There were seven doors, and at the center of it all was a door marked "blue"—my target!
Each door emanated a distinct energy, almost like each one contained a different fate waiting to be triggered. But that blue door—it pulsed differently. Not with threat, but with an odd calm. I didn't know why, but I felt drawn to it, as though it recognized me.
But first, I needed to confirm my suspicions.
I stood still. The door to the riddle room had already closed behind me with a quiet hiss, sealing off my only way back. There was no turning around now.
I had to check for the presence of that sound from earlier, but I didn't hear anything!
"So, no one had entered then? Thank goodness."
Still, I couldn't let down my guard. Sound could be misleading in this place.
I sat on the ground for a few minutes, folding my legs beneath me and closing my eyes to sense what surrounded me and the room I was about to enter.
Qi sensing wasn't limited to living things; qi brushed against and existed within non-living objects as well. Every stone, every step, every molecule carried a faint signature.
"RELEASE!" I whispered.
This was the word I used to begin sensing, paired with ninja hand signs I created just to visualize what I am doing and to act cool.
After a few minutes of intense focus, I detected an object with a faint trace of qi in the center—almost negligible—but an immense concentration of qi on the stairs to the left.
It was so immense that it glowed, visible even with my eyes closed, like heat waves rising from the ground. My skin prickled. Even in this state, I felt the heat brushing against me like licking flames.
I had to admit—it was larger than both Master's qi and Moon Soo's combined!
What kind of thing could possess that much energy?
Carefully, I opened the door with my eyes still closed, moving toward the object with the least qi. I proceeded cautiously, one foot after another, ensuring I didn't trigger any alarms or traps.
With my eyes closed, a thought crossed my mind: "What if there's a monster with exceptional mastery of qi here? I can move as stealthily as I want, but since I'm not seeing anything with my eyes, a master of qi could be right in front of me, completely undetectable—Qi can be hidden after all!"
I hoped that wasn't the case.
I reached the item, and began ascending the staircase slowly, my breathing controlled, shallow. The stairs creaked—just slightly—but enough to set my teeth on edge.
The plan was simple: place the item in the glowing light and then make a run for it, eyes open.
Seventeen minutes later, I reached the platform. The oppressive heat radiated through the entire area. My forehead dripped with sweat, not from exhaustion, but from the suffocating pressure of the qi around me. All I had to do was place the item in its designated spot...
…but then I heard the door creak open.
"SOMEONE HAS JUST ENTERED THE ROOM!"
Instinctively, I opened my eyes—something I was told to avoid at all cost. The first thing I saw was... DEATH ITSELF.
It appeared, right in front of me, a beast with RED EYES!
Its claw stretched out, aiming a strike right between my eyes.
IT WAS UNAVOIDABLE!
NOOOO!
The item in my hands suddenly morphed, turning liquid-like, and struck the beast in the face, sending it hurtling into the door.
"I'm saved!" I murmured, stunned.
But it was too late.
The force of the attack had made me lose my balance, and I fell backward.
The last thing I saw was the ceiling, as the beast leapt again—undaunted by the powerful blow it had received.
And then, I saw it clearly. The monster... was a RABBIT!
The rabbit that was getting roasted by the knights!
The corners of my vision began to blur, slowly engulfed by flames.
I was falling—falling straight into what felt like hell itself.
One Hour Later...
IN THE IMMORTAL REALM
A layer of mist gently curled over the cloud-like floor. Towering mountains floated in the distance, shrouded in radiant gold light. At the center of it all stood a pagoda-style temple, where an elderly man gazed into a floating mirror of water.
"It seems the mission was a success..." the old man murmured, hands tucked behind his back. "The hero has gained two more years."
Behind him, a talking panda in ceremonial robes tilted its head.
"How old is the hero again, Baek?" the old man asked aloud, eyes never leaving the mirror.
"About twelve, Master Taishi," Baek replied respectfully.
Taishi's gaze narrowed. "Around the same age as... the kid, is he?"
"Yes, Master. They were the same age."
A long silence stretched between them.
"Good," Taishi said at last. "It's time to prepare for our next destination. Inform the others."
"Yes, Master!"
As the panda rushed off, Taishi sighed quietly to himself, voice barely above a whisper.
"I didn't expect you to fall alongside a duke general of our enemy… You didn't get the life you might have hoped for. But even in death, your sacrifice has given us a greater advantage than we could've ever asked for. For that..."
He closed his eyes, hands trembling for just a moment.
"...I feel a touch of gratitude amidst the loss."
The Dungeon
IT BURNS!
IT BURNS!
AHHH! MAKE IT STOP—IT BURNS!
The flames engulfed everything—my clothes, my skin, my very soul. The room around me, the one I was never meant to step into, had turned into a furnace of agony.
The item in my hands had fused with my very bones, searing through me with unbearable pain that tore at my will to endure.
It hurt more than anything I had ever imagined.
And then I saw him—the source of it all.
The fire converged into a singular, terrifying form within the pot: a Phoenix of Flames, radiating an overwhelming qi so immense it made even Master's seem insignificant.
I couldn't breathe. My lungs screamed. My vision blurred.
But I refused to crumble. I refused to let it end like this. Even with mere seconds left to live, I wouldn't back down.
"DIE LIKE THIS, AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE BEEN THROUGH?"
"NO! I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF! I WILL SURVIVE—SOMEHOW—AND I WILL LIVE!"
With a roar, I charged forward, my speed surpassing every limit I'd ever known. The air cracked around me as I poured everything—every ounce of Qi, my strength, my ambition, my memories—into a single punch.
The phoenix's blazing eyes met mine for an instant before my fist collided with its heart. The impact tore through the inferno, creating a gust of wind so forceful it seemed to shatter the flames themselves.
And then—everything went black.
"Seems like I've failed. But if I survive... If I somehow make it through this, I'll be the protagonist of my own story.
Forget living a normal life. I'll live how I want. I'll die how I want. And anyone who tries to stop that... Even Master... I'LL KILL THEM."
"FUCK EVERYONE."
I am alone and I will not care for anyone except my self. I will be whatever I want to be....
Immortal Realm
Today's date: The day of the kid's death is June 27, 1912.... It was recorded by Master Taishi at the time of death.
"Wait... where am I?" Jin-Hoo's voice echoed through the nothingness. It bounced back to him, distorted—lonely.
"I feel cold... how is that even possible?" He rubbed his arms out of instinct, but there was nothing to rub.
"The whole world is empty and silent too..." he whispered, his breath forming no fog, no sound.
Vyke never belonged. He wasn't in the book. He wasn't a chosen one. He was nothing—just a flicker in the dark between lines no god bothered to write.
Suddenly, a shimmer caught his eye.
"Is that a book?" he breathed, squinting at the impossible object floating before him.
"It's so shiny... and huge. I've never seen anything bigger in my life—not even mountains are this large."
He took a step closer, eyes wide with disbelief.
"But... how didn't I see it till now?" His voice wavered with uncertainty.
"I don't know, but... it has a name written on it. It says Iron and Ashes."
A bitter laugh slipped through his teeth.
"Haa... it has the same name as the novel. I mean... it's real, so calling it a novel feels kinda wrong."
He stared at the title for a long moment.
"...Especially after I just died in it."
Then, the silence cracked.
A woman's voice, soft but absolute, echoed all around him.
"Rebirth condition met. Beginning transfer."
"Wait, what?" Jin-Hoo blinked. His heartbeat—if it was still beating—quickened.
Before he could react, the massive book pulsed with light. Then, from within its core, it released a new book—smaller, darker, more grounded. It drifted toward him, slow and deliberate, as if the void itself was handing it over.
The cover text shimmered as it settled in front of him:
IRON AND ASHES: VERSION VYKE
"Vyke...?" Jin-Hoo muttered, tilting his head.
"Who is that...?" he added, frowning.
"You'll know shortly," the void replied—calm, distant, and unbothered.
Then came the final words, cold as the space around him:
"You have three years to prove yourself. Begin again."
Then—light. Then—
"...What is this smell?" he muttered, he is now officially rebirthed.