Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Possession
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A few years ago, I ended up slipping into the world of a novel.
And as a woman, no less.
It wasn't like I'd left a lengthy comment for the author and gotten some shady email in return, or passed out from overwork only to wake up here.
I just opened my eyes, and there I was.
If you're asking how I realized this place was from a novel... well, the answer's simple.
It wasn't that the face staring back at me from the mirror was some character I recognized, or that I was the protagonist or anything like that.
No, it was because she looked eerily like me from my past life.
The black hair and dark eyes common to any Korean, sure.
Even that somewhat dim-looking face, right down to the tiny mole under her eye.
If I'd had a sister, she probably would've looked just like this.
But the evidence didn't stop there.
The more I learned about this world, the more it jogged my memory of novels I'd read.
The clincher came when I suddenly heard that an Academy was being built here out of nowhere.
I mean, come on—building an Academy in the real world? That's some next-level fantasy stuff.
So if you're asking which novel this is... honestly, I have no idea.
It's not like I'd read just one or two.
As I said, I hadn't left any long comments or been reading something right before coming here.
'How could anyone remember all those novels...'
I'm not some genius protagonist from the possession stories I read. If anything, my brain's on the mediocre side.
So if you're wondering what I did first after realizing I was in a novel...
I hightailed it to some nameless mountain in the middle of nowhere where no one would ever bother looking for me and hid.
Nothing dramatic about it.
A quick look around told me this wasn't some grimdark, despair-filled world.
If this followed the usual possession tropes from the novels I'd read, then whatever story this was probably had a decent worldview—not too bad.
Real life was depressing enough; reading dark stories just soured my mood.
So I stuck to upbeat ones.
Using that as an excuse, I figured the world would sort out its problems peacefully on its own without me lifting a finger. That's how I ended up settling in this forgotten corner of the mountains.
If I can squeeze in one more excuse...
Even though I'd become a woman, I'd always avoided harem novels, so I wasn't obligated to become some protagonist's trophy here.
And thanks to my past-life looks, I wasn't drop-dead gorgeous or anything. If anything, my somewhat vacant expression probably kept any would-be suitors at bay.
No protagonist was going to fall head over heels for me at first sight.
"Mm."
That's my justification for holing up in these mountains despite ending up in a novel.
Someone looking at me might say:
'You finally get possessed into a novel, and you're playing it way too safe? Why not leverage that knowledge—monopolize some fateful encounter, become a hero, chase grand dreams?'
Now, it's not an excuse anymore; it's time for my honest feelings.
I'm just a timid, cowardly soul by nature.
Me, this alien intruder, stirring things up? It'd only lead to a bad end.
They call it the butterfly effect, right?
Say I righteously chase off some bandits.
But what if those bandits were meant to attack the protagonist, and by taking them out first, I speed up his progress? He misses a crucial opportunity by a hair, and the world ends.
I know, I know—I'm overreacting.
Deep down, I get that this is all pointless delusion on my part.
But like I said, I'm timid and cowardly by nature.
Me fighting to restore peace?
Even a stray dog would laugh.
Still...
Whoever sent me here must already know my true nature.
I showed up without reason, but they didn't send me without one, right?
So all I have to do is live the way I want.
Anyone hearing this far might ask:
'So you're really just doing nothing with your life?'
Sadly, no—that's not it either.
You might be thinking, 'What the hell is this girl?' Just hold your temper and hear me out.
Before coming here, I was your typical subculture fan—loved novels, anime, the works.
Long story short... yeah, I'm an otaku.
In a world brimming with the romance of swords and magic, how could I just sit still?
Mountain life limits my options, sure, as I mentioned.
But I do train based on what I remember from all those novels.
...Nothing fancy.
I can't chant spells I don't know to cast magic, after all.
I'm just swinging around a wooden sword I carved myself, imitating what I've read.
A bit more detail...
This world seems like standard fantasy—kings, nobles, even an Academy popping up.
But vague instructions like 'Feel the mana!' from those fantasy novels? No way.
I swing my sword like in wuxia tales and meditate to circulate the energy stirring inside me...
Yeah, that's my routine.
Honestly, I doubt it's doing much.
No master like in those wuxia protags' stories—just my feeble brain and spotty memory guiding me.
Plus, it's all from amateur novels, not real techniques.
Homebrew stuff, basically.
No real expectations there.
But what else can I do? It's all I've got.
When life hands you scraps, you make do.
Besides, someone like me—who'd never touched a sword—probably has zero talent anyway.
So I'm practicing the Three Fundamental Sword Forms, that staple third-rate technique from wuxia novels. Something even talentless hacks can manage.
Just horizontal slashes, vertical slashes, and thrusts.
Simple and straightforward, right?
Perfect for a fool like me to test the waters.
And so, in this empty mountain, I've repeated it endlessly for what feels like ages.
Until even I lost track of time, years blurring into one another.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "A strong and mighty morning to me today!"
I stretched my arms dramatically toward the sky and kicked open the door.
The door creaked ominously thanks to my daily ritual, but whatever.
If I didn't do something like this, I'd never talk to anyone. It was my boredom-buster, my routine.
I pulled some herbs I'd foraged around the mountains from my pocket and started chewing.
"Ugh, bitter."
I've sampled nearly every plant around here to figure out what's edible, so no issues now.
Early on, I got sick from random weeds plenty of times, but looking back, I've come a long way. Kinda proud.
"...Heh."
A sharp, bitter tang spread through my mouth, clearing my head a bit.
Aside from the chewed herbs, I skip proper meals.
At some point, I realized I could go days without food, no problem.
The herbs alone gave me plenty of energy, so why bother?
"Alright, let's get to it."
As always, I headed to the center of my cleared clearing, sat cross-legged amid the felled trees.
It might be a stretch to call it an inner power cultivation method, but after years of practice, I've got the knack down pat.
The moment I felt something wriggling just below my navel, I spread it through my body with my breathing.
"Hoo."
After a bit, a ring of rainbow light formed above my head, and my body began floating gently in the air.
I remember this phenomenon kicking in after years of circulation training.
But I had no clue what it actually was.
I just reflexively thought, 'Hey, I've grown again!'
"...Ha."
Once I'd stabilized after some time, I opened my eyes, grabbed my wooden sword, and stood.
Then swung.
My forms had evolved far beyond the basics. Once slashes and thrusts felt pointless, I'd experimented with more variety.
Maybe fifteen years now?
Tch, could be more.
Monotonous days dulled my sense of time.
I used to gauge the years by my reflection in the lake, but now even that's useless.
"What was it again..."
One day, agony like my body was ripping apart made me black out.
When I woke, I looked completely rejuvenated.
After that, I stopped aging no matter what.
Something's weird with this body...
Anyway.
I whittled my poses down to the ten flashiest ones and made my own sword sequence.
...Embarrassing to show anyone.
But romantic, right?
Eyes closed, wooden sword in hand, I flowed through the forms like a dance, from first to last.
A small breeze trailed each swing.
"Hoo..."
When I finished the final form and opened my eyes, leaves drifting down from the sky swirled to the ground, tracing a character.
My family name from my past life: Heaven.
The neater script tugged a smile from me.
"Strong and mighty training done for the day!"
Another repetitive day drew to a close.