"Huh?"

That was the first thing he said as he slowly started to wake up.

"This isn't my room..." His voice was full of confusion, and his face showed the same puzzled expression.

He couldn't understand what had happened to him or what was going on.

All he remembered was playing his favorite MMORPG when, suddenly, the computer screen started to glow. Then everything went black… and the next thing he knew, he was on the roof of a tall building.

"Where am I?!"

He shouted, panic rising in his chest as he quickly looked around, trying to find any clues about what was happening.

His eyes eventually landed on a small, clean puddle of water on the ground. He looked into it and saw his reflection. But the image staring back at him was not what he expected—it was different, almost unreal.

A man stood in the water, looking back at him with an impossibly handsome face. His features were sharp and well-defined, almost like they were carved out of stone. His black hair was layered, falling in soft, uneven waves around his face and down over his shoulders. The messy style made him look both tough and well-groomed at the same time. His piercing blue eyes glowed faintly with a strange, otherworldly light, making his gaze intense and almost magical.

He wore all black: a shirt that fit perfectly, showing off his strong build, and smooth trousers that looked almost too perfect to be real. His leather shoes were polished so well they shined in the dim light.

Across his shoulders, he wore a deep crimson cloak that seemed to move slightly, even though there was no wind. But the most striking part of his appearance was the pair of curved horns on his head. They looked like they were made of dark, shiny obsidian, and they rose up from his skull, adding a dangerous yet regal touch to his overall look.

"Wait a minute..."

He froze in place, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. He knew there was a word for what he was feeling, something like recognition, but he couldn't quite find it. His mind wasn't good with words, so "recognition" was the closest he could come up with.

He stared at the reflection in the puddle, his eyes widening as the realization hit him. This reflection—it looked exactly like his game avatar, Satan! The same sharp features, the same intense blue eyes, even the horns on his head. But... why was he seeing this image? Why was he looking at his game character instead of his own reflection? It didn't make sense.

Another thought quickly popped into his head. It seemed ridiculous, but at the same time, it felt strangely possible. After all, he was thinking about something that only existed in a game or a fantasy world, not something real.

But he decided to give it a try. It couldn't hurt, and maybe it would help him figure out if what he was going through was actually happening or just some weird dream, a fantasy his mind had made up.

He slowly raised his arm, feeling the unfamiliar weight of his new body. Carefully, he touched his face. As soon as his fingers made contact with his skin, he looked at the reflection in the puddle. To his shock, the image in the water copied his movements exactly. This meant the strange experience he was having was real—it wasn't just in his head. Nor a daydream.

"I can't believe this... to think that one day I'd actually become my game character..." he muttered under his breath, his voice filled with disbelief. The thought was so wild, so unbelievable, yet here he was. Why couldn't he be the character? It wasn't something anyone, including himself, could ever have imagined coming true.

He paused, the weight of the situation sinking in.

He placed his hand on his chin, thinking deeply, rubbing it as his mind raced. He needed to figure this out, but where to start?

Then a thought struck him. Perhaps it would be a good idea to check if he still had all the powers and abilities from the game. That was the real test. It would be a huge letdown if he only had the appearance of his character but none of the abilities that came with it.

In World Without Grace, the MMORPG he had been playing, there were no fixed roles like mage, warrior, or thief. Instead, players had the freedom to create their characters however they liked by choosing different skills and stats.

The game started with players picking one of five weapons: staff, one-handed sword, knuckles, halberds, or katanas. Each weapon unlocked a skill tree, which was a list of abilities players could learn. These skills were arranged in 15 levels (tiers), and players could unlock new skills as they leveled up. To unlock or improve a skill, players needed skill points, which were earned by leveling up. But skill points were limited, so players had to spend them wisely. If they made a mistake, they could only fix it by using a rare item called the Book of the Forgotten or by paying real money.

In addition to weapon skills, there were other types of skills, like buffs to make yourself stronger, debuffs to weaken enemies, and support skills for healing or helping allies. Most skills could be mixed and matched, so players could create unique combinations. However, some skills only worked with specific weapons.

Players also earned stat points as they leveled up, which they could use to increase attributes like strength (for physical attacks), magic (for spells), defense (to take less damage), or speed (to move or attack faster). Like skill points, stat points were limited, so players had to think carefully about where to put them.

The highest level in the game was 1000, and by then, players would have 5000 skill points to use. Building a strong character required careful planning because leveling up took a lot of time. On top of that, players could find or earn powerful equipment, like rare SSR-ranked gear, which gave special abilities. For example, some gear let players fly or made them immune to certain types of damage.

Satan's build was designed to be a pure mage. Most of his skill points were spent maxing out the staff skill tree, which focused on powerful spells and long-range magic attacks.

To make sure he could survive tough battles, he also invested some points in defensive buff skills. These skills increased his resistance to magic, physical attacks, and status effects like poison or paralysis.

Finally, he spent a small portion of his points on one-handed sword skills. These were for close-range combat, so if enemies got too close, he could still fight back effectively. Even though it wasn't his main focus, it gave him a way to handle unexpected situations.

"Let's try something simple," he said, taking a deep breath. He was about to cast a spell when another thought interrupted him.

Which spell should he use?

Since he was just testing, it would be better to start with a low-level spell. High-level spells could cause a lot of damage.

How about flying? Nah, he could use his cloak for that... It might be better to try that first. Plus, if his equipment worked, then his spells should too, right?

"Alright, here we go!"

With a burst of energy, he jumped into the air. The moment his feet left the ground, the air around him seemed to shake, and the floor cracked. Small pieces of stone broke off as he soared upwards. His red cloak fluttered behind him as he rushed through the air, the wind hitting his face with a loud whoosh.

He finally stopped as he reached a high point and looked down at the city. Below him, the city of Tokyo spread out, with its tall buildings and busy streets clearly visible. The city seemed to go on forever, with roads and buildings connecting everywhere, giving him a strange feeling from so high up.

"This looks like Tokyo. Am I in Japan?"

He had always wanted to visit Japan, but never had the money... even though he came from a rich family. He had wasted most of his fortune on women and other things that wealthy men often do. He couldn't really blame himself—many men would probably do the same.

As he looked down at the city, another thought popped into his head.

If he had become his game character, maybe others had too. What if there were other players out there... maybe some were not in their right minds? Or even worse, what if there were world bosses around?

The very thought of world bosses made him shiver. Why wouldn't it? They were the strongest of the strong, the ultimate challenges in the game. It took hundreds of players working together just to stand a chance against them, let alone defeat them. And that was before considering their insane resistances, immunity to most attacks, and their abilities that were way too powerful. Trying to fight one alone was like asking to die. He had learned that lesson the hard way.

Before all this—before whatever had happened to him—he had been battling one of the toughest bosses in the game: the Lord of the Seven Deadly Sins. This creature was a giant, at least ten feet tall. Its head was animal-like, with two long, curved horns that stretched back from its skull. Its eyes were a dull gold, lifeless and cold, while its face had a twisted, unnatural look to it. Behind it, huge, dark wings stretched out like ragged banners. These wings were so large, they could cover its whole body. Its hands were sharp, like claws, ready to tear anything apart.

The Lord of the Seven Deadly Sins wasn't just any boss. It was infamous in the game for being nearly impossible to defeat. To beat it, players had to kill it seven times in seven different ways. It couldn't be hurt by most types of attacks, including Holy, Unholy, Light, and Dark magic. It shrugged off death spells, time-freezing magic, soul attacks—pretty much anything that could normally defeat a monster. Even regular attacks barely affected it. The creature would only take damage from level 900 players or higher, and only weapons and armor ranked SSR or above could harm it.

Foolishly, he had decided to take it on by himself, thinking his skills and equipment were enough to handle the monster. He couldn't have been more wrong. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even get the boss's health below 90%. Its counterattacks were brutal, its moves completely unpredictable. Every time he tried to fight back, his own health would drop rapidly, until it was almost zero. He knew there was no way he could win.

Now, thinking about it again, he hoped that no matter what happened to him, he wouldn't end up facing something like that again. No amount of preparation or planning could guarantee victory against a creature like that. He just hoped that the world bosses, like the Lord of the Seven Deadly Sins, never appeared in this world. If one of them did, not only would the whole world be in danger, but so would he.

....

Satan landed back in the exact spot where he had taken off, sitting down.

He wondered, What should I do?

He wanted to explore Japan—it was a dream of his for years—but there was one big problem: his appearance. If people saw him, it would cause panic, and he couldn't blame them for that.

Just think about it. You're an ordinary person, walking down the street, minding your own business, and suddenly, someone appears in front of you. They look almost human, but something's off. This person has horns on their head, their eyes glow faintly, and they're dressed in what looks like the clothing of a demon king from a storybook. They don't just look dangerous—they feel dangerous, like they could destroy everything around them without even trying.

Even if this strange person didn't do anything, their mere presence would terrify people. It's not every day you see someone who seems more like a powerful monster than a human. And if they had abilities far beyond what humans could even imagine?

Satan understood this all too well. If the world learned about him, he might become a target—of fear, curiosity, or even hatred. People might try to control him or eliminate him because they didn't understand who he really was.

He considered the possibility of explaining himself, of telling the truth. Maybe, he thought, if I tell them I'm just a regular person who somehow turned into my game character, it might calm things down.

But deep down, he didn't want that. He didn't want to ruin the excitement of living as Satan. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be something extraordinary, something he had always dreamed of. Ever since he was a child, he had imagined being the Devil himself. Hearing about the Devil in Bible stories had fascinated him, and he had his Christian mother to thank for planting that seed in his mind—though he turned out far less devout than she'd hoped.

No, he couldn't reveal the truth. Not yet. For now, it was safer—and more fun—to stay hidden.

Reaching into his inventory, Satan searched for something that could help him stay hidden. His inventory was a swirling, dark space that held all his items—just like in the game. Most of his things, however, were stored in his [Player Base], a personal area given to players who had completed the main story. It was a safe place where players could store items, build structures, and customize their base however they liked.

After a moment, he pulled out a small mirror.

The mirror looked exactly as it had in the game. Its handle was made of smooth, dark wood, polished to perfection. The frame was golden and decorated with two swans on either side. Their wings curved gently toward the top of the frame, where they met. The mirror itself was made of crystal that glowed faintly, giving off an almost magical aura.

This was the Mirror of Hidden, an SR-ranked item that could make its user completely invisible for as long as they wanted. In the game, it was one of the best stealth tools available. However, even though it could make someone invisible, it wasn't perfect. Other players with high detection skills or special items could still sense movement or sound if they were paying attention.

Satan gripped the mirror tightly, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

In the game, it was simple—you just clicked on the item, and your character would vanish instantly. But now, in this strange real-world version, he had no idea what to do.

Maybe I just need to look into it? he thought. For some reason, the idea felt right, almost like a voice was whispering the answer to him.

Slowly, he held the mirror in front of him. As soon as he did, the mirror began to glow brighter and brighter until it bathed him in light. The glow wrapped around his body like a gentle mist, and then it faded, leaving nothing behind. He was completely invisible.

"Well then..." he muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

Satisfied, he placed the mirror back into his inventory. It was comforting to know he had something so useful. With this item, he could move around unnoticed and avoid any trouble.

"First stop—Shinjuku!"

He activated the flight ability of his cloak, Tear of Innocent Blood, an Ex Rank item. The moment he did, his body lifted off the ground, and he soared into the air. This was the cloak's most basic function—allowing him to fly effortlessly.

The real power of the cloak, however, was in the additional layer of defense it gave. While Satan was already immune to many status effects, like poison, paralysis, and instant death, the cloak further reinforced his resistance to all status ailments. It provided an extra layer of protection, making him even harder to harm.

The cloak's defenses gave him the ability to shrug off things like knockback and control effects as well.

However, even with all its power, it wasn't foolproof. There were ways to bypass these protections if an opponent had specialized abilities or the right tools. Still, for the most part, the cloak was a powerful safeguard.

Satan didn't wear it for its defensive abilities alone, though. It was part of a set, and wearing the full set unlocked a hidden, powerful ability—something even more useful in certain situations.

That was the true reason he kept it on.

"Here we go!"

Satan took off, flying toward Shinjuku.

Even though this was his first time in Japan, he wasn't completely unfamiliar with the city. Before all of this, he had spent hours studying maps and guides online, daydreaming about visiting the country one day. Whether it was a stroke of luck or his love for planning ahead, he felt confident in his knowledge.

As he soared through the sky, he deliberately kept his speed slow. His body, radiating energy and heat, could easily cause destruction if he wasn't careful. He had read stories about how objects moving faster than sound could shatter windows, damage buildings, or worse. The last thing he wanted was to cause chaos by accident.

Soon, the familiar sight of Shinjuku came into view. From above, the city glittered under the sunlight, alive and bustling even during the day. Towering skyscrapers gleamed, trains zipped through the urban sprawl, and cars snaked through the streets below.

He paused midair, hovering high above the crowded streets. His crimson cloak fluttered gently as he surveyed the city below.

Before he could decide, something unusual caught his attention—a figure falling from the sky.

"What the heck?!" Satan muttered, narrowing his glowing blue eyes.

The shape tumbled downward, flailing arms and legs making it clear this wasn't an object—it was a person. Long hair whipped around wildly as they fell, and their descent was rapid.

Without thinking, Satan launched himself forward at lightning speed. The wind roared in his ears, and his cloak trailed behind him like a red comet as he closed the distance. In just seconds, he reached the falling figure and caught them in his arms.

The impact jolted him slightly, but he quickly steadied himself, hovering in the air. A weight pressed against him—the person he had caught was a woman.

"A woman?" he said, glancing at her face. "No... a milf? Dropping out of the sky? What is this, a rom-com?"

She looked to be in her 30s, her face beautiful despite being bruised and covered in ash. Her long hair was tangled and singed in places, and her clothes were badly torn, burned, and dirty. She was unconscious, breathing faintly, and her body felt limp in his arms.

Satan frowned. "What happened to her? And how did she even fall from the sky? Did she come from... up there?" He looked upward briefly but saw only the blue expanse.

He shook his head, focusing on the situation. "I can't stay here. Someone might see me—no, not me, her standing still in mid-air. I need to get her somewhere safe."

Looking down at the crowded streets of Shinjuku, he realized landing there would cause a scene. His demonic appearance was already enough to spark panic—carrying an unconscious woman would only make things worse.

"Not here," he muttered. "Somewhere quiet."

He turned and flew toward a peaceful, hilly area just outside Shinjuku. The journey didn't take long, and soon he found a secluded spot surrounded by trees. The soft grass beneath him looked like a safe place to set her down.

Gently, Satan placed the woman on the ground and knelt beside her. Her injuries were worse than he had thought—deep cuts, burns, and bruises covered her body.

"I don't have any healing spells..." he muttered, frustrated. His skill set as a mage focused on destruction and combat, not support or healing.

"But I have something better," he said, opening his inventory.

From the swirling dark space, he pulled out a small glass bottle. The liquid inside glowed a brilliant red, radiating warmth and energy. This was a top-tier healing potion, capable of fully restoring even the most gravely injured person.

Carefully, Satan uncorked the bottle and held it to the woman's lips. He tilted it gently, letting a few drops of the liquid slide into her mouth.

As the potion took effect, her wounds began to close. Cuts sealed themselves, burns faded, and her breathing became steady. The bruises on her face disappeared, and her complexion returned to a healthy glow.

"Good. It's working," he said, relief washing over him.

He sat back on the grass, watching her closely. "Now, I just need to wait for her to wake up. Maybe then I'll get some answers."