After Returning from the Endless Game
Shi Jin
There's always that kind of protagonist in the world—someone who escapes from a horror game, burdened with the responsibility of saving the world by dealing with the monsters that fled alongside their companions. For one reason or another, they end up living with an ordinary civilian, pretending to be a regular high school student by day while leveling up by fighting monsters in secret. The civilian, though ordinary, is kind-hearted, always tolerating the protagonist's late returns, serving as a gentle haven.Jiang Yujin is that ordinary civilian… or rather, the worst example of one. Running a failing agency, unkempt and living like a lazy bum, the protagonist goes to school during the day, fights monsters after class, and still comes home to do Jiang’s laundry and cook his meals. But even a lazy fish must learn to flip itself over. Facing financial ruin, Jiang Yujin briefly perks up. While the protagonist battles monsters, he helps people find lost cats. While the protagonist struggles to protect the school from creatures, he flirts (?) with members of the Special Species Search Unit. While the protagonist hunts for clues about the final boss, he dons a dress to catfish as a rich heiress in an online romance. While the protagonist and their allies fight the ultimate monster, he... collapses at the doorstep after an all-night mahjong session. Then, when the protagonist is in mortal danger... The "corpse" at the doorstep vanishes. —— Beside the massive corpse of the monster, under the gaze of the protagonist’s team, a man with snow-white hair swept back by the wind stands, a blade like frost in his hand, its edge traced with streaks of blood. In the stunned silence, the ordinary civilian Jiang Yujin lowers his eyes, braces against the hilt of his sword, and slowly bends over: "...Ugh—" Shouldn’t have had those drinks after mahjong. The protagonist’s team: "..." —— Xu Tonggui, captain of the Aberrant Species Special Investigation Team, the living King of Hell in everyone's eyes—a workaholic lunatic with no life outside his job. Everyone assumes he’ll die alone. His team thinks so too. —Until one day, they see their captain pinning a disheveled, face-obscured figure against a car, gritting his teeth as he asks, "Drinking again?" A broad hand pushes aside the tangled hair covering half the person’s face—and the one pinned against the car glances sideways— That day, the team learns two things: 1. Never underestimate an unkempt person. 2. The captain’s taste is *fucking impeccable.*