Finding First amid the chaos wasn’t difficult.

‘He certainly stands out, that big lug.’

“Get lost, you wretched things! I have a long way to go! My master is waiting all alone, wiping away tears!”

‘Sorry. Your master is right behind you.’

Besides, with him shouting like that and literally sweeping the monsters aside, I didn’t have to worry about losing him.

How long had I been following behind him?

‘Ugh, I’m dead tired. It takes this long just to reach the surface?’

He didn’t even rest once along the way. That First, what a stamina pig.

‘Real Chris really did mean to kill him by shoving him into a place like this……’

In the first playthrough, I never crossed paths with First, so I never asked—but I could be certain. If Real Chris’s seal had held, First would have undoubtedly died without ever seeing the light of day.

‘He should be grateful I’m a soul who can’t use magic. In that spirit, let’s take a break just this once, you little……’

“Phew. I wiped out the monsters in this area last time. It should be safe, so how about we rest a bit around here?”

Fortunately, First wasn’t completely heartless. Whether my telepathy got through or not, he found a spot and sat down.

Then he closed his eyes and immediately started snoring, looking remarkably at ease.

Which meant this place was relatively threat-free.

I too plopped down a short distance away to catch my breath—

Right at that moment.

-Grrk?

There were eyes staring directly at me.

‘……!’

Could it see me? That shouldn’t be possible.

I hadn’t been caught by anyone this entire time. The performance of this item was reliable.

‘Then it must have noticed something else.’

Looking closely, that monster was particularly small and frail-looking.

Probably a textbook prey animal in these parts.

Earth knowledge came to mind.

The weaker the animal, the more developed its senses—allowing it to detect things that apex predators couldn’t perceive.

‘So it could sense my mana. It must be incredibly faint at F-Rank, but it managed somehow.’

In other words, that monster’s rank was just as pathetic as mine.

Then there was nothing to fear. First was right beside me.

‘It wouldn’t want to rouse a sleeping lion either. It won’t act rashly. And even if it did try something……’

Who am I? Chris Dotten, that’s who.

Once called the Disaster of the Demon Lord’s army (though that was Real Chris), a renowned professor at the Academy (though that was just a roleplay), and survived even the heart of the protagonist said to be the strongest in this world (though only for three minutes).

With all that experience under my belt, one fist-sized monster was well within my capacity to handle.

I didn’t look away. Instead, I widened my eyes and glared the monster down.

‘Come on! I’ll take you out before First finishes his snoring!’

How long did that breathless standoff between us last?

Finally, the creature moved its snout.

-Puhaeng……

‘Huh?’

Not a threatening growl. Just a sound like air escaping.

Plus a smirk with only one corner of its mouth raised smugly.

‘This little bastard…… Did it just scoff at me?’

Then it shook its head and casually waved its front paw.

I never knew monsters could make expressions that infuriating.

I was certain. If that creature could speak, it would have said exactly this:

‘Hah, forget it. Why would I bother eating a worthless scrap not even worth a bite? Shoo.’

In short.

I was looked down on even by the lowest-rank monster.

And spectacularly so.

……Well, whatever.

I was the weakest from the start, so it made sense. If anything, it was a good thing the monster didn’t attack and let things pass peacefully.

So I should be happy about it. But……

‘What is this?’

This emotion boiling up from deep within my chest. Pure, seething indignation.

I may have lost my memories, but my instincts told me.

This was the fury of someone who was once ‘the strongest’ and had fallen from grace.

It had truly been ages since I’d been looked down upon. Being flustered was understandable.

‘But it’s fine. This is just part of the process of becoming an ordinary human.’

Even if it was confusing at first, I would gradually accept these emotions, and ‘Chris’ would transform into someone who truly understood the position of the weak.

That’s how I chose to frame it.

‘Otherwise I’d just be some petty loser who got worked up over a tiny low-level monster!’

Instead, through this mental victory—no, by interpreting it from ‘Chris’s’ perspective, I could elevate it into character analysis.

Right on cue, First finished his rest and opened his eyes.

Then I caught sight of the monster scurrying away.

‘I should actually be grateful to that little guy. It gave me a chance to refresh my thinking, since I’d grown too accustomed to the whole ‘strongest’ roleplay.’

I fixed my gaze on that monster for a long while before following behind First.

Goodbye……

You little thing, with your fluffy fur so long it drags on the ground, looking like a round mouse, with that blue spiral horn on your forehead being your most distinctive feature.

I’ve memorized your face in detail, so we’ll meet again.

I will absolutely pay back this debt next time. Just you wait, seriously.

* * *

Finally, I climbed out of the pit.

The sky I hadn’t seen in a while was as high as autumn should be, and blindingly bright.

Since we were outside the pit, this was definitely the Demon Realm.

Yet the sunlight filtering through those purple clouds was almost painfully harsh.

It really hit me that I’d been buried down there for a year.

‘Wow…… I feel like I might get exterminated at this rate.’

For once, I could understand how the vampires felt.

Like my skin, growing moldy underground, was screaming.

“Keueuk…… I never expected to stand beneath this sun again. I must find a solution and return before those creatures catch me.”

First muttered as he started walking.

I suppose I’ll rely on this navigation until we get out of the Demon Realm.

With that thought, I naturally followed behind him—

Pat.

‘……?’

First vanished from sight in an instant. Like magic.

No, not ‘like magic’—it was actual magic! Spatial teleportation magic!

Now that he was on the surface, using magic to travel was the obvious choice.

If you could use magic, that is.

‘And I can’t, damn it……!’

It had been a long time since I’d tasted this kind of indignity.

Can’t be helped.

‘The first benefit from the return rewards.’

[You can select 3 of the rewards you received from previous main quests to receive again!]

This was the time to use it.

The choice was obvious.

An item that wouldn’t raise suspicion even in the Demon Realm, and boasted incredible speed.

‘Re-summon the bone horse, Sagol.’

Time to get myself a ride.

* * *

After reuniting with the dearly missed Sagol, I was speeding along when something felt off.

‘This Demon Realm is too quiet.’

With the Demon Lord’s head gone, even if the war hadn’t ended, the front should have been pushed back significantly.

I had naturally expected at least some of the Demon Lord’s army to have returned to the Demon Realm.

‘Are they all holed up in the Demon Lord’s castle recovering?’

But as I passed through the Demon Realm and emerged from the Land of Death, I realized that wasn’t the case.

‘Holy hell, what is all this?’

-Grrk…… grrk…… grrrk……

-Sob, sob, sob……

Monsters with missing necks, missing several limbs, in conditions where it would be strange if they didn’t drop dead on the spot.

These were clearly routed soldiers, all gathered here, unable to return to the Demon Realm.

Moreover, in that state, they were moving like machines, rummaging through empty villages.

A truly chilling sight.

Yeah, it was like……

‘As if they’d become zombies.’

System, that bastard.

A leisurely otherworld life, my ass.

This wasn’t a healing epilogue—it was the beginning of a sigh-inducing ‘day off’ tale.

* * *

“What do you mean? Michael disappeared?”

Nika said, hastily pulling off his helmet.

He had just come from battle, drenched in sweat.

The Tot family’s territory was currently one of the areas with the highest concentration of ‘undying’ monsters.

If it hadn’t been news about Michael, he wouldn’t have dared rush over this quickly.

“No idea~ Bell said when she woke up in the morning, he was already gone.”

Dolce replied with a yawn.

Up until a year ago, she had always kept her hair neatly tied in twin braids.

But now her hair was a tangled mess, uncombed. As if she had no time to spare for such things.

She had been holed up in the Magic Tower for months, focused on researching the undying monsters.

“He hadn’t been able to move properly all this time, and he broke through even the barrier magic the Holy Emperor set up and vanished…… Is that even possible? If someone kidnapped him……”

Bell muttered, biting her thumbnail anxiously.

“Bell, calm down. Your ear is sticking out.”

“Ah.”

“It’s okay. The likelihood of that is low. There were no signs of outside intrusion.”

Gabana, who had taken a human body, answered while looking at the floor.

As a result of focusing on upgrading her own ‘body’ during that time, Gabana had become capable of analyzing quite a lot of things.

“The conclusion is simple. Michael left this place of his own will.”

Then what was his purpose?

This much, every disciple gathered here already knew.

“Professor.”

Michael had gone to see her.

Which meant……

“He found her.”

That uncanny bastard found her again.

There must have been something that could move that guy who lay in bed like a corpse.

The professor…… is still somewhere in this world.

Everyone’s eyes changed.