A sharp intake of breath.
Kang Eunseo's eyes snapped open.
For a brief, terrifying moment, his mind struggled to reconcile where he was. The dim glow of his bedside lamp cast long shadows across the walls, the familiar scent of his room grounding him. His fingers curled against the soft fabric of his blanket—he was in bed.
Not in a cave.
Not in a forest.
Not running for his life.
His pulse still pounded against his ears, the phantom sensation of heat lingering in his palms. His breathing was uneven, his muscles tense as if expecting an attack at any moment.
But...something was off.
His body—
It didn't hurt.
His exhaustion, the sweat clinging to his skin, the dull ache in his limbs from running through the forest barefoot—it was all gone. As if none of it had ever happened.
Eunseo shot up, his fingers instinctively brushing over his arms, his legs, his face. No scratches. No bruises. Not even a hint of soreness. It was as though he had never fought that thing, never used fire, never even left his bed.
And yet—
His gaze snapped toward the floating window hovering at the edge of his vision.
──────
[Player Status Window]
Name: Kang Eunseo
Level: 1
Strength: 5
Agility: 7
Endurance: 6
Mana: 10
Inventory: Sword
──────
His fingers twitched.
"...So it wasn't a dream."
The system responded almost immediately.
──────
[Nope! That definitely happened. Congrats on surviving, by the way.]
[Not everyone passes their first mission! You should feel special ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).]
──────
Eunseo exhaled through his nose, pressing his fingertips against his temples. "You're kidding me."
[Nope! Now, be honest—pretty cool, right?]
"Cool?" His voice sharpened. "You threw me into a death trap and gave me barely enough instructions to get out alive."
[And yet, you lived! You should be thanking me.]
"Th—" He stopped himself before he could actually start arguing with a floating text box.
This was insane.
This was beyond insane.
He had been in a different world. He had fought a monster. He had used fire magic.
And then, without warning—he was back. No pain. No exhaustion. Nothing.
His body hadn't carried over a single sign that any of it had happened.
Like it had all been...reset.
His stomach twisted. "...What did you do to me?"
The system was silent for a beat longer than usual.
──────
[Oh? You noticed that already?]
[Hehe. Guess you're sharper than you look.]
[Well, I'd explain, but… where's the fun in that?]
──────
Eunseo's eye twitched. "..You," he muttered. "I have so many questions."
[Of course you do. Fire away.]
The nonchalant response almost made him chuckle—almost. Instead, he let out a long breath and sat up, gripping his blanket like a lifeline.
"Okay, first question. How many worlds are there?"
[100.]
Eunseo blinked. "Wait. One hundred?!"
[That is what I said. Do you have trouble with numbers, Player?]
His eyebrow twitched. "No, I don't have trouble with numbers! I just—" He let out a sharp exhale, trying to calm himself down. "One hundred?! And I have to go through all of them?"
[Indeed.]
"...You've got to be kidding me."
[Would you like me to?]
Eunseo flopped back onto his pillow, staring at the ceiling. This was insane. Absolutely insane.
One hundred worlds. One hundred missions.
"Alright," he muttered. "Then what about the powers? Why can't I keep them? I literally just learned how to use fire, and now it's gone?!"
[Because you won't need it in the next world.]
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
[Each world is different, Player. Some will have magic. Some will have technology. Some will have neither. Your abilities are given to suit the mission, not for you to carry around like a hoarder.]
Eunseo scowled. "So what, I just lose them every time? That's so unfair!"
[Now, now. Don't pout, Player.]
"I'm not—!" He cut himself off, exhaling through his nose. "Then do I get anything at all for all this?"
[Oh, absolutely!]
Another window popped up.
──────
[Mission Reward System]
Every 20 missions, you may choose 2 abilities from previous worlds to keep permanently.
Every 20 missions, you may select 1 companion from a past world to join you in your journey.
──────
Eunseo sat up again, eyes widening. "Wait. So I can keep powers?"
[If you survive long enough, yes.]
His lips parted, then shut again. 20 missions. That meant he had to go through 20 worlds before he got to keep anything. That was… frustrating. But at least it was something.
"And a companion," he murmured, rereading the text. "One companion?"
[Correct. You may bring someone with you every 20 missions. But choose wisely—you can't send them back.]
His fingers curled around his blanket. "So… if I meet someone in one of these worlds, I can bring them with me?"
[Yes.]
He swallowed. It was a strange comfort, knowing he wouldn't always have to be alone.
"So if I pick fire manipulation and, say, a friend from one of these worlds, they stay with me for good?"
[That is the idea.]
Eunseo leaned back, running a hand through his hair.
It wasn't perfect. It wasn't fair. But at least there was progress.
And for now, that was enough.
He exhaled. "Alright, System. When's the next mission?"
A new screen popped up.
──────
[Next Transfer: 23:00:00]
──────
"Twenty-three hours?" Eunseo blinked. "I have a whole day before the next one?"
[Yes. You are a human, not a machine. Rest, recover, and do your little human things before the next mission.]
Eunseo sighed in relief. At least he wasn't being thrown into another death trap right away. He had time to breathe.
Then, a new question popped into his mind.
"Hey, System… am I the only player in this whole thing?"
There was a brief silence. Then—
[Oh? Curious about others now?]
A new window appeared before him.
──────
[Player Rankings]
Jang Minji (장민지) – Female, Rank 1, 96/100
2. Lee Seokjin (이석진) – Male, Rank 2, 92/100
3. Park Hyunwoo (박현우) – Male, Rank 3, 90/100
4. Choi Yura (최유라) – Female, Rank 4, 85/100
5. Kang Eunseo (강은서) – Male, Rank 5, 63/100
──────
Eunseo stared at the list.
Then back at his own name.
Then back at the huge gap between him and literally everyone else.
"...Wait. WHAT?!"
[Congratulations, Player. You are officially in last place!]
Eunseo's eye twitched. "Wait, wait, wait—how the hell am I in last place?! Didn't we all start today?!"
[Correct. But while everyone had their first mission, their responses, combat skills, and problem-solving were all vastly superior to yours.]
Eunseo felt personally attacked. "I did the mission! I survived! What else do you want?!"
[Do you want the list?]
"...No."
[Too bad! Here you go.]
──────
Areas of Weakness:
Combat Skills: 3/10 (You fought like a scared pigeon.)
Decision Making: 5/10 (At least you have a brain. Barely.)
Efficiency: 4/10 (You took forever to do one simple task.)
Reaction Time: 3/10 (Your first instinct was to STAND THERE.)
──────
Eunseo gritted his teeth. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
[Immensely.]
He groaned, rubbing his face. "Can I ever meet these people?"
[Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows?]
"...You do, don't you?"
[Perhaps.]
Eunseo glared at the screen, but the system only blinked innocently in response.
He flopped back onto his bed, groaning into his pillow. He was in last place. He had 99 missions left. And his own system was bullying him.
This was going to be a long journey.
A new screen flickered into existence.
──────
[Training Regimen - Assigned to Kang Eunseo]
[Mana Control - Daily Exercises]
1. Mana Breathing: Focus on inhaling and exhaling while sensing the mana inside you. (30 min)
2. Mana Expansion: Concentrate mana in your palms, then spread it through your body. (30 min)
[Physical Training - Daily Exercises]
3. Push-ups: 100 reps
4. Squats: 100 reps
5. Endurance Running: 5 km
──────
Eunseo's face slowly twisted into an expression of sheer, exhausted disbelief.
His mouth opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again. "...What the hell is this?"
[Your training, obviously.]
"Training for what?!"
[For not dying like a helpless kitten next time.]
Eunseo scowled, rubbing his temple. "Okay, but—Mana? What even is that?"
[Oh? You don't know?]
The system added a dramatic pause, as if savoring the moment.
[Mana: The mystical energy within living beings that allows for supernatural feats, including, but not limited to, magic, reinforcement, and manipulation of elements.]
Eunseo squinted. "So, magic."
[Yes, but cooler.]
He groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "And you're telling me I have to train this every day?"
[Unless you want to stay at the bottom of the rankings forever, yes.]
Eunseo clicked his tongue. "Fine. Whatever." He was too tired to argue anymore.
The system cheerfully blinked at him.
[Good! Now, get some rest, Player. You have a long road ahead of you.]
Eunseo sighed, collapsing back onto his bed.
He was unchained from reality now.
And he had 99 worlds to go.