This world is filled with adventures.
Money, power, fame—if you become an adventurer, anything is possible. Everyone knows that. Tales of great heroes, monster slayers, and treasure hunters inspire even the poorest child.
But becoming an adventurer isn't easy.
In every kingdom, only high-ranked magicians or elite knights are permitted to take the title. Commoners? They're forbidden. The law is absolute.
And yet… some still try.
To truly become an adventurer, one must travel to the Other Realm—a mysterious dimension known as Boshusuka. If you enter and manage to return alive… no kingdom, no law, no title can deny you the right to call yourself an adventurer. That's the rule all nations silently respect.
Most who try die.
Some criminals vanish into the sea, fleeing the law. The world is vast, after all—unknown lands, floating islands, hidden realms beyond comprehension.
But the sea holds danger too.
Right now, in the Kingdom of Vresailok, in a humble wooden hut at the edge of a quiet village, a boy dreams with bright eyes and a heart full of ambition. His name is Romonk Denb Vhim.
He's not our main character. Not anymore.
But once… this story was his.
Vhim, small and scrappy with dirt on his cheeks and fire in his eyes, stood proudly on a wooden fence post, arms stretched like wings.
"I'm going to be the best adventurer ever!" he shouted to the sky. Then, turning with a grin, "You in, Arjun?"
Arjun, the village chief's grandson, leaned against the doorframe with arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "Stop daydreaming, Vhim. If you become an adventurer without the kingdom's permit, you'll be hunted down like a dog."
"So what?" Vhim said, undeterred. "I'll outrun them."
"You won't even outrun your own shadow."
"Then I'll cut it off!"
Arjun rolled his eyes. "Idiot."
But even as he scolded him, a flicker of admiration crossed Arjun's face. Because deep down, even he wanted to believe in the impossible.
.
.
.
The stars shimmered across the quiet night sky, casting silver threads over the sleeping village of Vresailok.
Arjun lay awake on the straw bed, eyes tracing constellations through a crack in the ceiling.
"An adventurer, huh…" he muttered with a faint smile. "I wonder if I could be one too."
He exhaled softly.
"No… probably not. My body's too weak."
The smile faded, replaced by a quiet loneliness only the stars could hear.
"…Tomorrow is a special day," he whispered, turning over to sleep.
---
The sun rose with golden rays piercing the misty horizon. But peace didn't last long.
"WAKE UP, ARJUN!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A whirlwind named Vhim jumped up and down next to Arjun's bed like a monkey on fire.
"What are you, a monkey?" Arjun grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Vhim paused. He looked genuinely thoughtful.
"Hmm… No. I don't think so. I don't have a tail."
Arjun groaned and facepalmed. "Hopeless…"
Yet a small smile crept across his face.
"Wait for me."
He slowly got up and began to get ready.
Today was special.
---
At the village temple, ancient chants echoed from the monks as a sacred ritual commenced.
Teenagers, all around fourteen, sat cross-legged in a wide circle, eyes closed, breathing calm. At the center burned a silver incense flame, and around it—mystic carvings shimmered faintly on the floor.
Arjun and Vhim joined them, closing their eyes, entering a meditative state.
Then, it began.
One by one, children started to glow.
A warm, supernatural light rose from their bodies like a pillar of soul flame. From the light emerged projections—beasts, weapons, and plants—each symbolizing their inner soul nature.
Some glowed red. Others shone with blue or gold. The heights of the soul pillars varied, indicating strength or potential.
One by one, those who awakened opened their eyes, calm and quiet, leaving the room with dignity to avoid disturbing others.
Then came Vhim.
But what he saw was not a pillar.
It was a vision.
A world bathed in fire.
A kingdom collapsed under flame and shadow. Dragons circled above. A crimson phoenix screamed across the blackened sky. Buildings crumbled. Screams echoed endlessly.
It was not a vision of power. It was despair.
Vhim clutched his head. His eyes bled red. His pupils glowed brighter, redder… until only one shade of crimson remained. The rest of the vision turned blinding white.
Then—silence.
Vhim opened his eyes, panting. No light. No pillar. No projection.
"Do I… not have any soul nature?" he whispered.
The silence around him was deafening.
But he didn't ask questions. He didn't want sympathy. Quietly, he stood and left the room.
Even without looking back, he could feel it—mocking stares, hushed laughter, eyes that said, "How pathetic."
---
But outside, Vhim paused. His eyes scanned the others… and saw Arjun, still unmoving, still seated.
No soul pillar. No glow. No awakening.
Vhim's eyes widened. His chest tightened.
No… not Arjun.
Arjun—the only person who never looked down on him. When the village called Vhim a no-name orphan with delusions of grandeur, Arjun didn't laugh. He didn't pity him.
He listened.
He stood by him.
Vhim clenched his fists. If the village mocked him, fine. But they had no right to mock Arjun.
---
Meanwhile, within his meditation, Arjun was no longer in the temple.
He stood in a void of darkness… and memory.
Flashes of another life pierced through him—images of betrayal, regret, and death.
He remembered it all.
He was a loser. A weak man, rejected by the one he called wife. A coward who died trying to save a girl—and failed.
He saw her face.
Her tears.
Their laughter.
The cold knife.
And then—
Silence.
A second chance.
His eyes flickered open within the vision, but what he saw now wasn't a memory. It was fiction.
He recognized this place, this ritual. The names. The village. The very world around him.
"This is… the story I wrote in high school…" he muttered. "A novel… I never finished."
Memories came rushing in.
He had written just one chapter—a story about a boy named Romonk Denb Vhim, who dreamed of becoming an adventurer. But on the day of awakening, Vhim would fail to awaken his soul nature.
That was the end.
He had abandoned it, bored and unsure of what to write next.
His lips trembled.
"What have I done…?"
If he had known he'd be reborn here, he would've finished the world. Given it rules. Depth. Meaning.
But now?
He was trapped in an unfinished tale… with no script, no future, and no idea what comes next.
He closed his eyes and laughed—a dry, broken sound.
"If there's a god out there… you're a bastard."
.
.
.
"Ah… Am I a loser in this life too?" Arjun whispered to himself, staring at his hands.
In this world, every soul manifested a unique form—called a Soul Nature. It could be a weapon, a beast, or an elemental force. Though many shared similar categories, each was fundamentally different—shaped by the soul's will, purpose, and potential.
He remembered the original idea behind this world. Back in high school, when he first wrote this story, it was meant to be simple. Just a revenge tale.
A weak boy, abandoned by the world, becomes powerful and gets even.
That was it.
But this—this was no longer a story.
It was reality. And the worst part? He couldn't write it anymore. He couldn't change it. He couldn't end it.
He could only live it.
And right now… he had nothing.
As that bleak thought crossed his mind—
Ding!
A translucent blue screen appeared in front of him.
> [Welcome to the Family Leveling System.]
Arjun blinked.
"What…?"
He stared at the floating panel, completely dumbfounded.
Then slowly, a grin broke across his face.
"…Something is better than nothing."
He stood up. The ritual was over. And just as he suspected, there was no glowing pillar beside him.
No Soul Nature.
No power.
He could feel the whispers again. Those cold, judgmental eyes.
The other kids… they didn't even bother hiding their disdain.
But Arjun didn't respond. He didn't even look their way.
He turned and walked out—head high, expression blank.
And outside, standing in the shade of a broken pillar, was Vhim.
The boy looked down, trying to hide his disappointment. His usual spark was gone.
Arjun's heart ached for him.
Then suddenly—
> [King-level candidate detected!]
[Do you want to add Vhim to your family?]
"What? Explain yourself," Arjun said quickly.
But the panel didn't respond.
> [Do you want to add Vhim to your family?]
"Tch… no dialogue, huh? Fine."
He glanced at Vhim. The boy who believed in dreams. Who never mocked. Who stood with him even when the world didn't.
"Okay. Add Vhim."
> [Vhim has been added to your family.]
[Please give a name to your family.]
Arjun looked up at the sky for a moment.
He remembered an old username he used as a kid. Something childish… something bold.
"…Xaboss."
> [Congratulations! You are now the Head of the Xaboss Family.]