How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Chapter 404: The dice are cast (3)

The mistress of the Michelle family, Anna, had been deeply troubled recently.

The exact moment when her concerns began was after volume 27.

However, the issues were neither internal nor external to the family.

The family had been steadily growing with support from the imperial family, and their territory had been visibly flourishing.

Unprecedented events had occurred in the territory, such as the simultaneous construction of the Luminos Temple and the Mora Temple, as well as the first-ever public release of a new cultural phenomenon called cinema.

All of these developments were undoubtedly thanks to her proud youngest son, Isaac, and his creation, Chronicles of Zenon.

Even before volume 5, which marked the full realization of its potential, she had been captivated by the charm of Chronicles of Zenon.

What particularly tugged at her heartstrings was the unconventional and bittersweet romance between a demon and a clergyman, a tale that stirred her emotions deeply.

As their love deepened, culminating in their wedding night, Anna had been overwhelmed with joy.

But that joy was short-lived, as despair soon followed.

The archdemon, who deserved nothing less than utter destruction, attacked Lily.

This wasn’t the first crisis.

Before this, Jin had been pierced through the chest by his biological father, the gluttonous demon.

Although that incident served as a turning point for Jin’s awakening, this time was different.

The archdemon’s stake had pierced Lily’s heart.

Even the World Tree couldn’t withstand the corruption and collapsed, so expecting a clergyman to survive was implausible.

Worse, if the corruption spread through her body, she would transform into a demon.

Initially, Anna didn’t want to believe it, but considering how demons were born, it was an undeniable possibility.

‘Isaac will surely resolve this somehow, right?’

Anna longed to rush to Isaac as soon as she finished reading volume 28.

However, it would be a burden and might even disappoint Isaac as a person.

Despite being his mother, in front of Chronicles of Zenon, she was just another ordinary reader.

Aside from subtle advice or expressing her thoughts indirectly, she couldn’t press him for answers.

She had even once fled to Helium to prepare for such situations, which is why she was enduring it this time.

‘If they truly leave things as they are, they’ll face endless criticism.’

Though she thought this inwardly, Anna understood that Jin and Lily’s love not coming to fruition could elevate the work’s completeness.

What kind of race were demons, after all?

A race filled with tragedies and sorrows, not just in Chronicles of Zenon but inherently as a species.

Before their appearance in the story, they struggled to find recognition, with no one acknowledging their existence.

Even Jin alone had demonstrated every tragedy a demon could endure, making him an undeniably compelling character.

‘They’re finally finding a bit of happiness, so destroying it like this is unacceptable.’

Not just Anna, but fans of Jin and Lily worldwide would rise in protest.

Other readers of the work would be equally shocked.

Someone had once spread a rumor that Jin and Lily would never end up together, causing an uproar.

A certain adventurer had even broken into tears while drinking, creating such a spectacle that it made headlines in the newspapers.

Of course, scholars only regarded it as an interesting research topic.

“If they really don’t end up together, your brother is a demon. Don’t you agree?”

“Ah-wah?”

“Yes, yes, Lily agrees too, doesn’t she?”

“Pwaa!”

Anna spoke in a gentle tone to Lily, who lay in her cradle.

Though the infant couldn’t understand her, Lily laughed brightly, as if she enjoyed hearing her mother’s voice.

That laughter soothed some of Anna’s lamentations.

Raising a child wasn’t difficult, as the nanny took care of most of the duties.

However, Anna made sure to visit, nurse Lily occasionally, and fulfill her responsibilities as a mother.

Additionally, with little work recently, she had the luxury of enjoying her free time.

Knock knock knock.

[Baroness, it’s Steward Havert. There’s a delivery from the publisher.]

As Anna played with Lily, someone knocked on the door from outside.

Judging by the voice, it was the steward.

Anna told the squirming Lily that she would be back shortly and stood to answer the door.

Opening it, she was greeted by an elegant elderly man with a distinguished mustache.

It was Havert, the steward dispatched from the imperial family, who currently managed the household.

“Yes, Steward Havert. Did you say a delivery from the publisher?”

“That’s correct. I believe it’s Chronicles of Zenon, volume 29.”

“Really?!”

At Havert’s words, Anna’s violet eyes widened with joy and anticipation.

“Yes, but curiously, there’s a separate letter included.”

“A separate letter?”

“It seems the publisher’s president has something to convey.”

Havert handed her both the package and the letter.

Anna thanked him, closed the door, and returned to her seat.

It was odd that the letter wasn’t included in the package.

Intrigued, Anna sat beside Lily’s cradle and decided to read the letter first.

As eager as she was to delve into the story, the letter took precedence.

‘A letter addressed to Isaac.’

If it was addressed to Isaac, it warranted her scrutiny.

Carefully, Anna opened the letter.

It wasn’t an invasion of privacy but a precautionary measure.

Despite the rigorous checks leading up to this point, she considered it her duty to confirm one last time.

[Dear Lord Michelle,

Thanks to the kindness of the Michelle family, our publishing house has prospered… ]

Thankfully, it was indeed a letter from the publisher and not a threat.

Recognizing the distinct handwriting of Musk, the publisher’s president, Anna skimmed past the overly formal greetings to get to the main point.@@novelbin@@

[We’re writing out of concern about how Zenon’s story might conclude.

While we trust Baron Hawk’s delivery of the manuscript prevents interference by demon worshipers, we can’t help but worry.]

“….?”

What does this mean?

Anna blinked her violet eyes, trying to grasp the letter’s intent.

Interference by demon worshipers was an absurd notion, given that Baron Hawk had personally delivered the manuscript.

Isaac had even specifically instructed Hawk not to secretly read the manuscript, emphasizing respect for other readers.

This made interference by outsiders impossible.

Yet the president had written a letter out of concern, which indicated something unusual.

‘…What kind of ending is this?’

Anna turned her gaze to the package containing what she presumed to be the first edition of volume 29.

What sort of story could inspire such concern?

[If you could review the story and send us a letter outlining the conclusion, we would greatly appreciate it.

Were it not for Baron Hawk’s direct delivery, we wouldn’t have believed it.

Please take care, and we look forward to the finale.

Sincerely, Musk.]

There had never been anything like this before.

Musk would eagerly light up whenever a new manuscript of The Zenon Chronicles arrived, busying himself with printing it immediately.

Unable to contain my curiosity, She gently placed the letter in the cradle and hastily tore open the envelope.

“Ah, ah!”

“Huh? Lily, no! Stop! That’s dirty, dirty!”

While opening the mail, Lily almost put the letter in her mouth, but Anna managed to stop her in time.

Even as a baby, her strength was remarkable.

Afterwards, she prepared herself and turned to face Volume 29 of The Zenon Chronicles.

What kind of story could cause Musk to worry so much?

‘It can’t be… right?’

Volume 28 ended with Jin embarking on a journey, and Zenon following in pursuit, clearly implying that his goal was to somehow save Lily.

So, the primary storyline of Volume 29 would naturally involve Zenon tracking Jin.

This was what most readers had likely anticipated.

Anna’s greatest concern at the moment was that either Jin or Lily might face death.

That was something she absolutely couldn’t bear.

If it had to come to that, she’d rather see Jin stay by Lily’s side for the rest of his life, nursing her until their end—a conclusion befitting the tragedy of demons.

‘What if Lily turns into a demon and Jin has to kill her…? No, no, anything but that.

Or if she becomes a demon… no, that’s not it either. That would negate the reason for Jin’s journey.’

Her thoughts were a chaotic jumble.

Anna closed her eyes tightly before glancing at Lily, who had fallen into a deep, angelic sleep after her earlier struggles.

She smiled softly at the sight and carefully turned the page of the book.

The beginning unfolded as expected, with Zenon following Jin’s trail slowly, meeting people after the war, and piecing together Jin’s whereabouts.

Eventually, Zenon learned exactly where Jin was headed.

‘The Gray Desert.’

In reality, this was where demons first appeared and where the once-powerful kingdom of Gerios had stood.

Unlike ordinary deserts, its skies were shrouded in dark clouds, blocking all sunlight, and countless dead lay buried beneath its sands.

Since The Zenon Chronicles was inspired by real events, it was no surprise that the Gray Desert appeared in the story.

‘My God. Demons were actually humans?’

Zenon fought through the undead, uncovering ancient ruins of the old kingdom, and slowly began to unravel the truth about demons.

He learned the shocking revelation that demons were once human and discovered the plan to resurrect Diabolos.

Most importantly, he realized that Jin was trying to prevent this resurrection.

‘Ah, so Zenon joins forces with Jin to stop the resurrection?’

This seemed reasonable.

Anna nodded in agreement. However, for Lily to be fully healed, Diabolos’ soul would have to be completely obliterated—an almost impossible task.

Zenon would probably yell at Jin, urging him to focus, telling him that Lily needed him now more than ever.

Convinced by this gripping narrative, Anna turned another page.

But she had forgotten about Musk’s warning in his letter: Please reconsider the story.

[H-help me…]

[The voice was faint, almost swept away by the wind, but Zenon barely heard it as he explored the ruins.

He rushed toward the sound, desperately hoping it wasn’t Jin’s voice.]

The atmosphere grew increasingly unsettling.

The deeper Zenon ventured into the ruins, the darker and more oppressive the mood became, with an eerie voice heightening the tension.

Anna tightened her grip on the book, her heart racing as she turned the page.

[Zenon came across… a corpse. No, it was a person whose body had been ravaged as though devoured by beasts.]

[The flesh on the neck had been torn away by teeth, blood gushing like a waterfall. Both arms and legs had been severed, each limb ripped apart.]

[There wasn’t a single intact part of the body. Even the relatively intact limbs bore marks of being bitten.]

[It was miraculous that the person was even alive. But around them… corpses littered the area, far worse off.]

The scene Zenon stumbled upon was a hellscape.

Judging by appearances, the dead seemed to be demon worshippers, but their state was too horrifying for mere humans to have inflicted.

[Gluttony… Gluttony has returned…]

[He’s going to eat us all… He’ll devour all of the demon lords’ souls…]

“Gluttony?”

Anna frowned.

Gluttony had already been defeated by Jin, hadn’t it?

But the grotesque scene described couldn’t have been caused by anyone else.

Gluttony gained strength by consuming others, after all.

Anna couldn’t predict where the story was heading. Zenon swallowed nervously and pressed onward.

And then he saw it.

[Jin?]

[Grrk…]

Jin was feasting ravenously on a corpse, his appearance completely changed.

His mouth was smeared with flesh and blood, black wings sprouted from his back, and his eyes had turned pitch-black.

From just one look, it was clear that something was terribly wrong.

Zenon could sense it too.

Jin was the child of Gluttony, and for Lily to be saved, Diabolos’ soul would have to be utterly destroyed.

Jin would do anything to save Lily, even sacrifice himself.

[I must protect…”]

[…]

[Jin? Are you… really Jin?]

[The brightest light… must be protected…]

Jin repeated himself like a mindless beast, his words overflowing with his love for Lily.

[Even if I must become the darkest shadow…]

With that final line, Jin let out an animalistic roar and charged at Zenon.

“…”

The ending was utterly shocking. Anna sat there, mouth agape, in disbelief.

This storyline not only shattered all reader expectations but also tied up every foreshadowed thread brilliantly.

It perfectly cemented Jin’s character while thoroughly exploring his lineage as the child of Gluttony.

Anna stared at the conclusion for a while before mumbling quietly.

“Did I… give birth to a demon?”

It was the only conclusion she could draw from this development.

And it wasn’t just her.

“What the hell is this? Who wrote this?”

“How could this happen…? I understand it, but still… no! Tell me they’ll survive. Please!”

“Damn it… A demon really did appear…”

Most readers felt the same way about this mercilessly brutal turn of events.