Chapter 1
“`html
The Earth I lived on was a chaotic mess.
All around the globe, pathways called ‘Gates’ opened up, spilling out monsters known as ‘Monsters.’
At first, it was manageable. The early monsters were easy to take down with modern weaponry.
But as time passed, modern weaponry began to be less effective.
Soon, monsters appeared that could shrug off bullets, and it became a joke to use missiles just to take down one!
Forces that transcended the laws of physics of the current world: Mana.
These monsters started coming through, carrying Mana with them.
The early monsters had some Mana, but it was weak enough that physical attacks could still hurt them.
However, the newer, stronger monsters came with powers beyond what modern weapons could handle.
Sure, there were forecasts that suggested cities could be blown away if the physical might was strong enough… But using a whole city to catch a single monster didn’t really make sense economically.
Though there were fewer monsters that completely resisted modern weapons, their existence was still fatal to humanity.
And around that time, a lifeline for humanity came along.
Awakened Ones.
People who, like the monsters, possessed Mana and had powers that surpassed physical laws.
Their strength was effective against those monsters, and gradually humanity began to reclaim its territory.
The byproduct, known as ‘Mana Stones,’ separated from the monsters became an innovative new material for humanity.
These stones contained Mana, a force that transcended physical laws.
With that energy, humanity made incredible advancements, ultimately creating weapons powered by Mana.
But where there is light, there must also be shadow.
Awakened Ones who, intoxicated by the power given without any cost, wreak havoc, and still, Monsters pouring out from the Gates causing casualties.
And then, a new disease emerged.
Mana Misadaptation.
A disease caused by an inability to adapt to the Mana that came through the Gates.
About 30% of the global population suffered and died, or continue to suffer from Mana Misadaptation.
And, my parents were among those affected.
Ironically, I, a product of Mana Misadaptation parents, became an Awakened One, so I didn’t suffer the same fate.
I could handle Mana and possessed special abilities… A new breed called the Awakened Ones in this world.
Isn’t it ironic that a child born from Mana Misadapted parents became an Awakened One?
They were slowly dying from Mana but still spoke words filled with concern for me.
“Yujin… Don’t let others see your thoughts or feelings.”
“Always hide yourself. Be an adult.”
My parents had a very frank and straightforward demeanor with others. While this trait could be a plus among friends, it certainly wasn’t in society.
Because of this, they often faced disadvantages, and it seemed they didn’t want to pass on their traits to me.
So, I always lived my life hiding myself, just as they advised.
I faced others with a constant smile and insisted on showing respect, even to children.
I always squinted my eyes fearing that others might read what I was thinking.
People might have steered clear of me, wondering what was on my mind, but I didn’t care.
I was an Awakened One, and I managed to get by without much hassle, and I had at least a few people to talk to.
“Hey, Yujin!”
“Oh, Chief Engineer. What brings you here?”
With the spread of Gates, guilds formed around the Awakened Ones as armed groups.
These guilds could only be established by guild masters licensed by the newly formed Awakened Association, and I was part of one of the mid-sized guilds that had been established.
It wasn’t so bad for a mid-sized enterprise, so I thought I was doing fine.
“Chief Engineer, my foot. Just call me hyung. How long have you been with our guild and still clinging to that?”
“Haha, it just doesn’t stick well. I’ll try harder.”
“Stop trying and put it into practice! Now, say it: ‘Hyung!’”
“Haha, okay. Hyung.”
The guy in front of me, in his early thirties, was our guild’s chief engineer and vice-master, also a brother to the guild master.
You could say he’s a younger brother and vice president, but he doesn’t throw his weight around or act superior and gets along well with everyone in the guild.
He’s genuinely a good guy, which is likely why he cares about me.
“By the way, remember the game I introduced you to?”
At that moment, the chief engineer spoke. If it’s the game he introduced…
“Oh, you mean Maze Academy?”
Maze Academy.
A mobile RPG centered around a maze filled with all sorts of monsters and treasures.
He recommended it so much, and since I had nothing else to do, I started playing.
“Yeah, that! How far have you gotten in the maze? If you’ve reached the 10th floor, that’s pretty far.”
“Um… I’m at a floor that reads [???].”
“…What? The question mark floor?”
“Yes. The number of floors isn’t displayed.”
“…What the heck? Can you show me?”
“Haha, sure.”
I casually pulled out my phone, opened the game, and displayed my progress. I had left it alone after getting stuck on what to do on the floor marked [???] yesterday.
“…It really says a question mark. And the room name is… what?! [Tiamat’s Tomb]?!”
“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”
I asked the flabbergasted chief engineer, but he grabbed my shoulders and shook me fiercely.
“Hey, hey. How did you get in there? Huh?”
“Chief Engineer, could you please let go of me? My head is spinning.”
When an A-rank close-combat Awakened One shakes a magic-type Awakened One like me, I just flail helplessly.
“Ah… Sorry. But seriously, how did you get in?”
“I’m not sure either. I was moving through the maze and accidentally fell into a trap room, and then I ended up here.”
“Really? I’ve never seen something like this before…”
“Is it something strange?”
“Strange? It’s beyond strange; it’s crazy! Don’t you know Tiamat?”
“I know it’s a dragon from Mesopotamian mythology. I think it was also referred to as the goddess of chaos and the sea…”
“No, no! Not that! The Tiamat in the setting of Maze Academy! Sure, it’s similar to the one from Mesopotamian mythology but…”
“I’m not familiar. What’s that?”
“…Do you know the basic settings of Maze City?”
The basic settings of Maze City… I recalled the text from when I first started playing the game.
“Um… In the beginning, there was a great war between the gods, demons, dragons, and giants, who were the forces of the Transcendents, and the remaining gods trapped the traces of the defeated demons, dragons, and the dead Transcendents in the Great Maze… I remember that as the basic setup.”
“Yeah, right. And the leader of the dragons is Tiamat!”
“Oh, interesting.”
“…Is that it?”
The chief engineer’s expression fell flat at my reaction. I just shrugged with a grin.
“…sigh, well. What should I expect from you. Anyway, you’re in Tiamat’s Tomb. Got it?”
“So that’s where I am.”
“…Come on, you should understand. It’s the tomb of the being who was the leader of dragons, right? There must be some amazing treasure in there!”
“Sure, I guess?”
“…And that’s all you have to say?!”
“Haha, it’s just a game after all.”
“…Ugh, true.”
The chief engineer sighed, shaking his head, clearly at a loss.
“Anyway, I’m curious, so hurry up and find that treasure.”
“Um… Should I?”
I couldn’t help but feel a bit curious too about the chief engineer’s reaction. Maybe there is something there?
“Hey! We need to move! Don’t forget about the new Gate we talked about!”
Just then, we heard the guild master calling us. I quickly stuffed my phone away.
“Guess there’s no choice. Let’s check it out when we get back.”
“Seriously, why is it always when something important is happening?”
The chief engineer grumbled as he headed the direction of his brother’s voice, and I followed suit.
…Little did I know, this was going to be a turning point in my life.
***
“Here’s the information on the new Gate that’s just opened at Ansan Station. Did everyone catch that?”
-Yes!
The guild members replied as the guild master briefed us. Behind them loomed a giant black hole, wide open like a tiger’s mouth.
“While conquering the Gate is important, first and foremost is safety, second is safety. Come back in one piece!”
-Yes!
The guild master said that and then patted his brother, the chief engineer, on the shoulder.
“Alright, I’m counting on you.”
“Got it, hyung.”
With that, the chief engineer stepped forward.
And all of the members of the first engineering squad began to follow suit.
“Okay, let’s start the Gate raid!”
“Yes!”
With their spirited replies, we headed toward the Gate.
***
The point of raiding the Gate is primarily to stop Monsters from getting out.
Basically, when a Gate appears, it doesn’t immediately spill out Monsters. They usually emerge after about three days.
So, the main goal of a Gate raid is to conquer the inside before monsters start to pop out.
“This time, it’s a cave.”
“Tsk, it’s dark. Magic-type Awakened Ones, light it up!”
At that instruction, the magic-type Awakened Ones, including myself, sent glowing spheres of light throughout the cave.
Suddenly, the massive darkness was filled with bright orbs.
Afterward, the chief engineer began to move forward slowly.
***
10 minutes into the Gate raid.
No Monsters have been spotted yet.
“What’s going on…? No traces anywhere?”
“It seems they are hiding deep inside.”
“Still, it’s too quiet, don’t you think?”
The chief engineer seemed to start feeling something was off at that point. I looked around.
‘It’s not much different from a regular cave. The problem is there are literally no signs of life.’
Not a single Monster, not even a bat or insect that would normally inhabit such a cave.
Surprisingly, the environment within Gates typically hosted not only monsters but also a variety of plants and animals consistent with the build of the environment. So this was clearly strange.
“…Let’s go a bit further.”
The chief engineer decided to continue the search.
***
One hour and thirty minutes into the Gate raid.
“Chief Engineer, something feels off.”
“……”
No matter how far we went, not a single Monster was in sight, and the chief engineer was also sensing the weirdness.
“Should we turn back now…”
“…Hmm, there was no mention of this in the Gate information… Let’s just push forward for 10 more minutes. If nothing shows up, we’ll head back and report.”
“Understood.”
Hearing this, the guild members nodded as if they had no other choice, following the chief engineer’s lead.
After another 10 minutes of searching…
“…Something’s up ahead!”
Someone shouted. The chief engineer raised his hand to signal everyone to halt.
“Everyone, stop! Let’s check what’s ahead!”
The chief engineer carefully approached. He held tightly onto his shield and sword.
Those following his lead cautiously moved forward…
“…A door?”
They discovered a massive door made entirely of black obsidian-like material.
The guild members began to murmur.
“What is this?”
“A door? Has there ever been such a thing found in a Gate?”
“Does it even make sense that a Gate would be this quiet?”
“No, it’s beyond strange! To find a door at the end of the cave?”
“Everyone, quiet down!”
The chief engineer ordered everyone to be silent. He spoke again.
“First, we check it out. There’s something written here… What does it say?”
He mumbled, staring at the strange alien symbols inscribed on the door. Seeming to find it unreadable, he turned to the group.
“Magic-type Awakened Ones! Can you make sense of this?”
Magic-type Awakened Ones receive bizarre knowledge upon awakening. Among that knowledge sometimes includes languages completely unfamiliar to Earth.
Knowing this, the chief engineer addressed us, and the magic-type Awakened Ones stepped forward.
“…Um…”
“Do you understand what this says?”
“I don’t know…”
“Hmm…”
As the magic users collectively shook their heads in confusion, I suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
‘These symbols… I’ve seen them before…’
Because, indeed, I had seen them somewhere.
‘…Ah, that’s right.’
In the game the chief engineer had recommended, Maze Academy.
Before entering the room called “Tiamat’s Tomb” there, I had seen the exact same phrase.
And the interpretation of that phrase was…
“The greatest mother lies sleeping here.”
“What?”
As I murmured this, the incomprehensible material of the door began to creak open.
Inside the door was nothing but pitch-black darkness.
The chief engineer came over to me and asked, “Hey, hey. Yujin, how did you open this? Huh?”
“…Honestly, I’m not completely sure.”
I intentionally said so to hide my surprise. There’s no way I could explain that I recited a phrase from a game.
“Um… Well.”
The chief engineer seemed at a loss for further questions and instead led me back.
After confirming that the darkness inside couldn’t be illuminated with light magic, he hesitated for a second before speaking.
“First, we assume there’s something in here. Just so you know, I plan to proceed for the sake of reports. Does everyone think the same?”
-Yes!
All the guild members agreed. We couldn’t leave without any rewards after coming all the way here. Nodding, the chief engineer moved ahead, stating.
“Okay, let’s go!”
And so, we all began moving into the darkness beyond the door…
***
Then, the engineering squad emerged outside of the Gate.
“…Huh?”
Starting with the chief engineer, all the members looked around in confusion, glancing at each other.
“…What’s going on? What happened?”
The chief engineer, baffled, surveyed his team.
Behind them loomed the Gate they had just entered, and their current location was Ansan Station.
“What’s this all…?”
They had stepped through the door and somehow bounced outside. What the heck was going on?
“…Wait, where’s Yujin?”
Then he realized that one of his guild members was missing.
Though he usually had a suspicious vibe that kept people at bay, he was also someone who stood out in a crowd with his distinctive appearance.
Given that, it would be impossible to miss his absence.
***
Walking through unbroken darkness, I continued on.
I could see, hear, and feel nothing around me.
Regardless, I kept walking.
The way back was long gone. The only path remaining was straight ahead.
I believed there would be light at the end. Finally…
Piiing!
A flash pierced my heart.
And as if I were bleeding, I felt my consciousness fade to black.
***
“…!”
When I opened my eyes, a gray ceiling greeted me.
I quickly sat up and scanned my surroundings.
“…Where am I?”
Before me lay a vast chamber.
Numerous sarcophagi stood like tombs, with gigantic arched pillars looming in the distance.
…Wait, not pillars.
Upon closer inspection, those were…
“…Bones?”
Not regular pillars, but the colossal ribs of a creature so immense their size was unfathomable.
I looked at it in a daze for a moment before getting up to survey the area.
I sensed an unsettling familiarity, as if I had seen this place before…
And soon, I remembered where I recognized this scene from.
“…Maze Academy.”
Maze Academy.
The Great Maze located there.
Among them, one room whose floor level remained unknown.
“…Tiamat’s Tomb.”
I realized that this place was identical to that location, and I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
“Wow.”
Even though I thought I usually hid my emotions well, it seemed that wasn’t entirely the case. Then again, nobody was around to care…
“…Am I in a game?”
Either way, it was impossible to suppress my laughter at this impossibility.
That’s right.
I had entered a space that existed within a game.
“`