Weoh! Weoh!
Sirens wailed along the road beside a three-story apartment building.
Ambulances blared.
What's all that noise about?
In a small apartment on the edge of Seoul, on the second floor, Nicolas lay on his bed, scrolling through short videos on a popular app called TakTok.
As he scrolled, one topic dominated his feed. A mysterious gate had appeared in the middle of the city.
The videos were spreading like wildfire.
A mysterious gate?
What's that supposed to mean?
He sat up and rolled over to his gaming setup, which doubled as his study desk and sat right beside his bed.
Two large books and three smaller ones were neatly stacked to the left of his monitor. A VR headset rested on the right.
His room glowed with aqua and pink neon lights, softened by faint white illumination. Beautiful paintings hung on the walls, adding warmth to the space.
Sitting in his gaming chair, Nicolas opened his browser and clicked on a news livestream.
"A large red, glowing gate with what appears to be words in an unknown language inscribed upon it has appeared in the center of the city. All citizens within the vicinity are advised to evacuate immediately and—"
The reporter suddenly froze.
"Wait! It's opening! All residents, leave immediately and let the government handle this!"
Nicolas stared at the screen.
Is this for real?
I should call my mom!
He grabbed his phone.
No signal.
"Damn it! The network's gone!"
A small wave of panic rose in his chest. He pulled the curtain aside and looked outside. Police cars and ambulances rushed past, all heading toward the city center.
He stepped out of his apartment, phone still in hand, desperately searching for a connection.
Standing on the balcony, he refreshed his screen again and again. The news updates only grew worse.
Why isn't this connecting?
Did the cables get destroyed too?
Heavy footsteps thundered down from the third floor. They grew louder—faster—until someone rushed past and slammed straight into him.
"Hey, watch where you're go—"
His words cut off as memories surfaced.
Coming to this country had been hard at first. The language was unfamiliar, and the culture felt foreign. His father was American, his mother Korean. They had met abroad while his mother was finishing her studies.
When they moved here, Nicolas had been only fifteen. Making friends had been nearly impossible.
But after high school, when he began living on his own, he met—
"Lee Kang-Min? Where are you going?"
The man stopped and turned.
Lee Kang-Min was the only friend Nicolas had managed to make.
Lee was breathing hard.
"Oh—hey, man! I was coming looking for you. Did you hear about that huge gate that appeared?"
"Yeah," Nicolas replied. "I saw it earlier on TakTok. Apparently, there are already a lot of casualties."
Lee's expression shifted into something dark—almost excited.
"Do you think it's—"
"No. It's not," Nicolas cut in.
Lee Kang-Min was in his twenties, good-looking, with a high-paying job at a major video game company. He had grown up with his elderly aunt after losing his parents. She had passed away years ago.
They had bonded over many things—mostly their shared love for video games.
Lee was obsessed with them. So obsessed that he often fantasized about games becoming reality.
Nicolas simply called him Lee.
Lee's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Come on, dude! This could be like one of those games! A mysterious gate appears, magical beasts come out, and we get superpowers!"
Nicolas let out a small laugh.
"Maybe this time you're onto something. But I need to hear from my mom. Can I borrow your bike? A car won't get through all that traffic."
Lee stared at him.
"You want to go into the city? Are you crazy? Look at that congestion. Do you really think you'll make it?"
Nicolas smiled reassuringly.
"Worry not, my friend. This is not the night I die."
Lee sighed.
"Fine—but we're going together. I'm not letting you check on your mom in a burning city alone."
He rushed back into his apartment and returned with the bike keys.
"Alright. Let's go!"
They hurried downstairs to the public parking area behind the apartments.
Vroom! Vroom!
The bike's engine roared as they sped toward the city.
People fled in every direction. Screams echoed through the streets. Fires scorched buildings, smoke choking the air.
"I'm telling you, man," Lee shouted over the noise, "this is just like a game! There's probably a time limit before monsters start coming o—"
Before he could finish, a car on the opposite side of the road swerved wildly. A drunk driver narrowly missed crashing into a family's car—then lost control and slammed straight into the bike.
The impact sent both Nicolas and Lee flying.
Lee crashed onto smooth grass near the roadside, the soft ground dampening his fall.
Nicolas wasn't as lucky.
His head struck a rock.
Blood spilled.
"Nicolas! Get up!"
Lee dragged himself forward, shouting desperately.
"You promised not to die tonight! You promised!"
There was no response.
Nicolas's vision blurred.
The light in his eyes slowly faded as his body grew unbearably heavy.
Is this how I die?
I haven't achieved anything great in life…
I'm sorry, Lee. You were a true friend.
Mom… I hope you're okay.
The light vanished.
Darkness swallowed everything.
....
"Huh?"
Am I not dead?
I can't see anything!
~
♦ ——++ Ascension System ++—— ♦
Scanning…
Loading…
Death Found!
Sight Found!
• Dead •
Dead: Allows the user to summon an undead.
Dead Region: Allows the user to summon an undead region.
Necromancy: Allows the user to summon an undead army.
• Death •
Instant Death: Allows the wielder to kill anything with a mere glance or touch.
True Death: Allows the wielder to truly kill anything. Revival, healing, and similar powers are ineffective.
Death Nullification: Beings weaker than you cannot kill you, no matter what they use.
Death Cancellation: Cancels all death-related skills, including Instant Death.
• See •
All Seeing: Allows the user to see vast distances and track living or non-living beings.
True Sight: Allows the user to see through objects and traps.
Eyes of the Sage: Allows the user to see through lies and illusions.
Sixth Sense: Allows the user to sense, detect, and avoid danger.
—
You are weak. Certain skills are hidden or inaccessible. Become stronger to access them.
♦ ————+++ ∞ +++———— ♦
~
"Wait… is this real?"
"A game system? Like in manga?"
~
♦ ——++ Ascension System ++—— ♦
Scanning…
Loading…
Real Found!
Game Not Found!
Manga Unrecognizable!
• Real •
Illusion Master: Allows the user to create images from their mind.
Maker: Allows the user to locally manipulate landscapes.
—
You are weak. Certain skills are hidden or inaccessible. Become stronger to access them.
♦ ————+++ ∞ +++———— ♦
~
Nicolas looked around.
A glowing red system window floated before him, its background black, the text dim white.
Everything else was pure darkness.
He shouted, his voice echoing endlessly.
"Who are you? And what do you want from me?"
The system responded.
I am an assistant of the Ascension System, here to help the master grow stronger.
"Master? Do you have a name?"
System: I do not. Do you wish to grant me one, master?
Nicolas thought for a moment.
"Let's see… Aia. How about AIA?"
System: Acknowledged. From now on, I shall be called AIA.
"So… where am I, AIA?"
AIA: This is not a place. It is the Infinite Nothingness. It currently has no owner, for it was created by you.
"Me? How?"
AIA: I do not have the answer to that.
"I see…"
Nicolas fell silent, lost in thought.
So this place was created through my death… or something like that.
But at least I'm not dead.
He spoke again.
"So what happens next?"
AIA: I do not decide, master. You do. I am only here to guide.
"Then… what do I do?"
Nicolas imagined himself returning to the world.
A blinding light flashed.
White consumed everything.
And then—
He opened his eyes.