The Devil's Cage - Chapter 6: Rest

“Please, I implore you to save the world.” This is what a goddess in white says to me in a pure-white space. Such is the standard line that suggests the game is about to begin. Please say this stirring line to boys and girls with sparkling eyes! It’s wrong to direct it to someone like me, who’s exhausted from job hunting! When I declined her politely, she flew into a fit of tears; when I agreed to assist her on small tasks out of reflex, she proclaimed: “it’ll be fine if you just help in the Starting-Village Arc. Please guide the Hero!” Then she tossed me into another world. No, this is a world modeled after a game that this gamer goddess likes…

After the college entrance examination, Zheng Qing did not go to the long-awaited Imperial Capital University. Instead, carrying his luggage and holding a fox, he followed a notice and broke into a strange university.

There are no mathematics, English, or ideological politics, but the philosophy of divination, astronomy, and magic.

The extracurricular activity here is the hunting of monsters, and the hobbies here are all sorts of strange.

Rafting to learn the sea, climbing the mountain of books.

This dazed young man stumbled and started his career as a wizard.

- Description from MTL

Susu, a hard-working woman, accidentally finds herself in a novel set in the 1980s, stepping into the shoes of an unlikeable female lead who was resented by everyone in the family compound for causing endless trouble. She became Su Er Ya, the demon sister who threatens her husband to divorce if he dares to adopt the orphan of a comrade-in-arms. With such an unfavorable start, watch how she turns the tide. From selling braised goods to opening a restaurant, her career thrives, and in turn she becomes beloved and known for her magnanimous personality. Lu Xiaoting, a stern public security officer, realizes that the once lazy and gluttonous woman who took advantage of others has changed.Lu Xiaoting, embracing his wife: “Wife, don't be mad, I was wrong!”Susu, looking at the man with broad shoulders and a commanding presence reminiscent of a modern-day celebrity, smiles sweetly. She triumphs by mastering the culinary arts.Witnessing the transformation, their son Xiaoyu leads the three little 'turnip heads', Su's adorable children, who pout and complain about their father taking their mother away yet again.Whining, “Hate it, Daddy took Mommy away again!”“Ugh, Daddy really...!”“Big brother, we want Mommy.”The young boy comforts the three younger siblings gently: “Be good, Dad and Mom will be back soon.”

Cairn is a prince who is already tired of ruling. Faced with an imminent coronation and an overbearing father, he wants nothing more than to drown his responsibilities in cheap liquor and poor decisions. With the help of his sister, he hatches a plan to escape the clutches of the throne once and for all. It all goes terribly wrong, and Cairn finds his priorities shifting in the face of unimaginable tragedy. The change of heart comes too late, however, and Cairn dies. He reawakens to find himself transported ten years in the past. He immediately begins to plan for the future, only to discover his killer has somehow followed him. To succeed, Cairn must unite the kingdom and discover the motivation of his killer, using as many tries as it takes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++I exhausted pretty much every time loop story ever written and decided to write my own. You'll see a few similarities here between this story and some existing stories, at least initially. There's a lot of inspiration drawn from both MoL and Re:Zero, though in terms of pathos and darkness, this story leans more towards the latter. Be warned, it is something of a slow burn. The main character will grow and become powerful, but a theme of this story is that power comes slowly and often at great cost.