Chapter 1 : Prologue

Someone in the game’s chat window had been repeating the same message for hours.

[All] [GodDog]: Seeking someone for a second life.

Grrrrk, grrrrk.

I held the mouse and scrolled the chat window up and down, skimming through all the messages left by ‘GodDog’.

“What a cliché concept.”

He must have had nothing else to do, because he’d been rambling on with the same content since dawn.

“A second life?”

I chuckled, slouching in my seat.

Not even a game, but a second life?

How great would it be if something like that existed?

From the moment I was born, my life was truly nothing special.

I didn’t even have a mom or dad, like everyone else.

I grew up in an orphanage, and after I became an adult, I worked in a factory.

Now that I’m thirty?

I live in a gosiwon (a tiny, low-cost room) and work part-time at a convenience store, gradually using up all the money I’d saved to prepare for the civil service exam.

All I had was a laptop and the max-level characters in the games installed on it.

“Isn’t life too ‘non-possessive’?”

Rather than non-possessive, it’s more like a shriveled radish.

That’s probably why this cliché, persistent post caught my eye.

“Yeah, persistent posts deserve recommendations.”

I snickered and placed my hands on the keyboard.

[All] [JjamppongTasteOrange]: Let’s go for a second life GGG

Surprisingly, ‘GodDog’ immediately sent me a whisper as if he’d been waiting.

[Private] [GodDog]: Are you confident? It won’t be easy.

Why is this guy so serious? It’s no fun.

I almost ignored him, but I decided to humor him one more time.

“Interest and warmth are what makes our society warm, aren’t they?”

Clack-clack-clack.

[Private] [JjamppongTasteOrange]: Isn’t it just like playing this crappy game, hehe?

[Private] [JjamppongTasteOrange]: You seem to be having a tough time too;; Let’s all try our best!!!

Then, a strange reply arrived.

[Private] [GodDog]: That’s a good attitude. Then this time, make sure to survive and do all the things you wanted to do.

“…Survive this time?”

What nonsense is this suddenly?

Did someone die or something?

I scratched my chin and tried to send another chat.

I was about to type something like, “Go talk nonsense at a dog cafe.”

‘Come to think of it, it’s infuriating? He’s not making fun of me, is he, with this “second life” talk?’

And then.

Just as I was about to press Enter.

Suddenly, drowsiness overwhelmed me.

“I”

“I”

My eyelids were heavy, as if someone was gently stroking my face.

I couldn’t resist it.

‘Was my part-time job earlier tiring? I guess I need to sleep a bit.’

And so, I closed my eyes.

Without any thought of what would happen when I opened them again.

I fell deeply into an inexplicable sleep.

When I opened my eyes, my world was shaking violently.

Did I drink too much?

My head was ringing like the Bosingak bell.

But where am I? Am I in a taxi?

This is too narrow for a back seat.

Fumble, fumble.

I moved my body, which was lying on its side, and touched various parts of the dark space.

But the familiar texture of a leather seat wasn’t there.

Instead, strangely…

‘What is this?’

The place where my cheek rested was a rough wooden floor.

Clumps of dirt rolled into my hand, and some sticky liquid was dripping on my forehead.

This is the back seat of a taxi?

No way.

If this were a car seat, then all the junk shop rickshaws and discount store carts would have to be fitted with license plates.

My whole body was tingling from being crumpled haphazardly on the hard floor.

‘It definitely doesn’t seem like a taxi.’

Thump, thump, thump.

Even as my thoughts churned, the floor shook like a broken truck, carrying me somewhere.

Not a single ray of light was visible anywhere.

What on earth happened?

“I”

“I”

Okay, let’s calm down.

I began to rummage through the memories remaining in my head.

Everything in my mind was jumbled like vomit from a hangover, but a few things were clear.

First, my name is Kim Kyung-sam, and I’m a convenience store worker and a civil service exam student.

Second, surprisingly, I didn’t drink alcohol yesterday.

Third, instead, I played games all night in my gosiwon.

My head went blank when I remembered that much.

‘That’s right, I didn’t drink yesterday.’

I didn’t meet Gi-wook, and I didn’t meet Won-sang.

Then what is this situation now?

Where am I, and where am I going?

It was at that moment.

“Woah! Woah! Stop, stop!”

Suddenly, the violent shaking stopped, and my center of gravity tilted sharply.

It wasn’t a taxi, but whatever was carrying me had stopped.

‘Could it be a carriage?’

A carriage in 21st-century South Korea?

I naturally pricked up my ears towards the outside.

Suspiciously low voices could be heard muttering.

“…The ‘pig’?”

“We’ve captured him without a single hair harmed. We were going to kill him if he resisted, but he’s quick-witted, so he was docile.”

“They said the Prince inherited his father’s extraordinary intellect, and it seems to be true.”

“Even if he’s extraordinary, he’s just a pig in a cage.”

A short laugh.

“Then what about the ‘bear’ and the ‘nightingale’? Were there no pursuers?”

“We held them back sufficiently. They’re probably still wandering in the forest.”

“Well done, you’ve worked very hard.”

“Thank you. Glory of vengeance to the Holy Eolem.”

“Glory of vengeance.”

The conversation ended there.

The sound of someone walking steadily towards me grew louder.

I was lost in thought, dumbfounded.

‘What is this? What on earth is this?’

I realized halfway through, but the conversation that just took place was one I knew well.

Not only did I have it all memorized, but I also knew exactly why they were whispering and the background behind it.

…Because they were all lines from the game.

It was a part of the role-playing game I’d been engrossed in until last night!

‘The 3rd Prince Assassination Event!’

This is exactly that part, isn’t it?

But as I recalled, these conversations were just a fleeting part that passed by as text.

Since it was a section where the protagonist used extras as experience fodder, it was definitely not a part with such clear audio recordings.

At least, according to my memory, it wasn’t.

‘But what on earth is this?’

Is it some kind of super-fun hidden camera prank?

Am I being played by YouTubers who’ve lost their minds for likes and subscriptions?

Just as my mind was chaotically swirling.

Creak…

With the sound of rusty hinges turning, dim light and shadows spilled onto my face.

I instinctively closed my eyes, but I couldn’t reject the voice that echoed in my ears.

“The 3rd Prince of the Vald Magic Empire…”

An old man, silhouetted against the moonlight, was glaring at me.

‘Is he talking to me right now?’

However, no further explanation was given.

Silence fell over the dark forest.

The kidnapped prince and the assassins.

“…”

“…Gilloshian Elodie Vald.”

With a clearly murderous gaze, I involuntarily gaped.

This wasn’t a YouTuber’s joke.

Perhaps, no way!

‘Am I Gilloshian?’

That worthless scoundrel, is that me?

“…”

It felt like a dream.

Yet, somehow, it felt like I’d had this dream before.

But as the old man’s mouth opened, everything crashed back to reality.

I knew the next line.

-Look straight at me. Look at me.

“Look straight at me. Look at me.”

And after this…

-Yes, the face is correct. It’s him. Drag him out.

“Yes, the face is correct. It’s him. Drag him out.”

A shiver ran down my spine, and I almost screamed.

But before I could utter a sound, rough hands grabbed me.

“L-let go of me!”

I instinctively sprang to my feet.

Because, of course, I had to escape.

But even that was just part of a predetermined scenario.

“No foolish tricks, 3rd Prince.”

Suddenly, my legs stiffened, and my heavy body tumbled downwards.

I don’t know why.

“You will be executed today in the name of the Republic. And your head will be sent to your father.”

“…!”

Beheading the 3rd Prince Gilloshian and sending his head to the Emperor.

That was the purpose and the conclusion of this event.

Of course, I knew it all, but as it became a death sentence directed at me, it felt incredibly shocking.

My legs still wouldn’t move.

…As if this body, not me, was terrified.

Thud.

In the end, I was thrown back into the wooden crate I had been confined in.

Now I saw it.

It was a coffin for the dead.

A coffin to put me in after killing me along with this body.

The old man who was to carry out Gilloshian’s execution glared at me with cold eyes.

“…”

“Though he is merely a worthless prince, the imperial blood flows in him nonetheless. If we sever his neck, the Emperor will probably not simply laugh it off.”

“…”

This was no clumsy hidden camera prank or play.

In the old man’s piercing eyes, a palpable murderous intent flickered, clear enough to grasp.

I finally understood myself.

I also understood my situation.

‘Prey.’

And already captured prey at that.

I was no different from an animal, with nothing left but to have my head severed, taxidermied, and put on display.

And that was the end I knew for this ‘NPC’.

[Character] Also known as the ‘Pig Prince’. The Third Prince of the Vald Magic Empire. Due to his lazy and peculiar behavior, he’s long been out of the running in the succession race.

During the main scenario, ‘The Fall of the Empire,’ he is captured and executed by the Republican revolutionaries.

At this time, players can obtain new quests and experience points from either the Imperial or Revolutionary factions, depending on their choice.

If there’s an NPC, there must naturally be a player.

I dazedly turned my head and looked at where ‘he’ should be.

A man with his hood pulled low stood there.

‘The player character.’

The protagonist of The World Forsaken by God.

The role that was mine just last night.

“…”

He said nothing.

Even his expression was obscured by the shadow of his dark hood, making it impossible to see properly.

“Well, 3rd Prince. Any last words?”

At the same time, a sharp, cold blade touched my neck, and a trickle of blood began to flow.

Not just one person, but three people were pointing swords at me.

“N-no.”

I was dumbfounded and speechless.

What kind of situation is this?

Just yesterday, I was merely Kim Kyung-sam, a common 30-year-old unemployed man in South Korea.

But now, I was in a game, wearing the face of the Pig Prince, and on the verge of being beheaded.

Does this make any sense?

In these kinds of situations, shouldn’t I naturally possess the protagonist?

All my peers did, didn’t they?

Isn’t this too different from kids who get hit by trucks?

I unconsciously opened my mouth.

“What kind of dog-like…”

Then the old man grinned.

“Hahaha, dog-like? Indeed, a fitting last will for a scoundrel.”

“W-wait!”

“I have no personal regrets. Farewell, 3rd Prince.”

But I do have regrets!

I have personal feelings about this situation!

“Ugh!”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The falling blade gleamed fiercely.

Whether this body was Gilloshian, Kim Kyung-sam, or anything else.

Being beheaded was incredibly terrifying and frightening.

It’ll hurt, right?

‘Maybe it’ll be severed before I feel the pain.’

Still, I didn’t want to die like this.

There were things I hadn’t accomplished yet.

There was something I absolutely had to do.

…But what was it again?

At that moment of strange déjà vu, as I raised my head.

[Play begins.]

I gasped.

Something strange was happening before my eyes.

The night wind held its breath.

The moonlight seemed to freeze as well.

Amidst all phenomena coming to a halt, shimmering letters floated into the air.

[Player ‘Kim Kyung-sam’ is playing character ‘Gilloshian Elodie Vald’.]

Yes! This is it!

Whatever it is, this is how my possession should be!

I felt relieved.

This was a game called The World Forsaken by God, and this was the world within that game.

I had no idea why I was dragged into this world, but there was no need to be afraid.

‘Because I know the beginning and end of this game.’

I knew so much about it, it was as if I’d poured half my life into this game.

Furthermore, if the game’s utterly familiar system was being applied, there was nothing for me to fear.

[Player receives starting reward.]

The game system’s message twinkled, as if apologizing for appearing so late.

A laugh escaped me.

‘Hahaha! It’s okay, as long as my head and body are still attached, it’s fine!’

I had no idea why they put me in this NPC’s body.

‘But it’s a good thing it started before my neck was cut off!’

…Of course, all of that was sarcasm.

Having faced the brink of death once, I felt a simmering rage inside me.

This feeling, as if I could smash anyone’s head in if only I had something in my hand.

‘So this is why they say people change after experiencing a life-threatening crisis.’

Wow! I never knew that.

I wish I had never found out!

The assassins who were about to kill me had all frozen in place, as if someone had pressed a pause button.

Of course, I wasn’t allowed much movement either.

‘Right, now that I think about it, it’s natural for a character not to be able to move during character creation.’

Instead, only the camera moved and the character’s pose changed.

So, at that moment, I could do nothing but receive system messages.

But that was enough.

The messages continued to appear.

[3 Stat Points are awarded.]

[2 Skill Points are awarded.]

Stat points were necessary to improve a character’s abilities.

Skill points were needed to acquire special skills.

‘This much is a universally accepted rule that needs no explanation.’

[Quest ‘Escape Crisis’ is given.]

A quest is a series of processes that assign a mission to a character and provide a reward.

‘Escape Crisis?’

That, of course, was the obvious objective: survive this situation.

Leaving aside the familiar messages and explanations, I was thinking something a little different.

‘This isn’t important right now.’

I could allocate stats and skills later, and read the quest details afterward.

In fact, the most important thing right now was something else entirely.

This.

[First Fate Card selection begins.]

[Player, confirm your character’s fate.]

I lifted my gaze to the sky.

Like in another dimension, over a thousand stars glowed nobly.

All of them, brilliant light sources boasting different colors, were in the night sky.

“Fate Cards…”

Of course, it was a well-known element.

Choosing a good ‘Fate Card’.

This was the most crucial part of the character creation stage.

This card was a type of job selection right and a content expansion pack.

It was a special reward that provided additional character stats, exclusive episodes, unique equipment, and unique skills.

Card selection was simple.

‘First, 3 cards are randomly drawn from 1024, and the player chooses just one.’

Then the card is absorbed by the character.

That’s it.

The next Fate Card could only be obtained upon reaching level 10, and then again at level 20.

‘Of course, there’s also a way to get them by completing special quests.’

But that requires taking special risks.

Therefore, choosing this first Fate Card required both luck and caution.

‘A path of flowers, or a path of dung.’

…Or just a cliff.

It was chosen here.

I’d never felt like this before, my hands were trembling.

I made an effort to take a deep breath.

“Hoooh.”

Whenever I drew new cards, I would always exclaim this and click on the night sky.

“…”

“…Luck-Skill Game!”

Luck is also a skill.

‘It’s a rightful reward given to those prepared to seize opportunity.’

I had been thinking that for a while.

Flash.

The night sky spat out a flash of light.

Card-shaped stars began to rotate, forming a thousand circles.

Now, what will it be this time?

What card will fall into my hands?

[Card shuffling begins.]

[May fortune be upon your fate.]

As it turned out, that fortune…

Came into my hand, then slapped me across the cheek and vanished.

Damn it!