1 Prologue - Open-world Reader.

A flash of lightning illuminated the window, followed by a faint rumble of thunder. Min-Beom barely noticed it; he was too engrossed in the game on his switch, his headphones blasting a song.

He crunched on a chip and licked the salt off his fingers, then reached for another one from the bag on the floor. The TV screen flickered with colorful images and sounds, but they did not bring him any joy.

He felt a pang of sadness in his chest as he thought about his life.

Min-Beom had to work three part-time jobs to support his ill mother and his abusive stepfather, who only cared about drinking beer.

He had no friends, no hobbies, no dreams. The only thing that gave him some comfort was escaping into the world of "The Hero's Destiny", a novel series that he loved to read. He wished he could leave this miserable world behind. He grabbed the controller and pressed the start button, hoping to forget his troubles for a while.

He played for a while, mindlessly defeating the enemies and completing the quests. He felt no satisfaction or excitement when the word "victory" flashed on the TV screen.

Min-beom tossed the controller aside, letting it land on the red carpet with a soft thud. He was about to turn off the TV when his phone buzzed on the floor next to him.

He picked it up and saw a notification on the screen. His eyes widened slightly as he recognized the title of his favorite novel. It was a new update, after months of waiting. He quickly unlocked his phone and tapped on the notification, eager to read the latest chapter.

The man walked to the couch and sank into the cushions, holding his phone in his hand. He felt a surge of excitement as he opened the novel app, ready to immerse himself in the story again.

Min-beom noticed that the novel had gained a lot of popularity, with millions of views, gifts, and votes. The comments and reviews were also overflowing with praise and feedback. He scrolled down to the latest chapter, only to realize that it was the final one.

The novel had reached its end, after 1,230 chapters of epic adventure. He felt a mix of anticipation and sadness, wondering how the story would conclude.

He also checked the rankings of the gifts, where he saw his name on the second place. He had spent a lot of money to support the author, hoping to get some recognition or gratitude.

But he felt bitter when he saw that someone else had surpassed him, and that the author had barely acknowledged his contributions. He felt like he was losing his connection to the story, which was becoming more and more famous and mainstream.

He reminded himself that he had no claim over the story or the author. He was just one of the many readers, not even the most loyal or the most favored one. He felt a pang of resentment as he thought about how the author had ignored him.

Min-beom had been following the novel since the beginning, when it was still obscure and underrated. He had been captivated by the plot and the characters, and he had felt a connection with the author's style and vision.

He had tried to reach out to the author several times, sending them messages of appreciation and encouragement. But he had never received a reply, or even a simple thank you. He felt like he was invisible and insignificant to the author, who only cared about fame and money.

He decided to save the last chapter for later, as a way of prolonging his enjoyment and delaying his farewell. He sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and sadness.

He was about to put his phone away, when he saw a new notification pop up on his screen. His eyes widened in shock as he read the sender's name.

The author?

He tapped on the notification, and it opened a chat window on the website.

The author had accepted his friend request, something he had sent years ago when the novel was still new and underrated. He felt a surge of happiness, along with disbelief and curiosity.

When he read the message, his eyes lit up.

[rey_sire59: Thank you so much for your support, dear reader.]

He felt a mix of awe and doubt for the author, who had replied to him so unexpectedly after the final chapter was published.

[MB_Gamer109: Hi, are you really rey_sire59? The author of The Hero's Destiny?]

[rey_sire59: Yes, I am. And I have seen your 100 message requests, they caught my attention.]

[MB_Gamer109: I'm sorry, I just wanted to show you my appreciation for your novel.]

[rey_sire59: It's okay, I'm grateful. You're the only person who has gifted me and supported me till the end.]

[rey_sire59: So, I want to give you something special, an opportunity.]

An opportunity? What does that mean? He thought to himself as Min-beom saw a notification on his screen, a message from his boss. But he ignored it, he was curious about the author's offer.

[MB_Gamer109: An opportunity, author-nim?]

[rey_sire59: Yes, an opportunity. Or maybe a gift.]

[MB_Gamer109: A gift???]

[rey_sire59: You'll see tomorrow, reader-nim.]

[MB_Gamer109: Okay?]

Min-beom felt a bit doubtful about the opportunity that the author was promising, but he was also intrigued. He waited for a while, but the author did not reply anymore.

He closed the website and sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. He got another notification, but it was from his boss. He read it with a weary and annoyed expression.

[MESSAGE: DON'T BE LATE TOMORROW!!] It read as he turned off his phone, wondering what the next day would bring.