The glowing screen hovered in front of Jin Seo Ryun, its words illuminated in an unnatural, bluish-white light.
[Do you wish to ascend?]
[Y/N]
He stared at it, frozen in disbelief. The soft hum of the screen filled the silence of his dingy apartment. It felt unreal—like a hallucination from the beating he'd taken. Jin rubbed his eyes, but the screen remained, unwavering.
"What the hell… is this?" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the pounding in his ears.
It didn't make sense. The last thing he remembered was the Abyssal's claws tearing through his chest. He could still feel the pain in his mind, the suffocating fear as death loomed over him. And yet here he was, alive, in the same apartment he'd woken up in every miserable day for years.
His hand instinctively went to his chest again. No scars. No blood. Nothing.
"How am I alive?" he whispered, a chill running down his spine. He scanned the room. Everything was exactly as it had been—his small, rickety table with the uneaten bread, his damp mattress, the cracked walls. But the screen before him made it feel foreign, wrong.
The words on the glowing panel didn't change, as though waiting for him to decide.
He reached out hesitantly, his fingers trembling. "Is this… real?" he muttered to himself. Then he stopped, pulling his hand back. "No. This has to be a dream. Some kind of nightmare."
Jin stood and paced the room, his mind racing. "I should be dead," he said aloud, his voice growing sharper. "I died. That thing killed me. I felt it—" He stopped, gripping his head. "What the hell is going on?"
The screen remained motionless in the air, patiently waiting for his response.
He stared at it again, his jaw tightening. "Fine," he growled. "If this is some sick joke, let's see where it goes." He reached out and tapped [Y].
The screen shimmered, and the room seemed to vibrate slightly.
[Welcome to the Ascension System.]
[User: Jin Seo Ryun]
[Analyzing…]
A new screen materialized, lines of text filling the void:
[Stats]
Strength: 3
Agility: 4
Stamina: 3
Intelligence: 5
Luck: 1
Rank: [Unclassified]
Jin's eyes narrowed at the words. "Stats?" he murmured, his disbelief growing by the second. "What am I, a game character?"
But before he could question it further, a new notification appeared.
[Congratulations. You have been granted access to the Ascension System. Grow stronger, complete trials, and ascend beyond your limits.]
"Trials?" Jin repeated. He shook his head, running a hand through his messy hair. None of this made sense.
Pulling on his threadbare hoodie, Jin stepped outside. The cold night air bit at his skin as he made his way down the dimly lit alley. It was quiet, save for the occasional distant laughter or the faint hum of passing vehicles.
As he walked, he glanced up at a large poster plastered on a nearby wall. His blood ran cold.
It was a public execution notice—a common sight in the lower districts—but this one bore his face. His name. His death.
"Criminal: Jin Seo Ryun. Executed for theft and treason."
His legs nearly gave out beneath him. "What the…?" he muttered, his hands trembling as he reached out to touch the poster. The paper felt real, its surface worn and torn from exposure to the elements.
"I… I'm dead?" Jin whispered, his voice cracking. He stepped back, pulling his hood lower over his face. The world around him seemed to tilt and blur, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.
As he stumbled further down the street, the sound of voices caught his attention.
"You should've seen his face," someone said, laughing. "That useless rat was terrified."
Jin froze, his heart sinking. He edged closer to the sound, peeking around the corner.
It was Tae Joon and his cronies, leaning against a wall, laughing and boasting as they drank from silver flasks.
"You really made it fun," one of them said, grinning at Tae Joon.
"Of course I did," Tae Joon replied smugly. "That piece of trash deserved it. Did you see the way he begged? 'Please, I didn't do anything!'" He mimicked Jin's voice, laughing so hard he doubled over.
The others joined in, their laughter echoing in Jin's ears like nails on glass.
Jin staggered back, his hands gripping the wall for support. His mind spiraled. If they're talking about me… if I died… then what am I now?
His reflection in a nearby puddle caught his eye, and he crouched down, staring at it. He looked the same—pale skin, tired eyes, messy hair. But something felt… off.
"Am I dead?" he whispered. "Is this… my ghost?"
The thought terrified him. He scrambled to his feet and ran, his breathing ragged as he made his way back to his apartment.
Slamming the door shut, Jin leaned against it, his chest heaving. His eyes darted around the room as though expecting something to leap out at him.
He sank to the floor, his head in his hands. "What's happening to me?" he muttered. "Why am I alive? Or… am I even alive?"
A soft chime broke through his thoughts, making him flinch.
[New Notification: First Ascension Trial Available.]
Jin looked up, his eyes narrowing at the glowing screen that had appeared before him once again.
[Daily Quest: Begin the Ascension Trial. Click Yes to activate the trial.]
"What happens if I say no?" Jin asked, though he knew he wouldn't get an answer. The screen remained unchanged, waiting for his decision.
He hesitated, his mind swirling with questions and fear. But something deep inside him—a spark of defiance, a refusal to let the world break him—made him reach out.
He tapped [Yes].
The room shuddered violently, the air growing thick and heavy. Jin's body tensed as a strange energy coursed through him, pulling at every fiber of his being.
"What the hell—" he started, but his words were cut off as the world around him shifted.
When he opened his eyes, he wasn't in his apartment anymore.
The sky was an angry red, choked with thick, swirling clouds. The ground beneath Jin's feet was cracked and blackened, the remnants of a ruined castle stretching across the desolate landscape. Shattered towers and crumbling walls jutted out like jagged teeth, their once-proud structures reduced to rubble.
The air was thick with smoke and heat, and faint embers floated in the fog like dying stars.
Jin took a shaky step forward, his breath hitching. "What… what is this nightmare?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
A new notification appeared before him.
[Welcome to the Trial Zone.]
[Objective: Defeat the Last Queen Flame Dragon.]
"Dragon?" Jin's voice cracked. "What dragon?"
The ground trembled violently, and a deafening roar tore through the air. Jin's heart stopped as he turned toward the sound.
From the horizon, a massive figure emerged, its silhouette growing larger with each step. The creature was impossibly huge, its red, scaly body glowing faintly with the heat of molten lava. Two heads, each crowned with jagged horns, turned toward Jin, their eyes blazing with hatred.
The Last Queen Flame Dragon let out another roar, the force of it nearly knocking Jin off his feet.
"This… this can't be real," Jin stammered, his body trembling. "What the hell is this nightmare?"
The dragon began to move toward him, each step shaking the ground. Jin's breathing quickened, panic surging through him.
The glowing screen appeared again.
[Trial Begin.]
[Don't Die]