* * *

A blinding ray of sunlight seeped through the eyelids of Roran, who had lost consciousness.

He pulled the blanket over his head to block the light and tried to go back to sleep, but the air under the blanket was too hot and stifling for him to continue sleeping.

In the end, Roran couldn’t stand the discomfort and sat up.

“Shit. Why is it so damn bright?”

He grumbled under his breath, but his words slowly trailed off.

His mouth hung open, stunned by the unfamiliar sight before him.

The room Roran saw was much cleaner and more spacious than his own.

Expensive-looking furniture and objects filled the space, arranged everywhere.

“What the… Where am I?”

Confused, he stumbled out of the room.

The open layout of the house revealed itself to him.

A huge TV screen, large enough to resemble a movie theater, was mounted on the wall, and beyond the massive glass windows, he could see the Han River.

There was a staircase leading to the second floor, so he climbed it, discovering a study.

Shelves were packed with books, the room filled with an overwhelming amount of knowledge.

After roaming around the house for a while, Roran finally finished his tour and sat on the living room sofa, gaping in disbelief.

Where the hell is this place? I don’t remember breaking into anyone’s house.

“Could this be… what they call Transmigration?”

Before writing BL novels, Roran had been a fantasy writer, and now, faced with such a fantastical scenario, he grinned as if one of his long-held dreams had come true.

But then his face hardened.

Transmigration, my ass. What kind of nonsense is this? What kind of ridiculous dream is this?

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, a system window, like something out of a webtoon or a movie, appeared in the air.

[System: Welcome, Joo Roran. Congratulations on entering the novel ‘No More Obsession’.]

“…What the hell?”

Everything felt so surreal that it made his already weak grip on reality slip even further.

Yet, oddly enough, everything in front of him looked so vivid that Roran began to have a different thought.

What if this is all just a dream?

After all, ever since that strange phenomenon where my novel started changing on its own, none of it felt real. It’s a plausible theory.

There’s no way something like this could happen in real life.

[System: Your desperate wish to restore this novel to its original form has been heard, Joo Roran.]

[System: As a result, you have transmigrated the author, PetitRolang.]

Transmigrated as the author?

What a weird dream.

As Roran rubbed his chin in thought, the system message changed again.

[System: Currently, this novel has deviated about 50% from the original.]

The system displayed Roran’s novel, which had been altered by a character named Yeongdeok, and began rapidly scrolling through it.

Watching the sentences fly by in front of his eyes, Roran felt more certain. Y

eah, this is definitely a dream. Ever since the novel started changing on its own, this is all just a dream.

So, when I wake up, I’ll go back to being the brilliant author, PetitRolang, right?

He felt a twinge of hope, but then the system closed the window displaying his novel and continued with its explanation.

[System: Starting with Cha Dowon, the characters in this novel have each gained self-awareness and begun acting on their own will.]

[System: However, you, Joo Roran, have the power to correct this novel.]

A keyboard interface appeared before Roran.

He blinked, not knowing what he was supposed to do.

[System: As the author, all you have to do is write.]

[System: Return the novel to its original course.]

[System: If you succeed in seeing the given ending, you can return to reality.]

Roran stared at the glowing keyboard in front of him.

The way it seemed to beckon him to write was almost hypnotic.

As if enchanted, Roran began typing on the keyboard.

What should I write… Let’s start with this.

[Before Roran’s eyes, a banquet of luxurious dishes appeared.]

[System: Processing.]

Soon after, a glitch effect, like static on a screen, flickered in the air, and then, just like magic, an extravagant feast materialized before him.

The food Roran had just written about had manifested exactly as described.

He gazed in awe at the mouthwatering spread before him and let out a chuckle.

“This really is an amazing dream…”

With trembling hands, he picked up a piece of daegumbari sashimi, a delicacy he had never tasted in real life, and brought it to his mouth.

The moment it touched his tongue, an exquisite flavor exploded, overwhelming his senses.

Is this really… a dream?

He wasn’t sure anymore, but since it wasn’t a bad dream, Roran decided not to think too deeply about it.

He started conjuring up expensive wines and luxury items he had never been able to afford, producing them without hesitation. Soon, an excited voice escaped his lips.

“Everything I write comes true? Because I’m the author of this novel?”

[System: As the author, Joo Roran, you have the ability to do most things within this world. However…]

However? Roran waited for the system’s next response.

[System: This is possible because this world exists within the novel you created.]

[System: Therefore, you cannot control the characters who have gained self-awareness.]

[System: Also, if the main characters completely deviate from the original plot—]

The system was in the middle of a serious explanation when a buzzing sound, like a phone vibrating, interrupted it.

Distracted, Roran couldn’t sit still and followed the sound.

On a shelf beneath the TV, he found a cutting-edge smartphone.

“Is this my phone too?”

Roran picked it up to check the source of the vibration, and to his surprise, a flood of messages from various social media platforms—Twitter, Instagram, Facebook—popped up.

There were so many that it was impossible to read them all.

[LovingPetitRolang: Hello, author! This is my first time DMing you directly. I’m a huge fan of your work and was deeply moved by your novels.]

[HardcoreFanOfRolang: PetitRolang, I’m your biggest fan ㅠㅠㅠ When’s your next project coming out? I’m living for your next release…]

[FeelChockPublishing: Hello, PetitRolang. This is FeelChock Publishing. We’d like to discuss a contract offer for your next work.]

[PetitRolangWorksCollection: Roran, I’ll hold my breath until your next work is released, I swear….]

[NalRimMedia Jeong Sun-Hye: Hi, I’m Jeong Sun-Hye, a PD at NalRim Media.]

PetitRolang’s accounts had a total of 5 million followers across all social media platforms. In reality, Roran had been nothing more than a nobody, but here, he was someone everyone admired and sought after.

Come to think of it… In this world, PetitRolang was a godlike webnovel author whose every work was a huge success. Roran swallowed dryly, his throat bobbing. Soon, his lips began to twitch excitedly.

[System: The further you deviate from the original…]

“Original? Does that even matter right now?”

Roran began checking the messages one by one. After all, isn’t this just a dream based on my own novel? Roran decided that, at least until he woke up, he should enjoy the happiness this fantastic dream offered. Who cares about the original plot? He didn’t want to struggle in a dream too.

“I can do anything, right? Anything…”

[System: (…….)]

Roran’s eyes glistened with greed.

Thrilled, he moved his thumb and began typing a post on social media.

[PetitRolang: Hello, this is author PetitRolang. I’ve received a lot of messages regarding my next work, and I’m currently planning it. I’ll return with good news soon.]

It only took 0.3 seconds for likes to start flooding in. This is truly… an amazing dream.

So this is what it’s like to live as a popular person.

Watching the number of likes rapidly climb, Roran thought he never wanted to wake up from this dream.

In the middle of an empty road, where no cars passed by, Yeongdeok found himself standing.

He looked up to see the traffic light flickering red, and the sky, covered in dark clouds, was ominously black.

He was sure he had laid his head on the pillow and fallen asleep.

So this must be… a dream.

He felt uneasy standing in the middle of the road, so he tried to move to the sidewalk, but his legs wouldn’t budge, as if they were frozen.

As Yeongdeok frowned, he heard footsteps approaching from afar.

“Cha Dowon….”

The footsteps grew closer and closer to where Yeongdeok stood. He stared blankly at the approaching figure.

As they neared, the face that had been too far to make out clearly began to come into focus.

The moment his gaze met those lifeless, rotten fish-like eyes, the person gave him a wide grin, as if their cheeks would tear apart.

“Did you have fun while it lasted?”

Just as Yeongdeok thought of the name “PetiteRolang,” the person reached out a hand toward him, and Yeongdeok woke up with a start.

* * *