In the endless ocean, there was a small island less than one square kilometer in size.
It was covered with thousands of coconut trees, each less than five meters tall.
Clusters of green coconuts hung in abundance, the kind that made anyone want to pick one and take a bite.
But that didn't apply to the young man sitting under a simple beachside hut, lazily fishing.
His name was Reyhan, the only inhabitant of this island.
Well—more accurately—the only (human) inhabitant. The other resident was a golden retriever, about thigh-high on an adult, named Rudy.
"Hey, Rudy… do you think… we'll have visitors today?" Reyhan asked, stroking the dog's smooth fur as Rudy dozed beside him.
Rudy barked twic "woof-woof" and wagged his tail. And what it meant? Only he knew.
Stretching his body lazily, Reyhan's bored and tired expression didn't change.
"It's been a month since I came here, and still not a single person has shown up. If this keeps up, I might be a corpse before anyone ever comes."
…
As you might have guessed—this is our protagonist, Reyhan. He's twenty years old. One day, without warning, he was sent to this island… or perhaps it's better to say "this world"
Reyhan was a fifth-semester university student, living in a rented house far from the city where his family lived. Like usual, after finishing his morning classes, he went back home to continue his daily "activities."
Besides playing the popular MOBA game of the moment, Reyhan loved reading online novels and comics. That day, while scrolling through the comment section, he saw an interesting post :
"If you were sent to a fantasy world, what ability would you want?"
It was posted by an account named (Reincarnation Agent)
Without much thought, Reyhan replied:
"Of course, a system. What's better than a system?"
Then he went on with the rest of his day as usual, right up until bedtime.
…
When Reyhan opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a wooden ceiling. But before he could even think, a voice echoed inside his head:
[Ding… Congratulations, Host. You are now bound to the ISLAND RESORT SYSTEM.]
"What the....? I was at my rented house… why am I not in my room?… And what was that? Something about an island resort system?" Reyhan muttered in confusion.
Sitting up in the unfamiliar bed, he looked around the small wooden room.
[You are now officially the System Host. Feel free to ask about any information you wish to know.]
The voice came again, and a strange thought popped into his head. Speaking slowly, as if piecing it together:
"No way… is this because I replied to that post yesterday?… A system… that's the only connection…"
[Ding… Correct, Host. You were the first to reply with the keyword "system." You were therefore selected by default.]
"I see…" Reyhan murmured absentmindedly.
(That post was about going to a fantasy world. But wait… doesn't this mean I'm not on Earth anymore? Will my family panic when I go missing?) Reyhan thinks about his family's situation which makes him feel anxious.
Think about this "So… am I in a fantasy world now?… Can I go back?" he asked quickly.
[Ding… Please relax, Host. As you guessed, you are now in a fantasy world. Returning is not impossible, but the distance is far too great. For now, you cannot go back.]
Reyhan didn't care about fantasy worlds right now. The only words stuck in his head were (cannot go back)
"What about my family?… I just vanished… they'll keep searching for me…" he muttered, voice low and uneasy.
[Do not worry, Host. When you were brought here, the system faked your death. A fake body was buried in your place.]
…
"So… I'm dead?… They must be devastated… But… why do I feel like you sounded a little "happy" just now?"
Reyhan felt a mix of relief and guilt—but also a twinge of suspicion.
… Silence.
The system didn't respond, making him more uneasy. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"So… what does the Resort System actually do?"
[Ding… The Island Resort System will help you become the greatest resort tycoon in history. It provides everything related to resorts, including—but not limited to "islands, buildings, transportation, energy, food and drinks, equipment, and many other resort-related features".]
Reyhan understood the gist of it, so he asked the most pressing question:
"Then, what should I do right now?"
[First, Host must complete the beginner mission before using the system. Please check the mission panel regularly.]
Lazy or not, the system's answer was straightforward enough.
"Open mission list."
As soon as he thought it, a pale blue panel appeared in front of his eyes.
{MISSION LIST}
{Own an island} You must have and fully control an island.
Status: *Completed*
Reward:
1. Random Resort Guardian Animal
2. Random Super Tree Seeds × 1000
{Welcome your first guest} A resort without guests is meaningless. Make your guest happy, and your resort's reputation will spread far and wide.
Reward: **??????**
Seeing the completed mission, Reyhan claimed his first reward. In front of him appeared a basketball-sized white egg and a bag of unknown seeds.
He tried asking the system about them, but there was no reply. Left with no choice, he decided to figure it out himself.
Leaving the small house, Reyhan took in the scenery: a grassy field stretching toward a sandy beach, and beyond that, the endless sea. He spent half an hour exploring the island, quickly learning its layout.
It was roughly circular, rising gently toward the center, where the highest point was about ten meters above sea level. Almost all of it was covered in green grass. A spring near the house formed a small pond, its overflow creating a tiny stream leading to the ocean.
Satisfied with the survey, Reyhan began planting the seeds—alongside the egg.
"Since they're called super seeds… maybe they'll grow fast. No idea what kind of seeds they are, though…" he muttered, digging holes and planting each one at least ten meters apart.
…
Grrrrr…
Three hours later, Reyhan had planted over five hundred seeds. His stomach rumbled, forcing him to stop.
"That's enough for now. I'll continue later. But… I forgot to check the house for food earlier…" he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Back inside, he headed for the kitchen and opened a wooden cupboard. Inside was a single box of chicken curry instant noodles, 48 packs in total. And that was it.
…
With a faint hope, Reyhan asked carefully,
"System… where's the rice, eggs, and meat?"
… Silence.
His patience snapped.
"You damn system… what the hell is this? Why only instant noodles? You want me to eat them until I puke?!… At least give me a couple of eggs… #?&#!#?#…"
Curses and complaints echoed through the small house for a good while before fading.
…
It took several minutes before Reyhan finally calmed down. With no other choice, he resigned himself to his fate and cooked two packs of noodles using a clay stove and pot in the kitchen. Thankfully, there was flint—otherwise, he might've been rubbing sticks together to make a fire.