The cold wind of late autumn bit at my cheeks as I walked home from school, head down, trying not to attract attention.
Of course, luck hated me.
"Hey, my pet.Do-Hyun"
The voice came from behind. Heavy footsteps followed — five of them. My heart sank.
I didn't even look. I just ran.
The shouts grew louder, the pounding of sneakers echoing through the alley as I darted into the main road. Seoul's evening rush swallowed me, cars honking, crowds jostling. I thought I'd lost them.
Then the world stopped.
At first, I thought it was just me — like someone had pressed pause on reality.
Cars froze mid-turn. Pigeons hung motionless in the air. Even the wind stopped.
And then… the sky cracked.
A jagged fracture split across the heavens like shattered glass. Blinding white light spilled through, and a figure descended — massive, with wings that shimmered gold, eyes burning like the sun.
When it spoke, its voice wasn't sound — it was inside my skull.
> [Greetings, mortals.]
[You have been chosen to participate in the Divine Game.]
[Your lives, your futures… your very world will be decided here.]
Gasps erupted all around.
The angel's hand rose, and golden panels appeared before every person in sight. Letters formed across the glowing screen:
> [Initial Rank Assignment… Complete.]
Grade: F
Global Position: 8,421,104 / 8,421,104
I was dead last.
Literally.
The angel's expression didn't change.
> [First Trial begins now.]
Objective: Kill 50 goblins
Time: 01:00:00
Penalty:Death
A shriek pierced the air. Shadows rippled through the streets, and small, twisted figures crawled out of the cracks in the ground.
They were shorter than me, but their teeth were jagged, their eyes yellow, and their crude knives dripped with something black.
"Goblins…" someone whispered. Then the screaming started.
People scattered. Some grabbed weapons from fallen police officers, others ran into shops and ripped makeshift clubs from shelves.
Me?
One goblin charged at me, snarling. I stumbled backward, tripped, and fell onto the asphalt. My hands shook too much to move. The goblin raised its knife—
A sharp clang rang out. Someone had killed it before it reached me.
The rescuer didn't even look at me before sprinting off for another kill.
I just sat there, panting, as the hour bled away. I couldn't even swing at them.
"Why I can't even move! I hate myself."
The angel's voice returned.
> [Time's up.]
Failure detected: 3,268,902 participants
I thought I died, but the status window popped up, something strange.
>[ERROR!]
Player will immediately be sent into the abyss
The ground beneath me split open. Black mist swallowed my legs, rising fast. My scream was silent in the void.
The last thing I saw was Seoul disappearing above me… and the angel watching without a flicker of pity.
Then, darkness.