**Chapter 1: The Only Reader**
Kurogane was an ordinary office worker, trapped in the cycle of commuting from home to work and back again. His life was a monotonous tapestry woven from the same streets, the same swaying metro car, and the same plastic chair. Deeply asocial, he spoke to no one at the office, spending his breaks glued to a screen, his only friends the pages of manga. Lately, he had devoted all his time and energy to finishing a new series titled "The World of the Sword Gods."
That morning, like every other, he was jolted awake by the relentless shudder of his alarm clock. He writhed in his sheets, rubbed his eyes, and sat up sluggishly. "Ugh... Waking up to the same day again," he mumbled hoarsely into the gloomy morning twilight of his room. "I'm so sick of this. I wish I could escape this life."
He climbed out of bed, the soles of his feet meeting the cold laminate flooring, and switched off the alarm. It was 6:32 a.m. He needed to be at work by 7:10 at the latest. His heart clenched for a moment. "Dammit, it's past 6:30! I hope I'm not late again. If I am, the boss will definitely fire me... I won't even get to eat today."
He started moving frantically. He dressed quickly, splashed water on his face, and dashed out of his apartment. He took the stairs two or three at a time, running and gasping for breath. The early morning cold bit at his lungs on the street. When he reached the metro station, breathless, he checked the screen. "Ah, five minutes until the train leaves. I hope I make it."
As he descended to the platform, the train doors were just beginning to close. With an instinctive lunge, he slipped through the narrowing gap, stumbling inside just in time. The doors hissed shut behind him. Leaning against them, his chest heaving, he whispered, "Phew... Made it at the last second. I would have been late for sure."
He found an empty seat and collapsed into it. His heart was still pounding. He pulled his phone from his pocket. "Alright... Time to read chapter 99. Weird, chapter 100 hasn't been published for a month. Whatever..."
He opened the manga app, and the cover for chapter 99 appeared, depicting the epic clash between Kosmos and a mysterious, unknown man. "This is it! I'm going to read this. I'll see how Kosmos defeats this unknown enemy."
He began reading with immense excitement. His eyes raced across the pages, devouring every panel, every speech bubble with great pleasure. Internal cheers erupted within him. "This is it! An amazing battle! Come on, Kosmos, defeat him! How can some unknown guy possibly beat you?"
Just as the two characters were about to unleash their ultimate techniques, the chapter abruptly ended. The final panel showed only the beginning of a massive explosion and the words "TO BE CONTINUED..."
The excited expression on Kurogane's face instantly vanished, replaced by profound disappointment. "No! Impossible! Right at the most exciting part!" he muttered aloud, ignoring the few passengers around him. He immediately tried to proceed to the next chapter, but was met with a screen that read "CHAPTER 100 - COMING SOON."
At that very moment, the train arrived at its final stop. As the other passengers gathered their things and began to disembark, Kurogane remained in a state of shock, staring blankly at his phone. A deep sadness washed over him. "I wish... I wish I could read that 100th chapter," he murmured, almost like a prayer.
And then, it happened.
An intense, white light began to emanate from his phone's screen. First a slight flicker, then a blinding flare. Everyone had gotten off; the carriage was completely empty, save for him. The light was so powerful it felt like it was burning his eyes. He tried to move the phone away from his face. "What the?! What's happening to my phone?!"
The moment he cried out in panic, the light peaked with a momentary *crackle*, exploding like a flash that illuminated the entire carriage. Kurogane could no longer bear it and squeezed his eyes shut. A dizzying sensation of emptiness, a lurch in his stomach, and then... nothingness.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a desolate, ruined village. He was lying on a hard, dirt path. Dusty air burned his throat, and the sharp smell of rotting wood filled his nostrils. He slowly pushed himself up, his entire body aching. He looked around in confusion. Ramshackle huts, broken carts... "Wha... What is this? This place... It looks like the village from chapter 1 of the manga! But that's impossible! This can't be happening!"
Coarse voices and laughter from ahead startled him. He pricked up his ears. "Are those... the bandits from chapter 1?" he thought, his heart beginning to pound as if trying to escape his chest. "I have to get out of here now!"
Just as he turned to flee, a blue, semi-transparent interface materialized before his eyes, hovering in the air. It was written in a plain, digital font:
**[ Objective: Eliminate the Bandit Group ]**
**[ Time Limit: 15 Minutes ]**
**[ Reward: 10 Mana Points ]**
**[ Penalty: Death ]**
Kurogane froze. He blinked, shook his head, but the screen remained. "What the hell is this?!" he shouted, his voice trembling. "A blue screen in front of me! Time... 15 minutes? So if I can't defeat those bandits in 15 minutes... I'll die? This can't be real!"
His eyes fell upon a black, ancient katana plunged into the dirt beside him. Its hilt was worn, its scabbard covered in dust, but its blade emitted a dull gleam even in the faint light. "Huh? What's this? A sword? I guess... I guess I really have been transported into the manga world. But... how?"
Right then, the system message flickered and updated. The decreasing timer was a chilling tick-tock counting down in his soul.
**[ Time Remaining: 13 Minutes ]**
Time was running out. He swallowed, his throat tight. He looked at the katana on the ground, then in the direction of the bandits' voices. A look of determination settled on his face. "Ahh... I have no other choice. I already know their weaknesses."
His hand trembling, he reached out and gripped the katana's hilt. The metal felt cold and heavy in his grasp. He lifted it from the ground, shaking off the dust. He took a deep breath and began to advance towards the bandits' location, placing his feet as silently as possible. A cold sweat coated his back, and his palms were tense against the sword's grip. His knowledge of the manga was his only weapon now. And he had to use it.