This world is void of color. A lifeless playground I've long since grown bored of. Those same words echo in my head every morning. Getting out of bed isn't a desire anymore. It's just something I must do to survive.
My daily routine is always the same. Slaving away at a boring job in the local convenience store. Rushing back to my apartment right after. Yet no one is ever there to welcome my glorious return.
But even so—I, Lee Gaon, an average city girl—have decided to hold this fate by the string. Still, people would probably ask: How average can one person be?
Let's see. Black hair. Pale face. Dark circles under the eyes. Yeah… I'd say extremely average. I've never managed to grab attention in public like the pretty girls do.
And yet, many still call me a shut-in. Others say I sold my family for video games. After all, a twenty-three-year-old woman chasing a gaming career? That's just sad, right?
They might think my life is pathetic. Maybe they're right. But… they don't understand the glory of my sacrifice. Could they sit through a twelve-hour gaming marathon without blinking? Without standing? Without losing their soul? I don't think so.
And let's not forget my amazing PC. I built it myself actually. I'm proud of it. Very proud. Ahem... even if it did cost me most of my paycheck. Yeah…
But don't think I've wasted it. No. I used to be a pro gamer. In the past. And the reason I had to quit… is complicated.
Reality here is depressing. Men can't stand the idea of a woman outplaying them. "Go play support." "Go clean something." That's all they ever said.
But I'm not some e-girl. I'm a god of gaming, damn it. And I had to prove it. I had to show them I was the best.
And so—I made history. I won the tournament of the most popular game in the world—The World of Dragonia.
That's how I became the best player alive. Not just the best woman gamer. No. The best, period.
I smirk every time I remember their faces. Those arrogant men and their stupid expressions when I shattered their little hierarchy. Let me be clear. I don't hate men. I just hate being looked down on.
But all good things must end eventually. At least in my case…
My epic shifted from legend to disgrace. They still call me that to this day—"The disgusting cheater who tried to step on men and their sport."
Yeah…
Why did it happen? Simple. I was too good. So they framed me; One group in particular made sure of that. My rivals—The Sun Gaming Team.
Right after the tournament, I got the news. My account was suspended. The reason? Alleged cheating hardware found on my PC. Seriously? On a PC provided by the organizers? And the worst part is... Everyone believed it. Even my family. The people I loved most.
And her… My best friend at the time; She went on social media and said I'd always been a horrible friend. A freak. Someone who just wanted attention.
I still can't forget that post.
I'm not going to defend myself. I don't need to. I never cheated. Not once in my life. And that's the truth. But it still hurts. I worked harder than anyone for that victory. And now? I'm just a lonely soul. Betrayed by everyone. Even the world itself.
But enough about that.
Let me tell you about the court case: It didn't go well. I lost. Everything. And my parents were forced to pay an enormous sum to the Sun Gaming Team.
Yeah… they weren't happy. So they kicked me out.
Nice, right?
By twenty-one, I was on my own. No money. No friends. Just me… and my stubborn desire to keep going. To never give up.
Time to return to the present. Today is the same as always—boring.
The clock at my job finally hits 5:30 PM. That means one thing: I get to leave.
I hate this job…
I rush home. My PC is waiting. And so is the only thing that still makes me feel alive—my favorite game.
"Something's not right…" I mutter under my breath.
First of all—the door wasn't locked. Second, the light's on. Creepy… but not exactly out of character. Sometimes I leave it on because I'm scared of the dark. Yeah, I know. Childish. Blah, blah, blah.
But the door is different... I always lock the door. I think...
Whatever. I don't have the energy to care today.
I step through the pile of trash scattered across the floor. Yeah, I tend to get messy. But I swear—I'll clean it. One day.
"My hair's still so wet..." I play with a dripping strand while warming up my favorite food—Instant Tteokbokki, loaded with spiciness. A Korean treasure. At least to me.
"Damn, that smells good." I take a deep breath, and it hits me—the heat, the spice, the comfort. Something about it calms me down. I love eating after a stressful day.
"Oh! PC's done booting! Nice! Let's go slay some noobs."
I smirk as I drop into my gaming chair.
Ding Dong.
"Hm?"
Someone's at the door? For me? Delivery? No. Family? Pfft. Of course not. That leaves… right. Must be the church people again.
I still remember last year—some 'errand boy' talked my ears off about their version of Jesus incarnate. Sure. Just another sect to me.
I lean back and get comfy. "Ring as much as you want. I'm not opening." I mutter—mostly to myself.
I should focus on the game. They'll go away eventually.
"Now… look at you. Challenging me for the title of Rank One? Arrogant."
My mood shifts the second I touch the mouse and keyboard. Even now, playing as Scythe Master, I beat the living shit out of this rank-one wannabe.
Of course I won. With flying colors. Too easy.
"Yeah... too easy here…" I glance up at the ceiling light and exhale. I feel... lonely.
Without real tournaments, everyone's just too weak. And on top of that, I have to hide under fake accounts. Otherwise, I get banned.
This is my sixteenth account this month. I rise to Rank One—and get suspended. Every time. They know it's me. Even now…
{Your account has been suspended for cheating}
"Took them long enough..." I mutter as I open my browser. Time to buy another account. They're costly, but my IP and ID are blacklisted.
So I adapt. Again.
Ding Dong.
The side of my temple throbs as the doorbell rings again. I'm already at my limit... Every time I lose an account, it feels like a part of me cracks.
"Get the fuck away from my door!" I scream, voice raw and throat burning. I can't stand being bothered right now. Addiction problems? Maybe. Who cares.
Silence.
One, two... twenty. I count under my breath.
Still nothing.
"Good. They're gone," I mutter. "Let them tell the others a crazy woman lives here. Maybe then I'll finally get some peace." That thought makes me smile. A small, bitter victory.
I pull up my browser. There should be a few Diamond-level accounts for sale... huh? I blink, reload the page.
Nothing.
The entire marketplace is gone.
"That... can't be right."
That was the biggest supplier of legal accounts. How the hell could it just vanish?
A knot coils in my stomach. Rage simmers in my gut, but there's nothing to aim it at. Just silence. Just me. Alone.
So I try the game itself, hoping I can at least make another fake account. Even if I know I can't.
{The game files are corrupted.}
"HUH!?"
I try reinstalling the game. Over and over. But nothing works. The files are corrupted, and I can't even find the original install anymore. The site I got it from—it's just gone.
This has to be a joke. Or a dream. I don't even know how else to describe this absurdity.
Right now, I'm a volcano. Shaking. Steaming. Ready to blow. If that doorbell rings one more time, I swear I'll break someone's neck.
Beep.
My screen blacks out.
My PC—my expensive treasure—just shut down without warning.
"Fuck this..." I growl through clenched teeth. "I'm going to bed before I destroy something."
Knock Knock.
My eyes lock on the door.
...Someone's there.
Are they listening? Are they toying with me? Is it those bastards from the Sun Gaming Team? Did they actually send someone to mess with me now?
"You asked for it!" I shout and storm toward the door, fully ready to snap. Maybe I wouldn't even care if it ended in a murder charge.
"Ready or not, here I come!" I slam the door open like I'm about to send someone flying.
But—nothing. No one's there.
"Hello?" My voice comes out shaky. The hallway's empty. Too empty. The world outside is calm, still, like nothing happened.
"I ran so fast... there's no way someone could've escaped already." A cold chill slithers down my back. There's only one answer left. Ghost.
"No, no, calm down... ghosts aren't real... right?" I whisper to myself, hugging my arms. But I can already feel the panic bubbling under my skin. The dread tightening in my chest.
There's a legend in my country—if you open the door to a knock and no one's there... the ghost has already marked you.
My blood drains from my face. I can feel it. My legs don't move.
One minute. Two. Five. I stand there like prey. Frozen. Wide-eyed. Waiting for death—or worse.
Then finally, I speak. "No ghost, right? Still breathing. Just... annoying kids. That's all." But even as I close the door, I don't turn my back. Just in case.
Today is just getting weirder by the second.
"What the fuck!?" I jump like a rabbit as I spot a golden card lying on the floor—inside my apartment.
Not outside. Not in the hall. Right at the edge of my doormat. My side of the door.
I wouldn't have flinched if it weren't for that one tiny, terrifying detail.
It's already inside.
"Okay... okay. This is a dream, right?" My voice trembles. My heart's hammering.
I pinch myself.
"Ouch!"
Pain. Very real pain.
My legs begin to shake. This isn't a dream. This is really happening.
I slowly turn my head, shoulders tense, eyes flicking toward the inside of the room.
"A-anybody there...?" I whisper, barely able to breathe.
Silence.
Just me. And the card.
The card shimmers gold. Maybe it's valuable?
That's my first thought—right before I spot the crimson print near the corner. It pulses like it's alive.
"Flip the card over." The words are tiny, but they drag my gaze in. Something's wrong. I can feel it. Like gravity's shifting around me.
Against better judgment, I flip it.
And the moment I do—the world flashes.
Bright light burns my eyes. Then… silence. Darkness. Not normal darkness. Empty. Like the void itself.
My heart slams in my chest. Then slows. And slows again.
What is happening to me?!
Golden letters begin to float in front of me—shining in that same unholy glow.
{Welcome!}
No voice. Just the words, echoing in my head.
{You have been chosen to take part in a new game. Survival of the fittest. A gathering of the strongest. Welcome to: THE WORLD OF NO END.}
Me? Chosen?
I want to scream, but my throat doesn't work. My body is slipping—like I'm sinking into black water.
{You will be transported in: Five.}
No. No, no, no.
{Four.}
My hands. I can't feel them.
{Three.}
My chest tightens. I can't breathe.
{Two.}
The air's gone. My thoughts scatter.
{One...}
Everything disappears.
And then—one final message carves itself into the dark.
{Welcome, to your new world, Lee Gaon.}