The world dissolved around Ash after he killed the final boss monster in the game Apocalypse Online.
"I did it.....I actually did it," he muttered, grinning so wide that his cheeks hurt as he struggled to suppress a laugh.
Golden letters filled the air around him with "Victory" written everywhere in shining brilliance.
{You are the first person to complete the game}
{First clear reward will be given}
Ash was jumping with excitement in the place he stood.
When the World's first real life VR game was released the whole world was thrown into chaos.
The graphics inside the game was 100% real, so was the pain.
Even the game company itself was shocked by the overwhelming success of their creation.
Apocalypse Online became a global sensation, played by everyone—even a 20-year-old unemployed orphan like Ash.
Inside the game you can experience magic and all sorts of adventure that is not possible in real life.
But most importantly, the game company had promised a jaw-dropping reward to the first player to clear it: 10% of the company's shares.
"Just Imagine the money I will get, I won't have to worry about money for rest of my life"
But in the five years since the game's release, people have forgotten about it because defeating the boss was extremely difficult.
Ash barely managed to stop himself from jumping out of his VR pod and dancing all over his Room.
But his happiness was short lived,
{First clear reward: 'WISH'}
{You can wish for anything, it will be granted}
His cheeky grin faltered, the glimmer of mischief in his eyes fading into a distant, blank expression.
"Is it a joke?" he muttered,
The silence that followed only confirmed it, heavy and suffocating.
"Shit."
His voice trembled with frustration, his hands curling into fists.
"Those fuckers... Do they really think it's funny? To pull something like this?"
Anger burned in his chest, but it wasn't the fiery kind that fueled action—it was the kind that clawed at his insides, helpless and raw.
He clenched his jaw, his words now laced with bitterness.
"Of course, it's just a game to them. People like that—they have money, power, and all the privilege in the world to make someone else's life their goddamn playground."
The weight of reality sank in as his shoulders slumped.
Accepting his defeat, he let out a long, tired sigh.
"There's nothing I can do to them," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, "In this world, money and power are everything. And I have neither."
Ash knew the world was cruel—he had witnessed it firsthand, living alone after his parents' death when he was just 10 years old.
He had been bulli—
{Speak your wish}
Ash Scoffed, "Yeah, sure. If possible just Transmigrate me, it's a dream of every novel reader", his voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Should I demand compensation for emotional damage I suffered due to this prank" he muttered.
The prank killed his excitement, so he left the game to boast about his first clear on the game forum.
His figure transformed into blur as he left the game.
In the reward room just as Ash left the game, a mechanical voice spoke,
{Analysis of Ash Burn's memories is completed.....searching for suitable world according to wishes.... ????....grants you another chance in life.}
{Your wish is being fulfilled}
**
"Uhh...I should stop playing games all night, my body is really tired"
Ash woke up from his bed and rubbed his eyes,
He didn't know why he was feeling this tired after waking up from slee—
His whole body froze,
Sleep?
When Did I sleep?
I was playing all night, I should be in VR pod not in bed.
An heavy premonition rose in his heart.
Looking around, he realized his room was completely different.
It was still a small one-room apartment, but the technology looked vastly different from what he was used to.
The ceiling glowed softly without any bulb in sight, One wall shifted colors, displaying news, weather, and stars that moved when he did. The stove—or what looked like one—hummed with a quiet pulse, already warm.
Rushing to the bathroom, he stopped dead in front of the mirror.
The face staring back at him was unfamiliar—frail, malnourished, and much younger. But the sharp, elegant features stood out, despite the lack of nourishment.
He had silvery-white hair different from his usual black hairs.
His eyes were now sky blue color, rather than usual black color.
But most important of all he felt small, gone was 20 year old self and was replaced by a 12 Year old boy staring at him from the mirror with a dumbfounded gaze.
**
It took Ash a whole week to realize that he has really transmigrated.
Because if it was a virtual world, a prank by the game developers his real body should have died without getting food and water,
But he was well and fine even after a week.
Diving into his new identity, Ash uncovered some basic information about himself.
He was living in a room provided by the government AKA Human Association.
His parents died during a dungeon break, but he survived because he was in school at that time.
Despite the hardships, Ash was optimistic.
This world, filled with magic and adventure, was far more exciting than his previous mundane life.
At first Ash was happy to start a new life in a world filled with magic and dungeons, and all sorts of wonders.
But,
He was devastated at the thought that he was transmigrated in a world without any golden finger.
He had tried everything, from shouting 'System', 'Status' to putting bread in corner of room and doing incantations while doing circles in room, all sorts of things but nothing happened.
"If I'm disappointed just because I don't have a cheat from the start, I'm nothing but a coward," he declared.
But, the thing that shocked him to the core was that this body's name was also...ASH BURN.
There were many questions and suspicions gawking in his head,
Is it really a coincidence that I was transmigrated?
Who created a game that can literally grant wish of someone?
Am I the only one who transmigrated?
There were many questions but no answers.
"If I'd known this was real, I would've wished for something else..." he muttered bitterly, shaking his head.
He stopped thinking about useless things as he knew nothing will change now,
Pushing his questions aside, he turned to the best tool for finding more info about the world:
Internet
"Damn, this world's network speed....its much fast and smooth."
This world's technology was really greater than Earth's.
While he was searching the internet in the new world, a post caught his eyes.
[STARLIGHT ACADEMY ENTRANCE EXAM]
He felt the name was familiar but he can't remember where he heard the name,
Opening the post, he read through the details.
___
Announcement for Aspiring Awakeners
To all Awakeners in the age group of 11 to 12:
If you possess potential to become A rank hunter or higher, you are eligible to apply for Entrance Exam into the Human Continent's most prestigious institution—Starlight Academy.
Starlight Academy is renowned for cultivating the brightest minds and strongest talents, preparing its students to face the challenges of the ever-changing world.
Entrance Examination Details:
-The entrance test will be conducted to evaluate your potential.
-Test details are confidential and will only be disclosed on the day of the examination.
This is your chance to prove yourself and earn your place among the Rising stars. Awaken your full potential at Starlight Academy!!!!
Application Deadline: [ 15 march, Year 5031]
**
His eyes scanned the words again and again, his heart sounded like a war drum,
He checked today's date in his phone,
[ 14 February, Year 5031]
He was shaking,
From both fear and excitement.
Excitement because he now knew, where he was.
He was in the novel 'Heavens Favorite-Wrath of Gods.'
The novel's story began with the prestigious Starlight Academy Entrance Exam, and Ash had arrived in this world exactly 1 month before the starting point.
Relief surged through him, followed by an overwhelming sense of exhilaration.
"I finally know where I am."
He clenched his fists, his chest pounding with excitement. Now, he had a path forward—a way to grow stronger.
"I can become powerful... I can change my life with future knowledge."
For the first time since arriving, hope flickered in his heart.
But that flicker of hope was extinguished as quickly as it had come.
This wasn't just about his fate anymore—
A bitter smile twisted Ash's lips, his expression filled with mockery—directed at himself,
because he knew,
"This world is doomed for destruction."
**
The novel "Heavens Favorite-Wrath of Gods", was a normal Fantasy novel.
It has dungeons, magic, different classes, and variety of talents and finally a SYSTEM.
The main protagonist had a system from which he can buy any affinities, items, weapons, potions and even Traits,
As if this was not enough he was born with EX Rank Trait ,
"Fucking Cheat Like Bastard"
Reading the journey of a characters is enjoyable until the story itself becomes reality and you have to compete with the protagonists.
Even with his strength the world was destroyed due him being a dumbfuck
While reading the novel, he always cursed the author for making such a cringe plot and was dumbfounded to realize that the reason behind the world's destruction was nothing but-
Greed for power.
The protagonist had grown too strong, too quickly, all for the sole purpose of killing the Demon King, the being who continued to invade the world of Akumia.
His unprecedented rise in power enough to kill the demon king caught the attention of The Angels, the arrogant beings who believed that dealing with demons were beneath them, so they just let the demons wreak havoc in the various worlds.
But, they also became intrigued by the secret behind the protagonists strength.
The real reason for his power was the system—a cheat-like existence that turned a vengeful orphan, seeking to avenge his family and town massacred by demons, into an unstoppable force.
The system became his beacon of hope, his guide in a world of despair.
But...
"The world could have been saved if he hadn't mentioned the runes to them."
Ash clicked his tongue in irritation, muttering, "Dumbass MC."
If only the protagonist had attributed his strength to his natural-born talent.
Sure, it might have raised suspicion, but without concrete evidence, The Angels would have had no reason to take an interest in the World of Akumia.
But by mentioning the runes, the protagonist unknowingly sealed the world's fate.
As more than 50% of the Runes are present in this world.
They got greedy and a war started after the fall of the Demon King.
As a result the world was destroyed and the Mc was forced to Run into another world with his harem member's.
**
Runes
Angels, demons, and countless other beings across different planets and realms knew that Runes were powerful natural treasures with unfathomable power, but no one was was able to use it's power even a tiny bit.
No one even knew how to locate the Runes or how they came into existence, as a Rune could be anything—a simple stone, a book, a piece of cloth, a weapon—anything.
There was no fixed shape or form for a Rune.
Over time, the knowledge of Runes was lost.
Even the novel didn't mention it's origin.
Even if someone managed to find one, they couldn't harness its power, as no method of fusion had ever been discovered.
Except the dumb Mc and the demon king, Demon king fused with a Rune after finding the fusion process in an ancient Ruin.
That's also the reason he cast his eyes on the world of Akumia.
For getting more runes.
And the System helped Ray to fuse with runes,
But even then, Ray Dawson, the protagonist, was unable to fully harness the Power of the Runes.
He could only access their passive effects.
Even so, those passive abilities were incredibly powerful.
He became a wanted criminal across the entire universe because he refused to reveal the Rune Fusion process to the Angles and other beings.
Even Ash didn't know the whole story as the book was not complete.
"But now, there's me—the one who knows how to fuse with the Runes."
"I will collect them before the Mc"
"That way the cause of destruction can be extinguish"
"First lets see how my 'STATUS' looks"
In this world every Awakened has a 'Status Window', they can check their progress in the Status.
Nothing more, Nothing less.
'Status'
Ash called in his mind,
But nothing happened,
"Wait... shouldn't it appear by now?"
He tried again, this time speaking out loud.
"Status."
Nothing.
A heavy premonition rose in his heart.
Did I not awaken?
But then, a theory formed in his mind.
What if the status wasn't just a command, but something he had to connect with?
Closing his eyes, he focused inward, searching for something—anything—that felt different within him.
There.
A faint pulse of energy, a thread-like presence.
He latched onto it, his mind locking onto the connection.
Then, with clarity, he willed the word:
'Status.'
Ding!!!!
A screen flashed before his eyes, glowing with soft blue light.
**