The Other World and the Gallery
The air in the district office complaint center was stifling. The man in his fifties standing in front of me was screaming at the top of his lungs, spit flying everywhere. Even though I was wearing a mask, I could practically feel the droplets hitting me, and disgust surged through my body.
"Sir, that's not under the district office's jurisdiction. You need to go to the tax office—"
"Don't talk back to me! You little brat, who the hell do you think you are, staring at me with those wide eyes? You're a grade nine civil servant, right? I'm going to file a complaint with the district mayor and get you thrown in jail. Got it?"
Ha, this crazy bastard...
I swallowed the words that had risen all the way to my throat. My name is Kim Daon. A local government employee in South Korea. A brand-new grade nine hire who just passed the exam and started working at the district office. I grew up without my parents' help, with no connections and no money—just an ordinary guy living an ordinary life.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know any better."
"Sorry doesn't fix anything! Kneel! Get on your knees and apologize!"
The other civil servants around us just glanced over, but no one stepped in. It was the usual story—if you jumped in to help or got involved, you never knew what kind of backlash you'd face. The easiest target always became the bullet sponge so everyone else could stay safe.
In the end, I lowered my head. The humiliation burned all the way down to my stomach.
After work, I returned to my tiny five-square-meter studio apartment. The dark room was filled with nothing but cold air. Having no parents meant there was no one to greet me with "You're home" when I walked through the door, and no one to complain to when life screwed me over.
"...This is fucking bullshit."
I forced down a convenience store meal and turned on my computer. My only escape was games. In real life I was "Civil Servant 1" who got chewed out by angry citizens, but on the monitor I was a guild master and a top ranker.
But today, even gaming didn't appeal to me. The flashy skill effects, the guild chat—everything felt pointless.
"Ah... I don't want to live anymore."
It was just something I muttered without thinking. Not that I actually wanted to die, but a vague wish that this exhausting reality would just reset.
> Do you desire a new life?
> [Yes / No]
"What the hell is this? Spam's getting pretty creative these days."
Normally I would've closed it immediately. But today, those words strangely pierced my heart. A new life. A life where I wouldn't have to live so pathetically.
Almost in a trance, I moved the mouse cursor and clicked [Yes].
The game download finished in just one second, and a new message appeared.
Welcome, Player 'Kim Daon'.
Class has been set to: Wizard.
Commencing transfer.
"Huh?"
A blinding white light burst from the monitor. It was so intense I couldn't keep my eyes open. My consciousness blurred, and I felt my body floating upward.
Shit, I have to go to work tomorrow.
That was my last thought.
"Ugh..."
The sensation of cold, damp stone against my cheek. The smell of mold and damp earth stinging my nose. When I opened my eyes, I was lying inside an unfamiliar cave.
Instead of my district office uniform, I was wearing a shabby black robe. A gnarled wooden staff was clutched in my hand.
"Where... am I?"
A kidnapping? Or a dream? As I tried to get my bearings, a translucent blue window appeared before my eyes.
Level: 1
Class: Wizard (Apprentice) → Can change class (Recommended: Black Mage)
Title: None
Stats
Strength: 5 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 18 (★Talented)
Mana: 15 Stamina: 8
This was the status window I'd only ever seen in novels. So I'd really been sucked into a game or another world?
Black Mage, huh. Weren't protagonists usually heroes or swordsmen? Then again, maybe it reflected how badly I'd wanted to curse out all those angry citizens.
At that moment, another tab next to the status window started flashing.
> Community feature has been activated.
> Connected Channel: Wizard Gallery
"...Wizard Gallery?"
When I tapped the tab, a familiar interface unfolded before me. It looked exactly like a Korean online community bulletin board.
A red notice was flashing at the top of the board.
A newbie has entered. Please welcome them!
And right below it, comments started pouring in real time.
My username had been automatically set to GeniusNewbie. What the hell? Why was my nickname like this? So embarrassing.
The moment I posted a comment, the board went into overdrive.
I stared blankly at the chat window floating in midair. Getting dropped into another world was already ridiculous, but the feature attached to the status window was a gallery? And judging by their way of talking, none of these guys seemed mentally stable.
"Ha... what a life."
I'd escaped the district office only to get trapped in a gallery full of what seemed like certified lunatics.
But what choice did I have? As a level 1 wizard with absolutely nothing, if I wanted to survive, I needed to squeeze some information out of these rotten old-timers.
With trembling hands, I typed on the invisible keyboard.
The replies exploded instantly.
The board's firepower was beyond imagination. Less than a minute after I posted, dozens of comments had piled up. Don't these guys hunt in the other world? Do they just live on the gallery?
I frantically scrolled through the rising comments and typed back.
As soon as the mod—7thCircleArchmage—showed up, the chaotic comment section went dead quiet in an instant. '7thCircleArchmage.' Just the username screamed veteran player.
He began writing a long reply explaining the bizarre history of this gallery—no, of this entire world.
[Summary of 7thCircleArchmage's Explanation]
This place originally started as a normal, legitimate fantasy world's 'Wizard Gallery.'
But as the stagnant, rotten users grew bored, they began seeking something more stimulating, more flashy.
The conclusion they reached was simple: 'cool factor.'
Basic elemental magic? Boring.
Holy magic? Just bright and lacking impact.
But black magic is different.
"...What kind of nonsense is this?"
I let out a hollow laugh as I read the mod's explanation. The reason was simple. Black magic skills had the best effect customization efficiency.
For example, the 'Skeleton Soldier Summon' skill could have pumpkin heads during Halloween season, or you could put hip-hop hats on them and make them dance. Attack spells like 'Dark Flame' could have their colors freely changed to black, purple, or blood-red, letting you create will-o'-the-wisps or even heart shapes for confessions.
In the end, the rotten players who were obsessed with 'drip' and 'concept play' over actual performance all flocked to black magic, turning what was supposed to be the Wizard Gallery into the [Chuunibyou Black Mage Gallery]. A sad legend indeed.
Looking at the chat made my head spin. So the reason I was forced to become a wizard was simply because this gallery's public opinion heavily favored magic, and the system automatically recommended it?
"These game devs are out of their minds..."
But the real problem came after that.
Their ominous words sent a chill down my spine.