"As expected of Master Shin—defeating those unorthodox bastards in an instant!"

  A young man stood tall amidst the crowd, his head held high like the sky itself, his face radiating pride after effortlessly taking down a group of street thugs in the heart of downtown.

  Suddenly, a surge of people rushed toward him.

  "Master Shin, please accept our children as your disciples!" a desperate voice pleaded.

  A woman stepped forward, her gaze filled with longing."Master Shin... please make me your concubine!"

  Watching the crowd cmor for his attention, their admiration undeniable, he smirked and muttered to himself, "Heheheh… Power, wealth, women—soon, I will rule the Murim world."

  "Master Shin! Master Shin! Mas...ter...?"

  Beep! Beep! Beep!

  The sharp bre of an arm clock shattered the illusion.

  "What the hell?! Can't I even have a beautiful dream in peace?"

  A 14-year-old boy groaned as he y sprawled across an enormous, luxurious bed.

  "Andrew! Andrew! Annndrew!"

  "Yes, Young Master!"

  An elderly butler rushed into the room.

  "Where were you till now?" the boy snapped.

  "My apologies, Young Master. I was busy preparing for the Master's death anniversary."

  At those words, the boy's expression darkened. He turned away, stepping toward the massive bedroom window and gazing out.

  This was no ordinary teenager—he was a second-generation heir, born into immense wealth, residing in a grand vil in the heart of Seoul.

  "Let's go, Andrew."

  Outside, a fleet of luxury cars stood lined up, bodyguards stationed in formation. As the vil gates swung open, the young master stepped out, his posture exuding authority far beyond his years. Despite being just a schoolboy, his expression was grim—hardened, as if forged by countless hardships.

  Servants and guards moved in sync, a silent testament to his status and power.

  "Sir, the private chopper is ready. We will reach Heming Mountain Shrine in no time."

  In Heming Mountain

  As He ascended the mountain, countless thoughts swirled in his mind.

  "My name is Shin Ji-Hoon, son of Kang Ji-Hoon—the richest man in Korea. My father built his oil empire from nothing and earned his name with sheer determination. He was a strong and honorable man, my idol."

  His smiled as he continued reminiscing.

  "It was here, in Heming Mountain, that he first met my mother. She was running from a group of thugs, helpless and afraid. Despite being unarmed, my father fought them off—three men on his own. My mother fell in love with him at that moment. He had a frail body, yet he stood his ground to protect her."

  A deep sigh escaped his lips.

  "Last year, they both died in a car accident, leaving behind their empire… and me."

  Ji-Hoon clenched his fists.

  "I dream of a love story like theirs, but I am different. I am weak. A coward. I have a timid personality and get scared easily. Even though I have wealth, I am bullied at school, unable to stand up for myself. After my parents' death, I shut myself away, stopped attending school… Video games, manga, and manhwa became my entire world. I often fantasize about gaining superpowers, about magic—but deep down, I know it's all just an illusion."

  A bitter smile formed on his lips.

  "Every time I try to change, I fail. I am not like him."

  As he lost himself in thought, the reached the peak.

  "Young Master, we've arrived at the shrine," Andrew announced.

  Ji-Hoon stepped out and made his way toward the ancient shrine at the mountain's peak. As he knelt to pray, the soft murmur of Buddhist chants echoed from the monks nearby. He ignored them.

  With a faint smile, he whispered to himself, "Mom, Dad, how are you? You must be scolding Father right now because he always ran off to help people. Don't worry about me. I'm doing fine. I've decided—this time, I will truly change. I will become like Father."

  Suddenly, an eerie shift in the air made his skin crawl.

  The warm summer breeze was gone. Instead, a chilling dampness surrounded him.

  Ji-Hoon's eyes snapped open. His breath hitched.

  The shrine that had been shining under the sun just moments ago… was now ancient, crumbling. Moss and fungi covered the once-pristine walls. The air was icy, as if winter had descended upon him.

  His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

  His gaze darted around. Where was everyone?

  "Andrew?" He called out. No response.

  "Andrew! Is this some kind of prank? Where is everyone?!"

  Panic set in. He reached up, feeling his face, his head—was he wearing a VR headset? Was this a simution? But there was nothing. The cold, the scent of damp wood, the silence—it was all too real.

  He bolted out of the shrine, desperate to find someone. Anyone.

  But the world outside was completely different.

  Gone were the city buildings, the cars, the people. All that remained were vast mountains and endless forests.

  Ji-Hoon stumbled back, his breath ragged. The shrine… it was still here, but it looked like it had been abandoned for centuries.

  A nervous chuckle escaped him.

  "Hehehe… I must be hallucinating from pying too many games and reading too much manhwa."

  But the ughter soon turned into sobs.

  He was just a 14-year-old boy.

  A boy who had already lost his parents.

  And now, he had lost everything else.

  Tears streamed down his face as he colpsed onto the shrine steps. His body trembled uncontrolbly.

  "Waaaah… Where is everyone? Andrew… Andrew… Go-Jin… Hwang-Woo… Please, stop this. Please… please… hic… hic…"

  "I'll give you everything! Money! Property! Just stop this! PLEASE!"

  His cries echoed through the silent forest. But no one answered.

  For over an hour, he wept. The shrine stood still, indifferent to his despair.

  Eventually, exhaustion took over. With his energy drained, he slumped against one of the shrine's pilrs. The sun dipped below the horizon, yet he remained there, his body curled up in a ball.

  Even in his sleep, his lips continued to mumble cries for help.

  The Next Morning

  The bright morning sun shone down, its golden rays warming Ji-Hoon's face.

  His eyelids twitched.

  "Andrew… don't pull the curtains…"

  A sudden sting shot through his leg.

  "Ouch!"

  Mosquito bites. His legs were covered in them.

  As the drowsiness faded, reality hit him like a truck.

  Yesterday wasn't a dream.

  This wasn't his world.

  Ji-Hoon sat up, his mind racing. He had to do something.

  Gathering what little courage he had, he began searching the area. His stomach growled—hunger was setting in.

  Hours passed. The forest was vast, and there was no sign of human life.

  By evening, he reached a river. Starving, his mind tched onto an idea—fishing.

  Using rocks and branches, he crafted a makeshift spear. It was clumsy and crude, but after several failed attempts, he finally caught a fish.

  For the first time in his life, he felt happiness—true happiness.

  Not from money. Not from servants.

  This was something he achieved on his own.

  He gathered wood and leaves, creating a small bonfire. As the fmes crackled, he stared into them.

  "Looks like God has truly decided to change my life. Mom… I don't know what's happening, but your son is changing."

  Taking a deep breath, Ji-Hoon began analyzing the situation.

  "This isn't my world. There's no electricity, no lights, no roads. This might be… something else."

  A sudden thought made his heart race.

  "Could it be...?"

  He clenched his fists in excitement.

  "Did I get isekai'd?! Am I in another world?"

  His mind flooded with possibilities.

  "Maybe I was kidnapped by aliens? Or maybe… transmigration? Reincarnation? If that's the case… I must have a SYSTEM!"

  His heart pounded as he stood up.

  "System!"

  Nothing.

  "Status window!"

  Silence.

  "Cheat system! Super system! Pyer stats! Mother System! Father System! God System! Heavenly Dao System!"

  Still nothing.

  Desperate, he tried again.

  "Kamehameha! Sharingan! Serious Punch! Almighty Push! SYSTEM, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

  Nothing.

  Ji-Hoon stood there, completely dumbfounded.

  A long sigh escaped him.

  "Alright… Let's just sleep and look for people tomorrow."

  A few minutes ter—

  "Ahhh, damn mosquitoes! I won't kill you—ahhh, Systemmmm… SYSTEM…!"

  And so, his first night in another world passed in restless frustration.

  The Journey BeginsThe next morning, he woke up, half-asleep and irritated.

  "Those mosquitoes didn't let me sleep at all…"

  He took a deep breath and stood up.

  "Alright. Time to use my survival knowledge from books. When you're lost, follow the river downstream—it will eventually lead to a vilge or town."

  With renewed determination, Ji-Hoon set off along the river.

  By evening, after dodging wild boars, escaping snakes, and hiding from territorial monkeys, he finally saw a town.

  But this wasn't the modern world.

  The architecture was ancient. The people wore traditional robes.

  A chilling realization dawned upon him.

  "I… I really am in another world…"

  To confirm his suspicions, he walked closer.

  Just a few miles from the town, he witnessed something that left him speechless.

  A battle.

  Two men dressed in cultivator robes fought against a group of opponents wearing differently colored uniforms. Swords cshed, and in an instant, the two men easily subdued their enemies.

  One of them spoke coldly, "Tell your sect master—if you break the agreement with our Heavenly Sword Sect, your young lord will pay the price."

  Ji-Hoon's breath hitched. He Didn't listen those voice becuse they are far away.

  A conclusion spark in his mind.

  "Murim…?"