Chapter 1: A New Story

What is Punk?

A world where science and magic, technologies of such advanced levels, render human dignity less valuable than a single banknote.

A world where intangible values like love, religion, and truth can’t even be the subject of a joke.

Stories about living in such a world are called the Punk genre.

A dystopia with developed steam engines is Steampunk.

A dystopia with developed diesel engines is Dieselpunk.

A dystopia with developed mechanical engineering is Cyberpunk.

Just sprinkle a bit of sci-fi seasoning on any dystopia, and it’s Punk.

I love this Punk genre.

As money becomes increasingly important, to the point where even emotions are calculated in monetary terms, seeing myself living on, barely surviving to earn that money, makes these other worlds seem not so different from my own.

Of course, the world I live in isn’t that messed up, and technology hasn’t reached that level of Singularity yet, but...

...seeing it change in that direction year after year, I think by the time I'm old and dying, it'll be either Cyberpunk or Biopunk or something.

As you can tell from all the "punk punk" talk, my favorite game is, without a doubt, the <Punk City> series.

A series that appeared 10 years ago, showcasing a very high-quality open world and bringing a new genre to the gaming market.

Because of this series, game companies, every Tom, Dick, and Harry, jumped into open world development, but they couldn't even come close to its reputation.

It wasn’t for nothing that there’s a saying: *Punk City*'s only enemy is the *Punk City* of the past.

The background of this masterpiece, as you can see from the title, is the Punk world.

The basic base is Sci-Fi Punk, but they add Magic and Genetic Engineering, claiming it’s Fusion Punk.

I’m a die-hard fan of this series, and I’d say I'm in the Veteran Player lineup.

I could confidently say that anywhere.

The kind of Veteran Player who brings unexpected strategies with meticulous planning, even if my controls aren’t outstanding.

My playtime has decreased to about an hour a day since I got a job, but before that, I played for more than 9 hours a day, so at some point, I reached a total of 20,000 hours.

(Of course, in the community, I act like a total newbie going "Hawaawa, I'm a newbie").

But even I, who loves the series this much, have one complaint about it.

While playing through every ending, every concept, repeating the playthroughs so many times I don’t even bother checking,

while getting bored of part 3 and replaying parts 1 and 2, exceeding 4,000 hours each,

these developer bastards

haven’t released part 4.

*

My first reaction when the series, which usually released a new game every 2-3 years, didn't release anything for over 3 years, was understanding.

‘A game isn’t some pre-determined product, it can take time.’

Then came depression.

‘Could it be the Company is out of money? Or have they lost their love for the fans?’

Then bargaining.

‘I'll give you more money! If it's not enough, release DLC! Please, give me part 4!!!’

Then anger.

‘You bastards! How could you do this! I loved you so much!’

And now it’s denial.

“Hehe. No. Part 4 must have come out. I’m just too stupid to find it.”

The problem is that I've been in this denial stage for 2.5 years, and the *Punk City* series fans are generally in the same state.

Now, 5 years after the release of part 3 with no news, the word "Punk City" has become a trigger for fans.

My tire got punctured lol

- The title is the content

Comments

- What? Punk City? Punk City? Punk City? Punk City?

- Punk? Punk? Punk City? Punk City?

- TheendofwaitinghascomeletusallholdhandsandprayPunkCityPunkCity

It was roughly like this.

As I was also in that group, eagerly waiting for part 4, my angel suddenly appeared.

Like any other day, I came home from work, washed up, and turned on my Computer.

While *Punk City 3* was loading, I alt-tabbed to check the community, as usual.

And the first thing I saw upon entering the community was the most popular real-time post.

[*Punk City 4* Development Rumor Leaked]

Thinking it was another troll post as always, I went in with a half-hearted attitude, just to check it out.

And then unfolded images and videos that were too believable to be a troll post.

By the time I almost finished reading the post, I couldn’t help but believe this leaked rumor, and I was about to shout with joy.

But what I saw at the very end, as I scrolled down, was…

[FYI, this is all fake.]

“…”

Only then did I understand why this post was the most popular real-time post.

You bastards…

You couldn't stand being the only ones pranked, huh?

Normally, I would have joined the ranks of those trolling others, clicking the recommend button, but

I had just come home after two consecutive night shifts, so I wasn’t in a good mood.

My blood pressure boiled.

My neck stiffened.

My chest tightened.

And then, a sudden headache.

Ah.

Something burst in my head.

I collapsed on the spot without any resistance.

What a damn end.

*

Fortunately, by the grace of God, I woke up alone the next morning.

It was truly fortunate.

Living alone, if I collapse, no one can call for help, so this was a stroke of luck.

I guess I’ll have to take sick leave today and tomorrow and go to the emergency room.

As I thought that and tried to move, I saw something strange on the Computer screen I hadn't turned off before collapsing yesterday.

It was a trailer uploaded from the official *Punk City* YouTube channel.

“Huh?”

Forgetting about going to the Hospital, I instinctively tried to play the YouTube video, but my right hand wouldn’t move.

I couldn't feel it either.

It didn’t end there.

Not only my right hand, but my left hand, legs, even my face…

Gradually, the sensation in my whole body disappeared, and my vision went dark.

When I regained consciousness, I was still lying on the cold floor, staring at the fluorescent light on the ceiling.

The conclusion I reached after desperately racking my barely functioning brain was…

‘Damn it. A bright light ending even in death.’

God definitely hates me.

Why can't he just let me die peacefully?

As I was complaining, my senses gradually faded away.

This was the real end.

*

I opened my eyes again.

I could clearly feel myself standing in a white space.

For a few minutes, I performed reality checks, insisting this couldn’t be another bright light ending.

In conclusion, I existed in this place, and this wasn't a dream or an illusion.

My fingers and toes moved fine.

My nose caught my familiar scent.

I could hear sounds clearly, and my voice was fine.

And lastly, I could clearly see the big-breasted beauty in front of me.

…. Huh?

“Who are you?”

The woman in front of me spoke.

“I am the Goddess of the world you cherished.”

*

To summarize my conversation with Mama… I mean, Lady Goddess, it went like this.

I was dead, and she was the Goddess of the *Punk City* world.

When I asked how her world ended up as a game in our world, she replied,

She was bored because she wanted to brag about her lovely world, but there was no one to listen.

So, if she keeps showing this world to capable and well-funded game developers in their dreams for years, they would subconsciously make it into a game.

‘I’m sorry for calling you bald.’

I had cursed the developers, calling them bald for not releasing the game, but I felt sympathy for the developers who might have been gaslighted in their dreams for decades.

A moment of silence.

As for why I was brought here, she answered,

She was impressed that I loved her world so much that I even sought *Punk City* in my dying moments, and she wanted to reincarnate me there, which is why she summoned me here.

According to her following words, she wanted nothing from me.

She just wanted to see how I would live in her world, the one I had loved so much.

It wasn’t forced either.

If I didn't want to go to that world, she would send me back to Earth.

She added that if I returned to that world, I wouldn't be resurrected, but I would go to reincarnation or heaven or whatever.

She gave me two choices.

Either take the Earth Afterlife Portal behind me or the *Punk City* Reincarnation Portal behind her.

I wanted to dive straight into *Punk City*.

But my reason held me back.

Doesn't it make you wonder?

The logic of her specifically reincarnating me just because I loved her world.

What's her ulterior motive?

Or is she just bored?

Maybe she's a naive Goddess whose brain is filled with too much pride for her world?

No, wait. Considering recent reincarnation stories, there might be some terrible scheme lurking…

Then, reaching the assumption that she could read minds since she's a Goddess, I hurriedly collected my thoughts.

However, she responded to my disrespectful thoughts with the most benevolent smile I had ever seen.

“Do I need an explanation for showing off my beloved world to someone who loves it just as much as I do?”

Like a maniac showing infinite favor to a fellow maniac of the same genre.

Like a Veteran Player fawning over a newbie.

It was simply an act of giving love without expecting anything in return.

That was the only reason, she said, embracing me with a benevolent smile and acceptance.

Instead of rebuking my distrust and rudeness, she comforted me, saying I must have had a hard time living with distrust.

And she said.

“That world might be a little different from what you loved through the game. But I want to tell you this. No matter what series it was, just as you loved that world, you deserve to be loved no matter who you are.”

I felt a touch.

Every time her warm hand stroked my head, my doubts melted away.

The Lady Goddess told me one last thing.

“Have confidence. No matter what anyone says, you are the protagonist of your life.”

A tear streamed down my cheek.

Unconditional love was so warm to me, who had lived alone, not knowing what love was,

Her benevolence, returning love simply because I loved, was so dazzling,

That I couldn’t help but swear on the spot.

“I will definitely live happily.”

On the day I was reborn as the Goddess's child, my second life began.

*

After the reincarnated soul disappeared through the portal, only a woman remained in the white space.

She sighed, looking in the direction where the reincarnated soul, who had entered the portal before she could even finish speaking, had vanished.

“Perhaps I’ve placed too heavy a burden on him…”

Right before he jumped into the reincarnation portal, the Goddess had peeked into his heart and found responsibility residing there.

She hadn’t meant it that way, but his mind was filled with the sense of duty to benefit the world as the protagonist(?).

“Sigh…”

He didn’t need to do that.

She just wanted to give him a chance to experience the world he had only seen through a game.

The Goddess was worried that he might be crushed by the responsibility and unable to see his surroundings in his second life.

Because of this, she wanted to tell him, even in the form of a Revelation, that he didn't need to be swayed by responsibility so much, but she stopped herself.

Since the Mortal Realm had developed its civilization, she had clearly declared through the mouths of prophets that she would no longer interfere with her children's independence through direct Revelations.

Giving a Revelation only to the reincarnated soul in such a situation would be favoritism in a way and a denial of her own promise.

From the moment he descended into the Mortal Realm, he was her child but also an independent being.

To respect the independence of her new child, she decided not to give him a Revelation.

The Goddess erased her worries about the reincarnated soul from her mind and began working on decorating his body.

Since he was being reincarnated, wouldn’t it be nice to give him the appearance he desired?

Of course, he hadn't requested a specific appearance.

But people tend to reflect their desires in their characters.

So, the appearance of the character he invested the most playtime in must be the appearance he desired.

The Goddess checked the characters the reincarnated soul had used.

She checked the character he had invested the most time in and…

She was horrified.

“Wh… What is this?”

The character, with over 3,000 hours of playtime, was a monstrous creature with fist-sized eyeballs, protruding cheekbones, and purple skin.

It didn't even have a single hair on its body, and its only weapon was a Dildo.

Its nickname was even Prostate Dest-

She stopped reading the nickname.

She had witnessed countless madness and malice over millennia, but this nickname was comparable to, perhaps even far exceeding, those.

Fortunately, the Goddess knew the human heart well enough not to mistake a gag character for the reincarnated soul’s true desire.

Her gaze moved to the next one.

A total of 2,000 hours.

Sunglasses, bunny ears, and a reverse bunny girl outfit on a… hairy-legged, pot-bellied man.

The concept was a man who hypnotized people through hacking.

“Rejected.”

A total of 1,400 hours.

Rainbow-colored, bomb-shaped hair, a bushy beard, and… a girl(?)

The concept was a magical girl (gender: both) who turned people's heads into bomb shapes with a toy hammer.

“What in the…”

The Goddess continued to check the reincarnated soul's characters.

This reincarnated soul’s brain was clearly not normal.

Feeling her SAN points depleting with each character she checked, the Goddess eliminated candidates one by one.

And finally, she found a reasonably kind-looking male face.

A very kind-looking face that 10 out of 10 people on the street wouldn't hesitate to approach.

In human terms, he was a good-looking, charming man.

That must be the reincarnated soul’s true desire.

‘Phew…’

The Goddess, finally finished with her work, breathed a sigh of relief.

Satisfied with the completed appearance of the reincarnated soul, she looked down at the Mortal Realm again.

Looking forward to the story the reincarnated soul, who had jumped into that world, would write anew.