The dim glow of my computer screen bathed my small, cluttered bedroom in a pale, flickering light. I lay sprawled on my bed, head propped up on a pillow, arms tucked behind me in lazy defiance of the late hour. Over-ear headphones clamped tightly around my head, drowning out the muffled sounds of life beyond these four walls. Inside this room, I was untouchable. Here, I could be anything.
On the screen, Sung Jin-Woo from Solo Leveling faced off against a towering demon, his shadow-forged blade gleaming in the otherworldly light. His expression, sharp and unyielding, radiated calm assurance as if nothing could challenge him. A crackling vortex of energy spiraled around him, his Monarch's Domain bending the very air to his will.
"Come on, finish it," I whispered to myself, leaning forward as Jin-Woo lunged, slicing through the demon's massive arm in one fluid motion. The animation was flawless, a symphony of destruction set to a rising, triumphant score. My pulse quickened, my chest tightening with an inexplicable thrill.
"That's my guy!" I muttered under my breath, a small grin creeping onto my face.
For the third—or was it the fourth?—time, I mouthed along with Jin-Woo's iconic inner monologue as he delivered the final blow:
"If I can't protect them… what kind of king am I?"
The words struck a chord in me every time. That unwavering determination, the power to back it up, the ability to stand tall and protect what mattered most—these were the traits I admired, the traits I wanted.
"If I had powers like that," I murmured, voice tinged with longing, "I'd save everyone. No hesitation."
The episode ended, and the credits rolled over a haunting melody. I hit pause, letting out a long sigh. My body ached from hours spent hunched over, but I didn't care. Around me, my sanctuary bore the weight of my obsessions—posters of iconic anime heroes plastered across the walls, shelves packed with manga volumes, action figures posed in mid-battle, and a desk crowded with unopened collectibles.
The outside world was a distant reality. School was a chore, friends were non-existent, and my parents had long since stopped trying to drag me out of this carefully constructed cocoon. Here, I had control. Here, I could dream of something bigger.
"If only I could live in a world like that," I said to no one in particular, my voice barely above a whisper.
As if the universe had heard me, the screen flickered.
At first, it was just a faint distortion, a ripple across the image, but it quickly grew worse. The vibrant colors of the anime gave way to static, and a strange message appeared in bold, glowing text:
[System Error Detected]
My stomach twisted. "What the hell?" I frowned, tapping the side of the monitor as if that would fix it. Maybe the old machine was finally giving up on me.
But then the message changed.
[HERO Detected: Ethan Takahashi]
The air in my room seemed to shift, growing heavier, charged with an unfamiliar energy. My heart pounded, my pulse racing with a mix of excitement and dread.
"Is this some kind of prank?" I muttered, but my voice was shaky.
Before I could react, the screen exploded in white light.
A gust of wind swept through the room, sending papers, posters, and collectibles tumbling. The force was unreal, like something alive was reaching out from the monitor.
Then it came—the voice. Deep, resonant, and vibrating with an otherworldly power, it spoke words that would change my life forever:
"You wished to be a hero, Ethan Takahashi. Your wish shall be granted."
"What?!" I shouted, scrambling backward on my bed. "Who's there? What's going on?!"
But the voice continued, unaffected by my panic:
"Humanity faces extinction. A savior is needed. You have been chosen."
My mind raced. This had to be a dream, a hallucination brought on by too many late nights and too much caffeine. But the light grew brighter, more intense, and I felt an undeniable pull—like gravity itself was dragging me toward the screen.
"No! Wait!—"
The world dissolved into white.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was a message burned into my vision:
[Reincarnation in Progress]
I woke, floating in an endless void.
The air was cool, weightless, and alive with an energy that hummed softly around me. Stars shimmered in the distance, their light stretching across the vast, infinite expanse.
And there, in the heart of the void, stood a figure cloaked in golden radiance. Its presence was overwhelming, radiating power and authority, yet it carried a strange sense of calm.
"You stand at the threshold of worlds," the figure said, its voice resonating in the emptiness. "Ethan Takahashi, your longing has reached the heavens. You have been summoned to fulfill a grand purpose."
I stared, chest tightening with awe. "Is… is this real?"
The figure inclined its head. "You wished to be a hero. Now, you will become one."
A glowing interface appeared before me, its golden text shimmering like the stars around us:
[System Activated]
Gift: Choose a hero's abilities—one at a time.
To grow stronger, you must master them before moving to the next.
I froze, staring at the message, my mind struggling to process the weight of its meaning.
"Wait. You're saying I can use powers from… any fiction hero? From anything I've ever seen?"
The figure's tone remained steady. "Their power comes with great responsibility. Your trials will test you, Ethan Takahashi. Your choices will shape the fate of an entire world."
I swallowed hard. No way. No way this was real.
But… what if it was?
This was everything I had ever dreamed of. The chance to stand where my heroes had stood. The power to change a world.
My breath shuddered as a surge of excitement and fear battled inside me.
"I… I don't even get a choice?" I whispered.
The figure simply raised a hand.
"You made your choice the moment you longed for something greater."
The void erupted into a kaleidoscope of light. As I was pulled into the brilliance, the voice echoed one final time:
"Then go, Hero. Prove your worth, save humanity, and forge your destiny."
This was it.
My chance to be more than a dreamer.
My chance to be a hero.
End of Chapter 1