<Chapter 2>

The author actually replied?

No way!  

My chest tightened — but that’s not because of the author — probably my cancer doing its damage. 

But my hands? 

They were trembling like mad… and that was undeniably due to my excitement, the author’s influence. 

The author’s message was long. 

— Thank you for treasuring this story. I, too, wish I could have crafted a better ending, but my abilities have their limits. 

I’m contemplating a remake, but I need someone else’s help to see it through.  

Would you, perhaps, consider helping me with the revisions?

A remake? 

Sign me up!  

But did the author ask help from… me?  

Evidently, he or she overlooked the most important part of my message.

I’m dying. 

— Thank you so much for replying! 

A remake, wow—I’m so excited!  

I’d love to help, but sadly, I don’t have much time left.  

Even without my contribution, I’m confident you’ll guide this story to a great ending. 

I sent the message. 

It was a polite message, but don’t get me wrong. 

I had my complaints as well: I mean, if you were going to regret it, maybe you shouldn’t have done it in the very first place? 

But what’s the point of ranting? 

If the author’s willing to change the ending, that’s good enough for me.  

Just as I was nodding in satisfaction, another message arrived.

— Thank you for accepting my proposal. Best of luck.

Hmm… did I actually accept the offer? 

Just to be sure, I reviewed my sent email. 

Nope, never said yes. 

Maybe I was being too polite. 

Maybe I should write back; this time, be more direct and tell the author, “I’m a terminal cancer patient and will be dead in a few days. That’s why I can’t help.”  

It was at that moment. 

Cough, cough!

A wave of relentless coughs crashed over me.  

Each labored breath sent daggers through my frame, yet, the coughing didn’t stop. 

It was merciless. 

I needed to reply… to tell the author that I could be dying any moment, but…. 

‘That’s kind of a scary email, isn’t it?’ 

As my thoughts spiraled, an uncontrollable vertigo overwhelmed me. 

Then, a a blinding light engulfed my vision.

#

I’ve always wondered what happens when you die. 

Now, I’m finally getting my answer.

First, my body transformed to a tiny earthworm. 

But instead of squirming like a worm, I was shooting through space like a comet.

Whoosh! Thud!

I raced at breakneck speed until I crash-landed somewhere. 

It’s still pitch-dark around me, but strangely, I knew exactly where I was. 

I was within someone’s blood vessel, and this vessel was located in someone’s feet. 

Not exactly prime real estate, so I started heading upwards.

Gliding through the blood vessels, like a waterpark ride. 

But as I coursed through the blood vessels, something weirder happened: with each circuit, I started to feel that body part. 

A loop around the left foot, then the right, and I could suddenly feel the sensation of both my legs. 

The wild ride continued through the torso to the arms, neck, and ultimately, the head. 

Upon reaching the brain, I navigated through its creases, which is when I saw someone’s life memories playing out, like a cinematographic sequence. 

This body belonged to Yeon Sora. 

Yeon Sora…. 

Who’s that?

I have no idea. 

But within Yeon Sora’s memory, I recognized someone I know. 

That untamed orange hair and piercing amber eyes, a face straight out of a dream….

That little boy is… Yeom Juwan!

Yeom Juwan is one of the main characters in <Doomed Academy> and ranks third in my personal favorites.

Bzzz!

A zap like electricity jolts me, and my eyes fly open.

❴Dimensional transfer complete.❵  

❴You have entered ❮I Possessed a Character in a Doomed Academy❯❵  

❴Synchronization with character ‘Yeon Sora’ complete.❵

My vision returned, but I quickly squeezed my eyes shut.

Thump-thump.

My heart was thundering within. 

Forcing myself to stay calm, I tried to make sense of this situation.

Let’s break it down…

1. I’m an obsessed reader.  

2. I had an unexpected contact with the author.  

3. I received an invitation to “help with the remake.”  

4. A stranger’s memories flooded in, and a system message announced that the dimensional transfer was complete. 

This was a common cliche, a series of sequences you typically see at the beginning of Korean web novels.

And that cliche had just happened to me. 

This could only mean one thing. 

A shiver of excitement rippled down my spine, and spread all the way to my fingertips. 

This is transmigration.

There was no mistake – I have entered my favorite novel. 

#

The hologram window vanished as quickly as it appeared.

“Skills? Stats? Status?” 

I tried muttering every keyword, to see if one of those ‘player windows’ popped up — but nothing worked.

“Maybe I haven’t “awakened” yet?”

<Doomed Academy> adheres to the conventional hunter-fantasy trope. 

Thirty years ago, the Earth fractured, unleashing monsters impervious to conventional weapons like bullets, missiles, even nuclear warheads.

Yet, somehow, these monsters succumbed to “awakened” warriors wielding mystical powers and swords.  

 Only about 10% of humanity could “awaken,” and  become hunters who hunted monsters. 

If I don’t have a status window, there were only two possible reasons: either I hadn’t awakened yet, or I couldn’t. 

Either way, there was nothing I could do about it. 

Accepting this, I looked around to survey my surroundings. 

I was on a moving bus. 

The interior was dim – due to the heavy blackout curtains – and also hushed.

All passengers seemed to be asleep. 

And right beside me, a orange-haired boy was resting with his eyes closed.

Wait… Is this Yeom Juwan?

Gulp. 

My throat went dry. 

Here was one of my favorite characters, perfection incarnate, sleeping within my arm’s reach. 

Furthermore… 

“Juwan is still so small!” 

This was indeed a rare sight. 

Early on in the novel, Juwan was just 165 cm — a short, spunky kid who later metamorphosed into a towering predator after a significant event. 

The illustrations only showed him in fully grown form, so no one ever saw him in this smaller state. 

Yet, here he was, in that mini-state, right beside me! 

Jackpot!

I rubbed my eyes, refocused, and took in every detail I could. 

His hair was closer to deep crimson rather than orange, and subtle freckles speckled his cheeks. 

So cute! 

His cheeks possessed the softness of mochi, tempting me to pinch them. 

However, as tempting as it was, I did not give in to this urge. 

You see, Juwan — as much as I love him — has quite the temper. 

Moreover, he ranked among the world’s top three pyromancers. 

A pinch in the cheek, and I might be incinerated. 

But if Juwan was still a kid, that meant…

“I can… witness the transformation?”

That thought alone made my heart race. 

I wanted to see Juwan with his eyes opened, but didn’t dare disturb him. 

So I tore my gaze away and scanned the rest of the bus. 

If Juwan was here, perhaps a few of my other favorites are here as well? 

It was hard to tell, with the blackout curtains and the darkness. 

‘Maybe I should go back to admiring Juwan?’ 

That thought entered my mind, but I decided not to do so. 

You see, I read way too many web novels, so I knew the drill. 

First, I had to figure out who I was. 

My brain was currently downloading “Yeon Sora’s” memories. 

It seemed to take a while, but I knew one fact for sure: Yeon Sora was Juwan’s childhood friend.

Yet… 

The novel never mentioned a Yeon Sora. 

How is that so? 

I rummaged through the front pocket of my bag and pulled out a wallet.

There was a student ID. 

[Uryeon Middle School, 3rd Year, Yeon Sora.]

The photo on the ID made me gasp. 

Yeon Sora was… beautiful, almost like those elves in games. 

Her rounded ears hinted that she was indeed human, but her features were so ethereal. 

Ash-pink hair; pink pupils with a golden-tint; sharp, slightly feline gaze; delicate nose… 

She really was a beauty.

If this photo was Yeon Sora….

That meant, this face now belonged to me!

“Mirror!”

I desperately wanted a mirror, to see if indeed I became a mystical beauty. 

Unfortunately, Sora didn’t carry a mirror, so I had to wait to get off this bus to check my new appearance. 

Anyways, appearance-wise, I was satisfied. 

No, scratch that — I was ecstatic! 

To live inside my favorite novel, as an ethereal beauty, alongside my favorite characters?

This was a total blessing!

And on top of that, I know how the story unfolds, which means…. 

Wait.

A cold dread cut through my excitement. 

Yes, that was it. 

I was the only one who knew the ending! 

The massacre ending where every single person dies!

And I mean everyone. 

This story ends in an apocalypse where no one survives. 

“What are you doing?”

I looked over, and Juwan was awake. 

His eyes – which were described as sharp and cold in the novel – was soft, warm, and lively. 

“Are you feeling alright?”

I was conflicted. 

Doom may be looming, but I was sitting next to a gorgeous masterpiece. 

And to hear Juwan’s voice! 

I felt like the prince from Little Mermaid, who finally gets to hear the mermaid’s voice for the first time. 

I was lost in admiration, when Juwan cocked his head.

“You look nervous.”

“Oh, uh, yes. Kind of.”

I’m actually talking to my favorite character, interacting with him! 

Is this a dream? Seriously.  

Just then, Juwan placed a warm, steady hand on my shoulder. 

This was real. 

Definitely real.

“Why are you so tense? You know, no one dies during the awakening test.”

That was when a chill ran through me. 

The ‘Awakening Test?’ 

I definitely knew that, from the early chapters. 

“We’re here! Everyone exit in order, please.”

Before I could speak, the bus came to a stop, and an adult was directing us to get off. 

When I stepped outside, I found myself staring at a massive black pillar. 

That was the ‘Tower.’

The ‘Tower of Babel,’ which appeared three years after the ‘Great Rift.’ 

There was one such tower in every capital city across the world, and each was designated as an ‘Awakening Test’ site. 

After the test, the ‘awakeners’ would advance to a Hunter Academy, while the rest of the population entered regular schools.

“Why the long face?” Juwan asked, grinning.

I forced a thin smile and mumbled, “Because the tower’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

Juwan looked at me as if I were spouting nonsense. 

He had a point, ‘Awakening Tests’ were not dangerous. 

The tests took place on the first stage of the tower, and we were accompanied by skilled hunters for protection. 

There has yet to be a single fatality.

That is… until now.