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Azure Star, City S, Inner Ring
Inside a dimly lit bedroom, a boy lay on his bed, his face pale, drenched in sweat, as if trapped in a nightmare. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he shot upright, gasping for breath.
"What kind of dream was that…?" he muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead. His mind was still reeling from the vivid images—memories that didn't belong to him.
In the dream, he was a boy named Leo Heart, living on a planet called Azure. Sixty years ago, it had been just another ordinary world, much like Earth. But then, one day, a Tower emerged.
That Tower… it was a gateway, connecting Azure to countless other worlds—worlds teeming with monsters. Humanity quickly learned they could enter, slay creatures, and level up. But the Tower wasn't a one-way path. The monsters could descend as well, turning Earth into a battlefield. Civilization teetered on the brink of annihilation until a few brave individuals climbed the Tower, growing strong enough to push back the invaders.
Leo shook his head. "How could I dream of something so absurd? I need to stop reading those damn novels. At this rate, I'll be dreaming up nonsense every night."
Still groggy, he got out of bed and stumbled toward the washroom, rubbing his eyes. He turned on the tap, splashing cold water onto his face. But as he looked up at the mirror—
His heart stopped.
The reflection staring back at him wasn't his.
His breath hitched. His fingers trembled as he reached up, touching his face, pulling at his cheeks.
Silver hair. Silver eyes. A childish yet undeniably handsome face.
He staggered back, mind racing. "What the fuck—?!"
He forced himself to breathe. Okay. Okay. Calm down, Leo. Deep breaths.
Looking at his reflection again, he muttered, "So… this is my face now, huh?" It wasn't bad. Not as good-looking as his old one, but decent enough.
Then realization struck.
"This isn't my face. This isn't my body. This isn't my house. But… everything is exactly like that dream."
His hands clenched into fists. "I've been transmigrated."
His thoughts spiraled. He had no attachments in his past life—an orphan with nothing to lose. But still… getting hit by a car and waking up in another world?
"Seriously? What a cliché way to start a new life. Is this some kind of novel?"
He cleared his throat and spoke to the empty room, half-joking, half-hopeful.
"Oi, Author! If this is a novel, isn't it time for you to give me my golden finger?"
Silence.
"System? Daddy? God? Demon? Devil?"
Nothing.
Leo let out a long sigh. "No cheats, huh? Guess I'll have to do things the hard way."
His silver eyes glinted as he stared at his reflection.
"Fine. If I'm stuck here, I'll carve my own path."
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