Ethan stood silently on his balcony, eyes fixed on the unsettling crimson sky stretching above the city. His phone glowed softly in his hand—15:38. He let out a long, tired sigh. Online, people were losing their minds, shouting about the end of the world arriving today. But honestly? He didn't care. Not one bit.
At 27, Ethan had no job, no girlfriend, and no family to speak of. An orphan drifting through life without a clear purpose, the chaos outside felt distant—like someone else's problem.
"End of the world, huh?" he muttered. "Maybe it's just an excuse for people to freak out."
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but it faded quickly. The truth was, Ethan wasn't sure what he was waiting for anymore. A sign? A reason? Something to pull him out of this endless haze of nothingness.
Behind him, the apartment was quiet, too quiet. No calls, no knocks — just the steady hum of the city below. He glanced at the cracked photo on the windowsill — a faded picture of a family he never really had.
"Maybe it's really for the best," Ethan ran a hand in his hair, chuckling.
And so... The world's end really came.
Ethan stood frozen, watching reality around him unravel like poorly coded graphics breaking down in a glitchy video game. Buildings disintegrated into particles, colors distorted, and the ground beneath his feet flickered like a broken screen.
It didn't make sense. It was like watching a simulation being deleted.
Wait… what?
His brows furrowed as a strange thought crept into his mind. This didn't feel like a natural disaster or divine punishment. It felt… artificial.
Like someone had hit a reset button. Or pulled the plug.
Was the world even real to begin with? Well it didn't matter.
He felt no panic. No fear.
Instead, a strange peace washed over him, a quiet acceptance. After years of numb, empty days, this end felt like a long-awaited release. Like finally breathing after holding his breath for too long.
Death wasn't terrifying. It was... a mercy.
As the last remnants of the world crumbled into static and silence, darkness swallowed Ethan whole.
No pain. No fear. Just… nothingness.
Then suddenly light.
He opened his eyes slowly.
A blinding white space stretched endlessly in every direction. It wasn't cold. It wasn't warm either. Just empty. Sterile. Quiet.
Was this heaven? Or hell?
Before he could decide, voices echoed through the silence.
"Are you sure this is the one?" a smooth, questioning tone asked. "He looks… painfully average."
"I double-checked," another voice replied, calm and precise. "He's the one. The data doesn't lie."
Ethan frowned. "...Who's talking?"
He sat up slowly and turned toward the sound.
Before him, four women sat on ornate thrones suspended above the white expanse, each glowing faintly with their own unique aura. They were… otherworldly. Beautiful in a way that didn't feel real. Like characters drawn from a dream or a game.
Their eyes met his with a mix of curiosity and doubt.
"The human is awake," one of them said, her voice cool and elegant.
Ethan blinked. "Okay. This is new."
He stood up carefully, brushing imaginary dust off his pants.
"Where… am I?" he asked, scanning the space. "And who exactly are you?"
"Welcome," the blonde woman said, her voice gentle yet powerful. Her long golden hair shimmered like strands of light, and her blue eyes sparkled as she looked down at him. "We are the goddesses who govern the virtual worlds."
"Virtual… worlds?" Ethan echoed, blinking in confusion. "What does that even mean?"
She nodded calmly. "The world you lived in wasn't real in the way you believed. It was one of many constructed realities—a virtual world maintained by our system."
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly. "So… everything I knew was fake?"
"Not fake," another goddess said, stepping forward with a softer tone. "Just… simulated. Real in its own way, but temporary."
The blonde continued, her expression turning serious. "Unfortunately, your world had to be destroyed due to unforeseen corruption. Most souls didn't survive the collapse. But you…"
She raised her hand, and a soft glow began to form around Ethan.
"You remained intact," she said. "Your soul did not shatter like the others."
A warm pulse spread through Ethan's chest—strange, but not painful. Almost… comforting. Like something ancient was stirring inside him.
The third goddess, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. Her voice was calm and unreadable. "You carry a spark of something old. Dormant, yet powerful. We do not fully understand it but it allowed you to survive. And perhaps… it can be used to save what remains."
"Save… the other worlds?" Ethan asked, still trying to process it all.
The goddess nodded. "Yes. We need someone who can adapt, endure, and anchor reality where it breaks. You've been chosen, Ethan Leighton. Whether by fate… or by something greater."
From a nobody to a hero?
It sounded like one of those cliché game plots yet here he was, living it.
Ethan glanced at the glowing space around him, then back at the goddesses who claimed he had been "chosen." Honestly, it still felt like a dream. A strange, vivid dream he wasn't in a hurry to wake up from.
Thinking back to his dull, empty life… the long days, the numb routine… he sighed.
"Guess it wouldn't hurt to try something new." His lips twitched in a lazy smirk. "Being a hero sounds more entertaining than being unemployed."
"Excellent," the blonde goddess said with a pleased smile.
"Then it's settled," another chimed in. "You'll be assigned a guide system and gifted the abilities needed to survive. Of course…" she added with a mischievous glint, "we can't guarantee you won't die."
"Wait, wha...!"
Before he could finish, a column of light wrapped around his body.
[Candidate Ethan Leighton: Transfer Initiated]
The system's voice echoed into the glowing void as his figure faded.
Sure! Here's a more comedic, Webnovel-style version with stronger character humor and personality:
"How much do you want to bet the poor straight human screams when he finds out he has to save BL worlds?" the blonde goddess snorted, nearly choking on her laughter.
"I give it five seconds before he malfunctions," the silver-haired one added, wiping a tear from her eye. "He'll probably shout something like, 'This wasn't in the agreement!'"
"Oh please," the third goddess leaned back with a smirk, "He looks like the type to reboot his soul just to escape emotional intimacy."
"Still," the fourth goddess chimed in, sipping tea calmly, "I say he takes it like a champ… before dramatically collapsing in denial."
They all burst into sparkly divine laughter, their voices echoing through the void like a sitcom laugh track.
Meanwhile, Ethan continued floating cluelessly through the transfer beam, humming to himself, completely unaware that fate had just handed him the most unexpected plot twist of his afterlife.