POTF Chapter 1: Fate Choice

Aiden Clark was an average man who found joy in his solitary routine of going to work, returning home, and visiting the supermarket.

After he returns home, he usually likes to read the most popular manhwa and novels. However, he has finished most of them already. As It is his only entertainment other than gaming with his friends online.

His neighbors told him that he must work harder, but they didn't know Aiden. He has already done everything he could do to succeed in life, but none of it got him anywhere. He was simply born unlucky.

Aiden's only wish was that he would get reincarnated into another world with a golden finger. He thought to himself, if all those main characters can have one, why can't I? However, whenever he thinks about it deeper, he realizes that his wish may never come true. After all, plenty of other webnovel fans had the same desire as him, and yet none of them actually achieved it.

While daydreaming about what his life in another world would look like, he recalled that he didn't have snacks for tomorrow's Novels Bash. The Novels Bash was a day in the week when he and his online friends gathered at night to talk about their favorite webnovels as they played games while discussing which of them had the template of a main character.

After remembering the Novels Bash, he hastily grabbed his car keys off the table, got in his car, and drove quickly to the 24-hour market near his home so that he could return and continue reading 'Chaos Guide.' After reaching the store, Aiden parked his car, swiftly entered the store, purchased what he needed, and exited within five minutes.

Once he got into his car, he started the engine and accelerated down the same road that led to his home. Unfortunately for him, as he was returning home, he was struck by another car.

Aiden's world spun around him as his car tumbled relentlessly, flipping like a coin caught in an eternal spin. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and in those fleeting moments, memories of his entire life flashed before his eyes. Amidst the chaos and impending danger, one clear thought dominated his mind: this was the end.

While others might have thought of loved ones or regrets, Aiden's singular desire emerged from the depths of his soul: "Let me wake up as the protagonist in another world."

As Aiden opened his eyes, he was startled to find himself surrounded by pristine white walls. Thoughts raced through his mind, and a sense of accomplishment surged within him. "I made it! I got reincarnated into another world. I escaped that cursed world I was living in." The anticipation of this new unexplored world filled his heart, and he was ready to burst with happiness.

Unfortunately, his blissful life was short-lived as one of the doctors standing outside his room walked in and began to explain to him his situation indifferently, "Hmm, it appears that the effects of the anesthesia are wearing off. Can you understand me? Well, it doesn't matter. A nurse will fill you in on the details. However, I'm an exemplary doctor, so I will adhere to the hospital's policy and provide you with a summary. It seems that you have broken a couple of ribs during the crash, but that's not your most critical concern. As you have suffered severe damage to your spine, this will cause you to lose any ability to walk for the foreseeable future."

In the world of medicine, it is widely known that a doctor is responsible for informing their patients of their physiological condition without any falsehoods. However, they also must consider how to deliver such news without destroying the patient's psychological health. Therefore, when his doctor entered his room and unloaded such news on him without a care, it became evident to Aiden that he was in the notorious Camos Hospital. A hospital that lacked in all aspects of care, this hospital probably has killed more people than it saved; this caused many locals to wonder how it is still running today.

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After the doctor's departure, Aiden remained lying on the bed; his gaze fixated on the ceiling above as if he was waiting for the paint to change and transform. However, deep down, he knew that nothing was going to change.

Finally, after watching the white crusty ceiling for hours, he switched his attention to the floor below. As he traced the patterns of the tiles, Aiden was lost in thought as he remembered everything he had done until this point.

After enduring the hours of bottled thoughts that he spent gazing at the ceiling and the floor, Aiden couldn't hold himself anymore as his first tear fell out. With it, it opened the floodgate for a waterfall of tears to escape. Aiden howled and wailed all alone in this hospital; however, after weeping for hours and hours, his eyes started to dry out as he couldn't even cry for himself anymore.

With only his dried eyes left, Aiden looked at how pathetic he was and thought, "What am I sad for? It's not like I had any use for those legs anyway. I can still read more stories and escape this reality; I can still dream that I am the Main Character of my own story."

As he thought of that, Aiden decided that he needed to breathe some fresh air, so he pressed the help button. A nurse that had the looks of an angel came into the room. Once the nurse came, Aiden asked her in a bleeding tone, as he had only but a glimmer of hope. If she could take him in a wheelchair around the hospital. Unexpectedly to Aiden, she agreed. This nurse appeared as if she was the last unblemished spot on the soiled cloth that was the hospital.

After, the two of them relished their short walk around the hospital's aged garden. A light bulb lighted over Aiden's head as he remembered that his favorite comic had just had a new release today. Aiden turned his head and looked at the face of Arra; he asked with the politest tone he could muster, "Can we go to the comic store? I want to buy a couple of stories for my stay."

Arra looked at Aiden with a smile as she replied, "Sure, why not, as long it would help with your recovery."

Together, they ventured outside the hospital's confines as Aiden had his spirit uplifted by the prospect of a new adventure. In the store, Aiden carefully selected the mangas he would sink in. With the purchase complete, the two of them cheerfully began their return journey.

However, during their return, Fate played its cruel twists on Aiden again. As they approached the street, Arra's hand slipped, causing the wheelchair to veer into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Terror seized Aiden's as his head instinctively turned to witness the dreaded shape of a familiar figure Truck-Kun. In that fleeting moment before death, Aiden gaze shifted to Arra, hoping for an explanation, only to find a haunting smile on her face.

Aiden woke up once more, as he felt that his nightmare would never end. As he scanned his surroundings, Aiden realized that he was in a palace and gazing upon a being of incomparable beauty. From his flowing silver hair to his sharp nose, he was simply perfect. Once he saw him, it became clear to Aiden that this person was not a human but rather an immortal that descended to this place.

After admiring the man's beauty, Aiden's mind turned to the question, "Since such a powerful entity exists, why would he let me experience so much pain?"

Aiden started to scream at the entity with all he had. He roared as he said, "Why? What did I do to deserve all of that? And why didn't you stop it?" However, all of that screaming was nothing but a figment of Aiden's imagination, as he didn't dare to say anything to such a formidable entity. He knew deep within him that if he dared to say anything that would anger this entity, his existence would be erased with a snap of a finger.

The entity said calmly, "Do you know why I brought you here?"

Aiden replied hesitatingly with a "No, I don't, sir, mister, lord."

The entity looked annoyed as it said, "ENOUGH. I have brought you here to send you to another world. You shall be 'The fated one' from the moment you accept it, so do you?"

Without much thought, Aiden replied with a, "Yes, please. Thank you."

The entity replied to Aiden with his usual calm voice, "It's imperative that you follow the instructions that come to you. If you don't, it will be a nightmare for you. But if you do obey, you will remain the chosen one, and who knows, I might even reward you if you impress me."

Aiden's mind wandered as he pondered the reason for his selection as the chosen one. While being a Main Character was his dream, he was not foolish enough to believe that he was somehow special. He was aware of his shortcomings and acknowledged that he was inferior to the average person in many ways.

Aiden fully understood the fact that he couldn't reject any of the wishes of the entity in front of him, even if said entity wanted him harm. Therefore, he decided to accept the path of the fated one.