I was nothing. I was Kira—a fat, poor boy whose life had always been full of pain. I lost my entire family in a terrible car accident when I was very young. All my family was gone, and I was left alone in a cold world. I was ugly and very overweight. At school, I was bullied every day by my classmates and other boys. They made fun of my looks and my size, and every mean word hurt me deeply.
One day, in the school washroom, I tried to hide my tears. I stood alone, looking at my reflection in a cracked mirror. I could see my tear-stained face and my wrinkled sports uniform. I had not even ironed it that morning, and that was why they always laughed at me. I felt so small and helpless. I wished I could vanish, so no one would see me and hurt me anymore.
Before I could think more, the door burst open. A tall boy named Darren—who I had always feared—stormed into the washroom with a sneer on his face. Along with his friends, Mike and Tony, he advanced toward me.
"Hey, Kira!" Darren shouted harshly. "Why didn't you get your uniform ironed today? You look like a complete mess!"
His words stung like a knife. I tried to speak, but my throat tightened and I could only stutter. Darren shoved me hard, and I fell onto the cold, hard floor. Mike and Tony laughed cruelly as they kicked and pushed me. "Get lost, fatty!" one of them jeered. I could only whisper, "Please… stop," but my small plea was lost in their cruel laughter.
Suddenly, the door swung open again. Mr. Lee, our teacher, rushed in with a loud, angry shout: "Boys, what are you doing with Kira?" The bullies scattered and ran out the opposite door, frightened of him. Mr. Lee knelt beside me on the floor and said in a kind voice, "Kira, are you okay?" I tried to say, "I'm okay, sir…" even though tears still streamed down my face. But even his kind words couldn't stop the pain inside me. Without another word, I scrambled to my feet and ran out of the washroom. I raced down the hallway, my heart pounding hard as I burst out through the school's main gate. Mr. Lee called after me, "Kira, where are you going?" but I was too upset to answer.
I ran fast until I reached the zebra crossing. I was crying and running, so lost in my sorrow I did not see that the signal was green for the cars. In a flash, a speeding truck hit me. The impact was fierce. Metal and glass shattered all around me, and everything hurt as I was thrown across the road. I lay there, brutally injured and bleeding, while the truck screeched to a stop.
The driver jumped out, his face filled with shock and regret. "Boy, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Don't worry, I'll take you to the hospital!" he shouted, running over to me. Mr. Lee, who had followed me, reached me on the road. "Kira, be with us, please!" he pleaded kindly, tears in his eyes as he tried to help me. But as I lay there, I could only cry and think, "Is this the life I wanted? No, no…" My thoughts swirled with pain and anger at the world.
Then, as I lay bleeding on the road, I looked up with despair. "I don't like this world… This world must change," I whispered. In that final moment, I thought, "This is the end. I will see my parents now, and I will ask them why they made me like this." But before I could even finish the thought, a dark, shadowy figure appeared on the road. It had a scary smile and brutally sharp, scary eyes. "I found you," the entity whispered in a cold tone, and in that instant, I took my last breath and died.
After some moments, a bright light began to shine around me. I wondered, "What is this? Am I in hell or in heaven?" Then, everything changed.
I opened my eyes again and saw that I was no longer on the road. I was in a vast cave. The floor was covered with pure, soft grass, and the walls shone like mirrors because of many crystals embedded in them. The beauty of the place was unlike anything I had ever seen. I felt confused, as if I had been taken somewhere between life and death.
Then, a voice came to my head. It was not a sound from a speaker; it was a clear, cold message inside my mind.
System: Sir, I am Orion. Do you wish to make yourself powerful? [Yes/No]
I was startled. "What is this voice? Who are you?" I thought, but I did not speak aloud. I was too tired and confused. I hesitated, then, driven by a desperate hope, I chose "Yes" in my heart.
The voice said nothing more than that prompt. I ignored my doubts and stepped forward toward a large crystal that shone like a mirror in the middle of the cave. As I approached the crystal, I looked into its surface—and there, I saw something that made my heart race. In the reflection, I saw a handsome young man. He had white hair, defined muscles, and a confident look in his eyes. He wore a neat, black outfit that made him look ready for battle. I was shocked. "Wow, who is this person in the crystal?" I thought. Then it hit me—it was me. "Is this really me? Is this a reincarnation manga or something?" I whispered to myself.
Before I could process further, the system in my mind spoke again, this time in a brief, mechanical tone:
System: Sir, danger is ahead.
My heart pounded as I realized something strange about this cave. I had been given a second chance, but now there was danger all around me. I scanned the dark, rocky area. In the distance, I noticed that monsters were coming from behind the rocks.
I didn't know if there was a system like in manga or isekai, but suddenly, a C‑rank monster attacked me. It came out from behind a rock with a snarl, and before I could react, it lunged at me. I fought back desperately. The creature's claws slashed at my side, and I felt a searing pain as I began bleeding. I gasped, "Am I really going to die again? I will not allow it!" I clutched my side and realized something: the system was real, and I had to follow its commands to survive.
In my mind, the system spoke:
System: Sir, new skill unlocked: [Healing]. Activate? [Yes/No]
I silently answered "Yes." In that moment, I felt warmth spread through my body and my wounds began to close. Then, another message came:
System: Sir, new ability unlocked: [Violet Ember Blade].
I looked at my hand and saw a powerful flame form—a sword made of purple fire. It shone with an intense light. The system then said:
System: Sir, skill [Quick Slash] unlocked. Activate? [Yes/No]
I confirmed quickly. "Now I am reincarnated in another world," I thought. "I have a second chance to live, so I will live this life better than my previous one."
Then something incredible happened. When I opened my eyes, I saw a purple flash in them. In a single second, I moved behind the charging C‑rank monster. I swung my blade with precision, and in a quick, powerful move, I cut off the heads of all the attacking monsters. The cave floor was soon covered in blood. I felt a rush of shock and pride. "I really did it," I whispered, "Yeah… I did it!"
But I was not safe yet. I looked around for an exit. I searched every corner of the cave, but there was no exit gate in sight. The cave was huge, and I was lost in its dark maze. Then, after exploring many sides of the cave, I saw a huge gate. "This will be the exit," I thought. I approached it, but then I realized: the gate was enormous. It was much too big for a human to open easily.
I stared at my flame sword and wondered how I could open it. Then, the system said simply:
System: Sir, use [Violet Ember Blade] to cut gate.
I thought that was the best idea. I took hold of my flame sword and jumped. As I landed, the ground cracked beneath me. I swung my sword with all my might at the huge gate. The sword left some scratches, but it was not enough to break the gate. I muttered, "What? This is impossible…" in disbelief.
Then the system prompted me again:
System: Sir, unlock new skills by killing monsters. More enemies exist.
I realized that to open the gate, I had to fight more. I sensed that this cave was not a simple dungeon—it was a double dungeon.
My heart pounded as I thought, "That means we are in a dungeon." The system replied:
System: Sir, you were reincarnated in this dungeon.
I thought for a moment, "That means I am also a monster?"
Then the system said clearly:
System: No, sir. You are a human.
Relieved, I decided, "If that's the case, I will go into the double dungeon, kill the monsters, and gain new skills."
I moved toward the double dungeon gateway. It was open. I stepped inside and soon reached the area where monsters were stronger. I advanced into the Rank B area. There, not only were there C‑rank monsters, but I also faced a dungeon boss at Rank B. I smiled, accepting the challenge.
I soon found myself in front of the boss monster. The heads of many C‑rank monsters lay scattered on the ground. The boss, a large and imposing creature with dark scales and glowing red eyes, looked shocked to see me. It managed to speak in a deep, rumbling voice: "Who... who are you?" I did not answer with words; I raised my sword and attacked. The boss tried to block my blows, but then it suddenly punched me in a flash—a punch so powerful it left me brutally injured. I was bleeding heavily, but somehow, I managed to stand.
A brief system prompt appeared in my mind:
System: Sir, activate [Healing]? [Yes/No] (Healing available after 3 hours)
I replied "Yes," and slowly, my wounds healed automatically. The boss came running at me again, but I was already healed. I shouted, "You are nothing compared to my power!" I then punched him in the face with all my strength. The punch was so hard that the ground cracked and the wall of the double dungeon shook. In a single, powerful moment, the head of the boss monster was blasted off.
Suddenly, I lost consciousness.
In that dark, unconscious state, I saw the black entity again—the same one with the scary smile and cold eyes. "You did it well, Kira," it said in a low, eerie tone. Then, I lost all awareness.
When I came to, I saw that all the monsters were dead. A calm system message appeared in my mind:
System: Sir, you have achieved monster power. Boss power unlocked. Additional abilities and enhancements achieved.
I felt a new surge of strength and ability course through me. I whispered, "Thank God, we did it."
I rose and moved to the exit gate once more. Now with my new powers, I jumped high. The ground cracked beneath me. A purple aura glowed on my hand as I punched the gate with all my strength. The gate blasted apart into several pieces. As the dust settled, I saw a bright light and a beautiful forest beyond. I whispered to myself, "Finally, I did it."
---
(End of Chapter One)