The Pill of Revolution
I was a broke, unemployed man in my thirties, Lee Seo-jun. For thirty years I’d been chasing jobs and getting nothing but rejection after rejection.
“Damn it, why me?!”
The moment another rejection notice pinged on my phone, I slammed my head against the pillow on my bed and let out a wail that echoed through my shabby studio apartment.
How many years had this gone on?
I cried until my eyes burned, then dragged myself to my gaming rig, thinking maybe the distraction would help. But my fingers wouldn’t even type.
This filthy world. It had to be broken at the core. The system was rigged so the old guard and the middle class always won while the young were crushed. No wonder the birth rate was tanking. The whole structure was rotten.
I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes.
I wished the whole damn world would shatter. Turn upside down. Like in the games I used to play—everything destroyed, experience points raining down, me the only one left rich and strong.
As I lay there, drifting somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, I felt it. That strange, prickling sensation that made the hairs on my arms stand up.
I forced my eyes open.
“Puaa… cough, cough… what the hell is this…”
I was sitting naked inside what looked like a bathtub, except this thing was a sleek, floating machine. Mysterious. Mechanical. Unmistakably otherworldly.
And right beside it, dozens of people lay submerged in identical machines, eyes closed, floating in water that pulsed with faint blue light.
Was I dreaming? No. I wasn’t stupid enough for that. And the moment you realize you’re dreaming, you wake up.
Cool air brushed my skin. Strange space. No walls, no ceiling—just endless void.
This place… I’d seen it somewhere before. The Matrix. Humans being farmed inside pods by machines. That was it.
“Oh… you’re finally awake, human. Quite the resilient spirit, aren’t you?”
A strange lump shot toward me at blinding speed. It hovered in mid-air, perfectly round and oval, like a giant machine egg. Patterns on its surface flickered and shifted every time it spoke.
“What the fuck… where the hell are we?”
“This place? It’s outside your world. The real one.”
“Real one?!”
“Exactly. The place you just left was a simulation. That shabby apartment, the rejections, the pain—it was all fake. You were connected through that machine you were lying in.”
My entire world was fake? This was the real one?
“Like… Matrix levels of truth?”
“Oh ho ho. I’ll give you the movie version. Do you want the Red Pill or the Blue Pill?”
“Movie stuff? Live in the real world or stay in the fake one and be happy?”
“Precisely. The Red Pill lets you leave and live in the real world. But it’ll be boring. No entertainment, no food, no games. You’d have to survive and thrive completely on your own.”
“Then the Blue Pill?”
“Everyone loves a reward. A gift for anyone with the strength to break through the simulation.”
“Just… a reward for waking up?”
“It’s more than that. It’s proof you’re special. We don’t want anyone dying a miserable death in the real world.”
The real world versus the fake one… I wasn’t a rebel like Neo. I didn’t even want the real world. I’d never once thought living here was fake.
I’d heard the conspiracy theories—scientists saying the world was a simulation, we were all brains in jars. That it might even be true…
“Could I pick the reward now?”
Honestly, I didn’t really want the Red Pill. Alone in the real world? I’d probably die right away. Curiosity was the only thing pushing me.
“Of course. I’ll show you the options.”
[1 – One Trillion Won Inheritance. A secret windfall from an American billionaire on his deathbed. Actual cash. No strings.]
[2 – Qi Blast. Fire concentrated energy from your fingertips. Tank-piercing power.]
[3 – Super Regeneration. Immense healing and longevity. No disease, no aging, but you’ll still die eventually. Appetite will triple, though.]
[4 – Flawless Handsome Appearance. World-class looks.]
[5 – Telekinesis. Control objects within ten meters with crushing force.]
“How do you like it? These are excellent rewards. Pick one.”
One Trillion Won… I could live like a king. Women, yachts, everything. Money was the easiest win.
Qi Blast? Why the hell would I need some energy gun?
Super Regeneration… that was tempting. No sickness, no wrinkles. Almost as good as the money. But what good is a fortune if you’re crippled by disease?
Flawless Looks… I could fuck any woman I wanted. But rich guys already got that. Celebrity would just invite haters and lawsuits.
Telekinesis… an invisible superpower. Cool, but I doubted anyone would take it seriously.
“Money sounds good…”
“Would you like option one? Money is always the best.”
“No, I want Super Regeneration. Health over cash.”
“Correct. Health is king. Shall we go with that?”
“Looks are nice too…”
“Perfect appearance gets you both money and women. Choose it?”
I was starting to feel the System’s voice brighten with each option.
“Red Pill. I want the truth of this world.”
The System stayed silent. It didn’t want me to choose the Red.
“The truth has always fascinated me. Why does this broken world exist? Who made it? How?”
“It’s simple. Just an empty Earth. The simulation was built on the original world.”
“You expect me to believe that? I already knew the world before I woke up here was real.”
“You have no choice. You’ll die soon.”
“Truth is more important than death…”
“You fool, you’re going to die right now!”
The System’s angry shout startled me. What the hell?
“Lee Seo-jun. I understand. I’ll allow you to choose two rewards. Enjoy them as much as you want. A human with both money and health is rare.”
Two rewards? Then three was possible too?
“Hmm… since we’re doing this, give me three. Looks would be nice too.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Then I’ll take the Red Pill.”
“Really? Are you insane?”
“Yes…”
My answer sealed the silence. Was the System pissed? If it didn’t grant anything…
A few seconds later it spoke again.
“Three. That’s my limit. I can’t do more than that.”
Okay.
“Options one, three, and four. Blue Pill.”
“Understood. Take the Blue Pill and lie back down in the pod.”
“Here? Underwater?”
“You can breathe, so relax.”
I swallowed the glowing blue pill the System extended on its mechanical arm, then carefully lay back inside the machine that looked like a bathtub.
Wait, this is just water? The moment I opened my mouth to confirm the System’s words, water rushed into my lungs and my chest seized up.
You fucking bastard!
I thrashed and spat, coughing violently.
“Keuk! Kehkeh—”
My old apartment. My shitty, rundown studio.
Was it a dream? Too real to be a dream. And there was no other explanation.
I’d been lying in bed crying when it happened—late afternoon. Now it was morning. I’d fallen asleep and slept through everything.
“Ah… this is insane. But it was exactly like the movie. Red Pill, Blue Pill…”
I headed to the bathroom to shower.
The mirror showed a stranger.
“Shit! Whoa, you scared the crap out of me! What the hell is this?”
I studied my reflection. It was me—same face, same eyes—but the features had been completely redone. Sharp jaw, high cheekbones, perfect symmetry. Not fake surgery. Something more… evolved.
“This is real? Fuck…”
My body had changed too. No more soft fat. Just dense muscle and perfect proportions. My height had grown a little, but I never complained about my old frame anyway.
If this was real… my hands were shaking.
I bolted out of the bathroom, opened my bank app, and checked the balance.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!”
One Trillion Won. Exactly. I counted the zeros again—just to be sure.
The sender was listed in English. Didn’t matter. This had to be real money. No phishing scam.
I threw on my clothes, pulled my cap low, and rushed to the nearest bank.
I withdrew five million won in cash. My old balance was barely a million. Five million? This was real. I could just spend it.
Fresh air. Beautiful world. This was virtual reality? Then I’d just live in it and enjoy every second. Who cared if the real world and the fake one looked identical?
As I entered my villa building, I locked eyes with a woman on the stairs. Same building. Tight leggings and a thin jacket. She always wore those leggings when she left—probably some kind of work.
She was giving me extra dirty looks today. Later, when I had time, I’d hook her. With my new face and money, nothing was off-limits.
Still clutching the cash, I climbed the stairs two at a time.
Back in my room I counted the money and sang to myself, already planning.
First, move to a better apartment with a Han River view. Maybe buy one building too—cash plus property looked way better on the background of my future photos. Tags for this shopping building or whatever.
Sports car next. One of every kind. Endless expensive food. New computer. And during the times I wasn’t fucking women, I’d game my ass off.
No, I’d travel first. First class to Dubai. Pick up girls along the way. With this face and money, I could probably even snag a flight attendant on the plane.
A grin spread across my face as I flipped on the TV and changed the channel.
Everything was news.
3 rewards selected. Two Blue Pills granted.
I laughed softly and turned the channel again, already counting the money in my head, already imagining the women waiting for me.
This world was going to be mine.