Baek Geohwa was dying.
Not from gunfire.
Not from a car crash.
Just… coffee and overworking.
It was supposed to be a five-minute break.
His boss had been yelling since 9 a.m. and Geohwa had worked through lunch again.
So he slipped into the break room. Poured himself a cup of stale, lukewarm coffee. Thought about quitting. Didn't.
Then his heart stopped.
Just like that.
No drama. No collapse in slow motion.
Just dizziness, a spinning floor, and the clatter of ceramic against tile.
And just before the darkness took him—
Someone walked over. A pair of polished shoes.
Then everything went black.
He woke up gasping. And burning.
Not metaphorically.
Literally burning.
Flames rolled across a scorched red sky.
Ash drifted like snow. The air smelled like sulfur and metal.
He sat up slowly, blinking sweat out of his eyes.
His dress shirt was half-scorched, and the floor beneath him was cracked obsidian.
Screams echoed from somewhere distant. And close.
"…Huh."
Geohwa ran a hand through his hair. "So I guess I'm dead."
No light. No angels. No peaceful music.
Just monsters.
All around him, demons of every shape and horror stalked the landscape.
Most were too busy tearing each other apart to notice the new guy.
He should've stayed quiet.
But the words slipped out before he could stop them.
"Fucking hell."
The nearest creature, a beast the size of a truck, with the body of a lion and a skull-like face—froze.
Its head turned.
Eyes locked on him.
Geohwa froze too.
The beast growled.
"Okay," he whispered. "That was loud."
His legs refused to move. His brain screamed run, but his body stayed frozen, breath shallow and useless.
A tremor in the air. Heavy footsteps.
DING.
A screen appeared, glowing blue and faintly glitching.
> [SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Congratulations, Chosen Hero.
Press [OK] to continue.
Geohwa stared at it. "You've got to be kidding me."
The lion-creature roared.
Geohwa slammed his palm against [OK].
Something shifted inside him. Nerves snapped back to life. His legs worked again.
He didn't question it. He just ran.
The ground shook under his feet as the beast gave chase.
Up ahead—a narrow cave. Barely wide enough for him to crawl through. He dove forward, scraping his arms and chest as he squeezed inside.
The beast couldn't follow.
It stopped at the entrance, growling, pacing, scratching the stone.
Inside, Geohwa curled against the wall, chest heaving.
"...This can't be real," he muttered.
But it was.
Another screen flickered to life.
> Welcome, Baek Geohwa.
Remaining Time: 999 years
Skill Acquired: ???
He stared at it.
Then slowly sat up, heart still hammering, throat dry from the smoke.
"...How do I go back?" he whispered.
No answer. Just the crackling of fire and the low, hungry growl outside the cave.
Geohwa pressed a hand to his face, trying to breathe.
"I just wanted a break," he muttered. "One damn cup of coffee."
The growling grew louder.
Shit.
[TO BE CONTINUED]