratulations.]
Even the system seemed flustered.
Didn’t expect that, huh?
[Then we will now return you to Earth.]
[Ah! To ensure a smooth transition with your original world, most of your abilities have been sealed. If you find that your power isn’t working properly, don’t be alarmed.]
And just like that, I returned.
With my body intact.
■
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Finishing my flashback, I looked around.
A dark, cramped, one-room apartment.
A place that felt both familiar and strange.
Instinctively, I tried using the ‘Light’ skill.
T-click. T-click.
Nothing came out.
More accurately, it flickered weakly before the magic ran out completely.
My mana reserve went from the Mediterranean Sea to a tiny cup of water.
Not that I ever had as much mana as the Mediterranean to begin with.
“Why is my body still the same?”
I turned on the tap in the small bathroom sink and glanced at the mirror.
Staring back at me was a beautiful woman with blue hair and blue eyes, frowning slightly.
If my past self had seen me, I would’ve fallen in love at first sight.
Even my body was ridiculous—no matter what I wore, my chest stood out, and my hips and thighs… well, yeah.
It was as if God had thought, ‘If I put them in a body this beautiful, they’ll be happy, right?’
Sure, it looked nice.
But living in it? Not so much.
I lost count of how many times this body put me in danger.
If I hadn’t been the village’s saintess with Celestial blood, who knows what horrors I would’ve faced?
And after quitting as a saintess and wandering the world for twenty years, I encountered countless scumbags.
Not just a few times—almost every three days.
Of course, I beat them all senseless.
The Celestials and Demons, being on a whole other level, never cared about ‘defective’ individuals like me.
“System.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Normally, it would have responded eagerly like a puppy, but now… nothing.
I guess returning meant saying goodbye for good.
It was a little bittersweet, but also expected.
If the system had stayed, it would have felt like my journey wasn’t truly over.
The Lily Elbrit in the mirror smiled brightly at me.
I guess I was happy to be back.
■
After a quick wash, I stepped into the dark apartment once again.
Click.
Flipping the switch illuminated the small seven-pyeong room.
A navy-blue bed, a half-empty wardrobe.
Against the wall near the half-open window sat a desk, a monitor, and an unfamiliar red envelope.
A red envelope, huh.
I casually sat down in front of the computer.
Seeing it brought back memories.
The me who used to enjoy games.
And the me whose life was turned upside down because of one.
I got lost in thought for a moment, then shook it off and picked up the envelope.
Inside were a new ID card, a bankbook, and a card.
Lily Elbrit, age 21.
“I’m not 21, though.”
Since Celestial blood grants near immortality, I hadn’t aged a day past 20.
Guess they just wanted me to live as a 21-year-old.
The bankbook showed a balance of 20 million won.
Only 20 million?
After all that suffering?
I wasn’t expecting a fortune, but at least enough to live comfortably…
“I should’ve just stayed a saintess.”
If I had known the Celestials and Demons would make peace, I wouldn’t have spent 20 years struggling across the world.
But there was no point in regretting it now.
Growl…
I was hungry.
As a half-Celestial, I never felt hunger.
I could go three months without food and a month without water.
But now, just half a day without eating, and I was starving.
I searched the apartment.
Nothing edible.
Couldn’t they have at least left me some food?
“Convenience store. Convenience store.”
I just had a feeling I should go.
It just felt that way.
Opening the slightly unfamiliar metal door—
Creak…
The night air brushed against my skin.
Stepping outside the small studio apartment, the modern city came into view.
Neon signs and building lights filled my vision.
People living their lives within them.
A world completely different from the one I had lived in.
I took a deep breath of the night air and stepped forward.