A dark room.I look around, my vision still slightly blurred. Wind whistles through small gaps in the wooden walls of the hut. The floor is stained with blood. A crying baby somewhere behind me. And in front of me—a woman.
Brown hair. Red eyes. Skin as white as snow.She's wearing rags—at least, that's what they look like. But something about her feels… wrong.
"GET AWAY!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!" she screams.
Why?Why is she screaming at me?
Her entire body trembles. Tears stream down her face as she crawls backward toward the door. Her eyes are locked onto mine—wide open, filled with pure terror.
"Excuse me, wh—"
I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off.
"YOU— YOU'RE A MONSTER!! A DARS! HAVEN'T YOU CAUSED ME ENOUGH SUFFERING ALREADY?!"
I don't understand what she's talking about.
I look down at myself—bare torso, brown leather pants, my body covered in… blood?
Huh?!
Since when am I this built?! My chest is broad and hairy, thick veins pulsing along my forearms. I raise a hand to my face and feel a strange sensation—something itchy. Soft.
…Is that a beard?
I look back at the woman. Her breathing grows shallow—probably because she's exhausted every last ounce of strength she had left. I take a step toward her. The closer I get, the more obvious her fear becomes—her disgust, her terror of what I might do to her.
"Please…" she whispers."I… I can't take this anymore. Take the child and leave me alone."
I kneel down. My body feels… different. Light. No back pain—the kind I've lived with for years.
"I don't understand. What happened?" I ask.
She looks at me. Our eyes meet. Fear turns into confusion. Then into something else—I can't quite read it. Her jaw tightens. She grabs a glass bottle lying beside the door and throws it at me.
Slowly.
She threw it with all her strength, but to me it moves like it's underwater.
I catch it.
When I look back at her—she's gone.
The door stands open. Cold wind rushes in. Snow falls into the hut.
A few moments pass. Then I step outside.
Before me stretches an endless frozen landscape—snow, trees, frozen rivers in the distance. It looks like I've been dropped onto a damn mountain.
I clutch my head, massage my temples, and sit down cross‑legged.
"This can't be real…" I mutter.
Just minutes ago, I was sitting at my desk, getting ready to visit my mother in the hospital.
So how the hell did I end up here—at the edge of the world?
Is this Siberia? Antarctica?
But more importantly—why don't I feel cold?
The snow is thicker and deeper than anything I've ever seen. Animals lie frozen on the ground, dead from the cold.
So why am I fine?
I sigh.
Then my gaze drifts downward—toward the base of the mountain.
And I see her.
The woman from the hut.
Frozen.
As if time itself stopped her mid‑movement.
"What…?"
My hands begin to shake. Sweat forms on my skin—then freezes instantly against my forehead. My breathing becomes uneven.
I… where's my inhaler?!My asthma—I can't breathe.
Damn it… I—
…
[WELCOME, PLAYER]
Huh?
Player…?Hahaha. Is this a joke?
[CHOOSE YOUR PATH]
→ [BERSERKER]
→ [MAGE]
→ [WORLD TRAVELER]
→ [HEALER]
→ [BATTLE MAGE]
→ [WARRIOR]
Am I losing my mind?Or did I somehow put on a VR headset and start a game that wipes my memories?
[SELECTION: BERSERKER]
Huh?! Hey—wait, I didn't choose that!What the hell is this?!
[STATUS]
Korran Dars — Level 978
[Berserker]
Human (Dars)
[Title: Ghost of Aquis Grana, The Undying]
STR: 360
AGL: 180
INT: 70
DEX: 160
CON: 208
[SPECIAL ATTRIBUTE: ODEM — Undying Rage]
[SPECIAL ATTRIBUTE: ODEM — Monarchs Reign]
Korran Dars…That's supposed to be me? This really does feel like one of the games I used to play. But… aren't these stats insanely high? Then again—thinking about how this body looks, how it reacted to the environment…
Maybe it makes sense?
No idea.
But it seems like I've been reborn into another body.A strong one. A resilient one.The kind I always wished I had.
"Okay…" I murmur.
I'll figure out what's going on eventually. For now—I'll enjoy this.
[INSTALLATION COMPLETE]
[RETURNING TO WORLD…]
…
I slowly open my eyes. A pleasant warmth surrounds me. I roll onto my side, pull the blanket tighter around myself, and stare into a massive fire.
A shadow stretches across the ground—huge and broad.
"Hey… you're awake?" a voice asks.
Female.
I sit up, run a hand through my hair, take a deep breath—then turn toward the voice.
Huh?!What the hell?!
"AAAAHHH!!!"
I scream.
A giant—no, a giantess!!
How tall is she? Ten meters? No—maybe fifteen. She sits across the fire in a massive cave, looking down at me with wide, curious eyes.
Her hair is red like fresh blood.So are her eyes.
"That's not very nice…" she whispers.
She looks genuinely hurt. Her face flushes red as she slowly extends an open palm toward me.
In it lies a baby, wrapped in a dirty, blood‑stained cloth.
It's silent.
"So I save someone… even help with his baby… and this is how I get treated…"
I carefully take the baby into my arms, never taking my eyes off her.
It's… so small.So innocent.
The baby opens its eyes, stretches its arms, and grabs my beard.
"OW!" I yelp reflexively.
Damn it. I never had a beard before.That actually hurts—even if it's just a baby.
"This child… is it yours?" the giantess asks."it is right… Ghost of Aquis Grana?"
Ghost of Aquis Grana…That was on my status screen. One of my titles.
How does she know that?
"I don't know. I'm sorry, but I don't know this child," I say honestly.
She frowns, crosses her arms, and leans forward slightly, studying me.
"It has to be you. But… why is someone as powerful as you here—in the realm of giants? And more importantly… why do you seem so afraid? That doesn't match what I've heard about you."
So I look afraid.
Fair enough. First impression matters—and I did scream like a little girl.
"Listen. I have no idea who you are, who this baby is, or who the hell I am."
I take a pillow, place the baby down gently.
"Thank you… for saving me. But I can't help you."
She stretches out her left hand, blocking my path as I move toward the cave exit.
"W‑wait, please," she says, her voice trembling.
Why does she suddenly look so nervous? Earlier she was confident. Imposing.
"Your plan was… yes. You wanted to overthrow the Empire!"She hesitates."I don't know what happened to you—but please, let me help. I'm a huge supporter of your cause!"
Suddenly, a loud ping echoes in my head.
⸻
[POTENTIAL ALLY]
Astrid Ragnarsson — Level 64
[Warrior]
Race: Giant
[CONFIRM: YES / NO]
⸻
Huh?
So I'm not just a monster myself—I can recruit allies too?
Oh hell yes.
YES. ABSOLUTELY YES.
I don't even care why.
"I think that would be a good idea. Your help is very welcome."
She straightens up and starts jumping in excitement. The ground shakes, rocks crumble from the ceiling.
"Yayyy!!"
One chunk of stone falls straight toward the baby.
I move instantly—grab the child and hold it tight.
[NEW ALLY ACQUIRED: Astrid Ragnarsson]
[ROLE: Advisor 1/5]
"Oops. Sorry, Boss."
I sigh.
Then I slowly walk toward the cave exit, cold wind brushing against my face. Before leaving, I glance back at her.
"So, Astrid. Where do we go first?"
She frowns slightly, then brushes dirt off herself.
"How do you know my name? I never told you."
"…Right. Uh—"
Shit. I can't tell her I have a system feeding me information.
She looks confused but continues anyway.
"We should head north. The giant capital is there. My father will be pleased to welcome a Dars."
Your father?
"Yep. King of the Giants. Ragnar."
…Did I just recruit a princess?
What will that guy think?
She continues, "We'll find help there—to plan your next attack."
I clear my throat."Sure. Lead the way."
"Oh, don't be silly."
Huh?!
She picks me up effortlessly and places me on her shoulder.
"Much more practical."
She starts walking. I cling to her hair, the baby still in my arm.
Everything changed so fast. I still don't fully understand what's happening.
But one thing's for sure—
I love it.