Year 4025, Earth.
Aurora City, Central Highschool.
Aren blinked groggily, his eyelids fluttering like confused butterflies trying to figure out if they belonged in the land of the living or the dead.
The world around him shimmered in a bath of bright, artificial-looking light. It spilled across the room from enormous floor-to-ceiling windows coated in a holographic sheen, making everything glow like the inside of a futuristic temple.
"Huh? Where am I? Why is there so much light?" Aren rubbed his eyes and squinted accusingly at the ceiling. "Did I reach heaven? Heck yes! I did give that old lady ten bucks before that bastard truck driver flattened me like a tortilla. Ten dollars is a lot of money. That should count for divine credit."
He stretched his arms, ready to feel clouds or maybe a divine harp materializing into his hands. Instead, his knuckles tapped something hard and metallic. It felt like a desk. Not the cheap wooden kind from his old life. This one was sleek, silver, and lined with pulsing lights that seemed to breathe like a living organism.
He frowned in disappointment. "Wait. Heaven has desks? Is this some kind of eternal detention? Because if this is paradise, I want to speak to the manager."
Before he could further question heaven's interior design choices, a cold and commanding voice stabbed through the silence.
"Aren. Wake up. How dare you sleep in my class."
Aren sat up so fast his neck almost snapped. "Huh? Who is that? An angel? Or God himself? If you're God, can I request the premium package? Maybe some wings? Unlimited pizza? Maybe Both?"
But then his vision cleared slowly and immediately he regretted waking up at all.
A massive man towered over him, blocking half the light in the room. His belly stretched his uniform so tightly it looked like the buttons were trapped hostages begging for release. His face was redder than a sunburnt tomato, and his moustache twitched like it was trying to escape the scene.
Aren yelped and recoiled. "Ahh! Get away from me, you fat pig!"
The classroom exploded.
Students burst into laughter. Some slapped their desks. Others practically fell out of their seats. It was a symphony of chaos, and Aren was the unwilling conductor. He looked around wildly.
This was not heaven. This was a futuristic classroom straight out of a sci-fi movie. The walls rippled with shifting colors, desks hovered a few inches above the ground, and holographic screens floated in the air showing complicated equations that made no sense. The chairs even vibrated softly, probably massaging your butt or tracking posture or something equally unnecessary.
"What the hell is going on?" Aren whispered, panic rising in his chest. "Where am I? What happened? How did I get here?" His heart pounded. His last memory was the screech of tires, a horn blasting, and then every bone in his body becoming a firework. Classic truck accident. Except instead of dying peacefully, he seemed to have respawned inside a high-tech school.
Truck-kun had struck again.
The fat teacher leaned forward, his belly jiggling ominously. "You insolent little trash. How dare you embarrass me in front of the class? I have tolerated your laziness for months, but this time, you have gone too far. Calling me a pig in front of everyone? I should have you expelled before you even step inside the Ascension Tower."
Aren blinked.
Ascension Tower? Elevator to the gods? Magical skyscraper?
Before he could follow that train of thought or deliver a snarky comeback like "If the sty fits," a sudden pain pierced his skull. It was sharp, hot, and overwhelming, like someone plugged a USB drive directly into his brain and hit "Download Everything."
His vision blurred. Memories not his own poured in at once. Voices. Images. Emotions. Names. History. Pain.
He screamed—a loud, ridiculous, wailing cry that echoed across the room. His forehead slammed into the desk as the world tilted sideways. Darkness rushed in and swallowed him whole.
When he regained consciousness, the roaring lights of the classroom were gone. He found himself lying in a sleek infirmary bed that felt like it was gently floating. A cool glow spread across the small room, and a medical drone hovered quietly nearby.
A stern-looking nurse leaned over him, holding a holographic clipboard. "Easy there, kid. You had quite an episode. Your teacher said you fainted after… how do I say this politely… calling him a pig."
Aren groaned, pushing himself upright. His head throbbed, but the pain was dull compared to the storm of information swirling behind his eyes. He pressed his palms against his temples. "Brain, explain yourself. What just happened?"
And then all those invading memories snapped into place like puzzle pieces.
He had transmigrated.
Not just to another body. Not just another timeline.
Aren had been reborn in a parallel Earth, far in the future—a future filled with chaos, monsters, and unimaginable power.
Memories from the original Aren Hunter flashed through his mind. This body belonged to a fourteen-year-old slacker. A boy who slept through classes. A boy who skipped training. A boy who was labeled as one of the weakest students in the academy. And his family? Barely managing to survive. They lived near the outer border of the city.
The city was located in the "Light Domain", and there were 29 other super cities as well. The light domain was the safest place for humanity in this version of earth.
And the world outside this sanctuary?
A nightmare.
Two thousand years ago, a cosmic crack ripped open above Earth. Dark energy poured out, corrupting the entire planet. Earth expanded thousands of times over, mutating forests, oceans, and creatures. Harmless animals turned into monstrous beasts.
Mythical creatures thought to be legends returned with terrifying strength. Within a single day, nearly two-thirds of humanity vanished.
Just when the remaining humans were close to extinction, a blinding pillar descended from the sky. A shimmering domain of light engulfed them and dragged them into safety. This "Light Domain" became the birthplace of the new humanity.
They discovered something incredible. The pillar was an ancient structure known as the Ascension Tower. Anyone who climbed it awakened supernatural power.
Those awakened people were called martial artists.Martial artists could punch through mountains, leap across cities, and battle monsters that ruled the lands beyond the domain.
Aren's heart hammered with excitement.
This was everything he had ever dreamed of. A fantasy world with real power, real monsters, real danger. His old life had been misery. A broke dropout flipping burgers. But here, he could shape his destiny. He could become powerful. He could rise above everything.
His mind was racing. Three months, he had only three months before the Ascension Tower trial. Fail the tower, and he would be doomed to a life of weakness. Pass, and he could reach heights which was unimaginable in his preveous life.
He chuckled. "Truck-kun, you magnificent murderer. Best death of my life."
Then something happened.
A cold, mechanical sound echoed inside his skull.
Aren froze.
The voice continued.
[Infinite Demonic System is activating.]
[10%..20%..30%....100%]
[The system is activated. Welcome host to the greatest power in the creation.]