Even just staying still, the surging emotions quickly washed away.
In modern society, Hyesung’s condition had been an obstacle to interpersonal relationships, but in this world, it was no different from the ultimate weapon.
Calming his agitation, Hyesung first assessed the situation.
Is this… me now?
Looking down, he immediately noticed a few things.
The clothes he had been wearing while working his part-time job at the convenience store had disappeared without a trace.
Instead, he wore an fancy robe, the kind only seen in the medieval era.
Its texture was incomparably smoother than any cheap cosplay outfit.
There was no need to guess whose clothing this was.
It belonged to the second-playthrough character he had created just this morning.
The Iron Sovereign, Pinenes Bledian.
The moment he consciously thought Status Window, a holographic text unfolded before him.
Name: Pinenes Bledian
Unique Trait: [Iron Sovereign] (Rank: S)
“One who rules over all does not waver easily. Authority is in their tone, dignity in their gestures.”
- The Iron Sovereign perceives all principles of the world.
- This ability can only manifest when maintaining inner composure.
Feeling a sense of unfamiliarity, he lightly touched his face. The shape was different from before.
His field of vision was higher as well—his height must have changed.
That’s right. Right now, he was no longer Kim Hyesung from Earth.
He was Pinenes Bledian, a single sailor drifting upon the Sea of Dimensions.
Kim Hyesung had completely ceased to exist.
“….”
The shock of becoming a completely different existence did not last long.
Fear, anxiety, and confusion vanished in an instant, leaving only a clear understanding of his situation.
Now, he turned his attention to the deck.
He wasn’t the only one aboard the ship.
“What the…? Is this some kind of hidden camera prank…?”
From clueless fools still struggling to grasp the situation—
“H-hrrk… ugh….”
To ordinary people trembling in complete panic—
“Where have you taken me? Explain yourself at once, or you shall not escape my wrath!”
And even an elderly man dressed in fantasy-style clothing.
Around ten people were murmuring anxiously, unable to comprehend their sudden predicament.
“Am I… dead?”
“Then is this heaven?”
“You lowly peasants…! How dare you ignore me! You need a taste of discipline!”
The words spilling from their mouths belonged to a language Hyesung had never heard before, yet everyone seemed to understand each other perfectly.
“This must be the common language of this world.”
Muttering softly, Hyesung—no, Pinenes—nodded.
After all, the language leaving his own lips was not Korean either.
The Sea of Dimensions.
The setting of Sky Islands dictated that it was both the starting point and the final destination of all dimensions.
If people from various dimensions were drawn in, then surely, not all of them would be from Earth. A unified language would be necessary for communication.
Even here, there were out-of-place figures—like the muscular mercenary and the elderly man dressed as a mage.
“Eh? Why… why isn’t my magic working…?”
The old man, who had been waving his staff in the air, now had a bewildered expression.
It was easy enough to guess what he was feeling.
His powers from his original world weren’t activating.
And the reason was simple.
Pinenes Bledian (Iron Sovereign)
[Strength: 1] [Dexterity: 1] [Endurance: 1] [Magic: 1]
The four fundamental stats in Sky Islands were reset to the same values for everyone upon crossing dimensions.
Whether a martial artist, a hero, or a grand archmage in their original world, everyone was placed back at the same starting line.
“What’s going on? My magic… it’s not working…!”
“Hey, shut up. You’re being too noisy.”
“What?! How dare a mere mercenary speak to me that way!”
As the mage muttered in frustration, the mercenary beside him snapped back, triggering an argument between two individuals who were clearly not from Earth.
“You fools. It no longer matters whether one is a king or a noble if we are already dead.”
“Dead?”
“Clearly, you don’t know yet, but this place is Helheim!”
A burly young man clad in leather armor spread his arms wide as he shouted.
“Based on the sins we accumulated in life, we will be judged—either sent to Valhalla or cast into hell! If you ask me, you seem more suited for the latter!”
“Kuh… what nonsense…!”
Ding!
[The trial is about to begin! Prepare for battle!]
“See? The sacred trial that opens the gates to Valhalla is about to commence!”
The moment the message appeared, the mercenary youth clasped his hands together and murmured something under his breath.
It resembled the act of making the sign of the cross in Christianity.
But Pinenes knew all too well.
What was about to unfold had nothing to do with divinity.
In order to survive, there was only one path—
To trample others beneath his feet.
It’s starting…!
Bwooo—!
The massive ship let out a deep horn blast as it sailed toward a distorted cluster of light in the sky, like a tangled web.
It was one of the countless Rifts scattered throughout this world’s sky.
Nobody knew what lay beyond.
Carrying ten passengers, the ship vanished into the Rift.
[You have entered a Dimensional Rift!]
Pinenes quietly observed his surroundings.
The ship was gone.
In its place stretched a vast, open plain.
That’s right.
All ten of them now stood on an empty plain.
The setting of Dimensional Rifts dictated that they were remnants of collapsed worlds.
If so, this plain must have once belonged to a peaceful dimension before its destruction.
Just like Earth once was.
[Tutorial: First Battle!]
- As you sail the skies, you will inevitably enter Rifts! A Rift is, in simple terms, the ruin of a collapsed dimension! You never know whether it holds valuable treasures or terrifying enemies.
- Unfortunately, your luck is bad this time! Your ship has stumbled upon a swarm of vicious goblins inside the Rift! Good luck… you’ll need it.
(Victory Condition 1: Be the last survivor.)
(Victory Condition 2: Annihilate all enemies!)
Kyarrk! Kyarrk!
As soon as the stage began, goblins swarmed in from all directions.
About thirty of them.
Watching as they encircled the group, memories from Pinenes’ first playthrough flashed through his mind.
So it really is the same.
He had repeated this tutorial battle multiple times.
The victory conditions seemed to offer a choice, but in reality, it was a deception.
The second condition is a trap.
Goblin
A monster as small as a child, infamous in RPG-style games as the weakest enemy, but to players who had just arrived in this world, these tiny creatures were like green demons.
Modern humans, who had never faced real murderous intent, could not possibly stand against beings who had firsthand experience with killing.
There were a few otherworlders among them who could wield supernatural abilities, but they were unable to fully unleash their powers.
For a ragtag group of ten to triumph against thirty goblins was close to impossible.
The correct choice would be the first one.
A tutorial that was impossible to clear by normal means.
After roughly ten attempts, he had finally discovered the proper strategy.
The only way was to avoid combat at all costs and flee—then, at the last moment, ambush and kill an ally who was already engaged in battle with a goblin.
At the time, he had laughed bitterly at the malice of the game developers, but now that the game had become reality, even a trace of a smile refused to form.
Murder…
The rippling waves of inner turmoil slowly settled.
Perhaps due to the emotional overload of the past day, his feelings seemed to be cooling at a slower pace than usual.
There’s no other choice.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
If I want to survive…!
Emotion and instinct were different things.
Even insects, even microorganisms, possessed an innate drive for survival and reproduction.
Much less Pinenes—he did not lack emotions entirely, but they faded quickly.
Moving for the sake of survival was only natural.
Just as he was preparing for what was to come—
Hm…?
A light flickered in Pinenes’s eyes.
Among the approaching horde of goblins, there was one that stood out.
One goblin, its entire body wreathed in a crimson aura.
What is this? A red glow?
The moment he fixed his gaze on the flickering crimson light—
[The Eyes of the Sovereign respond to your will!]
[With a keen gaze, you perceive the threats among your enemies!]
A flood of information surged into his mind.
[Goblin Chief]
- Skillfully hides while leading the horde. Defeating this target will briefly throw the group into disarray.
- Physically indistinguishable from regular goblins, making it difficult to identify without understanding goblin behaviour.
…Was this always a thing?
Neither the existence of a goblin chief nor the golden radiance had ever appeared in his first playthrough.
Pinenes retraced his thoughts.
As he had calmed himself with deep breaths, the crimson aura had flared in response to his will.
Which meant—
The ability of the Iron Sovereign.
It was said that a sovereign, in perfect composure, could pierce through the truths of the world.
That meant Pinenes Bledian’s eyes had discerned the weak points of the goblin horde.
It seems I’m the only one who can see this light.
A quick glance around confirmed another fact.
Despite the intense crimson glow, the others were still focused on random goblins.
“Fight…? Us…?”
“Ugh…”
Most were paralyzed by fear, barely able to lift their heads.
Pinenes swiftly assessed his allies.
Eight Earthlings, two otherworlders.
Aside from himself and the otherworld mercenary, the rest could hardly stand on trembling legs.
The elderly mage, realizing he couldn’t use magic, had fallen into panic, and the Earthlings, experiencing their first real brush with death, hardly needed further evaluation.
We’re at a huge disadvantage.
Spreading fear diminished the human will.
The cunning goblins were likely waiting for that will to crumble before making their move.
If things continued like this, their chances of victory would only diminish over time.
“In this new world, you’ll have to use your true self.”
Why was his sister’s voice echoing in his ears at this moment?
[Deaths: 1,053]
Once again, memories of the end-of-playthrough statistics surfaced.
Yes, even a moment of complacency would lead directly to death.
If he wanted to survive, he had to abandon his previous mindset.
He had to seize every opportunity, claw his way upward, and fight to survive in this hellish world.
[Episode Completion: 11%]
Fortunately, many unexplored paths remained.
Recalling that Sky Islands’ missions offered greater rewards the more difficult they were, Pinenes decided to alter his plan.
I’ll take the second option.
An unexpected stroke of luck.
A chance to grow stronger!
Standing idly despite seeing a path to greater heights would be nothing short of foolish.
I will win this battle.
He hypnotized himself.
For a brief moment, he discarded every remaining trace of Kim Hyesung and borrowed the consciousness of Pinenes Bledian.
To achieve victory, he had to become the Iron Sovereign and lead everyone.
“Look forward, all of you.”
His cold voice rang out across the despair-ridden field.
The command of a sovereign, carrying weight and dignity, pierced through the fear and reached every ear.
Had those words truly come from his own mouth?
Even he was startled by the unfamiliar tone.
For a brief second, he wondered if he had truly become Pinenes Bledian himself.
But now was not the time to dwell on such trivial matters.
“…!”
One by one, people turned to look at him.
Perhaps drawing the attention of the masses was yet another innate trait of a sovereign.
Every word, every gesture of his exuded refinement and command.
Who is that guy…?
That NPC who’s been quiet this whole time…
Pinenes’s attire alone was enough to set him apart.
No one considered him to be an Earthling.
From the beginning, he had worn an unusual robe, making it natural for others to assume he was a mercenary or a mage—one of the world’s more mysterious beings.
“…Who are you?”
The elderly mage cautiously asked.
Even he, who had looked down on Earthlings as mere commoners, instinctively held his breath before Pinenes’s overwhelming presence.
“I am someone who knows a little more than you do.”
It wasn’t a lie.
He had once reached the summit of Sky Islands, and now, with the Eyes of the Sovereign, he could see what others could not.
“I will only explain this once.”
He alone could lead this battle to victory.
“This world is neither a dream nor an illusion.”
Every gaze was drawn to him.
“It is not a game. It is not virtual reality.”
“…!”
Some flinched in shock.
They hadn’t expected an NPC-like figure to utter words from Earth.
“Reality is exactly as you see it. You stand on the precipice of death.”
Now, they were all holding their breath, listening intently.
“I promise you one thing—if you follow my lead, about half of you will survive.”
“……”
It was strange.
How did his voice, completely devoid of proof, carry such weight?
But no justification was needed.
A sovereign did not lead with lengthy explanations.
“If you wish to live, follow me.”
The field which was shrouded in despair saw a faint glimmer of hope.
