“…This can’t be happening.”
I was watching the news on TV when a shocking report left me stunned.
There had to be some mistake. There was no other explanation for something this absurd.
「S-Class Mage Lee Seo-jun has died during a mission. It has been reported that he met his end while subduing the evil dragon Cruas, which appeared in downtown Seoul around 8 PM today…」
The anchor, with a stiff expression, announced someone’s death. I bit my lip, unable to take my eyes off the screen.
「Cruas caused an unprecedented second rampage, worsening the situation. Lee Seo-jun fought desperately to protect the citizens but was ultimately unable to withstand the empowered Cruas.」
「Lee Seo-jun, 25, debuted as a mage in 2034 and solved countless incidents, earning widespread admiration. News of his death has sent shockwaves through the public.」
As the brief report ended, the screen changed. Solemn music began to play, and soon, a photo of a bright, smiling young man appeared.
People mourned and raged. News spread that memorial altars were being set up nationwide.
He was someone I knew well.
Lee Seo-jun.
A 25-year-old genius mage.
A young hero of this era who resolved countless incidents and disasters.
And the protagonist of the novel Modern Mage, which forms the foundation of this world.
“…You expect me to believe this?”
The protagonist of the novel had died.
Nothing could be more absurd.
In the original story, Lee Seo-jun didn’t die like this halfway through.
But what made it even stranger was that everything in this world had followed the original plot so far.
Lee Seo-jun solving numerous incidents at a young age, reaching S-Class just two years after debut—everything had unfolded exactly as in the novel.
「The Late Lee Seo-jun’s Memorial」
On the screen, a woman sobbed uncontrollably.
She was Lee Hyun-joo, the female lead who had been with Lee Seo-jun since childhood.
Next appeared a man with a somber expression. He was Kim Deok-hyun, an S-Class mage, colleague, and senior to Lee Seo-jun.
「Lee Seo-jun was a righteous person. Unlike other mages, he wasn’t driven by money. He always prioritized the safety of the citizens. Despite his young age and being a junior at work, I learned a lot from him.」
More mourners appeared on the screen.
Among them were high-ranking individuals, such as the head of the Mage Association and the leaders of Korea’s three major guilds.
Famous star mages, often seen only in the news, were also present.
They were all key characters from the novel.
“This is driving me insane…”
Why had this happened? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer.
A predetermined future.
The only one who could change it was me, an outsider to this world.
But I had never interfered with the main storyline.
I hadn’t done anything that could alter the future.
Ever since I fell into this world, I had lived quietly.
Of course, I worked as a C-Class mage to earn a living, but I was always careful to stay out of the main story, fearing that I might change the future.
I never went near any key characters.
I even turned down several opportunities to advance to B-Class, just to be safe.
All of it was to avoid changing the predetermined future.
As long as the original plot unfolded, everyone would reach a happy ending.
So why?
Why had this happened?
“Why did he have to die…?”
According to the original story, countless incidents and disasters were still ahead. Demons, terrorists, towers, catastrophic beasts—the list went on.
The problem was, these major crises couldn’t be resolved without Lee Seo-jun.
“What do we do now?”
This wasn’t something I could fix just because I knew the future.
If this had happened right after I first fell into the novel, maybe things would be different.
But I had given up every opportunity and fortune this world offered me. Now, I was just a C-Class mage.
Meanwhile, the main storyline was filled with S- and A-Class monsters.
The gap between C-Class and S-Class was beyond words.
“Ha…”
As I agonized over the bleak future ahead, something caught my attention.
The TV screen froze.
“What now?”
Thinking it was a glitch, I grabbed the remote and pressed a few buttons, but nothing worked.
Boom!
“What the…?”
A loud sound echoed from the sky.
Startled, I looked outside.
In the blink of an eye, the bright world had turned ashen gray.
My jaw dropped in shock.
“W-What is this…?”
Something unimaginable was happening.
The sky was collapsing, and cracks, like shattered glass, spread across space.
Everything on the ground disintegrated into dust. People on the streets stood frozen, as if time had stopped.
It was as if the world itself was disappearing.
“What the hell is going on…?”
Just then, a small window appeared before my eyes.
[Lee Seo-jun has died.]
[All main scenarios are deemed failures.]
[Scenario progression is impossible. Resetting the world.]
“…What?”
And then, I lost consciousness.
I was dreaming.
The time was seven years ago.
No, it seemed to be before I fell into this damned novel.
In the dream, I was at a bar, downing drinks while passionately making a point.
“I still don’t get it. Why do protagonists in transmigration novels always try to monopolize everything? What if meddling with the original plot messes everything up?”
“Hey, if you know the future, of course, you should monopolize it. What’s the alternative, hiding away?”
“Obviously, you hide. What if you interfere and end up killing the protagonist who’s supposed to defeat the villains? That’s game over.”
“Oh, you coward. If the protagonist is dead then I’ll just take care of the villains myself.”
As usual, the conversation wasn’t exactly productive—it revolved around genre novels.
What would you do if you fell into a novel? Would you hoard all the opportunities, or would you lay low?
It wasn’t the most common topic for young men in their twenties, but I enjoyed these kinds of discussions.
“You think you could take care of the villains? Do you really think it’d go as smoothly as you imagine? You’d probably go through hell. Besides, do you think you’d be as diligent as the protagonist in the story?”
“No chance.”
“Look at you now—lazy as hell. Like you’d suddenly start hustling to monopolize all the power-ups if you fell into a novel.”
“Pfft, fair enough. Honestly, if that happened, I’d probably be too lazy to even leave the house.”
My friend chuckled as he emptied his glass.
I followed suit and, in a more serious tone, added, “The only answer is to live quietly. The protagonist will take care of everything, so why bother?”
Some might call that lack of ambition, but back then, I genuinely believed it was the safest and most reliable approach.
After all, I was just an ordinary guy who liked hero stories, not someone who wanted to become a hero myself.
Buzz.
Just then, my smartphone buzzed with a notification. I glanced at the screen.
“Huh? I got selected for some event or something?”
“What event?”
“Dunno. That’s all it says. Guess I’ll check.”
I picked up my phone and checked the message. The sender was the author of a web novel I enjoyed.
Subject: Congratulations! You’ve won the Modern Mage Completion Event.
Hello, Kim Sunwoo. I’m 01k, the author of Modern Mage.
You’ve been selected for the event hosted by our publisher. The prize is a travel voucher to a very special destination.
Would you like to claim it?
[Yes / No]
The message was brief. To sum up, I’d won an event, and the reward was a travel voucher. Excited, I showed my friends.
“Guys, this is huge! They’re sending me on a trip!”
“Seriously? When did you even enter an event like that? Lucky bastard, reading novels all the time finally paid off.”
At that time, I was exhausted with the monotony of daily life. I craved something new, and a trip felt like the perfect escape.
“Man, I hope this isn’t a scam.”
Without much thought, I impulsively chose [Yes], slightly buzzed from the alcohol.
A free trip? There was no reason to decline.
“Where do you think they’ll send me? Overseas, maybe? That’d be amazing.”
Little did I know that single choice would change my life forever.
The next morning, when I woke up, the world was different.
“…Senior, please wake up.”
As I floated in my dream, someone’s voice called out to me.
“Senior, wake up.”
Senior? Were they talking to me?
“Senior!”
Startled, I opened my eyes.
A schoolgirl in uniform was shaking me awake.
“…Who?”
“Me? I’m a first-year student who just enrolled this year.”
First-year? Judging by the uniform, sure, she looked like a student, but… That’s not what I was asking.
Something about her felt strangely familiar.
“We’ve arrived at school. You should get off now.”
School?
I glanced around. It was a large bus. Students in uniforms were getting off around me.
The surroundings felt oddly familiar, triggering an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
“…What’s going on?”
“You’re still half-asleep. It’s the entrance ceremony today. Oh, wait, it’s the start of the semester for you, right, Senior?”
“What?”
“Are you getting off? I’ll head out first.”
With that, she stepped off the bus. Dazed, I followed her.
Bright sunlight greeted me as I stepped outside, making me squint. Slowly, I looked at my surroundings.
The first thing that caught my eye was a towering spire.
At its base was an enormous building reminiscent of a castle. Students in uniforms were streaming through its main gate.
I couldn’t make sense of the situation.
The scene before me was all too familiar.
Korea Mage Academy: 2032 Entrance Ceremony
Of course, it looked familiar. This was the school I had graduated from five years ago.
But something was off.
Why did the banner say “2032”?
That would make this seven years ago. Surely, a prestigious institution wouldn’t make such a glaring error.
“…No way.”
An absurd thought crossed my mind.
As ridiculous as it sounded, it explained everything.
To confirm my suspicions, I lowered my gaze.
The moment I saw it, I let out a curse.
“Holy shit.”
I was wearing the same school uniform I’d worn seven years ago.
At the same time, my last memories came rushing back.
Lee Seo-jun’s death.
And the message about resetting the world.
“Is this real?”
I had returned to the past.
Back to the very first day I had fallen into this novel.
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