Congratulations! The player’s hero, Gion Stormchaser, has reached the growth limit!
You have acquired the title of [Sword Saint]!
– You have acquired the title of [Savior of the Continent]!
– The entire continent sings praises of your great achievements!
– Gion Stormchaser has been promoted to the head of the [Stormsword Clan]…
Messages appear in succession on the monitor, and a knight in dazzling armor raises his greatsword high.
At the same time, a new notification appears at the bottom of the screen.
Achievement: You have achieved [All Master]!
[Number of heroes unlocked: 80/80]
[Number of heroes grown to the limit: 80/80]
Seeing this, I snuffed out my cigarette in an ashtray piled up like a cactus with butts, smiling bitterly.
“I’ve raised this one too.”
Gion Stormchaser, holding a greatsword as tall as himself, lets out a battle cry.
Having confirmed that the last selectable hero has reached the growth limit, I leaned back in my creaky old chair.
“It’s really over…”
The past four years of a hermit-like life flash through my mind.
After being fired from my job, I holed up in my room and stumbled upon a free game on Steam called [Destruction Saga].
I invested over 20,000 hours in this game, where you choose one of 80 characters to prevent the continent’s destruction from the invasion of monsters.
“20,000 hours over four years…”
It’s a game that’s so unpopular it barely has any ratings.
“An average of 13 hours a day… If you exclude eating and sleeping, it’s like sitting in front of the computer all day.”
While calculating the life I had wasted, I grabbed the mouse, ready to put those thoughts aside.
Exiting the game and returning to the main menu, I noticed small phrases written in the bottom right corner.
[version: 0.1]
[Last update: 4 years ago]
The release date was roughly four years ago, meaning there hadn’t been a single update since then.
“A game even the developers have abandoned. Tsk.”
Convinced again why there were no users, I turned off the game and logged into Steam.
I intended to delete the game and completely withdraw from my account.
“Let’s see, there’s a 30-day grace period from the date of withdrawal request…”
While searching for how to delete my account, I remembered my bank account, which had been drained by four years of unemployment.
Ding-dong—
A notification sound came through the yellow-stained, old speakers.
[There is a new update available.]
[Destruction Saga: ver 0.2]
An update?
I stopped the mouse that was moving towards customer support and clicked on the notification, and the update details were displayed.
-New region open: [Demon Realm]
-New character added
“Can now enter the Demon Realm?”
It was an update after a whopping four years.
Not only was an inaccessible region opened, but a new character was added as well.
It was clearly a significant patch.
‘I was really going to quit.’
Despite my resolve, the short two lines of text kept shaking my determination.
“Alright. Let’s just see what it is and then quit.”
Swallowing my saliva, I moved the mouse.
“Just one last time, then I’ll delete it. Just to see what it is.”
Muttering quietly, I waited for the loading screen, and soon four familiar characters greeted me.
[Richard Saintheart]
Grade: ★★★★★★★[7 stars]
Class: Warrior [Holy King]
[Eli Rune]
Grade: ★★★★★★★[7 stars]
Class: Mage [Tower Master]
[Eolin Saintheart]
Grade: ★★★★★★★[7 stars]
Class: Priest [Saint]
[Gion Stormchaser]
Grade: ★★★★★★★[7 stars]
Class: Knight [Sword Saint]
Four heroes with the highest potential among the 80 characters stood with solemn expressions.
Feeling my heart swell with the fruits of the past four years, I said, “Phew… I thought I was going to die unlocking those.”
As I was about to enter the Demon Realm with the most recently achieved Sword Saint, I remembered the update details and stopped the mouse.
“Right. That’s not what I should do first.”
The new character should be the priority.
To play the newly released hero, I had to delete one of the only four slots available.
“With over 80 characters, shouldn’t they at least allow you to add slots, even if it means paying?”
Muttering to myself, I reluctantly chose the Holy King, the hero I was least attached to.
“It can’t be helped. This one started as a 7-star, like a taste of the highest grade…”
Once the deletion of the Holy King was complete, a message appeared that a new hero had been unlocked, and the character selection screen popped up.
[Jin Aster]
▶Grade: [☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆]
▶Class: [None]
▶Age: [17]
A character with no specified starting class. It seems the patch is not yet complete.
However, what caught my eye was the potential.
“9 stars for the limit, that’s crazy.”
The four heroes with the highest potential among the 80 were 7 stars.
The newly revealed hero had surpassed that by not just one but two levels.
But the name seemed familiar.
“If the surname is Aster, it’s the Meteor Sword Clan. Jin Aster… where have I heard that before?”
The Meteor Sword Clan was definitely a famous martial clan that guarded the gateway between the Demon Realm and the continent, with a significant role in the game.
And it was a hero from a clan I had never played before.
“Given his build, he seems like a tank or warrior type. Maybe I’ll just play for today.”
Having not played him yet and only seeing a vague shadow, I selected the massive figure of Jin Aster and clicked the start button.
-[You have selected Jin Aster.]
-Verifying qualifications…
-Verification complete!
-The world is being restructured.
-Entering towards destruction and a new birth.
Whoosh!
A different loading message appeared, and my vision went dark.
* * *
“Is this a dream? It must be a dream.”
I kept repeating the same monologue for hours, reaching out to the mirror on the bedside table.
In the mirror held in my hand was a man I had never seen before, with curly black hair and ruby-red eyes.
Not just any man, but an enormous one that you wouldn’t easily find anywhere.
“…”
As I tilted my head dumbly, the young-looking pig tilted its head to the side.
As I lowered my head, the pig’s chin folded into three layers.
Grinding my teeth, the pig’s cheeks rippled like waves. Looking at the face that resembled Dong Zhuo, I felt suffocated.
“It would burn for three days… Damn it.”
Just in case, one last time. Just once more to check.
With that resolve, I closed my eyes, and the familiar interface of the status window that I had seen countless times while playing Disa appeared.
[Jin Aster]
▶Grade: [☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆]
▶Class: [None]
▶Age: [17]
“Ah…”
No matter how many times I tried, the result was the same, and I let out a sigh.
I had no choice but to accept it.
I had become Jin Aster, the new hero in Destruction Saga.
“I’m screwed…”
As I accepted reality, the only thought that filled my mind was that.
Why, of all the many games, did it have to be Disa?
There are so many other games.
There are plenty of games out there. Why here?
As if someone might hear, I let out a silent scream and tore at my hair.
Black hairs that had left their place adorned the bed. I felt no pain.
“Why…!!!”
Why am I like this?
Simple. Because Destruction Saga is an unlimited defense game disguised as an RPG.
Unlike the player, who has a set growth limit, the demons and monsters invading the continent from the Demon Realm grow infinitely stronger as time passes.
“That’s why reaching the growth limit is usually the end content.”
There’s no actual ending.
In other words, no matter how hard you try, you’re bound to lose eventually.
“In the game, you come back to life from the saved spot even if you die…”
But that’s not likely now.
The one consolation is that I’ve been stuck with this damned game for 20,000 hours.
Even the rare reviews I saw worldwide showed no one who played Disa as long as I did.
“Alright. Stay calm.”
It’s already happened. Desperately trying to calm my chaotic mind, there’s only one way to survive.
Using everything I have to smash the source of all evil, the Demon Realm.
The first step to this end is to understand the starting traits of the character.
[Owned Traits]
▶[Genius of Combat (A－)]
-This trait is unlocked when the user reaches 1 star.
“… A rank?”
Being given an A-rank as a starting characteristic rather than a C-rank is unbelievable. If I had seen this scene through the monitor, I would have been screaming in excitement.
“Usually, you can barely get an A-rank when you reach 5 stars.”
Moreover, it’s a characteristic I’m well aware of.
[Genius of Battle] was a growth-type characteristic acquired by the last character I played, Gion.
“Is this a stroke of luck amidst misfortune?”
Clutching onto a sliver of hope, I slowly shifted my gaze downward.
Then, the remaining parts that I hadn’t checked began to surface.
[Traits]
▶[Laziness][Lustful][Drunkard][Gluttony][Arrogance][Vileness][Disrespectful][Pretentious][Shameless]……
The [Traits] section, which determines the relationship with NPCs and the direction of the character’s actions, is the worst.
At this rate, I wonder if I’ll be treated like human trash wherever I go.
“……Still, traits can be changed.”
Of course, it would take some time.
Due to [Laziness], I had to suppress the desire to lie down in bed and continued reading the remaining parts.
[Condition]
▶[Severe Obesity][Muscle Weakness][High Blood Pressure]
[Power]
▶[1]
[Overall Assessment]
▶You have enough power to possibly compete with a squirrel in the backyard. You might even lose.
It’s hard to believe you’re a direct descendant of a prestigious martial family! It might be a good idea to stick your nose in a bowl of water right now!
“Squirrels……”
I was so dumbfounded by the pathetic sight that my mouth hung open.
A sticky droplet of saliva fell down my greasy face, but that was the least of my concerns.
“What kind of idiot is this?”
Unable to hold back, I cursed out loud.
The starting power is 1.
Even the character [Old Medicine Seller], who has a limit of 1 star, starts with a power of 5.
This damned guy must have been bedridden his whole life, weaker than an old man on his last legs.
“He’s not a tank-type hero, just a pig.”
I resented myself from a few hours ago for being fooled by the faint silhouette.
But that’s not the only problem.
“Plus, it’s Jin Aster, that good-for-nothing.”
No wonder the name sounded familiar.
The character I’ve possessed is the second son of the Meteor Sword Family and known as the disgrace of the family.
He’s so despised that he’s almost erased from the family’s history.
“That’s why I didn’t remember right away.”
Still, as a direct descendant, while playing the game, I would often get information about Jin from the documents acquired from the ruined Meteor Sword Family and its nearly incapacitated head.
I desperately racked my brain to recall those memories.
-It’s embarrassing to say, but I have a second son who’s hardly human.
-A son who is debauched, arrogant, and lazy.
So what happened next?
-On the year he turned seventeen, I could no longer tolerate his wickedness and decided to execute him after consulting with my vassals.
-The official reason was debauchery, but in truth… sigh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past.
Right. That’s what happened.
The head of the family closed the topic with that, but as someone who had scoured all the records within the sword family for fun, I knew the exact details.
“He was caught trying to sell the family’s treasure to the mage tower… wait a minute.”
As I was recalling the memory, a chilling premonition crossed my mind, and I quickly closed my eyes.
▶Age: [17]
A chill ran down my spine.
This guy hatched a plot at the age of sixteen. And it was at seventeen that he was discovered and brought to the execution stand.
“Is it already spilled water?”
Whether it’s fate or fortune, such things were not important at the moment.
If I don’t solve this problem immediately, I will be executed before the year is out.
‘To give a generous estimate, by this year…’
One month. One week.
Perhaps even today.
“No. I haven’t been brought to the execution stand yet.”
I shook my head to dispel the negative thoughts.
Fortunately, the Meteor Sword Family is a clan with significant importance in the game, so I have quite a lot of information about this place.
“If it’s an execution decided by the family rather than death by external forces… there is a way to avoid it.”
Among them is Jin Aster.
In other words, it also includes a way for me to save my life.
The problem is when that time will be.
“It’s not even my doing. Damn rascal.”
Putting aside his feelings of injustice, i tried to get up with this heavy body to search the bedroom for clues.
“The head of the family is summoning you.”
Bang—
The door was flung open violently, and an armored knight burst in.
