A faint light flickered from the laptop screen. Jinwoo Park lay sprawled on his university dorm room bed, eyes scanning the latest chapter of Reality Quest. The hum of the air conditioner and distant chatter of the campus outside were the only sounds.
But then… everything went black.
A sudden dizziness swept over him. The manhwa fell from his hands as his vision blurred. Panic set in as he tried to move—but his body didn't respond. Darkness consumed him.
When he finally opened his eyes, he wasn't in his room. He wasn't anywhere familiar. He was floating in a boundless black void. Fear gripped him. "Wh-where… am I?" he whispered. He turned slowly, eyes searching the endless darkness.
Then, a sudden bang of light pierced the void. His heart skipped a beat. A deep, resonant voice echoed around him:
"Jinwoo Park… I am omnipotent. You are already dead. Your soul is caught between Hell and Heaven. Yes, I know everything about you."
Jinwoo froze. "…Are you joking?" he asked, laughter nervous and bitter.
The darkness around him shuddered. The void twisted and cracked, as if reality itself were breaking apart. From the cracks poured fire, shadow, and light—Hell and Heaven colliding violently. Jinwoo stood in the middle, powerless, as chaos surrounded him.
"Okay… okay! Now I believe you!" he shouted, fear lacing his voice.
And then, just as suddenly as it came, the chaos disappeared. Reality reformed into the black void once again.
Jinwoo swallowed hard. "Am I… being judged?"
The omnipotent voice chuckled lightly. "Yes. But there's not much to judge. You are an orphan… struggled through life… worked part-time jobs after university, always hungry, always poor. You spent every last won on tuition, on groceries… yet you kept reading your manhwa and comics in your free time."
Jinwoo's face fell. "…You… you know that?"
"Today," the voice said, "I am in a good mood. So I will give you a choice."
"A choice?" Jinwoo asked, heart racing.
"You may go to Heaven… or to any world you wish."
Jinwoo's eyes widened. "R-really? I can choose?"
"Yes," the omnipotent said. "Think carefully."
Jinwoo lowered his head, thinking deeply. Then, slowly, he raised his voice:
"…I want to be reborn in Reality Quest. But not just that—I want to be Gun Yamazaki of Lookism… as Gun Ha. Replace, or merge me with Dowan Ha."
The void trembled slightly. The omnipotent voice asked, "Why do you want this?"
Jinwoo's eyes burned with a strange determination. "Because I love Reality Quest and Lookism. In Lookism, Gun Yamazaki is my favorite. He's composed, ruthless when necessary, merciless in battle, yet the greatest coach and fighter—a man called the 'Nurture Genius.' He can mold anyone into a monster. He's not just strong, he's focus and will itself."
He spoke faster now, almost passionately. "Gun Yamazaki… he is highly composed, always dedicated to his job, a monster when he fights. He removes his glasses before showing his demonic side, and people call him a 'Monster.' He has mastered countless martial arts—Aikido, Karate, Muay Thai, Capoeira, Taekwondo, Kempo, weapons, everything. He is both a fighter and a teacher, someone who can nurture talentless kids like Olly Wang, Eli Jang, and even Daniel Park into monsters. That's why I want to be him."
Silence. Then the voice cut in: "Then why replace or merge with Dowan Ha?"
Jinwoo paused, then replied firmly. "Dowan is a good person. But he's too soft. Too emotional. In the world of Reality Quest, emotion doesn't win you fights. Calculation and focus do. Dowan fights with his heart. But I… I want to fight with commitment, focus, and sheer will. Gun is that kind of man."
The voice rumbled again. "…But that softness is what makes Dowan a hero."
Jinwoo closed his eyes. "I don't want to be a hero. I want to be someone who never wavers, who stays committed no matter the cost. A man of absolute will. That is Gun Yamazaki."
For a moment, silence hung in the void. Then, the omnipotent voice spoke again, softer now:
"…Very well. Your wish is accepted. Do you want to add anything else?"
Jinwoo smiled faintly. "Just one thing. A perfect body."
"...So be it."
A flash of light exploded across the void. Jinwoo's consciousness began to fade again.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of a room. He sat up slowly, breathing heavily. Everything felt… different. His body felt heavier, stronger, yet perfectly balanced.
He stumbled toward the bathroom, his heart racing. Standing in front of the mirror, his eyes widened.
The man staring back at him wasn't Jinwoo Park anymore.
It was Gun Yamazaki. No… not Gun Yamazaki. Gun Ha.
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