After facing several difficulties (though they're far from over), Park Minjae finally had some time to himself and looked in the mirror.
The sink's mirror reflected the image of a man with sharp facial features, golden hair, and striking red eyes.
Who?
That girl from the disciplinary committee—if he remembered correctly—mentioned a name.
E-van? Emann? No, no. Something like Ethan.
[Character synchronization complete.]
[Park Minjae has now assumed the role of Ethan Hudford.]
Minjae frowned.
Since when were mirrors in this world advanced enough to display an interface?
But he quickly realized—it wasn't the mirror.
No matter where he looked, the interface followed. A faint static buzz accompanied it, along with a robotic-sounding female voice.
[You, Park Minjae, have been selected for the real-time simulation of Kingdom of Ash.]
[Kingdom of Ash is an epic journey following a regressor named Axel Blaze, who, armed with knowledge from his past life, is determined to save the world from impending doom. To prevent disaster, he—]
The interface continued, spewing an overwhelmingly long explanation.
This is starting to feel like a game.
Not that Minjae was unfamiliar with this kind of thing.
System-based novels had always been part of his daily reading.
They were everywhere on online platforms, and after wasting months on them, he finally understood that 99.95% were the same story under different titles.
Okay, maybe that sounded too harsh. First, no reading was ever truly a waste. Every book offered new knowledge.
Besides, if he hadn't read web novels, he might've been standing here dumbfounded, hysterical like an idiot.
Or worse—I wouldn't even be here in the first place, but instead dragged to hell, force-fed burgers until my stomach exploded, over and over again.
Whatever the scenario, both were equally horrifying.
And seriously, how did I die so quickly? And in such a ridiculous way?
Minjae rubbed his forehead.
His name was probably a sensation now.
A pathetic loser who killed himself after being dumped by his girlfriend and fired from his job.
It fit so perfectly that he could already imagine it plastered across newspaper headlines.
Minjae pictured Yuna reading it.
Would she be sad? Regretful?
Nah, she'd probably laugh her ass out.
[We acknowledge that Kingdom of Ash is flawed, both technically and intrinsically.]
[As one of our esteemed readers and critics, you have been selected to participate in this real-time simulation.]
Wait, a simulation? So, is all of this fake? Were the people I met just actors?
But Axel's killing intent felt real.
And that ice shield earlier was way too advanced for simple visual effects.
[Here is the complete profile of your character!]
~~~ Role: Third-Rate Tritagonist
~~~ Popularity: 5
~~~ Development Fragments: 0
~~~ Trait: None
[The real-time simulation will be broadcast live to the audiences.]
[Every word, action, and response will be evaluated in real time.]
Audience? What audience?
A new interface popped up, displaying a video feed of the meeting room he was supposed to be attending.
Like an online streaming platform, waves of live chat messages flooded in non-stop.
The viewer count is 174,000.
New Widow Man Variant
Where the hell is that bastard Hudford? Dropping a mountain-sized dump?
One Counter Man
Can someone go get him already? I'm falling asleep here.
Overworking Sales
Anyone want to order drinks while we wait? Our shop is offering discounts.
Minjae was speechless.
What the hell is this?
[Increase your popularity and earn Development Fragments to strengthen yourself.]
[Ethan Hudford's memories will now be transmitted. (WARNING: This process may cause migraines, disorientation, and nausea.)]
Seeing the last warning, Minjae couldn't help but panic.
Especially when a searing pain began to build in his head—slowly at first, but intensifying rapidly.
It felt like a metal club was being slammed against his skull over and over again.
Minjae clutched his head, gritting his teeth. His breathing turned ragged.
Damn it—am I seriously going to die again?
If that happened, he wouldn't just be a joke in the real world—he'd be a cosmic laughingstock.
His vision blurred, and as something ignited within his mind, an explosion of memories flooded in.
In the midst of this insanity, Minjae caught sight of another message flashing on the interface.
[Act 1, begin.]
*#*
Axel Blaze tapped his finger impatiently against the table.
What's taking him so long? Is he running away?
No, Axel dismissed that thought immediately. Ethan Hudford was an arrogant bastard—just like the rest of the nobles.
But at the very least, that man had a strict sense of principle. It reminded Axel of his captain back in the royal military.
That was the only reason Axel had tolerated Ethan, despite his annoying behavior and entourage of lackeys.
But this time, he'd gone too far.
"Mr. Hughes, let me make this clear. This is all a misunderstanding. That loser started the problem first."
"That 'loser' has a name."
Axel glared at Phil Collins.
Do nobles exist solely to kiss each other's asses?
He was starting to question if standing up for this bastard was even worth it.
"Oh? Still got something to say? I thought your voice box broke from fear of having your crimes exposed."
"Isn't that more fitting for your master, Collins? It's been nearly ten minutes, and he still hasn't returned. Busy thinking up a clever enough excuse? I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be all bark and no bite and just ran away."
"You son of a—!"
"Enough!"
Mr. Hughes's voice wasn't just a warning.
Suddenly, Axel's throat went dry, his tongue heavy.
This … his magic!
"One more unnecessary word, and I'll throw all of you into isolation room."
Phil Collins and his lackeys flinched.
Just then, the door swung open, and Ethan Hudford finally appeared—escorted by two disciplinary committee members.
Standing at 195 cm, his presence was as imposing as ever, his expression sharp and unreadable.
Axel hadn't expected a guy like Ethan Hudford to panic in a situation like this. But the fact that he didn't only made Axel more annoyed.
"Can we begin now, gentlemen? I'd rather not waste any more of my time."
Ethan Hudford said, calmly.