Ch.1Recycling

# 1.

“Guys. Don’t you think you’re going a bit too far?”

In the dim dawn.

A man asked in a gentle voice inside a shabby hideout where only the faint moonlight provided illumination.

“How many times have I told you? Trash needs to be thrown out on time.”

An utterly ordinary nagging.

Even his scolding voice was incredibly gentle, as if reprimanding children.

But why?

“…I apologize, Commander. Despite being the Vice Commander, I failed to properly lead the members. I will take my insignificant life to atone for my sin.”

Clink.

No sooner had the Vice Commander finished speaking than the other two members followed her lead and drew their daggers.

The most elegant yet sharpest daggers among their equipment, engraved with the emblem of the <Black Wolf> mercenary group they belonged to.

“Thank you for everything, Commander.”

There was no hesitation in them.

!!

The three gripped their daggers with imperceptible hand movements and immediately pulled them toward their own necks.

The gleaming daggers,

The streaming moonlight,

The floating dust.

Just as the daggers were about to pierce the necks of the three, including the Vice Commander.

“Stop.”

A cold voice halted them. The man rose from the wooden box he had been sitting on and approached the three members.

“Stop doing unnecessary things and just throw out the trash properly. Understand?”

The man spat out casually, as if it were nothing, while glaring at the other two.

“Especially you and you. Recycle properly. I’m watching.”

“…Recycle? …Oh! Yes! Got it, Commander!”

“We will never. Disappoint you again.”

“Good. That’s how it should be.”

After receiving responses from the two, the man withdrew his red gaze and stood up.

“Dismissed. Morning exercise in moderation. Return before breakfast as usual.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Thank you, Commander!!”

“We will never. No matter what happens. Ever. Disappoint you again.”

Although it had been a grim dawn assembly, that was the end of it.

After sending the members away, the man returned to the hideout and flopped down on the bed.

“Haah…”

This man’s name was Nahan.

And,

“…I want a late-night snack. Chicken and beer.”

The name of the character he had possessed was also Nahan.

He was a twenty-five-year-old man who had possessed a character in this damned novel, <Babylonia>.

“Early morning wake-ups are seriously annoying. Even in the military, they let us sleep until 6:30.”

The utterly ordinary man’s reason for possession was mere curiosity.

-What? This author has a new work?

After speed-reading through the free chapters up to chapter 15, before checking out the paid content, he just went to the related gallery to check the plot.

General) <Babylonia> spoilers included.

The Empire is completely corrupt. The hero party that went to defeat the Demon King pulled a betrayal and just returned. They’re about to cut off the Emperor’s head when some idiot bastards (probably the masterminds?) interfere. They kill all those bastards and the Emperor and fuck it all just kill everyone and the end.

-Buffet wtf. Want to get hit?

-How did you read all that already?

└Prophet?

└22. I heard even the paid content only goes up to the betrayal.

└(Author) Do I really need to read it?

└How else would you know?

└(Author) I’m from there.

└?

Some weirdo was trolling him, so he angrily picked up his keyboard,

└No lies.

└(Author) For real. If I’m lying, I won’t possess you.

└? What are you saying?

└(Author) =I’m saying I’ll possess you.

└?waitaminutewhataremyoutalki

And just like that, he was possessed.

In other words, he was possessed into a novel whose content he barely knew.

The one fortunate thing was,

─『Main Quest』─

◆ Simply survive.

: Prevent all bad endings and save the <Hero> and <Emperor>.

◆Number of bad endings prevented.

: So far… [2 / 15]

◆Reward

: Return to original world.

“Already two. Did it increase while I was sleeping yesterday?”

Even if he just sat here doing nothing, bad endings would be prevented automatically.

Plus, as a possession special privilege,

“Information view, Nahan.”

【At the request of the Savior – <Nahan>, information about this person will be displayed!】

【Name: Nahan】

-Alias: Incompetent Mercenary Commander (Temporary)

-Rank: C-rank Mercenary (Temporary)

-Information: A man sold to the underworld by his poor parents when he was young. [Somehow] he struggled through and rose to become the commander of the D-rank mercenary group – <Black Wolf>.

【Number of bad endings that need to be prevented for next information view… [2/3].】

Although there are some restrictions, he can peek at information about other characters like this.

‘So I’ll just stay put.’

Avoiding approaching threats using the status window, waiting until all bad endings disappear.

Nahan, who possessed Nahan, is merely a C-rank commander leading a D-rank mercenary group, <Black Wolf>.

‘Just to be sure, I checked the ranks of my team members, and they’re all D-rank, with Vice Commander Lactea being C- rank at best.’

Considering the hero party’s rank was S in the prologue, if he foolishly stepped forward trying to prevent bad endings,

-Who are you?

-Ah, I’m not really suspicious, I’m just here to prevent bad endings.

-?

-Wow! You don’t know about bad endings? They’re really, really scary.

Bang!

His head would surely fly off.

Especially since the author of <Babylonia> was famous for writing only dark fantasy, making it even more dangerous.

Anyway.

Just as he had done since his possession, he would stay hidden in this D-rank mercenary group until all bad endings were suppressed.

“I’ll just endure.”

Endure and endure until comeback home.

That was enough for now.

“…By the way, was I too harsh nagging them at dawn just for not taking out the trash?”

Nahan pondered for a moment, but,

“No? Not harsh at all.”

Since his possession until now. For over a month, Nahan had been solely responsible for recycling and food waste.

But whenever he tried to say something, they would apologize and threaten to kill themselves like earlier, so except for the first two times, he had avoided scolding the members and just endured it alone.

“If we live together, we should share the housework.”

Nahan sighed and lay down again.

But instead of falling back asleep, he kept feeling guilty about nagging them so early in the morning.

“…How much meat do we have left?”

He got up and went down to the kitchen, planning to make something special for breakfast.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

“Haah. These bastards just left.”

The trash they had conspicuously failed to clean up was still scattered all over the kitchen.

“Is it really that hard to sort and throw away trash…”

As he sighed, looking at the unsorted trash bin with garbage and leftovers all mixed together,

Ding.

A system window appeared with a cheerful sound completely opposite to the situation.

【Congratulations!】

【Your choice has prevented Bad Ending – <3. Rats (B+ rank)>!】

【Number of bad endings prevented: [3 / 15]】

“Ah, it went up automatically again.”

The good news that a bad ending had been prevented immediately calmed his anger.

12 more to go.

“Auto-hunting activated.”

Just sit quietly, pass the time, and return to home sweet home!

“…Sigh, well, I’ll be going back to my original world anyway.”

To enjoy advanced civilization again, it’s okay to live a bit uncomfortably for now. The kids aren’t bad people, just stupid.

So until then,

“I’ll just clean it up myself.”

Ugh.

One month since possession.

“…But what choice did I make?”

A new morning dawned for Nahan, the C+ rank commander leading a D-rank mercenary group.

# 2.

Meanwhile, it’s still dawn here.

Time goes back to a little earlier,

“Dismissed. Morning exercise in moderation. Return before breakfast as usual.”

Right after Nahan finished speaking and returned to the hideout, the Vice Commander took out a notebook from her bosom.

Today’s dawn roll call: Nothing unusual.

Special notes: Throw out trash on time.

Responsible members: <No3. Tal>. <No4. Persona>.

After finishing her brief notes, the Vice Commander approached the two who were still kneeling and whispered.

“If the Commander is disappointed one more time, I’ll kill all of you and then myself.”

Golden eyes gleamed coldly through her long platinum blonde hair.

“Answer.”

“Ah, I got it, sis. Don’t be angry.”

The moment the blonde girl nodded while nervously swallowing,

WHAM!!

The kneeling man, member No. 3 Hanryang, slammed his head into the ground,

Thud.

When he raised it again, a thick mask resembling a fierce beast was covering his face.

“I will—accept it.”

It was a thick mask befitting his massive frame, with blue light flickering behind it.

“Geez, you scared me!”

SMACK!

Member No. 4 Luna, who had just smacked the back of Hanryang’s head, quickly put on her own mask and waved at Vice Commander Lactea.

“We’ll go make it right!”

When Lactea nodded, the two disappeared as if that was their signal.

A few minutes later.

“…? Who are you? How did you get in?”

CRUNCH!

“Ah, it’s splattering!! Crush it gently!!”

“I—refuse.”

The rising criminal organization in the back alleys of the Imperial capital, commonly known as <The Rats>.

“In-intruders!!”

“Who are they!? What do they look like?!”

“M-masks…? Could it be!?”

They were criminals gathered around their leader <Hanson>, who engaged in all sorts of dirty work, breaking even the underworld’s <Rules>.

“Shit…, that’s Tal.”

“I-it’s Tal!! Everyone run!!”

“…It’s useless, you idiot. The fact that those bastards have appeared means already—”

CRUNCH!

“Hmph. Must be nice being famous, Tal?”

“Better—not to know—my name.”

“Right? Ah, one’s escaping over there.”

Their growth had been steep, and now they had grown to a scale that neither the Empire nor the underworld could easily touch, but,

“Don’t come!! D-don’t come, you monsters—!!”

Crack.

“—Ack.”

In just 10 minutes.

By just two intruders.

Everyone except the boss was annihilated.

“Fuck… Please spare me. Please, pleeeease!!! I’m the boss here, okay? Y-you must want something. Right? I’ll give you anything, just please spare my liiiife!!!”

Hanson, the sole survivor, begged desperately as he was cornered at the end of the safety bunker, but,

“Persona—your turn?”

“Yes, that’s right. He’s the last one.”

“—Indeed.”

CRUNCH!

It was completely useless.

“Finished.”

“That’s right! Shall we go eat breakfast now?”

“I’m—hungry.”

Even though these were people that even the Imperial guards couldn’t easily deal with,

“Can’t—keep Commander—waiting.”

“I know that, so stop nagging, okay?”

“Not nagging—direct advice.”

“Yes, yes. I understand, so please let me ride on your shoulders again. I don’t like stepping on corpses.”

“Climb—up.”

“Yay! Thanks, Tal!”

The masked giant man and the blood-covered woman turned around, chatting as if nothing had happened.

“You’re always so stubborn… Oh right!”

Luna suddenly startled and turned to Hanryang with an anxious expression.

“The Commander said to recycle properly.”

“…Recycle?”

“Mmm, I don’t know either. He didn’t explain in detail… Come here. Let’s think about it together.”

“Putting—heads together. Intelligence—increasing.”

“Mmm. I feel like I’m getting dumber though.”

The two put their heads—no, their masks—together and began their discussion,

“Right!? So you think so too?”

“Certainly—correct.”

“Great! Then let’s start right away!”

“Recycling—now.”

And immediately began recycling.

Of course,

“Geez, I’m sure it’s bones, flesh, organs?”

“Head, chest, stomach—separate.”

It was far from the recycling Nahan had meant, but,

“I don’t know! Let’s just do our best!”

“Understood.”

Crack! Snap! Crunch!

They did their best anyway.

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【Notice.】

【Number of bad endings that need to be prevented for next information view… [3/3].】

【Some conditions have been met, and certain information will be temporarily available!】

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【Name: Luna】

-Alias: View restricted. (Temporary)

-Rank: D-rank Mercenary (Temporary)

-Information: Gifted the alias <No4. – Persona> by the secret organization – <Black Wolf(?)>. When switched to this alias, estimated rank after transformation – <S->.

【Name: Hanryang】

-Rank: D-rank Mercenary (Temporary)

-Alias: View restricted. (Temporary)

-Information: Gifted the alias <No3. – Tal> by the secret organization – <Black Wolf(?)>. When switched to this alias, estimated rank after transformation – <S>.

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“Damn it, which crazy bastard chewed meat and spat it into the trash can… Ugh!! Is recycling really that difficult?”

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【Time limit exceeded.】

【The temporarily available information has been locked again.】

【The next bad ending – <4. Black Wolf(B+)> is being set up on the main scenario.】