"Friendly reminder, dear Mr. Koeto: the lease renewal for your workshop located in Shinjuku, Tokyo has expired. If you wish to continue using it, please renew the rental fee before the 25th of this month. Based on your previous annual rent, the amount due is 420,000 yen… If you no longer wish to continue leasing, please complete the required procedures at the designated location before the 25th. We apologize for any inconvenience…"
"..."
The last message felt like a scam at first glance, but when he saw the familiar address, his brows instinctively furrowed.
Troubles really did come one after another. Kawasaki Koeto simply turned off his phone, choosing—for the moment—to put it out of sight and out of mind.
The wind of May carried a hint of summer's warmth from the north. Cherry trees lining both sides of the street swayed gently, petals drifting through the air in dazzling waves that blurred the eyes.
Tourists passing by let out excited remarks in various languages, occasionally stopping to admire the fleeting beauty.
Sitting quietly on a park bench, Kawasaki Koeto closed the book in his hands and gazed together with them at the sea of blossoms overhead. Yet his mind was being kneaded between two completely different sets of emotions, leaving him mentally exhausted. Still, this environment truly was suited for calming the heart, proving that choosing to sit here and settle his thoughts had been the right decision.
"A whole new life has already gone on for sixteen years… and suddenly I remember my previous life. Did something go wrong during reincarnation or what?"
The brilliant blossoms decorated the clear blue sky, lending a rare tranquility to the bustling city.
This was the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, not far from the location mentioned in the message. The world-famous double-flowered cherry blossoms were in full bloom here.
Because of that, there was never a shortage of visitors from around the world. They came in groups or in pairs, enjoying the leisurely atmosphere and the blossoms. The space was large enough that their conversations reached him only as faint murmurs.
Koeto liked this atmosphere. The instinct of a social creature allowed the lonely him to feel a trace of comfort here. Especially the warm smiles of passing strangers—they filled the lingering fear in his heart with a small measure of warmth.
A month ago, he had been in a traffic accident.
Something had gone wrong—when he regained consciousness beneath the sterile white ceiling of a hospital, his mind contained many memories that did not belong to "Kawasaki Koeto."
That person's name was Daniel Park. He came from a nearby country and was older than him, in his twenties. He had died from a hereditary illness that had left him bedridden for years.
He had long since reached his limit, but the love from those around him had kept him hopeful. In the end, after secretly obtaining absolute proof that his condition would only worsen and never recover, he chose to sign an organ donation agreement without telling his family—and ended his own life, unwilling to continue dragging his already struggling family down.
Why did Koeto believe this was a previous life instead of merely a set of implanted memories?
Because of the feelings that surged within him now.
Everything felt as though it had happened yesterday. Every choice in those memories felt like something he himself would have made.
After nearly a month, he had finally recovered from both the memory of death and the pain of the accident, slowly reconciling the vastly different emotions of past and present. This peaceful place had played no small part in that process.
By now, aside from occasional moments of faint dissonance when observing certain things, everything felt normal.
His ordinary life had been disrupted—but not beyond repair. He had merely gained another language he could speak fluently, along with some changes in perspective. Other than that, nothing had really changed.
He was still the same student who had just emerged from the grief of losing a loved one, preparing to enter high school.
As for the future… he would first see whether Tokyo University might open its doors to him. If possible, he'd find a respectable job. If not, he could inherit his late grandfather's craft and workshop, living a stable, ordinary life.
The healthy body he had longed for in his previous life was now his. There was no way he would squander this hard-won freedom.
Understanding all this, he lifted his head to watch the drifting cherry blossoms—
—and suddenly froze.
Beep…
[Detected stabilization of mental fluctuations. Matching suitable system…]
[Swordsmith System activated. Registering account…]
[Please enter your name: —]
Telecom scam?
"..."
After a moment of hesitation, Koeto dismissed the idea.
Could this be a cheat ability? The reason his memories awakened?
Aside from that explanation, he couldn't imagine any method capable of projecting text directly onto his retina—especially when technology hadn't advanced that far, and he certainly wasn't wearing any VR equipment.
It seemed his peaceful life had just come to an abrupt end…
Yet looking at the translucent Korean characters floating in his vision, Koeto didn't feel overwhelming excitement. His expression remained calm.
After all, living a second life already—claiming he had never fantasized about getting a cheat ability would be a lie. Dreams were dreams. Now they had simply come true.
Staring at the floating text, he subconsciously touched his chin. His previously relaxed mind began working at high speed.
A system…
Something whose structure, principles, and motives were completely unknown…
His mind rapidly simulated possible consequences of entering his name.
Being forcibly transported to another world like in novels and movies. Starting a protagonist's overpowered life. Or having his peaceful days shattered as monsters and demons appeared in reality…
Just thinking about it felt… troublesome.
He quickly shook his head, throwing away the messy thoughts and focusing again on the blank line.
Should he enter his name?
Ordinary life and unknown possibilities sat on opposite sides of a mental scale.
His gaze lingered on a few words.
"Swordsmith."
"..."
After thinking for a moment, he entered his name.
[Input successful.]
[Name: Kawasaki Koeto.]
[Identity verified. Generating initiation quest. Please wait…]
You have to do a quest just to activate a system? One-star review.
[Quest generated.]
[Difficulty: Beginner.]
[Objective: Recognize the truth of reality.]
[Time limit: 1 hour.]
[Countdown begins.]
"..."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
A countdown appeared in the upper-left corner of his vision.
"What does 'recognize the truth of reality' even mean…?"
His vision changed again. A faint band of light appeared, extending toward the nearby road and continuing into the distance—just like a quest guidance marker in a game.
Now this was getting interesting…
He curled his lips slightly and closed the book in his hands. The title on the cover read:
"General Principles of Forging."
After carefully smoothing the curled page corners, he tucked the precious book—passed down through who knew how many generations—inside his clothing. Rising to his feet, he prepared to leave. Though the thousand-yen entrance fee made leaving early feel wasteful, his curiosity about the quest made up for it.
Since he had made a decision, there was no reason to quit halfway. Now that his recovery period had ended, controlling his body felt effortless.
He walked along stone paths bordered by lush shrubs, passing through vibrant greenery.
To one side lay a verdant lake; ahead, a road filled with people leading toward the exit.
Tree branches swayed in the breeze, and ripples spread across the lake where birds touched the water.
Looking toward the lake, he noticed an old trellis half-submerged in the water—simple, worn, yet strangely full of life.
Most people his age probably wouldn't pay it much attention, but he felt a faint sense of familiarity. Memories from his previous life gave him an inexplicable déjà vu.
Shaking off the feeling, he continued walking. The light path still guided him outward, toward the park exit.
Time passed without trace.
The moment he stepped out of the garden, Koeto felt as though he had entered another world—a noisy, less clean one.
The sounds unique to a big city once again filled his ears. Back when he had first awakened from the accident, such noise would have made him dizzy and nauseous. Now, it felt almost comforting.
Walking alone down the street, the crowds beneath the steel forest of skyscrapers kept him from seeming lonely. Most people hurried with their heads lowered, perfectly matching every urban stereotype. No one paid attention to what a random teenage boy was doing.
And Koeto didn't care either.
His grandfather's sudden death had left behind a mess, and in his emotional low point he had ended up getting hit by a car—but now, it didn't matter.
A month of recovery had given him time not only to adapt to his memories, but to think things through. Problems could be solved one at a time. Life had to go on. He had survived the worst already—there was no reason to let a new beginning be tripped up.
And this time, it truly was a new beginning—
The light beneath his feet turned.
Looking up, he realized he was now on a less crowded main road, and the guiding light led toward a narrow passage between tall buildings, barely two meters wide.
He checked his watch.
—16:24.
It wasn't sunset yet, but the darkness pooled within that alley seemed unnaturally thick, as though light itself couldn't penetrate.
His thoughts raced. Scenes from countless novels and movies flashed through his mind. Steadying his slightly trembling right hand, he pulled out his phone, opened the emergency call screen, then slipped it back into his pocket—ready to send with a single press.
Taking a deep breath, he moved forward slowly.
There might be danger. But running away now felt meaningless.
If the system's wording was accurate—the truth of the world—then burying his head in the sand like an ostrich wouldn't change anything. The truth existed whether he looked at it or not. Pretending everything was normal despite knowing something was wrong wasn't something he could do.
Still, he stayed fully alert. The folding fruit knife he had taken from the hospital rested inside his sleeve, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.
Step by step, he entered the sunlight-starved alley.
Garbage and filth piled along both sides. The air reeked of sour decay. Rusted pipes, cold dampness—compared to the cherry blossom park, it felt like crossing from one extreme into another.
If the park represented the alluring beauty displayed by civilization, then this place was the hidden ugliness it concealed.
The darkness shut out the noise of the outside world. At some point, Koeto realized he could hear only his own footsteps—and his accelerating heartbeat.
He knew fear and tension were growing inside him, but they didn't crush his will. Instead, the negative emotions sharpened his senses, focusing his attention.
Finally, he reached the deepest part of the alley.
Nothing seemed unusual.
Except for one thing.
A crow's corpse lay ahead.
Four or five meters away. Even from this distance, the gruesome state was obvious—its head hung to one side, as if its neck had been snapped mid-flight. Not entirely strange in a city like Tokyo, where complex building layouts sometimes caused accidents like this.
Was this the so-called "truth"… just a dead bird?
[Target location reached. Quest phase one complete. Reward issued…]
[System activating—]
[Adapting to world power system… success…]
[Assisting host in awakening cursed energy…]
[Cursed energy vision unlocked…]
[Basic cursed energy manipulation granted…]
[Beginner quest phase two activated…]
[Objective: Slay the cursed spirit before you, or escape from it.]
[Difficulty: Beginner]
[Time limit: None]
In an instant, Koeto's eyes widened—his pupils shrinking sharply, his entire body tensing to the extreme.
There were two reasons.
First, within his mind appeared new memories—similar to suddenly remembering something he had done days ago. Not emotional memories, but practical ones, like recalling the method to solve a difficult math problem.
The content: basic methods for using a supernatural energy called cursed energy.
Second—
His vision changed.
Besides scattered, nauseating motes of energy drifting around, something else had appeared—something that absolutely should not exist.
Something crouched over the crow's corpse.
"G… good… food… eat…"
A grotesque fusion of a fly and a toad, roughly the size of a basketball. The kind of thing that immediately brought to mind bio-engineered monstrosities. Its filthy yellow-green body writhed as it gnawed on the corpse…