After Returning from the Infinite Game
2023 · novel
The world always has those protagonist-like individuals—escaping from horror games, bearing the responsibility to save the world from monsters alongside their companions. Due to such and such reasons, they have no choice but to live in ordinary citizens’ homes, outwardly portraying themselves as typical high school students while secretly battling monsters and leveling up. And the ordinary citizens are ordinary but kind, always tolerant of the protagonist’s late returns, providing a gentle sanctuary. Jiang Yujin, however, is the antithesis of that ordinary citizen. Running a struggling business, living an unkempt life, the protagonist attends school by day, fights monsters after school, and even returns home to do his laundry and cook for Jiang Yujin. Yet even a laid-back person needs to turn things around. Despite financial deficits, Jiang Yujin briefly stands tall. While the protagonist battles monsters, he helps someone find their lost cat. While the protagonist tirelessly protects the school from monsters, Jiang Yujin is involved in romantic escapades with the Special Investigation Unit for Strange Species (?!). While the protagonist hunts for clues behind the scenes, Jiang Yujin, with a small skirt in hand, pretends to be a rich lady in an online romance scam. When the protagonist and allies face a major monster, Jiang Yujin… well, he stays up all night playing mahjong and ends up lying dead drunk at his doorstep. When the protagonist finds themselves in a precarious sit