Kay had plenty of guesses about what would happen when the countdown hit zero.
Maybe cracks would tear through the earth, spewing monsters into the streets. Maybe he'd finally get to go full Goblin Slayer mode.
Or maybe it wouldn't be cracks—maybe people would start awakening superpowers. Maybe it would mark the end of Earth. Maybe… it was all a hoax and he was just dreaming.
Sure, "getting teleported to a new world" was also on the list. He'd read too much Truck-kun to leave that one out.
But getting teleported into a wardrobe—wait, was this a chamber? A dressing room? Whatever it was—it definitely wasn't on the list.
Maybe he was dreaming. But the sensation he'd felt… it was far too real for that to be a lie.
Now that he thought about it—what had he even felt? He'd lost all sense of his body before ending up here, after all.
* * *
Kay was now standing in what could only be called a dressing chamber. It felt like something out of an old noble's estate—polished wood trim, warm lighting, and a thick carpet that stretched wall to wall. The air was warm and faintly scented with cedar, and the silence was absolute, broken only by the soft rustle of his own breath.
The room was spacious, with six wardrobes in total—three on the left, three on the right. Each one was a massive, ornate cabinet straight out of that Narnia film, the kind where the kids got yeeted into another world. Every wardrobe had its own tall mirror, six in all.
In front of him sat a row of elegant decorations and a wide central mirror. Behind him? Just a wall the color of polished oak.
Honestly, it looked like the kind of high-class changing room where some noble kept a hundred suits ready to meet a hundred different girls.
Soon, something made Kay's eye twitch. In the central mirror, his own reflection stared back at him—almost like it was mocking him. His T-shirt? Gone. Shorts? Gone. Even his underwear had vanished. His phone, earbuds, and the family ring—a silver band all three Ashveils wore—were missing too.
He was completely butt naked, showing off both his abs and his… little brother. Like one of those old marble statues. At least the room was empty—if anyone else had been here, he might've died of embarrassment.
Kay's fingers brushed over his bare left ring finger, tracing the faint mark where the ring used to be.
He let out a slow, weary sigh.
If I'd known this was coming, I'd have stashed my stuff somewhere safe. Hopefully no one swiped it. If I got teleported here, chances are everyone else did too… either dumped in some fancy dressing chamber like me, or thrown somewhere else entirely.
* * *
He decided to check his surroundings first. Walking toward the central mirror—the one without any wardrobes nearby—he found it was just a plain mirror surrounded by ornate figurines. It looked purely decorative.
Then he turned to his right, heading for the first wardrobe… and stopped dead in his tracks.
What the hell?
The full-length mirror in that wardrobe wasn't showing reality. He glanced down at himself—still naked. But in the reflection, he was dressed in a full medieval warrior's outfit. A deep blue tunic with gold trim, black trousers, and a matching blue cape draped over his shoulders. A one-handed sword rested in his grip, while a dagger sat sheathed at his utility belt.
He let out a low whistle. "Damn… didn't know I could look this handsome."
"Mirror, mirror, who's the fairest of them all?"
Silence...Somewhere in the distance, a lone crow cawed.
He winced. "Yeah… never doing that again."
When he reached out and touched the mirror's surface, a faint ripple spread across it—and a prompt appeared in his mind.
— ✦ —
[ Novice Neirguard Set ]
Type: Starter Warrior Gear
Rarity: F
Tier: 0
Durability: 100 / 100
Passive Effects :
◆ Physical Defense +10%
Special Feature :
◆ Auto-Repair — Gradually repairs itself when mana is supplied.
Activates only if Durability > 30.
Note :
Standard-issue starter warrior gear granted by OMNIX to all candidates prior to Phase 1.
— ✦ —
As Kay was reading through the gear details in his mind, a new message from OMNIX popped up.
— ✦ —
[ Do you wish to choose the Starter Warrior Gear? ]
[ Yes / No ]
— ✦ —
He glanced at the mirror again, a slow grin tugging at his lips.
He finally got what this place was all about. Basically a loadout room—like in Valorant—where you pick your weapon for the round, only to get headshotted before you can blink… then spend the rest of the round watching your teammates and roasting them in chat.
As he focused inward, he finally noticed a small countdown timer pulsing at the edge of his thoughts.
[ Countdown — 00 : 13 : 30 ]
Guess I've already burned a minute and 30 seconds just gawking.
He eyed the blue warrior set staring back at him.
'Cool… but it would look way better in black,' he thought to himself.
And just like that, the armor shifted—deep black plates replacing the blue.
No way. Can I actually customize this?
White appeared at his mental nudge. Then just the pants and cape switched to black again.
He stepped back and admired his handiwork.
Voilà—perfection.
"Heh… hehe…" A deranged laugh—mischievous and sharp, like a cartoon villain's—escaped him.
Another glance at the timer made his stomach drop.
[ Countdown — 00 : 10 : 40 ]
"Holy—" He cut himself off, tearing his gaze from the mirror before he got sucked back into some kind of Dress-Up Darling simulator.
The next wardrobe mirrored him in a new outfit—bulkier chainmail armor, shield in one hand, long sword in the other. Full-on "tank main" vibes.
The stats weren't bad—Physical Defense +15%, but at the cost of Movement Speed -5%.
Solid choice… if you liked moving at the speed of a depressed tortoise.
Kay wasn't built for that. He was more of a brawler—a freestyle fighter who'd picked up karate basics from his sister. Not her championship-level "break-your-ribs-with-a-smile" skills, but enough to handle most people.
As long as the opponent wasn't her.
Since the timer was ticking down, he decided to speed-run the rest of the wardrobes and only bother customizing the one he'd actually pick.
The next was a hunter set. He had to admit—it looked cool. Definitely had that assassin vibe.
In the mirror, his reflection now wore the hunter's gear—black from head to toe, the hood casting his face in shadow. No need for color tweaks; it already looked sharp.
The gear came with a solid +10% movement speed bonus and sturdy boots, same as the warrior set.
The only deal-breaker? The weapons. The hunter-Kay in the reflection carried a bow and a sheathed dagger.
And, for the love of god, he had no idea how to use a bow. Sure, he didn't know how to wield a sword either, but at least with a sword you could just swing and pray. With a bow, you actually needed skill.
He checked off the three sets on the right side of the room. Unless the wardrobes on the left held something worthwhile, the warrior set was still looking like his best bet.
Kay reached the left side, and the first wardrobe reflection dimmed his excitement a notch. The Kay staring back at him was wrapped in a long, sweeping priest's robe—ivory fabric lined with ornate gold embroidery, the kind that practically radiated holy authority. The wide hood and flowing cape gave it a dignified, almost saintly vibe.
The set offered a modest bonus: 5% Outgoing healing and 5% Magical defense. The latter was rare—first one he'd seen so far. Its main weapon was a Gandalf-tier staff, with a dagger as backup. Most sets seemed to throw in a dagger as a secondary; only the tank gear swapped it out for a shield.
He imagined Rosa in the priest getup—yeah, she'd break hearts without even trying. Then, in his mind, she crossed her arms, offered a deceptively sweet smile, and said:
What are you gawking at, you motherf—? Never seen a girl before?
Yeah… fantasy over.
He moved to the next wardrobe and stopped. He'd been expecting this one sooner or later. With all the mention of mana and magic, it was inevitable.
Mage Kay stared back at him—hood drawn, robe lined with intricate navy swirls over white cloth, sleeves wide enough to hide a small army. A polished wand rested in his hand, ready to go full Abracadabra.
Cool? Sure. But those trailing hems and loose folds didn't exactly scream "freedom of movement," and Kay valued mobility. Still, it came with a solid 10% boost to magical defense, so there was that.
Finally, he moved toward the last wardrobe, silently hoping—maybe even praying—for something good.
And good he got.
Kay's smile spread wide as he stared at the reflection. At last, he'd found his soulmate. He was willing to bet both Kass and Rosa would pick this one too. Rosa, for sure. Kass… maybe, though with his odd quirks, who knew.
The set was a haori-style martial outfit—sleek, yet carrying that modern Tokyo Revengers or urban yakuza edge. In the mirror, it blazed in striking crimson, with white accents tracing bold patterns along the sleeves and shoulders. The inner layer was a fitted turtleneck, tucked neatly into loose, mobility-focused pants cinched at the ankle. Over it draped a flowing coat-like haori, the fabric swaying with every slight movement.
It came with a modest bonus: +5% Flexibility and +5% Movement Speed.
Flexibility? He had no idea how that even worked. Maybe he'd go full Reed Richards with it. The weapon pairing was a bronze-plated gauntlet and a sheathed dagger—a mix of brawler grit and close-combat precision.
The only problem? The color. Red was too flashy for his taste. So, with a thought, the turtleneck darkened to a deep matte black, the pants shifted to a shadowy, comfortable weave, and the haori became an obsidian drape. The white designs—including the elaborate dragon sprawled across his back—flared gold, intricate and gleaming, predatory, regal, and very much him.
It didn't offer a shred of physical or magical defense—basically the same protection as the T-shirt he wore back home. But who needs defense when you don't plan on getting hit? For Kay, that was the whole point. He glanced at the timer : 05 : 20. Plenty of time left.
Customization locked in, he placed his hand on the martial set's wardrobe.
— ✦ —
[ Novice Dragonweave Set ]
Type: Starter Brawler Gear
Rarity: F
Tier: 0
Durability: 100 / 100
Passive Effects :
◆ Flexibility +5%
◆ Movement Speed +5%
Special Feature :
◆ Auto-Repair — Gradually repairs itself when mana is supplied.
Activates only if Durability > 30.
Note :
Standard-issue starter brawler gear granted by OMNIX to all candidates prior to Phase 1.
— ✦ —
Oh, Dragonweave—now that sounded fancy. Probably because of the dragon pattern on the coat.
The prompt appeared in his mind:
— ✦ —
[ Do you wish to choose the Starter Brawler Gear? ]
[ Yes / No ]
— ✦ —
This time, he didn't hesitate. Yes.
The room gave a light tremor. From the other wardrobes, light burst outward—runes, or maybe sigils, flaring to life across their surfaces. He didn't know the difference, but it looked cool. Then, one by one, the wardrobes dissolved into drifting motes of light, sinking into the floor until nothing was left.
When the glow faded, only his chosen wardrobe remained.
Kay just stood there, mouth slightly open in an O. Sure, getting teleported here was way more magical than wardrobes disappearing… but he hadn't actually seen the teleport happen. This? This was right in front of him.
A mechanical click broke his thoughts. The wardrobe's double doors swung open, revealing his fully customized Dragonweave set hanging neatly inside. The brass—no, bronze—gauntlet and the sheathed dagger rested on a top shelf, while the black boots from the reflection sat at the bottom.
A utility belt with two small pouches hung beside it, complete with a sheath holder.
Kay took the Dragonweave set and started putting it on. Thankfully, the wardrobe's mirror still showed Martial Kay, so he could just glance at it to figure out where each piece went. If he wanted to see his actual reflection, he only had to look at the big central mirror.
He had to hand it to OMNIX—this setup was pretty convenient. Would've been even better if it just slapped the gear on him like in those games, though.
Once the clothes were on, he strapped the utility belt around his waist. From what he remembered, every set came with one. Curious, he popped open the first pouch and found three small vials filled with a thick, red liquid.
He tapped one, and a prompt appeared:
— ✦ —
[ Healing Potion ]
Type: Low-tier Potion
Rarity: E
Tier: 0
Effects :
◆ Heals minor injuries when applied to the wound.
◆ Stops bleeding on contact.
◆ Can heal minor internal injuries when consumed.
Note :
Standard-issue healing potion granted by OMNIX to all candidates.
— ✦ —
Kay raised an eyebrow at the potion. Now that was fantasique. Since every set came with a utility belt sporting two pouches, he was pretty sure everyone had these.
He unfastened the second pouch and pulled out a small, matte-black rectangular case, cool and solid in his palm. Sliding the lid aside revealed five snug slots, each holding a single capsule. Sleek, amber spheres—each no bigger than a marble—rested inside like they belonged in some cultivator's kit.
He picked one up, and a prompt flickered into view.
— ✦ —
[ Nutrient Capsule ]
Type: Consumable
Rarity: F
Tier: 0
Effects :
◆ Provides all essential nutrients and hydration for 24 hours.
◆ Delays hunger and thirst without side effects.
Note :
A compact, one-day survival ration issued by OMNIX to all candidates.
— ✦ —
Kay nodded to himself. That was 5 days' worth of rations right there. Looked exactly like the kind of pill a cultivator would pop before going into secluded cultivation.
Anyway, he strapped on the gauntlet. Unlike the Dragonweave set, it was just plain bronze—nothing flashy—but it still granted +10% Attack Power. The dagger resting in its sheath added another +5%. Both bore the unremarkable prefix Basic in their names: Basic Bronze Gauntlet, Basic Steel Dagger. Boring names, sure, but stats were stats.
All the armor sets he'd seen so far were labeled things like Starter Warrior Gear or Starter Mage Gear. Weapons, though, seemed to start at Basic. A small detail, but one he filed away.
He checked the countdown again.
[ Countdown — 00 : 01 : 15 ]
"Hooo…" He let out a deep breath and just waited. There wasn't much else to do besides admire himself in the mirror, and he wasn't exactly in the mood for a vanity session.
The seconds ticked away until the countdown hit zero. His vision darkened, just like before, and that familiar, unnerving sensation of nothingness curled around him once more.
Everything went black. Everything went silent.
Then—
Nothing.