《Hopeless Possession》 Chapter 1 - Manual (Revised) IMPORTANT NOTE:This is a note for all those who have read the translations of the previous group for this novel. What they have translated are the chapters before this novel became premium, and after it became a premium novel, the author changed the starting chapters. So, what I am translating is the newer version. Don¡¯t get confused as to why this is different from what you have read. Thanks. Chapter 1: Manual (Revised) TL: Pai_ ¡°Don¡¯t panic, and breathe out comfortably.¡± The silver-haired woman, wearing a warm smile, spoke as if she were an emergency room doctor. ¡°I understand that the current situation might be confusing to you. Yes, I do understand.¡± The young man couldn¡¯t respond, his lips just parting slightly. After a moment of staring at the woman¡¯s face, he slowly turned his head to look around. The surroundings were not the moderately messy and comfortable view of his one-room apartment. It was a stark, white room, devoid of any furniture. The eerily barren room was reminiscent of a psychiatric ward from a movie. He actually got goosebumps. The young man flickered his lips a few times before looking forward again. Shimmering silver hair and red pupils. That surreal appearance somewhat reassured him. ¡°Is¡­ Is this a YouTube prank?¡± He asked in a cautious voice. ¡°I don¡¯t remember subscribing to anything like this¡­? I didn¡¯t sign up for any event either¡­ Maybe, you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else¡­¡± ¡°Uh-hum, this is not YouTube prank. It¡¯s neither a hidden camera prank nor a shooting.¡± The soft tone of her speech halted for a moment. The warm smile that was meant to ease him shifted slightly. A mix of pity and guilt. The slight change in the curve of her lips brought those two emotions directly in front of the young man. ¡°If I have to say, it could be considered a kidnapping.¡± ¡°Just, wait. Hold on.¡± Barely managing to breathe, the young man squeezed out his words. ¡°That, just now. I think I heard something weird¡­ Kidnapping?¡± ¡°Possessor-nim! There¡¯s no need to hurry. Please calm down and speak.¡± The emotion in her smile changed. The woman conveyed genuine concern in her eyes as she held the young man¡¯s hands. ¡°No¡­ No, no, that¡¯s not it.¡± His head was spinning, and his heart was pounding. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± The hands that were holding his. They weren¡¯t his hands. He could tell at a glance. The pale skin tone was unlike the skin he had seen all his life, leaving the young man with no choice but to scream in horror. ¡°What, what, what is this?!¡± He violently shook off the woman¡¯s hands and felt his face. It wasn¡¯t just the skin. The bone structure of the face was different too. This wasn¡¯t his body. The certainty that came rushing in made his shoulders tremble. ¡°Possessor-nim! Please calm down.¡± ¡°Pos¡­ Possessor? Possessor, you say? What is that? And why is my body like this?¡± ¡°Please calm down! I will explain everything step by step!¡± The woman once again enveloped his hands with hers and whispered. ¡°Seronis. Do you know it?¡± Of course, he knew. But he had no idea why that name would come up here. ¡°Possessor-nim¡­ No, I apologize.¡± The woman hastily corrected her habitual address, smiling again. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk-nim. Your Seronis nickname is ¡®Immune to Insults,¡¯ correct?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s truly an honor to meet you!¡± In reality, it was a nickname hard to keep a straight face at, but now, he couldn¡¯t even feel embarrassed. Seronis. The game Lee Soo-hyuk had played the longest and most deeply in his life. Possessor. ¡ªHow much time had passed? Thump, thump, thump¡­ His rapidly beating heart slowly calmed down. The warmth from the woman¡¯s gently held hands seemed to soothe his heart. ¡°Possessor¡­?¡± Lee Soo-hyuk, who had barely calmed down, opened his mouth with a thought that seemed unbelievable. ¡°By any chance, have I entered into Seronis?¡± ¡°A bit different, but similar!¡± The woman clapped her hands together with a pop sound and smiled broadly. Lee Soo-hyuk opened his eyes, but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to smile. ¡°Could it be because of the Hall of Fame, I am here?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct!¡± Seronis. A name of a crappy game with a difficulty level so high that one has to start all over again upon death. He had gone out of his way to find that game, which didn¡¯t even advertise, and for several years, he obsessively delved into that crappy game which others would have long deleted, cursing it as a crappy game. He created countless characters only to kill them off. Even after barely defeating the so-called final boss, he couldn¡¯t see the ending. Instead, a GAME OVER appeared, sending him back to the title screen, and his painstakingly raised character was deleted. But it¡¯s a game; it must have an ending. Thinking there might be a specific condition to reach the ending, he started the game again. There¡¯s a strange addiction and charm to this crappy, trashy game, and once you get a taste, you keep digging into this rubbish. That¡¯s when he discovered a hidden boss. This hidden boss, named the ¡®God of Chaos,¡¯ could only be encountered in a route accessible by meeting special conditions, and it had far higher specs than the final boss. If that was all, he would have tried hard to defeat it once and be done, but, to his excitement, this hidden boss had a differentiating factor from the other bosses. The only player-vs-player competitive element in this damn game. When the hall, which records the fastest clear times, first opened, Lee Soo-hyuk set a goal for himself. He wanted to immortalize his game ID at the very top of that hall. ¡¸Hall of Fame 1st Place Immune to Insults¡¹ It was an embarrassing ID to mention to anyone, but he wanted to place it at the top, if only to not waste the time he had sunk into this rotten game. Though it wasn¡¯t something he could brag about, he had thrown years of time and effort into this damn game, driven by affection and respect. And today, he finally climbed to the top of the Hall of Fame. ¡°Were all the people who were first before me like this?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct!¡± Following her affirmative response, Lee Soo-hyuk closed his eyes again. Barely suppressing the swear words about to slip out, he let out a long sigh. It¡¯s a game that can¡¯t be called great or convenient in any way, hence it didn¡¯t have many players. But that didn¡¯t mean there were none at all. Searching foreign websites, he could find addicts addicted to its deep, crappy taste. Yet, the top rankings of the hall rarely changed. No matter how much he searched, he couldn¡¯t find any tips or even a single proof of someone achieving 1st place after the game. With no proof and no changes, many players speculated that the game developers had manipulated the top records of the hall. Instead of improving the shitty game design or adding new competitive content, they were shadowboxing the players by inserting dummy records in the top ranks. Lee Soo-hyuk, too, thought there was credibility to this, but it only fueled his motivation more. What if he could surpass these seemingly unbeatable top dummy records? What if he could proudly plant the name ¡®Immune to Insults¡¯ at the top of the Hall of Fame? He felt like he could achieve enlightenment in Seronis, this trashy game, if he accomplished that. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, are you alright? You look unwell¡­ If you haven¡¯t calmed down yet, maybe rest a bit more and then¡­¡± ¡°Send me back, please.¡± He couldn¡¯t listen any longer. Lee Soo-hyuk managed to squeeze out his words with a trembling voice. ¡°If you brought me here, then you should be able to send me back¡­¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s impossible.¡± The woman shook her head with an expression full of genuine regret and apology. ¡°It¡¯s a bit late for introductions, but let me introduce myself. I am a priestess serving the Goddess of Order, Lorelia.¡± ¡°The Goddess of Order¡­?¡± ¡°Yes! My role, along with the other priestesses of the Goddess of Order, is to guide and provide basic education to Possessors who suddenly enter this world!¡± ¡°So¡­ the Goddess of Order, she brought me to this world?¡± ¡°No!¡± Lorelia immediately denied it. ¡°The one who kidnapped you and others to this world is the God of Chaos. The game you played, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, was a trap created by the God of Chaos.¡± The moment he heard the name ¡®God of Chaos,¡¯ Lee Soo-hyuk had no choice but to abruptly stand up. That name was the same as the hidden boss he had encountered. As Lee Soo-hyuk stood up, unable to continue speaking, Lorelia kept talking. The Seronis game was a trap set by the God of Chaos. The God of Chaos had created a game crudely imitating this world and let it flow into Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s world. ¡°That arrogant and audacious god, who does not know death, took interest in those who defeated him in his own game. Simultaneously, he kidnapped the false god-slayers into this world, watching them suffer through painful lives.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The God of Chaos, as his name suggests, loves disorder and drinks in the blood and tears of the victims lured into his malevolent toy and brought to this world. That¡¯s why the God of Chaos is also called an Evil God!¡± Lorelia looked up at Lee Soo-hyuk, who was still standing, and clasped her hands together. ¡°Our Goddess of Order stands in opposition to the God of Chaos. To take care of the innocent victims, the Goddess sent us, her priestesses, here.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what happens to me now? Can I not return to my original world?¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, the current world is in great chaos.¡± Lorelia¡¯s tone changed. ¡°The lords of the divine thrones are selfishly vying for each other¡¯s positions, and righteousness and order are not respected. However, if the God of Chaos, the Evil God, is defeated, the world will become a better place.¡± Her red pupils, shining like jewels, looked straight at Lee Soo-hyuk. ¡°If that happens, the Goddess of Order will regain her strength and be able to send the possessors back to where they originally belonged.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me, to, uh, kill that god?¡± ¡°Yes! And if you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, defeat the Evil God, the Goddess of Order will certainly grant you one wish!¡± ¡°How does that make any sense? Seronis, that¡¯s just a game. I was good at that game, I defeated the God of Chaos in the game! How am I supposed to kill a god in reality?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s you, Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, you can do it!¡± The hands that were joined in prayer opened. ?Paah! A thin book fell onto Lorelia¡¯s hand. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk-nim! Although it¡¯s my first time guiding a possessor like you, I have memorized the manual several times. I may lack experience, but not enthusiasm! There are many more capable priestesses than me, but none know Lee Soo-hyuk-nim as well as I do!¡± Lorelia held up the book proudly, smiling broadly. Although the pretty woman, who seemed like someone he would only see on a screen, was smiling kindly at him, Lee Soo-hyuk couldn¡¯t feel even a bit of excitement. Instead, he felt wary and doubtful as he stared at Lorelia. ¡°You say you know me well? Is that written in that mysterious manual?¡± ¡°The Goddess of Order and we priestesses have been observing the players by interfering with the game, a trap of the God of Chaos.¡± ¡°Could you observe but not warn us?¡± ¡°Sadly, that was the case¡­¡± Her smile vanished as quickly as flipping a hand. Lorelia let out a long sigh, lowering her eyebrows, lips, and shoulders all at once. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, in the current world, the power of the Goddess of Order is extremely weak. It¡¯s impossible to intercept a confirmed possession or to send possessors back.¡± Lorelia then placed the book down, clenched her fists tightly, and held them up in front of Lee Soo-hyuk. ¡°But! For the happiness and safety of all possessors, the Goddess of Order barely interfered with the game, observing the players. She warmly bestowed mercy to greet the souls of players who were being led into the cunning trap of the Evil God and to prevent them from facing a meaningless death! For this, our Goddess of Order sacrificed a great deal¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Was she boasting? That thought crossed his mind, but he couldn¡¯t muster any irritation. Lee Soo-hyuk, who had been standing until then, felt his legs give way and plopped down onto a chair. ¡°F**k¡­¡± Lorelia watched Lee Soo-hyuk, who had just muttered a curse under his breath. She then reached out and gently took his hand with a soft smile. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, I know what kind of player Immune to Insults was.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Persisting with different builds from other players, not giving up despite failures, and attempting anew several times! Especially, I was amazed by your determination not to update the record in the Hall of Fame deliberately!¡± Lee Soo-hyuk scoffed and shook his head. Lorelia gently caressed the hand she was holding and whispered. ¡°Your character, Immune to Insults, could have entered the top ranks of the Hall of Fame long ago. But you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, kept committing character suicide just before clearing, deliberately avoiding updating the record in the Hall!¡± It wasn¡¯t for a noble reason. What Lee Soo-hyuk aimed for was the 1st place. If it wasn¡¯t going to be a notable achievement, he thought there was no need to clear it. He preferred to burst onto the scene like a comet and carve his name in the 1st place, rather than slowly climbing up in an ambiguous ranking. It couldn¡¯t just be the 1st place. There had to be an overwhelming gap from the 2nd place. ??: World¡¯s 1st in this crappy game, lol? He had vowed to post something like that one day and repeated retries several times a day. ¡°Ah, really¡­! Lee Soo-hyuk-nim! You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for you! When will you come? Isn¡¯t it about time now? You¡¯ve already broken the 1st place record, why do you keep committing suicide?¡± Lorelia¡¯s voice was full of passionate enthusiasm. She grasped both of Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s hands tightly, her eyes sparkling brightly. ¡°And finally, today! Your character, Immune to Insults, achieved 1st place with an overwhelming record! Congratulations on reaching 1st place!¡± ¡°Thanks to that, I ended up possessing a body I didn¡¯t even want. Is this something to be congratulated for¡­?¡± He managed to reply, but his hands were trembling. Lorelia, startled by the shaking, let go of his hands. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry! Indeed! This may not be a congratulatory event for Lee Soo-hyuk-nim¡­¡± It seemed that the priestess was quite oblivious. ¡°However, I must say something to Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, even at the risk of being impolite. I believe! It is you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, who can defeat the evil Evil God!¡± While her support was passionate, Lee Soo-hyuk couldn¡¯t understand why she had such expectations. ¡°No¡­ Just because I was good at clicking the keyboard and mouse in a game, what can I possibly do?¡± ¡°You can do it, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim!¡± Lorelia held up the book she had set aside again. ¡°First, let me recite your profile so you can adapt to our world.¡± The book opened. ¡°Name: Lee Soo-hyuk. Age: 27 years old, nickname: Immune to Insults. No parents or family, right? That¡¯s really fortunate!¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± ¡°The body you have possessed is named ¡®Yuri.¡¯ Age: 20 years old, and he also has no parents or family! You¡¯re very lucky!¡± ¡°F**k, what?¡± Unable to hold back, Lee Soo-hyuk blurted out a curse. Although his nickname was ¡®Immune to Insults,¡¯ it didn¡¯t mean he was immune to harsh words in reality. Lorelia, who had been smiling broadly, widened her eyes at the sudden outburst of swearing. ¡°Did I make a mistake in my wording? I apologize. If you point out my mistake, I will promptly correct it.¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s fortunate that a person is an orphan? And that it¡¯s lucky that the body I¡¯ve possessed has no parents or family either?¡± S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ah! I apologize, my wording lacked consideration and explanation.¡± Lorelia set down the book, stood up quickly, and bowed deeply to Lee Soo-hyuk. ¡°What I meant by ¡®fortunate¡¯ is that possessors with parents and family are more likely to suffer from homesickness and have a higher chance of committing suicide. Similarly, possessors who had a prosperous and happy life also have a high risk of suicide.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The reason I said it¡¯s lucky is that maintaining harmonious relationships is not easy if the possessed body has parents or family. It¡¯s not common, but there have been instances where possessors were killed after being discovered.¡± Suicide and murder! Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s pupils trembled. ¡°But I felt that you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, would be relatively less at risk, so I unintentionally made a rude remark. Please forgive me¡­¡± His legs gave out, and he sat down heavily on the chair. It wasn¡¯t an incomprehensible explanation. So, this is ¡®possession.¡¯ From the standpoint of family or acquaintances, it¡¯s like suddenly becoming a complete stranger. ¡°Then¡­ what happened to the original soul of this body?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. The 20-year-old Yuri just died.¡± ¡°What?¡± He¡¯s dead? In front of Lee Soo-hyuk, who had opened his mouth in shock, Lorelia turned a page in the book. ¡°The official cause of death is¡­ shock due to a penetrating wound in the abdomen and excessive bleeding. Ah, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. The injuries heal as soon as a soul enters the body.¡± ¡°Wait, he¡¯s dead? Is possession always like this?¡± ¡°No! Most of the time, possession occurs in a living body, but there are cases, though not common, where possession happens just after the body has died. You are lucky, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim!¡± ¡°Why do you keep saying I¡¯m lucky?¡± ¡°When a living body is possessed, the original soul vanishes. Some possessors become overwhelmed with guilt and either become recluses or commit suicide.¡± Hearing this, Lee Soo-hyuk somewhat understood why being called lucky. The idea of suddenly being thrust into a game was sorrowful and distressing enough, but to think that a living person died because of him would not be easy to bear. ¡°May I continue explaining about Yuri? This is very important, as emphasized in the manual. Even though memories will sync once possession occurs, it¡¯s important to study beforehand! If you don¡¯t familiarize yourself with the physical condition and relationships of the body beforehand, you could get tangled in various problems.¡± ¡°Give me that.¡± Forcing his emotions under control, Lee Soo-hyuk pointed at Lorelia¡¯s book. ¡°I¡¯ll just read it myself. It¡¯s quicker for me to memorize by reading than listening.¡± ¡°Um¡­ but¡­ this is part of our priestess¡¯s role¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, just give it to me.¡± Upon further urging, Lorelia handed over the book with a resigned expression. Lee Soo-hyuk took a few deep breaths to calm his emotions. This isn¡¯t a dream, but reality. Just because he played that crappy game diligently. Not just diligently, but also skillfully. And for just that reason, he found himself in the game. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t wake up in a different body without knowing anything¡­¡± He murmured, trying to find some positive aspect in his situation. ¡°That was the most common cause of death among the first generation of possessors! Unable to adapt to the world, not knowing who they were!¡± Lorelia, who had seemed a bit downcast at having her role taken away, suddenly brightened up and exclaimed as if nothing had happened. ¡°That¡¯s why the Goddess of Order observed the game, and we priestesses became guides for the possessors!¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Lee Soo-hyuk ignored Lorelia, who was making a fuss in a high voice, and opened the book. ¡®Name: Yuri¡­ no last name, no family, 20 years old.¡¯ There was no information about who his parents were, whether they were alive or dead. Yuri, abandoned as an infant on the streets, was fortunately not left to die there but was taken in by the Aldor Orphanage. Lee Soo-hyuk read through the brief summary of life at the orphanage. To be frank, Yuri wasn¡¯t exactly a good or well-behaved orphan. He often fought with other orphans and caused various problems outside the orphanage too. After turning 17, Yuri left the orphanage but didn¡¯t lead a decent life. He had a knack for pickpocketing and eventually joined a small organization, growing into a genuine delinquent. However, he wasn¡¯t completely heartless, as he sent part of the money earned from his dirty work to the Aldor Orphanage in the form of donations every month. ¡®Personality¡­ proud for his situation. Holds grudges, has paranoid delusions, and some anger issues.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t hard for Lee Soo-hyuk to empathize due to similar circumstances. He possessed these traits because he lacked what others simply had. Nodding, Lee Soo-hyuk turned the page. **** TL Note: Hi, I¡¯m Pai_ New to the group and I¡¯ll be translating this novel with around 3-5 chapters a week release rate. Let me know via comments or via discord if you find any mistakes. **** Illustration of Lorelia Chapter 2 - Manual (Revised) Chapter 2: Manual (Revised)TL: Pai_ In the next page, there were personal details of those around, and strangely, as soon as I saw the names, their faces immediately came to mind. ¡®Childhood friend?¡¯ Elena. An orphan of the same age as Yuri, who kept in touch with him even after leaving the Aldor Orphanage. Just by reading the written profile, it was clear that Elena was completely different from Yuri. Born with a natural talent for magic, Elena could manipulate mana since the age of 10 without being taught by anyone. The head of Aldor Orphanage, out of curiosity, wrote about Elena in a letter and sent it to various towers, and among them, the master of Dercia Tower took an interest in Elena and visited her personally. Thus, Elena was recognized for her talent by the master of the tower and entered Dercia Tower. It¡¯s been 10 years since then. Although they haven¡¯t met in person, Yuri and Elena still exchange letters. Jangsam. A senior in the Black Snake Faction, where Yuri belonged. He was like a mentor to Yuri, showing him the way of life after leaving the orphanage. After cramming several other names and personal details into my memory, I turned the page. There, written were precautions for after possession, summarized as follows: 1. One must not rely solely on knowledge from the game. To be precise, one should not easily utilize the knowledge from the game. Especially, the ¡®settings¡¯ regarding living beings must never be relied upon. The game and reality are different. This world has a different flow of time and space from Earth, and 30 years have passed since the first Possessor entered. Some of the NPCs Lee Soo-hyuk knew from the game are now dead, while others are still alive. Living humans are naturally different from NPCs who repeated the same dialogues and attack patterns in the game. The warning to not rely on the ¡®settings¡¯ of living beings is a mistake made by several Possessors who were kidnapped before Lee Soo-hyuk. There were Possessors who approached NPCs with information from the game or hunted according to the ¡®strategies¡¯ from the game. Most of these Possessors either died or were harmed. 2. The fact that one is a Possessor must be kept secret. It¡¯s only natural in a world where the perception of Possessors is not favorable. 3. One must not trust other Possessors. Just because they were dragged into this world playing the same crappy game doesn¡¯t mean there should be a sense of camaraderie. A common example is competition for wishes, but there are also cases where Possessors use or betray each other, and some even hunt other Possessors. Especially beware of Possessors who consort with the Evil God, the root of all evil. ¡°Why are such dangerous people still alive?¡± ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± ¡°The Possessors who consort with the Evil God, written here.¡± ¡°Ah! Are you talking about those bastards who betrayed the mercy bestowed by the Goddess of Order, and instead of returning to their original world, actively cause chaos in this world according to the Evil God¡¯s will!¡± Startled by the uncharacteristic harsh words from the priestess, Lee Soo-hyuk continued his questioning. ¡°Yes. Shouldn¡¯t it be fine to tell me who those people are? I need to be cautious.¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim¡­! Let me clarify first that I¡¯m not lying. I really want to tell you, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not? Is the Goddess of Order such a pushover that she would protect Possessors who have joined forces with the Evil God?¡± ¡°What blasphemy!¡± Lorelia stood up abruptly from her seat. ¡°Even if you are Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, Immune to Insults! To commit blasphemy against the divine in front of me, a priestess of the Goddess of Order! I, Lorelia, demand a correction to your statement!¡± ¡°But the situation is just like that. Why can¡¯t you tell me about those bastards?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t know!¡± Lorelia tapped her chest a few times as if she herself found the situation frustrating. Then, spreading her arms wide, she raised her hands towards the ceiling and looked up. ¡°Our priestesses are only responsible for one Possessor each! The moment a soul from Earth crosses over to this world, their respective priestess is determined!¡± ¡°But even so, if you¡¯re observing the game, you can make some guesses, right? Plus, by looking at my profile, you¡¯d already have some idea about where I¡¯d be possessed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a miracle of the Goddess that allows us to discern the body to be possessed at the moment the soul crosses over.¡± Lorelia replied in a grumbling tone. ¡°Like Lee Soo-hyuk~nim said, it¡¯s somewhat possible to guess who will come over by observing the traps of the Evil God. But more important than that is ¡®who¡¯ they will be possessed by.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°What is forbidden for us priestesses is information about the body that will be possessed. We absolutely cannot reveal information about our assigned Possessor to anyone else!¡± ¡°But still, if the Possessor you were responsible for turns out to be a bastard, wouldn¡¯t the Goddess of Order reasonably lift the prohibition?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something you could only say because you don¡¯t understand the situation!¡± Lorelia explained the circumstances while grumbling. The moment a soul from Earth crosses over to this world, the body that will be possessed in this world is determined. It¡¯s a miracle of the Goddess to be able to discern that body in advance. The sealed profile is the revelation that reads the memories of that body. The designated priestess brings the profile and manual into this place, a meeting room where mind and spirit converge. ?The Goddess of Order is in a deep sleep due to expending too much divine power, so she is not communicable. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t give you any hints about other Possessors. I, Lorelia, don¡¯t even know how many other Possessors there are, let alone who they are, and even if I did know, I couldn¡¯t tell you. This is a prohibition to protect the Possessors.¡± Moreover, some Possessors who joined the Evil God and received his baptism have killed the priestess assigned to them. Thus, the priestesses of Order have no way of knowing which Possessors have joined forces with the Evil God. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Please retract your blasphemy!¡± Although it seemed like she might be right¡­ Lee Soo-hyuk thought so, but he didn¡¯t want to argue unnecessarily with Lorelia. ¡°I retract it. The Goddess of Order is not a pushover.¡± ¡°Do you repent?¡± ¡°Yes, I repent.¡± ¡°I forgive you.¡± Lorelia, who had been raising her voice in anger just moments ago, now sat down with a broad smile as if nothing had happened. Lee Soo-hyuk sighed deeply and closed the book. The biggest problem is still the Possessors who came before and the 30 years that have passed. There¡¯s a warning not to rely too much on game knowledge, but if so much time has passed, most skills and items would already have been farmed. ¡°Have you finished reading?¡± ¡°Yes. So what should I do?¡± Lee Soo-hyuk asked with a blank expression. ¡°I understand the precautions, but I don¡¯t know what more to do. I can¡¯t use game knowledge, nor can I find skills or items. Then what advantage do I or other Possessors have?¡± It seemed too pitiful for human Lee Soo-hyuk to enter the game and kill the Evil God. It would have been different if he could use various game knowledge, but most of it is unusable, so what should he do? ¡°Exactly, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, Immune to Insults! Such a sharp question!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand, so I¡¯m asking, but the way you occasionally say ¡®Immune to Insults¡¯¡­ Are you mocking me?¡± ¡°What does ¡®mocking¡¯ mean? Feed? Are you saying I, Lorelia, fed you something?¡± (TL: Hi, in the sentence used above, ata the word ¡®mocking¡¯ (aka ¡®fucking¡¯) is a non-standard korean word and sounds similar to the Korean Hangul word for ¡®to feed.¡¯ also ata = also translated as) ¡°Never mind then.¡± It seemed like she was doing this on purpose¡­ Lee Soo-hyuk thought as he bit his lower lip. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, souls from other worlds are very special. All possessors, when they cross over to our world, see the potential within their souls bloom~ like a flower.¡± Lorelia brought her hands together and then spread them wide, mimicking a blooming flower. ¡°The details are difficult to explain, but basically, souls from other worlds have high affinity and understanding of mana! Most possessors quickly achieve great things upon embarking on the path of magic or martial arts!¡± Her spread hands clenched tightly. ¡°However! I, Lorelia, deeply understand that it is a terribly harsh task for possessors who lived in a completely different world to adapt to ours, survive against other possessors and adversaries, and eventually defeat the Evil God, with just these privileges!¡± Slowly¡­ The chair and desk Lorelia was sitting at, along with the books, disappeared. ¡°The very first possessors who were possessed did not receive any explanation about the privileges they had gained! Some possessors who intuitively understood struggled a lot to adapt!¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes, I suppose so.¡± ¡°Therefore, I, Lorelia, want to provide Lee Soo-hyuk~nim with special training. Now, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Please stand up.¡± Not sure why she was asking him to stand, he did as told and got up from his chair. Slowly¡­ Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s chair disappeared. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, Immune to Insults!¡± With a bright smile, Lorelia raised her clenched fist. ¡°This is a fist!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ it¡¯s a fist.¡± ¡°And this is a punch!¡± As she shouted, her fist moved. Thump! Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s head jerked backward. ¡°Ugh!¡± Something exploded in front of his eyes. Staggering back, Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s ears rang with a high-pitched noise. ¡°This is a guard!¡± In the midst of his dizzy vision, a broadly smiling Lorelia brought her arms together in front of her head. ¡°Raise your guard!¡± Why a sudden punch? He couldn¡¯t understand that first. The curriculum was supposedly for quick adaptation and survival of possessors, so why start with a punch? ¡°Wait, what are you¡­¡± Thump! Before he could finish his sentence, Lorelia¡¯s punch struck again. It was a fierce punch, too harsh to believe it came from such a pretty hand. A punch not straight but twisted, as if slicing through. Lee Soo-hyuk couldn¡¯t think of anything. It felt like his train of thought had been abruptly cut off. Half-conscious, he slumped down where he stood. ¡°That¡¯s not acceptable!¡± Lorelia warned in a loud voice. ¡°Talking with your mouth open during combat is a very bad idea! You might accidentally bite your tongue off! You should also refrain from shouting or yelling as much as possible!¡± His semi-severed consciousness reconnected. He felt no pain in his face where he had been hit repeatedly. But Lee Soo-hyuk didn¡¯t think to stand up, just staring blankly at Lorelia. ¡°Failing to keep your balance and slumping down is also worthy of criticism! That posture significantly limits your movements! The best thing is not to get hit, and the next best thing is to block! If you can¡¯t do either, you must endure with tenacity!¡± ¡°Wait, just a moment.¡± Lee Soo-hyuk stuttered out a response to her continuous admonishments. ¡°Why are you hitting me¡­?¡± ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s for the rapid adaptation and survival of possessors!¡± ¡°What does that have to do with hitting me¡­¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Possessors have many enemies! Avoiding adversaries is the best self-defense, but no matter how much you prepare and evade, unexpected encounters can still happen!¡± Thump! Lorelia¡¯s fists collided. The sound from her small fists was surprisingly loud, shaking Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s body. ¡°I, Lorelia, believe this! The most perfect self-defense technique is to have the power to not die in any situation! To teach the mortal attackers who come to kill me why they are indeed mortal! To trample my potential adversaries in advance! That is the most perfect self-defense technique!¡± It was a violent statement, unbelievable for a priestess. ¡°In our world where order has collapsed, the law does not fully protect the weak! Especially, there¡¯s practically no law to protect Possessors! That¡¯s why you need to grow stronger!¡± Lorelia raised her fist proudly. ¡°Violence is a great means of negotiation and conversation in most situations! If it¡¯s trivial violence, it¡¯s not worth discussing, but sufficient violence can be more valuable than a fortune in certain situations!¡± Though I still didn¡¯t fully grasp what a priestess of the Goddess of Order was, applying my common sense, she seemed similar to a religious person. Lee Soo-hyuk looked up at the religious person, Lorelia, with a blank face. Lorelia, speaking about violence and power, seemed more joyful than ever before. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! I, Lorelia, will do my best to educate you so that you don¡¯t die in vain!¡± Without responding, Lee Soo-hyuk found himself lifted forcibly as Lorelia reached out her hand and grabbed the air. Whoosh! It felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed him by the collar. Still unable to grasp the situation, Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s lips quivered. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Your adversaries will not be as merciful as I am! They won¡¯t warn you in advance, they won¡¯t just knock you out cleanly, and they certainly won¡¯t help you stand up if you fall!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Remember this fact! Now, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! I have just taught you how to make a fist, punch, and guard!¡± ¡°So, what do you want me to do¡­?¡± ¡°Attack me!¡± Lorelia said with a wide smile. ¡°Make a fist with your hand! And throw a punch at me!¡± My thoughts finally began to clear, but I was far from calm. After a long explanation, the necessary details were glossed over, and anger surged at Lorelia, who had punched me. This anger also contained frustration over the entire situation. The frustration of being dragged into another world just for playing a crappy game! I clenched my fist. ¡°F**k!¡± I yelled out an expletive like a battle cry as I swung my fist. But misjudging the distance, my fist filled with rage did not hit Lorelia. She sighed at the missed punch and Lee Soo-hyuk, who stumbled over his own force. ¡°Oh, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim¡­! This¡­ this is not a punch!¡± ¡°F**king bitch¡­!¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Is that curse directed at me, Lorelia? I understand that you are greatly agitated, but please refrain from using such language!¡± It was a polite request, but Lee Soo-hyuk let it go in one ear and out the other. The explosion of emotions that had been suppressed several times sent his rationality flying far away. ¡°Why do I have to put up with this crap!¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Follow my advice! It¡¯s very dangerous to open your mouth and shout during combat!¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking too!¡± ¡°Ah, right! Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, you seem to be under a misunderstanding! It¡¯s fine for me! For me, Lorelia, this is not a battle right now!¡± With a refreshing smile, Lorelia exclaimed. Her expression and tone of voice were so lively that it took a moment to realize she was openly ignoring me. ¡°F**king bitch!¡± Realizing he was being ignored, Lee Soo-hyuk shouted an expletive and swung his fist again. Having rarely fought in his 27 years, he had an unfounded confidence that he couldn¡¯t possibly lose when going all out against a woman. Thud! A bright light flashed before his eyes. ¡°This is a counter!¡± Lee Soo-hyuk collapsed to the ground with his head feeling half-exploded. ¡°That punch was quite good! But next time, please attack more delicately! Hot in the heart! Cool in the head! Heavy in the fist! Light on the feet!¡± His head cleared. Lee Soo-hyuk didn¡¯t understand what had happened to him, but he realized that no matter what kind of dragon-like tactics he used, he could never beat Lorelia. ¡°¡­You told me to attack¡­ why counter¡­?¡± ¡°I, Lorelia, never said I would let myself be hit! Even if I had said that, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim should not have believed it! There are many snakes in the world who deceitfully twist their tongues!¡± It was a valid point. Lee Soo-hyuk blinked blankly and then spoke up with a new resolve. ¡°Um, Lorelia-nim, can I ask you for one thing?¡± ¡°Of course, feel free!¡± ¡°Can you let me hit you just once?¡± For a moment, Lorelia¡¯s smile wavered. ¡°Imu¡­ Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, I¡¯m sorry! I cannot fulfill that request.¡± ¡°Why did you stop yourself from saying the nickname just now?¡± ¡°This is an educational exercise for your survival, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! If I were to simply let myself be hit by your punches, which are hardly like punches, you might despair later when you really need to throw a punch due to the disparity with reality! Therefore, I, Lorelia, cannot just let myself be hit for your sake¡­¡± Her words came out swiftly. The conclusion was that she couldn¡¯t let herself be hit because the punches were too poor, but it seemed like there was more to it than that. Maybe she just didn¡¯t want to be hit? Lee Soo-hyuk twisted his mouth and glared, but Lorelia, as if never wavering, received his gaze with a calm smile. ¡°Do all other Possessors also receive this kind of training?¡± ¡°No! This is a special training that I, Lorelia, am providing just for Lee Soo-hyuk~nim!¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m really curious and don¡¯t understand, but why exactly are you, Lorelia-nim, my assigned priestess¡­?¡± ¡°My goodness, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Are you dissatisfied that I, Lorelia, am the priestess assigned to Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk?!¡± ¡°No¡­ uh¡­ it¡¯s not that, just curious.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. I, Lorelia, was not originally preparing to be in charge of Possessors. So I was worried that you might be dissatisfied with me due to any mistakes I make.¡± Lee Soo-hyuk felt uneasy at her answer. She wasn¡¯t originally in charge of Possessors? Then, was this messed-up possession situation all wrong from the start? ¡°You weren¡¯t originally in charge of Possessors?¡± ¡°Yes! There were various problems in the Order, so it ended up this way. But don¡¯t worry, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! I, Lorelia, have no less enthusiasm and motivation compared to the priestesses who officially went through the training process!¡± ¡°Can I ask what you were originally in charge of?¡± ¡°Violence!¡± Lorelia answered with a wide smile. ¡°I see¡­¡± The glorification of violence, suggesting that fists are mightier than laws and swords mightier than pens. Now I understood why Lorelia was so insistent on the necessity of violence. ¡°Let¡¯s continue with the training!¡± Watching Lorelia lift her fists with overflowing enthusiasm, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but waver. ¡°When does this training end?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± There was no immediate response. Lorelia, no longer clenching her fists, sat down. Sitting with her knees modestly bent, she looked at Lee Soo-hyuk with a serious face. ¡°When Lee Soo-hyuk~nim can throw a punch with full force, without hesitation or fear, harboring the intent to kill a living human, that is when this training will end.¡± It sounded difficult. That thought crossed his mind immediately upon hearing Lorelia¡¯s words. How many people in the world have ever thrown a punch with the full intent to kill someone? Lee Soo-hyuk certainly wasn¡¯t one of them. He had never done or even imagined such a thing. ¡°Does it have to be a fist?¡± Lee Soo-hyuk hesitated for a moment before asking. ¡°Could I maybe do it with a weapon or magic¡­ something like that?¡± ¡°A weapon?¡± Lorelia¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and her red eyes emitted a chilling glare. ¡°Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! You didn¡¯t use a weapon, did you?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°In the trap of the Evil God! The game! In Seronis! Your character, Immune to Insults, didn¡¯t wield any weapons or wear any armor!¡± Lee Soo-hyuk was speechless at her exclamation. It was true. In Seronis, his character didn¡¯t use weapons or wear armor. This was because his build revolved around a skill that gave extra stats for every sealed equipment slot. The seals increased as the game progressed, and at the end, ¡®Immune to Insults¡¯ became a character wearing only underwear, with no equipment at all. Stacking extra stats. Blessings granted according to the flow of combat. Evasion rate that broke the game¡¯s limits. High-power skills that used health. As health decreased, stats pumped up further, recalculating the extra stats based on total amounts, berserking at near-death to amplify stats further, sustaining through life steal¡­ His concept as ¡®Immune to Insults¡¯ was to fight using massive extra stats gained in the process, covering for the defense normally provided by equipment with health boosts, and barely maintaining health cutoffs through control. ¡°But that was just a game¡­¡± ¡°Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, that was you!¡± ¡°No¡­ uh¡­ If I can¡¯t acquire skills in the same way as in the game, why are you imposing the game¡¯s concept on me¡­?¡± ¡°Just create your own skills!¡± It sounded so obvious that Lee Soo-hyuk was left without a response. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Possessors inherently have a great affinity for mana. Affinity means the ability to freely manipulate mana, and depending on your effort, you can create new magic or martial arts!¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no lie! The strong survivors known as Possessors in our world have developed their own combat techniques, validated in the games they played!¡± It seemed impossible to realize a game concept of wandering around in underwear without armor or weapons in reality. ¡°In reality, not wielding a weapon won¡¯t increase my stats.¡± ¡°There are ways, though it¡¯s not common.¡± S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. What does she mean there are ways? It was a baffling answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know about other Possessors, but my character¡¯s concept is difficult to realize.¡± ¡°That might be true, but I, Lorelia, do not recommend wielding a weapon.¡± Instead of smiling, Lorelia pouted her lips. ***** Illustration of Elena Chapter 3 - Yuri (Revised) Chapter 3: Yuri (Revised)TL: Pai_ ¡°The body trained to the extreme is superior to any weapon. Weapons are for cowards who lack the courage to throw their own bodies into the line of death.¡± ¡°But a sword is stronger than a fist, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a prejudice. A trained fist can even break a sword!¡± ¡°But a sword can cut a fist without being trained, can¡¯t it¡­?¡± ¡°Before you get cut by the sword, just hit the swordsman!¡± Lorelia seemed adamant about her own theory. She stared at Lee Soo-hyuk with a stubborn expression. ¡°Of course, it might be a bit easier to enhance killing power by training weapons rather than training your body. But! Eventually, when one reaches a certain realm, a person who has only trained their body is physically superior to someone who has trained both their weapon and body. And since mana ultimately comes from one¡¯s own body, regardless of reaching states like Becoming one with Sword or Becoming one with Weapon, directly harnessing it on one¡¯s body is the most natural, correct, and strongest way!¡± Her rapid-fire words carried an unyielding will that brooked no contradiction. Lee Soo-hyuk, who didn¡¯t know much about mana or becoming one with the sword, could only nod his head. ¡°Therefore, I, Lorelia, will not give you any weapons or armor! However, in this ¡®special¡¯ training, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim will gain something far more valuable than those things!¡± ¡°Fist-fighting techniques?¡± ¡°That is also a valuable learning! But usually, in the guidance process, it¡¯s forbidden to teach Possessors such education. There¡¯s no guarantee that the Possessor in charge is always a good person. However, I, Lorelia, trust Lee Soo-hyuk~nim!¡± Lorelia spoke with a smile, mixing pride in her voice. ¡°What Lee Soo-hyuk~nim will gain is my martial arts!¡± Martial arts? Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°This is a privilege that only Lee Soo-hyuk~nim among all Possessors can enjoy. The reason is¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Something flashed in his mind. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m the last Possessor?¡± The trap of the Evil God that only brings the top ranker in the Hall of Fame. That meant, ¡®in the future¡¯, if the top rank is not updated, no more Possessors would come over. ¡°The Hall of Fame rank I updated, it will never be broken.¡± He was certain. If he hadn¡¯t been certain, he wouldn¡¯t have updated the record in the Hall of Fame. In the high ranks, where the difference was mere fractions of seconds, the record set by the Immune to Insults stood out. ¡°All the ones who could hit number one have done so, and the Hall of Fame has been frozen for nearly half a year. In a game with no more influx, there¡¯s no chance for the top rank to change.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± A bright smile spread across Lorelia¡¯s face. ¡°Possessors. Some of them try to confront the Evil God to restore order, some adapt to the world and live comfortably, some join the Evil God and disrupt order, and some have died.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think the Possessors are victims with unfortunate circumstances. But it¡¯s also true that the existence and actions of these Possessors are destroying the order of our world. In that sense, I, Lorelia, on behalf of the slumbering Goddess of Order, want to grant this privilege to Lee Soo-hyuk~nim.¡± Lorelia continued, raising two fingers. ¡°The two things I, Lorelia, will teach Lee Soo-hyuk~nim are internal cultivation techniques and the skill to use fists more ¡®powerfully¡¯.¡± * If the 27-year-old Korean, Lee Soo-hyuk, is guilty of anything, it¡¯s only that he played a game diligently and well, a game that others did not play. He couldn¡¯t think of any other sins. In a game where online functionality was just a ranking based on clear times, he never caused any disputes within the game. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Players never caused major problems in the community where they gathered. In Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s opinion, he was a clean and passionate user who could be considered a role model for other players. How did I end up like this? I never had any good things happen in my life. My parents passed away in an accident when I was young, and I lived in the house of a distant relative. I never properly made friends, let alone had a girlfriend. The only people Lee Soo-hyuk could call friends, with whom he had substantial conversations in his life, were online acquaintances he met in gaming communities. Even if nothing more happens here, I¡¯m already living a miserable and sorrowful life. If there really is a god in this world, they should have offered sympathy for my pitiful state, not heap more misfortune on me. ¡®God?¡¯ I never believed in the existence of a god in my life, but now I have no choice but to believe. Because of that damned being called a god, I¡¯ve been kidnapped to another world. ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! You must infuse your fist with sincerity!¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Just extending it doesn¡¯t make it a punch! A punch is about hitting the opponent! Not just hitting, but hitting painfully! Especially my Lorelia¡¯s Blazing Step Technique aims for a ¡®One-Hit Kill¡¯ punch!¡± ¡°Pa¡­ Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! How many times do I have to tell you that just extending your fist isn¡¯t a punch? Don¡¯t just swing your fist! Your legs! Your waist! Your back! Your shoulders! Use your whole body!¡± ¡°Your feet! Step forward! Twist your body! Pull in the arm that you¡¯re not extending! Be conscious of your shoulders and back!¡± ¡°If you only use your fist and body, are you going to keep your internal energy bottled up to make soup later? Blazing Step Technique involves embedding internal energy into the punch!¡± ¡°No! Ah¡­ Soo-hyuk~nim! The manifestation and transformation of internal energy come later, if you can¡¯t do it, just don¡¯t! In the beginning, it¡¯s okay to roughly combine the punch with it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Just like that!¡± I can¡¯t remember how many times I swung my fist. Lorelia, who first appeared gentle and sweet, turned out to be a strict instructor who didn¡¯t overlook even the smallest mistake when it came to teaching violence. Whenever the corrections weren¡¯t properly made, Lorelia would frustratingly tap her chest, her choice of words becoming rougher, then she would demonstrate herself, and if still not corrected, she would grab Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s arms and waist to move him herself. In this great hall, no matter how much you swing your fist, you don¡¯t get tired. Even if Lorelia strikes me down, it doesn¡¯t hurt. I didn¡¯t feel grateful for that. Since it wasn¡¯t tiring, I had to keep doing that nonsense without any break. How much time has passed? How many times have I swung my fist? ¡®Ah.¡¯ The punches I repeated countless times felt completely ¡®different¡¯ than before. That punch seemed to be sucked towards Lorelia¡¯s face. If I hit, she dies. It¡¯s killing a person. My own fist, swinging, somehow seemed slow, and that thought wandered through my mind. But I didn¡¯t stop the punch. I didn¡¯t want to. This sensation was what I needed. Thump. However, that punch was easily blocked by Lorelia¡¯s hand, almost disappointingly so. ¡°Hmm.¡± Our eyes met. Lorelia blinked her red eyes a few times, then smiled broadly and nodded. ¡°Excellent, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim.¡± ¡°Huff¡­¡± Lee Soo-hyuk swallowed his breath and trembled. I don¡¯t know how much time has passed in this great hall, but after swinging my fist thousands of times, receiving constant criticism and scolding¡­ Gradually, Lee Soo-hyuk felt an indescribable bond with Lorelia. Despite being a Priestess with many odd and uncomfortable aspects, everything was ultimately to prevent Lee Soo-hyuk from meeting a miserable end after becoming a Possessor. Hearing the word ¡®excellent¡¯ from Lorelia¡¯s mouth made his heart swell. ¡°Then now¡­¡± ¡ªKwoong. Before Lorelia could finish speaking, the ground, no, the entire world, seemed to shake as if there was an earthquake. Lee Soo-hyuk was startled and staggered, but Lorelia didn¡¯t move at all. Her pleased smile vanished. Lorelia twisted her lips with a cold gaze directed at the stark white sky. ¡°Tsk.¡± The short sound of her tongue clicking carried a deep annoyance. After glaring at the sky for a moment, Lorelia looked at Lee Soo-hyuk with a bright smile as if nothing had happened. ¡°What was that just now?¡± ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim!¡± Kwoong¡­! The world shook again, but Lorelia maintained her smile and spoke. ¡°Regrettably, it¡¯s time to part ways!¡± ¡°What?¡± Kwoong¡­ The world shook again, more violently than before. Lee Soo-hyuk looked at Lorelia with a stiff face. Her smile remained unchanged. A refreshing smile as if there was no problem, her eyes softly curved. But Lee Soo-hyuk could instinctively feel it. Right now, Lorelia is angry. It¡¯s more than just irritation. Is it my imagination? Her eyes seemed to turn even redder. Kwoong! The world shook again. The frequency was increasing. At the same time, even the view before Lee Soo-hyuk, who was just standing, was shaking violently. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Lee Soo-hyuk let out a short groan and slumped to the ground. He tried to get up but couldn¡¯t. His legs wouldn¡¯t support him. Lorelia, unshaken, approached and crouched beside him. Kwoong! ¡°Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, are you satisfied with my guidance?¡± ¡°¡­What is this?¡± ¡°Hmm, how should I put it¡­? You don¡¯t need to worry too much. My training went on for too long, and I did something I shouldn¡¯t have done on my own¡­ They are trying to wake me up from outside.¡± ¡°Something you shouldn¡¯t have done?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say in the beginning? That Lee Soo-hyuk~nim would receive special training! Normally, this kind of special training shouldn¡¯t be given to Possessors.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ So, are you alright?¡± ¡°Oh my, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Are you worried about me, Lorelia? To hear such concern from you, whom I¡¯ve longed to meet, is truly touching!¡± Kwoong! Lorelia giggled, hugging her knees as she crouched down. She gazed at Lee Soo-hyuk with a mischievous smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s really nothing serious. I¡¯ll receive a punishment, but I, Lorelia, am not a weak woman who fears something like a punishment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, if Lee Soo-hyuk~nim wasn¡¯t my charge, I wouldn¡¯t have prepared myself for a punishment! But let me repeat, it¡¯s not your fault, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim.¡± ¡°It sure sounds like you¡¯re blaming me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a light jest.¡± Lorelia playfully stuck out her tongue. Kwoong! ¡°So, when will you give me your answer? Lee Soo-hyuk~nim. Were you satisfied with my guidance?¡± ¡°¡­Apart from a few mistakes. I¡¯m not satisfied with the situation of being possessed in the first place, but yes, I¡¯m fortunate that my Priestess is Lorelia.¡± Kwoong! ¡°If you hadn¡¯t included those unnecessary words in the beginning, I, Lorelia, would have been deeply moved.¡± Lorelia¡¯s expression changed again. She glanced at Lee Soo-hyuk as if she was in a foul mood. Kwoong! ¡°Well, it¡¯s unavoidable that there were mistakes. I was not originally in charge of Possessors. The training I received was insufficient, so the education I provided was also lacking.¡± Kwoong! ¡°But considering it was my first time training, wasn¡¯t it very excellent? I, Lorelia, might have a remarkable talent for training Possessors.¡± Kwoong! Amidst the shaking and crumbling spiritual world of the great hall, Lorelia whispered with a faint smile. ¡°I hope there¡¯s no need to cultivate this talent.¡± A Priestess of Order is responsible for only one Possessor. A Priestess takes on a new Possessor only when the previous one dies. ¡°Lorelia, you don¡¯t have a talent for teaching, so it¡¯s better not to worry about that.¡± Lee Soo-hyuk responded with a wry smile. At that, Lorelia blinked her round eyes a few times and then laughed heartily. ¡°Naughty Lee Soo-hyuk~nim. You just crushed one of the infinite possibilities of me, Lorelia.¡± Lorelia whispered with a lingering smile in her voice, pushing herself up from her knees. She helped Lee Soo-hyuk, who couldn¡¯t stand on his own, to his feet. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been here with Lorelia, but even after spending so much time together, I know nothing about her. Just the letters of the name ¡®Lorelia¡¯. A Priestess serving the God of Order. In charge of ¡®violence¡¯ in her order. She was the first person Lee Soo-hyuk met after becoming a Possessor. In this way or that, if Lee Soo-hyuk survives in the world he has possessed into, it¡¯s thanks to meeting Lorelia. ¡°Can we meet again?¡± There was a lingering attachment. He said there was no need to think that way, but Lee Soo-hyuk worried that Lorelia got into trouble because of him. Plus, he had received martial arts directly from her. Although Lorelia might think otherwise, strictly speaking, the relationship between Lorelia and Lee Soo-hyuk could be considered that of a teacher and student. ¡°Meet again? Hmm¡­¡± Lorelia tilted her head, pondering for a moment. Lee Soo-hyuk felt anxious during this pause. The thumping sound was incessant, the world was crumbling uneasily, his vision was dizzy, and his body was weak. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to wake up at any moment. ¡°Why are you hesitating? Technically, you are my teacher¡­ or in martial arts terms, my master.¡± ¡°Master? Ahahaha!¡± Lorelia, startled by the word ¡®master¡¯, burst into laughter. ¡°A master, you say? I dislike such burdensome relationships. I am a Priestess, and Lee Soo-hyuk~nim is just a Possessor. Besides, if Lee Soo-hyuk~nim claims to be my disciple, it would bring various complications. So, please, don¡¯t think like that and just be comfortable around me.¡± ¡°Really now.¡± ¡°If fate allows, we may meet again someday.¡± ¡°Here in this place?¡± ¡°No. This space is for the souls of new Possessors, so Lee Soo-hyuk~nim can no longer come here. If we are to reunite¡­¡± Lorelia nodded, her smile still not completely faded. ¡°In reality. I will reunite with you as ¡®Yuri¡¯. Well, if I become interested¡­ I might visit ¡®Yuri~nim¡¯.¡± ¡°I might visit you too, if Lorelia¡¯s name isn¡¯t an alias.¡± ¡°How could the Priestesses serving Order use false names? We Priestesses don¡¯t engage in such clever tricks. That¡¯s why the fallen Possessors who joined the Evil God were able to relentlessly hunt down and kill our brethren.¡± Lorelia¡¯s eyes intensely met Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s for a moment. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t meet again bearing murderous intentions. I don¡¯t want to kill Lee Soo-hyuk~nim with my own hands.¡± ¡°How about visiting just to have a meal?¡± ¡°Huhu, it won¡¯t be easy. I, Lorelia, am not an easy woman to meet just because someone wants to.¡± Kwoong! This tremor was the strongest yet. Startled by it, Lee Soo-hyuk, who was standing thanks to Lorelia¡¯s help, flinched. ¡°Within a month, a gift from me, Lorelia, will arrive at Yuri~nim¡¯s home.¡± ¡°What kind of gift?¡± ¡°A gift that will be of great help to Yuri~nim.¡± Lorelia chuckled. Kurrurung! The stark white ground started to shatter and crumble apart. The moment Lee Soo-hyuk staggered, Lorelia let go of her hold on him without further support. ¡°I look forward to our reunion, but Yuri~nim, please do not seek out the Order of Order.¡± Lorelia whispered to the falling Yuri. ¡°Then, I wish you a happy and enjoyable life as a Possessor.¡± Was she teasing? He wanted to retort, but he couldn¡¯t. His mouth wouldn¡¯t open, and Lorelia seemed too far away. He smelled blood. ¡®What¡¯s this¡­?¡¯ He wanted to look around, but his eyes wouldn¡¯t open, and his body wouldn¡¯t move. He felt heavy as if he had just woken up from a light sleep. The terrible smell of blood¡­ Gradually, his senses started to awaken as he smelled it. One side of his face felt hot. It wasn¡¯t a fever. Something hot and sticky was touching his cheek¡­ ¡°Hoo¡­¡± His body still wouldn¡¯t move, but breathing slowly started. Something seeped into his slightly parted lips. ¡®Blood?¡¯ Something was seeping in through his breath. The taste it left on his tongue. This was blood. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ He forced his foggy mind to focus. The white room. The great hall. The Goddess of Order. Priestess. Lorelia. Seronis. Possession. Yuri. ¡ªMost Possessors annihilate the existing soul and possess a living body. But Yuri was different. Possession was inevitable, but Yuri died before ¡®Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯ became the Possessor. Yuri then realized something important. He hadn¡¯t heard ¡®why¡¯ Yuri died. ¡®Damn it, Lorelia¡­!¡¯ Sometimes life is just like that. Someone unlucky can be struck by lightning on a clear day or die from tripping and cracking their head. 27-year-old orphan Lee Soo-hyuk, dragged to another world and possessed just for playing a crappy game well, was very unlucky. And 20-year-old orphan Yuri, who happened to die from a pierced abdomen on the day he was to be possessed, was also extremely unlucky. Moreover, the assigned Priestess, originally in charge of ¡®violence¡¯, making several mistakes in the guiding process, was also incredibly unlucky. In short, this was a synergy of three misfortunes. Possessed for playing a crappy game well, the body to be possessed was already dead, and not knowing why it died¡­! The only consolation might be that wounds heal at the completion of the possession. Is the current immobility of the body a backlash from the revival of a dead body, or is all possession like this? The more he focused his thoughts, the clearer his foggy mind became. Lee Soo-hyuk ¨C Yuri continued to breathe, tasting the vivid blood in his mouth. Thump, thump, thump¡­ The sound of the once-dead heart beating again was incredibly clear. His eyes opened. ¡°Fuck.¡± The thought burst out of his mouth. Yuri hurriedly sprang up from his place. Corpses, blood. The furniture like sofas and tables also bore clear knife marks and bloodstains. As if someone had been eating, the blood-stained table was scattered with broken dishes and food. It was a scene that would not be surprising to cause panic, but Yuri desperately clung to his sanity. This was not a dream, but reality. He forcefully clenched his trembling hands. He looked at the face of a nearby corpse. A sallow face with a flat nose. ¨C A sharp pain throbbed in Yuri¡¯s head. He let out a low groan and clutched his head. Fragmented memories clung together in his mind. ¡®Jangsam.¡¯ The name immediately came to mind. The senior who pulled the orphan Yuri from being a mere back-alley thug into an organized group. Memories unknown to Lee Soo-hyuk flooded in. It was a nauseating feeling. Yuri bit his lip and glared at Jangsam¡¯s face for a moment. The memories that had surfaced continued to unfold. Where this place was, why he died. Yuri gasped for air and turned his head. He saw a frame with a snake painted as if swirled with a brush. That was the symbol of the ¡®Black Snake Faction¡¯, which Yuri was part of, and this place was their office. Below that frame, a large man with one arm severed lay collapsed. It was Dekan, the boss. Yuri, who had to grovel daily to bring him coffee and massage his shoulders, was dead with his eyes wide open. ¡°¡­¡± Yuri continued deep breaths, caressing his abdomen. The Black Snake Faction controlled a small area in the rural city of Aldor. As with such organizations, their main business was extorting protection money from merchants. With the money collected, they engaged in loan sharking and gang fights with similar groups in other areas. This commonplace criminal organization was raided and annihilated today. ¡°Ah, geez. Boss! I told you, they¡¯re all dead. Why check again after killing them together?¡± ¡°Idiot, you never know what will happen in this world. Thought dead, but if some lucky bastard clings to life. Such a guy might later seek revenge, sneaking up in the night with a knife, you know?¡± Voices came from outside the office. Startled, Yuri quickly looked around. There were no windows. If he tried to escape, he had to pass through the only door, but the culprits who annihilated the Black Snake Faction were about to enter through that door. He grabbed a dagger lying nearby and lay flat on the spot where he had been. Click. The door opened. Chapter 4 - Yuri (Revised) Chapter 4: Yuri (Revised)TL: Pai_ Yuri was sprawled on the floor, squinting his eyes open, assessing the situation. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s so tough, I¡¯m dying here¡­¡± ¡°Stop whining, little brother.¡± As heard from outside, there were two voices. Two sets of feet were visible. One of the guys was dragging his leg as if he was injured. It was a stroke of luck that Yuri noticed this. At the point when Yuri was dying from a stab wound, that bastard had been completely unharmed. ¡°So, what about the check? How are we going to do it?¡± ¡°Stab the corpses again with a knife. If no one screams, they¡¯re all dead. Is that so hard?¡± ¡°Damn, I¡¯m telling you they¡¯re all dead. Why do we need to check further?¡± The one dragging his feet was the younger brother. He grumbled and moved as told. Thud! A knife stabbed into a corpse lying near the door. ¡®F**k, I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ Why the hell are they doing a confirmation kill? Yuri, lying flat on his stomach, was sweating profusely. ¡°Big brother, should we stab our guys too?¡± ¡°Of course, we have to. Little brother, we weren¡¯t exactly good brothers, were we? If we don¡¯t want to taste revenge later, make sure to stab them properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Thud, thud. As the corpses at the entrance were equally stabbed one by one, Yuri had a moment of short contemplation. If he stayed like this, he would be stabbed and die. If he dies in this body, does he return to his original world? No. He knew the answer. Dying in this body wouldn¡¯t mean returning to his original world. ¡®You just die if you die!¡¯ That damn Lorelia had said so with a crisp smile. Naturally, Yuri did not want to die. Thuk! The knife, coming from the entrance, stabbed a nearby corpse. Glancing over, it was Jangsam. ¡°Ah, son of a bitch, why is it so tough?¡± The younger brother, who had dragged his feet over, was right nearby. Yuri couldn¡¯t hesitate any longer. Although the knife was currently stuck in Jangsam¡¯s back, next it might be Yuri¡¯s turn. Maybe with a bit more luck, it would be the next turn, but if he stayed as he was, he would scream from being stabbed and then get stabbed a few more times and die. What he needed right now was just determination. Swish! He grabbed the approaching foot and slashed at the ankle with a knife. ¡°Aargh?!¡± The guy didn¡¯t expect a bloody corpse to suddenly slash his ankle, his imagination wasn¡¯t that vivid. ¡°Aaaaah! Fuck! What the?!¡± He was already injured in the other leg from the previous fight, and now, out of nowhere, his good ankle was slashed. The position and depth of the cut were bad. He couldn¡¯t keep his balance and fell to the floor. Yuri, who quickly stood up, held a dagger in front and cautiously stepped back. Only then he could see the faces of the brothers who had entered the office. The Oh brothers. Recently arrived foreigners from the East in the back alleys, they were gathering a few bad delinquents, slowly forming a gang. They had started to encroach on the Black Snake Faction¡¯s territory, leading to several conflicts. Cruel and dangerous people. Yuri had occasionally seen the Oh brothers on the streets, but he had never properly made eye contact with them. ¡°Aaargh! My leg!¡± The younger brother, Oh Bong-seok, was howling in pain, clutching his bleeding ankle, while the older brother, Oh Bong-chun, just stood there, glaring at Yuri. Oh Bong-chun didn¡¯t rush in despite his brother¡¯s injury, partly because he was quite cautious, but also because their brotherly love wasn¡¯t exactly warm. ¡°Hey kid, who are you?¡± Oh Bong-chun, like his brother, was bloody, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any serious injuries. He drew a hatchet from his waist and grinned, revealing yellow teeth. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ These guys here. They¡¯re either dead, or even if they¡¯re lucky enough not to be dead, they shouldn¡¯t be as fine as you.¡± ¡°Big brother, fuck! My, my ankle!¡± Oh Bong-seok was howling in pain, but Oh Bong-chun didn¡¯t even glance at his brother. He narrowed his slit-like eyes further and scrutinized Yuri. ¡°What are you? You¡¯re not one of mine, so you must be from the Black Snake Faction. But why don¡¯t you have a single injury? Huh? Where were you hiding?¡± What should I answer? Or do I even need to? Yuri simply kept his mouth shut. Oh Bong-seok couldn¡¯t stand up right away. The only one Yuri had to deal with now was Oh Bong-chun. ¡°Are you scared, kid?¡± Oh Bong-chun smirked and asked the silent Yuri. It was an obvious provocation, but Yuri didn¡¯t take the bait. The situation was too tense to bother with such provocations. He could die within 10 minutes of being possessed. Thump, thump, thump¡­ His heart was pounding as if it would burst. He was overly conscious of the dagger in his right hand. Lee Soo-hyuk had never swung a knife at a person before. But Yuri was different. This bastard had often threatened others with a knife and even stabbed people. However, those memories didn¡¯t help much in resolving the current situation. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The dagger in his hand felt too awkward. Yuri let out a short sigh and dropped the dagger to the ground. ¡°What?¡± Oh Bong-chun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re throwing away your knife to surrender? Kid, even though I¡¯m this stupid¡¯s brother, do you think I would spare someone who crippled my brother for life?¡± Still, Yuri didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he clenched his fists and raised them up. ¡°Is this guy crazy?¡± Oh Bong-chun burst into laughter. It was incomprehensible that Yuri had discarded a perfectly good knife, and now he was doing something that didn¡¯t even look like begging for his life. ¡°What are you going to do with those hands? Are you some kind of martial arts master? Going to smash this axe with your fists?¡± Yuri ignored the mockery. Truthfully, he wanted to pick up the dagger. Facing an axe with bare hands seemed impossible. But he had no choice. The old Yuri knew a bit about using a knife. But the current Yuri was much more accustomed to using his bare hands. He had learned how to fight with his fists through actual combat. ¡°You think I¡¯m a f**king joke?!¡± With a furious shout, Oh Bong-chun charged. Of course, his movements were nothing compared to Lorelia¡¯s. The axe was coming at him. Just a few seconds ago, he thought it was impossible to face an axe with bare hands, but now that he saw the axe flying towards him, he thought differently. And then. He understood why Lorelia emphasized not hesitating, not fearing, and striking with the intent to kill when facing a living person with full force and accuracy. That¡¯s exactly what he needed right now. The bloodied axe grazed him, barely missing by a hair¡¯s breadth. He dove in at that narrow gap and swung his fist. The moment he swung, he knew. This could kill Oh Bong-chun. But if he didn¡¯t strike, he would die. So, he struck. There was no reason not to. Crack. He felt his fist shatter the jaw. ¡°Bro¡­ brother?¡± Oh Bong-seok, clutching his non-stop bleeding ankle, muttered in disbelief. ?Kwoong. The body of Oh Bong-chun, with his eyes completely glazed over, fell backward. ¡®Did he die?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure. It wasn¡¯t easy to kill someone, especially someone as big as that, with a single blow. ¡°¡­¡± An indescribable emotion washed over him. He never thought he¡¯d hit someone with the intention of killing in his lifetime¡­ ¡°Brother? Brother!¡± There was no time to dwell on feelings. Yuri swallowed his breath and lowered his fists. If he hadn¡¯t killed, he would have been killed. That thought calmed Yuri down effectively. At the same time, Yuri realized his situation. Possessor or not, in this world, if you¡¯re unlucky, you die. ¡°Hey.¡± His fist hurt. Yuri glanced at his throbbing fist. The skin of his left fist, which had struck Oh Bong-chun¡¯s jaw, was torn, bleeding. ¡®In the main hall, no matter how many times I swung my fist, it never bled¡­¡¯ The spiritual world and reality are indeed different. Should he train his fists? Yuri thought this as he turned to look at Oh Bong-seok. ¡°Hey.¡± His wrist also throbbed. Did he sprain it while hitting? ¡°Why did you attack here?¡± He roughly guessed the reason but wanted to hear it directly. Oh Bong-seok, who had been staring blankly at his fallen brother, looked up at Yuri in surprise. The Oh brothers weren¡¯t particularly skilled in martial arts. They could be considered third-rate, but with their level of ability and reckless courage, they were more than enough for a backwater alley like this, with no proper Black Path sect backing. In fact, just today, the Oh brothers had easily wiped out a group from the Black Snake Faction, which dominated this area. They sent their underlings first to create chaos and then did the deed themselves, but it was true that the Oh brothers were significantly stronger than the local delinquents. And as is often the case with siblings, the older brother, Oh Bong-chun, was stronger than the younger. ¡®He¡­ he¡¯s a master.¡¯ Oh Bong-seok concluded with his dull mind. His brother, stronger than him, had been knocked down with a single blow without even screaming. Moreover, this unknown guy had shattered his brother¡¯s jaw with bare hands, without using any weapon. ¡®Was Dekan, that bastard, not just imitating the Black Path but actually had a backing from it?¡¯ Then, is this unknown person a master from the Black Path? The gap in their skills was huge, but he attacked covertly with a surprise¡­ considering how he pretended to be dead at first and waited for an opportunity, he might even be an assassin. If so, that¡¯s even worse¡­ Assassins are a group in the Black Path that one should absolutely never get involved with. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer?¡± Yuri¡¯s voice grew harsher. Only then did Oh Bong-seok flinch and flatten himself to the ground. ¡°Yes, yes? I¡¯m sorry, could you repeat that once more¡­?¡± ¡°Why did you attack here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not, not me who suggested it. My brother, whom your excellency knocked down, he, he¡¯s the one who suggested it.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s asking that? Why did you attack?¡± Just talking seemed not to be enough. Yuri picked up the axe that Oh Bong-seok had dropped. ¡°Bl¡­ Black Snake Faction, if we took them down, we could control this neighborhood¡­ That¡¯s why! That¡¯s all! If we knew a master like you was behind the Black Snake Faction, we wouldn¡¯t have come near this place¡­¡± Just as he suspected. From the memories he recalled, the Oh brothers had been eyeing the territory of the Black Snake Faction for some time. A confrontation was inevitable at some point, and it was the Oh brothers who launched the first attack. ¡°Who told you to do it?¡± He asked, worrying that someone else might be behind the Oh brothers. If the Oh brothers were instigated by someone to attack this place, it could complicate things for Yuri, the sole survivor. ¡°Or¡­ ordered?¡± Oh Bong-seok blinked and asked back. Yuri threatened with the axe, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Speak honestly and I¡¯ll spare you. But whoever sent you will die by my hand. What will you do?¡± Impressed by how Yuri shattered his brother¡¯s jaw, Oh Bong-seok regarded him as a ¡®master¡¯. He seemed to have no intention to fight and was only thinking about saving his own life. Perhaps this threat would make him talk. At the same time, Yuri realized something about his situation. Regardless of being a possessor, in this world, if you¡¯re unlucky, you die. ¡°Wh¡­ What do you mean? Who would order us to do such a thing?¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d spare your life if you spoke the truth.¡± ¡°Ah, master¡­! I¡¯m not lying. I, Oh Bong-seok, swear on the heavens and my parents in heaven that I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you an orphan?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m an orphan¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m an orphan too.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. Both Lee Soo-hyuk and Yuri were orphans. Could revealing they were in the same situation create a sense of inner closeness and get him to talk? Yuri had such a thought and spoke, but Oh Bong-seok just blinked, not knowing how to respond. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah, master, that¡¯s truly regrettable¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a truth revealed just to get some sympathy. ¡°Really, there¡¯s no one?¡± ¡°Master¡­! Please believe me. Isn¡¯t it the truth? The Black Snake Faction here isn¡¯t anything special, just a bunch of riffraff pretending to be part of the Black Path, not even receiving a Black Order! Why would we attack with someone backing us?¡± Black Order. It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar term. This word appeared in ¡®Seronis¡¯, which brought Lee Soo-hyuk to this world, and was also in Yuri¡¯s memory. The Black Dragon Society, an alliance of the Black Path that controlled hundreds of organizations. Those affiliated could carry the name of the Black Dragon Society in return for paying tribute. The Black Snake Faction wasn¡¯t part of the Black Dragon Society. So even if they were attacked and destroyed, the Black Dragon Society wouldn¡¯t intervene. ¡®The leader of the Black Dragon Society in the game was an old man named Baoe Guai.¡¯ (TL: Baoe Guai means Fierce Evil Monster) Yuri¡¯s memory differed. The current leader of the Black Dragon Society had killed Baoe Guai ten years ago and took over. The new leader didn¡¯t just cleanly kill him. Without any respect for the former leader, he decorated the gates and central square of Amyang, the city controlled by the Black Dragon Society, with Baoe Guai¡¯s limbs and head. Despite such a drastic move, the identity of the new leader of the Black Dragon Society was not known to the world. Rumors suggested he might be a ¡®possessor¡¯, but it was just an unverified rumor. ¡°I just followed what my dead brother suggested¡­! Really, please believe me!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yuri, frowning in thought, listened to Oh Bong-seok¡¯s plea. It probably wasn¡¯t a lie. Yuri nodded slightly and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll spare you since you spoke honestly.¡± ¡°Re¡­ really?¡± ¡°Yes. But crawl out the door.¡± Oh Bong-seok hesitated for a moment, glancing at Yuri and then at his leg. His right ankle, deeply cut by the knife, had no feeling in the toes. He could use his left leg, but it was hard to support his weight. ¡®F**k¡­¡¯ Without support, crawling was his only option. Oh Bong-seok finally began to crawl on the floor, his body drawing lines in the blood-soaked ground. Watching him, Yuri composed his emotions. He had to do it. With that decision made, he stepped forward towards Oh Bong-seok, who flinched as he crawled. ¡°This son of a bitch¡­¡± Oh Bong-seok stopped crawling and cursed. ¡°Bastard¡­ You think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning? Saying you¡¯ll spare me? Telling me to crawl? F**k, son of a b¡­¡± Oh Bong-seok wasn¡¯t entirely foolish. He knew there was no reason for Yuri to spare him, and in his current state, he couldn¡¯t possibly win against Yuri. Despite being skilled enough to take down his brother with a single blow, he had been pretending to be dead on the floor. The offer to let him crawl away was likely a ploy to kill him more easily. ¡°F¡­ f**k, f**k, hit me, hit me in the head. Please¡­ do it as I ask, just kill me in one go¡­¡± Yuri didn¡¯t respond verbally. Crack! The brother¡¯s axe struck Oh Bong-seok¡¯s head. Oh Bong-seok convulsed for a moment and then went limp. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The feeling was different from when he swung his fist. Suddenly, his head spun, and he felt nauseous. Yuri covered his mouth with his hand, suppressing the urge to vomit. ¡®What now?¡¯ The Black Snake Faction and the attackers are all dead. The Oh brothers had no one backing them. Yuri is alive. Should he just run away and pretend to be dead? Fortunately, Yuri¡¯s social connections are sparse, so escaping shouldn¡¯t pose a problem. But he couldn¡¯t flee yet. Now that he knew the Oh brothers had no backers, he had to wait for Lorelia¡¯s gift, which was due in a month. Yuri took a ¡®203¡¯ key out of his pocket. ¡°¡­¡± He made a decision. For now, he would continue living as Yuri and assess the situation. Even in this world, having a proven identity was an advantage too valuable to discard. While he could get a new identity through the black market brokers, it would cost a lot of money. Luckily, both Yuri and Lee Soo-hyuk were orphans with scarce social ties. He turned to look at Oh Bong-chun. He was still alive. Dekan, the leader of the Black Snake Faction, wielded a large battle hammer. Yuri lifted the battle hammer to head height. There wouldn¡¯t be much investigation into deaths resulting from gang rivalries in the back alleys. They were probably already attacked after bribes were given. In this world, the death of someone without anything isn¡¯t considered significant. Crack! Yuri brought the hammer down on Oh Bong-chun¡¯s head. He struck several more times, feeling it wasn¡¯t enough with just one hit. Next was Oh Bong-seok. Yuri fetched a large machete nearby and struck several more times at the ankle he had already cut with the dagger. Then, he plunged a few daggers into the relatively intact back of Oh Bong-seok. ¡°What the f**k am I doing?¡± A hollow laugh escaped him. What should he even call this feeling? Disgusting and abhorrent¡­ Yuri sat down, laughing bitterly. He was just trying to survive. Though possessed into a crappy game and forced to live a crappy life, Yuri didn¡¯t want to die. Maybe one day, he might think it¡¯s better to die than to live like this. But that day wasn¡¯t today. Somehow, he would survive. Killing the God of Chaos, the possessors could return to Earth. He didn¡¯t particularly want to go back ¨C seeing the bodies around him, he felt a sense of homesickness he never had before. Moreover, the possessor who kills the God of Chaos would have a wish granted by the Goddess of Order. ¡®Immune to Insults, Lee Soo-hyuk, you can do it!¡¯ Just a guy who played games seriously. Lorelia¡¯s hopeful cries, full of baseless optimism, echoed in his ears. Yuri laughed hollowly, holding a dagger. Like in movies or dramas, he tore a piece of cloth and bit it in his mouth. He wasn¡¯t sure of the exact purpose, but there must be a reason for doing it. The Black Snake Faction and the Oh brothers¡¯ gang had killed each other. 20-year-old Yuri, the youngest, miraculously survived the chaos. Surviving without a scratch seemed too convenient. Biting the cloth tightly, he looked down at his body. It seemed better to cut than to stab. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Unlike violence disguised as education, what he was doing now was self-harm, cutting his own body. He immediately understood why people in movies or dramas bite on something when being tortured. * s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Gordon from the general store. He was one of the few good people in Yuri¡¯s sparse circle of acquaintances. Even though his store was filled with unsold, dusty old items, Gordon regularly donated to the Aldor Orphanage. Sometimes, when business was slightly better, he even sent small donations. Yuri had met him several times while at the orphanage. Since then, Gordon had often scolded Yuri, who was always getting into trouble. Even when Yuri left the orphanage and started pickpocketing and other misdeeds in the back alleys, Gordon would nag him to rather work at the general store if he was going to live like that. When Yuri finally joined the Black Snake Faction and began his life in the organization, Gordon sighed deeply. Whenever Yuri, the youngest, came to collect protection money, Gordon didn¡¯t make it difficult for him, using their old acquaintance as an excuse. He was more concerned about whether Yuri was eating well. ¡°Yuri¡­?¡± Gordon, who was sitting in the quiet store yawning, suddenly jumped up when he saw Yuri, bloodied and staggering in. ¡°Yuri, Yuri?! You brat! What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Uncle.¡± Yuri stuttered as he called out to Gordon. Rushing over, Gordon supported Yuri and grimaced at his face. ¡°All this blood¡­! Hey, don¡¯t talk. Just stay still.¡± Yuri¡¯s upper clothing, soaked with blood from cuts all over, was more rag than garment. Gordon peeled it off and examined Yuri¡¯s body. ¡°You¡­¡± Old scars and burn marks, plus new injuries. Gordon was unable to continue speaking, his lips trembling. ¡°Elena¡­ what would she think if she saw you now?¡± At that name, Yuri¡¯s cheek twitched. Elena. A childhood friend of the same age from Aldor Orphanage. But not all orphans are the same. In ten years, Yuri had never once met Elena. ¡°What happened exactly? Where did you get these injuries?¡± ¡°The Black Snake Faction is gone.¡± Yuri gave the answer he had prepared. ¡°The Oh brothers. Those bastards. They stormed the office with their gang. And¡­ and then everyone died. Our guys and the Oh brothers¡¯ men.¡± ¡°Everyone? Everyone¡¯s dead? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know. I was hiding and then¡­¡± There was no need to finish. He stopped mid-sentence and bit his lip. Gordon looked at Yuri blankly and then closed his eyes tightly. ¡°It¡¯s a relief.¡± After a moment of silence, Gordon let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a relief those bastards are dead¡­ and that you¡¯re alive.¡± Yuri couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of emotions at those words. Chapter 5 - Yuri (Revised) Chapter 5: Yuri (Revised)TL: Pai_ Supported by Gordon, Yuri arrived at his house, which was a shabby communal residence. The door of Room 203, reached by climbing up the creaking old stairs. Yuri took a short deep breath and unlocked the door with his key. Click. ¡°¡­¡± Yuri¡¯s house was about the same size as the one-room apartment where Lee Soo-hyuk used to live. ¡°Ha ha¡­¡± He knew through the memories that surfaced, but he was underprepared. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing here.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe that the room lacked both a toilet and a kitchen. Yuri stood dumbfounded for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh. ¡®The shoes¡­¡¯ He stopped himself as he was about to take them off out of habit. Such habits could lead to the death of a ¡®Possessor¡¯. He even felt fortunate that the floor was dirty. It was definitely not a floor to be stepped on barefoot. It wasn¡¯t that there was no toilet at all, just none in the room. Yuri wasn¡¯t urgently in need of a toilet, but people can never know when they¡¯ll want to go. First, wanting to see and brace himself, he limped down to the first floor again. ¡°Ha¡­¡± The communal toilet on the first floor. It was obviously a squat toilet. That couldn¡¯t be helped. And next to the toilet was a communal kitchen with a hearth, and behind the building was a well. ¡°Ha ha¡­¡± So, it means. He has to sleep on the second floor, relieve himself on the first floor, fetch water from the well to wash, and light a fire in the hearth to cook his meals. Having never camped in his life, unable to poop unless it¡¯s in a flush toilet, and used to showering daily with hot water, Lee Soo-hyuk could only feel dizzy. He had never served in the military, but he doubted even the military was like this. ¡°Fuck.¡± He went back up to his room. This was all he had to use, so he had to adapt somehow. Trying to think positively, he flopped down on the bed. The window sill, not properly cleaned, was piled with dust, and the window was cloudy. Through it, the world he saw was painted in shades of gray dust. A different world from South Korea of 2023, no, from Earth where Lee Soo-hyuk lived. The same name as the game ¡®Seronis¡¯, the continent of Seronis. One by one. He tried to accept it. He roughly understood the current situation through the training he received before being possessed by the Priestess of Order, Lorelia. This world is the original source of the game ¡®Seronis¡¯. Thirty years have passed in the game setting. A different reality, not inside the game. A world where Possessors exist, those who have crossed over before Lee Soo-hyuk and have their names listed at the top of the Hall of Fame. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yuri groaned, holding his throbbing head. It was too much to bear, having barely survived death, inflicted self-harm on a healthy body, and now with too many thoughts, his head throbbed in pain. ¡®I have to be careful of the people around me, and also of the Possessors¡­ What should I do from now on?¡¯ How should he live in this world? Lee Soo-hyuk was not a man of many talents, to say the least. Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s special skills were eating, sleeping, shitting, trolling, and playing games, while Yuri¡¯s were pickpocketing, stabbing with a knife, and cursing. If this world were truly inside the game and Yuri was the only Possessor, he could have utilized his extensive game knowledge¡­ But 30 years have passed in this world, and there are several other Possessors besides Yuri. Not to rely too much on game knowledge applies not only to characters but also to securing routes for items and skills that existed in the game. Thirty years have passed since Possessors started crossing over. Initially, topping the Hall of Fame was like burglarizing an empty house, but the specs of hidden bosses were officially higher than the final bosses. If those who were possessed after defeating such hidden bosses, they naturally would have thorough knowledge of the game¡¯s ins and outs. It¡¯s assumed that all the relatively hidden items and skills in the game have been plundered over the past thirty years. ¡®They must have crossed over too.¡¯ Thinking about the Possessors who arrived earlier, he remembered a few acquaintances from the game community. A community bonded by the shared experience of enjoying the same crappy game. Naturally, since it was a foreign site, Lee Soo-hyuk, not knowing English well, refrained from the futile task of composing messages directly in English and instead used a translator to participate in the community. The main activities in the community were either ranting about how much of a trash game it was or engaging in off-topic chit-chat. Among them, there were people who seriously delved into the game, sharing their own know-how. Of course, those among them who had even once topped the Hall of Fame disappeared from both the community and the game. At the time, Lee Soo-hyuk didn¡¯t take it seriously. They must have finally reached enlightenment! The disappearance of top-ranking players was rather welcomed in such an atmosphere. Among those who had reached enlightenment, there were some who particularly stood out. Being in a community meant getting more deeply involved with people you clicked with. Yuri, no, Lee Soo-hyuk was no exception. Chuksindu. CatPanties. FUCKINGSEXY. USAUSAMI??.?.??. The four he frequently chatted with. He had no immediate desire to meet them in this world, not knowing how they might have changed. But even though their connection was shallow, limited to the community¡¯s chat rooms, he had grown fond of them. ¡®Are they still alive?¡¯ Among the five, including Lee Soo-hyuk, he was the last to top the Hall of Fame. Not wanting to climb up from an awkward rank in a half-hearted manner, if it didn¡¯t click, he wouldn¡¯t clear it and instead deliberately died over and over. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The other four interacting with Lee Soo-hyuk were perverts who had thrown away the number one record multiple times. All of them aimed not for a brief stint at number one but for a long reign. However, they all achieved first place and disappeared before Lee Soo-hyuk did, and Lee Soo-hyuk did not yearn for or seek out those who had gone before him. To finally enshrine oneself at the top meant either having confidence¡­ or growing weary of the game, or perhaps life just became too busy. He thought it ridiculous to cling to those he had never met in real life. The one who finally made it to the top should naturally disappear. Who would break that record was up to those who remained. If there were any regrets about the record changing, one could simply reclaim the top spot. Yet, nobody returned. CatPanties, Chuksindu, FUCKINGSEXY, USAUSAMI??.?.??, none of them came back to crash into the Hall of Fame again. After all, having finally reached enlightenment, what was there to regret or miss to come back to this crappy game? ¡®To think they couldn¡¯t return because they possessed someone.¡¯ Who would have thought that this was the truth? ¡°If I knew this would happen, I should have come in sooner.¡± No, if he had known, he probably wouldn¡¯t have played the game in the first place. Yuri sighed deeply and sat up. The sensation of chopping down bodies, axes, and battle hammers lingered in a corner of his mind. Lorelia praised violence, saying fists are closer than laws, and knives are sharper than pens. Lee Soo-hyuk, who lived on Earth in 2023, couldn¡¯t empathize with those words at first. But after being thoroughly beaten by Lorelia, tumbling on the ground several times, learning to swing fists¡­ After slicing Oh Bong-seok¡¯s ankle with a knife, dodging Oh Bong-chun¡¯s slow axe to shatter his jaw, and having chopped down with axes and hammers, he now believed Lorelia was right. ¡®Power.¡¯ To survive in this world, whether you¡¯re a Possessor or not, you need power. ¡®If you have the power to not die, maybe it¡¯s okay even if being a Possessor is discovered.¡¯ Having power, after all, means you¡¯re less likely to end up like the youngest of the Black Snake Faction, Yuri, stabbed to death with a knife. Yuri stood in front of the mirror, pressing on the bandage of a wound still oozing blood. Even in the waiting room, he had seen himself in the mirror, but Yuri¡¯s face, still unfamiliar, was reflected back at him. His black hair, with a hint of curl, grew untidily, but honestly, his face was much better than Lee Soo-hyuk¡¯s original face¡­ ¡°Is it because of the race¡­¡± Yuri murmured, touching his straight nose. He stripped off his clothes, which were no better than a blood-soaked rag. A sturdy physique with muscles. The split chest and clear abs were also much better than the poor body Lee Soo-hyuk originally had. This couldn¡¯t just be attributed to racial traits. ¡°Is it the difference in civilization¡­¡± He looked elsewhere for excuses. After all, this world probably didn¡¯t have delivery apps. After inspecting his body, he rummaged through the room. First, the desk drawer. A few daggers, several books. Thanks to the memories that had merged, he could naturally converse, but could he read the characters? Worriedly, he looked at the titles of the books, and fortunately, he could read them. The books, yellowed with age, were second-hand purchases from the largest bookstore in Aldor. Flipping through them, he saw notes written by Yuri. ¡°¡­¡± Originally, Yuri had guessed but chose to ignore it; however, even the current Yuri could tell after a casual glance. These books were fakes. The Basic Mana Introduction, Pungwon Inner Techniques, and Samjae Swordsmanship were filled with abstract words, lacking any proper explanation. Perhaps the mana introductions and martial arts manuals of this world are all like this, and Lee Soo-hyuk, from another world, couldn¡¯t understand them. Yuri¡¯s body did not possess even a trace of mana. Even if those books weren¡¯t fakes, Yuri couldn¡¯t gain anything from them. This book appealed that anyone, regardless of how late in life or lack of talent, could become a magician. The reason you haven¡¯t become a magician isn¡¯t merely due to a lack of effort. It¡¯s not because of a lack of will or talent. Like a cicada that spends years underground before becoming an adult. Like a seed that will someday bloom and grow into a large tree. You just haven¡¯t reached the time to bloom yet. Someday your efforts will be rewarded. So don¡¯t be impatient and dream of a hopeful future¡­ ¡°What is this, a self-help book?¡± Yuri scoffed, tossing the self-help book of another world aside. So. Yuri, a 20-year-old who came from an orphanage, constantly engaged in pickpocketing, and ended up in a moronic organization as the lowest rank, wanted to become a magician or a martial artist. He had brought second-hand magician and martial arts manuals, genuine or fake, to the drawer, making efforts in his own way. When achievements were lacking, he found solace in reading those books. Memories of Yuri surfaced, mixing together. The current Yuri was different from the Yuri of the past, so the emotions of those times did not follow these memories. But there were emotions he felt now. Yuri sat down on the dirty floor, feeling bitter. As Lorelia taught, he crossed his legs in a meditative posture. Originally, Yuri possessed neither inner energy nor mana. He gained nothing from those books. But the current Yuri was different. A Possessor awakens to immense mana affinity and comprehension upon crossing into this world. If there¡¯s a trigger, one can naturally become either a magician or a martial artist. In Yuri¡¯s case, he already had such a ¡®trigger¡¯, thanks to his guardian priestess, Lorelia. Lorelia called it ¡®qi¡¯ and ¡®inner energy¡¯. In the end, it¡¯s just a difference in terminology. If you follow the magician path in the game, it¡¯s denoted as mana; if you pursue the martial artist path and learn martial arts, it¡¯s denoted as qi and inner energy. ¡°Hooo¡­¡± What¡¯s needed is concentration, and to be mindful. What he¡¯s doing now is different from mere breathing. What he swallows isn¡¯t air. He¡¯s mindful of the mana, the qi dissolved in it. That¡¯s all there is to it. With just that, a Possessor understands ¡®qi¡¯. ¡°Cough.¡± Breath suddenly caught in my throat. It wasn¡¯t blood clogging my throat as it entered through my mouth. ¡®Qi¡¯ entered along with my breath. It had neither taste nor smell. One must not let their mind and posture falter. I had heard about the dangers of becoming obsessed to the point of losing oneself. Following Lorelia¡¯s guidance, I directed the ¡®Qi¡¯ I first swallowed in reality through my body¡¯s meridians. The ¡®Qi¡¯ taken in through breath was impure and murky. However, through the inner cultivation technique, the impurities were expelled with the breath out, and the refined ¡®Qi¡¯ was guided through the meridians to the dantian. Lorelia had named this inner cultivation technique the ¡°Evil-Quelling Heavenly Principle Technique.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I opened my eyes. Some time must have passed, as the light outside the window had changed. Drenched in sweat, I got up and approached the window. Opening the dirty gray window let in a cool breeze that cooled my heated sweat. It was dawn. ¡°¡­Next time, I¡¯ll do it with the window open.¡± Glancing at the books thrown on the bed, I turned around. A large drawer in the corner of the room. Seeing it made me feel complicated. I hesitated for a moment before approaching the drawer. Miscellaneous items, clothes¡­ The bottom drawer. ¡°Sigh.¡± There were letters. Upon seeing them, I unwittingly bit my lip. I knew whom they were exchanged with. The only person I consistently exchanged letters with was Elena, my childhood friend from the orphanage days. ¨C Elena Haindeulga. Unlike me, who still lacked a family name, Elena had a proper surname. Elena, born with a talent for magic, knew how to manipulate mana since she was 10 years old, without being taught by anyone. The head of the Aldor Orphanage, hoping for a chance, wrote about Elena¡¯s story in letters and sent them to various magic towers. Among them, the master of Dercia Magic Tower, famous for its lightning attribute magic, took an interest in Elena and personally visited her. ¡®Thunder Orca Dercia.¡¯ A tower master I had killed dozens of times in the game. Thunder Orca, who inherited the Dercia surname. Unlike Baoe Guai of the Black Dragon Society, who died decapitated and dismembered, Thunder Orca is still the master of Dercia Magic Tower. Thunder Orca recognized Elena¡¯s talent. Thus, Elena entered the Dercia Magic Tower. For the next 10 years, though we never met in person, Elena and I still exchanged letters. However, the letters weren¡¯t as many as one would expect to accumulate over 10 years. I sorted them by the year and date written on the envelope. In the early days after Elena left for the magic tower, we exchanged letters quite frequently. But as often happens with childhood friends, the interval between exchanges gradually lengthened. I¡¯m not exactly sure what feelings the original Yuri had for Elena. All I have now are memories. But the Yuri in those memories¡ªdidn¡¯t often send letters to Elena, nor did he frequently read hers. There was resistance, but it wasn¡¯t a situation to be swayed by conscience. I read the first letter. Both from Aldor Orphanage. Both 10 years old. The letter detailed how Elena, taken away by the tower master who recognized her talent, was living in her new home. What feelings might the troublemaker Yuri, who remained at Aldor Orphanage fighting with other orphans, have felt from this letter? I continued reading the letters. Elena seemed to be doing well at the magic tower. New friends. Newly learned magic. A life incomparable to that at the orphanage. A new room. A magnificent city. Recognition from those around her. ¡ªThe frequency of letters seriously began to decrease from the age of 14. Elena quickly became an official magician, an exceptional case, and even received her own research lab to devote herself to magic. The content of the letters changed. Different from the past when personal stories and emotions danced together. The letters from 14-year-old Elena were merely perfunctory greetings, and the emotions were dry. At that time, Yuri had stolen for the first time on the streets. At the age of 17. The letter Yuri received when he became independent from the orphanage contained, unusually, more than the customary greetings. Hello, Yuri. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve sent a letter like this. Sorry, I¡¯ve been too busy with my research lately. You¡¯re already 17, aren¡¯t you? If I remember correctly, you¡¯re supposed to become independent from the orphanage at 17, right? Is that still the case? Yuri, what are you going to do after you leave the orphanage? Remember? We talked about this a lot when we were kids. We were too young back then, and knew nothing about the world outside the orphanage. Back then, I wanted to eat candy every day, and you wanted to become a legendary adventurer. I don¡¯t know if you still hold onto that dream, Yuri. The director seemed very worried about you. I¡¯m hesitant to say this, wondering how you¡¯ll take it¡­ But I¡¯m doing really well. Yuri, if you find yourself without a place to go after leaving the orphanage, it¡¯s okay to come find me. Yuri did not go to Elena when he was 17. Since they were 10, Yuri and Elena hadn¡¯t met. After leaving the orphanage, Yuri lived by pickpocketing in back alleys. He vaguely remembered the response he sent to that letter. It¡¯s okay, no need to worry. I can take care of myself. Don¡¯t worry about me, just take care of yourself. He looked at subsequent letters. The usual greetings. Dry emotions. The last letter. Hello, Yuri. I¡¯ve thought a lot after receiving your last reply. You said it¡¯s okay not to send letters anymore. Knowing I¡¯m busy. Yes, I am busy. Not just because of research, but recently, following the advice of the tower master, I¡¯ve been going out more often. What did they say again? A Dercia mage shouldn¡¯t always be a hermit. So, I registered as an adventurer and completed a few simple quests. I reported back that they were too easy, and what do you know? The tower master has a sense of humor, huh? Said if it¡¯s easy, try something harder and arranged a 4th-grade quest for me. Oh, did I mention? I was ranked in the 4th tier after the last magic grade evaluation. Isn¡¯t it too much to ask me, who just reached the 4th tier, to take on a 4th-grade quest? The rank matches, but I still lack experience. And¡­ um¡­ I recently got a house. Not just me, our tower gifts a house to anyone who reaches the 4th tier. It¡¯s debatable whether it¡¯s more convenient than living in the tower or not. It¡¯s nice to have my own space, but unlike the tower, they don¡¯t provide meals every day here. I tried cooking, and honestly, it was terrible. Clearly, I have no talent in cooking, unlike magic. Should I hire a housekeeper? That seems too ostentatious. I don¡¯t like having someone else in my space. Well, that¡¯s how I am. How about you? Are you really doing well? You never write about your situation in your letters. Mr. Gordon and the director don¡¯t talk about you lately either. Are you involved in something bad? You can¡¯t keep living like that forever. I¡¯ll wait for your reply. PS. Sorry, I should have mentioned this first. I got carried away writing. As I mentioned above, I have to leave the tower soon to undertake a 4th-grade quest. It might take at least six months. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not going alone; other adventurers will be with me. I¡¯ll send you a reply once I return from the quest. ¨C Your friend, Elena Haindeulga. After reading all the letters, it was already morning. Yuri, looking at the pile of letters, fell into deep thought. ¡°Tsk.¡± 27-year-old Lee Soo-hyuk and 20-year-old Yuri had a lot in common. Thus, Lee Soo-hyuk could easily empathize with what Yuri felt from those letters. Inferiority. Jealousy. The self-loathing for feeling such things. Yuri did not reply to those letters. The fact that Elena started writing only customary stories in her letters from the age of 14 might have been due to Yuri¡¯s attitude. Or perhaps it was because Elena herself was overwhelmed by reality and realized the inevitable distance between her and Yuri. But one thing was clear. At 17, Elena was genuinely worried about Yuri and encouraged him to come to her. And even in the last letter at the age of 19, she was concerned about Yuri¡¯s life and future. Having nothing but his pride, Yuri rejected Elena¡¯s sympathy. It¡¯s understandable. Elena¡¯s letters subtly boast about herself and indirectly belittle Yuri. And it was true that Yuri lived a life that could be considered dismissible. Perhaps that¡¯s why Yuri kept reading those ridiculous books. Rubbing his stiff back, he stood up from his place. The book thrown on the bed caught his eye. ¡°¡­I should go to the bathroom.¡± Yuri sighed deeply and left the room.