Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

“Right! Time for another fruitful day!” shouted Adam, Dale’s father, energetically as he got out of bed early in the morning.

He looked outside the window and saw the sun slowly rising in the distance.

“Yes! Let us begin yet another joyous day!” shouted his wife next to him on the bed as she sprang up.

They neatly made the bed and headed to Dale’s room. Dale was sleeping soundly on the bed, the wound on his neck gone as if it never happened.

“Aaaahh, my beloved boy!! We’re so glad you’re okay!”

“This is all thanks to the Great Akart’s blessing!”

The couple smiled radiantly at the fact that Dale survived despite breaking a rule.

“But it’s time to wake him up.”

“It’s almost time for prayer, after all!”

“M-Mmm…”

Dale curled up into a ball in his bed as if refusing to get up; it seemed he had not fully recovered from yesterday’s incident.

“Dale! Get up! It’s almost time for prayer!”

“A few more minutes…” mumbled Dale as he pulled his blanket over him.

“Hahaha!” Adam burst into laughter, looking down lovingly at his cute son.

BASH—!!!

He smashed his fist down on Dale’s stomach without hesitation.

“KURGHHH!!!” Dale sprang up from his bed. “Urpp!! BLEEEEEGHHH!!”

Adam patted Dale’s head as he vomited. His touch was as gentle and warm as it could be.

“You’ll be late for prayer if you keep sleeping. Come on, it’s time to get ready.”

“A-Arghh. O-Okay…”

Dale nodded shakingly and stood up. His body was heavy but he couldn’t stay lying down.

‘The rules of the Great Akart must be kept no matter what.’

Adam and his wife went to the prayer room in the corner of their house with Dale.

“Oh Great Akart, protect us with the Light of Truth. Guide us with your sacred wisdom and set alight our paths filled with darkness so that we are not led astray.”

Adam bowed in the direction of the [Temple of Truth] and prayed at exactly 6 AM as per the rules. The prayer took about an hour.

“I’m off to work!”

“Okay! Have a wonderful day~!”

“Work hard today as always, Dad!”

Dale and Adam’s wife waved at Adam as they saw him off with a smile as always.

“Haaah!”

Adam dragged his sluggish body to the [Temple of Light]. Around him were people in single-file lines walking toward the temple. There were women and even children among them.

‘One member of a family must carry out a task given to them by the [Temple of Light] each day.’

The fathers went to work in Dale, Emily, and John’s families but women or even children went to work in other households. The important part was that someone had to work. According to the rules, a member of a household needed to work so that they were provided with food and other daily necessities.

“Time for another fruitful day at work!”

Adam headed to the temple, his steps feeling light.

‘Going to work is always fun!’

Labor was fruitful and fun. Although heavy labor fatigued him greatly, he knew how valuable it was.

‘My sweat makes this town more bountiful.’

Nothing could make him happier in the world. Adam felt like he could break out into a song just thinking that his suffering would bring smiles to even more people.

“Hahahaha!!!” Adam burst into laughter.

He felt happy just thinking about the cold glass of water he would drink at his cozy home after a fruitful day of labor.

‘That aside, I wonder how our guests from yesterday are doing?’

Adam recalled yesterday’s wonderful dinner. Laughing and chatting with guests they had never seen before filled him with emotions he had never felt.

‘Though it would be difficult if they continued to come.’

The words of the Great Akart stated food must be divided equally. Since the same amount of food was being equally divided among more people, they wouldn’t be able to fill their stomachs.

‘But they were great people.’

Adam headed to the temple, thinking they could handle them visiting once a week.

“Hm?”

Just then, a young man blocked Adam’s way. He had black hair as if it were dyed in darkness and upturned eyes.

“Who are you?” Adam asked the young man.

“Me?”

The man smiled brightly. Adam also smiled back brightly and nodded.

“Are you heading to the Temple of Light to be given work as well? I don’t think I’ve seen you before!”

There was a Temple of Light in each district of Luceo Pure and the residents of each district headed to the temple at the same time every day. Hence, it was rare to see a new face on the street.

“I am…” The young man smiled as he slowly walked toward Adam. He slightly tilted his head and whispered, “Your new god.”

“Wha—”

Swoosh!!

“H-Huh?”

Darkness shot up from the ground and engulfed Adam before he even had a chance to ask anything.

“Kurgh!! Urgh!! Grrrrk!”

Adam was sucked into the darkness.

“Bwehehehe!!”

The demon cackled, all alone in an empty street.

***

“Hurgh!!!” Adam gasped as he sprang up. “Wh-Where am I…?”

He anxiously looked around.

“Eek!!”

The sky was black. He was sitting in midair, high enough to see the entire Luceo Pure under him.

“Wh-What in the world?! What is this?!”

Adam screamed as he struggled but he couldn’t move an inch because he was restrained to a chair made of darkness.

“You’re finally awake.”

Adam heard a voice. He turned his head to see a young man floating in midair next to the chair. The man was shrouded in darkness and black mucus was swirling around him as if it were alive.

The young man smiled so wide that the corners of his mouth reached his earlobes, exposing his white teeth. The malicious smile reminded Adam of the demon he had only heard of in stories.

“Wh-Who are you?!!”

“What do you mean? I told you before,” the man replied.

“U-Urgh.”

Adam shook in fear but not because of the situation he was currently in.

“Wh-What time is it?!!”

He was afraid that he might be late to the Temple of Light.

“It’s 8:10 AM. You’re already ten minutes late to get to the temple.”

“N-No!!” Adam’s eyes widened as his teeth clacked noisily. He screamed desperately, “N-NO!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

He failed to reach the Temple of Light by 8 AM. In other words, he had broken one of the Great Akart’s rules.

“I-I need to hurry!! I need to go!!!”

The demon placed his hand over the struggling Adam’s shoulder and remarked calmly, “You’re already too late even if you go now.”

“Ah…” Adam groaned.

As the demon said, he was already late. The rule was already broken from the moment even one second passed after 8 AM.

“I-I… I…” Adam slurred in pallor.

Since he had broken an absolute rule, he needed to be punished. Regardless of the reason, only one fate remained for one who broke one of the Great Akart’s rules.

“A-Aaaahh.”

Only death awaited those who broke the rules.

“S-Spare me… Save me…”

Adam mumbled incomprehensibly like a broken radio as he trembled uncontrollably. He did not want to die; the thought was natural to have as a living being.

“IT’S YOUR FAULT!! YOU MADE ME BREAK THE GREAT AKART’S RULES!!!”

Adam’s directionless fear was pointed at the one who caused him to break the rule. The demon cackled, his mouth still torn open widely.

“There’s no need to fear. I have no intention of killing you just because you broke one of the Great Akart’s rules.”

“Wh-What?” Adam’s eyes widened after hearing the demon’s incomprehensible words. “You’re not going to kill me… even when I broke a rule?”

“Yes. I’m not going to kill you. Rather, I won’t lay a finger on you.”

“...”

Silence fell.

Adam said reluctantly, “But if anyone finds out about this…”

“You and I are the only ones who know you broke a rule, aren’t we?”

If that was the case, the answer was simple.

“Just lie.”

“Lie…?”

Adam tilted his head in confusion. He had never heard of the term before.

“Yeah. It means saying something as if it’s the truth.” The demon whispered enticingly like the serpent who tempted Eve to eat the Forbidden Fruit, “It’s not hard. You just have to stay here until evening and go back to your loving family and say another fruitful day as always. Easy, right?”

“...”

Adam remained silent. He had never once in his life said something that was not the truth— he had never thought to do so.

“Who else is gonna know besides you and me? Hm? No one can call you out on your lie.”

“That’s…”

“Then are you gonna die here? Just like that? When it’s not even your fault that you broke a rule?”

“...”

Adam shut his lips tightly and faintly shook his head. The demon smiled even wider.

“Then, until evening…”

“You just have to stay here with me.”

The demon created another chair made of darkness next to Adam and sat down.

“Take a look over there,” the demon said.

Adam turned to where the demon pointed. He saw Emily and John’s fathers sweating buckets as they continued to build the house they had not finished yesterday. If he had gone to the Temple of Light today, he would be sweating just like them down there.

“They look exhausted, don’t they?”

“...” Adam nodded faintly.

He had not felt it when he was with them yesterday but the two men looked exhausted as they lugged heavy items, sweating buckets.

“Let’s just sit comfortably here and watch them work.”

“I can’t do th—”

“It’s not like you can do much else, right?”

The demon placed his hand over Adam’s shoulder and snickered.

“...”

As the demon mentioned, he couldn’t do anything. Hence, he sat still as he watched his neighbors going through heavy labor. The chair made of darkness was soft and the breeze tickling his cheeks was refreshing.

“Heh…” Adam chuckled softly without realizing it.

He felt an emotion he had never felt before— a sense of superiority that stimulated desires hidden deep within every human. After some time, evening arrived.

“A-Are you planning on following me?” Adam asked.

“The others can’t see me. I’m only visible in your eyes.”

“...”

Adam turned back at the demon following behind him anxiously.

“Man! My back’s killing me!! Huh? Isn’t that Dale’s father over there?”

“Adam!! Looks like you were sent somewhere else today!!!”

Adam waved at Emily and John’s fathers who were coming back from the same direction. As the demon mentioned, they couldn’t see the demon standing right behind Adam.

“Come to think of it, I wonder if the guests from yesterday came back?”

“Hahaha! Let’s have dinner together again if they have!”

Adam walked past the two laughing men and entered his home.

“Dear!!!”

“Dad!! Welcome home!!!”

He was met with the same scenery as always. He stared at his loving wife and son and shouted heartily, “ANOTHER FRUITFUL DAY AS ALWAYS!!!”

“Hohoho! Great work, dear. Here’s some water.”

Adam’s loving wife brought him a cool glass of water.

“...” Adam chugged the water. “Ah…”

His eyes widened. The sensation of the cold water going down his throat sent sparks throughout his body.

“What do you think?” asked the demon behind him as he approached. “As you’ve said, a cool glass of water after a hard day at work is sweet.”

The demon’s cackle echoed inside Adam’s head.

“But…” the demon whispered sweetly. “Isn’t a cool glass of water after lazing around all day even sweeter?”

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