Levelling Up the Fallen God

The Starting Point of the Second Life (2)

Hyeseong had yet another dream of falling. As usual, the dream was the same but subtly different from before. The backdrop was the sky, and three black arrows were lodged in his back. He was in a perpetual state of descent, just like in his previous dreams, but something had changed.

He soon realized that even while plummeting, he found himself extending one arm toward the sky. And at the precise moment he swung his hand from above to below, the sky abruptly began to turn red.

The sunset? No, it’s not such a simple phenomenon.

The sky was filled with an endless shower of meteors. With each gesture, countless clusters of flames consumed the sky, engulfing the clouds and turning the entire world in red.

What’s going on?

It was a sight he had never witnessed in hundreds, maybe thousands, of his dreams. There was an uncanny sense of familiarity to it, yet he couldn’t quite comprehend why.

“…!”

Suddenly, Hyeseong touched his own face and made an unbelievable discovery. The version of himself in the dream was wearing a chilling smile. Could it be possible for someone as emotionally restrained as him to make such an expression?

“Hahaha…”

This time, an involuntary laughter escaped his lips. Even in the midst of his descent, the laughter did not cease.

“Hahahaha!”

The sound of that laughter vanished along with the flames that swallowed the entire world.

…

…

“…!”

Hyeseong bolted upright in bed. As soon as he woke up, he blinked his eyes.

“What was that all about?”

For some reason, his mind felt entangled. It seemed like he had witnessed something important in the dream, but he couldn’t remember it well.

“Maybe it’s just my mood.”

Dreams are always ambiguous.

Since the images were gradually fading away, he decided to let go of his thoughts. It was merely a dream of falling from the sky, there was no point in dwelling on it.

***

That day, everything felt awkward for Hyeseong. Even as he showered and prepared for work at the convenience store, an unusual morning feeling lingered within him.

When he arrived at the subway station, his steps came to a halt. The video playing on the advertising screen next to the platform doors felt strikingly familiar.

“Just a moment, isn’t that game…?”

Countless floating islands in the sky, layered one upon another, stretching to an unknown height. The sight of airships navigating toward the summit, encountering various enemies along the way…

“Sky Islands?”

<June 1st, 10:00 AM, Worldwide Simultaneous Open! (GMT +9)>

[Sky Islands! If you don’t pre-register now, you’ll be missing out on half of your life!]

Hyeseong’s attention was stolen by the advertisement in the subway station.

Is this for real?

The game that had been the talk of the town, promoted by a well-known celebrity who had been playing it until dawn.

Simultaneously, numerous questions arose in his mind.

“Is it already open? And hiring such a huge celebrity for promotion… That must be a massive investment.”

Considering the small company where my sister works, it would be difficult for them to invest a significant amount in advertising, no matter how successful the game is going to be.

“Wait, June 1st… that’s today, right?”

Hyeseong checked his smartphone’s home screen and realized something even more important—the current time was 8:30 AM.

There was only an hour and thirty minutes left the launch of Sky Islands, which raised his suspicions.

“If they were planning to release it this soon, why did she assign me to test it?”

There simply wasn’t enough time for me to report any discovered bugs, provide feedback to my sister, or make any improvements to the game now that it’s launching today.

Could it be that this is a game with the same name but different content?

In a doubtful attempt, he launched the game his sister had sent him on his smartphone, and to his surprise, the opening screen perfectly matched the video, including the developer’s logo.

He placed a hand on his chest, his heart fluttering with a mix of astonishment and suspicion, before settling down once more.

“This can’t be real.”

Hyeseong tried calling a couple of times, but it only resulted in busy tones. So he left a message saying to contact him when she had time.

If so, it’s clear that she holds a more important position at the company than I realized. Abandoning the job I’ve worked so hard to secure and settling for part-time work or something similar can’t even compare.

However, his astonishment was just about to escalate.

“What is this…?”

A little while later, Hyeseong arrived at a bustling intersection in the heart of downtown. He scanned his surroundings, blinking his eyes several times. Advertisements for Sky Islands were flooding in from all directions.

“Flooding” was an accurate description as the entire building was adorned with screens, and even the small TV in front of the convenience store was broadcasting the same advertisement he had seen on the subway. The sight of familiar character figurines meticulously arranged on one side of the street was particularly spectacular.

“Sky Islands? Is it a new game?”

“Oh, it looks promising.”

He overheard conversations nearby where the words “Sky Islands” were being mentioned.

“This is strange…”

If the game overseen by my sister is receiving such a response, shouldn’t it give me a slightly proud feeling?

On the contrary, Hyeseong felt a sense of unease. The scene unfolding before his eyes seemed surreal.

For quite some time, everyone on the street had been engrossed in discussions about Sky Islands. Even the grandfather who appeared completely disinterested in games was captivated by the advertising screen. It seemed as though everyone, except for him, had fallen under a spell.

“This… is impossible.”

When he turned on his smartphone, he found that the internet was already flooded with Sky Islands-related content. Upon closer inspection, he realized that not just one or two celebrities had participated in the advertising campaign. Even the so-called top three game companies in Korea, or any major corporation for that matter, couldn’t pull off such an extensive promotion.

It didn’t make sense for a mobile game primarily targeting a younger audience to have such a grandiose marketing strategy. What was even more baffling was the fact that this advertisement was resonating with people.

“Am I the odd one out again?”

Hyeseong questioned himself. It felt as if the boundaries between reality and imagination had completely blurred. He even entertained the notion that his mental condition had deteriorated, giving rise to new symptoms.

“Ah, Hyeseong, you came for the shift change!”

“Um, is that…?”

The situation at the convenience store where Hyeseong had taken up a part-time job was no different. His gaze shifted towards the smartphone of the person he was speaking to.

“Oh, this?”

The woman who noticed his gaze flashed a charming smile and showed him the pre-registration page for Sky Islands.

“It looks fun, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“…Did you always like games?”

“No, this is my first time. I’ve never played mobile games before, let alone PC games.”

First time…

“If you don’t pre-register now, you’ll be missing out on half of your life!”

At that moment, the convenience store worker suddenly imitated the voice from the advertisement that had just played and, with a sly grin, looked directly at Hyeseong and said, “…That being said, if you’re okay with it, why don’t you give it a try?”

This is strange. Logically, people who didn’t even know about Sky Islands until yesterday can’t possibly have such an exaggerated reaction within a day.

What kind of phenomenon is this? Are they secretly filming a hidden camera show? It seems like everyone in the world is captivated by something.

Drrrring!

As soon as the shift ended, Hyeseong immediately tried to contact his sister once again to resolve his doubts.

“…!”

Brrrr!

At that moment, a vibrating sound suddenly rang out.

“It’s her!”

Hyeseong’s eyebrows twitched as he quickly checked his smartphone. The message he received from his sister wasn’t sent in real-time.

“[Missed Reservation Message!] Hyeseong, sorry I couldn’t answer the call earlier ㅠㅠ I’m so busy that I can’t even send a message.”

“I don’t have much time, so I’ll only tell you the important things. The reason you’re insensitive to everything is because… this place isn’t your world.”

It was hard to understand.

“In the game, even if you become a hero or if your companion dies, joy or sadness only lasts for a moment, right? It’s natural. Beings on a higher plane can’t easily empathize with beings on a lower plane. The doctor who diagnosed you with a mental illness back then was a quack.”

It was unfamiliar again.

“I don’t know when we’ll meet again. But even if I’m not by your side, don’t be flustered, make sure to eat properly…. um, as one last piece of advice, in the new world, you’ll have to use your true self completely. The future world… won’t be as dull as the one you’ve lived in so far.”

What is she talking about? It’s clear that she knows something I don’t.

“Well then, little brother, let’s meet again at the top. By that time, I should be able to tell you everything.”

That was the end of the message. Hyeseong stood in place, dazed for a while.

After regaining his composure, Hyeseong attempted to contact his sister once again, only to receive an unexpected response.

“The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check and dial again.”

“….”

Confusion settled in, accompanied by an eerie stillness in the air.

Tick. Tick.

The sound of a ticking second hand echoed through the silent convenience store.

Where is that sound coming from? There isn’t even a clock here.

In that moment, Hyeseong scanned his surroundings and caught sight of something in a corner of the convenience store. He squinted his eyes as he observed a holographic digital clock floating in empty space, emitting a blue light. It resembled an interface element from a VR game.

[Time remaining: 53 seconds]

Before he could fully process his thoughts, messages began appearing before his eyes.

[Pre-registration is ending soon!]

[Complete your pre-registration before the integration of dimensions begins! Otherwise, you’ll be missing out on half of your life~!]

Sentences from the sudden hologram.

Thunk! Sensing an ominous feeling, Hyeseong pushed open the convenience store door and hastily rushed outside. The once peaceful and bustling street was now filled with screams echoing from all directions.

What on earth is happening? What kind of situation is this?

As he looked up, he couldn’t help but let out a groan. Thousands of meteors falling from beyond the clouds were painting the sky of Seoul redder than ever.

[Time remaining: 38 seconds]

“Pre… registration….”

His heart, which had been racing uncontrollably, gradually calmed down. In this moment, Hyeseong felt a sense of gratitude for his own condition. He was able to quickly regain his composure, and his mind began functioning again.

Amidst the screams and chaos emanating from different parts of the city, Hyeseong reached into his pocket and retrieved his smartphone. It took him a mere 10 seconds to access the pre-registration page and click the reservation button. However…

[Your account has already been registered!]

“What…?”

[Your account has already been registered!]

[Your account has already been registered!]

No matter how many times he clicked, the result remained the same. Meanwhile, the distance between the falling sparks and the ground grew shorter.

As he looked up at the now crimson sky, Hyeseong experienced a fear-like emotion for the first time. His heart alternated between racing and subsiding.

“Am I going to die…?”

Emotions surged uncontrollably, rising and exploding before fading away. Amidst the fluctuation between calmness and terror, new messages appeared.

[You are entering a higher dimension! The two dimensions are temporarily overlapping! Hurry and escape from the original dimension!]

[An unknown force has pulled you into the higher dimension! You will no longer be subjected to physical or magical interference from the previous dimension!]

[Time remaining: 1 second]

“Ugh…!”

Boooom! Booooom!

Each masive meteor collided with the ground, prompting Hyeseong to tightly shut his eyes. It felt as if the entire world was flipping over, leaving him gasping for breath. But that was the extent of it.

“Am I still alive…?”

Upon regaining consciousness, Hyeseong cautiously opened his eyes. The once peaceful streets of Seoul, or perhaps the entire Earth, had been shattered into countless pieces.

The astonishing fact was that amidst the wreckage, now turned into a hellish inferno, some people, including Hyeseong himself, had miraculously survived. Despite being struck by meteors, the survivors stared at their unscathed bodies with bewildered gazes. Among them were those who mistakenly believed they had already perished and become ethereal spirits.

“Aaahhh!”

Hyeseong turned his head at the piercing scream that echoed nearby. Amidst the cacophony of the apocalypse, that particular cry resounded distinctly. It was then that he grasped the gravity of the situation.

The fate of humanity had been divided into two. On one side stood those who remained unscathed amidst this infernal devastation. On the other side were those who had lost their upper or lower halves, dissolved vertically, or suffered fragmented bodies, gruesomely evaporating under the searing heat.

[Pre-registration closed!]

[For those who missed the reservation, please keep an eye out for the next opportunity!]

[Although we don’t know when the next chance will come….]

Those messages marked the final glimpses Hyeseong caught of Earth.

Shhhhrrrr! With the sound of shattering glass, the scenery before his eyes crumbled into pieces.

***

When Hyeseong regained his senses, the scenery before him had changed. Instead of the scorching heat of the apocalypse, a cold breeze slapped his cheeks.

And there, the blue holographic text he had seen a moment ago was flickering in front of him.

[You have arrived in the higher dimension!]

Hyeseong quickly stood up and looked around. He needed to figure out if he was alive or dead.

“Where am I?”

Soon, he grasped the situation. The ground beneath his feet was the deck of a massive ship, a fusion of medieval and modern aesthetics.

This mobile vessel was originally designed to traverse the sea, but there was no sign of the ocean anywhere in sight. Instead, the sky stretched out in every direction, accompanied by serene clouds. The ship he was standing on was currently sailing through the vast expanse of the sky.

Before he could gather his thoughts, more messages started flowing.

[This world is Dimensions Sea. It serves as the starting point and destination for all dimensions.]

The description felt strangely familiar to Hyeseong. The sense of familiarity stemmed from recently encountering the same sentence somewhere else.

He still couldn’t be certain whether this was a dream or a delusion. But if it was not either of those, then humanity had lost the very foundation they had lived on for countless millennia in an instant.

[At the pinnacle of this world, Dimensions Sea, where fragments of dimensions float, lies the hope of all souls. May luck accompany you.]

Hyeseong had arrived in the world of Sky Islands. But this world was no casual haven like the Earth humans were accustomed to. In a game, repeatedly respawning might offer a thrilling adventure filled with fantasies. But if that became reality…

[The tutorial will commence shortly.]

This place was hell. A world where the rules of Earth held no sway, where the notion of human rights ceased to exist. To survive, one had to resort to desperate measures, devouring others, even friends and comrades.

That was the backdrop of the Dimensions Sea, the sea of dimensions, in Sky Islands.