"Oh, Sakura, you came to see me!?" I said, gazing at the ceiling. I've been like this for about two years now, unable to even move my fingers. My entire being was trapped in a motionless body.
"I... I want to tell you something."
"What is it, Shin?" The girl sitting beside me on a chair lowered her head. I understood—she felt so much pity for me. It's hard.
"The doctor said... I'm going to die this month."
The air froze. Sakura felt a chill run down her spine.
Without even realizing it, tears streamed down her face.
"Fate chooses us, but we can't choose our fate. What did I do to deserve this? I'm going to die, and I haven't accomplished anything. Even a dog has a role in a home. But me..." I said, starting with a bitter smile before I broke down in tears, unable to hold back my emotions.
She couldn't say a word, only staring at the floor, her mouth slightly open. She placed her hand on my shoulder, trying to hold back her tears.
"I... I'm sorry for you, I truly am," she said in a trembling voice, clenching her teeth. Her heart was pounding.
"Really? You're crying? Don't you love me or something? Death... I couldn't wish for better. It's better not to exist at all than to live without a real existence. My only regret is that I accomplished nothing. So don't be sad. I'm actually looking forward to leaving this hospital," I said, smiling again, not wanting to cry anymore.
My life was already ruined—I didn't want her to be sad.
I continued, "Please, promise me you won't cry. Just go on with your life like everyone else."
She wiped away her tears.
She and I understood each other. She was the only person who got me at school. The others despised me. A few simply ignored me without mocking me.
After a long silence, she left after we said our goodbyes. I wondered how long it would take for her to forget.
I wasn't worried about myself, but about her. After a little reflection, I realized she'd forget this sooner or later.
'I wish I could've spent more time with her.'
---
A few days later
The inevitable hour arrived. My consciousness slowly faded. I was going to die alone, surrounded by no one. Yet I was kind—so kind that people asked if it was even worth being that considerate.
My limbs grew cold. The muscles in my throat relaxed, causing labored breathing.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The heart monitor was slowing down, my fingers trembling. I felt fear, helplessness, rage over having accomplished nothing. Everything blended in my dying heart. My vision blurred more and more. The footsteps of doctors I once heard constantly were now barely perceptible. I couldn't feel anything anymore. My life was slipping away. My muscles spasmed and my chest heaved.
Then the beeping stopped. All vital, circulatory, and respiratory functions, my consciousness, and all brainstem activity ceased. I finally sank into darkness, without a trace of awareness.
A black abyss engulfed me. In the total darkness that stretched into infinity, I had the sensation of floating above my own body. I saw flashes of memories from my past life before my eyes.
Then came total silence. No thoughts, no brain activity—nothing. I remained like that for what felt like an eternity.
---
Then, something happened.
My eyes slowly opened, blinded by the light that bathed everything around me. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun cast warm, dazzling rays.
Lying on the ground, I felt the warmth of the soil still fresh beneath my palms. The faint scent of earth and trees rose to meet me. My vision was blurry, so I squinted against the brightness as the contours of the world took shape—a vast field covered in woods and trees.
Once I regained my senses, I was stunned, questions flooding my mind. A wave of confusion swept over my head, causing it to throb as if it had been pierced. I clutched it with both hands to ease the pain.
When the pain subsided, I sat up. I understood what had happened—I had been reincarnated.
My appearance was that of a young boy of average height. I had gray eyes, black hair in a mid-length style, and wore a gray hoodie, a brown undershirt, and blue jeans.
'Wait... I look like Sung Jin-Woo. That's so cool.'
In my previous life, I had watched Solo Leveling from start to finish, and Sung Jin-Woo was my all-time favorite character.
Then I noticed a bluish glow floating before my eyes. A translucent window appeared.
[You have several unread messages.]
I couldn't hold back my excitement—being reincarnated as my favorite character with a system that allows fast growth in a world full of dungeons where there's never a dull moment... At least, that's what I thought.
Already knowing how the system worked, I said, "Open," and...
Tti-ring
[You have two unread messages.]
– Congratulations, Resurrection System completed. (Unread)
– [Daily Quest: Find a Safe Place.] (Unread)
"Let's check the first message first," I said to myself.
– Congratulations, Resurrection System completed. (Unread)
'Confirm.'
Tti-ring
[This system will support the growth of the "Cursed Player."]
[Failure to follow the system's instructions will result in penalties.]
[Initial stats assigned.]
'Cursed?' I already knew how the system worked, but what puzzled me was the term "Cursed Player" instead of just "Player."
"Well, I'll figure that out later anyway. Now, let's move on to the second message," I sighed and calmly opened the next one.
– [Daily Quest: Find a Safe Place.] (Unread)
I wondered what that meant—was I in danger?
'Confirm.'
Tti-ring
[Daily Quest: Find a Safe Place.]
Find a safe location, far from curses.
Exorcise any curses encountered if possible.
The more curses exorcised, the greater the rewards.
Curses exorcised: 0
"Hmm, curses? Exorcise?" I started putting the pieces together—curses, exorcism, cursed player. "So I'm in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen."
'This is getting interesting. A vast world, cursed spirits, powerful clans. I'll grow quickly.'
I scanned the forest with my eyes before standing up. It was time to find a secure place.