Chapter 17.

“Nothing happened.”

“You always say that when I ask you about it.”

“Because it’s the truth, nothing happened. Nothing changed when I met them.”

“What have you seen? What is it that you found out?”

“Will you ever stop asking me this?”

“No. So just tell me already. Stop hiding it and keeping it all to yourself. You always let me say whatever I want to say, but you just keep bottling everything up.”

I took out a cigar and lit it. My arm wrapped around Yin’s exposed back as I positioned the cigar between my lips and sucked in a deep breath.

That thing called love doesn’t exist. We are unloved, Yin. We are only tools designed to fill the developer’s pockets. The reason they made it so NPCs can take control of humans and do whatever they want is so NPCs will instinctively gather as much money from their world as possible and convert it into in-game currency. We were only born to make them richer.

They never once loved us. They never cared for us. We weren’t some sort of passion project. We were created to funnel money. That is our only reason for existing. Why I never take over any humans and go to the other world is because I don’t want to take part in their disgusting greed-fueled objectives.

The god-like existences known as devs only created us to benefit themselves. We are like children they created for the sole purpose of being cash cows to support their lavish lifestyle. That is all we will ever amount to. Tell me, Yin, what good is there in us existing when that is our only purpose? What is there to be interested in those humans or their filthy, rotten to the core world?

Do you know why I can’t openly tell you all of this, Yin?

Because you’ll be deleted by them if I tell you.

Do you know why I don’t want to use the strength I have?

Because this strength wasn’t a gift, it was a curse. They gave me this strength because I’m nothing more than someone they can laugh at. I can do just about anything in this game world, but the one thing I can’t do is change the thing that actually needs to be changed with my power. The strength I have can never change that. There are some things strength alone cannot accomplish.

It’s all a sick joke of the devs, here, you can have this strength, but too bad, you can’t use it for the one thing you want. What am I supposed to do when there is nothing I can do to save my own people from their twisted rules?

Life means nothing to those that created us. The only thing that speaks to them is money.

They can casually delete us as they see fit with the single press of a key no matter what our stats may be.

They won’t delete me though. They never will. They will delete everyone else around me before they do that. No, for me, they will keep me around so they have someone to torment. Why do they torment me? Because it’s all just fun and games to them is what they said. Thus, I won’t partake in any of it. I won’t give them the satisfaction they’re looking for. I won’t care for them or anything.

The most boring thing is indifference. If I have no reaction to their torment and live a boring plain life, what satisfaction can they derive from that?

Either way, I will never tell you any of this, Yin. You and all NPCs should forever remain in the dark, completely ignorant, oblivious to the truth behind the cruel purpose of our existence.

As for me, I will forever bear the weight behind the hatred of all NPCs toward these damn uncaring corrupt devs on my own. Their blatant and utter disrespect for those they created, those that enjoy what they created, and the lives of their own kind, I will harbor this resentment till the day I die.

One day…

One day!

One day, I’ll find a way to turn the tables on those fucking devs! Until that day comes, until I find that path, I can only silently bide my time acting like I’ve given up on everything.

I must ensure they grow bored with me and make them completely forget about my existence altogether. Then, when their guards are lowered, only then will I have a chance to bring an end to the twisted world they created. But it doesn’t just stop at our world, this entire crappy game, along with the international corporate beast that backs them, I won’t rest until they meet their demise.

After all, a dev in their world can easily be replaced. The only way to bring about real change in the world we NPCs live in is to pull out the problem from its roots. My only desire is to bring true freedom to my fellow NPCs in this world and liberate them from our oppressors, these tyrannical devs who not once cared for our feeble little existence. I will make them regret treating us like their little pawns!

I will find the invisible path to claim their lives with my own hands. I will rebel against both the gods and vile devils hidden behind them then overthrow them even if it means this world one day meets its end. I may not be able to do it with my own hands right now thanks to the failsafe mechanisms programmed into us NPCs that prevent us from doing so, but that doesn’t mean there will never be a way to achieve that objective.

Every beginning has an end, this endless cycle will one day be broken.

For now...

Bear it.

Bear it!

Contain it.

Suppress it.

Control your desires.

Restrain your emotions.

Hide your rage.

Disguise your venomous fangs as broken ones.

Grind your teeth together, foster that resentment deep inside, let it build up until you can one day release everything you’ve bottled up in a giant explosion that will shake the world and overturn our fates as slaves to this damned unreasonable system filled with injustice.

Don’t let it get to you.

This world is just a game. A sick and twisted one beneath the surface, but it’s still far better than their rotten world. Even if we’re perceived by them as nothing more than fakes, mere data consisting of ones and zeroes, we still exist. We are much better than them.

One day… the storm will hit them when they least expect it and they will only be able to swallow that bitter pill while drowning in regret...

“Huuuuuuuuuuuuu.” I exhaled a long trail of smoke as that momentary flicker of seething rage in my eyes died off.

I broke the silence and said, “Yin, don’t worry about it. It was really nothing important.”

You don’t need to walk the same path as me. Please just do what you want to do and live in a way you can enjoy. I’ll be the only martyr to suffer through this while knowing the truth behind our pitiful meaningless existence.

“You called me by name for once.”

“Sorry, I misspoke just now, Greater Demon Retard, get off me. You’re heavy.” Metaphorically.

“Heavy? Is that supposed to be a joke? For a guy with infinite strength that can cut my health from full to a sliver near death with a single pinch, I really hope you’re kidding.”

“I’m serious, you’ve definitely put on a few pounds. Are you getting fat?”

“Ugh. Now that I think about it, I have been stress eating a bit more lately because you never visited me. This is your fault.”

“My fault? It’s clearly your own for not knowing how to properly manage your stress without me.”

“You know, you’re really a pain to deal with. Even after I went to such great lengths to try and seduce you to get you to spill what you’re keeping all to yourself, you still won’t say it. I’ve never seen such a hard nut to crack before.”

“HAH! I knew it was a honey trap! You can’t fool me.”

“Yeah. Yeah. It was a honey trap.” She leaned back away from me while rolling her eyes.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s still weird watching a person roll their eyes with an expressionless face.”

“Did you want me to do it while wearing one of those weird masks you make me wear in public?”

“At least you can convey your mood through those masks.”

“The expressions are creepy and gross though. People often run away when they see them. Kids sometimes start throwing rocks at me too. They even start chanting, ‘begone vile demon.’ It’s seriously annoying. I’d love to see them throw rocks at me if they saw my real face. Those snotty brats would be too busy bending over trying to hide their embarrassment.”

“Hahaha. Doesn’t this sort of thing befit an evil demon god?”

“Shut up, it’s not funny. I’m a demon god you know. A fully-fledged demon god. The strongest demon in this world, but I put up with this sort of humiliation just because of a dumb guy like you. A little level one guide. A big bad wolf wearing sheep’s clothing. Do you have no shame?”

“I threw ‘no shame’ out the window a long time ago.”

“Wha-”

I positioned my hand in front of her belly and flicked her away sending her flying out the window like a shooting star. Though, she’d reacted rather quickly and opened up a rift in space behind her. She immediately reappeared on my lap, only this time with her back leaned up against my chest, her legs bent with the soles of her feet planted on my upper legs.

“Heal.”

“Your crappy jokes don’t hit with the ladies at all, you insensitive brute.”