After arriving at his dilapidated apartment, Tang Ziqian sluggishly walked in without turning on the lights and wearily slumped onto the thin mattress. His body felt sticky all over, and he wanted to take a bath—but he didn't have the energy to move.
He casually glanced at the wall clock with its illuminated numbers.
It was already 2:36 a.m.
Covering his eyes with his arm, he sighed. So tired.
He had to wake up every day at 4 a.m. to work until 10 a.m. as a kitchen assistant in a small neighborhood restaurant, then attend class at 11 a.m. At 6 p.m., he worked as a bartender at XX Nightclub until midnight.
During his breaks, to earn some extra pocket money, he offered to write essays and documentation for his wealthy schoolmates.
On Saturdays, he worked at a bakery owned by Grandma Wang.
On Sundays, he worked as a logistics staff member at a construction site, thanks to Uncle Chen, the foreman.
Grandma Wang and Uncle Chen had been close friends of his late grandmother. After his grandmother passed away two years ago, they offered him a job once a week to ease his financial burden.
Despite all this work, it was barely enough to cover his tuition and living expenses. And because of his bad luck, aside from the bakery and construction jobs, he always ran into trouble. He was either harassed or fired without any valid reason.
Just like today—he'd been fired by the small restaurant's owner, who accused him of seducing the owner's old husband. After that, the university sent him a notice warning that if he didn't settle his outstanding tuition fees, he would be expelled despite his excellent academic record.
His scholarship had been stripped because of a sudden new regulation forbidding students from working in bars or nightclubs. According to the dean, he was ruining the university's reputation. That's why they pressured him to pay the full tuition fee to continue his studies.
They didn't even give him a chance to explain or change jobs. To his knowledge, he wasn't the only student working there.
One of the board members—a fat, bald man—had even tried to make a deal: in exchange for a scholarship, he would become the man's sex slave.
Of course, he rejected the baldy with a punch in the face before fleeing—maybe one of the reasons the university was now giving him a deadline, pushing him into a dead end.
His life seemed to worsen the harder he worked and studied, as if the world was telling him to give up and be content with what he already had.
He had long since given up, if not for his grandmother's final request before she passed. He was emotionally and physically worn out but could only continue living numbly.
He glanced at the wall clock again. 2:59.
He propped himself up and reached for the earphones on the cupboard next to the mattress. Sliding them on, he played his favorite album on repeat.
Tomorrow… no, today—he needed to find another job. If he had time in the evening, he would visit a relatively secluded bar to find a partner for the night, to vent his pent-up stress and satisfy his craving for a big guy.
Just let him sleep for two hours.
Weariness overcame him, and he slowly slipped into a deep slumber, oblivious to the thick smoke seeping through the cracks in the walls. The loud music drowned out the screams outside the door.
________________.
In one of the galaxies in the vast universe, a relatively small planet known as Eden floated freely, surrounded by bright, multicolored stars. Unlike other planets bound by gravity, Eden maneuvered smoothly through space, nimbly avoiding asteroids and meteorites.
This peculiar planet had only one season—spring. Despite lacking a sun and moon, it experienced a normal cycle of day and night.
Its lands were covered in vibrant flowers that emitted a fragrance capable of restoring vitality. Trees bore fruits that could cure any ailment and prolong life. Nothing on Eden decayed or withered.
At the peaks of its mountains, Pegasus and Sparkles ran and flew freely, treating the place as their playground. Behind the wide mountain range, shrouded in mist and clouds, the vague silhouette of a massive, furry creature could be seen sleeping soundly.
Young phoenixes perched proudly atop tall branches, flaunting their fiery red feathers.
In the crystal-clear blue ocean, mermaids could be heard singing in harmony with the sirens, their melodious voices inducing peace and calm. Deep beneath the waves, a massive scaled creature swayed to the rhythm, occasionally creating waves that rippled across the waters.
Fairies diligently watered flower beds to maintain their vibrant glow, while gnomes harvested ripe fruits to offer as snacks for visiting gods.
It was a peaceful and lively world.
At its heart stood a magnificent ten-story gazebo, crafted from priceless crystals and diamonds. Treasures surrounded it as if they were decorations of no consequence.
Eden was a perfect sanctuary where gods could find leisure and mythical creatures could coexist in harmony.
And today, the presence of the three goddesses who represented harmony and elegance made the planet even livelier.
Seated elegantly on a throne made of intricately cut gems, the three sisters were enjoying a rare moment.
"I heard you bestowed a unique gift on a young man from Earth 17869, a planet under Ergia's domain. She's having a headache now," Rosyne said teasingly, glancing at Thali.
"Hmph! The child was so pitiful—why not give him what he wants? As long as their devotion is sincere, granting a gift or two shouldn't be a problem," Thali replied proudly, showing no sign of remorse. She believed she had done nothing wrong.
"But Earth 17869 isn't part of your territory... and that talent is—" Glae sighed before she could finish.
Rosyne burst out laughing.
Gods had the power to grant gifts to devoted mortals, a form of reciprocation for their worship. But an unspoken rule existed: not to interfere or cause disorder in another god's domain.
Yet the gift Thali had given was already disrupting the balance of that world due to its peculiarity.
"It's Ergia's fault for being too lazy to manage her own territory. I'm just helping out a little," Thali said, stubbornly defending herself. Still, a flicker of worry crossed her mind. If their father found out, she would surely be reprimanded.
Rosyne's laughter and teasing only worsened her unease. Thali reached out and pinched her sister's arm, prompting an even louder laugh from the goddess of merriment.
The two kept teasing and chatting, unaware of the change in their youngest sister's expression.
Their laughter came to an abrupt halt when a sudden, powerful wave of divine energy surged from Glae.
"NO!!!"
A deafening scream reverberated across Eden, shattering its serenity.
Alarmed by the sudden emotional outburst, Rosyne rushed to embrace Glae, wrapping her in calming divine energy.
"What happened?" Thali asked, her voice filled with worry. Glae was trembling, crying uncontrollably. Neither of them knew how to console her.
Aside from Oizy, who was known for crying, they had never seen a god—or goddess—in such despair. Rosyne and Thali exchanged anxious glances, overwhelmed by the scene.
Rosyne gently patted Glae's back, using her powers to soothe her, while Thali began playing soft, melodic tunes on various divine instruments.
With the combined efforts of her sisters, Glae slowly began to calm down. Yet tears still trickled down her stunning face like beads of glass as she mumbled:
"M-my son... My precious son..."
They still didn't fully understand what had happened, but one thing was clear—something had befallen their nephew.
Whatever it was, it had to be terrible to cause such distress to their gentle sister.
A child blessed by the Three Graces—no one should have been able to harm him, let alone kill him.
Unless...
Rosyne's and Thali's expressions darkened, their powers fluctuating with rising emotion. Every living being in Eden shuddered. Even distant gods sensed the shift and turned their attention toward the once-peaceful planet.
The Three Graces, goddesses of harmony and elegance, were now in chaos.
And that... was not a good omen.
________________.
"LEAVE! GET OUT!!"
In a luxurious presidential suite on the highest floor of the most famous five-star hotel in Country A, several waiters and attendants could be seen rushing out, alarmed by the furious roar of the VIP guest inside.
Only one man remained—a tall figure in a suit, his handsome face filled with worry. He stood outside the locked door, knocking urgently.
"Ah-yeon, what's wrong? Please open the door."
But the young man curled up in the massive bed gave no response. His entire body trembled and was drenched in sweat. Bloodshot eyes stared blankly, and his lips were bleeding from biting down too hard.
He groaned and occasionally screamed in pain.
"AHHH! It hurts!"
System! SYSTEM, HELP ME!
He rolled across the bed, pounding the mattress with clenched fists, but the agony didn't subside. The excruciating pain threatened to drive him insane. Crawling to the headboard, he began slamming his head against it in desperation.
He longed to pass out—but couldn't. The torment was unbearable, as if his soul were being torn apart.
System...
"System, help..." he croaked.
But instead of the usual cold mechanical voice, a glaring red screen flashed in front of him repeatedly.
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
What's happening?!
System!! he cried, frantic and confused.
[WARNING!]
[Host...]
System? What's going on? Please, help me—just lessen the pain...
The pain still racked his body, but hearing the familiar voice brought a sliver of relief.
[The host's mission in this world has failed. We must leave now.]
What do you mean, failed? At least reduce the pain and explain what's going on!
[I can't. The pain is from the world rejecting us. If we don't leave immediately, we'll perish along with it.]
What do you mean?!
[No time to explain, host.]
[Ejecting from this world in 10... 9... 8...]
As the countdown began, the pain finally began to subside.
Baek Inyeon hesitated at first. But if ejecting meant relief from this soul-rending pain, then staying was no longer an option.
He heard Yu Yan's worried voice from beyond the door, knocking persistently. For a moment, warmth filled his chest. But as always, Inyeon loved himself more than anyone else.
Ignoring the calls of the man outside, he urged the system to proceed.
He didn't know exactly what went wrong. The system didn't have the time—or capacity—to answer his questions.
This world's mission had been classified as a mere Class C: make the main target fall in love with him and live a successful life. After traversing countless worlds, Inyeon had been confident. He could finish this one easily.
But something went wrong. Unexpectedly, he failed.
[7... 6... 5... 4...]
In this world, he had encountered someone brimming with luck—far more than the mission target. A rare phenomenon. Oddly, the person wasn't mentioned in the plot. Not even as cannon fodder.
Which was exactly why Inyeon hadn't hesitated to siphon his luck.
The more luck he gathered in each world, the stronger he became, and more functions were unlocked in the system.
It had accelerated his mission's progress.
He thought he would spend a few more years being intimate with the mission target before moving on to the next world.
But now, before he could even properly enjoy the man—he had to leave.
[3... 2... 1...]
He sighed.
Blowing a flying kiss toward the mission target he'd never see again, he let the system take him.
It was a pity. But there were still countless handsome men waiting in other worlds.
Goodbye, my love.
This was the end of this world.