Episode 1: Upheaval – (1)
1.
Good things and bad things always come together — that’s just how life works. Though it was a confusing situation in the midst of my otherwise uneventful routine, I couldn’t deny that one good and one bad thing had visited me at the same time.
“Hoo…”
…I took a long, refreshing gulp of cold water straight from the fridge, then wiped my lips with my hand. The coolness of the water traveled down my throat and spread throughout my body, reminding me that — for now — I was still alive.
The crushing headache and nausea that had tormented me last night had vanished cleanly, as if carried away by the moonlight in the night sky.
I honestly thought I was going to die last night, but as the morning sun rose, all the strange symptoms disappeared, and I woke up feeling completely fine — no, perhaps even more energized than usual.
If anything could be called a good thing, that was it.
“Hmm…”
But every luxury comes at a price. When something good happens, you must brace yourself for something equally troublesome to follow.
“This is… awkward.”
I muttered as I looked down at my shorts, which had somehow grown too loose and were now dragging along the wooden floor. And then, a soft, delicate voice — a far cry from my usual masculine one — echoed in my ears.
“….”
I opened both my palms silently. From my noticeably lowered point of view, two overly pale hands began to twitch. No matter how many times I looked, they didn’t resemble a man’s hands at all — they were soft, smooth, and fair-skinned.
Clink.
On top of that, clean silver chains hung from my wrists like some sort of accessory. The presence of such ornaments hinted that the owner of this body was no ordinary person.
“Hm…”
When I mentally gave the command, “clench your fist,” the hands obeyed without hesitation. That confirmed it: the owner of this chain-adorned body was none other than me.
But my original hands had been rough — hardened by years of work at construction sites — with the thick palms typical of someone with XY chromosomes.
And I never had such a tasteless hobby as wearing silver chains. In fact, I’d never even heard of them being trendy post-21st century.
“….”
As my fingers brushed against my palms, a ticklish sensation ran through me — a vivid, real feeling that screamed this wasn’t a dream. It was something I needed to take seriously.
“……”
With a body that felt surprisingly light and full of energy, I made my way to the bathroom. I turned on the light and stood confidently in front of the mirror, still smudged with handprints above the sink.
And there — reflected in the glass — was someone who clearly wasn’t “me.” Staring blankly back at me from the mirror was a girl with short, snow-white hair and crimson eyes.
“….”
White hair and red eyes — features almost never seen in reality — yet she was more beautiful than anyone I’d ever seen. No, even if you included characters from 2D worlds, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone more beautiful than her.
“Ah…”
Even I found myself admiring that face. Gently, I reached out and caressed my pale cheek. The girl in the mirror mirrored my every move, and I felt the distinct, supple sensation of flawless, blemish-free skin on my palm.
This was the moment I was forced to accept two truths:
That the girl in the mirror was me — And that my body had undergone a drastic transformation sometime during the mysterious, symptom-filled night before.
“….”
I kept studying the girl in the mirror — the one I now had to call “me.”
Despite her stunning white hair and delicate face, she wore an array of intimidating accessories.
Silver chains coiled around both wrists, with another wrapped around her neck like a necklace. Behind her, crimson chains floated in midair as if dyed with blood, suspended without any support.
Those alone were striking enough, but what really drew my eyes was the dark tiara resting gently on her head.
It wasn’t some cheap trinket you’d find at a dollar store. The tiara I — no, she — was wearing radiated elegance and authority, like something that would only grace the head of a queen.
“…Hoo.”
I let out a deep sigh.
Just looking at her was enough to make your knees go weak — a beautiful girl adorned with accessories that exuded sheer menace. She was someone who clearly couldn’t exist in the real world. And yet, shockingly, I knew exactly who this girl was.
No — the problem was that I knew her too well. After all, the wallpaper on my computer was a picture of this very girl. I saw her face at least once a day without fail.
“…Selberion.”
I stared clearly into the crimson eyes in the mirror and muttered the name — not just her name anymore, but now my name — under my breath.
Selberion.
The December stage boss in Season Off Fantasy, the VR game so popular that nearly everyone played it these days — also known simply as Seofan.
True to its name, Season Off Fantasy featured new maps, stages, and final bosses each month, rotating automatically.
January: Land of Birth.
February: Rift of Time.
March: Valley of Verdure, and so on…
And among them, only once every December did the game unveil its most punishing stage — World’s End.
Selberion was the final boss of that stage, guarding the frozen, desolate realm at the end of the world.
She had many nicknames — Frost of Ruin, Lord of the Frozen — but the most well-known was undoubtedly the God of Destruction.
The reason such an imposing title was bestowed on this small, delicate-looking girl was simple.
In the eight years since Seofan launched, not a single player had ever defeated Selberion or cleared the December stage, World’s End.
As the boss of the final month of the 365-day calendar, Selberion possessed difficulty on an entirely different level from the other eleven monthly bosses. Because of this, hundreds, thousands, even millions of players had knelt before her, forced to wait yet another year to challenge her again next December.
With beauty so mesmerizing you couldn’t take your eyes off her, a reputation as the undefeatable final boss, and an aura of anticipation that could only be experienced in December —
Selberion, the God of Destruction, wasn’t just the ultimate goal of hundreds of millions of players worldwide, she was the most beloved character in the game. Undoubtedly the symbol of Seofan, the embodiment of the game itself.
“Hm…”
And somehow, overnight, I had turned into that Selberion. Without knowing why or how — it just… happened.
“….”
To be honest, I couldn’t say I hated it.
From a worthless, jobless loser to someone powerful enough to destroy the world — that’s not a bad trade.
The confusion only lasted a moment. Everyone, at some point, has imagined a world that turns into a game, or waking up inside one.
There were countless games, novels, and anime built on that very premise.
Of course, I never expected to turn into a game’s final boss rather than a customizable player character, but adapting to the reality of this new body wasn’t as difficult as I imagined.
Or maybe… maybe I simply had no regrets about throwing away the garbage heap that was my previous life.
Compared to Selberion — the so-called God of Destruction — my life, ruined by a failed business and crushed by endless debt, was one without dreams or hope.
“….”
I left the bathroom, carrying this mix of complicated emotions with me. Even though I’d accepted the fact that I had become Selberion, the situation remained just as bewildering.
I needed to figure out what was going on. At the very least, I had to find out what caused this transformation — and whether I was the only one affected.
Slowly, I approached my old, battered smartphone, which I had ignored after skimming last night’s emergency alert.
“Emergency alert…”
The voice that spilled out into my cramped studio was no longer my own — it was Selberion’s, now my voice, unfamiliar yet clear.
On the phone was another emergency alert, sent out by the government about two hours ago — a time when I was still unconscious.
[Official Emergency Alert – Government Disaster and Safety Headquarters]
Concerning the current wave of abnormal symptoms and physical transformations (related to Season Off Fantasy), the official statement from the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters has been released as of 9:00 AM today.
We urge all citizens to remain calm and refer to the link below for full details.
The government is devoting all resources to identifying the cause and ensuring public safety. Until further notice, please remain indoors.
— Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Disaster and Safety Countermeasures HQ
“The announcement…”
The emergency alert urged citizens to read the newly released statement from the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. Without hesitation, I clicked the link attached to the message.
A lengthy official statement from the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters immediately filled the screen of my smartphone.
With Selberion’s crimson eyes darting left and right, I began reading the entire announcement carefully, line by line.
[Official Statement from the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters]
Released at 09:00 / Ministry of the Interior and Safety – Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters
Title: Public Safety Advisory Regarding Nationwide Physical Transformations and Appearance of Unknown Lifeforms
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters hereby issue the following official statement regarding the abnormal phenomena currently spreading across the country.
1. Game-Based Physical Transformation Phenomenon
Around 04:00 AM today, there were widespread reports across the country of individuals undergoing abrupt physical transformations, taking on the appearance and characteristics of their characters from the VR game Season Off Fantasy.
These transformations are involuntary. While they do not appear to be infectious or contagious, there have been isolated incidents involving mental distress and high-risk behavior.
The government has provisionally classified this phenomenon as a “Mutation Reaction Caused by Collapse of the Real-Virtual Structure,” and is conducting a joint investigation into the causes and implications in coordination with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of National Defense, and other relevant bodies.
2. Warning Regarding “Rifts of Light” in the Sky and Manifestation of Hostile Creatures
At the same time, multiple fixed “rifts of light” were detected above major cities and high altitudes nationwide. From these rifts, creatures resembling in-game monsters from Season Off Fantasy have been observed materializing and invading real-world spaces.
Thus far, these unknown lifeforms have shown the following characteristics:
Possess physical substance and can think and move independently
Highly aggressive, with numerous cases of direct attacks on civilians
Some exhibit game-based abilities such as long-range magic and high-speed movement
No known biological data; communicate in unrecognizable languages or emit howling cries
The government has classified these entities as “Aberrants,” and has initiated a nationwide containment and elimination operation in cooperation with the military and law enforcement.
3. Public Safety Guidelines and Recommendations
All citizens are urged to follow these instructions without fail:
Cease all outdoor activities and remain indoors or in the nearest safe location
If you witness an Aberrant or a Rift of Light, do not approach under any circumstances
If you are experiencing symptoms of transformation, refrain from reckless behavior or self-experimentation, and immediately visit a health center or nearby hospital
To prevent conflicts between transformed individuals, exercise caution during interactions and follow government directives at all times
The spread of rumors, unauthorized videos, or unverified information is strictly prohibited and will be met with legal consequences
The government places the highest priority on the lives and safety of the people and will continue to monitor the situation in real-time and take responsive actions.
Please refer to the official Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters website or public broadcasting stations for all further updates.
“……”
The government’s announcement contained several shocking revelations.
If this wasn’t some elaborate nationwide prank, then I wasn’t the only one who had transformed into a Seofan character after all. It seemed that everyone who had played, or even used to play, the game was affected.
I didn’t know why I had transformed not into a playable character, but into Selberion, the December stage boss. Still, the following part of the announcement swept aside even that curiosity.
…Monsters pouring in from rifts of light.
It wasn’t just people transforming into game characters. For every hero, there are villains. Monsters from Seofan were also emerging from rifts in the sky and launching indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
Although the government had mobilized the military and police to suppress the crisis, I had serious doubts. Could modern weapons really stop the terrifying beasts from the game, with their overwhelming numbers and firepower?
Using missiles or other high-impact weapons would be risky in civilian areas. That meant the real-world military would likely be unable to halt their advance effectively.
– KyaaAAAAAARGH!!
– KiiIEEEEEEEEK!!
“….”
Apparently, my neighborhood was no exception. I perked up my ears slightly toward the window — and heard eerie cries of monsters echoing from different parts of the city.
The same chilling, sharp cries I’d only ever heard in the virtual world — now real.
“……”
With a dazed expression, I looked outside, at what was once Seoul but had now become a battlefield.
This transformation… perhaps it signaled the beginning of humanity’s next evolution.
Players turning into their in-game characters from Season Off Fantasy.
Monsters pouring out from the sky’s rifts.
And me — someone who had turned into Selberion, the December stage boss, a boss that no one had ever defeated.
I had no idea what would happen next. I couldn’t imagine it — not even slightly.
But this much, at least, I could say for certain:
The world was about to change — drastically.