The Prince from Another World Wants to Save the World

Prologue

“You’re here? Been a while.”

A figure made of light waved its hand. Ugh, I can’t believe I have to see this guy again.

With a sigh, I responded, “Yeah, long time. I was hoping we wouldn’t meet again.”

“Feeling’s mutual, isn’t it? But Claude—or should I call you by your original name?”

“Just stick with Claude. I barely even remember my real name.”

“Wasn’t it Seongjin? You look like skin and bones. Are you going to die before I even send you back? You okay?”

“Does it look like I’m okay? I’m starving to death here.”

Clutching my grumbling stomach, I sat down.

“I haven’t eaten in days. This godforsaken cave doesn’t even have a single bug to snack on.”

“What do you want me to do? That’s how divine sanctuaries are. Should we begin the evaluation as planned?”

“No need. This isn’t my first rodeo. Let’s just get it over with. I’m in a crappy mood.”

Not long ago, I lost all the comrades I cared about. No need to relive that failure.

This place is a divine sanctuary deep underground.

And that flickering figure in front of me is none other than the master of this sanctuary, the “God of Time and Fate.”

His name is Roa.

He’s the one who dragged me, who was rotting away as a university assistant after finishing my military service, into this world and forced me into the body of a prince named Claude.

This guy made a ridiculous request, asking me to adapt to my new body and save this world from its impending doom, caused by an invasion from another dimension.

And how did it turn out?

Do I even need to say it?

…

It was a disaster.

I became the youngest prince of the most powerful nation in this world, the “Empire of Faywood.”

The problem? Claude was a hopelessly irredeemable, ultra-super-scumbag disaster.

At first, just getting used to the body was a nightmare.

The physique was tiny, the body was frail, and my head was always in a daze like I was on drugs.

His reputation was so bad that I had to endure constant glares from everyone around me.

His temper was rotten too, constantly spewing insults and causing trouble, even committing acts that were borderline criminal.

If it weren’t for his royal status, he would’ve been dragged into some back alley and killed long ago.

And he was only 16.

Ugh…

My first time through this, my “first life,” flashes before my eyes. Back then, all I had was infamy, so even using my status as a prince was difficult.

Roa had given me a special power when he summoned me, but… it was so unique that it was hard to make use of.

Then, when I was 22, every power around the empire united and declared war on us—the so-called Anti-Empire War.

At first, I thought this was the world’s destruction that Roa had foretold.

It was that intense and large-scale of a war. But, true to its reputation, the Empire of Faywood crushed the Anti-Empire coalition forces after years of brutal fighting.

And just when I thought it was over, a year after the war ended, when I was 26, a “Gate” opened in the heart of the empire’s capital.

As Roa had predicted, a horde of unknown beings from another dimension poured through.

These beings had two defining traits: they were powerful and numerous.

The empire, already weakened by the war, was no match for them.

As expected, the empire fell quickly.

And after that came hell. The otherworldly army destroyed and exterminated everything in its path, wiping out all life and power on the continent.

“Hey! Why are you zoning out? Hello? Snap out of it!”

Roa clapped his nonexistent fingers in front of my face. This guy, pretending to snap when he doesn’t even have hands.

“…It’s nothing. Just remembering the old days.”

“The old days? You mean Earth?”

“No, my first life here.”

“Your first life, huh? Yeah, that was a disaster. But you did pretty well this time, didn’t you?”

Roa spread his arms, showering me with praise.

“Pulling the invaders’ army all the way to the 5th wave? That’s a record! The previous best was the 3rd wave, and you broke through two extra stages in one go! You’re amazing. I really picked the right person.”

“But in the end, I failed and ran back here again.”

“That just means you’re improving. Previous summoners couldn’t even get past the 2nd wave. You’re something special.”

“Special, huh? Says the guy who summoned me randomly… Whatever, let’s check.”

I stared at his glowing face and asked, “This was my 9th run, right? So the next one is the last?”

“Yeah, it’s the last. I can only send a summoner back ten times.”

Yeah, that’s how it is.

To save this world from the invaders, I’ve gone through a total of nine lives so far.

Each time, I returned to being 16-year-old Claude, and at 26, without fail, the invasion began, leading to me fleeing to this sanctuary, only to repeat the whole cycle again!

– The invasion doesn’t stop after the first wave. Once you stop the first wave, another of the same size will begin shortly after.

Roa had warned me from the start, but I couldn’t even stop the first wave during my second life.

Still, through trial and error, I gained experience and skills, and by my third life, I finally managed to trigger the second wave.

Since then, I’ve continued to push my abilities, and this time, I even managed to trigger the fifth wave.

“But is the 5th really the last? Some freakishly strong ones came out.”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Really? Even you don’t know? Some god you are.”

“Yeah, even gods don’t know everything.”

“Tch, what if there’s a 6th wave? I can’t prepare for that since this is my last chance.”

“Are you even confident you can beat the 5th?”

“Yeah. I am.”

It’s not bragging, but during my escape here, I revised a lot of my plans.

If everything goes as planned, I should be able to beat the 5th wave next time.

But after that?

“I’ll worry about it when I get there.”

“You won’t have time to worry. There’s no ‘next time.'”

“Just prepare as much as you can. But honestly, you did great this time. None of the other summoners fought as hard as you. Do you know how many wasted their lives partying for ten years, only to repeat the cycle over and over?”

“I wouldn’t know. Anyway, let’s get started. I’m going to starve to death before I even get to the next life.”

“Yeah, let’s begin.”

Roa eagerly formed several balls of light around him.

Woom!

At the same time, several strands of light extended from my body and were absorbed into the glowing orbs.

This was the process where Roa stored the full potential of the abilities I had accumulated. He inspected the now-larger orbs and nodded in approval.

“Wow. Impressive. They’re even stronger. Did you manage to grow your abilities further?”

“I did what I could. Whether it helps or not.”

“You really are special. Alright, let’s begin.”

Now comes the moment of choice.

Before returning to my 16-year-old self, I get to pick two abilities out of all the ones I’ve gained in my past nine lives.

Of course, I can’t take everything with me, but…

At least I don’t have to rebuild everything from scratch. That’s a huge advantage, right?

“Okay, so the first one, as always, is the ‘Mark of Stealth.’”

Roa pushed forward the smallest of the glowing orbs.

“This one comes standard with every summoner. You don’t have to pick it. It’s automatic. Need me to explain it?”

“No need. I know it better than you by now.”

The Mark of Stealth. Just as the name suggests, it allows me to hide from sight.

If not for this, I wouldn’t have survived the first life. Even the otherworldly army couldn’t find me while I was hidden.

But I can’t do anything while I’m invisible except move.

Especially attacking. If I could attack while hidden, things would’ve been a lot easier.

“Alright. And next…”

Roa pushed forward another orb, this one glowing with a red hue.

“The second one is the ‘Mark of Strength.’ It allows you to keep all the physical abilities you’ve accumulated.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t manage to surpass the limits from the 5th run, right?”

“That’s right. You still won’t be able to wear mid-tier Magap.”

In this world, there exists a special type of armor known as Magap, infused with mystical power.

Wearing it grants strength and speed far beyond human limits. However, ordinary humans are crushed by the overwhelming power of the Magap if they try to wear it.

To wear it, rigorous physical training is required. I tried to invest everything into this in my 5th run…

“But my natural body’s a mess, so there’s a limit. I’ll pass on it again this time.”

“Alright, moving on.” Roa dissolved the red orb and extended another, black one.

“Option three is the ‘Mark of Necromancy.’ As you know, you’re unmatched in this field.”

Necromancy was a skill I had mastered in just a few years during my third run.

But in reality, it’s a trap card. So I’ll pass on this one, too.

“Using necromancy and keeping a good reputation is too much hassle. Plus, turning priests into enemies is a headache. I’ll pass.”

“Really? Alright, next.”

Roa dissolved the black orb and presented a glowing green one.

“Option four is the ‘Mark of Elixirs.’ You’ve also reached the highest level in this.”

Elixirs are special concoctions that grant various effects to the body.

Even with the same ingredients, the effects can vary wildly depending on the innate skill and vast experience of the creator.

It might seem like a minor ability.

But during my second run, it was the power of elixirs that allowed me to survive the first wave.

However, in the end…

“I’ll pass on this one, too. Relying on elixirs has clear limits.”

“Suit yourself. Moving on…”

Roa extended a purple orb this time.

“Option five is the ‘Mark of Spirits.’ With this, you’ll be able to summon six spirits from the very start of your next run. You already know which ones, right?”

Of course, I do. I went through hell to obtain all six.

This is spirit magic.

Unlike other types of magic, spirit magic doesn’t drain my own power. The spirits do the fighting for me, making it incredibly useful.

Spirit Kings have terrifying power.

But this time, I want to try a different route. It’s a shame, but I’ll pass on this one, too.

“Skip. Let’s move on.”

“Huh? Really?”

Roa looked surprised as he asked again.

“For real? You’re passing on the ‘Mark of Spirits’? You’ve chosen it every single run from the seventh to the ninth!”

“Yeah, pass.”

“You made it to the fifth wave thanks to spirit magic! Remember how you placed the Queen of Flames right at the gate?”

“I know. But I can regain the spirits again. It’ll be a pain, but I’ll manage.”

“That’s going to take time, though. Wouldn’t it be better to contract new spirits during that time?”

“No, I’ll handle it.”

“You’re stubborn.”

Roa clicked his tongue and dissolved the purple orb. Then, he presented a blue one.

“Option six is the ‘Mark of Magic.’ There are only two left, so I assume you’ll take this?”

“Yeah, I’ll choose the ‘Mark of Magic.’”

In my fourth run, I had already reached the title of Archmage, achieving the pinnacle of magical power.

While its sheer force falls short of spirit magic, for my final plan, magic is essential right from the start.

Still, Roa seems unconvinced.

“Hey, Claude. I don’t get it.”

“What?”

“Sure, each has its pros and cons, but spirit magic is stronger in terms of firepower, right? It doesn’t even consume your magic, so you can multitask.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan.”

“I’m just worried you won’t make it past the third wave this time, let alone the fifth. But whatever, it’s your call.”

Finally, Roa presented a transparent orb.

“Last is the ‘Mark of Divinity.’ You’ll take this too, right? Since it’s the last one left.”

“Yeah, I’ll take it.”

Recently, I’ve spent the most time refining divine magic.

Sure, I achieved the highest rank of Archpriest a long time ago, but there’s been something even more important to focus on.

“Alright, you’ve made your choices.”

Roa nodded and sent the transparent orb, the blue one, and the small one fRoating toward the ceiling of the sanctuary.

“You’ve chosen the ‘Mark of Magic’ and the ‘Mark of Divinity.’ The ‘Mark of Stealth’ is automatically included.”

“That’s all I need.”

“This is not what I expected. I know you’re a special case, but… are you really confident about this? Especially considering divine magic isn’t that effective against those otherworldly invaders.”

“That’s not entirely true. It’s crucial for defeating the Plague Lord. And there are other uses for it. The important thing this time is the snowball effect.”

“Snowball effect?”

“I need this if I want to start snowballing from the very beginning. You’ll see. Oh, and about you.”

“Me?”

I casually asked Roa, watching him finish up the final preparations.

“It doesn’t really matter to you, does it?”

Even if I fail, you’ll just summon another person from Earth, right? Weren’t there like four others before me?”

“No, this is the last time.”

“…What?”

I was stunned. Roa spoke calmly, as if it were no big deal.

“This is the final one.”

“For real?”

“Yeah. I’ve used up all the power I accumulated from summoning five people before you.”

My heart sank at his words. Roa lowered the three glowing orbs slowly toward me, smiling.

“So this is it. I’ve scraped together everything I had left for this one last run.”

“Hey, why are you telling me this now…?”

Whooosh!

The orbs of light swirled around me, spinning faster and faster. I felt sweat running down my back as I shouted.

“Wait! You’re just saying that to motivate me, aren’t you? You’re trying to make me give it my all because this is my last run, right?”

“I wish that were the case.”

A faint smile played on Roa’s lips.

“But unfortunately, we gods can’t lie.”

“Are you kidding me? You’ve been deceiving me this whole time!”

“I wasn’t deceiving you. I just didn’t tell you.”

“What?”

“If you had asked me, I would have told you at any time. But did you ever once ask me about the next summoner?”

“I didn’t, but I just assumed—”

I assumed there would be others after me!

But that was the end of it.

Before I could scream in frustration, I was engulfed by the light I had chosen, and my consciousness faded quickly.

This damned god!

Seriously, how could he drop this on me at the last second?