Seun-mi Ho's alarm clock rang with the subtlety of a chainsaw, brutally yanking him from his dreams. He blinked, trying to remember if the sound was a deliberate act of torture or just another part of his daily routine. The red numbers on the clock read 7:30 AM.
"Great. Another day where I survive only because it's socially unacceptable to stop existing."
He sighed, rolling over in bed. Morning light filtered through his half-closed blinds, tracing lines of sunlight across the dusty floor of his small room. The calendar on the wall showed today's date: September 23, 2024. Just another ordinary day in the life of a third-year student at Seoul University.
Seun-mi got up with the grace of a zombie, his body protesting with every movement. He shuffled toward the bathroom, dragging his feet, and stared at himself in the mirror.
"That's better," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "At least now I look like someone who's lost the will to live."
He grabbed his toothbrush, shoved it into his mouth, and started brushing mechanically, staring at his reflection with a blank expression. His black hair stuck up in all directions, and the dark circles under his eyes could easily rival those of a panda.
"Note to self: Stop watching cat videos at 3 AM," he thought, spitting out the foam into the sink.
After a quick shower—which didn't do much to clear his foggy mind—Seun-mi slipped into his university uniform: a white shirt, black jacket, and matching pants. He grabbed his backpack, stuffed with books he knew he probably wouldn't open today.
"Ready for another day of pure insignificance," he murmured sarcastically, grabbing a piece of bread left on the table.
He stepped out of his apartment, leaving behind the suffocating silence of his small studio. The streets were already bustling, as always in Seoul. Students like him rushed toward their classes, workers in suits walked briskly, and life seemed to continue without paying attention to Seun-mi's existential dread.
As he walked to the bus stop, he noticed an old homeless man sitting against a wall, holding a cardboard sign that read: "Life's a joke. Give me a coin for the punchline."
Seun-mi smiled despite himself and fished a coin out of his pocket, handing it to the old man.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the punchline's gonna be epic," he said, throwing one last glance at the man.
The bus arrived, packed as usual, and Seun-mi fought his way through the crowd to find a seat by the window. He pressed his head against the cold glass, watching the buildings blur by. He felt like a background character in a movie, where the plot had left him behind.
"If my life were a video game, I'd probably be the useless NPC that gives out boring fetch quests," he thought with a sigh. "Like, 'Go collect three apples for my dinner' or something."
The bus eventually stopped in front of the university building, and Seun-mi got off with the other students. He walked across the campus, his thoughts drifting between the meaning of life, his impending assignments, and his desire to drop everything and become a goat farmer in some isolated mountain.
As he approached his building, he noticed a crowd of students gathered around something. Curious, but not curious enough to get involved, he kept walking until someone called out to him.
"Hey, Seun-mi!"
He turned to see Jae-hyun, his childhood friend, jogging toward him. Jae-hyun was the exact opposite of Seun-mi in every way: always smiling, full of energy, and annoyingly optimistic despite the circumstances.
"Did you see what's going on over there?" Jae-hyun asked, out of breath.
"No, and honestly, I'm sure it's not worth stopping for," Seun-mi replied with a shrug. "Unless someone decided to hand out free diplomas."
Jae-hyun laughed. "Nah, nothing that exciting. It's just a new street food stall. They're selling these giant hot dogs. You know, those ridiculously long ones that make you feel like you're compensating for something."
Seun-mi raised an eyebrow. "Ah, great. Exactly what my life was missing: phallic food."
Jae-hyun playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, man. Lighten up a bit. Life's too short to be this cynical all the time."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll lighten up when I'm dead. At least then I'll be able to enjoy the silence."
They continued walking together to their class, Jae-hyun chatting about random things, while Seun-mi chimed in occasionally with sarcastic comments. Deep down, though, he appreciated his friend's presence, even if he'd never admit it.
Entering the classroom, Seun-mi took his usual seat at the back, near the window. The professor started droning on about mathematical logic, a subject that, ironically, seemed devoid of any logic to Seun-mi.
"Why are we learning this again?" he whispered to Jae-hyun. "I mean, is anyone really going to ask me to solve an equation in real life? Like, 'Sorry sir, but you can't buy this coffee unless you solve this integral'?"
Jae-hyun stifled a laugh. "Who knows, maybe one day you'll have to calculate the probability of surviving a zombie apocalypse."
Seun-mi shrugged. "I'd rather get bitten. At least I'd have an excuse for being this lethargic."
As the class dragged on, Seun-mi felt his eyelids grow heavy. He tried to fight off sleep, but it was a losing battle. Before he knew it, he drifted off, his head resting on his folded arms.
The ambient noise of the classroom faded as Seun-mi slipped into a strange dream. He found himself standing in a vast plain, beneath a violet sky dotted with twinkling stars. In front of him stood an enormous golden gate, arch-shaped, seemingly calling out to him.
"What the hell is this?" he murmured, confused.
He approached the gate, hesitating. Before he could reach for the handle, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Welcome to the Heavenly Realm, player Seun-mi Ho. Your adventure is just beginning."
Seun-mi opened his eyes—or at least he thought he did. He was still standing before the vast golden door, but something had changed. The purple sky seemed more intense, and the air around him buzzed with an energy he didn't yet understand. He took a step back, feeling a slight wave of panic rise inside him.
"Okay, either this is an ultra-realistic dream, or I've been kidnapped by some video game cult," he muttered, glancing around nervously. "Either way, this sucks."
Just as he was about to turn away, a soft glow appeared in front of him, floating in the air. The light intensified, forming a luminous circle about a meter in diameter. Inside the circle, lines of code seemed to dance, as if a series of invisible numbers were coming to life.
"Great. Now I'm dreaming about data matrices."
Before he could react further, the glowing sphere emitted a faint electronic sound, like it was powering up, and then a calm, synthetic female voice spoke.
"Welcome, player Seun-mi Ho, to the Realm of Heaven. I am your designated interface. You may call me Interface."
Seun-mi squinted. "My what? Interface? Seriously? I would've hoped for something a bit more... creative."
"Originality is not part of my primary functions," the voice replied with what almost seemed like a hint of irony. "My role is to provide you with the necessary information to navigate this world and assist you in utilizing your abilities."
Seun-mi crossed his arms. "Alright, Interface. Let's start with the basics: where am I?"
The sphere glowed a bit brighter, as if pleased by the question. "You are in a parallel dimension known as the Realm of Heaven, a reality governed by fundamental data laws. You were transferred here after your death in your original world."
Seun-mi felt a chill run through his chest. "Wait... after my death? What do you mean by that? I'm dead?"
"Yes, you succumbed to an accident in your world. However, your consciousness was transferred here. You can think of this reality as a highly advanced video game, where everything you see, feel, and even who you are, is made up of data. You are now a player in the Realm of Heaven."
Seun-mi stood in silence for a moment, absorbing the information. Dead? A video game? It all felt like a bad joke, but deep down, he knew the voice wasn't lying. Or rather, it didn't seem capable of lying. Everything it said felt... logical, in a twisted way.
"So, if I understand correctly," Seun-mi began, rubbing his forehead, "everything here is made of data? Including me?"
"Precisely," confirmed the Interface. "In the Realm of Heaven, everything—living beings, objects, landscapes, and even the physical laws—is composed of data. You are now a data entity. Your body, thoughts, actions, everything is regulated by sophisticated algorithms. That's what allows this world to function under rules that you might consider 'fantastical.'"
"Fantastical… or completely ridiculous," Seun-mi retorted with a smirk. "So, if I'm made of data, can I 'hack' the system?"
"No," the Interface responded flatly. "The system is designed to be unbreakable by players. However, you do possess abilities that allow you to manipulate certain data within the world to your advantage. This is what gives you a chance to survive and progress."
Seun-mi raised an eyebrow. "Manipulate data? Explain that."
The glowing sphere emitted a soft hum, and suddenly, a series of holographic panels appeared in front of Seun-mi. They floated in the air, displaying lines of text and strange icons. Each panel seemed to represent some kind of menu or game interface.
"This is your main interface," the voice declared. "Here, you can access your statistics, skills, inventory, and other essential information. The data you can manipulate primarily concerns your own development as well as the entities you summon."
Seun-mi frowned as he looked over the panels. There was so much information that he didn't know where to begin. There were numbers, gauges, icons he'd never seen before. It all felt both familiar, like a video game, and strangely confusing.
"Alright... but how do I use all this?"
"It's simple. Everything in this world is built on fundamental data. These data are the raw material of reality here. As a player, you can interact with this data through this interface. For instance, you can 'summon' entities to assist you in battle. These entities are also made of data, just like you. You can also improve your own abilities by adjusting your stats."
"So, I can give myself superpowers just by tweaking a few numbers?" Seun-mi asked, a bit too hopeful.
"Not quite. You must accumulate experience and resources to increase your skills. Nothing here is free."
"Of course," Seun-mi grumbled. "Even in death, I still have to grind."
The Interface remained silent for a moment, as if analyzing the best way to continue. Then, a new screen appeared in front of Seun-mi. This one was filled with numbers and categories: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Charisma, and other stats familiar to any RPG player.
"These are your current stats," the Interface announced. "You start with standard attributes, but you'll have the opportunity to enhance them as you progress through this world."
Seun-mi scanned the numbers. His stats were surprisingly low, as if he had been reset to zero. "Great. Even in a fantasy world, I'm still mediocre."
"You will also have the chance to acquire special skills by interacting with the environment and completing quests," the voice continued. "But your system's main asset is your ability to summon divine entities."
"Divine entities?"
The glowing sphere brought up another screen, this time more colorful, showing images of mythical creatures, angels, demons, and other fantastical beings.
"As a player, you have the unique ability to summon powerful entities to assist you in battle and other situations. These entities are also made of data, but they possess abilities far beyond your own. You'll need to learn how to summon, control, and enhance them."
Seun-mi nodded, slightly impressed by the explanation. "So, I can create an army of gods to fight for me, is that it?"
"Not exactly. You must first recruit them, and each entity has its own cost and summoning conditions. You can't simply summon anyone you want whenever you want. Their data must be compatible with yours."
"Of course, because nothing is ever simple," Seun-mi muttered.
He looked at the holographic screens, feeling both excited and terrified. All of this felt like a game, an incredibly complex and dangerous game where every mistake could cost him dearly. But deep down, he knew he had no choice. This world was now his, and he had to learn how to survive in it.
"Alright," he said, sighing. "Where do I start?"
"I suggest starting by getting familiar with your basic skills and exploring the surroundings to get a sense of this new world. I'll be here to guide you every step of the way."
Seun-mi nodded, determined. "Alright. Let's see if I can survive this."
End of page one.