Darkness.
It was all Taejong could see, stretching endlessly in every direction of his vision. There was no pain, no sound. Just nothing.
Is he dead?
Well, he must be.
After all, the impact of the car was too much for his frail body.
Suddenly, a light pierced through the darkness. It was bright, almost overwhelming. Taejong's eyes fluttered open. Warmth spread across his skin as he gasped for air like he had just escaped a bad dream.
"What happened?" He asked himself, his voice deep and almost hoarse. Somehow, there was a change in his voice. But that's not the main issue.
It was the fact that he could open his eyes and see things.
Wasn't he dead?
Didn't he die?
Questions flooded his brain.
However, his focus shifted when he realized what was in front of him.
A screen.
It was bright and unmistakably familiar.
It was the homepage of the game that he used to play.
Rise of Legacy.
The logo of the game pulsed softly at the top left corner, written in bold golden letters. Below it, large buttons were neatly arranged across the interface:
In the middle of the screen, there were event banners rotating every few seconds, showcasing flashy characters dressed in colorful clothing. Each one was animated, vibrant, and practically begging to be clicked.
'Why am I seeing this?" Taejong's lips parted slightly.
He hadn't seen this screen in a long time.
Heck, he hadn't even opened the game for 2 years.
And the account that he was seeing was unfamiliar.
Red
"Red...? Who is Red?"
It wasn't his account.
His account was globally ranked, max-leveled, and filled with exclusive skins and titles. However, this one wasn't. It was mid-level, no skins, no title, just normal. Nothing about it was familiar.
"Just… what is this?" Taejong's eyes narrowed, his heart pounding loudly.
He blinked and sat upright. The leather chair that he was sitting on creaked beneath him. His fingers instinctively brushed against the armrests.
A gaming chair?
Taejong looked around in confusion. He already sold his gaming chair. Soon he realized that the room wasn't his.
Badump… Badump…
His heart loudly skipped a beat.
"What the hell is happening?"
Then, suddenly—
[System Loading…]
A chime rang out.
"What the fucking hell?"
A holographic screen blinked to life in front of him, floating midair like a sci-fi interface. The voice that followed was calm, robotic, yet oddly, it was enthusiastic.
[Welcome, Host. System has been successfully integrated.]
'Nah… don't tell me I became crazy,' Taejong thought, shaking his head. He stared blankly at the holographic screen in front of him. He slowly raised his hand to touch it, expecting it to disappear. Instead, the moment his fingers brushed against it, more words appeared on the screen.
[Host: Identity confirmed.]
[Binding complete.]
[Congratulations, Host! You are now Lee Seunghoon.]
"Seunghoon what?" Taejong stared at it in disbelief.
The holographic screen shimmered again as if it were responding to his confusion.
[You have died, Host.]
A cold wave washed over him.
So he really died?
[Cause of Death: Vehicular accident. Time of Death: 11:24 PM. Age: 21.]
[However, due to an unquantifiable amount of potential you have, you have been selected as a compatible host.]
"Compatible Host?" Taejong echoed numbly. Everything confuses him. For a second, he tried to think of logic, but there was no logic in these kinds of things.
[Correct, Host. You are now the designated host of the Greatest Esports System. I am here to guide you to elevate your gameplay, sharpen your skills, and help unlock your personal growth.]
"So, what… this is like, transmigration? Some next-level isekai bullshit?" Taejong furrowed his brows.
[If such terminology helps you grasp the concept, then yes.]
"Why me? I wasn't exactly on top of the world back there. I already stopped playing." Taejong ran his hand down his face, unsure whether to laugh or scream.
[Incorrect, Host. Your passion, persistence, and love for gaming made you an ideal candidate. You were a fallen prodigy with unfinished potential—a person worth saving.]
That word again.
Prodigy.
He was tired of hearing it.
"Great. So, I die a failure and wake up as some nobody." Taejong let out a bitter chuckle.
[Host, why not treat this as your second chance?]
Taejong momentarily paused.
A second chance.
Those words carried weight.
Taejong leaned back in the chair, his mind racing. Not with questions, but thoughts.
A new name. A new body. A new account.
Everything was different.
But maybe.
Just maybe…
[Memory Integrating...]
"Wait, what—?!"
Before Taejong could protest, a sharp heat pulsed at the back of his head. His vision blurred and spun like an endless cycle. Memories that weren't his flashed through his mind—images, feelings, moments.
[57%…]
[78%…]
[96%...]
[Complete.]
Taejong gasped out loud, clutching the armrest. At the same time, his breathing steadied. The burning in his head faded. And in its place, he understood his body's memories.
Seunghoon used to be normal. He used to be the best in his class, with so much potential, but he downloaded a game.
A single game.
Seunghoon started playing Rise of Legacy only a few years ago. It wasn't that bad. It used to be a hobby, a game only for fun. But he started to admire the beauty of it. The thrill of playing. The adrenaline of winning.
That's when he found out about the professional league. He started following the tournaments religiously. He even posted his own clips online, hoping someone would notice him.
But there was one problem.
He sucked.
No matter how many hours he played, how many guides he read, how many forums he followed, he just couldn't improve.
Seunghoon's reaction time was slow. His decision-making was shaky. His aim was inconsistent. For years, he only hovered between the middle ranks.
Still, he kept going.
Not because he believed he was great.
But because he loved it.
"…You really were trying, huh?" Taejong sat there in silence as the weight of Seunghoon's memories settled deep into his chest.
There was no glory in Seunghoon's past. No trophies. No spotlight. Just pure and stubborn love for the game.
It was almost painful to feel.
But also, it was inspiring.
[That is your chance, Host. A player who loved the game, despite having no talent for it.]
Taejong exhaled.
"Then maybe it's not such a bad match after all."
He looked up at the glowing screen again.
"If he had the drive and I've got the skill…"
He smiled faintly.
"Let's see how far we can go."