Beyond the End

 

Winter War.

The unprecedented incident of an undead army invading the heart of the capital city has long been remembered in history.

However, the destruction of the world that many people were worried about did not happen.

Many things happened, but each person’s life went on, and their will continued.

***

The empire, which suffered devastating damage, was ultimately unable to regain its former power and disappeared into the back pages of history.

For a while, a period of chaos unfolded.

Whether by chance or foresight, ambitious men who foresaw the empire’s collapse and amassed their power entered a competition to become the masters of the era.

The new leader who brought order to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was a distant relative of the emperor who had previously received little attention.

He resolved the chaos with the help of a weapon more powerful than any other: the legitimacy of being directly recognized and supported by the emperor.

The nobles who supported their respective emperors or who wanted to become emperors themselves could not agree until the end and strongly opposed it.

The new emperor was strong. He abandoned the old order and proclaimed a new empire, a new order.

However, one competitor had some sharp criticisms of the new emperor:

In fact, the new emperor was nothing more than a puppet.

He even made the shocking statement that the one manipulating the Emperor from behind the scenes was the infamous Lich, the mastermind behind the Winter War.

Although he filed a complaint with his own evidence, the claim was not accepted by the world.

The nobleman disappeared without a trace, and his accusation, without much response, naturally sank below the surface.

However, those with sharp eyes were secretly noticing.

That there are times when shadows fall on the face of the emperor who leads the new empire.

There are times when you disappear somewhere and have a secret and mysterious time without telling even those closest to you.

Sometimes, a small, pretty girl like a doll would be seen by the emperor’s side.

And strangely enough, at such times the Emperor would appear to be submissive and devoted to the girl, as if he were serving his superior, his master.

Of course, this was a story that the world could never know⋯.

***

During times of chaos, the empire and numerous kingdoms’ cities rose and fell.

Among them, the city that was most dazzlingly developed was Garden.

Located on the western border, Garden was once considered a town of wandering adventurers, a backward city with little potential for development.

Garden had a wise leader who could overcome adversity.

The captain of the guard of Garden showed excellent leadership and won the support of all the people, and was officially appointed as mayor.

In Garden, discrimination based on class and race was prohibited, and talented gemstones from all over the world who were seeking equality and freedom gathered there.

Of course, Garden also faced many crises. However, Garden overcame them all.

The captain of the guard, or rather the leader who is now the mayor, was also excellent.

Assistance that cannot be explained by that alone also played a big role.

So, this is what was said in Garden.

It is said that if anything happens in Garden, there is a guardian saint who will definitely help.

However, the patron saint is said to be very shy and does not show himself to the public.

The market simply laughed at these words, neither confirming nor denying them.

However, when he heard that the guardian saint was even using the undead to help Garden, he was visibly flustered and wiped his cold sweat with a handkerchief.

***

Richie disappeared after the Winter War.

During the war, Lich was mortally wounded, and the wizard who was thought to be immortal was finally wiped from this world.

That’s what was recorded in the history books. No one knows for sure if it’s true or not.

However, even after Rich’s disappearance, the North continued to build its own powerful force.

The main axis is the snowfield orc.

Led by Jonathan, the Orc Chieftain, the Snow Orcs have now amassed a power that no human can laugh at.

Bright lights have been lit up in the northern regions, untouched by civilization, and the warriors’ cries echo through the snowy fields where a blizzard is sweeping.

Fortunately for the humans, the orcs have not yet expanded their power further north.

They may have made a secret pact with a new empire, or they may be content with the territory they currently rule. In any case, humans can only vaguely speculate.

However, if the Snow Orcs rise up from the North and begin to fully demonstrate their power-

It was clear that the continent would tremble, and that another war no less turbulent than the Winter War would unfold.

***

The vampire queen, Kamula, who was the second in command of the Lich, lost her power in a power struggle with Jonathan.

Camula’s current whereabouts are unknown.

All that is said is that he is hiding somewhere in the northern polar regions, vowing revenge and gathering power.

Or, there’s a story that he’s hiding his identity to make a living, and he’s working as a cold and sullen coffee shop employee somewhere in the human kingdom, earning some extra money.

***

Michael’s evaluations were divided.

Some people said he was a hero who accomplished great feats, while others said he was a villain who used his fame to usurp power.

Although everyone’s assessments were different, whether hero or villain, there was no disagreement that Michael ultimately failed to prevent the empire’s crisis at the last moment.

Time passed, and people no longer remembered Michael.

***

Still, each person’s life went on, and the will continued.

***

“You have entered the ancient temple.”

“You feel the gaze of the Absolute upon you. This sanctuary does not welcome mortals.”

Risk: Unmeasurable

***

A strange color shines as if it came from another world.

Our four adventurers are in formation, walking along a bizarre ruin that looks like something straight out of the Cthulhu Mythos.

The warrior at the forefront is our party’s tank, ‘Wagner’.

He is a human who resembles a wild bear so much that it makes you exclaim in admiration.

Behind him is the beautiful elf fighter, Mitchell. Following in the rear are the sorceress Flora and the necromancer, I, Estelle.

“Nine Stars” is a game about training adventurers to save the world.

I am a veteran of this game, having played it for over ten thousand hours.

He is such a veteran that he goes beyond just playing the game and enters the world himself to write a new story.

It’s already been five years since I entered this world. I’ve gained countless experiences in the world of “Nine Stars.”

However, we still have a long way to go. We’re far from perfect. It likely will be that way no matter how much time passes.

My colleagues are the same.

Wagner, Mitchell, and Flora are by no means the pinnacle of their respective fields. While they are all seasoned veteran adventurers, they all have their shortcomings.

However, I’m satisfied with our party. I’m confident this group understands me best and has the best members who fit me best.

My colleagues and I continued to advance through the ruins.

I don’t know much about this ruin, either. It’s beyond the scope of the game’s knowledge.

Completely unknown.

A new horizon that no one has ever experienced.

Therefore, the risk of this relic is ‘immeasurable.’

“You have entered the secret altar of the ancient temple.”

“You have entered the realm of the Absolute.”

“You have entered the innermost part of the ancient temple, the Hall of Ascension.”

“Warning: The forgotten ancient god Yuan awaits adventurers.”

“Go back, mortal. No matter how powerful you are, you are meaningless here.”

Finally, I met the god of this world.

I wasn’t particularly impressed. I’d been in frequent conversations with El, the goddess of death, before.

So I know. Even if they are gods, they are ultimately just excellent mortals who have ascended to heaven and been reborn.

Of course, ascending to godhood is no easy feat. So, for thousands of years, no mortal has ever achieved that level.

That’s how it was until now.

“Sir, can you give me a seat now? I’m thinking of becoming a god myself. You don’t have any followers or a church anyway. Just go and rest.”

“⋯How rude!”

The entire sanctuary rumbled as the ancient god unleashed his wrath.

Honestly, I’m a little nervous.

“You mortal who doesn’t even know your place. If you so desire… I will give you a lesson that will cut deep into your bones.”

A fiery light gleamed in the eyes of the giant stone statue.

Stone dust fell from the sanctuary’s ceiling, and the stone statue began to rise from its seat with a vibration like an earthquake.

“Hey, kid. Are you sure you can win this?”

Mitchell looked around anxiously, his face slightly timid.

“Well? What can I do? We’ve come this far. If we can’t win, we’ll just die here together, right?”

“Even if you die, you’ll be resurrected. You say that, damn it!”

Mitchell hit the back of my head.

“Estelle is right. We have no choice but to try.”

Wagner finished his speech briefly as usual and raised his large artifact shield.

In line with this, Archmage Flora-

Yes. She’s a great wizard. You may not believe it, but Flora is now known as the continent’s strongest wizard, the Master of the Magic Tower of Space, Flora.

I can’t believe it either. I didn’t know he’d grow this big.

Perhaps the most talented of us all was Flora.

Anyway, Archmage Flora displayed a splendid magic circle.

“Estelle, leave the defense to me!”

“Okay, I’ll just trust you, senior.”

“BOSS: Ancient God Yuan”

If it were a game, the boss’s health gauge would probably be filling up at the top of the screen. I’ve seen it so many times that it automatically pops into my head.

Today, I will defeat this annoying old man god and be reborn as a new god.

It is advancing into an uncharted territory that no one has ever reached before.

What should I call myself as a god?

—Young & Rich Estelle.

I think this should be about right. Oh, but I’m curious about this one thing.

Even if I become a god, will I still have to use this body?

Well, that’s a bit tricky. I’m used to the girl’s body now, but…

“Estelle! Get out of here!”

“What are you doing, little one, not concentrating!”

Ah, I almost died thinking about something else. I guess I can think about the rest after I win this fight.

Anyway, one thing is certain: the story will continue, and the adventures will continue one after another.

Just like it always has been.

Became an immortal lich in the game

-over-