Episode 1

I discovered the fact that I was born in the world of a novel on my eighteenth birthday.

While blowing out the candles during my birthday party, memories from my past life resurfaced like a panorama.

At that moment, I realized that this world was the setting from the novel I had read, “Withered Flowers Don’t Cry.”

“Withered Flowers Don’t Cry” was an adult-rated trashy novel with the premise that the male protagonists, as a price for sealing the Demon King, received a curse of eternal suffering and could not survive a day without the salvation of the protagonist, who was a prescription drug.

The problem was that as soon as I became aware of this fact, I was appointed as the “protagonists’ savior” and set off with the male protagonists to seal the Demon King.

Fortunately, I wasn’t the original protagonists’ savior, who was relentlessly pursued by the male protagonists until death. I was the previous generation’s savior, born in the world a hundred years before the protagonist appeared.

Saviors were chosen through generations by inheritance, but little was known about them. One common characteristic among them was having healing abilities.

That’s why there were many healers among the previous saviors, and I was also a healer. Moreover, I inherited the power of the strongest healer among the fairy race, known for its healing abilities.

Of all times to be born, it had to be during the rampage of the Demon King, and I had to participate in subduing the Demon King alongside the male protagonists.

Still, my situation was better than the protagonist who would become the savior of the next generation. After the Demon King was sealed, he would curse the male protagonists with eternal suffering, and after a hundred years, the male protagonists who couldn’t bear it would rampage and torment the protagonist.

Anyway, I was an existence separate from the original work. There was no mention of previous saviors in the original, so I didn’t know how I came to be.

It was just a little surprising to know that three of my comrades were male protagonists, and I was only worried about whether I would survive the curse of the Demon King.

‘Anyway, it was enjoyable being together, but let’s never meet again, please.’

Now, at the end of three years of hardship, the Demon King was being sealed right before my eyes.

Even though it was a sight I didn’t want to see, the handsome male protagonists rushed toward the Demon King, and I was supporting them from behind.

It wasn’t too difficult, as it had become a routine.

However…

‘Is it my imagination? Why do I keep locking eyes with the Demon King?’

The Demon King, whom I should be desperately resisting, was staring right at me.

With the world’s strongest male protagonists fiercely fighting him, there was no room for me to act recklessly.

Feeling something strange, I furrowed my eyebrows, and he smirked.

Sensing the ominous sign, the male protagonists also took a step back. And as they followed the Demon King’s gaze, their eyes turned towards me at the back.

[Savior. You’ve finally returned.]

“…Me?”

[As promised, I will erase your existence from this world. So that no one remembers you.]

He said, reaching out his hand toward me.

And at that moment, I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I found myself alone in the Demon King’s castle.

* * *

A fist-sized stone rolled across the ground with a thud. Immediately, a mole-like monster hidden in the forest jumped out and devoured the stone.

Crunch!

As soon as the sound of the stone breaking echoed, another monster hidden somewhere emerged and devoured the stone-eating monster.

Crack!

An evil forest filled with monsters. In the midst of it, all was the Demon King’s castle. And here I was, trapped in the castle with no power to defeat the monsters.

I was on the verge of starving to death.

‘I’m so hungry.’

I was born as a healer and lived my life as one. I had thought about strengthening myself in case of unforeseen circumstances during the journey with the male protagonists to subdue the Demon King, but I gave up due to their objections.

‘What’s the point of learning now?’

‘Yeah, just stick by our side.’

‘We’ll discard you if you get in the way.’

The monsters they faced were not opponents that could be easily dealt with by ordinary skills. So, I diligently focused on enhancing my healing abilities and providing support.

And this was the result. I had no power to break through the evil forest or lift the seal that surrounded it, even if I managed to escape somehow.

Now, I had only one choice left.

‘Do I die of starvation or do I get eaten and die? That’s the question.’

It had been nearly a week since I starved, and my skin was sticking to my bones.

‘The end of suffering is the path to meat, they say.’

After completing the seal and returning, I was promised a reward of a golden castle. But… now I was grateful if I had a piece of bread the size of my palm.

And even if I managed to escape like this, nobody might remember me.

‘But more than anything, I want to eat meat.’

Sighing, I released a small amount of toxin and instinctively activated my healing power.

As a result, my energy was drained even more.

Grumble!

A loud growl echoed like a death sentence.

“Ugh, I’m starving to death.”

In the end, I stood up on the steps in front of the Demon King’s castle and entered the castle. It was filled with numerous traps and was dangerous, but I thought there might be something to eat, so I decided to explore a little further.

* * *

The Demon King’s castle was grand and larger than ten school playgrounds combined. It was filled with traps, requiring utmost caution with each step. The repetitive structure made it easy to get lost if one wasn’t careful. I sighed and cautiously took my steps. However, no matter how much I looked around, there was not a morsel of food in sight.

‘Well, when I was conquering the Demon King’s castle, there wasn’t a restaurant or kitchen either.’

It seemed like the Demon King could survive without eating. Still, even so, wouldn’t it be necessary to have something prepared for the visiting guests?

‘It’s frustrating.’

After a couple of hours of exploration, I eventually gave up.

“It’s too vast here!”

My voice echoed as if in response. The path ahead stretched into darkness, even more, obscure than the path I had walked so far. It seemed pointless to continue walking.

Just as I let out a sigh, I noticed claw marks on the wall. It was a trace left by Hwang Tae, one of the main characters, who had overcome the traps of the Demon King’s castle.

‘If I follow this, I should reach the place where the Demon King is sealed.’

Since I had lost consciousness right after the Demon King cursed me, I had no idea what happened to the Demon King. I could only guess that the main characters had sealed the Demon King and left, leaving me behind.

‘Well, it’s a good opportunity to see what happened to the Demon King.’

Following the remaining traces, I soon arrived at the hall where the Demon King was sealed. A man was floating in mid-air, his body stretched out.

He was the Demon King who had tormented the world relentlessly. He remained motionless, not even breathing. He wasn’t dead but sealed.

Only the torso of an adult male, wrapped in chains as thick as a person’s body, prevented the Demon King from existing in this world.

‘Although it’s called a seal, it’s more like being sent to another dimension.’

The Demon King doesn’t die. As a being that exists at the beginning and end of the world, sealing was merely a way to prevent his presence.

In other words, the Demon King was existing prominently in another dimension. The only thing here was his soulless body.

‘Anyway, that’s not important right now.’

I carefully examined the area around the sealed Demon King.

‘He must have been bored being alone. I wonder if he didn’t even have a biscuit.’

I thoroughly searched the vicinity of the throne where the Demon King had been sitting, hoping to find even crumbs.

However, the floor was adorned with sapphires, amethysts, diamonds, and other gems, but there was nothing edible to be found.

“Ugh, can’t even eat these useless rocks.”

I kicked the gems in frustration, wishing there was something edible instead.

As I let out a frustrated sigh, I once again realized how valuable these stones were in the outside world.

“Come to think of it, isn’t this all about money?”

Living in the expedition camp, I had forgotten about the need for money. The castle and the gems scattered throughout the forest had tremendous value in the outside world.

‘If I were lucky enough to escape the Demon King’s castle…’

I could live a carefree life forever!

“Oh, it was a brilliant idea!”

If I were cursed and had no money, how miserable would it be? This was a perfect opportunity. I immediately sat down on the ground and tucked the gems into my sleeve. In the uncertain game of life, I needed to have at least one way to sustain myself.

While I was diligently collecting gems, I heard a rustling sound from behind.

‘It couldn’t be that the Demon King woke up because I stole the gems, right?’

For some reason, I felt a chill down my spine, so I cautiously turned my head.

In one hand I held a sharp sapphire the size of my fist.

And at that moment, a golden aura, like a spider’s web, swiftly enveloped my arm.

As the sapphire rolled on the ground, a man hidden in the shadows revealed himself.

With golden hair flowing down to his waist and wearing a pristine white robe, he was Adandito, one of the main characters and the substitute ruler.

After spending three years together, I knew him very well, even his fake smile he was putting on right now.

‘That… seems like I could kill you if I misunderstand something.’

Just as I had suspected, he smiled at me mischievously.

“How did you end up here? This place is not accessible to ordinary people. I’ve been having some strange dreams lately,… You’re not a demon, are you?”