The cursor blinked once, then more words appeared.
[Reader Job initialized.]
[Specializations unlocked: Immersion / Insertion.]
"…Reader?" Ethan muttered, leaning closer.
His eyes darted across the screen as more text scrolled, neat and unbroken.
[Immersion – Relive a story from beginning to chosen point. Become the protagonist. Experience everything as your own. Risk: Identity loss.]
[Reward: Predetermine your goal. Choose before Immersion – Item / Ability / Knowledge.]
[Insertion – Enter a story at a random point. Adapt. Survive. Progress.]
[Reward: Retain items and abilities gained. Risk: True death.]
Ethan's mouth went dry. His heart hammered against his ribs.
This wasn't a prank. It couldn't be. It was too detailed, too specific—like it knew him.
He tried moving the mouse to close the window, but the cursor wouldn't obey. It slid on its own, gliding smoothly across the screen.
[First trial available.]
Ethan froze. "Trial…?"
The cursor hovered over a familiar title on the webpage. The same one he'd been rereading only moments before.
The Returner's Arcane Path.
The words glowed faintly, as though waiting for him.
Ethan's stomach flipped. His rational brain screamed to shut the laptop, to unplug it, to walk away.
But his eyes stayed locked. This was insane. Impossible. Dangerous.
And yet… wasn't this exactly the kind of thing he'd always dreamed about?
His hand hovered, trembling.
The mouse clicked.
The screen pulsed.
[Select: Immersion or Insertion.]