Alden could be seen in a narrow alleyway, walking slowly as pain shot through him with every step. Each move felt like a reminder of the beating he had endured.
He was lucky that the guard arrived earlier. Without his help, he'd probably be lying unconscious on the ground after another round of merciless beating from Ranno.
This was the world of Heavenly Path Awakened, a harsh place where being weak was the same as being dead.
Individuals in this world could awaken unique talents—abilities to manipulate elements, heal, or summon devastating powers.
Even those born without talents weren't entirely hopeless. They could train in martial arts, harnessing their physical progress to grow stronger over time.
But Sammy had none of that. No talent. No potential for training in martial arts. Nothing.
"Damn it," he muttered bitterly, his voice filled with frustration. "Is this RealityKing's way of punishing me for calling his story garbage?"
He never imagined this could happen. The things he thought only happened in stories were now his reality.
Thrown into the world of Heavenly Path Awakened, Alden was consumed by anger. But deep down, he knew that no amount of anger could undo what had already happened.
Now, he had no choice but to play the role of the so-called main character, even if it disgusted him.
"How am I supposed to survive here?" he muttered, his voice trembling with uncertainty. "This world demands greatness, and I've got… nothing."
He was here.
And he was Sammy.
Alden ran a hand through his hair, trying to think. If he wanted to survive, he needed a plan. Something. Anything.
Thump! Thump!
As he wandered deeper into his thoughts, his heart suddenly started beating fast... fast and even faster with each passing second.
He was confused.
It felt like his chest was being squeezed tightly, as though his heart wanted to break free and escape.
"Arghh... my heart!"
He grasped, clutching his chest.
Thump!
~Thump!
The pounding grew louder with every breath. His chest felt heavier, each inhale becoming shallow and uneven.
"What's happening—" He stammered, struggling to complete his statement.
His face was filled with panic. Sweat drops down his forehead as his hands grip his chest, desperately trying to make sense of the strange occurrence that was happening within him.
Thump~ Thump~ Thump!!!
"Arghhh..."
The thumping wouldn't stop or slow down—it was only getting louder and faster, echoing in his ears, as though his heart wasn't just beating inside him but all around him.
Breathing and talking now seemed a little difficult.
Now, he was completely exhausted. His legs felt like they could no longer hold him, and his vision was growing blurry. Stumbling slightly, he managed to move toward the wall, leaning his body heavily against it for support.
This was abnormal!
Somehow, this feeling was almost similar to the first time it happened to him.
Hope it wasn't what he was thinking?!
And then—
Alden's heart gave one final, deafening THUMP... his heartbeat suddenly ceased. With a loud thud, he collapsed to the ground.
When Alden opened his eyes, he found himself in a strange, unfamiliar place.
He would have jumped to his feet, but the pain coursing through his body made even moving a struggle.
How...? What...? These kinds of questions filled his mind.
In this place, everything he saw was strange. The sky was red, and there were two suns shining above, both glowing with the same blood-red light.
The sight of this place was terrifying, sending a chilling sense of danger through him.
Just as he managed to stand, a strange being appeared before him in a flash, sending a jolt of terror through his mind.
It stood only a few miles away, its piercing gaze locked on him. Calling this thing before him a 'strange being' was wrong… he would call it a demon.
The strange being stood in a mysterious form, unlike anything Alden had ever seen. Its skin was as dark as the night sky, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural, eerie yellow.
Its horns were long and sharp, pulsing with a strange, red energy that made anyone who looked at them feel dizzy. A sinister air surrounded it, radiating pure evil. Anyone who gazed upon it would feel a cold chill run down their spine.
Seeing this terrifying creature in front of him, Alden shivered at its appearance. If he tries running away, there was no way he could outrun such a monster.
The strange being rolled its eyes at Alden and then slowly raised its hand, pointing at him. "Finally, I was able to drag you into this place…. Hahahaha…. Do you think you can escape from my grasp?"
"You can't escape from the entrapment of your heart!"
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a deep voice that seemed to shake one's very soul. It was as if multitude of voices were speaking in unison.
Alden stood in one spot, as if he were frozen there, hearing the being's statement.
Heart entrapment!
Those two words rang a bell in his mind, yet he still couldn't fully understand their meaning.
"Nothing but trash. In this world, you're meant to be a stepping stone for others," the being's cruel words rang in his ears.
"Go ahead and kill yourself to stop all the bad talk going around about you. You're useless to the community."
"Death is the best option for you right now....."
"...No one acknowledges your existence."
"....."
"....."
The strange being continued to hurl hurtful words, each one a dagger meant to sow doubt in Alden's heart.
Wait—
This scene...
Finally, he was able to piece things together.
What else could use such hateful words against him other than the HEART DEMON?
Now that he thought about it, he realized something. Looking closely at the strange being, he noticed a faint resemblance to himself. One could say that the strange being was the demon version of him.
'Now I understand what is going on,' Alden thought. 'I was brought into a dream world by the heart demon.'
How could he be afraid now? When it's just a common heart demon?!
He was Alden. Not Sammy.
He wasn't like the main character who looked down on himself or let other people's words get to him.
"Too bad that your little trick can't work on—" Just as Alden was talking back to the heart demon, there was an interruption.
-[ System online]-
A translucent screen materialized before him, glowing faintly.