**The air was thick and silent**, heavy with an eerie haze that hung like mist suspended in time. Everything felt oddly weightless—quiet, desolate, dreamlike.Then, suddenly, the silence shattered.
> "Wake up, Marvin! Come on—get up!"
A strong pair of hands shook the boy’s shoulders, jarring him from his trance. Marvin blinked rapidly, struggling to orient himself, only to find himself in the arms of a man he'd never seen before.
The stranger’s skin was smooth and pale—so flawless it could make women envious. Long golden hair framed a face so finely sculpted it belonged on a marble statue, and his ocean-blue eyes gleamed with concern. A perfect five-star pretty boy, if Marvin had to name it.
"Hey... are you okay? Why do you look so out of it?" the man asked, tilting his head slightly.
Marvin could only gape, overwhelmed by the surreal sight. Then he noticed—the man was clad in shining white armor styled like something out of medieval Europe. A long, ornate spear stood beside him, buried in the earth. The image sent a bolt of fear through Marvin’s chest.
“W-what the hell? Who even are you? Why’re you dressed like you’re ready for war?!”
Before the man could answer, a deep, fatherly voice rumbled from behind.
“Hey, kid! Did you hit your head? Tell me if you’re hurt—I’ll figure something out!”
Marvin turned toward the voice, hoping for help… and almost screamed.
The speaker was a massive man, easily over two meters tall. His skin was a dark reddish tone, his eyes sharp and intense beneath thick brows. Short-cropped hair, a body forged in iron, and clad in armor that resembled Viking steel. In each hand, he wielded axes that looked to weigh at least twenty kilograms each.
“Gah! A freaking ogre! He’s scarier than the first guy!”
Marvin stumbled back in panic. But before he could retreat further, a sweet, high-pitched voice cut through the tension.
“Brother Marvin, are you okay?”
The voice belonged to a petite girl standing nearby. Her features were cute, her expression bright, but her outfit—deep blue ninja garb complete with throwing knives and soft armor—said she was anything but harmless.
“A-ah… wh-who are you?” Marvin stammered. Sure, she didn’t seem as dangerous as the first two, but those throwing knives weren’t just for decoration.
Naturally, his words didn’t sit well with the girl. She pouted, crossing her arms with a huff.
“Aww, you forgot about me? I’m hurt, big bro. I’m starting to sulk now.”
Marvin hesitated. He didn’t dare comfort her, fearing she might stab him out of spite—but letting her stew risked tears and tantrums. Luckily, help came in the form of a soft, gentle voice.
“Mr. Marvin, are you all right? Are you injured anywhere?”
Marvin turned to find the speaker—a boy no older than fifteen, draped in a flowing sky-blue robe. He looked like a young cleric, complete with round spectacles and a serene, pale face.
“Yes! Finally—a normal person!” Marvin exclaimed with relief. At last, someone who didn’t look like they came out of a fever dream. But before he could speak further, a bold, gruff female voice interrupted.
“Probably dazed from getting slammed too hard. Give him a minute and he’ll recover.”
The voice sounded painfully familiar. Marvin turned, and nearly dropped to the ground.
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A tall girl in radiant gold Chinese armor stood before him—like a heroine straight out of a Wuxia epic. She looked like Mulan reborn, or a general from the Yang family. But what truly stunned Marvin wasn’t the armor—it was her face.
“Wha—Jan? Is that you?! Why the hell are you dressed like you’re filming a kung-fu drama?!”
Clearly, the two knew each other. But the armored girl simply furrowed her brows.
“Looks like your brain’s still scrambled. Can you even fight in this condition?” Her voice was low, but held a sliver of concern behind its calm.
“Fight? Fight what?!”
Marvin looked around at the five people surrounding him.The pretty boy answered.
“We’re fighting the Supreme Deity, of course. What, did you get hit so hard you forgot the plot?”
“S-Supreme Deity?!” Marvin choked out.But the armored girl cut in sharply.
“We don’t have time. They’re almost here.”
Her words barely ended before a colossal shadow loomed ahead—standing tall at nearly fifty meters.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! Is that a demon?!” Marvin shrieked, staggering backward. Terror consumed him—but the others didn’t flinch. As one, they turned to face the beast.
“Hmph… Looks like it’s time,” the red-skinned warrior said calmly.
“Let’s go! Time to crush that monster!” the ninja girl declared confidently, puffing out her small chest.
“Wait—what about Marvin?” asked the cleric boy, looking unsure.
“Leave him,” everyone replied in unison. “He’ll catch up once he stops freaking out.”
“…Y-Yes, if you say so,” the cleric muttered, still unconvinced.
Marvin was stunned. Who were these people? Why were they dressed like a cross between a cosplay group and a DnD party? And why was there a demon?!
Before he could process anything, a strange wind burst from the five of them.
“Fwoooosh!”
“W-Whoa!”
The blast nearly knocked him off his feet. When he looked up, he saw something even more surreal—each of the five were now cloaked in glowing auras, like Super Saiyans from Dragon Ball. Except instead of gold, their auras blazed in five different colors.Then, without warning, they charged the demon.
“Wait! Don’t go! You can’t fight that thing—it’s huge!” Marvin shouted. No one listened.
Then, a strange raspy voice echoed in his mind.
“They’ve started the fight. You should join them.”
“W-Who said that?!” Marvin looked around wildly—but there was no one there.
“Was that… a ghost? A s-s-spirit?!”
“Idiot. Don’t lump me in with some low-tier human soul. You’re the protagonist of this story, aren’t you? Standing around like a chicken while the heroes fight—what kind of main character does that?”
“…W-well, I guess you’ve got a point. But I’m not a fighter!”
“Really?” the voice laughed darkly. “Then take a good look at yourself.”
Marvin frowned, confused. But when he looked down—he froze.
Gone was his usual gangly figure. In its place was a lithe, agile body clad in deep green armor. In both hands, he gripped an oddly shaped longsword that shimmered with energy.
“What the hell…?! Is this my body?! This can’t be real!”
And just as the disbelief hit him—a screen faded to black.
### ?? The Next Morning...
“Ah!”
Marvin shot up in bed, drenched in sweat, heart racing like a drum. That dream—if it was a dream—was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
“…Three nights in a row. What the hell is going on?”
His head throbbed. Every time he had that dream, his heart would nearly burst. And yet... part of him wanted more.
“…If it’s real, then it’s gonna be one hell of an adventure.”
Then, suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
“Wait—I’ve got a match today! the top-ranked players from Suphanburi is challenging me!”
With that, Marvin bolted to the bathroom to freshen up. And thus... the true beginning was yet to come.
?? Welcome to the dark side of fiction.
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