Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Yuri
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Yuri
“They’re really all dead.”
Gordon had returned after going to check out the Black Snake Gang’s office. Having witnessed the carnage, his face was deathly pale, drained of all color.
“The Black Snake Gang thugs, the Oh Brothers, and all the little punks they dragged around with them.”
“What... what do we do now?”
Gordon let out a heavy sigh and dragged a chair over to sit down.
“What do you mean, what do we do? Those bastards just dropped dead in a pile. I already reported it, so you don’t need to worry about a thing.”
“But still...”
“Enough. I explained your situation too, so you’re in the clear.”
“...”
“The debtors who owed those guys money are probably thrilled, the corpses will get scooped up by some necromancer, and those damn cops will split the loot from the Black Snake Gang’s safe among themselves. That’s it. End of story.”
Gordon paused for a moment and stared straight at Yuri’s face.
“So, what now?”
“...”
“Jang San’s dead, the Black Snake Gang’s gone. What’re you gonna do?”
“I don’t know.”
Hearing the response, Gordon lit a fresh pipe from the one nearby and stuck it in his mouth.
“You gonna go back to pickpocketing like old times?”
A haze of smoke drifted through the air.
“Or now that the Black Snake Gang and the Oh Brothers are out of the picture, you thinking of starting your own crew? Squeeze protection money out of me?”
“No.”
“Well... even if you don’t, some other bastard will end up doing it. Or some out-of-towner like the Oh Brothers will take over. Either way, if you go back to pickpocketing like before... you’ll end up in the same mess again someday.”
Gordon, who’d known Yuri since he was a kid, was giving him sincere advice.
“I’d rather you worked at my general store. Hell, I’ve got a wife and a young kid, so I can’t pass the shop on to you. But if you stick around here long enough, who knows? Maybe you could open your own place someday.”
“I’m not sure.”
Yuri, who’d been listening quietly, bowed his head and replied.
“But I don’t want to go back to pickpocketing or anything like that.”
“Good to hear you think that way.”
From behind the smoke, Gordon broke into a pleased smile.
“You got banged up anyway, so head home, rest up, and think it over.”
Fortunately, Yuri’s place wasn’t far from here. Yuri nodded and started to stand.
He’d slashed his left leg too, figuring even wounds would look more natural spread out rather than just on the upper body. Blood seeped with every step, and he limped badly. Seeing that, Gordon set down his pipe and stood up.
“Looks rough walking. No customers around, so I’ll help you along.”
Can you believe it...? Yuri was genuinely moved by Gordon’s kindness. What the hell was so great about this trash of a guy that he’d treat him this well? Unable to hide his emotion, it showed plainly on his face. Gordon scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
“What’re you staring at? It’s just right nearby.”
But as Gordon moved to support him, he hesitated at Yuri’s touched expression. The guy had been cold and cocky just yesterday—what the hell had happened today to make him look like that?
Gordon steeled himself and crouched down.
“Nah. Hop on my back.”
“Mister...!”
“I might not be able to piggyback you and run like old times, but I’m not so old I can’t carry you to your place right down the street.”
Regret hit the moment he hoisted him up, but Gordon gritted his teeth.
Yuri’s home was in a rundown tenement a few blocks past the general store.
“The... stairs, you handle on your own...”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course I can manage.”
Gripping the stair railing, he bowed his head to Gordon.
“Thank you.”
This time, Gordon looked moved.
“Must be the near-death experience... You’re suddenly so polite.”
That stung a little inside. Just for a thank-you? It really drove home how rotten of a personality the real Yuri must’ve had his whole life.
“In that moment when the blade hit, I thought of you... and Elena.”
Gotta play it bold. Yuri forced a wry smile, name-dropping Elena, whom he’d never even met.
“Go on in, Mister.”
“Alright.”
Confirming Gordon was gone, he climbed the stairs. His leg throbbed, but the railing made it manageable.
The rickety stairs, which could collapse any second, creaked underfoot.
Room 203’s door was as worn and filthy as the stairs. Yuri took a short breath and unlocked it.
Click.
“...”
Yuri’s place was about the size of Lee Soo-hyuk’s old one-room back home.
“Heh...”
He’d known from the memories, but he wasn’t prepared.
“No way.”
A room without a bathroom or kitchen? Yuri stood there blankly for a moment before letting out a hollow laugh.
‘Shoes...’
He almost took them off out of habit, then stopped. That kind of habit gets Possessors killed. Good thing the floor was filthy—no way he’d step on it barefoot.
No bathroom in the room didn’t mean there wasn’t one at all. He wasn’t desperate right now, but you never know. To scope it out and brace himself, Yuri limped back out and down to the first floor.
“Ugh...”
Shared bathroom on the first floor. Pit style, of course. Can’t be helped. Next to it was a shared kitchen with a wood-fired stove, and out back was a well.
“Heh...”
So, that’s it.
Sleep on the second floor, shit and piss on the first, haul water from the well to wash, light a fire in the stove to cook.
Lee Soo-hyuk, who’d never camped a day in his life, held it in unless it was a proper toilet, and showered with hot water daily, felt his mind reel. He’d never done military service, but even that couldn’t be this bad, right?
“Fuck.”
He climbed back to his room. With nothing else to work with, he’d adapt somehow. Trying to think positive, he flopped onto the bed.
Dust-covered window frame, grimy glass. Through it, the world looked gray with overlaid grit. A different world from 2023 Korea—no, Earth—where Lee Soo-hyuk had lived. The continent of Seronis, same as the game Seronis.
One by one.
He tried to accept it.
Before possessing into Yuri, he’d gotten the rundown from Lorellia, priestess of the Goddess of Order, so he had a rough grasp of the situation.
This world was the original canon of the game Seronis. Thirty years had passed since the game’s setting. Not the game world, but a different reality.
A world where Possessors existed—players who’d topped the Hall of Fame before Lee Soo-hyuk.
And this world didn’t view Possessors kindly. To its natives, Possessors were monsters from another world who stole locals’ bodies and rampaged.
Even fellow Possessors weren’t trustworthy. To them, others weren’t kin but rivals.
‘Why fear Possessors just for being good at a game?’
There was a reason.
The souls of these otherworldly Possessors held innate power. Upon possessing a body, they awakened mana affinity and comprehension at the blessed realm.
Awakened Possessors achieved rapid mastery in this world’s magic, martial arts, and such.
That’s why natives saw them as monsters. Stealing bodies was bad enough; gaining immense power on top?
Not every Possessor did monstrous things, of course.
Some lived quietly, some sought the God of Chaos—called the Evil God—to grant wishes or return home.
But others went wild with their new power. Some killed rivals to monopolize wishes or because they didn’t want to go back to Earth.
And some.
Joined the Evil God.
The God of Chaos.
The Evil God.
This arrogant, deathless being took interest in those who’d beaten him in his own game. He dragged the false godslayers here to watch them suffer.
He delighted in their crumbling morals, their corruption sowing chaos. True to his name, he loved disorder, drinking the blood and tears of his malicious playthings dragged from Earth to Seronis.
‘The Goddess of Order stands in direct opposition to the God of Chaos. To shelter the innocent victims, she sent us, her servants, to this place!’
His head throbbed. Yuri rubbed his temples with his fingers and swallowed a sigh.
In this chaos-dominated world, the Goddess of Order was weakened. To track Possessors, she observed the Evil God’s trap, and her priests greeted the souls of top-ranked players.
‘To welcome the souls of players lured here body and soul by the vile Evil God’s trap—ensuring they don’t meet meaningless deaths! Out of warm mercy! Our Goddess of Order sacrificed much...’
Avoiding blind possession was something to be grateful for.
Especially the key warnings.
1.
Don’t rely on game knowledge.
More precisely, don’t try to exploit it easily.
Never depend on ‘settings’ for living beings.
Game and reality differ.
This world’s time flows differently from Earth’s; 30 years had passed since the first Possessor arrived.
Despite that, some game characters still lived on.
NPCs with fixed lines and attack patterns weren’t the same as real people.
Many Possessors had failed this way. They approached NPCs with game info, tried to win favor or ‘clear’ them as in-game.
Most died or got hurt.
2.
Hide that you’re a Possessor.
Obvious. No one here likes them. Assume you’re always at risk of murder.
3.
Don’t trust other Possessors.
Shared crap game origins don’t make bonds. They’re rivals for wishes, return home, etc.—but also—
‘Some Possessors devour others to fatten their souls.’
“No one you can trust.”
Yuri muttered, caressing his still-throbbing wounds.
The predator Possessor issue could be solved with warnings on who to watch, but reality wasn’t that simple.
Priests of Order had gag orders on their assigned Possessors.
Lorellia, Lee Soo-hyuk’s priest, couldn’t reveal numbers, bodies, names, or specific threats.
Possessors who joined the Evil God had even killed their priests, making identification impossible.
Spotting the possession body is the Goddess’s miracle, fixed at soul transfer.
Priests enter the greeting room on revelation, learn the info, and brief before possession.
The Goddess paid with long slumber for those miracles.
“Ugh...”
Yuri groaned, clutching his pounding head. Barely survived, self-inflicted wounds aching, too much to think—life was miserable.
‘Gotta watch locals and Possessors alike...’
No one trustworthy. Even kind Gordon at the store? No—even he’d turn if he learned the real Yuri was dead and this was a Possessor pretending.
The worst brain-melter was #1.
Don’t over-rely on game knowledge—not just characters, but items, skills, acquisition routes.
‘Actually, good.’
Not forced optimism. It suited Yuri well.
30 years since first Possessors. Topping Hall of Fame was like hitting an empty house early, but hidden bosses out-spec’d final ones anyway.
Those who beat them would know game secrets. Unknown how many Possessors came, but assume most hidden items/skills are looted.
If traps meant they never existed? Even better—no jealousy over others snagging them first.
‘They came too.’
Thinking of early Possessors recalled rare game community acquaintances.
Impossible here, but on Earth, a community bonded over shared love of the shit game.
Foreign site, so Lee Soo-hyuk used translators, no original English posts.
Talked how trashy the game was, off-topic chatter. Some shared serious know-how.
Those who hit #1 even once vanished from community and game. He hadn’t taken it seriously then.
They’ve ascended!
Top ranks vanishing was celebrated.
Communities deepen with like-minds.
Yuri—no, Lee Soo-hyuk—had that.
Padrip Immunity.
Ox God Head.
Cat Panties.
FUCKINGSEXY.
USAUSAMI₍ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎.
No urge to meet now, not knowing their changes. But even shallow chat-room ties bred affection.
‘Still alive?’
Last of the five to top Hall of Fame: Lee Soo-hyuk’s Padrip Immunity.
“Should’ve come sooner if I knew.”
Nah, wouldn’t have played at all.
Yuri sighed deeply and sat up.
Not even last among five.
No more Possessors after Lee Soo-hyuk.
He was certain he was the final one.