Chapter 1: Have You Ever Dreamed?
Hey—have you ever daydreamed?
Dreamed of escaping reality,of living inside dreams instead.
There are lives we long for, lives we desire—because they are too perfect, too beautiful.
And so, we turn to illusion,to a place where reality and dreams are separated by a single step.
Someone once said that reading a novel is like reading a life,and dreaming a dream is like dreaming of being someone else.
I, Joe, heard that phrase casually while traveling somewhere,and decided to try dreaming about it.
"Hmm… why don't I try reading some novels?" I wondered.
Classic novels were too long, too dry,so I started with web novels instead.
"Oh, this is fun,"I read trending works, newly popular ones, long-completed stories…
"But… why does everything feel so simple?"I couldn't help but feel puzzled.The excitement I felt at first gradually turned into doubt.
It felt strange—a regressor, an isekai protagonist, someone absurdly strong,someone weak pretending to be strong,someone who knew everything that would happen…
"No, there must be more. There have to be other lives I can read,"I thought, searching through different tags.
…
I wasn't sure anymore.I felt almost sick of web novels, so I tried reading classics.
Some were good.Some were hard to understand.Some I dropped halfway.Some made me wonder why no one ever talked about them.
But the feeling wasn't the same.
Compared to the first time I read web novels,I realized I still preferred that sense of dreaming—reading about those kinds of characters.
I knew it was strange.All the characters were predictable in one way or another,yet they pulled me deeper into dreams—even when I knew how every story would end.
"Hey… why don't I try writing something myself?"I thought.
After all, my life was nothing but repetition.Why not try something new?
I tried writing familiar character types—sometimes with twists, sometimes completely conventional.
I went back and forth, daydreaming about plots and characters,about stories.
I dreamed of worlds where I could become those characters,where I could be part of the story itself.
But come on—enough with the fantasies.
I liked those characters, sure,but I could never be like them.
I'd lived this life for many years already,and I knew dreams were always beautiful.
And then one day…
I leaned my head against my desk.
Reports were scattered everywhere.My computer screen still displayed unfinished work.
I took a sip of coffee—calm, almost comfortable.I hadn't slept for over a day.What I needed now was a long sleep.
In my exhaustion, a thought always came to mind:
"Why do web novel authors and readers love stories about transmigrating into fictional characters—about standing above everyone else?"
I already knew the answer.
I just kept postponing it,because thinking more wouldn't change anything.
I yawned deeply.Checked my phone.
Past 10 PM already.
Sleeping for a bit wouldn't hurt, right?
I glanced at my phone's wallpaper.There were people on it—but none of them had faces.
…
"HEY! SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!"
"There's a dead person here!"
What the hell?I was just trying to sleep—what happened?Who died?
I tried to push myself up, forced my eyes open—
And saw nothing but darkness.
Ah… everyone…
…
"HEY! DON'T YOU DARE DIRTY THE PILLOW!"
I jolted upright in bed, hands raised as if ready to fight,only to have a pillow smash into my face.
"Big brother! If you never wash your pillow,don't soak it with your filthy mouth!"
"Ugh—"
I wiped my mouth.It was a little wet.
Well… old habits die hard.
I glared at the tall, broad-shouldered youth with red-and-black hair,then stood up and walked around the room to grab a glass of water.
It's been a while… that dream again.
Almost three years now.
I was still here.
Still hoping that one day I'd return to my old world—but nothing ever changed.
"You going out?"
"Yeah. Watch the house."
I opened the door and stepped out of that cramped, cheap room.
"Ron Irus… hah."
That was my name now.
Ron Irus.
And there were seven years left until the apocalypse.