"Ugh....Fuck!"
Kwon Min-jae groaned, his head pounding like someone had driven a nail through his skull. He blinked, vision blurry, and tried to sit up. His hands pressed against cold stone—rough and uneven. Definitely not the cheap linoleum of his Seoul apartment.
"What the hell?" he muttered, voice hoarse and unfamiliar.
As his eyes adjusted, he took in the room. Faint light slipped through cracked shutters, revealing a place that looked abandoned for decades. Dust blanketed the floor, swirling with his every move. In the corner, a rusted basin sat beneath a chipped mirror.
Staggering to his feet, he crossed the room, legs shaky. He froze when he caught his reflection. Silver eyes stared back, sharp and piercing. Ash-gray hair clung to his forehead, damp with sweat. His own face—round and worn from years of late-night ramen and overtime—was gone. The man in the mirror was leaner, with a scar running down his left cheek.
"No way," he whispered, touching the glass.
The reflection mimicked him, but it wasn't him.
He cupped water from the basin and splashed it over his face. The icy bite stung his skin, but he didn't wake up.
"This can't be real," he muttered, gripping the basin's edge.
His mind scrambled for answers, piecing together fragments of memory. He'd been at his desk last night—or what he thought was last night. His monitor had cast a faint blue glow over his cramped apartment.
He'd been playing Sword Sovereign's Legacy, his only escape after the company fired him. A coworker had pinned a data leak on him, leaving him jobless and broke. With nothing left, he'd drowned himself in the game—a vast fantasy of blades and empires where he could at least pretend to be someone.
He'd fallen asleep mid-run, music from the game looping in his ears. His character had been idling in a tavern. Yet here he was, standing in a body that wasn't his.
"Darius Veyra," he mumbled, the name rising to the surface.
It hit him like a slap. In Sword Sovereign, Darius was a minor boss—an exiled instructor from the Crimson Spire Academy. A throwaway villain players farmed for a sword and some XP. Min-jae had cut him down dozens of times without a second thought.
Now, he was him.
A sharp ping rang out.
A crimson screen flared into existence, hovering in front of him.
[Character Synchronization: 98% Complete]
[Host: Kwon Min-jae | Vessel: Darius Veyra]
"Shit," he hissed.
Agony ripped through his skull. He fell to his knees, clutching his head as unfamiliar memories surged in—Darius's memories.
An academy hall, grand and glimmering.
A sword snapping in his grip.
A tribunal's cold verdict: "Guilty."
Blood dripped from Min-jae's nose as the pain eased. The screen flickered.
[Synchronization Complete: 100%]
[Stigmata Unlocked]
「Forge of the Void」
◆ Shape blades from intent alone. Limited by mana.
「Eye of the Flaw」
◆ See weaknesses in foes or objects. Precision scales with focus.
He stared, chest heaving.
These weren't Darius's skills from the game. The weak, mid-tier boss never had stigmata this strong. Min-jae barked out a bitter laugh.
"Guess I'm the bug now."
He stood, testing Forge of the Void. Mana pulsed through him. A dagger of black mist shimmered into his hand—sleek and solid. It felt heavier than he expected. He spun it once, then dismissed it into thin air.
"Not bad," he muttered, lips twitching into a smirk.
The screen blinked again.
[Act One: The Exiled Instructor]
◆ Objective: Clear your name within three months.
◆ Rewards: Understanding +20% | Codex of the Sovereign's Vault
"Three months," he muttered, wiping the blood from his face.
If he failed, he'd be executed. Darius's crimes had made him a target. Nobles and enforcers alike would be out for blood.
Min-jae flexed his new hands, scarred and strong.
"Better get moving."
Outside, the wind howled against the broken shutters. The manor creaked and groaned. This was his new reality, and he was going to face it with a blade in hand.