Maou – Chapter 1: Big Forest

(What’s this…?)

The thick forest that filled my field of vision made me gulp my breath.

What welled up next was a laugh.

It is true that I drank a bit of sake because my hobby of 15 years was going to end, but I didn’t drink so much that I would be daydreaming of being thrown into a forest.

More so because I have work tomorrow.

Or maybe it is that… the one of ‘I thought I had woken up, but at some point in time, I fell asleep again’?

“Anyways, this forest is incredible… You are way too green.”

Lately it has been repeat of round trips from work to home, so this bright green was hurting my eyes even more.

It felt as if my tired body was soaking in the magnificence of the nature. Or so I say, but I have to quickly prepare for tomorrow or it will be bad.

If I sleep in front of the PC, I will surely have muscle pain by tomorrow morning.

“Even so, this is unbelievably real for a dream…”

The sunlight shining in between the leaves of the trees, the dragonflies flying around, I can even hear the cries of the cicadas. When I look far away, I could even see a lake that’s sparkling with the light of the sun.

Dreams are said to be a representation of your desires, but did I have a desire to be in a forest deep within my heart?

The moment I take one step to approach the lake, cold sweat flowed on my back.

“What’s with this feet?”

What showed in my eyes was a high-quality leather shoe that doesn’t have a single wrinkle. And when I look at my body, I could see a black suit.

Even though it is such a crazy hot season, I even have a long coat that goes all the way to the ankles. If someone were to see this attire, there’s no doubt they would all go: Which mafia are you the boss of?

(I have a bad feeling…)

My heart has been making an unpleasant noise for a while now. I hurriedly run to the lake, and with the speed of a falcon, I ended up passing the forest.

That abnormal speed further increased the bad feeling I had.

Then, when I saw my own reflection in the lake…my bad feeling was confirmed.

“Why…is Kunai…!!”

What’s reflected in the lake is the last boss I am used to seeing.

The Demon Lord that continuously pushed the Players into the depths of despair was right there. That face seemed to be finding something about this funny, it looked like there was a smile in it.

“Don’t joke around! Why this old man…?!”

I am not at an age where I can say that about others, but this is just too much.

In the first place, everything that’s entering my five senses for a while now has been way too real, and I can’t think of it as a dream at all. Don’t tell me this is the otherworld transfer that I normally see in anime and mangas?

Or maybe I had a heart attack and am already dead, so I am in heaven right now? No, if that’s the case, it would be strange that I have the look of Kunai.

“W-Wait…calm down. This is not the time to be panicking.”

However, when I pinch my cheek or hit my head, I feel pain.

I can tell that my lungs were properly moving each time I breath.

This is seriously beginning to look bad.

(Uuuh! At least let me erase my HDD first!!)

It was a scream straight from my soul. I am fine with going to another world.

Yeah, even if I were to give them leeway in that matter out of the kindness of my heart, transferring me to another world in the body of an old man like this, that’s lacking way too much in the dream department! At least make it a peerless handsome man, or an incredibly wealthy person!

Also, erasing the HDD! It is important so I said it twice!

Out of all things, why a beefy old man?

What did I do to deserve this?!

  ■■ □□ ■■ □□  

(Anyways, information… I have to find something…)

I have been walking for a while since then, but it doesn’t look like there will be a moment of waking up from my dream.

Rather, my consciousness has been getting used to this body moment by moment, and currently, I feel practically nothing out of place. At times, the breath of the forest blowing by would make my body sway, and it was as if telling me that this world is not an illusion.

(What’s with this world, this forest… At least give me a hint.)

I checked my clothes to fish for clues, but there was nothing that could break me out from this current situation.

Inside the long coat, there’s the several knives that are the special weapon of Kunai, and there’s also his preferred tobacco.

Now that it has come to this, should I resolve myself to shout ‘that’?

One of the players, Massiv, told me that: “If I go to another world, shouting this is fail-safe”.

Please, okay? I-I will do it…!

“S-Status!”

Status

Silence spreads in the forest, and the crows cry.

“It is not appearing!”

Embarrassed for nothing!

I thought switches or a window would come out, but nothing happened, or rather, the branches shaking with the wind even felt like they were laughing out loud.

No, wait. If this is Kunai…there’s a more fitting word for him.

“Admin!”

—Bingo!

A black panel and keyboard spread out, and a window to type out a password appeared.

This is it! I was waiting for this!

“Okay, entering password…eh?”

At the same time as the password was accepted, several commands showed up, but they were all dyed in pitch black. I couldn’t even see the details of it.

What was written there was [You don’t fulfill the minimum requirements].

I lost strength on my knees and lean on a big tree at my side.

“What’s with ‘minimum requirements’? …What do you want?”

I reflexively take out a tobacco from my pocket and light it. I puff out the smoke that I am used to inhale, but that tastiness felt as if it was pushing reality onto me regardless of my will.

Tasting a tobacco in a dream is impossible.

After having 3, the inside of my head was still completely blank. Instead, my head began to get dizzy from smoking so much.

“What should I do… If I knew something like this would happen, I should have read more light novels.”

My thoughts were not in order at all and I was getting irritated.

Also, the sound of rough footsteps I could hear from the depths of the forest were stirring my nerves even further. No, wait… Footsteps? Doesn’t that mean someone is there?

The rough footsteps that sounded as if they were running away from something were getting closer, and finally, that ‘someone’ showed its figure.

(A child, huh. Quite dirtied though.)

Trap

I was going to call that person, but is japanese going to work?

The child must have fallen somewhere. There was black mud sticking onto his face and clothes, and I can’t even tell his gender. His hair is blond and eyes are red.

I can’t imagine japanese working here, but no matter the case, I have no choice but to ask a variety of things to this child.

(Kunai’s way of speaking was quite smug and sarcastic.)

He was the one who made the character, but because he is the last boss, he rarely gets chances to interact…

He searched his memories, and for now, speaks to the child to confirm.

“Uhm…hey there. Can you understand me?”

“Please run!”

“Huh?”

When I looked, there was a monster at the back of the child with wings that have its bones bare.

Its body is of faint gray color, and it looks similar to gargoyles that show up normally in fantasy worlds.

That silhouette made my head go completely blank, and a laugh once again welled up.

Looks like I have seriously entered a strange world.

(No, maybe the strange thing is my own head?)

Even if someone were to look around all of Japan -no, the whole world, there would be no living being like this one.

I wanted to shout: as if I would want something like that to exist!

“How should I put this… Is that uncute monster at your back your pet? If that’s the case, I would like you to tame it properly.”

“Please run away quickly! That’s a devil!”

Devil. A devil has appeared.

Should I laugh, run away, or beg for my life? I don’t know at all.

What in the world am I getting dragged into?

“—Diminutive human, offer your flesh and blood.”

“Scary!”

I unintentionally drop the tobacco I had in my hand.

The bright red eyed monster was looking at me like I was food, and even if put moderately, that figure of him approaching was straight out from a horror movie.

Or more like, it is plain scary. I want to shout and run.

The moment I was going to dash away at full-speed, the monster raised its big hands up, and with unbelievable speed, it scratched my face with its nails. I felt a dull pain in my forehead, and a red light surged from the depths of my eyes.

“Ouch…”

This guy is seriously attacking me…

Trying to kill me…

An unknown feeling was welling up from deep inside my stomach.

“…You, what do you think you are doing?”

What was that for.PNG

I can’t believe that came out from me. A low voice leaks out from my throat.

The moment the confused monster entered my sight, my right hand went for the inner part of my coat at a speed faster than the eye can catch.

<<Automatic Counter-Attack Activated!>>

(Wa, my body is moving on its own…!)

My arms and legs moved against my will.

With a form that could be said to be ideal and a speed like that of a lightning…the knives were thrown!

The counterattack of Kunai!

<<[Revenge] —Success! Counterattack damage increased!
[Certain Kill] —Success! Critical Rate 30% up!>>

Boom

<<Critical Hit!>>

<<Fatal Damage —the Devil King, Greol, has been defeated!>>

<<Gained over 500 EXP!>>

<<[Forced Breakthrough] [Ultimate Combo] —Failed! The opponent is already down!>>

<<Battle Skill activated!>>

<<[Conqueror] —Failed! The opponent is already down!
[Enlightenment] —Failed! The opponent is already down!
[Pulverize] —Failed! The opponent is already down!>>

<<Survival Skill activated!>>

<<[Meditation] —Success! The health of Kunai has recovered!>>

The Battle Log streams down inside my head, and the contents were making me dizzy.

This is completely like in the game!

By the time I noticed, the monster had vanished without a trace. Its body had completely bursted, maybe because of the impact of the piercing knives. With this, I can’t tell who is the monster here.

“…….”

Neither of us could say a word, and a painful silence covered the forest.

I gulp, and hesitantly speak.

“W-Well…you see…this is what you would call justified self-defense. I am not at fault.”

The gaze of the child in front of me is painful.

Those are clearly eyes filled with fear. No matter where you look at them, they are not the eyes of someone looking at a hero of justice.

Hehe.PNG

“M-Maou-sama! …Please don’t eat me! I-I am not tasty!!” <Maou = Demon Lord>

“Don’t joke around! Who do you take me for?!” (Maou)

And in this way, a Demon Lord had descended on an unknown world.

He was just a regular person on the inside; just how will he live in this cruel otherworld? No one knows yet…

□ □ ■ ■ □ ■ ■ □ □□ □ ■ ■ □ ■ ■ □ □

A part of the data is now available.

Devil King Greol

Race: Archdevil

Level 34

Health: 45/666
Vitality: 200/200
Attack: 66
Defense: 66
Speed: 66
Magic Power: 66
Magic Defense: 66

Magic

Wind of Death, Hellfire, Dark Destruction Beam, etc.

Skills

High Devil Control, Control Enhance, etc.

An Archdevil that was sealed by a Cherubim.
Can control even High Devils, and it is called the King of the Devil race.
Due to the seal, its health has decreased sharply, so it is far from its original strength, but in the face of that high defense, there’s nothing that can wound him.
Devouring many souls, devouring flesh; if he had regained his strength, he would have brought hell to earth.

□ □ ■ ■ □ ■ ■ □ □□ □ ■ ■ □ ■ ■ □ □

Kunai Hakuto

Race: Human

Age: 45

Weapon: Sodom’s Fire
Knives that can be used for throwing or cutting.
Numbers – Infinite.
As an additional effect, it can cause [Burn] at a certain rate.

Armor: Assault Barrier
Nullify attacks from any that have not reached lvl 30.
Durability – Infinite.
Uneffective against magic that doesn’t exist in the game.

Personal belongings: Imperial Code
An item that’s given to the Player that defeats Kunai.
It actually doesn’t have any effect at all.
This item doesn’t show an effect in the game, but the real world.

Personal belonging: Mild Heaven
It is the most popular tobacco in the Grand Empire.
There’s also many other tobaccos like Buster and High Night.
You could call it a special system in the game.
Rather than being bad for the body, it recovers Vitality when smoked.

 

Level 1

Health: 40,000/40,000
Vitality: 600/600
Attack: 70(+50)
Defense: 80(+20)
Speed: 60
Magic Power: 0
Magic Defense: 0

Attribute Skill

First Skill: Assault
Second Skill: Blind
Third Skill: Thunderclap

Battle Skill

Berserk; Forced Breakthrough; Drain; Pressure; Pinpoint; Certain Kill; Instinct; Leadership; Revenge; Prudent; Foresight; Enlightenment; Conqueror; Pulverize; Peerless; Limit Break; Isolation.

Survival Skill

Recovery; Fighting Spirit; Two-Faced; One Cut Above; Meditation; Medical Science

Decisive Battle Skills

Tyrant; etc.

Special Ability

Admin (Administrator Rights)

-?-

-?-

-?-

Borrowed body and ability of the game’s last boss, but the inside is that of a salaryman called Oono Akira.
In terms of category, he would be considered an ordinary person, but when he decides on something, he has quite the guts.
He has been trained by long gaming experience and a life as a working adult, so he is incredibly skilled at being a capable actor in a variety of situations.
Fitting of a last boss, his status is exceedingly high, and a special mention would go to his health that can even be called out of this world.
At a glance, you would think he is invincible, but he doesn’t possess any resistance against ‘magic’ that’s not in the game, so he is an incredibly unbalanced existence.

By the way, in the depths of his body, the ‘original personality’ still exists.

Because of this, he is quite cruel and brutal…

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0 thoughts on “Maou – Chapter 1: Big Forest

    1. Hey nepu, you don’t look too good nano~
      Stop drinking sooooo much cofee nano~
      It’s bad for the body(and soul) nano~
      I will give you this fork, whatever you eat with it will taste like cake nano~
      Sooooo cheer up and eat something nano~

  1. Truly a Maou, you tell him to continue his adventures on his own, because you are going to sleep, and he makes you his dominant personality, dragging you into another world.

  2. Hell yeah, thanks for picking this up! Just wanted to say I’ve been following you since early Tsuki and appretiate the effort you put in! Thanks!

  3. Wow. That Devil King’s level is…underwhelming. 34? Is that supposed to be high in-game? He has a fancy title and his description (flavor text?) implies he’s a big shot. So why not Level 66 or something? Or is that because he’s sealed and at half-strength?

    Well, doesn’t matter now that Kunai wrecked him. Speaking of which…
    So, uh…how were players supposed to beat this guy? What, did they have a bunch of skills to negate or bypass his counterattack skills, or could they grind their numbers to be about as high?

    Actually, that’s something else I’m not super clear on. The whole battle royale-death game intro…is that just the premise in the game, or what’s going on with that? If it’s reality then…whoa. The story was a lot darker than the manga led me to believe.
    If it’s not, then does that mean Players were under permadeath? And what’s this about getting the item for something in the real world if you defeat Kunai?

    1. Sounds like the premise for the Twisted Metal games to me, Calypso (Kunai) gathers all these people with issues to his death game, and the last one standing gets a wish granted, but there’s a bonus reward if you manage to kill Calypso before he grants your wish.

  4. It’s astounding how much of a difference a translator can make on a work. when I first pulled up the chapter, it took me a few seconds to connect it to the material I’d read just a few days before, purely because of how different all the little details were.

    the story so far is a hoot, and I’m looking forward to where it’ll go once the plot really gets rolling.

  5. What’s with this feet?
    feet > foot? Since it says this and not these it would probably be this foot

    my lungs were properly moving each time I breath
    breath > breathe

    I lost strength on my knees and lean on a big tree at my side
    on>in

    also thanks for the chapter

  6. Hi, I think I will pass on this one. I got really invested in Qualia and I dont want to read another novel just to feel bad when translator decides to ditch it again. Its your choice and no hard feelings, I am very thankful for your work, but i really feel abandoned. You could just make it so you translate qualia once every two weeks or so (it wouldnt hurt anyone, I mean its one chapter every 14 days) but you decided to cancel it completely instead. I will be waiting for another Tsuki I guess but i really hope you will maybe reconsider your decision and give Qualia readers some love.

  7. Thanks for the chapter nano~
    i will try to stay tuned with this novel unlike qualia nano~
    So no more mug hunting for a while, sorry everyone keep strong with you mug for at leats 4 years or until tsuki finish.
    See you next episode nano~ \(°^°)

  8. Regokai, just to let you know. Both you and Blob Translations just started translating/posting the same series the same day. I thought you might like to know.

    1. Technically Blob was translating the WN series and dropped it due to the fact the WN is also being dropped I think because it was removed from the web archives and syosetsu.. So they decided to start doing the LN series since one of their members have the E books. I just find it funny that it is coincidental that both would be translating the WN and LN series around the same time

  9. OK, it’s the Overlord trope.

    Sticking around until the last server shuts down… and finding that you’ve been transferred to a reality that resembles the game.
    Not a complete match with the game, but close enough that the mechanics are the same.
    Now, to find out if the game’s premise also exists in this world.

    Odds are, it does.
    Otherwise, why give all that detail?

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