CHAPTER 1 INHERITANCE
Humans have always been curious and fascinated by space, and throughout history, they have made various efforts to explore and understand it. Initially, they relied on the stars as guides for their oceanic voyages, using celestial navigation to traverse the vastness of the sea. However, their thirst for knowledge led them to invent a remarkable tool called the telescope.
With the invention of the telescope, humans found a way to bring distant objects closer, granting them a glimpse into the wonders of space. It opened up new horizons and expanded their understanding, revealing the existence of other worlds and planets beyond Earth.
This incredible discovery only fueled humans' curiosity about the unknown realms of the universe. Over the centuries, they continued to make remarkable progress in unraveling the secrets of space. They explored and uncovered the mysteries of the solar system, a mere fraction of the immense galaxy, which, in turn, was just a small part of the ever-expanding universe.
To humans, space became a vast treasure trove, offering infinite opportunities for exploration and discovery. However, little did they know of the lurking horrors that awaited them amidst the cosmic expanse.
In a dimly lit, frigid passage, a young man with dark hair lay asleep on the hard ground. He stirred uneasily, realizing that his "bed" felt far from satisfactory.
"Ugh... Damn it! That deceitful landlord assured me this bed was fine when I paid 300k won for rent," he grumbled, recalling the landlord's lie from the previous night. Despite the steep rent, it was the only affordable apartment he could find in Seoul. As he sat up and opened his eyes, he was met with pitch-black darkness.
"What's going on? I distinctly remember leaving the lights on before I slept... Could it be that the building's electricity is faulty too?" he pondered, his forehead creasing with frustration. His right hand clenched into a fist, striking the floor in exasperation.
Bang!
Crack!
"Aaarghhh! Damn, it... my hand... my bloody hand!" he exclaimed, clutching his broken wrist in agony. The shock of pain caused his drowsy eyes to adjust gradually to the darkness. It was then that he realized the cold, unyielding floor beneath him; he was no longer in his tiny apartment. Hastily rising from the ground, he surveyed his surroundings, only to find solid, obsidian walls surrounding him on all sides.
"... Where the hell am I?" he muttered, panic creeping into his voice. The realization dawned upon him: he was trapped in a completely dark, silent, and chilling passage. Two possibilities lingered in his mind—either he had been kidnapped or transported to another realm. Yet, being a perpetually unlucky individual, he found the latter option utterly implausible. Such extraordinary circumstances could never befall someone as ill-fated as him.
Moreover, he knew his insignificance in the eyes of ordinary kidnappers. Apart from his position as the heir of Jang Pharmaceuticals, which he was set to inherit at the age of twenty according to his late father's will, he possessed nothing of substantial value.
"Dan Sang-Hee, you wretched woman. Was it not enough to coerce me into relinquishing my inheritance? Now... now you want to eliminate me?" he muttered, convinced that his stepmother was responsible for his predicament. Jang Jeong's voice dripped with a blend of resentment and apprehension, well aware of the depths to which Dan Sang-Hee would stoop.
"Silence, huh...? Do you think confining me to this dark abyss will instill fear in me? Think again," he exclaimed, his voice resonating through the desolate passageway. Yet, all that answered his cries was a haunting silence. Realizing that his captors had placed him here with a purpose, he sneered and declared, "If it's a game you want to play, then I shall oblige."
With determination gleaming in his eyes, Jeong resolved to follow the enigmatic kidnapper's plan, traversing the dark passageway with resolute strides.
*************** TWO DAYS LATER*************
THUD!
Exhausted, famished, and parched, Jeong collapsed to his knees. It had been two arduous days since he embarked on his journey through the endless passageway, yet the exit eluded him. His broken wrist had swollen considerably, throbbing with excruciating pain. Lacking any first-aid supplies, he resorted to wrapping a torn strip of cloth from his shirt around his wrist, but it offered little solace.
"Why... Why are you doing this to me? If you desire my death, just end it. But if you seek to make me beg for my life..." Jeong's voice wavered, a faint whisper in the desolation. Unfortunate events had plagued him throughout his life, but he had never succumbed to defeat. Even in the face of his father's demise and being coerced into relinquishing his rightful inheritance, Jeong had persisted in his struggle. Thus, the pangs of hunger and thirst would not break his spirit. Raising his left hand, he defiantly extended his middle finger, shouting, "Go... go fuck yourself!"
Stomp!
"Keuk...!"
Jeong rose from his knees, mustering the last vestiges of strength to continue his search for an exit, despite the weariness and anguish riddling his body. He chose to seek liberation through an agonizing pursuit rather than passively awaiting his demise.
"10,500...
10,501...
10,502..."
Jeong counted each second as he trudged through the seemingly endless passageway. Enveloped in darkness, he had lost all sense of time. Speaking to himself, though aware of the energy it drained, was his only tether to sanity.
"11,000..."
The passage of time wore away Jeong's strength. His legs trembled with exhaustion, and his eyes grew heavy. He sensed his consciousness slipping away, desperately clinging to the fading light of wakefulness.
"So, you're ready to give up now...? I suppose my expectations were too high," a faint whisper echoed within Jeong's mind. He scanned his surroundings, searching for the origin of the voice, his hand pressed against his throbbing forehead as he tilted his head upward.
"Kyhahahaha... Hearing voices now, am I? I must be losing my mind," he laughed, dismissing the voice as the onset of madness. His swollen hand worsened, and fever coursed through his weakened body. His vision blurred, and his footing faltered. The verge of collapse loomed imminently. He turned to face the adjacent wall.
"Arghhhhhhhh!" he bellowed.
Jeong resolved that he would rather die than succumb to madness. With every ounce of strength he could muster, he sprinted toward the wall, intending to meet his end head-on. Yet, instead of meeting an unyielding obstacle, he phased through it.
SPLASH!
As his momentum carried him forward, Jeong stumbled and fell face-first into a body of water. Gasping for air, he swiftly lifted his head above the water's surface, relief washing over him. He marveled at the transformed surroundings: a bright, expansive realm, with water blanketing the floor. Thirst no longer tormented him. Scooping water with his left hand, he drank deeply, revitalizing his depleted body.
"Ahhh... Refreshing."
Amidst his solace, an unfamiliar voice reverberated through the air, startling Jeong, and causing him to fall onto his back. Searching for the source of the voice, he turned his attention toward the massive tree that towered above him, its branches connecting to myriad stars, an awe-inspiring sight he struggled to comprehend. "Wow... that tree is colossal."
"Fascinating, isn't it?" the mysterious voice responded.
With keen ears, Jeong traced the voice's origin to the tree's base, though his distance prevented him from discerning the speaker's identity.
"Who... Who are you? Did you bring me here?" Jeong dismissed the notion of his stepmother's involvement, certain that such a woman could never orchestrate something so extraordinary. Even if she had knowledge of this place, Jeong was convinced she would have exploited and sold pieces of the tree.
However, his curiosity was piqued by the enigmatic voice's identity.
"...Who am I? Hahaha... My true name has long escaped me. Yet, I know who you are and what you shall become, Jang Jeong."
The voice's cryptic words left Jeong bewildered and intrigued simultaneously. Who could forget their own name while remembering someone else's? Suspicions arose within him, questioning the voice's legitimacy. He had encountered similar scenarios in novels, where a voice promised the protagonist strength and attempted to possess their body. Having read countless novels, Jeong knew better than to fall for such apparent tricks. Still, his curiosity compelled him to inquire further.
"And what shall I become?" Jeong inquired, his voice steady.
"KYAHAHAHA... You shall become my successor, inheriting all my power!"