"W-What? Where… am I!?"
Those were the first words to escape my lips as I woke in an unfamiliar world, my voice trembling with confusion and awe. Before me stretched a breathtaking vista—a sea of emerald grass swaying beneath a golden sky, speckled with floating isles and crystalline birds soaring like living gems. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers I couldn't name, and the sun glowed with a hue I had never seen before.
It was beautiful… otherworldly.
I was certain I had died. That truck—yes, I remember it now. But before I could make sense of my surroundings, I decided to retrace my steps.
—Moments Before Transmigration—
"You! Where did you go again!? I told you to look after the kids!" barked a voice filled with age and fatigue.
That was my nanny—my guardian ever since I lost my parents in a tragic car accident. Harsh as her words sounded, they came from a place of love. She had worked herself to the bone just to afford my education, yet I… wasted my time playing video games. Every single day.
"I'm sorry," I had mumbled, barely looking up from the monitor.
"Seriously, how do you expect to grow up if you keep living like this?" she sighed while sweeping the floor.
It was the weekend. I had taken it as my last chance to finish the only game that meant something to me: Erdaian Life. I had spent over fourteen years perfecting every quest, unlocking every class, learning every spell. And now, I was ready to claim the game's final mystery—the ultimate item no one had ever obtained.
"The final weapon… the Erdaian Sphere," I whispered with reverence.
According to the game's lore, the Erdaian Sphere was the divine source of the universe, wielded only by the original Erdaian Deity. Anyone who acquired it would ascend to become the new deity—untouchable, eternal.
"Come on, you damn guardians! Let me through!" I shouted, slamming my fingers on the keyboard.
I remembered that moment clearly. The guardians were hellish—each one a master of stun, blind, and devastating AOE damage. They were meant to be unbeatable. Yet I fought through them, one by one, dodging and countering as my eyes blurred with strain and my wrists ached from hours of combat.
And then… I won.
"Finally!" I had cried out, tears forming as the last guardian fell.
A colossal door creaked open behind them. I stepped through a shimmering hallway lined with white marble and veins of glowing gold. It felt like walking into heaven itself. Fourteen years of grinding… and it had all led to this.
The sphere floated in the center of the chamber, a small orb that reflected the cosmos—stars, galaxies, time itself. I activated "Sage's Eye." A radiant, multicolored aura surrounded it. An exception-class item. All-attribute.
I reached out.
The moment my fingers touched it, the screen went dark.
I had been forcibly logged out.
Frantic, I tried to log back in. Again. And again. Nothing. Panic turned to despair. Eventually, I packed up and left the internet café, trudging into the night with a hollow heart.
Then came the truck.
—Back to the Present—
"Is this… is this what they call isekai?" I muttered, shaking my head as I surveyed the strange new world.
I remembered a classmate—he was obsessed with fantasy transmigration novels and always talked about protagonists being transported to magical worlds. I never took him seriously. But now...
"Okay, okay, let's stay calm," I told myself, taking deep breaths.
I wandered until I found a small pond and peered into the water. The reflection staring back at me made my heart skip a beat.
White-silver hair. Emerald green eyes. Ethereal robes with radiant lining.
"This is… this is my game character," I gasped, placing my hands on my head in disbelief.
It was real. Everything was real. But there was something missing—something crucial.
"The system," I said aloud. "Where's the system?! There's always a system in these stories!"
No prompt. No HUD. No level bar. I sat by the pond, trying to process everything. Yet with every breath I took, I felt it: raw, surging energy filling my limbs. My body felt weightless and powerful.
Curious, I walked over to a nearby tree and clenched my fist.
"If this really is my character, then I should be strong enough to level a mountain."
I punched.
The impact left a small crater in the trunk.
"…That's it?" I muttered, wide-eyed. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm weak?!"
I collapsed onto the grass, groaning and rolling around in frustration.
Of course. Of course. In the game, when starting a new character—even a deity—you still had to grind from scratch. All power came with effort. It was the one core rule.
A sudden shriek split the air.
"Huh?" I sat upright instantly.
The sound—deep, guttural, and close—made my blood run cold. The bushes rustled violently. My ears caught the low, growling breath of something enormous.
Then it stepped out.
A wolf.
No, a monster. It towered over me, taller than any man, with blood-red eyes and dark fur laced with silver. Its fangs glinted like steel.
I couldn't move. I was frozen. Paralyzed by fear. I had never fought anything in real life, let alone a beast straight out of a nightmare.
"Get away!" I screamed, instinctively.
The beast lunged.
I closed my eyes, bracing for death.
But it never came.
Silence.
I opened my eyes, and the world around me was frozen. Even the wolf mid-leap had stopped, suspended in midair like a statue.
In front of me floated the Erdaian Sphere—glowing, humming softly, as if it had been watching all along.
Then it moved.
In a flash, it flew toward me and entered my chest. My eyes widened as memories—his memories, my memories—flooded into my mind. Every experience, every skill, every sensation of the game character I had built and controlled for years… became mine.
Time resumed.
The wolf's leap continued.
But I was no longer afraid.
I took a stance. My right hand extended. A sword materialized—its blade dyed in blood-red hues, glowing with heat.
"Imperial Sun Style: First Form—Great Sun Rage!"
Flames burst from the blade as I swung it in a wide crescent arc. In a single motion, the monster was cleaved in half. Its smoldering carcass hit the ground, smoking and still.
I stood there, breathing heavily, my fingers still wrapped around the hilt of the flaming sword.
A grin spread across my face.
"…Hoo. This'll be pretty fun."