Where… am I?
Theo looked around—and instantly recognized the place.
Ah… how could I forget? The Kingdom of Virelia… a piece of my imagination.
Everything around him was burning. He was already familiar with this scene—it was the final battle against the Demon Lord.
The female lead and her companions were locked in a bloody struggle. Many were injured. Some were already dead. And yet, fire still burned in their eyes as they fought on—
Led by…Theo Valemont?
Wait—what am I doing there?
I didn't write that shit.
Theo couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could only stand there like a ghost, forced to watch his future self fight alongside the very characters he had created.
THUMP!
Theo's eyes snapped open.
He found himself in a cozy yet luxurious room.
Definitely not his room.
"You're awake."
Theo turned toward the voice. The man sitting beside the bed had been there the entire time.
Edmund Valemont.
"We found you unconscious by the pond," Edmund said gently. "It seems you're still not fully recovered."
His hand came to rest on Theo's forehead, checking his temperature. The cold sensation sent a strange, electric shiver down his spine.
'Isn't this man a little too touchy…?'
Theo frowned internally. Being touched by a hypocrite was not his cup of tea.
Yes—Edmund Valemont looked like a kind, devoted priest.
But inside? Cruel to the core.
"I'm fine now… thank you, brother."
The moment the word left his mouth, Edmund froze.
'Oops. Did I say something wrong?'
A second later, Edmund smiled—but this time, the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"And here I thought…" he said softly, "that you had forgotten my face."
'Dude, I couldn't forget a face like yours even if I tried.'
Theo wisely kept his mouth shut and listened.
"You were often bedridden when we were young," Edmund continued. "So we never really played together. Then you were sent out of the capital for treatment… for ten years."
Theo stiffened.
"You couldn't attend our parents' funeral either," Edmund said quietly. "And you only returned yesterday."
His voice carried weight—and for once, it didn't sound hypocritical. Or at least… not entirely.
"The way you avoided me this morning made me think you had forgotten me."
"Oh—no," Theo replied quickly. "I wasn't feeling well because of the wound on my forehead."
Edmund's expression softened slightly.
"Then… will you keep calling me 'brother'?"
"Huh? Oh—of course. Isn't that natural?"
"Natural…" Edmund murmured. "Yes, you're right."
A chill ran down Theo's spine.
'What the hell is this wacko thinking now?'
—
—
Before leaving, Edmund informed him that this would be Theo's new room—right next to his own.
"Huu…" Theo exhaled once he was finally alone. "He left."
He stretched his arms, exhaustion creeping into his face.
"Edmund said he found me unconscious by the pond. That means…" Theo muttered, "God really did intervene."
He sat at the desk and pulled out ink and paper from a drawer. His stomach twisted slightly as he picked up a pen after so long.
"From what I saw in that dream… I'm far more involved than I thought."
What bothered him most was this—
Theo Valemont was never a character he created.
He had only taken the name after overhearing the church workers gossip.
The Valemont House was supposed to have only one heir—Edmund Valemont.
"And Edmund's reaction earlier…" Theo groaned. "How am I even supposed to act around him?"
Shaking his head, Theo decided to ignore Edmund's mess of a personality for now.
Survival came first.
This was a horror world he had written with his own hands.
First of all—dungeons and monsters exist here. By royal decree, every noble heir is required to participate in monster subjugations. If a family has no heir, the head of the household has to step in instead.
"That means…" Theo whispered, staring blankly ahead,
"I'm about to go die in a monster raid."
He banged his head lightly on the desk and gripped his pen.
"Should I pretend to be sick?"
He considered it—then immediately shook his head.
The idea of God doubling his punishment didn't sound appealing.
"Oh—right," Theo muttered. "Didn't I hear a voice before I passed out?"
He tilted his head, searching his fuzzy memory.
"I think it said… 'Divine Mission' or something?"
The moment the words left his mouth—
A red screen popped up in front of him.
[Divine Mission accepted! ^-^ ]
[Mission: Make the main characters of the novel devoted believers of God and defeat the Demon Lord.]
[Loading…]
[Current believers: None]
"What the ****?"
…
[Cursed language detected.]
[Warning: Such expressions are prohibited. -_- ]
—
TO BE CONTINUED