Kang Jiwoon, a 19-year-old freshman at Nam International University (NIU), was tired of this endless cycle.
In this world, life worked like a video game. If you failed to give the body you inhabited a happy ending, you suffered a miserable death and were forced to reincarnate into another life, another world. The only way out? Successfully complete five levels of one character's life.
Jiwoon was currently on his fifth and final level.
It should have been a moment of victory, his escape ticket back to his own world. But fate had other plans.
Because in every single life, at the very last moment, he was defeated—by the same player.
A legend among reincarnators. The God of the Parallel Universe. A player who had never lost a single game. And worst of all? He kept coming back, over and over again, knowing he would always win.
But this time, Jiwoon was ready.
This time, he refused to lose.
Summer felt extra sweet this year.
Jiwoon could already imagine his freedom—going back to his world, to his life, surrounded by his friends. This world, no matter how long he had been stuck in it, was nothing but a puzzle he had to solve.
And it was a strange world indeed.
Here, people were categorized based on elemental affinities—Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. Earth was the most common and considered part of the lower castes, while Fire and Water were rare, powerful, and practically worshipped as gods.
Jiwoon was born an Earth elemental, placing him among the "normals." Yet, ironically, he attended a university overflowing with Air and Fire users—the powerful elite.
Here, however, Water was the most revered element of all.
"How annoying," Jiwoon thought as he sighed, feeling the crisp chill in the air.
He adjusted the strap of his bag as he walked towards Nam International University. It was an expensive, highly competitive institution, but fate hadn't been entirely cruel to him this time—he was born into a wealthy family. His siblings were successful managers, his father was the CEO of Nam Holdings Corp, one of the biggest companies in Korea—at least, in this version of Korea.
That should have meant a smooth life. But no.
Jiwoon was apparently the protagonist of a tragic story.
A moderate target for bullies.
And the prime attraction to a hot magnet—one that Jiwoon seriously wished didn't exist.
"Speak of the devil."
A heavy arm landed over Jiwoon's shoulder.
"Oi—!"
That deep, lazy voice belonged to Nam Soo-in.
One of NIU's star basketball players. A Water elemental.
And the single most annoying person in Jiwoon's life.
Soo-in was everything people worshipped here—strong, rich, and an elemental rarity. Girls loved him. Professors admired him. And unfortunately for Jiwoon, he loved being a nuisance.
POV: Kang Jiwoon
"Go buy your own lunch," I muttered, shoving his annoyingly muscular arm off my shoulder.
"Who said it was about lunch?" Soo-in smirked. His tone was all too familiar. Mischievous. Predictable.
"It's about homework, actually—"
"Should've known," I scoffed.
I didn't even let him finish. "I am NOT about to do it for you. And if you're expecting something, you might as well go f*** yourself."
Soo-in barely reacted. If anything, that smug look on his face only deepened, as if he expected my response.
Before he could reply, though, his so-called friends appeared out of nowhere, grabbing him and dragging him away.
"Oi, oi, what's the rush?" he laughed, clearly unbothered, even as they hauled him off.
I barely spared them a glance.
But just as they disappeared, Soo-in turned his head back, flashing me an easy, knowing smile.
I hated that smile.
It meant trouble.