Books were my escape. My obsession. My life. Fantasy, adventure, martial arts—those stories shaped me more than the real world ever did. I don't remember when I started reading, only that I never stopped. While others chased careers or relationships, I chased legends. I devoured tales of cultivation, swordplay, and impossible worlds where strength rewrote fate.
Eventually, I took a part-time job at a video game studio. It wasn't glamorous, but it let me channel the stories I loved into something tangible. I even trained a little, mimicking the heroes I admired. It was silly, maybe, but it made me feel alive.
Then came 2020.
A global tragedy. Millions lost. I nearly joined them. The world changed forever, but I didn't. I kept reading. What else could I do? I was just a man. Powerless. Watching the news, wishing the healing arts and mystical skills from my books were real.
Decades passed. By 2050, humanity had shrunk. Natural disasters claimed more lives than any virus. But I kept reading. I stopped working. Maybe it was grief. Maybe I just gave up. My days blurred into pages. My years into chapters.
And then… I was 95. Bedridden. Dying.
I didn't regret it. I'd lived a thousand lives through stories. But I did mourn one thing: never living an adventure of my own.
Buzz...
A sharp hum pierced my skull. Pain exploded behind my eyes. Blood trickled from my ears. And then—something appeared.
A phrase. Blurry. Fading in and out.
[Congratul... ...niverse... ...life only... ...Earth... ...first human... ...100% brain capa...]
My thoughts froze. 100% brain capacity? What did that mean? I felt no power. Only agony.
Then the message shifted.
[As the first... ...living being... ...this capacity... ...granted a wish... ...cannot be changed... ...random wish... ...from your deepest emotions... Remaining life: 5:00 minutes.]
A wish? Was this real? I stared at the countdown.
[Remaining life: 0:59 minutes]
No time to think. My mind was unraveling. I chose the random wish.
[Congratulations. Random wish selected.]
[Your wish will be...]
I couldn't read the rest. Just one final prompt:
[Select "CONFIRM" if this is your wish.]
I confirmed.
Time resumed.
My eyes closed.
Silence.
Bang!
A thunderous crash echoed across the sea near a small coastal town.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Big brother! Wake up! You'll miss the selection! You won't get another chance for ten years!"
A girl's voice. Young. Familiar. She banged on the door with urgency.
"Ugh… what's that noise?" I groaned, opening my eyes.
Boom!
I fell out of bed, tangled in blankets. Pain shot through my back.
The door burst open. A girl rushed in like a whirlwind.
"Why are you on the floor?! Are you playing dead or something?!"
I stared at her. She looked like my sister. But younger. Much younger.
I slapped myself. Hard.
"Ouch! Okay… not a dream."
She rolled her eyes.
"Ha-Eun… where are we?"
She blinked. Confused. Concerned.
"Don't tell me you hit your head so hard you forgot everything."
"I remember you. But not this place."
She grabbed my arm, eyes watering.
"Please tell me you're joking…"
I patted her head gently.
"Don't worry. I'm fine. Just… disoriented."
Then, another message appeared before my eyes.
[Your wish has been granted. Only the first being to unlock full cerebral capacity can perceive this message. You may observe the changes upon reaching a unique state of existence. Goodbye...]
It faded.
Only one word remained:
[GOODBYE...]
I stared, speechless.
Ha-Eun watched me silently, then smacked my head again.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
Boom!
A distant explosion shook the ground. Windows rattled. The sky turned crimson.
"What was that?!" I shouted, rushing to the window.
Smoke rose from the sea. Something massive had fallen.
"Brother! It's the signal! The selection begins now! We have to go!"
"Selection? What selection?!"
"No time! Get dressed!"
She tossed me a black robe with golden trim. I put it on, still confused. We ran through the streets.
Everyone wore the same robes. All heading toward a mountain crowned by an ancient temple.
"Ha-Eun, what's happening?!"
"It's the Awakening Ceremony. Every ten years, the chosen ones are summoned."
"Summoned by who?!"
She looked at me, eyes serious.
"The Origin."
We reached the temple. A hooded figure stood at the gate.
"Name," he said, voice like thunder.
"Lee Joon," I replied instinctively.
He stared into my soul.
"You have been…"
His voice distorted. The words blurred.
[You have been... ...your wish... ...equilibrium... ...The Origin... ...face the... ...trial...]
I couldn't read it. The message was broken. Fragmented. Like reality itself was glitching.
The temple doors opened.
Inside, a floating stone circle pulsed with energy. Runes shimmered. Power radiated from its core.
"Enter," the figure commanded.
I looked at Ha-Eun. She nodded, tears in her eyes.
"I believe in you."
I stepped forward. The circle enveloped me. My body dissolved. My mind expanded.
Memories surged. The wish. The pain. The message.
And then… nothing.
No destiny. No prophecy.
Just a new world.
A world of mystery. Of martial arts. Of fantasy and danger.
A world waiting to be explored.
And I—
I was reborn.