The room was dark.
Ren woke to the sound of a buzzing television static and broken voices flickering through the screen. Empty food bags, half-rotten takeout boxes, and dust covered every corner of the small one-room house he called home.
The curtains were drawn. He hadn't seen the sun in days or maybe weeks. When he finally pushed the window open, the light stabbed his eyes. For a moment, he thought he'd been asleep for a year.
His phone vibrated.
The caller ID flashed: Clara his younger sister.
"Ren! What's your problem?" her voice burst through the line, trembling with anger. "When are you coming to the hospital with the money? Mom's still in a coma! You promised you'd pay something this week!"
Before he could answer, the call ended.
Ren sighed, scratching his messy black hair the color already fading at the tips. He pulled on torn slippers and a stained shirt, ignoring the stale air. He hadn't eaten properly in weeks. He opened the fridge, found a month-old sandwich, and swallowed it without a thought.
Outside, the forgotten side of the city stretched before him broken roads, rusted roofs, walls painted with shadows. Ren walked to his neighbor's door and knocked.
"Hey, Mr. John, can you help me out with just one note? I'll pay you back soon, I swear."
The old man frowned.
"Come on, kid. You've been borrowing from me since you came here. You haven't paid a single note."
But after a sigh, he tossed Ren some cash anyway.
"If the landlord comes tomorrow, I won't cover for you again. Bring my money all of it!"
Ren bowed deeply.
"I'll pay it back. I promise."
The bus station reeked of oil and rain.
When Ren stepped aboard, the driver covered his nose.
"Kid, you look half-dead. Sit in the back, away from the others."
Ren only nodded, sitting quietly, staring out the cracked window as the world rolled by like a film he'd already seen too many times. When he stepped off at the hospital, the driver waved him away.
"Keep the change, kid. You look like you need it more than I do."
In the hospital's white corridors, Clara was waiting. She dragged him to a corner before anyone could see them together.
"Ren, what's wrong with you?" she shouted. "Mom's in a coma because of you, and you haven't even paid a single bill! You're just… living like a corpse!"
Ren lowered his head.
"I'm sorry… I'm trying."
But he had nothing to give. No money. No hope.
He left without answering her tears.
Outside, rain began to fall thin at first, then heavy, drenching his clothes until his hair stuck to his face. He called his friend, Jack, a taxi driver.
"Jack… can you pick me up?"
"Again? Ren, you only call when you're broke or stuck somewhere. Don't you have anything left in your life? Stop wasting time!"
The line cut off.
The sky darkened.
By the time Ren reached home, soaked and shivering, the landlord was waiting at his door.
"You haven't paid rent in five years! Tomorrow morning, I'm coming with the boys to throw you out. You owe me 2.3 million you think this is a joke?"
Ren bowed again.
"Tomorrow… I'll pay."
The landlord left with a grunt.
Ren closed the door, sat on the corner of his bed, and stared out through the rain-streaked glass. The world looked blurred, as if it too had given up on him.
Then, his phone vibrated again.
A new app appeared on the screen: Re: Hour
The description read:
Install now. Change your fate. Earn money beyond time.
He hesitated then pressed Install.
The moment he did, the sound of shattering glass echoed behind him. He spun around and the room broke apart.
He fell through water.
Then through air.
Then through something colder silence.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of a crowded market square. Horses passed, banners waved, people spoke in a strange tongue. It looked like a fantasy movie a medieval world alive with magic.
"What the hell…" he whispered.
Guards in silver armor passed him. One brushed his shoulder and glared.
"Watch where you stand, peasant!"
Ren stared back.
"Hey, wait help me! I think I'm lost"
Before he could finish, they seized him. The people watched as he was dragged through the streets to a stone prison.
"What's your problem?! Is this some kind of prank?!"
No answer. Only cold iron bars.
His phone buzzed again.
Welcome to: Dragon Landing
A world where magic defines all. The lower your magic power, the lower your life.
Ren laughed half madness, half disbelief.
"Magic? Seriously? This must be a game… maybe a simulation."
The guards stepped away from him. Even the other prisoners shifted aside.
Moments later, he was taken to a high courtroom a grand hall glowing with runes. On the throne sat a woman in silver armor: The Queen of Dragon Landing.
They placed a glowing crystal before him.
"Place your hand," she ordered.
Ren obeyed.
The crystal stayed dark. No light. No magic.
The hall went silent.
"He has no mana," the guards whispered.
"Then he is not of our world."
Ren's phone glowed again.
Language Translator Activated.
The Queen's voice filled the room:
"A being without magic… then he is a dungeon beast. Kill him."
"Wait! Stop!" Ren shouted. "I didn't do anything! I don't even know where I am!"
The Queen's eyes narrowed.
"So you can speak our tongue after all. You were pretending."
She waved her hand.
"Throw him back in the dungeon. We will decide his fate at dawn."
Ren screamed as the guards dragged him away.
The last thing he saw was the Queen's silver gaze cold, unmoved, eternal as the sound of the rain from his old world echoed faintly in his ears.
The Dungeon Cleaner
The guards dragged Ren back into the cold cell, chains rattling around his wrists. The stone floor was wet, the air heavy with the smell of rust and damp straw. He sat down, leaning his head against the wall, staring at the faint light blinking from his phone.
He whispered to it.
"Where are we? What are you trying to tell me? What is this place… Dragon's Landing? Is it far from home?"
For a moment, there was only static — then the screen flickered.
[Warning: Unregistered Traveler Detected]
Rules cannot be revealed to unregistered travelers.
Time Force units currently scanning this timeline.
Traveler in danger. Do not move.
Ren's pulse quickened.
"Time Force…? What is that?"
The screen glowed again.
[Traveler Notification: One Rule Acquired]
Rule #1 – Stay put until a Time Detective locates you.
Breaking protocol may lead to erasure.
Ren frowned. "Erase me? What kind of nightmare app did I install?"
The phone buzzed once more.
[System Message: Traveler Rewards Activated]
Any gold earned in this world can be converted and sent to your real-world timeline.
Exchange Rate:
5 Gold Coins = $500
Ren's eyes widened.
"Money… it can send real money back?"
He looked down at his empty hands. For a moment, he almost laughed. "Maybe this is the only chance I've got to help Mom and Clara."
The phone continued:
[Traveler Action Required]
Please register recipient.
Ren typed quickly, entering Clara's name and bank account number.
[Transfer Confirmed]
First reward transferred to Clara.
The screen dimmed. Ren exhaled slowly half in relief, half in disbelief.
"So this… actually works."
But then a chill ran through him.
If this world was real enough to send money, what else could it take?
Hours later, the cell door creaked open again. The guards stepped in, armored boots echoing through the corridor.
"You. The Queen demands your presence."
They led him through long hallways of white stone until he reached a vast set of golden doors. When they opened, light poured in and there she was.
Queen Lina of Dragon's Landing.
Her throne was tall and silver, carved with the wings of dragons. Around her stood soldiers, mages, and courtiers, all staring at Ren with disgust.
As he entered, whispers rose among them.
"What's that thing doing here?"
"A beast without mana!"
"He mocks Her Majesty by standing upright!"
A guard stepped forward and struck Ren's leg with the end of his spear. He fell to one knee, grimacing.
"Dammit… what's wrong with you people?"
The Queen's voice cut through the noise calm, sharp, powerful.
"Silence."
The hall went still. Her eyes silver as steel rested on him.
"I am Queen Lina. You claim ignorance of where you are and how you arrived. Yet you stand here alive, without mana, without identity. Normally, such a creature would be executed."
Ren swallowed hard but said nothing.
"However," she continued, "you will be given a chance. Become a Dungeon Cleaner. Clear the infected lower chambers beneath the city. Survive, and you live another day."
Ren's phone flickered faintly at her words.
[Job Offer Detected]
Dungeon Cleaner Active Reward System Available.
He remembered the message: "Any money earned here can be sent home."
His mother in a coma.
Clara, still in school.
Rent unpaid.
A world that had forgotten him.
Ren looked up, trembling but determined.
"I accept."
A wave of surprise moved through the throne room. The guards exchanged glances. Even Queen Lina leaned forward slightly.
"You accept? No one volunteers for the dungeons."
Ren smiled weakly.
"Then maybe I'm no one."
The Queen studied him for a long moment. Then she spoke.
"Very well, traveler. Your life belongs to Dragon's Landing now."