Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Yuri
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Yuri
Yuri, the former pickpocket, was always cautious about his room getting robbed, so he had hidden money all over the place.
When gathered together, there was so much that he thought it might be better to just buy a safe.
In the corner of the bed, he found Yuri's diary.
Since he needed to understand the personality and emotions separate from the memories, the diary's existence was important.
It wasn't written every day without fail.
Only occasionally, when he couldn't sleep. When he lay blankly on the bed hating himself and his surroundings, wanting to scribble something down. When his chest or head was overflowing and he needed to pour it out.
It was that kind of diary, and it wasn't really a diary in the usual sense.
Like that type of diary, there were hardly any stories about the day's events—mostly sticky emotions. Naturally, most of them were negative loathings.
The Yuri who wrote the diary knew he was trash, and that living like this would turn him into trash that doesn't even burn. The Black Snake Gang wasn't a proper organization. It could disappear anytime without surprise, and if it did, no one would care. To live properly, he needed to cut ties with the Black Snake Gang...
But he needed money.
Enough to leave this rural area. Enough to settle anywhere.
Yuri had been saving money to leave the city. Leave the city and live a slightly better life, and if possible, learn magic or martial arts formally... If not, start some other work...
From the diary filled with such rambling thoughts, one could glimpse the insight of 20-year-old Yuri. In the end, the Black Snake Gang was wiped out just as Yuri had thought, and he died from a stab wound in the process.
But fortunately, the money was left behind.
At first, he used the savings little by little to get accustomed to the world. He bought things he immediately needed and ate out.
From the fourth day, he prowled the communal kitchen on the first floor. He bought ingredients from the nearby market and cooked based on Yuri's memories.
Even if it was just hard bread like stones from outside stir-fried with mystery scraps of meat. Strangely, eating that tasteless food brought tears streaming down.
He missed white rice and kimchi. Noodles led by ramen. Stir-fried pork. Chicken. Pork hocks, bossam, and so on.
He also got used to the flush toilet on the first floor of the communal housing.
Not that he wanted to get used to it—he had to.
No matter how dirty the toilet was. Even with finger-sized bugs crawling everywhere and the stench overwhelming, if you eat, you have to shit. If you don't, there's a problem.
Fortunately, Yuri's body had no such issues. It was actually very healthy.
"Fuck."
Even the cold well water poured from head to toe became familiar.
He also got used to the daily meditation.
Circulating energy and breathing, mana cultivation.
Depending on the cultural sphere, only the name differs—the content is the same. Sitting still in meditation to accumulate mana or qi in the body.
-Even if it's uncomfortable and painful, maintain the correct posture! Lee Soo-hyuk, keep that in mind! My advice, Lorellia's, is worth its weight in gold!
There was no need to follow the Wind Origin Heart Method or Basic Mana Introduction that reeked of fraud. In a desperate situation, Lorellia's advice truly was worth its weight in gold.
He didn't know how superior the Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art was, which he learned directly from Lorellia, but its grandiose name suggested it was of an extremely high grade.
"There wasn't a martial art with that name in the game."
If it had been in the game, he could have gauged its value immediately, but since it was unfamiliar, he couldn't measure it.
Whether because the Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art was an excellent heart method, or due to the possessor's mana affinity and comprehension, every time he circulated energy and breathed, the mana swelled unnaturally.
A possessor who survives would inevitably become a monster. He understood why the natives of this world hunted possessors early on, and why possessors killed each other.
"This is..."
Dangerous.
After ten days had passed, Yuri felt a strong sense of crisis. Blindly continuing meditation to build inner power wasn't entirely wise.
Just accumulating a ton of inner power wasn't the answer. If the body was frail, it couldn't withstand its own inner power.
Even when he shattered Oh Bong-chun's jaw recently, his wrist twisted and skin scraped. Even if inner power could strengthen the body, he felt the need for basic external training.
He added bodyweight exercises to his daily routine and started punching the wall by the window.
"I need martial arts."
He had the Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art as a heart method. He also had a technique called Holy Flame Force Emission, but he thought it was insufficient. If possible, he wanted to learn another fist technique.
What about using a weapon?
"No!"
If Lorellia heard, she would have yelled.
"A body tempered to the extreme surpasses any weapon. Weapons are for cowards who lack the courage to thrust their body into the line of death."
"Fists aren't stronger than swords."
"That's prejudice. A tempered fist can shatter even a sword!"
"A sword can cut a fist without being tempered...?"
"Hit the swordsman before the sword cuts you!"
Lorellia, who taught Lee Soo-hyuk, despised weapons.
"Of course, tempering weapons might allow slightly easier lethality than tempering the body. But! Once you reach a high realm, the one who tempered only the body surpasses those who tempered both body and weapon in physical prowess. And since mana ultimately comes from one's own body, whether sword-body unity or divine weapon fusion or whatever, wrapping it directly around your body is the most natural, correct, and strong!"
Her rapid-fire words carried an unyielding will that allowed no rebuttal. Lee Soo-hyuk, who knew little of mana or sword-body unity, could only nod at the time.
"Fist techniques don't fall from the sky."
Just in case, he checked Oldor's bookstores, but proper fist technique manuals wouldn't be in a rural city bookstore like this.
"You can just create the skill yourself!"
He recalled Lorellia's golden advice again.
In this world, possessors who were revealed and survived strong were those who manifested game skills in reality. Not exactly the same, but combining magic or martial arts according to verified game builds.
But for Yuri, that was difficult.
His character, "Padrip Immunity," didn't use weapons to begin with.
Didn't wear armor either.
His build centered on a skill that granted additional stats per sealed equipment slot based on total stats. The seals increased with game progression, and at the final point, "Padrip Immunity" was in underwear with no equipment.
Stacking additional stats. Blessings granted by combat flow.
Evasion rate breaking system limits.
High-damage skills consuming stamina.
Stats pumped further with reduced stamina, additional stats recalculated by total, berserk amplification at near-death, sustain with life steal...
Covering defense from equipment with stamina pots, maintaining health cuts through control alone, fighting based on the massive additional stats gained—that was Padrip Immunity's concept.
But realizing a concept of running around in panties without armor or weapons wasn't possible in reality, not a game. Stats don't rise just because you don't carry weapons or wear armor.
Still, he could build something similar.
Lorellia's Holy Flame Force Emission was for bare fists anyway, and his familiar build was specialized in unarmed fighter. He couldn't help the panty outfit, but other skills might be acquirable later.
In the end.
Yuri had to give up weapon-based martial arts like sword or spear techniques. Humans' strength is using weapons—insisting on bare-handed fighting after abandoning weapons was like choosing to become a chimp?
"No, don't chimps use weapons too...?"
In a movie he saw before, chimps were shooting guns. Anyway, once heart method attainment rose, he could shoot inner power like bullets bare-handed.
External training for the body. Need for combat-useful martial arts.
Other points of crisis.
"Yuri" was a mana dud.
He diligently read Basic Mana Introduction and Wind Origin Heart Method but achieved nothing. If he suddenly walked around with a filled dantian? If it were someone who didn't know, fine, but anyone who knew Yuri would suspect, right?
Suspicion targets weren't just acquaintances. To avoid possessor suspicion, he needed to hide it himself.
He recalled Lorellia's golden advice again.
Possessors' affinity. It meant freely manipulating mana. Depending on effort direction, even new magic or martial arts could be created...
Actually, that advice was demanding panty play befitting "Padrip Immunity" from Yuri, but no matter how he thought, that concept was impossible in reality. You don't get stronger wandering in panties.
The key was "can create."
Hoping for references, he revisited library-like places, but no results again.
"You eating something good lately?"
He truly felt the crisis when meeting Gordon at the general store.
"Y-Yeah? Why?"
"No, your complexion looks brighter. Skin smooth, no dark circles."
He hadn't eaten anything good. Just operated Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art daily. A few hours like that cleared the mind and refreshed the body.
Sometimes blackish or yellowish sweat with a foul odor came out... How to put it. It felt like toxins leaving the body, especially improving condition.
"Ah, n-no. Not eating anything good. Just resting well at home lately?"
He bluffed and hurried home.
"I'm fucked.'
Standing naked in front of the mirror, the differences were clear. Dry skin now smooth, dark circles gone, hollow eyes sparkling.
He needed a countermeasure.
He couldn't help the vibrant body, but inner power had to be concealed.
In the end, he hit his head on bare ground.
He examined inner power flow through meridians and dantian. Block meridians? Or twist to block dantian—make it seem like no inner power externally?
No way. He nearly died. Just slightly twisting the smoothly flowing inner power caused agony like his insides flipping. Pain so intense he couldn't scream.
Three days sprawled convulsing, barely recovering on the fourth. Even that was thanks to possessor's mana affinity and Heavenly Principle Annihilating Evil Art; otherwise, twisted meridians wouldn't realign.
"This won't work."
Maybe later, but not at current level. After discarding soiled clothes with sweat and embarrassments, washing up, he emerged after five days.
Thud.
Something wedged in the door crack fell to the floor.
"What?"
No sender or recipient on the letter. Who? When? No knock heard while bedridden?
A minor mistake prevented delivering the message.
Are you alive?
I believe you are. You're not one to die from such a trifle.
Actually, I know. If dead, I'd know somehow.
If worried about me, no need.
As said when parting, I fear no reprimand.
This is the promised gift.
It's called Veil of Deception.
Special in many ways, I mention.
My family grumbled at going this far, but I keep promises.
Whatever, fact is my family benefited thanks to you. I think such recompense necessary; family eventually agreed.
Family decided to accept my unilateral action.
Also atonement for failed delivery.
At once, recompense to you and warning to me.
Treat you this specially, so if wrong, I take direct responsibility.
Of course, prepared for that.
Only I know you, so I must bear responsibility.
Be at peace.
P.S.
Only you can open this letter; explodes one minute after.
No worry tracking. Conversely, don't try.
No noisy tone.
"Family" said indirectly. But who sent it, whose family—immediately clear.
"Right..."
Too busy first weeks as Yuri, forgot.
Recompense for overwhelming Hall of Fame record, preventing other possessors.
Record might break someday, but time flow differs—decades here without another.
Order Church, purposing rectify chaos, welcomes no more possessors.
"Veil of Deception...!"
Yuri beamed, flipping the envelope.
Clink.
Thin necklace fell. Unknown material, no special ornament.
"No, wait. Explode?"
Set necklace aside, placed letter down.
Already over a minute? As thought—Whoosh! Letter ignited. Despite "explode," burned to black ash.
"If exploding, why say explode?"
Absurd, but couldn't argue.
Veil of Deception.
Remembered the item.
When level gap huge, inconvenient: weak monsters avoid. They flee instead.
Usually convenient skipping bothersome fights, but for specific grinding, chase monsters—very annoying.
Veil of Deception needed then. Wear, monsters charge normally regardless level gap.
Item beloved by Padrip Immunity maintaining low HP.
Yuri examined Veil of Deception. Didn't grasp why needed now, but tried wearing.
-Twitch.
"Wh-what?"
Tried grabbing in shock, couldn't. Necklace stuck to skin, burrowed inside.
No pain, but thin chain necklace sinking into skin vanishing—shocking.
Stroked smooth neck no protrusion, soon realized, sat.
Dantian and meridians felt off. Closed eyes, focused, contemplated—understood necklace role, how game "Veil of Deception" applied here.
Externally, Yuri now seemed without inner power or mana.
Item deceiving as named.
Exactly what Yuri desperately needed, as letter said. Stroking neck, he let out hollow laugh.
"If only a week earlier..."
No need agonizing two days, convulsing three, groaning recovery one.
Brief grumble, then knelt.
Toward unknown Order Church. And Goddess of Order in long slumber, offered thanks prayer.
Lived lifelong atheist, but direct gift—naturally believe god exists, offer thanks.
Finished kneeling prayer, floor felt renewed.
Cleared five days' secretions and fresh ash, washed regrettably soiled clothes thoroughly, bathed—day gone.
27-year-old Lee Soo-hyuk thus lived one month as 20-year-old Yuri.
*
Recently, Yuri started new challenge.
Changing face.
Wuxia novels, comics had such martial arts.
Name forgotten, but use inner power twist face muscles, bones—wuxia plastic surgery.
"Body change possible too? But face alone great start?"
One month as Yuri, realized.
If possible, discard "Yuri" name soonest.
Didn't meet Gordon often, deliberately distanced. Casual long chats risk tailing.
More awkward: Gordon, face met living same street, than childhood friend parted 10 years, letter-only.
Plus, even with Veil of Deception, living as "Yuri" risky.
Succeed face change, freer action. Leave note for Gordon, depart city, buy forged ID...
-Knock.
Problem: face changing not easy as thought. Muscles move well, bone twisting no knack. Nearly died tweaking meridians weeks ago—hesitant bold attempt.
-Knock knock.
"Who?"
Stopped glaring mirror, twitching facial muscles. Persistent knocks. Gordon for meal? Ignored, but too tenacious.
Kept silent, no voice. Pretend absent, whoever leaves. Maybe Lorellia? Unlikely visit personally.
Back to mirror, twitching eye muscles for double eyelid, adjust size—
Crack!
Door shattered.
"...?"
Yuri stopped abruptly, stood.
Door-breaker strode in, eyes met Yuri's.
"Why pretend not home?"
Blonde woman glared at Yuri.