Aria floated beside Jinwoo's couch, arms crossed and expression skeptical as she glanced at the thick, weathered hardcover he held in one hand.
"No offense, boss," she said, "but you're seriously about to change this world… with an old book?"
Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "This isn't just any book. It's the beginning of an empire."
Aria blinked. "There's no data in any of my databases about this A Song of Ice and Fire series. It's not even in alternate languages."
"Exactly," Jinwoo said, a half-smile curling at his lips. "It doesn't exist in this world. Not yet."
He set the book down on the table between them. "Seven kingdoms. Noble houses vying for power. Dragons, white walkers, betrayals, loyalty, love, and death. A throne made of swords and a game where you win, or you die."
Aria's projection leaned in, intrigued despite herself. "Sounds brutal."
"It is. But it's real, raw. It shows people as they are—not idealized. Heroes die. Villains win. Morality gets drowned in politics and ambition. But it's honest. And addictive."
He tapped the book. "When I read this for the first time, I forgot to sleep for three days."
Aria smirked. "That explains a lot."
"I want to bring this world to life. And not just this. One day, everything I remember—One Piece, Naruto, Berserk, Death Note itself—I'll bring them all back. Not for piracy. For inspiration.Well as well as make some money though."
Aria scanned his face. "You're not just recreating entertainment. You're planting cultural bombs."
"Exactly. I'm giving people dreams they never knew they could have."
She paused for a beat, then held up the sleek scanning device again. "Alright then, mad visionary. Let's start with this cultural bomb."
The scanner hummed softly, sliding over the book's surface as blue light pulsed from within. Pages turned themselves as the entire volume was digitized in less than a minute.
"Done," Aria said, stunned. "Holy crap. The characters… the politics… and that twist with Ned Stark?!" She clutched her holographic head. "You're a monster."
Jinwoo grinned. "Just the messenger."
"I can already see the forums melting when Chapter 9 drops."
"Good," Jinwoo said. "We'll release it chapter by chapter. Weekly 2 drops. Give the public time to digest and theorize. Build momentum."
"And the author name?"
Jinwoo thought for a moment. Something short. Sharp. That carried weight.
He smiled.
"Just call me…Dante."
Aria tilted her head. "Dramatic. Mysterious. Edgy."
"Fits, right?"
"Oh, it slaps," she confirmed, already beginning to compile teaser cover art.
Jinwoo leaned back with a satisfied sigh as Aria worked, his eyes flicking toward his inventory.
There, quietly pulsing with ominous red light, sat the two cursed loot boxes.
"I swear," he muttered, "if these spit out another pair of cursed panties, I'm uninstalling this System."
[You cannot uninstall me.]
"Wasn't talking to you."
[...Still rude.]
----
He hovered a finger over the first box and tapped.
It unraveled in a swirl of purple mist and flickering glyphs, hovering mid-air like it had something to prove. With a low hiss, the mist coalesced into a single item: a card, glowing faintly, covered in unknown runes that shimmered with shifting patterns.
The moment Jinwoo's fingers brushed it—
BZZT.
The rune card shot forward, slapping against his right hand like a living brand. He winced as searing heat crawled through his skin.
"Oi, what the—?"
Symbols burned onto his skin in curling crimson, slowly etching a circular sigil over the back of his hand. The pain faded fast, but the mark remained—ominous and pulsing faintly.
[Warning: Unknown anomaly detected.]
[Runic structure does not match known patterns within System archives.]
[This item was never meant to appear in your current dimensional thread.]
[Why… why did that thing appear here?! And why to you, of all lunatics?!]
Jinwoo blinked. "That's the first time you've sounded genuinely nervous."
[This is not a time for humor, User. That card is not from any world you've accessed. It should not exist. Even I avoided those paths.]
"I'm guessing this isn't covered in the Sequence."
[There was no Sequence. You bypassed three security flags just by being born wrong.]
Aria appeared beside him, eyes narrowed. "It fused with your body. That's... not standard. You okay?"
"I think so." Jinwoo flexed his fingers, the rune gleaming faintly. "No stat changes. No pain now. But I feel like something's waiting for me to wake it up."
Aria scanned the sigil. "The energy's fragmented. Dormant. Like it's waiting for a trigger."
[Do NOT attempt to awaken it. I repeat—do not.]
"...Which, in anime logic," Jinwoo muttered, "means I definitely need to awaken it later."
[You are insufferable.]
He opened the second cursed loot box without another word.
This one spat out a jagged black key, long and barbed like it had been pulled straight from hell. Etched on the handle in infernal script: Demon King's Castle.
Jinwoo's eyes lit up.
"Jackpot."
Aria floated backward slightly. "Yeah… that thing's radiating 'do not touch me' energy."
"I remember this," Jinwoo said, gripping the key. "One of the toughest instance dungeons from the original world.Esil.... (A/N:SIMP).... HUM HUMM... Well i would love that place filled with demons.
[I heard your mind perverttt...Proceed with caution.]
"Which makes it perfect," Jinwoo grinned. "I Love High risks And High rewards."
He glanced at his remaining loot.
"Alright, let's lighten the mood. Random loot boxes, come to papa."
---
First box:
With a pop, a folded umbrella tumbled into his lap.
He opened it experimentally. A small note was attached:
"Water-repellent. Doesn't get wet. Not even in blood."
Jinwoo snorted. "Charming."
[At least you'll look fashionable while committing war crimes.]
---
Second box:
A worn recipe scroll slid out, glowing faintly green.
Minor Health Potion
Restores 5% HP. Ingredients: Redroot Herb, Clear Dewdrop, Lesser Beast Essence.
Jinwoo grinned. "Time to start alchemy 101."
Aria raised a brow. "Can i Test The molecular Combination and recreate this Boss cause it looks interesting..?"
"Later Aria"
---
Third box:
A bronze key landed in his hand.
[C-Rank Instance Dungeon Key: Hunter's Cavern .]
Jinwoo paused. "Wait, this is different."
He mentally compared it to the anime. "Original Jinwoo got an E-rank key to an abandoned temple with lycans and Kasaka, that giant snake. This one's better. A full rank higher."
[Timeline divergence confirmed. Probability threads realigning.]
"Which means…" Jinwoo's eyes narrowed. "I can trigger my class change earlier than level 40."
He stood abruptly. "But before that…"
He opened his contacts and hovered over a name.
Lee Johee.
He tapped.
She answered quickly, her face popping up on the hologram—messy hair, loose shirt, glasses barely staying on. Still adorable.
"J-Jinwoo? You okay?"
"Of course." He smiled. "Remember how I said we should go on a raid together?"
Her eyes widened. "You're serious about that?"
"I found a dungeon," he said gently. "Private. No one else involved. Just the two of us. No sudden double dungeons. No weird statues. Just us and a bunch of monsters we can handle."
Johee hesitated, lip trembling.
"…Are you sure?" she whispered. "I—I still remember that place. That fear. Everyone dying. You—bleeding out—"
"You don't have to," he said quietly. "Not unless you're ready."
She looked away for a second… then looked back, eyes firmer now.
"If I'm going to be someone by your side… then I have to face it. Even if I die."
Jinwoo smiled softly. "Then let's go. Just you and me."
Aria's voice slid in with mock sarcasm. "Aw. Trauma bonding. Adorable."
[The healer girl has admirable resolve. Let us see if her stats match.]
Johee blinked at the Aria's voice. "W-What was that?"
"Nothing," Jinwoo said too quickly. "Just my uh… sentient phone assistant."
"...You are so weird."
"And yet," he said, smirking, "you still said yes."
She blushed.
---
As the call ended, Jinwoo stood tall, fingers tightening around the dungeon key.
A strange rune on his hand. A Demon King's Castle looming in his near future. And a promise to protect someone dear to him.
It was time to dive back into the fray.
But this time, not as a pawn.
As Dante—the man who would rewrite every story.
-------
[??? Rune Card – Anomaly Designation: "The Fragmented Brand"]
[WARNING: RUNE CONTAINS ELEMENTS OF OUTDATED GOD CODE.]
[ACTIVATION WILL RESULT IN: ??? –
[::INITIALIZING—INITIATING—ERROR—]
[Summoning Protocol: Ðivɪne Thræl | Status: Bound To Rune-Host]
[Name: N̴̢̯̟̹͐̓̚a̶͇̮̤͇̒͝m̵̘̦̱̎e̷̛͚̼̓̕ L̵͈̿̊͘o̴̙͒͑s̷͎͋͑t̴̖̓͝.]
[Class: Myth | Alignment: Null]
[Passive Effect: +???% Soul Integrity / ??? The Primordial Void ]
[Skill Placeholder: 'Command The Forgotten' – ??? / ??? / ???]
[Do not wake it. DO NOT—]
----------
[Demon King's Castle Key]
Rarity: S-Rank (Cursed)
Type: Instance Dungeon Key
Flavor Text:
"Carved from the marrow of a thousand tortured generals and dipped in the molten blood of the first fallen king, this key opens the gates of a fortress where the concept of mercy was never invented."
Lore:
Once a final raid boss in Jinwoo's original world, the Demon King's Castle is now accessible far earlier in this altered timeline. It's a nightmarish fortress set in a sub-dimension of hellfire and bone. Floors are ruled by different Archdemons, each possessing terrifying levels of authority and unique mythic-class abilities.
Known Threats:
The Infernal War Choir
Blight-Spitting Gargoyles
Esil, Princess of Pain (SIMP AWARENESS: HIGH)
True Demon King: ??? (???? HP, Authority: [Pride of Sovereigns])
Note:
The System is unusually wary of this key. It has been red-flagged internally, and Aria recommends backup protocols be prepared. Entry may warp nearby dimensional laws.
-------
Author's Note
Yo !
Author-sama here—alive, barely—grinding through exams like I'm farming E-rank goblins for a class change. First of all—thank you for sticking around even while I've been in stealth mode like a Shadow Soldier in math class.
This chapter was CRAZY fun to write. The rune stuff? That's the start of something BIG. Think of it as a cheat code that even the cheat system couldn't account for. The cursed loot drops were wild (and yes, cursed panties were canon in my mind). Johee got a spotlight, trauma bonding was real, and now we're headed into not one, but TWO epic dungeon arcs.
Also:
"Dante"? Yeah, I went there.
Aria = forever sarcastic MVP.
Demon King Castle = Hell.
Jinwoo = Always cooking, never chilling.
Anyway, next chapter's gonna be a dual dungeon dive with fire, blood, banter, and maybe some teary power-ups.
Keep vibin', stay hydrated, study smart if you're also dying in exam hell, and remember—
If life gives you cursed loot boxes… open 'em all.
— Author, out.
"You win or you die... or you become a system-breaking menace with a rune tattoo and a flirty AI assistant."