~Somewhere in the Immortal Realm~
Could he have died? Could he have turned into a jiangshi(an undead), and we haven't noticed it yet?
There's no telling, but more importantly, where is the master?
He said he needed some rest. He hasn't gotten much sleep in the last couple of weeks.
I see…
The whispers between two figures continued, their voices barely audible as they watched over a boy lying still on a grassy field, surrounded by straw and dirt.
The three of them where within a vast bamboo forest, where grassy paths carved through the towering stalks, dividing the woodland into neat, natural sections.
Hmm, what is this taste in my mouth? Is this… grass?
What could grass be doing on my bed? Of course, it isn't—wait, It's touching my face It has to be grass.
Wait! What is grass even doing on my bed?
Wait, am I even on my bed?
I feel the sensation of the ground against me… but what am I doing on the ground? Did I fall during my sleep?
Then where did the grass come from? Not to mention, the floor doesn't feel like this…
Hmm? What is this sound? It's faint, but it sounds like a conversation between people…
Wait, I'm starting to hear it clearly—wait… is that a foreign language?
Hold on, I know that word. I think I'm beginning to understand what they're saying!
Alright, let me just roll over onto my back and see who it is…
A finger twitches.
"Did he just move?"
"He moved?"
"He definitely moved! Wait, should I help him and then tell the master—
No, hold on! Let him get up on his own."
"Why?"
"If we step in now, he might struggle to adapt later."
"You're right!"
Ahh, now I can move my hand fully… now my legs… Now then—I rolled onto my back, facing the sky—now I just have to use my arms to sit up straight…
Finally, I lifted myself.
Huu, I did it! Now, let's take a look at where that noise came from.
And there it is...
…It's a panda and a man, both wearing Chinese robes like the ones you'd see in wuxia stories, in the middle of a bamboo forest.
With confusion I asked the man: Were you talking to yourself in front of a panda? and why is he wearing clothes?
"Oh, no the other talking one was me!" said the panda.
A moment of silence befell the scene.
Jin-Hoo:
Well, I guess it's all a dream.
I should sleep right now I have school tomorrow!
Panda:
Oh no, you're not in a dream! I'm really talking! A talking panda!
Jin-Hoo:
Nope, I'm asleep. I'm in my apartment, waiting for my alarm to wake me up so I can go to school and admire my hot math teacher—I mean, the math itself.
The next ten minutes were filled with an argument between a confused teenager and a very silly panda, debating whether this was a dream or not.
Jin-Hoo:
No, I refuse to acknowledge a panda is talking-
Then suddenly—
A jug of wine went straight to Jin-Hoo's face.
"Pfft—! What the hell?! ahh it's burning my nose."
"Finally awake, brat?"
A few steps away, leaning against a tree in a relaxed slouch, stood a burly man in worn, old robes. A jug dangled from one hand, a staff rested in the other, and a grin was spread across a very familiar face.
Panda:
"The kid seems to have realized who he is. He's processing how everything connects now."
Silence filled the air for the next five minutes. It was enough time for Jin Hoo to collect his thoughts, to come to terms with the absurdity of the situation. Meanwhile, the old man leisurely finished his drink.
Jin-Hoo took a deep breath before saying:
"Good. Now, let's talk… What do you want from me?"
Old Man: "I want to offer you a deal—more like hire you. The pay? A new life and... 100 million dollars."
Jin Hoo: What?! ONE HUNDRED MILLION?!!!
Old Man :"Brat, you're more shocked about the money than the panda, huh? How disappointing."
Jin Hoo: "Well, now that you mention it, yeah! But we can talk about that later. I want full details about the M-O-N-E-Y. It's not illegal work, right?"
Old Man: "Illegal? The only thing illegal about this job is how ridiculously easy it is."
Jin Hoo: "And what exactly is it?"
Old Man: "You have to kill a god."
Jin Hoo: "Wait... what?!"
Old Man: Laughing "Hahaha! Look at his face, Baek!"
They all started laughing, amused by the look on my face, but who cracks a joke at a time like this? is this guy serious?
Old Man: "Ahh, this kid. Alright, brat, the mission doesn't involve a god at all. It's actually quite simple. You just need to raid a single dungeon in the world of IRON AND ASHES. The whole thing will take you at most two hours to complete."
Jin Hoo: "Does that mean...?"
Old Man: "YES, The novel is real! And so is the world of IA(IRON AND ASHES)."
Jin Hoo's eyes lit up with excitement: "We HAVE won, boys! Cat girls are REAL!!! Heck yeah!!!"
Old Man: "But you've got to make a choice, kid. If you take this job, you'll be living in the world of IA. I can't guarantee you'll ever get to come back, and you might never see your world again."
Jin Hoo: "Wait… so you'll pay me all this money, but I might not even get to spend it? And I might never see my world or the people in it again?"
Old Man: "Yeah, but don't get too down, kid. 100 million isn't all you're getting. If the mission goes smoothly, that 100 million? That's your monthly salary."
JinHoo: "Wait, what? That's like 1.2 BILLION dollars a year!"
Old Man: "But here's the harsh truth I can't skip telling you—your fate is sealed. You're going to die at age 15, if you stay in your world. You won't make it past that point… unless you accept my offer."
Jin Hoo: 'What the heck? I'm going to die at 15? That's just four months away! I won't even get to do anything in that time. And it seems like this old man is forcing me into this deal—either I take it, or I end up with nothing when I go back.'
OldMan: "If you think I'm forcing you into this, and you'll return empty-handed, you're wrong. Whether you complete the mission or not, you'll still get paid. I'll even give you money just for wasting your time here! But you'll only have 4 months at most to live in your world."
Old Man: "But if you take my offer, you can live a long life. You know how long mages can live in Iron and Ashes, right?"
JinHoo: 'He's right… I could easily live 200 years there.'
OldMan: "So, what's it gonna be, kid?"
JinHoo: "So, even if I don't return, as long as I'm alive in Iron and Ashes and complete the mission, I'll still get paid, right?"
Old Man: "Yes."
Jin Hoo: "That means I could live for 200 years while earning 1.2 billion a year... for 200 years straight?"
Old Man: "Yes, and that is after taxes."
Jin Hoo: 'Oh boy, this is insane!'
Jin Hoo: "If I don't somehow return, can I just wire all of it to orphanages?"
Old Man: "Yes, you can."
Jin Hoo: "And that's what I'll do! Let's go to the dungeon immediately!"
Old Man: "Oh, I didn't mention my hellish training, did I?"
Jin Hoo: "I'm sorry, what? I thought that was a joke?"
Old Man: "Nope, that's in your contract. But before that, you need to wake up."
Jin Hoo: "Wake up?"
Old Man: "How do people wake up from a dream, brat?"
Jin Hoo: "Uh... from falling down, I guess?"
Old Man: "Exactly."
Jin Hoo: "Wait... no? Hey, old man! Why are you grabbing my collar? Old man, old ma—AHHHH!"
The shockwaves slammed into the ground, sending ripples through the bamboo forest. My stomach dropped as I was flung through the air.
"Ahh, I'm gonna die! I'm seriously gonna die!"
I stopped shouting when I passed something... a fish? What the heck is a fish doing here?
As I plummeted, I passed through the first set of clouds and, to my surprise, calmed down. Despite being in the literal sky, it was... beautiful. Flocks of birds soared by, and somehow, even fish—yes, fish—were swimming through the air. A massive whale glided above me, and I was racing past them, seeing it all from a bird's-eye view.
"I think I can see the whole world... It's all green. Damn, this is vast. I don't know how the fish are flying, but this is cool!"
And BAM! Before I knew it, I was on the ground!
2 weeks later
Old Man: "Good job, kid! But run faster! He's catching up to you!!!"
"Ahhh, oh God, I'm gonna die! I'm going to be a tiger's meal! Someone save me!!!!"
~CHAPTER 1 ENDS~