The night sky stretched infinitely above, a deep and endless canvas of swirling stars. A large silver moon bathed the land in soft luminescence, casting long shadows through the wooden window of Alex's chamber. The wind outside howled gently, rustling the leaves of distant trees, bringing with it the cool scent of the earth.
Inside, his room was quiet but illuminated.
The soft glow of spiritual lanterns hanging on the wooden walls made the place feel warm, despite its simplicity. The furnishings were minimal—a large wooden bed carved with ancient dragon patterns, a small desk beside it, and a single majestic chair, its craftsmanship far superior to everything else in the room.
The contrast between the chair and the rest of the furniture was almost comical—as if someone had placed a throne inside a peasant's home.
After finishing his meal earlier, Alex had been feeling satisfied, but also strangely empty. It wasn't just his stomach that had been full—his mind was overflowing with questions.
Leaning against the window frame, he stared out into the breathtaking night, his heart filled with a quiet longing.
Then, almost without thinking, he muttered:
"Hey, System… can you play a song?"
A pause.
Then, unexpectedly, the System responded.
[Yes, Host.]
Alex's eyes widened slightly.
"…Wait, what?"
This was new.
"You can actually do that?"
[Affirmative.]
His heart skipped a beat in excitement. If the System could play music, then that meant…
"Can you play songs from my world?"
Another brief silence. Then:
[Yes, Host.]
Alex nearly choked.
This entire time, he had assumed the System was limited to this world's rules—but now, it had just confirmed that it still had access to Earth's knowledge.
Grinning, he folded his arms and exhaled slowly.
"Ohh… interesting. Then, play…" He thought for a moment. His chest felt strangely heavy tonight, as if the weight of his new reality was finally sinking in. He needed something that could match his emotions.
Then, softly, he whispered:
"Play 'I Want to Know What Love Is.'"
A short pause. Then, the System responded.
[Understood. Playing song.]
The moment the words registered in his mind, music began to play—not in the air, but inside his very soul.
A slow, powerful melody filled his thoughts, wrapping around his heart like a nostalgic embrace. The piano chords drifted gently at first, before a voice—rich and emotional—sang words that pulled at something deep inside him.
"I gotta take a little time… a little time to think things over…"
Alex's throat tightened.
The song hit differently when you were alone in an unfamiliar world.
He closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the music. The haunting melody carried emotions he hadn't fully acknowledged until now.
I was ripped from my world. I don't know why I'm here. I don't know what my purpose is.
But the lyrics… the lyrics spoke as if they knew his soul.
"I wanna know what love is… I want you to show me…"
He found himself whispering the lyrics softly, barely above a breath, his voice rough with emotion.
For the first time since coming here, he truly felt the isolation of his new reality.
There was no internet. No social media. No friends to text, no old childhood streets to walk, no familiar city lights or the sound of cars honking in traffic.
Earth was gone.
And here he was—alone in a world of cultivation, where people fought for power, where "face" and "status" ruled everything, and where he didn't belong.
The song slowly faded, its final echoes lingering in his heart like a distant memory.
Alex sighed deeply, staring into the night. His fingers tightened on the wooden window frame as he finally asked the question that had been burning inside him for days.
"System… why did you choose me?"
For the first time since he arrived, he wasn't asking out of curiosity or amusement—he was asking because he needed to know.
Why him? Why not someone else?
[Host level is too low to know.]
A simple answer.
A frustrating answer.
Alex let out a bitter chuckle, rubbing his temple. "Yeah, I thought so."
Of course, it wouldn't tell him. It never gave straight answers.
But that response confirmed something for him.
There was a reason.
The System hadn't just randomly selected him. He wasn't here by accident. Something bigger was happening.
Feeling drained, he pushed off the window frame and made his way to the majestic chair. He lowered himself into the seat slowly, placing both hands on his knees, staring at the flickering light of the lanterns.
His mind wandered.
"My friends…"
He didn't have many. He had always been an introvert, the kind of guy who spent his days buried in games,novels and work rather than social events.
"How will they react when they find out I'm dead?"
A sad thought.
Would they even care?
He didn't know.
Even on Earth, he had lived a quiet, invisible existence. He had always told himself that he was fine with that, that it was his choice to live that way.
But now…
Now, he wasn't so sure.
If I had known I was going to die… would I have done things differently?
No answer came.
He sighed again and pushed himself off the chair, his body still feeling pain due to poison. As he made his way toward the bed, he muttered:
"Until I can walk properly, I guess I have no choice but to rest."
Sitting down carefully, he let his body sink into the soft mattress. The dragon-patterned sheets felt cool against his skin as he stared up at the wooden ceiling.
His hands, resting on his chest, felt unfamiliar. They were his hands… but also not.
This body wasn't his original one.
Everything about him had changed. His strength, his stamina, even his very existence.
And yet… deep inside… he was still just Alex.
A guy who didn't know why he was here.
A guy who didn't know what fate had in store for him.
His eyes grew heavy, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to him.
His last thoughts, before slipping into sleep, were simple.
"I don't belong here… but I'll figure it out."
And with that, he fell into a deep slumber, the stars outside twinkling like distant dreams.