Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Yuri
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Yuri
The reason Lee Soo-hyuk was certain no more possessors would come over was simple.
His game character, 'Padrip Immunity,' had set a Hall of Fame #1 record that would never be broken.
In fact, he could've taken #1 a long time ago, but he'd deliberately held off.
It wasn't for any grand reason. What Lee Soo-hyuk was aiming for was an overwhelming #1. Not just any #1, but one with a massive gap over #2.
Lmao: Hit world #1 on this shitfest trash game? Insane??
He'd vowed to one day post something like that, retrying the game multiple times a day.
He didn't want to crawl up the ranks in some mediocre, stagnant way either, so if things weren't shaping up perfectly, he'd let himself die on purpose and reset the character.
The other four people he exchanged tips with were also freaks who'd smashed #1 records multiple times. They weren't content with a quick #1 stint—they aimed to hold it long-term. So when someone who hit #1 vanished, Lee Soo-hyuk and the rest didn't mourn or go looking for them.
If they'd finally planted themselves in that held-back #1 spot, it meant they were confident enough. Clinging to them and begging for know-how was embarrassing. A #1 player was supposed to disappear on their own. It was up to the survivors to topple that record.
If they got cold feet after seeing it broken later, they could just reclaim #1 themselves.
No one ever came back. Not Cat Panties, not Ox God Head, not FUCKINGSEXY, not USAUSAMI₍ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎—none of them returned to stake their claim on the leaderboard again.
Of course, they'd finally achieved enlightenment. Why would they have any regrets left to dive back into this hell?
'They couldn't come back because they got possessed.'
Who could've guessed the truth was something like this.
'Ah, really...! Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk! Do you know how long I've, Lorellia, been waiting for you? When will you finally come? Isn't it about time? You've already broken the #1 record—why do you keep killing yourself?'
Lee Soo-hyuk's habit of suiciding right before #1 and starting over from scratch had apparently become famous even among the priests of the Order Church who observed the game.
'And today, at last! Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk's Padrip Immunity has claimed #1 with an overwhelming record! #1 achieved! Congratulations! You might not know this, Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk, but I, Lorellia, am deeply moved to meet you like this! To think I'd become your assigned priestess—it's truly an honor and a joy!'
'Who knew I'd hear congratulations after getting possessed.'
The first time he met Lorellia, who was gushing so enthusiastically it was embarrassing for him.
When he learned she was actually in charge of violence, not possessors.
He'd thought he was truly screwed, but now that he was in this world, having Lorellia as his assigned priestess might've been a blessing.
The fact that 'Yuri' had barely escaped death once already was thanks to the training she'd given him.
'Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk! Possessors have tons of enemies! Avoiding foes is the best self-defense, of course, but no matter how prepared you are, unexpected encounters can happen!'
'I, Lorellia, believe this: The most perfect self-defense is possessing the strength to survive any situation! Teaching your would-be killers firsthand why mortals are mortals! Crushing potential enemies in advance! That's the ultimate self-defense!'
Violence that no one would believe came from a priestess.
'In our world where order has crumbled, the law doesn't fully protect the weak! Especially for possessors—it's no exaggeration to say there's no law safeguarding them at all! That's why you must grow stronger!'
'Violence is an excellent tool for negotiation and dialogue in most situations! Petty violence is worthless, but sufficient violence holds more value than a fortune in certain scenarios!'
A hymn to violence, preaching that the fist outranks the law, and the sword the pen.
Lee Soo-hyuk, living on 2023 Earth, couldn't relate to those words at first.
But after getting thoroughly thrashed by Lorellia, rolling on the floor multiple times.
After slashing Oh Bong-seok's ankle to drop him and dodging slow-motion Oh Bong-chun's axe to snap his neck.
Now he thought Lorellia was right.
'Strength.'
Yuri forced his throbbing body to stand.
'If I have the strength to not die, it doesn't matter if they find out I'm a possessor.'
Besides, this world was full of life-threatening dangers even for non-possessors. With strength, at least he wouldn't end up stabbed to death like Black Snake Gang runt Yuri.
Yuri pressed the bandage on his still-oozing wound and stood before the mirror.
Yuri's unfamiliar face stared back. His curly black hair was a greasy mess, but honestly, the face itself was far better than Lee Soo-hyuk's original one...
"Ethnic glow-up, huh..."
Yuri murmured, stroking his sharp nose bridge.
He stripped off his rag of bloodstained clothes.
A sturdy build with decent muscle. The split pecs and defined abs were leagues better than Lee Soo-hyuk's original scrawny frame. This wasn't just an ethnic thing.
"Civilizational difference..."
He blamed it on something else instead. No delivery apps in this world, after all.
His gaze lingered on the scars scattered across his body.
Jagged, poorly healed gashes from slashes and stabs. A burn mark on his chest looked like it'd been branded with a hot iron.
Trophies from a life leaving the orphanage at 17, scraping by in back alleys, and joining the shady Black Snake Gang.
'At least no tattoos besides the scars. Lucky.'
He turned to check his back. More scars there too, but no ink. Just to be sure, he tugged down his pants a bit—no tattoos down there either. Good.
Body check done, he rummaged through the room.
First, the desk drawer.
A few daggers, some books. His memories had integrated enough for natural speech, but could he read? He eyed a book title with belated worry—thankfully, yes.
[Basic Mana Introduction]
[Anyone Can Become a Mage]
[Three Disasters Sword Art]
[Wind Origin Heart Method]
Yellowed with age. Used books Yuri had bought from Oldor's biggest bookstore.
Flipping through, he saw Yuri's handwritten notes.
"..."
As Yuri had vaguely suspected but ignored, even a quick skim confirmed it.
These books were fakes.
The mana intro, the Wind Origin Heart Method, the Three Disasters Sword Art—all full of vague abstractions, no proper explanations.
Maybe all mana guides and martial manuals in this world were like this, and Lee Soo-hyuk just couldn't grasp them from another world.
'Mr. Lee Soo-hyuk, the body you're possessing—Yuri's—is the epitome of incompetence, not holding even a speck of mana at that age.'
'Of course, it's not your fault, but I, Lorellia, will personally infuse this worm-like wretch with qi. You're welcome. Priests aren't supposed to teach possessors about mana during induction, normally.'
Lorellia had said Yuri's body held not a scrap of mana. Even if the books weren't fake, he'd gotten nothing from them.
[Anyone Can Become a Mage]
This one preached that anyone, no matter how late or talentless, could become a mage.
It's not lack of effort keeping you from being a mage. Not lack of will or talent. Like a cicada underground for years before emerging, like a seed waiting to bloom into a mighty tree. You just haven't hit your time yet.
Your efforts will be rewarded someday. Don't rush—dream of a hopeful future...
"This is some fucking self-help book?"
Yuri snorted and chucked the isekai self-help across the room.
So.
Orphan-born, petty thief turned 20-year-old Black Snake Gang runt—Yuri had wanted to become a mage or warrior.
Stashing dubious used magic and martial arts books in his drawer, putting in effort, finding solace in them when progress stalled.
Yuri's memories flooded in. The current Yuri wasn't the old one, so the old emotions didn't come with them.
But he felt something now. A bitter taste. Yuri plopped onto the filthy floor.
He sat in lotus position, as Lorellia had taught.
Original Yuri had no internal energy or mana. Nothing from those books. But now he was different.
Possessors awaken massive mana affinity and comprehension upon entering this world. With a trigger, they naturally become mages or warriors.
Yuri already had his 'trigger'—thanks to his priestess, Lorellia.
Teaching mana during induction was forbidden. No guarantee the possessor was a good person.
But Lorellia knew it was taboo and risked punishment to make Yuri understand mana anyway.
She called it 'qi' and 'internal energy,' but it was the same thing. Just labeling—in games, mana for mage builds, qi/internal energy for warrior ones.
"Huuu..."
All it took was focus and awareness.
This wasn't normal breathing. He wasn't inhaling air. He sensed the mana, the qi, dissolved within it.
That's it. Possessors grasp 'qi' just from that.
"Guh."
His breath caught. Not blood clogging his throat—it was 'qi' entering with the breath. Tasteless, odorless.
Mind and posture couldn't waver. He'd heard enough about qi deviation risks to get calluses on his ears. As Lorellia instructed, he guided the first real-world qi into his meridians.
Inhaled qi was impure, murky. But via heart method, impurities exhaled as turbid breath, refined qi flowing through meridians to his dantian.
Lorellia said this heart method was the Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art.
"..."
He opened his eyes.
Time had passed—the light outside had changed. Sweat-soaked, Yuri rose and approached the window. Opening the grimy gray pane let cool wind soothe his fevered skin.
Dawn.
"...Next time, window open."
Yuri glanced at the books tossed on the bed and turned away.
The large drawer in the corner.
Seeing it soured his mood. Yuri hesitated, then approached.
Miscellany, clothes...
Bottom drawer.
"Sigh."
Letters.
Seeing them, Yuri bit his lip unconsciously. He knew who they'd been exchanged with.
The only one Yuri consistently wrote to was his orphanage childhood friend, Elena.
—Elena Haiderga.
Unlike surname-less Yuri, Elena had a proper family name.
A natural magic prodigy, she'd handled mana from age 10 without teachers.
Oldor's orphanage director, hopeful, wrote to various magic towers. The lord of Derusia Magic Tower, famed for thunder magic, took interest and came personally.
'Heavenly Thunder Orca Derusia.'
A magic tower lord he'd killed dozens of times in-game. Unlike Black Dragon Society's Ferocious Monster, decapitated and quartered, Heavenly Thunder Orca still ruled Derusia Magic Tower.
She recognized Elena's talent. Elena entered Derusia Magic Tower.
Ten years later. No meetings since, but Yuri and Elena still exchanged letters.
But for ten years' worth, there weren't many.
He sorted the envelopes by year and date.
Frequent at first, right after Elena left for the tower—like typical childhood friends, intervals lengthened over time.
Yuri wasn't sure what feelings original Yuri had for Elena. He only had memories now.
But memory-Yuri didn't write or read her letters often.
There was resentment, but no room for conscience.
He read the first letter.
Fellow Oldor orphan. Same age, 10. Elena, talent-recognized and fetched by the tower lord herself, detailed her new life.
Troublemaker Yuri, still brawling with orphans in Oldor, what did he feel reading this?
He kept reading.
Elena seemed to be thriving in the tower.
New friends. New spells.
Life incomparable to the orphanage.
New room. Cool city. Recognition all around.
—The letters tapered off sharply from age 14.
Elena rocketed through apprentice ranks unprecedentedly, became a full mage, got her own lab, dove into magic.
Letter contents shifted.
No more personal stories or emotions dancing. 14-year-old Elena's letters were rote greetings, dry.
That year, Yuri pickpocketed on streets for the first time.
Age 17.
The letter when Yuri left the orphanage had rare extra content beyond greetings.
Hey, Yuri.
It's been ages since I wrote.
Sorry, been swamped with research.
You're 17 now, huh. I remember turning 17 meant leaving the orphanage—still the rule?
Yuri, what'll you do after? Remember? We talked about this tons as kids.
We were too young, knew zilch about the world outside.
I wanted candy every day; you wanted to be a legendary adventurer.
Dunno if you still dream that, but Yuri—the director worries about you a lot.
I hesitate how you'll take this, but...
I'm doing great.
Yuri, if you leave the orphanage with nowhere to go, you can come find me.
17-year-old Yuri didn't go to Elena.
No meetings since age 10. Post-orphanage Yuri survived on back-alley pickpocketing.
He vaguely recalled his reply.
Fine, no worries. I can handle myself. Don't worry about me, focus on you.
Later letters.
Rote greetings.
Dry emotions.
Last letter.
Hey Yuri.
Your last reply gave me lots to think about.
You said no need for more letters.
You know I'm busy, yeah.
Busy is true.
Not just research—lately, out often on tower lord's advice.
What'd she say? Derusia mages can't be shut-ins.
So I registered as an adventurer, took some easy quests.
Reported too easy; tower lord's a tease—gives me a rank-4 quest next.
Oh, mentioned it? Passed magic tier exam, hit 4th tier.
Even so, fresh 4th-tier me on rank-4? Too much? Tier matches, but I'm green.
And... um... got my own house lately. Not just me—our tower gifts houses at 4th tier.
Comfier than tower dorms? Or not? More personal space good, but no daily meals here.
Tried cooking—disaster. No talent there, clearly.
Hire a maid? Too flashy. Hate others in my space.
Anyway, me aside. You? Really okay? You never update in letters.
Gordon and director never mention you lately. You in trouble?
Can't keep that up forever.
Awaiting reply.
PS. Sorry, should've said first—forgot amid writing. Like I said, heading out soon for rank-4 quest, leaving tower. Maybe half-year round trip.
Don't worry. Not solo—other adventurers too.
Reply after quest.
—Your friend, Elena Haiderga.
Morning by the time he finished. Yuri stared at the piled letters, lost in thought.
"Tch."
27-year-old Lee Soo-hyuk and 20-year-old Yuri had much in common.
That's why he could easily empathize with what Yuri felt from those letters.
Inferiority.
Jealousy.
Self-loathing for feeling that way.
Yuri never replied to that last one.
Elena switching to rote letters from 14 might've been due to Yuri's attitude. Or her realizing unavoidable distance in reality.
But one thing was clear: 17-year-old Elena genuinely worried for Yuri, invited him over.
And in the 19-year-old finale, she fretted over his life and future.
Prideful Yuri with nothing else rejected her pity.
Understandable.
Elena's letters subtly boasted, condescended toward Yuri.
Yuri was living a dismissible life.
Maybe that's why he devoured those shitty books.
Rubbing his stiff back, Yuri stood.
[Anyone Can Become a Mage]
The book lay tossed on the bed.
"...Time to hit the bathroom."
Yuri sighed deeply and left the room.