Creation Talent
Creation Force acquired!
Jihun stared blankly at the message displayed in the corner of his vision.
"What the hell is this..."
The message differed from those that had appeared in the book before. It still glimmered with a soft golden light, but now it was projected directly into his field of view.
Jihun reached out to touch the guidance text at the bottom left of his vision. But his hand passed right through it. It seemed visible only to him.
"Let's see."
He walked over to the mirror on the wall and examined his reflection. Naturally, the text occupying the corner of his vision didn't appear in the mirror. Which meant it was visible only to Jihun himself.
"This feels just like those game fantasy novels."
Jihun had read countless novels. Among them were plenty of game/fusion fantasy stories—ones with status windows, battles, level-ups, and self-empowerment.
The text in his vision felt exactly like a hologram from one of those game fantasy novels.
'But can I make this disappear? It'll be annoying if it's always in my sight.'
A twinge of dissatisfaction flickered in his mind. As if reading his thoughts, the message vanished from his vision in an instant.
"Whoa!"
Jihun exclaimed in admiration. It had disappeared without him saying a word or manipulating anything.
Kim Jihun wished for the message to reappear. Slowly, the familiar text materialized in his vision once more.
Creation Force acquired!
"So it responds to my will."
Jihun gazed at the message with a satisfied smile. It was just a simple phrase, but it made him feel like he'd stepped into a fantasy novel himself.
"What if I try this? Status window."
On a whim, Kim Jihun called out for a status window. He'd guessed that novels with hologram-like interfaces always had a status command.
Surprisingly, his guess proved correct. New text began appearing in the corner of his vision.
Insufficient Creation Force to open status window.
Unfortunately, Jihun couldn't access the status window.
"What? Even viewing the status window requires Creation Force?!"
Jihun shouted in frustration at being unable to even see his status.
'Was he always that handsome?'
Han Seokho tilted his head, staring at Kim Jihun.
Seokho had noticed Jihun changing bit by bit over the past few days.
'He looks even better-looking now. Taller too. And his vibe...'
Kim Jihun had been transforming lately. His once utterly ordinary face was subtly refining, becoming more polished day by day. His height, which hadn't even reached 170cm, had grown to 175cm at some point. His aura had shifted too—from the timid, stifling presence he'd always had to something heavier, more substantial.
The most dramatic change was in Jihun's atmosphere. Charisma, perhaps? The aura he exuded grew more intense with each passing day. The perpetual dampness had faded, replaced by confident poise.
"Hey, you eat some miracle tonic or something?"
"Tonic?"
Han Seokho asked Jihun directly. Jihun responded with a puzzled look.
"You're suddenly killing it on the bike, growing taller... If you've got some super-effective tonic, share it. I wanna try one too."
"Nah, what tonic? You know we don't have money like that."
"Tch, that's why it's weird—you changed outta nowhere."
Jihun laughed at Seokho's reaction. He was satisfied with his current situation. He could feel himself improving every day. Whatever he did, his skills advanced quickly. His height was inching up. His looks were sharpening. And 'my Creation Force is building up.'
Jihun grinned, glancing at the text in the corner of his vision.
He'd recently figured out how to check his Creation Force. It was simple—just think about how much he had, and it appeared.
Over the past few days, Jihun had analyzed various objects to build his Creation Force: pens, desks, chairs, bookshelves, beds—most visible items in his home.
The notable part was that as his Creation Force grew, so did Jihun himself. The more objects he analyzed and delved into their essence, the more Creation Force he gained—and with it, he became handsomer, smarter, and more talented in diverse ways.
Jihun was thrilled with his changes.
'Still can't analyze the computer yet, though. Kinda disappointing.'
Not every object was analyzable. Only those his brain could handle.
For example, pens or simple furniture posed no issue. But modern tech marvels like computers or smartphones? Impossible—his brain couldn't take the strain.
'Someday I'll analyze a computer and get a ton of Creation Force.'
More complex, impressive objects yielded more Creation Force. But they taxed the brain harder. Jihun's current limits prevented it.
Fortunately, he knew he'd eventually handle even computers effortlessly. As his Creation Force rose, the range of analyzable objects expanded.
'Yesterday, I finally managed a wristwatch.'
After persistent tries, he'd succeeded with a wristwatch. He'd been limited to ultra-simple structures before, but this was his first truly "mechanical" item.
His initial pen analysis had given 1 Creation Force. Yesterday's watch yielded 5.
'How much would a complex one like a computer or smartphone give?'
Probably a huge amount.
'But what do I use all this Creation Force for?'
Jihun wondered. He hadn't figured out its applications yet. He just kept analyzing, guided by the message that more Creation Force was needed to interpret the Creator God Manual.
'How much do I need to interpret the manual? And what's inside it?'
The title of the first page in Jihun's Creator God Manual was clearly "Material Creation". Maybe someday he'd create matter at will?
Jihun speculated about the potential future, eagerly anticipating his powers.
"You're growing nicely."
Asrie slowly opened her eyes. Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled like diamonds.
A god's childhood was long. Gods, who lived near-eternal lives fending off the Void to sustain the universe, always craved new stimuli.
Having experienced nearly infinite lives, craving fresh sights and entertainments was the divine race's fate.
Asrie was one such bored god. Despite her noble rank as a high Creation God, she'd managed Earth and its stellar neighborhood for eons.
Amusing events occasionally arose in her domain, but mostly it was repetition.
Thus, she'd grown weary of life's tedium.
But just days ago, Asrie had found something captivating after ages—a human boy with Creation Talent. Kim Jihun.
Since discovering him, she'd observed his every move. Watching him progress via his unique gift was entertaining.
She murmured with a pleased smile.
"I wonder how he'll wield the Creation Talent? Why did the Great Law grant it to a human? Hehe."
Asrie chuckled brightly.
"If Kim Jihun grows more... I could assign him a minor stellar system. It'd help the always-short-on-Creation-Gods divine realm—and provide some fun."
She mused happily about Jihun. Asrie was bored no longer.
"Jihun, wanna do some part-time work?"
Jihun had stopped by Yelim Bookstore as usual. Spotting him enter, Seo Yerim called out with a job offer.
Jihun looked puzzled at her question.
"Part-time? You quitting as clerk?"
"Dad suddenly got hospitalized. Need someone to run the store for a month. Can't stay here full-time if I'm watching over him... You come by often, love books, so I trust you with it."
"Bookstore gig, huh..."
Jihun pondered. Not a bad offer.
School's final class had ended today—break until graduation. Plus, his family wasn't well-off, so he'd planned to work anyway.
'Save up for retaking the exam?'
Lately, Jihun considered retrying. Though he'd bombed the college entrance exam, the Creator God Manual had supercharged his brain. With this intellect, top scores should be easy.
But family finances were the issue. His parents hoped he'd work or enlist right after high school—they weren't flush.
"Just a month? How many hours a day?"
"About 10 hours. Weekends off. Read whatever when no customers. Study too, if you want."
Jihun leaned toward accepting. Earn money, read freely, study—perfect for his dilemma. Not huge pay, but earning himself mattered. He hated burdening his parents.
"I'll do it! When do I start?"
"Tomorrow? Mornings to afternoon."
"Got it!"
Jihun replied energetically and headed home. Early start tomorrow meant early bed.
Seo Yerim watched him go, murmuring.
"Was he always that handsome?"
Her gaze lingered on Jihun's profile slicing through the chilly wind: sharp jaw, straight nose and brows, keen yet refined eyes.
She stood there, staring blankly until he vanished. Her cheeks flushed redder than before.