Chapter 1 – The Death That Changed Everything
Han Jihoon had never believed in destiny.
He believed in textbooks, deadlines, and how fast Seoul's trains could arrive during peak hours. He believed in silence, in avoiding trouble, in keeping his head down. An invisible figure in the crowd—that was what he preferred to be.
But destiny didn't care what he believed.
It came screaming toward him in the form of a runaway truck.
The screech of tires. The frozen look of a child in the middle of the crosswalk. The world slowed down.
Jihoon didn't think. His body moved.
He pushed the girl with all his strength. She tumbled backward, safe.
Then came the impact.
And silence.
---
He awoke in whiteness. No ceiling. No floor. Just a vast, glowing space that stretched into forever. It didn't feel cold. It didn't feel like anything.
"Ah—damn, you're early."
A man in a shimmering sky-blue robe appeared out of nowhere, tapping furiously at floating panels of light.
The man had silver hair tied into a loose tail, sharp eyes, and the kind of annoyed expression worn by overworked civil servants.
Jihoon sat up slowly. "...Where am I?"
"Interdimensional processing zone," the man muttered. "Between life and afterlife. You died. Nicely, I might add. Saved a child, scored big karma points. Name?"
"Han Jihoon."
"Right. South Korea. Earth dimension 34K. Just a sec—"
The man typed something in midair.
> [Name: Han Jihoon]
[Karma score: Excellent]
[Eligible for special reincarnation privilege]
The man grinned. "Lucky you! You qualify for a second life bonus. Pick a world, pick a body—bam! Start over!"
Jihoon blinked. "Wait. I'm... dead?"
"Dead, reincarnating, and—oh no."
The man stared at the floating panel. "Wait, no, no, that's not the system package I meant—!"
Too late.
> [Codex Arkanum assigned.]
[Host registered: Han Jihoon]
[Authority mismatch detected. Bypassing global locks...]
[Error: Divine Class System installed. Cannot revoke.]
"NOOO! That was meant for—ugh, whatever! Don't break the world, okay?!"
Light exploded around Jihoon. The god's panicked voice faded.
Then—
Darkness.
---
Pain.
Scent.
Wind.
Jihoon's body jerked as his senses returned all at once. He gasped for air, rolled over, and opened his eyes.
The sky above was midnight blue, filled with strange constellations. The earth beneath him was cold and covered in damp grass.
He sat up, blinking hard.
There was a reflection in a puddle nearby.
Not his face.
Younger, paler. Violet eyes. Darker hair. Sharper jaw. This wasn't Han Jihoon anymore.
> [Codex Arkanum initializing...]
[Welcome, unidentified entity.]
[World: Elyndra. Status: Rejected.]
[Solution: Operate in stealth mode. Only user may perceive system.]
Floating text appeared before his eyes. No one else could see it. It pulsed softly in blue light, like a transparent HUD from a video game.
He focused on it.
> Codex Arkanum – Status Panel
Name: Kael
Origin Soul: Han Jihoon
Age: 16
Race: Unknown
Titles: "Divine Error", "Dimensional Drifter", "Bearer of the Codex"
Elemental Affinities:
Infernaeternum (Eternal Flame)
Aqualis Vitae (Lifewater)
Ventura Animaris (Soulwind)
Judicael Voltaris (Judgement Lightning) Tenebris Nihilum (Void Darkness)
Lux Aeternalis (Eternal Light)
Glacies Temporum (Frozen Time) Chronoveritas (Truth of Time)
Terraforma Divina (Divine Earth)
Level: Undefined
Active Skills: 25
Passive Skills: 14
System Mode: Absolute Stealth – Untraceable.
System Access: Mental-only. Voice and visual access denied to others.
Mission: Survive. Hide. Adapt.
Kael.
That was him now.
He blinked slowly. A part of his brain tried to scream, to panic, to say "this isn't real," but it couldn't.
He raised a trembling hand. "Fire...?"
> [Activating Infernaeternum...]
A small, cold flame ignited in his palm—deep blue, silent, hotter than anything he'd ever felt. Not even wind affected it.
He closed his hand and the flame vanished.
> [Skill Stabilized. Magic Output: Minimal. Safe.]
He took a breath. Then another.
Still alive.
Still sane.
Mostly.
"I'm... alive. Again."
But alive as what?
---
He heard voices.
Shouting.
Kael turned toward the sound. Beyond the trees, torchlight danced.
> [Alert: Hostiles approaching. 3 armed individuals. Threat Level: Low.]
[Suggestion: Hide and observe. Do not engage.]
He crouched behind a thick tree, breathing quietly.
Three men passed, dressed in leather and metal armor. One carried a spear, another a crossbow.
They spoke a foreign tongue—but as Kael listened...
> [Language not recognized. Auto-translation enabled.]
"Did you see that light?"
"Magic flare. Something's out here."
"Could be a rogue spirit. Or... worse."
Kael didn't move.
They passed without seeing him.
When silence returned, he stepped out. His bare feet touched cold soil. His eyes scanned the night.
"I'm in another world."
> [Affirmative. World: Elyndra.]
[Current region: Unknown forest.]
He had no allies.
No identity.
Only this system.
---
He wandered until dawn, avoiding roads, following the slope of the land downhill. His body didn't tire—he realized that was a passive system effect.
> [Passive Skill Activated: Divine Endurance]
By morning, the trees thinned, revealing a valley and a wide river. A broken stone bridge crossed it, and in the distance: a village.
Small. Quiet. Smoke curling from chimneys.
> [Codex Tip: Population density low. Recommended: gather basic knowledge and blend in.]
Kael hesitated.
He was barefoot, dressed in unfamiliar gray clothes. No money. No papers.
He needed a plan.
He sat under a tree and opened the system archive.
> [Tutorial Mode Active]
[Spell Archive: Beginner Tier unlocked]
[Skill – Illusory Disguise acquired]
[Skill – Linguistic Anchor acquired]
The first created a faint distortion over his face and clothes—nothing flashy, just enough to blend in. The second locked in his auto-translation so his spoken words matched the local tongue.
Smart.
Very smart.
He stared at the village. "Let's see what kind of world this is."
He walked forward.
---
Later that day, after gathering scraps of information from passing merchants and pretending to be a wandering mute, Kael found an abandoned shed near the river and claimed it as temporary shelter.
He spent hours scanning the system's deeper menus.
> [Codex Arkanum – Core Settings]
Combat Simulation – Available in dreamspace
World Analysis – Incomplete
Divine Connection – Locked
Energy Pool: ∞
Skill Slots: Unlimited
It didn't make sense.
No one should have this.
It felt like a cheat. Like a glitch.
But it was real.
And it was his.
---
That night, under the stars, he lay staring up at the sky—so unfamiliar, so far from Seoul.
He whispered, "I didn't ask for this."
No reply.
Not from the stars.
Not from the god who made the mistake.
But the wind shifted, and Kael swore he felt something—some ancient force watching.
Waiting.
> [Codex Message: Destiny diverged. Anomaly acknowledged.]
[Your existence is now a variable.]
[What you choose... will reshape this world.]
Kael closed his eyes.
And the new life began.
---
(Message to readers )
For chapter 2 it's July 20th because I need a vacation and funds to produce this novel.
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