* * *

“Where are you off to in such a rush?”

“Ahh!”

A shadow suddenly blocked my view, and a scream escaped my lips before I could stop it.

My heart felt like it dropped to the floor.

As I instinctively took a step back, my spine, crawling with chills, hit the wall.

Before I could even think of escaping, large hands thudded against the wall on either side of me, trapping me in place.

“What’s in there? Candy? Snacks?”

No candy—though there was something shiny like candy inside.

But that wasn’t the issue right now.

Clutching my bundle like a lifeline, I looked up at the man in front of me.

The gray clouds veiled the sun, dimming the surroundings.

The shadow that fell over him grew even darker, accentuating his vivid red eyes.

“If you keep sneaking out like this, it’s going to be a problem.”

“I-I wasn’t sneaking out or anything…”

“Is that so?”

“I mean, it was just for a moment…”

“Just for a moment?”

Terrifying.

Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.

I rolled my eyes nervously, gripping my bundle even tighter.

“This is truly troubling. Why do you keep doing this?”

“…”

“Running away, I mean.”

Running away?

If anyone heard that, they’d think I was some kind of criminal.

Although… it wasn’t exactly wrong.

I was indeed trying to escape from him, by any means necessary.

This was my eleventh attempt.

Surely, he wouldn’t know the count—

“This makes eleven times already.”

He knows.

My body trembled even more at the realization.

Removing his hands from the wall, he grabbed my arms instead.

His hands were warm, yet as they touched my skin, my whole body felt like it had plunged into ice water.

The grip on my arms tightened gradually, forcing a small whimper from my lips.

“You’re hurting me!”

“Hmm.”

Even at my complaint, he only narrowed his eyes and smirked, tightening his hold further.

Bruises were sure to form on both arms.

I glared at him fiercely, but he paid no mind, locking eyes with me instead.

“Ah…!”

When I cried out and squirmed desperately, his grip finally loosened.

My arms ached and throbbed.

“My apologies. Your whimper was too pleasant to resist.”

“Y-You… M-Ma—”

I wanted to yell, “You lunatic!” but I didn’t have the courage.

All I could do was mutter the third syllable of the scale, “Ma,” before clamping my mouth shut.

I tried to turn my body away, but it wasn’t easy.

He was so close that he left no space for escape.

When I shifted slightly to break contact, he swiftly wedged his leg in, pressing against me suggestively.

“Perhaps if I seduce you physically, you’ll stop trying to run away?”

His words made me shudder, and I shook my head violently.

Seduce me physically?

More than he already was?

What the hell was he planning?

He raised a hand and brushed the back of his fingers along my cheek.

“Why are you so startled?”

“What… What else are you planning to do? You’re already…”

He smiled slowly. The sight sent chills down my spine.

“Surely you don’t think this is the extent of what we could do together.”

“…”

I was speechless.

My mouth opened and closed silently, like a fish out of water.

Just then, the sound of several footsteps drew closer, loud and urgent.

“Ah, interrupters.”

No…

A group of people appeared, close enough now to see clearly.

As soon as they spotted us, they fell to their knees without hesitation.

Expressionless, he gestured for them to rise, taking a step back from me.

The knights, clad in formal uniforms, remained kneeling.

Reluctantly, I signaled for them to stand, and they obeyed.

“Tower Master, Your Majesty.”

The person at the head of the group addressed him as such, taking a step closer.

Out of the corner of my eye, something faintly glittered, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away.

He was staring at me intently.

Your Majesty. The newly crowned emperor of this empire.

That was his title. And I was…

Breathe.

Deep breaths could alleviate so many discomforts—anxiety, tension, headaches, indigestion, emotional overload, even tachycardia and shortness of breath.

I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly through my mouth.

“Hoo…”

I repeated the motion twice.

It didn’t bring me any sense of peace.

In fact, it was just more effort than normal breathing.

Clicking my tongue at the lack of effect, I squinted at the translucent text still floating before me.

[Welcome back!]
[The 12th Day of Siloni, Year 1230 of the Age of Magic
User: Yuri Aieles
Health: 12
Mana: 999+]

[Would you like to start?]
[Yes]
[No]

…A status window.

Has anyone else ever died before?

Maybe.

But has anyone died twice?

Probably not.

I was someone who had died twice and lived to tell about it.

The first time, I woke up in a completely different world.

And the second time, I woke up in the same world as before.

After experiencing such fantastical circumstances, seeing a status window pop up wasn’t even surprising anymore.

I wasn’t some amateur startled by this kind of thing.

What surprised me was the fact that this status window hadn’t existed before.

And the date displayed on it.

It looked like something straight out of an old RPG—one where you’d raise a daughter, vie to become queen, or play as an alchemist traveling the world.

The retro design was fine.

A bit tacky for modern tastes, sure, but manageable.

Wait.

Did I even have a “modern” sense of taste anymore?

After all, I’d left that civilization behind six years ago.

Time changes everything.

Even trends.

Six years—more than half the time it takes for landscapes to shift entirely.

Their trends must have evolved at least 60% by now.

Right. I’d lived in this world for six years already.

And in all that time, I’d never seen a status window appear.

At first, I didn’t find that strange. After all, I’d woken up inside the world of a book.

Not a game, but a proper fantasy novel with no fusion or modern elements—’The Mage of the Highest Tower’.

It made sense that a status window wouldn’t exist in such a setting.

Let’s rewind six years.

One freezing winter night, after an unwanted office dinner that dragged on until 4 a.m., I stumbled home drunk—only to be hit by a truck.

Yes, the famous reincarnation truck.

I came from an orphanage.

I had no friends and only distant relationships with my coworkers.

On cold winter nights, I often worried about who would even bother to give me a proper burial if I died, with no connections or attachments left in that world.

In contrast, once I adapted to this new world—despite the initial sweat I broke adjusting—the life I found here was far more luxurious and beautiful.

Because, in this world, I was the most powerful figure.

Yuri Aieles, the King of Wizards, treated as an equal to the Emperor of the Empire.

But what about the real Kim Yuri?

Coincidentally, our names were similar, but our lives couldn’t have been more different.

My teens were spent in a corruption-ridden orphanage; my twenties saw me struggling through university on scholarships before ending up at a startup IT company run by a young CEO.

That alone should give you an idea of my life.

The company I toiled at for three years post-graduation was infamous as Guro’s “ever-burning candle.” (Nonstop)

Forget work-life balance; I lived on the edge, grateful just to survive without dropping dead from overwork.

And yet, after being hit by a truck and transmigrating, the sheer absurdity of the situation hit me—people here treated me like some sort of president, no, a king.

When I leisurely woke up in the morning, attentive servants prepared water for me to wash.

Meals were even better than those at the famous restaurants my CEO used to flaunt as a big deal.

It was like living in the finest luxury hotel.

Everyone bowed their heads to me, trembled at my words, and brought me whatever I needed immediately.

The shock of being hit by a truck and the unreality of transmigration quickly faded amidst such comfort and luxury.

About a month into this new life, I even considered anonymously writing an essay titled “Reincarnation Trucks Do Exist.”

I figured there might be others out there who could relate.

It seemed those trucks targeted people dissatisfied with reality, crashing into them and whisking them away to a dreamlike world after a moment of pain.

I lived in the Tower of Wizards, the tallest structure in the world.

Although called a tower, it was more of a palace with a few staircases, imbued with magic.

It was surrounded by a labyrinth, but anyone permitted by my magic could reach the entrance without difficulty.

The tower’s steps were designed so that one could ascend them in a single stride, practically making it an elevator.

The view from the top rivaled that of the tallest observation decks in Seoul.

Everything I ate, wore, touched, and enjoyed was priceless.

Everyone smiled at me and treated me with the utmost reverence.

No matter how rare or precious, whatever I desired became mine with just a word.

The pleasure of indulgence was overwhelming.

Having lived a life far from luxury, I was swiftly consumed by its allure.

I was the strongest wizard in this world.

And having possessed this body, I could use its formidable magic as if it were my own.

My body instinctively knew how to wield it, and a few books were enough to implant the world’s knowledge into my mind, like transferring an entire library.

It was truly a dreamlike existence.

Around me were countless people.

Beyond the servants, there were those seeking my guidance or asking for my wisdom.

They waited on my words as if awaiting divine revelation, rubbing their hands together nervously.

Of course, most of them resembled that CEO of mine—sly, scheming, and untrustworthy.

In short, sycophants.

But what did I know about this world?

And besides, thinking “it’s just a book” made me indifferent.

Maybe the unreality of my luxurious life dulled my senses further.

For six years, I lived indulging in everything I desired.

And then, I discovered a shocking truth.

One I hadn’t wanted to know but was forced to learn when soldiers stormed my tower, and I could no longer use magic.

I was the villain.

* * *