No. No. No.
What's happening?
I thought this was supposed to be some kind of game world… but this place, this world, is inside of me?
Rieko's heart pounded so hard she could almost hear it echo in her ears. She tried to breathe through the gag covering her mouth, her chest rising and falling fast. The vines wrapped around her wrists and ankles pulsed faintly, warm and alive, as if they were breathing too.
She looked around in awe despite her fear. The Demon world of Deetee stretched endlessly before her eyes, a mix of eerie beauty and silent chaos. The ground shimmered like wet stone. The air glowed faintly red, as if light came from somewhere beneath the surface.
It was both beautiful and terrifying, like standing inside a dream she didn't understand.
Focus, Rieko. You have to focus.
She forced her mind to clear. Panicking wouldn't help. She had to find a way out of here, to return to the real world before Deetee kill her friends.
Her gaze landed on the throne in the distance. It stood tall in the middle of the dim light, carved from black roots that seemed to twist endlessly. And there, resting on the armrest, was the remote gleaming faintly as if calling to her.
That remote wasn't just decoration. It controlled everything here. She remembered the moment Deetee had snatched it from her before the screen vanished right after.
That could only mean one thing.
Whoever held that remote controlled this entire world.
Rieko swallowed hard. All I have to do is get that remote back.
But how?
Her eyes didn't move away from it. She stared, her mind spinning with wild thoughts. Anything could happen here, right? This wasn't her real body, it was her inner self, her mental space. That meant whatever pain she felt might not be real. It would just be temporary.
That small idea was enough to light a spark of courage inside her. She didn't have many options anyway.
Rieko inhaled deeply through her nose. The air stung like metal. Her body trembled, but she started to move.
The vines resisted, slicing into her skin as she twisted and pulled. Pain shot through her arms and legs, but she didn't stop. The more it hurt, the more she pushed. Her entire body screamed, but the voice in her head screamed louder.
Giving up is for the weak. And the weak are never rewarded.
Her father's words. Always the same. Always echoing when she was close to breaking.
Rieko gritted her teeth and kept pulling. The vines dug deeper until she felt something tear, but she didn't stop. The pain was sharp and hot, but it made her feel alive.
Finally, the vines snapped. She fell forward onto the ground, her whole body shaking from the strain.
Her breath came in quick gasps. For a few seconds she just lay there, dizzy and aching.
Then she noticed something strange. The wounds on her arms were closing on their own. The torn skin slowly sealed, the bruises fading away like ink in water.
Her eyes widened. Okay… wow. That actually worked. Never doing that again though.
She sat up and shook her head, strands of hair sticking to her damp forehead.
Without wasting another second, she crawled toward the throne. Each movement hurt, but she ignored it. When her fingers finally brushed the smooth surface of the remote, a small thrill shot through her chest.
Her hands trembled as she lifted it. Still, she didn't stop. She climbed onto the throne and sat down, her heart racing.
My turn.
She crossed her legs and pressed the on button. The screen lit up immediately, flooding the room with cold light.
[Welcome Back King Deetee
World User: King Deetee (999)
Level: Infinite
What would you like me to do today, King 999?]
Rieko blinked at the glowing words. A grin crept across her face. So cool. He came here earlier because I was messing with the system… I just have to bring him back.
She started tapping through the screen until she reached the reset section. Her thumb hesitated for only a second.
Then she felt it, a shift in the air.
A shadow stretched across the ground, and she froze.
Before she could even breathe, Deetee appeared right in front of her, stepping out of the dark like he'd always been there. His eyes glowed a cold, furious green.
"What do you think you are doing?" His voice rolled through the space, sharp and heavy, filled with anger that seemed to shake the ground itself.
Rieko waved at him with forced cheer. "Hi, King Deetee 999. Welcome back," she said with a bright smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Deetee didn't smile back. "Maybe I should kill you first," he said softly. "Then the peasants."
He moved so fast the air cracked. In an instant, his hand was around her throat, squeezing.
Rieko gasped and hid the remote behind her back. The pressure around her neck tightened, making her vision blur. Still, she managed to whisper, "I don't think you can kill me. But if you do… you'll need a new vessel. And I'm sure finding a perfect one isn't easy."
Deetee's eyes flickered, and then he threw her across the floor. She hit the ground hard, but her fingers stayed clenched around the remote.
She pushed herself up, coughing. "You asked what I promised them," she said through a shaky breath. "Why they're so faithful."
Her voice steadied as she spoke. "I don't know exactly. All I ever did was be kind when others mocked them. I protected them when people tried to bully them. And they stayed. Even when I shouted. Even when I broke things. Even when I lost control… they stayed."
She looked up at him, eyes shining. "They endured me. They never ran away. So I want to be with them too. Even if one of them leaves, I'll do anything to keep them close. I'll never let them go. Because they're the only ones who stayed."
For a brief moment, silence filled the world.
Then the remote in her hand flickered, glowing faintly. Rieko smiled faintly. "I wonder what reset will do to you, King Deetee."
Deetee's eyes widened slightly. "Don't you—"
Before he could move, she smirked and pressed the reset button.
The screen flashed white. For a heartbeat, everything stopped, the air, the ground, even Deetee's shadow.
And then, before he could recover, Rieko shoved the remote into her mouth and swallowed it whole.
She gagged a little and coughed. "Wow," she muttered between shaky breaths, half-laughing. "Did I just swallow a whole remote? Guess anything's possible."
Deetee stared in disbelief. Then his fury erupted like fire. He grabbed her and yanked her off the ground.
"What stupidity have you done?" he roared. "Do you know how many centuries it took me to reach infinite level? I killed demons and angels to get here, and you just erased it!"
The ground began to shake violently. The throne cracked. The sky above them twisted, splitting open like glass.
Deetee's voice rose over the chaos. "Spit it out! Spit it out! Spit it out!" he kept shouting, shaking her so hard that the world around them blurred.
Rieko could barely hear him through the sound of crumbling earth. But she managed to smile, eyes glinting with mischief. "Make me. I just destroyed your life's work," she said softly. "You can't do anything now."
Her words hung in the air like the last spark before darkness.
The world began to fade. Colors melted into nothingness. Her body felt light, almost transparent.
Deetee's voice echoed one last time, sharp and furious. "You will pay for this. You will come back and you will fix this yourself, you peasant."
Rieko's lips curled into a final grin as everything dissolved into light. "Bye bye, King Deetee, 9, 9, 9." she whispered. "Or should I say… de-rank King Deetee. Ha ha ha."