"This... could it be...?"

I had approached the remains of the Dark Emperor, but what captivated me wasn’t the eerie scene of the skeleton sitting on an old wooden chair, covered in cobwebs, nor the bookshelf at the far end of the cave. No, it was the scythe that the skeleton held.

The slender handle, over a meter long, had a slightly curved, razor-sharp blade of similar length, and both were cloaked in a striking, jet-black hue.

I wanted that scythe. Sure, its color didn’t match my dress, nor my hair, nor even my skin tone. Actually, nothing about me really matched it, but I still wanted it.

Why? Because I liked it.

Just kidding. Honestly, I wanted it for self-defense.

Yeah, for self-defense.

What could a short girl, barely 1.5 meters tall, possibly do with a scythe taller than her? Hang clothes on it?

Hmph, don’t underestimate the strength of a power-woman! Not to brag, but I can do five whole push-ups in a row! There’s no way this little scythe can give me any trouble! Aha ha ha!

By the way, I’m not actually 1.5 meters tall. I’m precisely 1.6 meters. Let me emphasize that: 1.6 meters!

One meter fifty-three can round up to 1.6, right?

[Host, please take the scythe. That is our purpose here.]

"Huh? What did you say?"

"TAKE IT NOW!"

Before the words even finished echoing, I lunged forward and yanked the scythe from the skeleton’s grip with such force that its left hand parted ways with the rest of its body and tumbled to the ground. Not intentional, just an unfortunate side effect of my overexcitement.

“I deeply apologize! Please don’t haunt me tonight like my landlady does. Thank you so much, sir!”

…

So this... is what it feels like to hold the scythe – the weapon of the Grim Reaper himself?

I love it… an indescribable, badass feeling. Though the grip seems a bit small for a normal person’s hands, it fits mine perfectly. It’s also lighter than I expected, not as heavy as I’d thought. It feels like this scythe was made for me.

Aha ha, my wish came true. Not that I’m too surprised. I had a hunch this would happen. Mon wouldn’t go to all this trouble to bring me here just to light incense for the Dark Emperor, right?

Scratch what I said earlier – this is turning into a memorable, exciting first adventure in this otherworld.

Alright, enough about the scythe. So, Mon! Where do we go next?

[Host, please sit still and wait a moment. A connection to another world is being established.]

Same old, same old. Mon’s still got that short, emotionless, and utterly cryptic way of speaking.

Another world? Don’t tell me, after being licked on the face by a weasel while napping, nearly being pummeled by an Orc, and scoring a badass scythe, my journey in this world is over, and Mon’s sending me back to my old world?

No way. No way.

NO WAY, NO WAY, NO WAY!

I haven’t gotten to pet any fire dragons or ride them into the sky, I haven’t tasted the gourmet food of another world, I haven’t registered as an adventurer and gotten underestimated, only to reveal myself as the strongest in the world. I haven’t even met the legendary handsome Demon King yet. No way am I leaving now! If things go well, I might just stay here forever. I’m ready to say goodbye to Roni (my backpack) and Toni (my house) for the dragons.

[...]

[Host, I’m connecting you to another world for training, not sending you back to Earth. With my current abilities, I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to.]

Oh...

Wait, really? Phew, that’s a relief. That’s the second great news Mon’s given me today, after telling me to take the scythe.

But, training? You mean grinding monsters to level up? If that’s the case, why bother going to another world? I could just grind the fat pigs around here!

Or... is there some kind of special perk for leveling up in another world that I wouldn’t get here?

As a professional gamer, this isn’t too surprising. Most RPGs I’ve played have “VIP zones” – areas divided up based on player level to prevent veteran players from bullying newbies and to make it easier to find appropriate monsters for leveling up.

Imagine if low-level monsters and boss-level ones all spawned randomly across one massive world. It would be impossible for newbies to grind, and even high-level players would struggle.

Picture this: a high school girl just bought a new fantasy RPG, and she’s peacefully battling a level 4 Goblin when suddenly, out of the blue, a level 1000 fire dragon appears. Worse, it’s labeled as a “boss.” You can guess what happens next: “You’ve been attacked by a fire dragon. HP drops to 0. Game over.” Upon seeing this, she’d immediately rate the game one star.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

How can I be sure she’d give it one star? What if she’s determined to conquer the game, no matter how ridiculous it is?

Well, I hate to break it to you, but that girl was me. If it were possible, I’d give that game zero stars. Or negative stars. But sadly, Google Play doesn’t allow that.

Want to know what the game displayed after the fire dragon turned me to ashes? "Pay 10,000 VND to revive, or 300,000 VND for a VIP pass and access to the premium zone." I didn’t need either, but out of curiosity, I looked into what the “premium zone” was. Then, the game slapped me in the face with a short, 50-word description, something like: “The VIP zone is for premium players, offering quicker and safer leveling with monster areas divided by level.”

I scoffed. There’s no way I’m spending that kind of money on a ridiculous game like that. I’d rather use the 300 000 VND to pay my rent.

So, that’s the story behind the term “VIP zone.” Most games have something similar, but at least they give us free-to-play grinders a fighting chance. Instead of a level 1000 fire dragon, new players might run into a level 400 earth dragon.

Sure, you’ll probably still see “Game Over,” but that’s enough for a pro gamer like me to manage. Can’t speak for others, though.

Back to the main point. Mon’s probably sending me to another world for some kind of VIP treatment, like earning extra EXP per kill or a safer leveling environment.

[Connection established. Initiating fusion between the scythe and the system...]

[Once the fusion is complete, Host will be transported to another world called "The Black Realm" for training. There, monsters are organized by level on different floors to simplify the leveling process.]

Aha! Nailed it! I knew there’d be a special perk! The top gamer’s logic wins again!

Putting that aside, what’s this fusion between the scythe and the system for? What’s it going to do? I’m asking Mon, not you guys.

[Answer: The scythe fusion serves multiple purposes, but the two main ones are: First, it allows the scythe to recognize its rightful owner, meaning no one else can wield it. Second, it is required for you to inherit the power of the previous owner, the Dark Emperor.]

Wow, lucky me today! I get the first point – it’s similar to some “anti-theft” magic from some trashy game I played, but what about the second part? No need to explain, it’s just amazing! I’ve basically just been handed an exclusive VIP membership without paying a dime. This otherworld is truly a paradise for broke gamers like me. Mon is the best! And the Dark Emperor is a legend!

That reminds me – I need to thank him. Mon, can you hand me some incense? What? You don’t have any? Fine, I’ll just clasp my hands and pray.

Alright, straighten the dress a bit, kneel down, clasp hands together, and close eyes. Now, a sincere prayer!

"To the mighty Emperor, who has bestowed upon me the title of exclusive VIP without asking for anything in return, I pray that your soul finds peace and happiness in the afterlife, free from all worries. I promise I won’t use this power for anything bad, just for small dreams like world domination or becoming the strongest adventurer. Just little things for a gamer like me."

"And with that, my prayer ends. Thank you very much."

Huh? A piece of paper?

Just as I finished my prayer, a piece of paper fell from beneath the chair. Looks like someone used super glue to stick it under there, and after a few hundred years, the glue finally wore off. Just like the ad says, “Super glue – strong bonding for hundreds of years.”

Wait, what am I rambling about? Time to check what’s on this paper.

Um... I don’t understand. What’s this squiggly writing? Looks like some hieroglyphics. And only two characters? Don’t tell me this is the name of the chair manufacturer. That’d be so boring. At least let it be an ancient spell or something.

Mon, can you read this? You probably can, right?

[God-Slayer.]

…

What a

letdown. It really is just the name of the chair manufacturer...

Wait... it’s not, is it? RIGHT!?

[Answer: This is likely the will of the Dark Emperor, left for the one who inherits his power, meaning you, Host.]

Mon, you joker! Who would stick their will under a chair with super glue? A will is sacred and important. It should have a seal and signature, then locked in a box. This has to be the name of the chair company.

[The Dark Emperor did mention this to me during my creation, Host. He didn’t want to burden you, so I planned to tell you after you finished your training in the Black Realm. I didn’t expect him to leave a will here.]

[Also, the paper wasn’t stuck with super glue. He used ancient magic with adhesive properties, designed to release once the fusion was complete. But due to the centuries that have passed, it lost its effectiveness a bit early, before the fusion was fully done.]

So it really isn’t the chair manufacturer’s name...

Nothing’s ever free, is it? Who would just give away their lifelong accumulated power without asking for anything in return?

But... “God-Slayer”? What’s that supposed to mean? Am I supposed to kill the gods of this world? I’m just a regular person; how would I even touch a Creator? Even if I could, where would I find them? This is ridiculous and impossible.

[You can choose to carry out the task or not. He didn’t want to force you. “I have no right to impose my will on a stranger,” he said during his lifetime.]

Huh? I don’t have to do it? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I thought I’d die if I refused. That scared me!

So the Dark Emperor’s actually a pretty chill guy, huh? That’s how I see him now. But still, it feels kind of wrong to take his power without repaying him in some way. So, if I ever get the chance and the gods are weaker than I imagine, I’ll take them out. As long as they’re not hiding in some place called the God Realm.

Oh, and another condition – I’ll only do it if killing them doesn’t mess up this world. Since they’re the Creators, they probably have control over everything, so I’m not sure this world would survive if they died.

[Fusion process complete. Initiating teleportation spell to the Black Realm.]

Alright, let’s stop here. It’s optional, so I’ll think about it later. For now, it’s time to level up and become the strongest in this world!

“Cha-yo, Hazu and Mon are heading into the Black Realm, along with Black!”

Oh right, after all these chapters, I still haven’t introduced myself. My name is Hazu, a beautiful high school girl, 1.6 meters tall, who hates onions but loves carrots and potatoes. I love playing games and don’t care much for boys. My past dream was to become a pro gamer, but my current dream is to become the ruler of this otherworld.

[Teleportation spell complete. Please step into the center of the magic circle. We will arrive in the Black Realm after a ten-second countdown.]

[10, 9, 8,...]

A large, circular magic pattern appeared on the ground. At first, it was black, but after a few seconds, it started glowing brighter, eventually turning golden. It looked just like the magic circles from games.

Enough chit-chat. Time to enter the VIP zone for leveling up!

[6, 5, 4...]

Thinking back, why did the Emperor want to kill the gods anyway? What’s his story? No idea. I want to know, but there’s no way to find out. I’ve asked Mon, but all I got in return was an awkward silence. Suspicious.

[3, 2, 1.]

[Teleportation commencing.]

The magic circle flashed, and I felt my body being broken down into particles. I’m so excited! Another world is waiting! Hopefully, it’s not full of weasels or weasel elders.

That’s all for now. I’ll share more about my journey later. For now, goodbye!

Oh, and by the way, Black is the name I gave to my badass scythe.