A Misunderstood Awakening
It was summer.
“My account… my life….”
The Guardian of All Things comforts you, telling you not to worry too much.
“I spent three million won yesterday to max out the new character, and it just vanished overnight! I didn't even get to use it in a raid yet!!!!”
The Guardian of All Things asks why you are worried when you have the 'Ring'.
“W-wait, what? The ring?”
The ring I was wearing on the ring finger of my left hand.
“Check info.”
◈ Effect: An ancient mystery that transcends the boundaries of the world by resonating with the protagonist's soul. At the wearer's will, it summons beings connected by the 'Link of Fate' across the boundaries of the multiverse into reality. The summoned being exerts power proportional to the depth of their bond with the wearer.
◈ Special Effect: When the wearer's mental strength reaches a critical point, all beings with whom a bond is formed manifest temporarily to activate the 'Absolute Protection' state.
◈ Restriction: Cannot be transferred to others. Eternally bound to the wearer's soul.
“So, this ring is an item that lets me meet my game characters?”
The Guardian of All Things praises you, saying our Eunwoo is truly smart.
The item description says it's proportional to the depth of the bond. In other words, does the power change based on how much I 'spent' on them?
…I’m confident about that.
Because most of the characters I pulled were fully maxed out.
Thanks to that, I’d been working part-time jobs since I was a student, and as soon as I turned 20, I worked at every kind of job imaginable.
…Though I never stayed at any of them for more than a year.
But if this is the case, I have to enter the Tower to meet them again, right?
“Let’s enter the Tower!”
The Guardian of All Things stops you, saying you seem drunk right now.
“No! I have to go meet them right now! Wait for me, my daughters!!!!!!”
I shouted “Enter!!!!” at the top of my lungs, but the message that returned was cold as ice.
Tower entry is only possible once per day.
“Midnight has already passed!!!”
The Guardian of All Things says you awakened after midnight yesterday.
Then does that mean I awakened today, not yesterday, and all those things happened today?
“…….”
Ah… is it because I’m drunk?
My brain isn’t working.
The Guardian of All Things says we should just sleep and think about it when we wake up.
“Y-yeah, I should do that… Good night.”
The Guardian of All Things whispers that our Eunwoo should sleep well, too.
* * *
The next morning. When I opened my eyes, my head felt like it was going to split. Is this the hangover everyone talks about?
I checked the clock and it was 6:00 AM. I must have slept through the entire night.
I’d always lived by cutting back on sleep to do homework, run raids, and go on adventures—had I ever slept this long before? Maybe the accumulated fatigue hit me all at once because of the alcohol.
…More importantly, I can enter the Tower now.
“Shall we go!?”
The Guardian of All Things tells you to eat a bowl of hangover soup first.
“…Then shall we go after eating breakfast!?”
The Guardian of All Things asks if you aren't going to register at the Awakened Association.
“T-then shall we go to the Tower after eating breakfast and registering at the Association!?”
The Guardian of All Things sighs, shakes their head, and says that our Eunwoo used to be so kind but has changed.
“No, there are people inside!”
The Guardian of All Things says the only person there is our Eunwoo.
“…….”
Sniffling, I countered with, “Facts are violence to someone,” but I decided to follow their advice when they told me to wash up.
After showering, I had a hearty breakfast at the soup place in front of my house and headed to the ‘Awakened Association’ in Yeouido.
I couldn't register before, but now it was different.
I was an owner who possessed not only a unique ability but also a ‘Primordial’ item.
The Guardian of All Things asks if you are going to reveal your abilities.
“Of course. If I get support from the Association, the annual salary is enormous.”
Hiding one's strength is something only losers do.
If you have power, you should declare it proudly.
I have this much power! So treat me accordingly, I’d say.
Of course, if they try to pull any tricks to use me, I’ll flip the table immediately.
Ever since my parents passed away and my relatives took all the remaining inheritance, leading to me being kicked out of the orphanage, my instincts for reading people have been incredibly sharp. Maybe that’s when it started. I absolutely hate being used by others.
“Let’s go register first.”
I took the subway, got off at Yeouido Station, and as I walked up to the surface, the ‘Awakened Association’ came into view at a glance.
I stared at the building, which stood tall at 40 stories, then walked into the lobby, where a security guard approached me. He asked for my business with the typical expression of a corporate employee.
“What is your business here?”
“I’m here to register as an Awakened.”
“This way.”
Following the guard’s guidance, I went inside and saw several people sitting on chairs with anxious looks in their eyes. They were of different ages and genders, but the desperation in their eyes was the same.
“Please… please….”
“Please, a good ability….”
“C-rank… no, just B-rank….”
Some people come here after awakening like me, but others visit just in case.
Those people seemed to belong to the latter, clasping their hands together and praying desperately—it was somewhat pitiful.
I was like that once, too.
“Please sit here and fill out your personal information, and we will call you in order.”
“Okay.”
I wrote my name, age, and contact information on the form provided and handed it over. Before long, they called my name.
“Lee Suhyun. You’ve visited once before. Unfortunately, you were a non-awakened back then, but we hope it’s different this time.”
“Thank you.”
Following the staff’s instructions, I placed my hand on the crystal ball, and it began to glow brightly.
Soon after, an A4 sheet of paper came out of the connected machine, and the staff member nodded after seeing the results.
“You have been confirmed as an Awakened. Here is your result sheet.”
The A4 paper should have the same content as my status window anyway… wait, what is this?
The content of the result sheet was displayed completely differently from what I knew.
“Unfortunately, since you have no unique or special abilities, you are scheduled to be issued an F-rank Awakened card. Some people awaken their abilities later, so please don’t be too discouraged.”
The staff member looked at me with a pitiful gaze.
I stared at the staff member with my mouth wide open, and they avoided my eyes.
“Ch-cheer up.”
With those words, I was kicked out of the testing room, and perhaps sensing the atmosphere, I received the pitiful gazes of the people outside.
“Oh my… the results must be bad.”
“Too bad….”
“Poor guy.”
The guide led me, who was just standing there blankly, to the lobby, and their last words were “Cheer up.”
No… I… I have good abilities…?
My level had gone up by two, and I had another special ability. Ah, I just need to show them my abilities, right?
“W-wait a minute. Look at this.”
“Y-yes?”
I grabbed the guide who was trying to leave and used ‘Inventory,’ but it was useless.
Outside the Tower, you can only withdraw items.
There was nothing in my inventory currently.
“I’ll excuse myself now.”
I stared blankly at the guide who bowed and returned to their seat, then suddenly, the ring on my finger caught my eye.
Right, I can prove it with this!
“Item…! Where is the item appraisal center!?”
“You can go up to the 3rd floor.”
As soon as I heard ‘3rd floor’ from a staff member in the lobby, I used the emergency stairs to try and appraise my item, but even that was useless.
“My, unfortunately, measurement is impossible. In this case… it’s not an item.”
“W-what!? Isn’t it possible that it can’t be appraised because the item grade is too high!?”
“That could be the case, of course, but… this facility can measure up to ‘Epic’ grade.”
With the words that no equipment beyond that existed, I was kicked out yet again.
It was summer.