Chapter 1
Chapter 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Prologue
-----------------------------------------------------------------
─────KABOOM!
A pure white flash burrowed into his wide-open pupils.
The world around him shook because of it, his mind grew distant, and complete darkness fell.
.
.
When his interrupted thoughts revived, his eyes snapped open.
And what he faced was a massive meteor shower.
KABOOM!
He didn't even have time to react.
A legion of stars dominating the sky poured down like a bombardment on enemy lines...
"Ah, it's a chandelier."
Drip—
His vision had been unstable, leading to a brief illusion.
As his heart, which had plummeted, settled back into place, a sense of relief washed over him, mingled with slight embarrassment.
Ahem, well, he was inside now, at least?
Fortunately, his limbs were all intact. As sensation returned fully to his body, he slowly rose to his feet.
Then he surveyed his surroundings.
"This place is..."
......A penthouse?
It was like the home of some chaebol's youngest son.
A vast, high-ceilinged space that he guessed was the living room.
Even an interior design illiterate like him could tell the furniture was luxuriously exquisite.
One entire wall was floor-to-ceiling windows, reflecting the city's nightscape.
Drawn to it, he approached and stared blankly for a moment.
"......Seoul from another world."
A ridiculous chuckle escaped him at the sudden sight of Hannam Bridge.
The familiar scenery felt out of place.
It was awkward because it was so familiar yet so alien.
Too soon to get lost in sentiment, he scanned the surroundings again.
Tap, tap—
Passing through the expansive living room toward the interior, a long hallway appeared.
The decorative items lining both sides like soldiers also looked quite valuable.
A faded Buddha statue, ancient books that seemed ready to crumble at a touch.
Nothing ordinary in sight.
Just where the hell was this place?
As he advanced, checking each one for clues—
"What's that?"
A large frame at the end of the hallway caught his eye.
Inside it was a handsome man presumed to be the owner of the house, gazing with empty eyes.
Disheveled navy-blue hair, pale complexion, and sharp, distinct features atop it.
Even as mere a painting, the man's appearance lost none of its luster.
"Damn, he's hot."
His looks were eye-popping, but more surprising was that he knew the man's identity.
"Park Ha-yul."
The youngest son of the Prime Brew Clan, one of Korea's top ten prestigious families. And that illustrious clan's scion.
The hidden protagonist of the novel [Epic of Salvation], which he had handled the webtoon adaptation for...
He had drawn the character himself, so there was no way he wouldn't recognize him.
But why was there a portrait of Park Ha-yul here?
His pondering didn't last long.
A sudden realization hit, and he hurried to a mirror.
And he understood.
"...It said enter the novel, but I didn't expect possession."
Into Park Ha-yul, no less?
Coincidence or fate.
He reached out and caressed the face of Park Ha-yul... no, now his own face.
At the same time, an old memory flashed through his mind.
"You made me the model for Park Ha-yul for real?"
"Yeah, your face, your build. Draw it exactly like that."
"What? Quit messing around."
"I'm not. For real. We'll go exact replica, just add one drop of decadent charm."
"Why the hell use me as a model out of nowhere?"
"Hmm, I'll tell you later. For now, let's say it's because of your looks. You have that subtly prickly hotness, you know?"
Just as that someone said, the difference was merely that one drop of decadent charm.
"Illustration's got nothing on the real thing, huh."
He muttered to himself toward that someone who couldn't hear, then plopped down.
Around this timing...
"No, no way."
"Is this a dream?"
"Why did I end up inside a novel?"
Usually, even fairies would let you deny reality at this point.
But since he had entered of his own volition?
Instead, with calmer rationality than usual, he reviewed recent events.
First off, his name was Lee Do-hyun.
He was a promising rookie artist who had held a solo exhibition in the UK.
But an unlucky accident had clipped his wings, leaving him unable to even earn a living.
That was when that someone extended a hand.
The author of this novel, who made him the model for Park Ha-yul.
Her name was Yoo So-young.
A friend like family after 18 years together.
On a mere childhood promise, she entrusted him with the webtoon adaptation of her novel [Epic of Salvation].
He had grabbed a pen instead of a brush, one he thought he'd never touch again...
But breathing life into someone's story was meaningful.
It was a joy no less than the elitist pleasure of pure art.
But happiness didn't last.
One day, Yoo So-young vanished.
Without explanation, leaving only a message that she was entering the novel [Epic of Salvation]...
The events after that, he'll skip for now.
Somehow, he followed after her, and the result was possession into Park Ha-yul.
But then.
[90%]
[91%]
.
.
A strange number hologram appeared in the corner of his vision.
The number rose rapidly, as if demanding emotional excitement...
But given his profession, he didn't flinch.
At best, it was synchronization or something.
[100%]
[Synchronization complete]
[Character window activated]
Of course.
A cliche prelude to a cliche conclusion.
He stared into empty space and muttered.
"Hey, can't you be a bit more original..."
[The world recognizes the existence of an outsider.]
[Time available to stay decreases.]
[Your remaining time: 4 days 23 hours 59 minutes]
[Upon exhausting all remaining time, you will be absorbed by the world.]
"...Hey, fuck. This ain't it."
At first, he thought he misread.
But no matter how he mulled it over, the message's meaning didn't change.
He had resolved himself and entered, only to face absorption?
"Dead in just 5 days?"
Absurdity killed his anger right then.
Into a sealed cage from all sides, a tasty morsel dropped.
───────────────
[Tutorial Quest #1: Proof of Qualification]
[Objective: Eliminate one of this world's harms]
[Reward: 5 additional days to remaining time]
───────────────
A quest that rewards time...
"Follow or die, huh?"
He glared into empty space, but no answer came.
Goddamn it...
He had just come to find his friend...
Looks like he ended up as the novel's time-limited character.