"What's your name?"
"I'm Nam Dokja."
"So you're telling me, you're the only son of the Nam family? But I didn't tell you to tell me your background or something. I asked your name."
"That's not what I mean, Sir. It's my name. My name is Nam Dokja."
Yeah. If I usually introduce myself to someone like this, this type of misunderstanding always occurs. So, every time I meet someone new, I have to take a few extra seconds to explain myself.
My father gave me this name hoping I'd grow up to be strong — a man who could stand tall by himself. "Dokja" — it literally means "only son," or "lone child." Romantic in theory. In practice?
Thanks to that name, I've grown into a perfectly normal, single, and lonely man.
Sometimes I wonder if it's just a cursed name. But it's not like I care anymore. I've found ways to live alone.
Anyway, I'm Nam Dokja. I'm 27 years old. I wake up early in the morning, make a quick breakfast, and get ready for work. After work, on my way home on the subway, I read web novels.
Actually, that's not quite right.
I only read one novel.
I've spent my entire life reading just that one story — The Endless Scenarios.
"Then I'll go on to my workplace."
At the cafeteria of the Sungah Industries building, I sat alone during lunch break, poking at a tray of lukewarm food while reading The Endless Scenarios on my smartphone.
"Can I sit here, Dokja-ssi?"
I looked up, startled. "Oh, Y-Yoo Shin Ah. Yeah, you can."
She smiled politely and took the seat across from me.
I returned to my reading, trying to hide the smile tugging at my lips. That's when she leaned forward slightly.
"What are you doing, Dokja-ssi?" She stood up slightly, peering at my screen. "Oh, you like reading novels?"
I snatched the phone away a bit too quickly. "Y-Yeah."
"Oh? Which novel are you reading? I also love reading novels." Her eyes lit up with curiosity.
"It's a fantasy novel. But it's not that popular. So you wouldn't know."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
The Endless Scenarios — or TES, as I liked to call it — was a web novel no one read. By the time it reached chapter 10, it had just a hundred readers. As time passed and new chapters were uploaded, the view count plummeted. After chapter 100, I was the only one left.
But I kept reading. All the way to the end.
Even though no one else cared, the author never stopped writing. Every day, a new chapter. Rain or shine. And every day, I read it.
You might wonder — if no one liked this story, why did I?
I don't know. I can't really explain it. Maybe it was the characters. The intricate plot. Or maybe just the lonely, unwavering protagonist who fought against an uncaring world.
Anyway, I loved it.
As the sole reader of the story, I felt a strange responsibility. I couldn't support the author financially — my paycheck barely supported me. I tried recommending the novel, but no one gave it a chance. They judged it by the view count. Some even accused me of being the author, shamelessly promoting his own work.
Eventually, I gave up recommending it.
That's why I didn't want to tell her. She'd just laugh if I told her about it.
Yoo Shin Ah quietly returned to eating her lunch.
I did the same, my eyes scanning the newest update. Chapter 3409.
My heart beat faster. This was the moment I'd waited for.
But when I reached the end of the chapter, my thumb froze.
[The End]
I blinked.
Wait. What?
My mouth went dry.
This… this was really the last chapter?
I just stared at those two words. My brain refused to accept it.
The novel… was over?
The Endless Scenarios wasn't just a hobby. It was my companion. My escape. In a world where I had no one, it was always there for me.
And now… even that had left me behind.
Or so I thought.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
The fluorescent lights in the cafeteria flickered violently, then cut out entirely. Darkness swallowed the space.
People started murmuring.
"What's going on?"
"Even if the electricity is gone, the generator should've kicked in by now."
"Maybe the generator isn't working?"
And then, a voice echoed through the air.
No speakers. No source. Just a voice that drilled straight into the mind.
[The free service of the planetary system has been terminated.]
[From now on, you'll have to show your value to live in this world.]
[There are total 3 tutorial scenarios before entering the Land of Chaos.]
[The 1st Tutorial Scenario before entering the Land of Chaos will start soon.]
This was the moment the genre of my life changed.