Nox leaned back in his chair, tapping the keyboard with practiced rhythm.
College classes were over, his part-time shift ended, and now came the part of the day he actually enjoyed—writing.
"Being a part-time webnovel writer isn't bad," he muttered with a small grin. "Good money… and creating stories is fun."
Tonight, he had finally finished his third novel.
Like always, comments were flooding in—some good, some bad.
But one username always stood out from the rest.
@applepie.
A strange girl, judging by her tone.
She always asked him too many questions… especially about villains.
[Why did villains suffer?
Why didn't he change their story?
Why were they always betrayed?]
She liked every villain he wrote since his first novel—almost too much.
Nox rubbed his temples.
"This girl again…"
Tonight's novel was titled "Seven Princesses of Curse."
Complicated plot, many twists, lots of tragedy—especially for the villain, Norax Duskgale.
And of course, @applepie was already messaging him nonstop.
> @applepie:
Why did you make the villain suffer again? He's so cool, but every arc hurts me…
Nox sighed and typed back.
> Nox:
That's how the plot goes. Villains have to be dangerous.
But she kept going For four hours, they talked.
Debated Argued.
Her final message hit him like a hammer.
> @applepie:
If this was reality, don't you feel bad for the villain?
Nox frowned.
"Feel bad? I'm the author, not a therapist."
He replied, annoyed.
> Nox:
If it was reality, anyone could do better than the villain.
And this is just a novel, so stop fussing.
Sorry if you feel bad. I'll write something lighthearted next time.
Her response came instantly—cold, sharp.
> @applepie:
So if you went inside your own novel, could you change the villain's fate?
Nox snorted.
"Here she goes again… does she think she's some kind of goddess?"
He replied lazily.
> Nox:
Yeah, if I had a better system than the protagonist, even the villain could survive Maybe I'd make him stronger than the hero.
Maybe even make him loved by all the princesses.
Happy now?
A long pause No reply.
Then his phone buzzed again.
> @applepie:
Then go.
Go change the fate of Norax Duskgale.
Show me what you are, Mister Author.
Nox blinked.
"…What?"
Before he could type another word—
Fwoooosh—!!
A blinding flash burst from his phone.
"W–what the—!? Hey! My phone's going to explode!"
The light swallowed his vision Noise vanished.
The room spun violently.
Then—
—darkness.
Nox lost consciousness for several minutes.
When he finally opened his eyes…
He wasn't in his room. He wasn't even in his world.
When Nox opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was… softness.
A bed far softer than anything he had ever slept on.
He blinked rapidly.
"…Huh? Did someone kidnap me?"
The ceiling above him was decorated with gold embroidery.
Curtains were velvet.
Furniture looked like something from a royal palace.
Nothing made sense.
A faint sting pulsed around his waist.
He lifted himself with effort and realized bandages wrapped tightly around his torso.
"This… isn't a hospital and if it's is a hospital i can't pay bills."
The room was silent. Too silent.
Something was wrong—terribly wrong.
His instincts screamed it.
I'm screwed. Completely screwed.
Then—Ding!
A translucent screen suddenly popped into existence.
> @Applepie:
Welcome, Mister Author.
"W–WAAH!"
Nox jerked, slipped off the bed, and fell to the floor.
He stared dumbfounded at the floating window.
"…A system? No, no, no… why is that username here!?"
He forced himself up and caught sight of a mirror at the side of the room.
He froze.
"That… isn't my face."
The black hair was the same.
But the reflection showed a far more handsome version of him.
Sharpened jawline, pale skin, and—
"…Red eyes don't exist on Earth."
His throat tightened.
He looked at the luxurious room again.
The bandages. The silence.
The system window.
This was wrong.
This was impossible.
Nox exhaled slowly.
"@Applepie… what did she do? Don't tell me she was actually some kind of deity."
He glared at the floating screen.
> @Applepie:
Norax Duskgale – Possession Complete.
Please change the fate and story of this world.
Reward: One complete wish.
"…You're kidding me."
He rubbed his face with both hands.
"N–Norax Duskgale? Wait. Wait, wait, wait."
Black hair & Red eyes.
Luxurious room. Injured body.
All of it matched.
His expression crumbled.
"…I became the villain organization leader.
I'm inside Seven Princesses of Curse.
I'm actually Norax Duskgale—!?"
His mind screamed.
His throat felt dry, so he reached for a water jar on the bedside table.
—Clatter!
It slipped from his weakened hand and crashed onto the floor.
The door burst open instantly.
A silver-haired girl with soft pink eyes rushed inside, wearing a maid's uniform decorated with ribbons.
"Master! You're awake!"
She dashed to him, knelt beside him, and cupped his cheeks with trembling hands.
Her eyes were overflowing with relief and affection.
Nox's heart stopped.
Celstia leaned so close he could feel her breath.
"Master, if you wanted water, you should have called me."
She checked his bandages with gentle fingers.
"You just returned from such a dangerous situation… please rest."
"W-wait, I—"
She didn't hear him.
Instead, she carefully placed him back on the bed, tucked the sheets around him, and—kissed his forehead.
"We'll talk later, Master. For now… sleep."
She left the room softly, closing the door behind her.
Nox lay completely frozen, face blank.
"…I forgot Norax and Celstia had this kind of relationship…"
He stared at the ceiling in despair.
"I'm doomed.
Nox lay back on the bed, unable to move much because of the stabbing pain in his waist.
Every time he tried to lift himself, his vision shook.
"…This body is a mess."
He inhaled slowly—but suddenly felt something strange.
A gaze.
Someone was watching him.
He turned his head slightly.
Through the gap in the half-opened door, Celestia stood silently outside, staring at him with those pink, unblinking eyes.
"W-Why is she still here…?" Nox whispered under his breath.
Celestia noticed his movement and immediately opened the door, stepping inside with graceful steps.
"Master, are you hungry?" she asked softly.
"I can feed you again."
"I–I said I'm fine…"
Of course, she ignored him again.
She always fed Norax personally in the novel—whether he wanted it or not.
Devotion? Loyalty? Obsession?
He wrote her that way.
This is bad… this is so bad.>
He was an orphan who rose from the slums, seized the underworld, and controlled the wastelands nobles abandoned.
He built businesses in black markets, assassins guilds, smuggling routes—everything. In short… He was the final boss.>
"And now that Nox was in his body, half of the underworld belonged to him.
Which meant half the underworld wanted him dead."
"Great. Absolutely fantastic. I wrote this creepy plot myself… so why am I suffering for it!?"
He sighed deeply.
"@Applepie… what did you do to me…?"
No new messages.
It had been silent since the moment she threw him into this world.
Her last words echoed in his mind.
A miracle… or a curse.
Nox frowned.
His age was twenty in the real world.
But now he was twenty as Norax Duskgale, ruler of the slums.
"If this is real… what should I even do first?"
He tried to sit up—pain shot through his ribs.
"Right… first, recover. This body nearly died from an assassin attack. At least let me heal before you force the 'possession' part…"
Ding!
A message flashed.
> @Applepie:
Norax Duskgale must stabilize his power and secure the underworld within 6 months.
If not, death is possible.
"…She's joking. Please tell me she's joking."
Another message popped up.
> @Applepie:
Take care of the assassins. Reward: 1 SS-Rank Skill.
Nox stared.
"…I get an SS-Rank skill… just for dealing with assassins?"
Then realization hit him.
"Oh… right. I did tell her I wanted a system like the protagonist."
So this was her "gift."
"@applepie, I love you—no, wait, you're a deity! I take that back!"
Another message appeared immediately.
> @Applepie:
Your Skill – S-Rank Shadow Magic unlocked.
A splitting pain exploded in his head.
"Agh—!"
Memories slammed into him—shadow magic formulas, movement arts, sword techniques.
Then the actual memories of the real Norax Duskgale flooded into him: battles, wounds, betrayals, the bloody path through the underworld.
Blood dripped from his nose.
He coughed violently.
And that was enough to alarm Celstia.
"MASTER!!"
She rushed to him like a blur, catching him before he fell off the bed again.
"Master! You're bleeding—! Stay with me!"
Her voice trembled with fear and love.
But Nox couldn't hear her clearly anymore.
His consciousness blurred.
His mind grew heavier.
And then—
Darkness swallowed him once again.