Hey, my name's Alex Cruz. I guess I'm pretty smart, or at least that's what my parents always tell me. They've got big plans for me, a "bright future" and all that. People either admire me, envy me, or secretly resent me—I've noticed. But honestly, I don't care. I've always felt like life is just one big, monotonous loop. School, study, home, sleep, repeat. I do my best to make my parents proud, thinking it'll give me some kind of freedom. But that's never how it works. I'm never really free—not with them always breathing down my neck.

But hey, this story? It's about how everything changed. How I ended up in a completely new world—just like I always dreamed. But now, I'm starting to wonder… can I truly get the freedom I've always wanted, even here?

I'm the older sibling, the responsible one, or at least I'm supposed to be. My little sister's in high school, and I'm stuck in junior college. Life's been pretty standard: wake up, go to class, get home, study, repeat. Nothing special.

But one day, on my usual walk home, I spotted this tiny bookstore I'd never seen before. It stood out because it seemed so... out of place. It was tucked in a little corner of the street, hidden behind a couple of other buildings. So naturally, my curiosity got the best of me. I walked inside.

The moment I stepped through the door, I felt like I'd entered a different world. The air smelled like old paper, and there was a kind of quiet that just swallowed you up. There was a young lady behind the counter who looked up as I came in. I asked her if they had any books on programming—yeah, I'm a computer science major, always trying to improve my skills.

She shook her head, though, and said, "Sorry, we only sell novels here."

"Novels?" I didn't really know what that meant.

She smiled a little and said, "You know, stories. Fantasy, adventure, stuff like that."

I didn't know much about novels, but something about the idea of stories with adventure and fantasy made me curious. So, I wandered around, looking at the shelves. I picked up a random book, cracked it open, and started reading. The prologue was about a kid using a wand to cast magic. I was hooked instantly. I don't even know why, but I couldn't stop reading.

Next thing I knew, the shop was about to close. The young lady came over and told me she had to shut down for the night. So, I quickly bought the book, left the store, and headed home.

And of course, as soon as I walked in, my parents gave me the usual lecture for being late. I wasn't really paying attention. I just went to my room, pulled out the book, and started reading again. I stayed up all night. I couldn't put it down. It felt like the first time in ages that something actually felt exciting.

From then on, I made it a routine. Every night, I'd stop by the store to get a new book. My grades didn't drop—no one really noticed. My parents were busy with their own stuff, so they didn't pay much attention.

I started reading more fantasy. The stuff with crazy powers, magical worlds, and heroes who couldn't be defeated. It was like a completely different reality. And the more I read, the more I started thinking, "Why not me? Why can't I be that guy? The one who's unstoppable."

It wasn't long before I realized I was hooked. I wanted to be one of those heroes. I didn't just want to read about them. I wanted to live it. I wanted to be that powerful.

One night, it was pouring rain, and I had to take a shortcut home. I was in a hurry, just trying to get out of the rain. The sky was flashing with lightning, and every couple of minutes, a massive bolt would light up the sky. But I wasn't worried. I figured the buildings around me would keep me safe. It wasn't like I could be that unlucky, right?

Yeah, well... turns out I was wrong.

Out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning hit me.

It didn't hurt, not at all. It was just a sudden surge of energy, and then... nothing. I didn't feel anything else. Everything went dark.

And that's how I died.

But don't think that's the end of my story. It's just the beginning.

In a World Called Ethermal

There was a man named Alex Lee, the son of the patriarch, Ben Lee, of the powerful Lee family. Today was a significant day: Alex was about to marry a beautiful woman named Rose, whom he had met during his travels across the world. The wedding was a grand affair, attended by numerous guests, including his father, a 5th Realm Intermediate martial artist, and various family elders from the 1st to 5th Realm, with Ben Lee being the strongest among them.

In this world, martial artists progress through five distinct realms, each corresponding to one of the five main senses of the human body. The more senses one unlocks, the stronger they become, until they reach the peak.

Taste RealmSight RealmSkin RealmHearing RealmBone Forging Realm

Each realm is divided into four sub-realms: Initial, Intermediate, Advanced, and Peak. Beyond the 5th Realm, no one knows what lies ahead.

At the time, the Lee family was ranked 8th among the noble families, owing to the strength of three elders in the 5th Realm. The wedding was a spectacular event, and Alex and Rose exchanged vows, officially becoming husband and wife.

50 Years Later

Alex had children later in life. He had five children, each a promising martial artist, the eldest being only 10 years old. His children were separated by only two years, a close-knit family of warriors.

But Alex's father, Ben, was growing old and seeking a way to extend his life. He had heard rumors of a treasure that could improve his lifespan and allow him to break through to the Peak of the 5th Realm. One day, Ben told Alex that he would be going on a journey with two old protectors to search for the treasure.

Some might have believed that the Lee family would weaken without their patriarch, but the Lee family knew better. Alex and his wife, Rose, were both 5th Realm martial artists—much stronger than Ben's protectors—and the family's strength would remain intact.

The next day, Ben and the protectors left the Lee family residence, heading into the wilderness. Alex bid his father farewell, not knowing that a shadow of danger loomed.

The Song family, ranked 6th, had spies watching the Lee family. They saw the three 5th Realm martial artists leave the residence and reported it to their patriarch, Bale. The Song family saw an opportunity to strike—if they could eliminate the Lee family's protectors, they could seize the military might and assets of the Lee family.

The Song family sent four 5th Realm martial artists, including Bale, to ambush the Lee family experts in the forest. Unaware of the danger, the Lee family protectors traveled carelessly, chatting and laughing as they made their way through the forest, certain that no beast or enemy could harm them in this area.

But then, an attack came.

One of the Lee experts was ambushed. He raised his arm to defend himself at the last second, only to be injured and left with a limp arm. The Lee experts immediately began searching for their attackers, only to find the Song family revealing themselves and laughing.

Without hesitation, Ben Lee attacked the Song protector, killing him in a single strike. Bale, the Song patriarch, was caught off guard. Although he appeared unprepared, he quickly retaliated, but Ben Lee was slightly stronger and landed a blow on him.

The battle raged on, and although there was no clear winner at first, the situation worsened when one of the injured Lee protectors was killed by a Song family expert. One by one, the Lee family protectors fell.

Ben Lee fought valiantly, but his energy began to wane. In a desperate attempt, he poured all his remaining strength into a final punch, one that could potentially reach the power of a Peak 5th Realm martial artist. The punch landed squarely on Bale, creating a gaping hole in his chest. His heart was obliterated, but the Song family protectors quickly overwhelmed Ben, delivering a fatal blow.

When the Lee family experts died, their soul candles went out as well. This prompted Alex to begin a search. After some time, he eventually found the bodies of his family's experts. He made sure they were properly buried, honoring their sacrifice.

Months Later

The Song family, weakened by the loss of their own martial artists, saw their rank fall. Despite this, they believed the Lee family had been significantly weakened, and they challenged the Lee family to a family ranking battle. The Song family believed that the Lee family, without their patriarch, would be easy prey.

The battle began, and the Lee family gained a slight advantage. When it came time for the 5th Realm experts to fight, the Lee family had two: one at the Peak of the 5th Realm, and the other at the Advanced stage. They fought fiercely, and the Lee family emerged victorious in their matches, overwhelming the Song family with ease.

However, the deciding match would prove to be a turning point. Daniel, the Song patriarch, played mind games with Alex, manipulating him with the threat of killing his firstborn son. Easy to anger, Alex lost his focus and charged at Daniel, the Song family's champion, leaving his soul unprotected.

Seeing an opportunity, Daniel used a powerful artifact he came across by chance the first of its kind, one designed to harm the soul. The artifact struck Alex's soul, causing immense damage. Daniel, surprised to see the artifact have little effect, ignored the surprise and continued his fight. Though Alex was in excruciating pain he didn't know from what, his resistance to the pain allowed him to continue attacking. The battle ended in a narrow victory for the Song family, as Alex's damaged soul ultimately led to his downfall.

Following the battle, Alex told his family that he needed time to recuperate. He didn't want them to worry about the serious injury to his soul. But over the years, his condition worsened, and despite appearances, he was far from recovering. His soul was slowly decaying, and he was nearing death.

His family continued to visit, believing that he was on the path to recovery, but Alex could feel himself slipping away. Despite his outward health, inside, he was deteriorating.

And just when Alex was on the brink of death, that's when I—the protagonist—arrived to take over his burden.