Aetherion — Floating Paradise | Day 73
The sun was soft. The air was sweet.
They had just finished a game of jellyball on the trampoline fields. Baek and Sena were still catching their breath from midair flips. Mirae sang with dolphins in the glass lagoon while Jiwoo lounged under the music tree, sipping mint melon juice.
It was peace.
And it was perfect.
Until—
Everything changed.
A silence swept the sea. Not gentle—unnatural.
The ocean stilled. The wind died.
Then, a shape broke the surface.
A dark, rising mass—a whale, but not of Earth.
Ten times the size of Aetherion. Covered in obsidian armor. Glowing scars across its body. Its eyes burned like molten suns.
> "What is that?!" Jihye shouted, shielding her eyes.
Then, with a sound like the sky cracking in half—
The whale roared.
Its body crashed into Aetherion.
The paradise they built—dissolved like glass under fire.
---
Collapse. Chaos. Silence.
Jiwoo saw Mirae falling from a sky bridge. Jihae screamed his name. Yoori reached for him, but the platform shattered.
He felt the world disappear beneath him.
Then came water. Cold. Silent.
They were all swallowed by the sea.
---
Drowning. Darkness. Nothing.
Jiwoo's body didn't struggle.
His mind was calm.
But his heart—raged.
> Not like this…
As his eyes closed—
A spark.
A whisper.
> [System Detected Dimensional Collapse]
[Transferring 9 Selected Souls to Dimensional World: Atheria-∞]
[Status: Infinity-Class Invincibility Granted]
[Welcome, Sovereign Jiwoo Kim]
---
Unknown Land — Atheria-∞
Jiwoo awoke.
Not to water.
But to grass.
And sky.
Above him was a massive sun, surrounded by three glowing rings. In the distance floated islands in the clouds, and rainbow birds that screamed like trumpets.
He gasped and sat up, eyes wide.
All eight of his friends were nearby—alive, whole.
Jihae blinked. "Where… are we?"
Baek sat up, rubbing his face. "Did we die?"
Mirae touched her chest. "No… I feel more alive than I've ever been."
Then, a voice echoed in Jiwoo's mind:
> [World: Atheria-∞ — Size: 3 Billion Times Earth]
[System Bound: Jiwoo Kim]
[Wallet: 999 Centillion Gold Coins]
[Status: Invincible]
[Magic: All Types, Unlimited]
[Physical Strength: Infinite]
[You Cannot Die, Age, or Fall Ill in this World]
He stood.
A golden light shimmered around him for a moment—then faded into nothing, as if even the world itself acknowledged his existence.
---
First Steps in a New World
The land was alien, yet beautiful.
Giant mushrooms the size of trees dotted the fields. Crystal foxes darted between them, leaving trails of sparkles. Strange fruit grew on vines that floated in the air.
And yet, there was peace.
For now.
"We need shelter," Jiwoo said, scanning the distance.
Jihye was already hovering off the ground, balancing with her thoughts. "I can fly."
Baek punched a boulder. It shattered like glass. "I can lift a mountain."
Sena grinned. "Same. I feel like I can fight gods now."
Yoori's hand glowed, flowers blooming with her touch. "My body feels… timeless."
Mirae whispered a tune, and the wind obeyed.
Noeun knelt near a spring—she touched it, and it calmed.
Jihae summoned a glowing orb of light. "Magic flows through the air like breath."
Jiwoo simply raised his hand.
And the grass bent to his will.
> He didn't need to fight.
He didn't need to cast spells.
He was a force of nature.
---
That Night – In a Crystal Cave
They took shelter in a nearby cavern made of translucent quartz.
No monsters attacked. No storms came.
Eunsol conjured a feast with magic ingredients. "I don't even know how I cooked this," she laughed.
Jiwoo sat quietly, watching everyone eat, laugh, and slowly recover.
He opened his system quietly, eyes scanning:
> [Power: Limitless]
[Wealth: 999 Centillion Gold Coins (Locked from Decay)]
[Combat: Untouchable]
[Goal: None]
That last part made him smile.
He had no goal.
No enemy.
No timer.
Just… life.
---
Day 2 — The Journey Begins
"We shouldn't build anything yet," Jihae said.
"Agreed," Jiwoo replied. "Let's see this world first."
"Explore?" Sena asked, already floating.
"Adventure," Mirae confirmed, adjusting her travel cloak.
They walked. No map. No plan. Only curiosity.
---
What They Saw
Trees that grew books instead of leaves.
Giant turtles that carried floating towns on their backs.
Rivers that flowed upside down into the sky.
An ancient windmill still spinning… despite having no wind.
A valley where time moved slower than thought.
Creatures that bowed to them instinctively—as if recognizing their power.
People? Not yet.
But they felt them out there.
> This world was alive.
And it felt Jiwoo's presence.
---
Final Scene – A Hill Overlooking the Unknown
The nine stood together, watching two distant moons rise on opposite horizons.
"This place is endless," Jihae whispered.
"And we're not even tired," Baek said.
Sena sat down, smiling. "It's weird. I don't feel like a ruler. I just feel free."
Jiwoo looked at the open world and smiled.
> "Let's live first."
> "Let's discover what this world holds… for people like us."
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