*Gasp*
How did I end up here…?
A novel I made almost two years ago.
It wasn't anything sensational, but fairly popular and my best hit in 5 years of writing. It was my pride and lifeline, until it wasn't. I fell into an awful slump after a year and went on hiatus.
Now it has been 3 months?
The reason was simple. The words just won't come out.
When I forced myself to write, the story became full of plot holes, and the personalities of the characters had collapsed.
Even so, I can't push myself harder anymore. There's nothing I could do.
I used to pour my heart into every chapter, world building, and characters, but now? I can't even bring myself to see the comment section, let alone facing my parents at the dinner table. I spent my day wasting away and 3 months passed just like that.
But then I received an email to remake my paid serialization novel.
What's surprising was this isn't even the first time.
Around the first month when I went on hiatus, a guy claiming to be my fan asked if he could remake my novel.
Obviously, I didn't accept it. In fact, I didn't even bother to answer him.
The audacity of the question itself filled me with embarrassment and shame.
But when the second email came, a new feeling also came up to me.
I feel flattered.
Despite not receiving any response and no actual update for 3 consecutive months, he still reach out to me for the second time.
How much must he adore the novel I wrote?
I end up agreeing based on that overwhelming sense of gratefulness and embarrassment for failing my fans. Now thinking back to it, I shouldn't have had agreed.
It is ridiculous in the first place.
What kind of professional writer asks a fan to remake a paid-serialization novel just because he can't finish it himself?
What would the world say about that author? And what does it make me?
Who am I? I'm Kim Hanjin, that failed author. Or now...
"..Kim Chundong?"
A student ID card reflects back my bewildered face.
This isn't even the problem of what people said or what copyright law it infringes on anymore.
A name I don't recognize, a body I didn't own, and a different world I know more than anyone else.
That's right.
Not long after receiving a mysterious email from a fan claiming that he wanted to make a remake of my novel, I somehow woke up inside it.
A novel I wrote almost two years ago.
As its name suggests, it's a novel about a hero. The main character, Kim Suho, is an underdog character from a commoner background who rises through the ranks with his pure talent and hard work alone. He possesses a sense of justice and other upright characteristics befitting a hero.
However, unbeknownst to everyone, he carries a very special secret.
Kim Suho comes from another world.
A reverse-isekai main character.
A new and anti-mainstream idea that I managed to come up with before any other author.
Kim Suho, who at the time went by the name 'Eren', was raised in a temple after being abandoned at birth. Raised in a strict and spiritual environment, Eren grew up to become hardworking, kind, honest, and trustworthy.
Not long after, he was scouted by a knight who saw his potential with the sword and became the knight's disciple. He then tragically died at a young age after his world was overtaken by 'Devils'.
With such an extraordinary constitution, Kim Suho was hailed as a genius among his peers. A prodigy able to talk at 3 months and walk at 6 months, he was better than anyone at his age. But that was just the beginning. The real defining moment came when he received his Gift: 'Sword Saint'. A Gift so strong it allowed him to cut anything, be it physical, mental, or magical.
From that point on, Kim Suho grew stronger with every passing chapter, surpassing every other character and eventually becoming the strongest hero in the story. Moreover he possessed a stunningly handsome face with gentle temperament that made others character admire and fawns over him.
This was the hero I had designed so carefully. The perfect protagonist.
Sure, the story took inspiration from here and there—heroes, isekai, even a few monster concepts borrowed from popular anime—but this world, these characters, and especially Kim Suho, were my own creation. I poured my heart and soul into this novel. It was one of the best works I ever wrote, but writing it for entertainment and actually living inside was a completely different matter.
If anything I'd wish I got to become the main character or at the very least a prominent character if I would ever get isekai to my own novel.
To think that I became some worthless extra out of every possibility…
Even worse, as a character I don't even remember writing.
And now…
Ding-dong—
Tatatatatata~
My smartphone alarm began to ring with the caption 'time to go to school.'
Why the heck do I have to go to school?
I couldn't help but sigh. After going through high school and even mandatory military service, I couldn't believe I had to go back to school. No, I refused to accept it. A 26-year-old adult being forced back into high school?
There couldn't be a more nightmarish fate.
And as if that nightmare wasn't torturous enough...
"..."
I stared at the mirror in my cramped apartment bathroom. My reflection gazed back—or rather, it didn't. Where my face should have been was nothing but a floating question mark.
I wasn't even exaggerating.
My face resembled a placeholder from video games—as if someone had clicked "generate character" but never bothered to hit confirm.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
I splashed cold water on my face.
As expected the water feels real. My skin, my hair—real. Everything except my face.
"… Screw this question mark. Is it ever going to go away?"
At first, I thought it was because I never described this character's appearance.
But that didn't make sense—there were billions of others in this world with proper faces. So why was mine the only exception?"
"Haa…"
At first, it really creeped me out. Every time I saw that blank space where my face should be, I felt like I was trapped in some horror show.
But, as the days went by, and I kept waking up to the same nonsense every morning, I found myself getting used to it.
It's truly a wonder how far human adaptation can achieve.
Could this be a dream?
A long, vivid, nerve-wracking dream.
At first, that's what I thought. Maybe it was one of those 'lucid dreams'.
When I first woke up here, I had two suspicions.
First was that I was being pranked.
But that idea was shot down in just five seconds. I couldn't even be bothered to explain why.
Second was that I was dreaming.
But if it's going on day fifteen, even I know to stop hoping.
Moreover a much pressing matter was that I might live here for a long time. Since I don't know why and how they sent me here, hell, I don't even know who sent me here in the first place.
"I don't get it."
Murmuring begrudgingly, I washed my face. After cleaning myself up, I changed into Cube's uniform thatI got at the entrance ceremony.
I mean, it's not that I don't have a guess, but these 14 days I'm living have just been so ordinary.
I didn't even know where to go when I first came here, let alone figuring out the reasons behind this crazy other worldly phenomenon.
After barely finding this apartment address from Chundong's student ID my daily life was nothing but normal. If not a bit more peaceful even…
In the first place, ever since coming here, living is like a luxury. I could laze around a big apartment without having to tiptoe around two nagging parents, eat anything I want, sleep anytime I decide.
Right up until the monthly bill showed up.
And just like that, I was slapped into reality.
In the past two weeks of barely not doing anything, I came to a conclusion that I eventually need to make a living for myself.
In that case, I at least wanted a stable job with a nice income.
Until then, I'm sure I'd figure something out.
[7:33 AM]
Turning the doorknob, I glanced back.
My home for the past two weeks. The apartment room I barely found thanks to the address written in my cadet card. It seemed I got attached to it in this short period of time. I felt like I missed it already.
Cube floated in the middle of the East Sea. Once I left, I probably wouldn't come back.
"Ehew."
Closing the door, I walk away from the apartment building, bidding goodbye to the comfortable and spacious room that's been sheltering me from the outside world.
That being said, how should I go to Cube again?
I took out my phone and the screen displayed 'How to quickly travel to Cube'.
Despite what I said about lazing around, I've spent the last two weeks looking up about this world on the internet. Just like in the setting I wrote, the world was far more advanced than the one I came from. It was 2025 here—but ten years ahead felt more like a hundred.
Though I had no idea what would happen ten years later in the real world, I imagined it might resemble something like this.
Countless gadgets in this world featured holographic interfaces, clothing was enchanted with magic properties, housing prices had skyrocketed beyond imagination, and countless other innovations I'd never even considered while writing my novel.
The many things I can't even imagine are now coming alive, breathing and evolving before my very eyes, expanding far beyond my original vision. And one of those that I'm currently reading at some news article online is one of such things.
The transportation system in this world has evolved almost beyond recognition. Cars and bikes are now a rare sight with more and more people using train enforces with mana circuits.
But the biggest cause for the self-owned automobile extinction was 'Portal'.
Portals—the pinnacle of magitech engineering. These colossal gateways stood fifteen meters tall and thirty meters wide, their surfaces rippling like liquid starlight. Over a hundred of these monuments were built throughout Korea, each one a cutting-edge technology utilizing magic science and engineering. With it, going from Seoul to Cube took less than seconds.
Skipping over the introduction and some parts about how normal civilians aren't allowed to enter except during weekends, I found the information I searched for. From the article I read, with the invention of Portal, I only need to take the nearest bus to the Portal Station in my region, Seoul, pay for the ticket, and then take Cube Bus that I could take to visit the accessible area during vacation.
Huh, this Cube Bus was one of the many things that I didn't remember writing. Thinking about it now, it had been an oversight on my part to have the main character walk around the huge campus all the time.
Seeing your own novel come to life and watching it patch its own plot holes was a surreal experience. It opened your eyes to all the things you'd overlooked as a writer. All the small worldbuilding details you never thought through.
I wonder how about the cutting edge technology I mentioned once to make the Guild seem advanced? Since I never mentioned it again, what kind of variation would this world bring before me? Would they be like these towering structures that had never existed in my original draft?
The futuristic building lay neatly before me, its sleek surfaces gleaming under the artificial light. Flying ships drifted silently between the towering structures, their movements smooth and effortless. Even the background characters felt authentic—passersby who cast envious glances at the Cube Academy uniform I wore, their whispered conversations about prestige and privilege floating past my ears.
Every detail, from the way light reflected off polished metal to the subtle vibration of advanced technology, reinforced the unsettling reality that the impossible had somehow become my everyday reality.
Even with the gleaming neon light assaulting my eyes from every angle, a particular thought keeps appearing in my mind.
'Maybe you'll be inspired by the remake and come up with a way to continue the story…'
Huh...
No matter how I try to shake it off, this uneasy feeling keeps coming back to my mind.
I stop at the empty bus station. On the digital panel, yellow text flickered intermittently: 'Yeongdeungpo-gu > Seoul Portal Station 07:45'.
I took a seat in one of the wooden benches and pulled out my phone to check the time.
[7:44 AM]
While I waited for the bus, my gaze wandered to a nearby billboard. It was advertising some skincare product. The girl in the poster was holding some sort of cream near her flawless face with some words below.
'A miracle for skin related problem'
A miracle, huh?
What I'm experiencing right now is just like a miracle. Just who really is sending me here? Who could be capable of doing something like this?
Could it be really related to the email I received that day?
The timing was too suspicious to ignore. Not only had I been transported here the very night after receiving it, I received it, there's also just no other clue.
Not that there's anything I can do now other than gathering as much information as I can. Going to Cube was also for this reason. If I stay around the main cast I might get some info on why I'm here.
While I steeled myself about going to an elite military school where I would probably struggle just to survive , the bus finally came into view.
To my surprise, unlike outside, inside the bus was pretty crowded.
Well, this is Thursday after all, so most people would be going to work at this hour. Normally this shouldn't be surprising, really, but normally I also have no need to go outside let alone take a bus with my job as a writer.
I take the few empty seats left at the furthermost back of the bus after showing my cadet card. Just like the passerby before, some of the passengers sitting at the front seat send me a look of envy but I didn't care.
I leaned back against the wall, settling into a comfortable position for the long ride ahead.
Through the smudged windows, the city unfolded in a blur of blue sky and neon lights. The bus cruised along an elevated lane, passing billboards that flickered into view—digital screens advertising everything from dungeon-run insurance to mana tattoos, and the latest tiered awakening boosters.
One ad caught my eye: a woman leveling up in real time, her stats rising by the second.
The sky suddenly darkened as the bus passed under the towering shadow of a Tower—a massive megastructure of obsidian and bone-white stone, rising endlessly into the clouds. Lightning crackled ominously around its peak, surging downward in violent bursts. Flocks of drones hovered around it, their tiny frames vibrating as they were struck by the bolts, yet somehow continuing to function as if it were nothing.
The cold morning breeze slipping through the window lulling me into a state of drowsiness.
Maybe I should sleep…
The bus's rough stop woke me up from my slumber.
"Seoul Portal Station. Check your seats for personal belongings before exiting."
The driver announced in a flat, monotonous tone.
What an ill-mannered driver.
It seemed I wasn't the only one who thought so, as another passenger in the front grumbled, gathering their scattered items from the floor.
Since I didn't bring anything with me, I got up from my seat and walked straight to the exit ahead.
As I near the driver, I see that the rear door is crammed with passengers packed tightly at the front. Before I can even think about waiting for it to clear up, an ajumma behind me starts shoving. I have no choice but to let myself get swallowed by the sea of people.
Like a fish caught in a relentless current, I was shoved from every direction. I couldn't even keep track of where I was being pushed—front, back, left, right. It was so crowded, if someone had stolen from my pocket, I wouldn't even notice.
This is why I hate going outside.
After being pushed around for almost five minutes, I finally clawed myself out of the crowd.
Seoul Portal Station was indeed amazing. Just like I remember in my setting, this place was filled with foreigners and Koreans with some of them clad in armor. The ceiling extends upwards, so tall that it may even fit 2 elephants stacked on top of each other.
Well its height was not for no reasons as this is the place to accommodate a portal.
Navigating through the bustling crowd, I finally spotted the portal to Cube on the platform next to it. Unlike the other portal where the counter was filled with people, the portal to Cube doesn't have any line. Walking by the ticket counter, the portal worker greeted me.
"Hello, I take it you're a student at Cube, may I see your ID?"
"Here you go."
The portal worker gives out another smile as she takes out some sort of scan on my cadet card.
"I see that this is real. Here you go."
The Cube worker handed me my card back along with a seal.
According to the article I read this seal would resonate with the Portal and take me to Seoul.
Standing next to the swaying blue portal the worker waved me a goodbye.
"Have a good trip."
Before I could respond, a weird feeling envelops my body and in the blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery changes to an unfamiliar one.
That was remarkably fast—I didn't even get to wave back.
Somehow I regret a bit in my heart.
Well anyway, now that I have crossed the East Sea within two seconds…
Finally here I am.
Cube Academy – East Sea Campus
I get off the bus as my phone's screen flickers.
[8:45 AM]
Cube.
An artificial island located in a huge island located in the East Sea with the size that doubles that of Yeouido. Known as the world's greatest training institute boasting state-of-the-art magic, science, and engineering.
It's also the Hero Academy where the main character and his crew learn to become combat cadets. Here students are trained to fight monsters and Djinns. Similarly, Heroes main job is to fight monsters and Djinns.
I really didn't want to come here. But I had no other choice since if I don't attend the first day I would be expelled.
And that isn't really a choice if I want to have a nice job with good earnings.
In my novel, being a 'Hero' was a dream job.
Although I still have mixed feelings since my arrival as a side character in my own novel, my current position isn't a bad one.
Being a Hero was naturally one of the most sought-after professions in the world—but becoming one was no easy feat. Not only did you need to start training from a very young age, but to earn certification and secure a job easily, you also needed either strong backing or a diploma from a prestigious Hero Academy. It was a profession that demanded talent, relentless hard work, and no small amount of luck.
And Chundong was one of those lucky ones.
I take a deep breath as I approach the main hall. A few other cadets walk past, their uniforms pressed, their movements confident. They look like they belong here.
Unlike me.
With this question mark floating over my face, I'm surprised no one's said anything yet. I expected stares, at least. Or a whisper.
In fact, since arriving at Cube, no one even as much as spare glance in my direction.
I guess no one else, not even cube students, can see this besides me.
Well, maybe there's another reason why no one spared a glance at me.
This place is a highly important hubbub where the attention of investors gathered. Only members of the elites or something equally important could step foot on this island.
Given that my novel's setting was faithfully followed, Korea must be the world power rivalling the United States. I may have listed several reasons for it, but the more obvious reason was that I was Korean.
Staring at the door to the classroom, I sighed.
[Novice – Veritas]
Novice referred to first-year cadets, while Veritas was the name of the class. Simply put, I was in year 1 class 1.
I knew what this class was.
This is the class where all the important characters gathered. Many unfortunate incidents would repeatedly happen to this class accompanied with many cliché scenarios. Along with the main character, the supporting characters would then overcome the scenarios together and bring them closer.
And in the center of it all are Shin Jonghak and Kim Suho. As cliques formed around them, many schemes, mostly started by Shin Jonghak and his followers, would make the class rowdy. As a member of the class, I would most likely be swept in regardless of my will.
"Huu."
After collecting my breath, I slowly and carefully opened the door.