The Chronicle of the Beginning and Climax

Chapter 1: The World Gains a New Reader

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A Life Spent in Stories

Yoo Jihwan's childhood had been ordinary, if not a little lonely.

He wasn't the kind of person who stood out. In school, he was just another quiet student sitting in the corner, neither excelling nor failing, existing somewhere in between.

While others spent their time chasing friendships, dreams, or success, Jihwan had chosen books.

Because fiction was predictable.

The real world was not.

In books, struggles had meaning.

In books, endings were earned.

In books, every action had weight.

The real world wasn't like that. No matter how hard people worked, effort didn't always lead to results. People could disappear from your life without reason. Hardships didn't always bring growth. There were no guarantees.

But in stories—everything was connected.

And so, Jihwan had spent his life in the company of ink and paper, immersing himself in worlds that made sense.

He never needed more than that.

Or at least—that's what he thought.

Until the night he finished his final book.

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The Final Page

The dim glow of a desk lamp flickered in the darkness, casting long shadows against the walls. Outside, the city was alive with distant traffic, indifferent to the life-changing moment happening in this small, silent room.

Jihwan sat at his desk, his fingers lightly resting on the pages of the novel.

This wasn't just any book.

This was the one story that had kept him up at night, the one he had analyzed, theorized, and obsessed over for years. He had followed the protagonist's journey from the very first chapter, suffering alongside him, triumphing with him.

And now—

It was over.

Jihwan inhaled deeply, staring at the last words on the page.

"It's done."

A strange, empty feeling settled in his chest. He should have felt satisfied—the ending had been good. Bittersweet, but complete. There was no more waiting for updates, no more speculation about what would happen next.

The story had reached its conclusion.

So why did he feel like something was missing?

His fingers traced the golden title embossed on the cover, a habit formed from years of rereading.

Then, suddenly—

The letters began to fade.

Jihwan's breath hitched.

At first, he thought it was just a trick of the light. He blinked, leaned closer. But no—the title was disappearing.

Letter by letter, it unraveled, dissolving into nothingness.

His heart pounded.

"What… is this?"

Frantically, he flipped open the book, his hands trembling.

The words inside—

Were vanishing.

Like ink being washed away by invisible hands, the entire story—**every chapter, every line—**was being erased before his eyes.

"No, no, no—!"

Panic surged through him. He turned pages frantically, trying to stop the inevitable. But no matter how fast he flipped, the words continued to vanish.

Then, as he reached the final page—

The world tilted.

A deafening roar filled his ears.

The book crumbled to dust in his hands.

And then—

Everything shattered.

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The First Page Opens

Jihwan's eyes snapped open.

He wasn't in his room anymore.

The air around him was thick with the scent of dust and parchment. A heavy silence pressed against his skin, unnatural and absolute.

Slowly, he pushed himself up.

And that was when he saw it.

Towering bookshelves stretched endlessly above him, their spines glowing with an eerie golden light. Books drifted through the air like living things, their pages fluttering as if whispering secrets.

It was…

Beautiful.

And terrifying.

Jihwan's throat felt dry. He struggled to form a single thought, let alone a coherent explanation for what was happening.

"Where… am I?"

Then, before he could process anything, a line of glowing text appeared in front of him, hovering in the air.

> "The world has gained a new reader."

Jihwan's body stiffened.

His mind screamed at him that this wasn't real. That this was a dream, a hallucination, a trick. But every instinct in his body told him otherwise.

This was happening.

The text flickered—then changed.

> "The First Book opens."

Before Jihwan could react, the ground trembled.

A deep, echoing rumble filled the air.

The books around him shivered, as if responding to something unseen.

And then—

The world collapsed.

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The Game Begins

Pain.

The impact rattled his bones, forcing the breath from his lungs. The cold stone beneath him felt painfully real.

And he wasn't alone.

A vast, circular arena stretched around him, its cracked stone floor littered with faint bloodstains. The walls loomed high, forming an inescapable cage.

Scattered across the arena were nine other people. Some groaned in pain, struggling to stand. Others scanned their surroundings with wary eyes, tense and alert.

Then—

A shadow moved above them.

Jihwan's head snapped upward.

A throne hovered high in the air.

And upon it sat a faceless figure cloaked in darkness.

Its crimson eyes glowed like burning coals, peering down at them with an unreadable gaze.

The air grew heavy.

Suffocating.

Jihwan felt it immediately—the weight of something powerful.

Then, the voice came.

Deep. Resonant. Not just heard—

Felt.

> "Welcome, Players."

> "The First Trial begins now."

Jihwan barely had time to breathe.

Because in the next moment—

A wall of fire erupted across the arena.

And the first chapter of his new life had begun.

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