"Why the hell did I read this fucking novel? What is this damn book full of the cliché Romeo and Juliet? And on top of that, they killed the prettiest chick just because she was the bad girl? Fuck that shit!"
Orson threw the novel he had been reading aside in anger and sat by the window, looking outside. The only thing his ex-girlfriend left behind when she dumped him was this novel. In fact, this novel was a romantic-fantasy webnovel written by his ex-girlfriend. Initially, this novel had been published online, but now it was printed as a proper book, and it even had its own Webtoon. Moreover, there were rumors lately that this novel would be adapted into an anime. But to Orson, the anime and manga industry was a dump. Sure, there were some treasures in the trash, but mostly it was just garbage, and Orson thought his ex-girlfriend's stupid novel fit right in that dump.
"Ahhhh, fuck my life!!"
Orson was going through another one of his momentary depressive episodes, and of course, he wasn't shy about using his unpleasant language. But still, his dirty mouth might have been one of the least effective things in his breakup. Orson was extremely lazy, narcissist, and self-centered, but not, despite all this, it couldn't be said that somewhere deep inside him, his heart was actually clean!
However, just then, a terrible smell came from the kitchen, and Orson lifted his plump ass off the chair and walked toward the kitchen. Since the apartment was small, he quickly reached the kitchen and opened the closed door. When he entered the kitchen, he noticed a strong gas smell, but after making sure there was no gas leak, he realized that the gas cylinder had been left open. Orson quickly turned off the cylinder and then walked slowly to illuminate the dark room. The gas smell was so unbearable that Orson was having trouble even breathing.
"Damn it! Now I have to deal with this shit?!" Orson yelled and hit the electric switch hard, out of anger at the situation he was in.
*BOOOOOOOOMM
The moment Orson's fingers touched the electric switch, with a momentary explosion sound, the entire room was engulfed in flames. In less than a second, the spark triggered by the gas's density turned the entire kitchen into a fireball. Orson's eyes widened, but it was already too late to avoid it.
The heat and intensity of the explosion threw Orson backward. The vibration created by the blast shook the entire building; windows, doors, and walls crumbled. The air was filled with the smell of burnt wires and smoke. Orson's mind was almost at a standstill because of the buzzing sound he heard... In fact, it had already come to a standstill. Orson probably died without feeling pain for even a few seconds; maybe that was the good part of his death. He hadn't felt any pain.
"What kind of fucking death is this?! How did I die in the worst and dumbest way possible? Also, Is there even a good way to die? I'm dead, that's it...." Orson said to the void.
"Wait, what the hell? Why are curses still coming out of my damn mouth? Didn't I die? Shit, I guess I ended up in the afterlife or something, right? Hey, you old bastard! Send me to damn hell; I already have a few sons of bitches I want to find there!" Orson kept shouting into the void, but it was God he was shouting at, and even though he was dead, he seemed to speak with some courage...
He kept cursing into the void until his ugly language started to bother even himself, but then a light came over and pulled Orson in. He felt as if he were being sucked into a black hole or a wormhole. He felt like he was falling through a long, colorful tunnel and had no idea how long he had been falling. Was it for an hour, or had he been falling for a day, or maybe even weeks? Losing his sense of time and space. What was Orson doing in this situation? Absolutely nothing. He was enjoying the fall with his eyebrows furrowed and his hands supporting his head.
"Ah yes, that damn white light.... Let me guess, now I'm going to be reincarnated into a fantasy world? The hell of a cliché. Well, at least I'd better be born as a prince or something! I'll build a huge harem of the prettiest chicks and have super magical powers to pass through everyone... Hehehe, that's a pretty good fantasy."
As Orson was lost in his daydream, he suddenly felt very heavy, and when his eyes closed by themselves, he had never felt this tired in his life... or rather, throughout his life and death, he had never felt this tired. As Orson was drawn into the light, he strangely floated toward peace, his eyelids heavily closing. This silence floating in the void was very different from the sudden shock of the explosion. It felt as if every cell in his body was enveloped in comfort and drowsiness, but it wasn't a sleep that lasted annoyingly long. On the contrary, he was enveloped in a peace he knew inwardly but couldn't put into words; it was as if he was shedding all his burdens. However, this transitional state didn't last long.
Suddenly, the emptiness Orson felt gradually gave way to a warmth. It was a strange feeling, as if leaving behind the cold arms of death while warmth began to wrap around him. Orson slowly tried to open his eyes. The first thing he saw was a dense, bright blue sky; this sky, with clouds floating around it, was very different from the dark explosion scene he had last seen.
Orson frowned and lifted his head to look around. He was lying on the sand; fine, golden sand grains were scattered around him. A gentle wave of sound reached his ears, and he realized he had found himself on a beach. However, the beach didn't resemble any world beach he had expected. The massive reddish mountains in the distance and the gigantic trees that shone like huge emeralds turned this view into something almost dreamlike. Even after experiencing all this, Orson instinctively understood that something within him had changed, that he was in another world.
"Where the hell is this fucking place?"
When Orson heard a loud and critical tongue-clicking sound behind him, he turned around and saw a tall, bearded old man, like a mountain. The tightly fitted and neat clothes he wore clearly indicated that he was some kind of steward.
" please be careful with your language, Lord Neonidas," said the old steward.
"Ahhh yes.... You must be joking, right? Really.... Wait. Hey, old man, who am I?" Orson asked... No, now with his new name, Neonidas.
"Are you mocking me, my Lord? My old head isn't young enough to handle jokes," he replied, using his hands to smooth down his long, straight white beard.
"Hey, fuck... Ohem, I mean my dear steward, answer my question.... Please."
The old steward sighed deeply and tiredly before he began to speak. "You are Duke Neonidas, one of the 12 dukes of the empire.... Unfortunately."
When Orson, or rather Neonidas, heard that he was a duke, he jumped up with excitement. He might not be a prince, but he was a duke! That really meant he could establish a vast harem of beautiful women! Neonidas grinned madly, but then suddenly his eyes widened as if he had realized something.
"Wait... Dear steward, please tell me. Did you just say there are twelve dukes? And what was the name of our empire? This can't be a coincidence, right? This can't be, can it?" Neonidas asked fearfully.
"Hah.... Yes, there are twelve dukes. And our empire is called the Donnadan Empire... Who am I serving..." said the steward, frequently sighing and with a face that looked about to go into a depression.
Neonidas began to walk back and forth crazily, his hands on his head as numerous thoughts flowed through his lazy brain. Yet, thinking that there was still a chance, he turned back to the steward again. Gathering his courage, he asked the steward another question, wishing with all his heart for the answer he wanted.
Neonidas fixed his eyes on the steward's face, forcing himself to smile to not lose hope. "Steward, tell me, do I have a fiancée? And is her name Allea?"
The old steward shook his head with a weary sigh. "Yes, Duke Neonidas, your fiancée is Princess Allea. She is one of the six most beautiful women in the empire, and according to most people, she is the most beautiful among them. And unfortunately, this prized princess is engaged to someone like you! - Ohom, she is engaged to you, my Lord." The steward said, but Neonidas had already collapsed to the ground upon hearing these words.
"As if being reincarnated in that damn clichéd novel wasn't enough, now... Now I'm the husband of the bad girl?! I.... I'm fucked..... I'm really fucked."