The Returnee Wants to Live Comfortably

I thought, Earth would be a bit different... but... (1)

Graduated from the orphanage, elementary, middle, and high school, took a break, completed military service, and then went back to university.

I was just another ordinary citizen of Korea—at least, until I died in a car accident and woke up in this new world.

After mumbling, "An unfamiliar ceiling," and regaining my senses, I found myself in Mewzealand, where magic was alive and breathing.

Just like the common trope, I made contact with a dimensional gateway called a truck and was transported to a fantasy world overflowing with magic.

At this point, you'd really have to doubt if all those truck drivers are apostles of goddesses.

'Although I never actually met a Goddess.'

The first thing I did after regaining consciousness was check my body. The body that had survived every war zone from infancy to military service was gone, and I found myself possessing that of a young boy.

It was confusing at first, but there was a convincing reason—my heart had completely stopped when I was hit by that truck.

I must have died or at least been rendered comatose—for someone covered in blood like that to just start living again didn't make any sense.

It was a bit disappointing, but in my new body, I harbored a small fantasy. I dreamed of living freely, away from the tedious grind of university life. If possible, I'd learn magic and walk a golden road. And if a few beautiful girls stuck around me—how great would that be?

'... What a joke!'

I wish I could go back and slap myself in the face back then—wake up from the dream. Of all things, the body I possessed was that of a demon, the most heavily discriminated race in Mewzealand. Just having horns on my head made the townsfolk throw stones at me. The moment they realized I was a demon, they sold me off into slavery. Even the companions I had abandoned me to monsters at the first sign of danger.

You only realize it's spring after the flowers have fallen. In university, I had close friends... but in Mewzealand, there wasn't a single one. Becoming a demon from the start doomed me to loneliness. No chance of 'human' relationships, if you know what I mean.

The moment you have horns or pointy ears, you're treated as a traitor selling out the country. Even being a child got me no mercy. I wanted desperately to escape this hellish world. The moment I wished for that, a translucent window appeared above my head.

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[A new mission has been added. (Unique)]
[From now on, as you clear missions, you'll receive various rewards.]

[Mission: Annihilate the Revelli Empire and Judge the Emperor]
[Clear Reward – Reincarnation in your original world]
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Damn it, and you tell me this now? With the help of the so-called system that pops up in web novels, I gradually grew stronger. The missions were hard, but I held on because that was the only way to grow powerful enough to take on the empire's might.

That empire preached equality but practiced discrimination as naturally as eating. I burned for revenge against them—it was on the level of outdoing even Zolryeol Village. After what I'd endured, I wanted to smash them from above, just to feel some justice.

For that justice, I grew stronger by the day, and even attracted a legion that naturally followed me.

So fifty years passed, and I became the leader of the demon legion known as the Demon King. No one stood above me—neither human heroes nor high-ranking demons. With my mission conditions met, my task was simple.

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[Revelli Empire Annihilation and Emperor's Judgment – Mission Cleared!]
[Clear reward will be given.]
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In the end, there was no one left to stop me. The path to what I'd been seeking all along was built—the only thing left was to climb it.

My invasion of the empire was sudden and ended in a flash.

It ended more anticlimactically than I expected... but the price of preparing for that campaign was high.

My subordinates' lives, yes, but worse was my own lifespan. The empire, for centuries, had enjoyed prosperity by brutally persecuting other races—all because of their 'Mysterious Guardian'.

That guardian was a monster that couldn't be taken down without sacrificing more than half my lifespan.

In the end, I fulfilled my mission and brought justice—but as the Demon King, I had little time left to live. Not wanting to worry my followers, I kept it to myself.

That's why I wished to return to Earth—where I was reborn in a healthy, intact body that didn't suffer from a crippled lifespan.

Fifty years of hardship, over at last. Time to say goodbye to the shackles of the demon race! At last, I could enjoy the peaceful rest I'd longed for!

****

"Alright, children! For today's activity, let's draw a picture of what you want to be when you grow up."

The elementary school teacher was leading the kids in a drawing exercise. I was sitting at my desk, holding a crayon to my sketchbook just like everyone else.

As I wished, I returned to Korea from Mewzealand. I was filled with the hope of returning from a detestable Demon King to an easygoing college student. But then...

"Seongjin, why aren't you drawing? What are you doing?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about what to draw."

Ma Seongjin. 1st grade, class 4, DaeSang Elementary. Student number 12. That's my current address.

Instead of getting my original college-aged, military-served body back, I was reborn as a baby and had to grow up all over again.

I did get my wish and came back to Korea, but it felt strange that it wasn't in my original body. But it wasn't incomprehensible—the original was probably declared dead after the car accident, so restarting in that body would've been impossible. If I had gone back to my old self, that really would have been a scam.

Surprisingly, starting over from age one wasn't so bad. There's nothing more comfortable than reliving an age you've already experienced. In a way, my wish had come true.

"Everyone, I'm just going to the teachers' office for a minute, so keep drawing."

The homeroom teacher spoke kindly and left the classroom. I had no idea why she was heading to the office, but her voice alone made the kids want to listen.

Still, kids left without adult supervision are like untamed foals.

Swiish—
Clack—

As soon as the classroom door closed, the kids immediately exchanged glances. Judging that it was safe, they started noisily chatting.

"What are you drawing?"

"A doctor."

"Don't lie! There's no way you'll be a doctor—your dream's to be a pig."

"You wanna die?"

Some were bickering about each other's drawings...

"You free after school?"

"Why?"

"Let's go to a PC room. I even made an account without telling my mom."

"I can't—if my parents find out, I'll get spanked."

"Man, what a scaredy-cat."

Others started discussing their after-school plans, barely halfway through their drawings. It took less than ten seconds without the teacher for the class to get noisy—just like any group.

No matter how rowdy it got, as long as there weren't any fists, it could be considered peaceful.

But you don't always need fists to break the peace. Just as I was trying to focus on my drawing, I heard swearing from the next seat over.

"A hunter for your dream? As if a freak like you could be a hunter."

"You don't even look human—you think you could ever be a hunter?"

Two big kids in the class were tormenting a defenseless child. The victim was a recent transfer student.

Bullying isn't surprising anywhere, but this kid really did look different.

"Open your eyes. You look so gross."

"Take a look in the mirror. Who else here has pink hair and animal ears like you?"

While everyone else had Korean black hair, that child's pink hair and pale blue eyes stood out.

And his ears weren't human—they were like those of a canid animal. To anyone, he'd seem like a total freak... but in our society, it's a recognized type of 'awakened one'.

While I'd been struggling in Mewzealand, Earth had gone through massive changes.

Suddenly, gates to another world started opening up, monsters spilled out, and at the same time, people who could wield magic power—'awakened ones'—began appearing.

The occupation for those who clear gates and prevent disasters is called 'hunter'.

For awakened individuals, backlash from internal magic power can morph parts of their bodies.

Aside from hair color changes, some like that kid are even born with animal ears or tails. People like that are called 'Mutamit.'

'Well, I guess I'm a Mutamit too.'

When I was first reincarnated as a baby, I had white hair and horns—just like the demon horns I'd had in Mewzealand. I'd hoped to live as a normal person after coming back, but thought I'd be stuck as a demon even on Earth. But now, I looked human.

The method was simple. I'd lost the power of my Demon King days, but I still had fifty years of know-how. By controlling the magic power inside me, I could make myself look ageless—and even alter my body to hide the horns or change my hair color. Thanks to that, I could blend in among humans. There was a fatal flaw—my strength was now at rock bottom.

"At least with you looking like that, it's okay if we call you a dog bastard, right?"

"Yeah! We're just calling it like we see it."

The big kids kept mocking him. Tormenting someone just because they look different—no matter how young, this was crossing a line.

Being a kid isn't an excuse. But the worst was yet to come.

"There's loads of handsome hunters who don't look as disgusting as you, so what's the point of you being one?"

"Are your mom and dad dog bastards like you, too?"

That was when even I started twitching with anger. Now they were dropping insults about the parents—a classic low blow.

Even though it wasn't directed at me, it was disgusting enough to make my skin crawl. Then, the bullies tried to grab the victim's drawing.

The child clung to his sketchbook and pushed them away as hard as he could. Then, the boys lashed out in indignation.

"Did you just hit me? Don't you know what happens to awakened brats who hit normal kids?"

"Guess you forgot what you learned, idiot."

That was why the victim, even as he was bullied, just sat still.

The law for awakened people, who have superhuman strength, is incredibly strict—they're expected to take extra care.

Since the law keeps awakened people on a tight leash, others feel free to yank it at will.

Even classmates had such views, so the situation kept escalating—but the victim could only endure it. And then, the bullies finally crossed a line.

"Remember the kid with wings in Class 10? Want to end up like him?"

"If you want, just say so. We can make it happen."

There was another Mutamit student in a different class in our grade, but he'd gone missing a month ago.

Rumor has it that armed gangs have been kidnapping awakened kids with good potential.

There's no proof he was taken, but the fact that his parents were later found dead made everyone's blood run cold.

'You sick bastards.'

The kid disappeared, his parents were killed. Regardless of whether it was a kidnapping, it was a matter not to be taken lightly. But these bullies talked like it was hot gossip—even with dead-serious stories like that.

There's only so much shamelessness I can take. I was so nauseated I couldn't focus on my drawing.

"Ow!"

I flung my crayon at the neck of one of the big kids.

It hit him dead on, and with a short yelp, he spun around to glare at me.

"Damn it, what's your problem! You wanna die?"

"Ma Seongjin, you wanna end up just like him?"

I was usually quiet and kept a low profile, so the fact that I interfered made them furious.

The truth is, I had originally planned to live peacefully and quietly just as I'd wished.

But seeing this took me right back to the relentless discrimination of Mewzealand. Having experienced it firsthand, I couldn't stop myself from acting.

"Ahn Jaewook, Cho Byungchan—did your parents ever bother teaching you right from wrong?"

"What did you say?"

These two were the rowdiest in the class. They were always fooling around and causing trouble, but seeing how they treated the new kid confirmed everything for me.

"Pathetic. You're just taking out your anger at not being able to become hunters by picking on others. With attitudes like that, you guys are doomed from the start."

"You little...!"

Ahn Jaewook, who was closest, swung his fist at me—but I dodged easily. His curses continued.

"What's so great about awakened losers anyway!"

"Your brother is awakened, isn't he?"

"Shit!"

His brother and I weren't on bad terms; I'd seen him before. Probably because he can't use magic power like his brother, Jaewook feels envy and resentment towards awakened people.

The contradiction is so childish—or maybe he's just rotten inside. Whatever the reason, what I had to do now was clear.

"You need to learn some basic decency first."

"Oh, yeah? Why don't you show us? I just remembered—you're awakened too, aren't you?"

By law, awakeners can't attack ordinary people. The worst bullies use that as cover, treating awakened classmates like animals in a pen. But just because there's a fence doesn't mean it's safe.

"You're right. The moment I smack you around, my fists will be cuffed and I'll be eating prison food in no time."

"Then stop acting tough..."

"That's why I want to make a bet."

Recently, a particular game has been the rage at our school. It's so popular, kids make bets on it or play in front of crowds—the card game you get at the stationery store out front.

When I pulled out my cards, the bullies froze. An icy silence fell over the class.

"With this, there's no unfair violence, it's just a game—so the teachers can't say much."

"But you're awakened. Always tilting things your way..."

"Then call your brother."

"What?"

Ahn Jaewook's eyes went wide in shock at my bold suggestion. His brother, Ahn Seongwook, would never refuse a request from him.

The problem is, Seongwook is not only awakened but also a sixth-grader—a completely different league from a first-grader like me. There was no way this game could go through, so Jaewook was at a loss.

"You're not lying, right?"

"What, you scared?"

Provoked by my taunt, Jaewook's face contorted in frustration. But I wasn't done yet.

"And how's this—whoever loses, has to not only pay out 10,000 won, but also bow in a deep formal apology in front of everyone, right here?"

"Are you serious?"

"Oh, the ones who should bow aren't me—you should bow to the kid you bullied."

I pointed at the beaten-up transfer student with a nod.

"Let's do it during lunch. Make sure to tell your brother in advance."

"...!!"

"If you're too scared, you can just chicken out."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Kids being kids...
But bullying is extremely prevalent in Korea...
It's so prevalent that some of the bullied kids go swimming in the Han River...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】