As Hyunwoo stepped through the portal, he found himself standing in front of a vast, shadowy crowd. The air was thick, humming with power, as if the atmosphere itself held its breath. He couldn't make out their faces, but he could feel them — ancient, overwhelming, and definitely not human. Gods? Eldritch auditors? Interdimensional HR? Whatever they were, they radiated the kind of pressure that made his knees want to file a complaint.
Then, a deep, commanding voice shattered the silence.
"We have been waiting for you, HERO."
Hyunwoo wasn't scared. Okay, maybe a little. But mostly, he was choking on air.
He coughed. "Uh... thanks?"
The voice continued. "Choose your destiny. The path that belongs to you."
A shimmering, neon-blue status window materialized in front of him like a pop-up ad for fate, complete with digital sparkles and the faint ding of cosmic approval.
[STATUS WINDOW – HERO SUMMONED]
Name: Kim Hyunwoo
Age: 19
Height: 184 cm
Strength: 67 (Heroic) – Capable of bending steel and egos.
Intelligence: 67 (Heroic) – Would win chess against a quantum computer.
Speed: 59 (Heroic) – Blink and he's already regretting life choices.
Dexterity: 30 (Unique) – Remarkably agile in weirdly specific ways.
Luck: 1 (Worse than a monkey) – Literally cursed by statistics.
Titles Available:
SSR+ Celestial Sword – The Most Powerful Swordsman of the Cosmos. A title reserved for a god-tier warrior destined to slice through stars and fate alike. Chosen by divine prophecy, feared by demonic lords, and usually reserved for dramatic anime protagonists.
Genius Mage (Legendary) – Master of all known magical systems. Comes with a glowing staff, 300% mana regen, and the ability to ace any arcane aptitude test.
Smart Archer (Legendary) – Hits targets before they exist. Think Robin Hood with aim-bot. Also stylish cloaks.
Support of the Heroes (F Tier – Common) – Buffs your team with warm hugs and minor healing. Comes with a satchel of band-aids, good intentions, and a sense of deep, soul-crushing disappointment.
It was stunning.
It was exciting.
It was destiny—
—and then he sneezed.
A loud, violent, allergies-don't-care-you're-at-a-cosmic-event sneeze.
[CLASS SELECTED: Support of the Heroes (F Tier – Common)]
A silence so loud it felt like the universe hit pause.
"…Impossible," the voice boomed. "There was only one button to press. You… you can't miss that."
Hyunwoo raised a hand. "Uhh, c-can I go back? I think I clicked the wrong—also, who are you people?"
The voice thundered once more. "We are the Rulers of the Cosmos. Each one of us, a god of a different realm. We do not interfere. We hold the line against the Outer Gods who seek to devour all of existence."
Hyunwoo tried (and failed) not to laugh. "That's the cringiest intro I've ever heard. And if you're so powerful, why don't you save the world?"
"Because, mortal," the voice said gravely, "if we leave our posts, the cosmos will fall. Entire galaxies would collapse. Reality would unravel like badly-knit socks. We cannot act — but you can."
"Awesome," Hyunwoo muttered. "Cosmic unpaid intern it is. So how do I fix this cursed LUCK stat?"
Another voice, softer and more ancient, echoed from the crowd. "Seek the Elven Forest. The World Tree may grant you another chance… or at least pity. Your destiny isn't lost. Only… hilariously detoured."
The first voice returned. "Your journey begins now, Hero."
A glowing summoning circle formed under his feet.
"Wait—waitwaitwait—"
Too late.
"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII—!"
He plummeted from the sky like a budget superhero tossed out during clearance season.
No wings.
No spells.
No cheat skills.
Just gravity, screaming, and a crash landing straight into a freezing cold river.
The splash echoed through a vibrant forest filled with glittering leaves, glowing mushrooms, and one very wet Hyunwoo. He crawled out of the water like a drenched kitten, flopped onto the muddy bank, and moaned at the sky.
"I hate gods. I hate portals. I hate destiny. And I really hate elves."
As he lay there like roadkill in recovery, something massive moved across the clouds. Two shadows. Then wings. Then majesty.
Dragons.
Silver and black.
They danced through the air like celestial dancers — terrifying, beautiful, and clearly not unionized.
Hyunwoo's jaw dropped. "Whoa…" he whispered. "Okay. That's actually kind of awesome."
For once, something cool was happening. No sarcasm. Just pure, childlike awe.
Until he realized the dragons were getting bigger.
Much bigger.
"…Wait."
They weren't soaring.
They were descending.
"WAIT."
Straight for him.
"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII—!"
Hyunwoo scrambled up, slipped on mud, cursed the sky, and took off running like someone who'd just realized the dragons weren't here for tea.
"WHY IS IT ALWAYS MEEEEEEEE?!"