Chapter 3

Beep... beep... beep...

The strange sound jolted Chaewoon from her deep slumber. Blinking her eyes open, a wave of shock washed over her as she realized she was no longer in her luxurious bedroom. Everything around her was an endless, blinding expanse of pure white.

"I was literally just sleeping in that plush bed... Why does it look like I've ended up in heaven?" she muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, an eerie, mechanical sound cut through the silence, echoing like a spinning iron wheel.

Creak... beep... beep... screech...

Chaewoon whirled around, scanning the blank white void for the source of the noise. It sounded precisely like a spinning wire wheel connected to a system. Then, a voice reverberated through the space.

"Seraphina..."

Chaewoon’s heart hammered against her ribs as she looked around frantically. "Who’s there?!"

"Seraphina, tee-hee-hee!" the voice chuckled, a mischievous and unsettling sound.

Chaewoon paced in tight circles, but it was completely futile, there was nothing but a white abyss in every direction. "Who are you? Are you a ghost? Did you come to drag my soul back to the real world?!" Her voice trembled, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin. 'Seriously, this feels exactly like a haunted house attraction... Wait, since when did the web novel ever describe a creepy part like this?! '

"You are an outsider—someone who shouldn't even exist within this world."

'An outsider?' Chaewoon’s breath hitched. 'Does this voice know I'm not the real Seraphina?'

"Are you... God?" she asked, her voice laced with intense skepticism and curiosity. 'If this was God, why was this encounter never mentioned in the novel?Or... had it been? Chaewoon’s mind raced anxiously. 'Did I skip a chapter? Or was this part of the side stories that I never got to read before that damn truck hit me?'

"Tee-hee-hee! You truly are an amusing stranger."

Without any warning, a violent gust of wind whipped through the void, forcing Chaewoon to shield her eyes. When she finally opened them, the blinding white abyss was gone. Instead, she found herself standing in a lush, breathtakingly green environment that exuded absolute tranquility.

A few paces away sat a rather peculiar, tall man dressed in a white tunic. It wasn't fully a robe, it was draped loosely, leaving his chest completely exposed as he lounged elegantly in a reclining chair. Hovering right beside him was a massive crystal sphere that resembled a modern-day world globe.

The man, who had been resting peacefully with his eyes closed, slowly opened them as Chaewoon cautiously approached him.

"Uh... excuse me, but who are you? And where exactly am I?" she asked, spinning around to take in her new surroundings. The place was entirely unfamiliar, and the man was undeniably bizarre—though, she had to admit, he was exceptionally handsome.

"Tee-hee-hee! I am the one who was just speaking to you. Now, stop moving. Sit." He made a slight gesture with his hand.

Suddenly, as if compelled by an absolute magic, Chaewoon’s body obeyed the command without her consent. She found herself kneeling on the grass, forced to look up at the man who was now casually crossing his legs, staring down at her from his lounge chair.

She tried to force herself to stand, but her legs wouldn't budge.

"O stranger from another world, who are you?" the man spoke, his tone shifting into something majestic. "You wear the shell of one of my creations, yet the soul within is not her. Your aura is entirely foreign... and yet, strangely enough, I can feel the spirit of 'Arthias' deeply embedded within you."

Arthias? The name rang a faint bell in Chaewoon's mind. 'Arthias? Who is that? And what does it have to do with me?'

"You are an anomaly, an outsider rejected by the laws of this world." the man continued, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Yet, your soul and that vessel have already fused completely. Hear this the less you know, the safer your life will be. The more you uncover, the more peril you will invite upon yourself."

Chaewoon scoffed, a sudden burst of defiance flaring within her. "I don't care about danger or whatever warning you're throwing at me. You have no right to dictate my life. My life is mine to live, and I am the only one who gets to decide my own destiny!"

"How utterly amusing," the man chuckled softly. "An outsider speaking so boldly in front of the very creator of the body she has possessed."

'Possessed.' Hearing that word, the realization finally clicked. He had been calling her a stranger from the very beginning because he knew everything. "You know I possessed this body? Are you behind all of this?!"

"Yes, I know. There is nothing that escapes my sight." he replied calmly. "I am Godius, the creator of this world, and also the creator of the very body you now inhabit. I am the source of all good, the one who determines the destiny of every creation. With just a single glance, I knew you were not the original owner of this shell."

'Godius!' The name hit Chaewoon like a lightning bolt. She vividly remembered reading about Godius and Arthias in the novel. Godius was the supreme deity of this world, while Arthias was a legendary being endowed with massive power to guard the earth. In the original plot, the only person who was ever supposed to meet Godius was the female lead, because the female lead was the true reincarnation of Arthias!

‘Then how on earth am I meeting Godius right now instead of her?!’ Chaewoon panicked internally.

"O mortal, what is your true name?" Godius questioned.

Chaewoon crossed her arms and let out a sharp 'tsk'. He hadn't even answered her questions, yet he expected her to introduce herself? "You claim to know everything, so surely you already know my real name." she retorted defiantly.

Godius fell silent for a few moments, observing her closely before speaking again.

"I do know all that belongs to this world. However, you are a glitch in the system. I cannot perceive your origin because you do not belong here, nor were you created by my hands. You have simply slipped into one of my existing creations."

Chaewoon let out a heavy sigh. Fair point.

"I am Yoon Chaewoon. I don't belong here, I come from my own world. And trust me, my world is nothing like this place. For starters, my world is vastly more advanced than yours."

Godius’s expression darkened slightly, as if he wanted to smite her on the spot. "Your tongue is incredibly insolent, mortal. Yet, unfortunately, I cannot fully exert my control over you because your soul was not woven by my design. Tell me, how did you cross into this world and enter the body of Arthias’s reincarnation?"

"I don't really know mysel—" Chaewoon froze mid-sentence, her brain flatlining. 'Wait. Did he just say... the reincarnation of Arthias? Me?' "What did you just say?! The reincarnation of Arthias? Who? Me?!"

In her absolute shock, a sudden surge of raw, inexplicable power coursed through her veins. Breaking free from the divine restraint, Chaewoon stood straight up.

Godius gasped, instantly abandoning his relaxed posture. He sat up straight, completely stunned that the divine authority binding her had just been shattered so easily. Chaewoon stared down at her own hands in bewilderment. 'What is this? Do I actually possess magic?'

"Yes. You are the reincarnation of Arthias." Godius confirmed, his voice laced with a newfound layer of shock, though he maintained his composure. "Now, answer my question, human. How did you come to be in this world? And more astonishingly... how are you immune to my divine control?"

"Look, I really don't know how I ended up here." Chaewoon explained, shrugging her shoulders. "It happened out of nowhere. One second I was reading a webnovel on my phone, the next I got hit by a truck, and then I woke up here. By the way, this entire world is just a story from an online book I was reading before the accident. So, basically, I'm currently trapped in a fantasy world created by an author. As for how I broke your spell? I haven't the slightest clue."

"A webnovel? A truck ? What is that?"

"Oh, I mean... a book. A fictional story. And a truck, err I don't know how to explain"

"I see." Godius muttered, his eyes narrowing in deep thought. "From what you have described, you are a corrupted variable within the system—a glitch likely brought forth by an outside interference. The one who brought you here is most likely Levillias."

"Levillias?"

"You must already know who he is, considering you claim this world is a story from a book."

"Yeah, I know him," Chaewoon nodded grimly. Levillias was the god of evil—the mastermind who orchestrated all malice, dark magic, and corruption in the novel. "And you aren't allowed to directly interfere with his actions, right? Because of the ancient covenant you two made before creating this world."

"You truly do know everything." Godius said quietly. "It is highly probable that he dragged you into this realm. As for the original soul of this body... I do not know what became of her. I simply lost one of my brightest lights overnight."

He then stood up, the space around them beginning to blur. "It is time for us to part. I must tend to the prayers of my followers. If you ever wish to speak to me again, use this bracelet. It will serve as a conduit between us, and it will also protect you from Levillias's reach."

Chaewoon looked down at her wrist. A beautiful bracelet made of emerald-green beads was wrapped around it. She had no idea when it had appeared there. Before she could utter a single question, a loud knocking sound shattered the tranquil world.

The scenery dissolved instantly, and Britney’s urgent voice pulled Chaewoon straight out of her deep slumber.

"My lady! Marquess Cedric has requested your presence for dinner. Please allow me to help you get dressed."

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