I’ve fallen into a strange world.
There didn’t seem to be any premonition of this event.
After my usual routine of working part-time at a convenience store and community activities, I went to sleep, just like always.
However, when I opened my eyes, the view before me was unfamiliar—a landscape far removed from my little studio apartment.
Gray walls. And candelabras hanging on them.
It didn’t feel like a dream. I slapped my cheeks and pinched my thigh, and the pain was sharp and unmistakably real. The bizarre situation only reinforced the certainty that this was no illusion.
“…Maybe I should have behaved better while I was on the Gallery.”
Yesterday I didn’t stir up much trouble on the gallery, though.
No, even before the gallery, I probably should’ve lived my life more fully so I wouldn’t end up in this sewer-like world.
I advanced cautiously.
Step.
Something caught my foot.
I looked down. What snagged my foot was a skull.
A clear and unmistakable human skull.
My mind was flooded with confusion.
What kind of world have I fallen into?
The presence of a skull implied a place where people could d*e.
Faded bricks, and the scent of mud mixed with mold filled my nostrils.
Well, at least this doesn’t seem like a dungeon, does it?
There wasn’t much I could do but walk slowly forward, following the flickering candlelight.
I stopped suddenly.
A black number caught my eye.
1.
Could this be the first floor?
Is this place a multi-storied structure?
There was only one thing to do—continue moving forward.
Crunch.
The sound of something being chewed reached my ears.
What made it worse was that the source of the sound was right in front of me.
Hiding behind a gray wall, I crouched low.
“sh*t.”
Crunch!
Something was consuming something else.
A giant ant.
Its height alone was roughly 100cm. The giant ant was chewing at something.
“It… it’s a person.”
It looked like a human who was already dead.
Motionless, their body was being eaten piece by piece.
The giant jaws of the ant kept moving, and every time, the dark red bl**d dripped down.
Crunch.
I held my breath.
Either due to being behind the creature or because it was engrossed in its meal, it didn’t seem to notice me yet.
“There’s a weapon.”
Just behind the ant.
The spear being devoured by the ant right now.
That was the only thing that could k*ll this giant ant.
If it finishes its meal and comes toward me before I can grab the spear, I’d be dead before I could even try to fight.
My only chance was now.
I moved forward as quietly as I could, keeping my body low.
Breathing shallowly, I advanced.
Crunch! Grind!
As the grotesque sounds continued, I reached out my hands.
The great ant, still feeding, was oblivious.
The spear was right behind it.
“…Got it.”
The spear felt heavier than I anticipated, but it wasn’t impossible to wield. Fortunately, thanks to all the weights I’ve been lifting at the gym, it was manageable.
I was just about to swing it when I felt a gaze—a predator’s gaze.
The giant ant’s black eyes were fixed on me.
I reacted immediately, planting my right foot and thrusting both arms forward.
Swish!
The spear struck the ant’s head cleanly.
I swung the spear’s shaft at the ant’s legs as it staggered backward.
Crunch!
My heart raced fast. Momentum was on my side. Desperately, I swung the spear again and again, targeting the ant’s head dozens of times.
Eventually, a pool of greenish bl**d formed on the floor.
It seemed I had killed it.
The giant ant, its head crushed, no longer moved.
Meanwhile, I was drenched in sweat.
Its sticky bl**d stained my black shirt.
“Ugh…”
My arms felt like they had been torn off, they ached so badly from the effort.
[Experience has increased.]
[Current experience: 30%.]
[Level increases when experience reaches 100%.]
[Level increases will make gaining experience slower.]
Level?
By now, my mind was thoroughly disoriented. What kind of place had I fallen into?
My eyes remained fixed on the distorted ant and then shifted to the dead body behind it.
“What is this?”
The clothing looked wildly different from the modern attire I’d been wearing before.
It looked more like something from medieval European times.
Above the corpse’s head, something appeared.
[NPC – Escaping Citizen]
Instead of a name, it was labeled as “Escaping Citizen.”
“An NPC…”
Each new encounter only made the situation more surreal.
Carefully, I searched through the dead citizen’s clothing. Underneath, there was a pocket.
Inside the pocket was a familiar object.
As I pulled it out, I stared in disbelief.
“A mobile phone?”
What was a mobile phone doing here?
Up until this moment, everything had been completely unreal. Suddenly, a relic from modern civilization appeared.
It looked exactly like a smartphone.
I pressed what seemed like a power button.
Ding!
The screen lit up. Suddenly, a bluish holographic interface appeared before my eyes.
Then, text became visible.
【Elysian Gallery】
I dragged my finger along the holographic screen.
Numerous posts were already visible.
As if I was on the community site I visited before coming here.
I tapped on a random, eye-catching one.
Title: Are There Any Notable Rookies Around?
Writer: ㅇㅇ
-Lately, I’ve been busy with real life, so I haven’t been able to visit Don Gallery. Haven’t been here to the Elysian Gallery in a while either, haha.
Reply:
-None of the newbies really stand out.
-I seriously, these days, people have no ambition. They’re all just looking for the easy way out.
-So, have you cleared anything yet? You’re not someone who talks like this when you’re stuck on Normal or Easy modes, are you?
-Light Sword) Do you know what a sword is?
-Are you tired of your nonsense yet?
The “Elysian Gallery” must be short for what I saw in the message earlier.
Don Gallery, then, must be something else.
Anyway, I pressed the back button and opened the latest post.
Title: Why Can’t We Post on Don Gallery, Really? d*mn System
Writer: Archmage
-I’m about to lose my mind with frustration. Why can’t we overcome this when it’s clearly possible? This is only the 35th floor! Don’t just chicken out—just charge in even if your arms burn and your legs tear. You’ll recover once you clear the floor anyway, but you’re all just screwing around.
Reply:
-You’re being way too harsh since it’s none of your business, are you really the Archmage?
-This person talks like an Easy Mode finisher but claims to have cleared Hard; just look at the fixed nickname if you don’t believe me.
-Fixed Nickname.
-Fixed nickname means people who consistently use the same unique name in the gallery.
Reply:
-Seriously, 60% are from Easy Mode, and so are you probably. You’re just another low-level player. Why are you lecturing the Archmage on behalf of everyone?
-Easy <<<<<<< Normal
-Hahahaha! Your ego is ridiculous. The gap between Normal and the King’s Hard Mode is huge. Really, it’s just two walls between Easy and Normal, that's it.
-Maiden of Magic) Hahaha, it's not good to fight everyone.
-Mistaken.
My head was spinning.
What was clear, at least, was that the people writing posts and comments on this Elysian Gallery had all already cleared whatever they were currently trying to conquer.
So what did that make me?
While others were talking about much higher floors, I could barely understand my surroundings. One thing was certain: I was on the first floor. That meant I was at the starting point, unlike the people in the gallery.
I decided to post something and see the response.
I pressed "Write Post," and writing began with a holographic keyboard.
Taptaptap...
I made myself a "onymous user" (commonly written as "ㅇㅇ"), like the users here who didn’t use fixed nicknames. It really felt like a community.
After finishing the post and uploading it:
Title: Are You All Just Cleared Players or What? I Think I'm on the First Floor; What Is This Place?
Writer: ㅇㅇ
-I see "1" written on the wall, so I think I’m starting. Are you all done already? What exactly is this place? I just killed a giant ant.
The moment I posted, comments started coming in.
Reply:
-WTF? How can anyone draw so much attention? This is Elysian Gallery. How could any climber post here? This is boring as hell.
-If you have nothing to do, go wipe your feet and go to sleep~
-Maiden of Magic) Haha, this is so dull.
-To Don Gallery.
-HAHAHAHA! What the hell? Are you climbing again or something? How could you even come to the Elysian Gallery?
-Hell, no, there’s no way I’m climbing again. I still get PTSD from the last time.
I didn't believe them.
I tried to write another post, hoping they’d believe me.
Then another comment appeared.
Reply:
-Moderator) I don’t know what’s happening here… but your statement seems genuine. I just checked the coordinates: 666.666.66.532. Those are coordinates belonging to Don Gallery users.
Moderator?
Was this the same as the Moderator I knew? They had the authority to manage posts and ban users.
Regardless, once the Moderator commented, there was an eerie silence for a brief moment, as if time itself had frozen.
And then…
Comments started pouring in like crazy.
Reply:
-What? Anonymous? Are you serious? A climber on the Elysian Gallery? hahahaha, what’s going on?
-And on the first floor? This is insane.
-First floor, last floor, it makes no sense for climbers to even be on the Elysian Gallery.
-Maiden of Magic) Haha, I apologize for my previous words.
-Light Sword) Do you know what a sword is?
Even as I scrolled further, the comments continued endlessly.
Reply:
-Archmage) What is this, some crazy phenomenon? Can you use magic at all?
-Pioneer) ??
-Seam Sewer) Can you give more details?
-Absolute Monarch) Where are you from?
-Heaven’s Devil) So you’re on the first floor? Difficulty level?
-Locked Room Theorist) A mutation has occurred—this world is made up of locked rooms.
-Ice Queen) Freeze!
-Elf) Are you a member of another species?
-Holy cr*p, all the people we never see are suddenly appearing. Hahaha!
-They really are drawing out all the lurkers. It’s impressive.
-Monsters are popping out everywhere.
Clearly, the Elysian Gallery's interest was all on me now.
