Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Quest Reward
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"Shit! My twenty million won!!"
He'd left behind a sword worth twenty million won! Half his entire fortune, invested in that blade, gone in an instant.
He checked his [Temporary Inventory] just in case, but of course, it wasn't there. Only the porter gear he hadn't managed to withdraw remained.
"Ha... fuck... my life."
All his strength drained away.
A murderous rage boiled up toward those thug bastards. If they were in front of him right now, he'd beat them to death without a second thought.
'Not that there's any chance of that... sigh.'
Thinking of them brought back the moment of his death, making him even more irritated.
He scowled, venting his anger for a good while.
'Wait. Something feels off.'
Something nagged at him. He couldn't make sense of what had just happened.
Thinking about it calmly, running away had been the right call. There was no way a child's body could beat a healthy adult man. Fleeing was the tactically sound choice.
Instead, if he'd run, the kid hiding in the corner would have been even safer, and he'd have had a higher chance of survival himself.
'Why did I do that?'
At the time, it had felt natural to draw his sword and fight those guys.
He'd absorbed the child's memories and lost his clear judgment. Besides, he wasn't the type to risk his life for others. Let alone for a kid whose memories he'd inherited but never actually met.
'...Did our personalities mix?'
It didn't feel that way now, but it had then. At least now, he couldn't understand that judgment.
'Gotta be careful.'
He realized the danger: accessing a reincarnation could mix memories and alter his personality. He needed countermeasures.
At the very least, he didn't want to be swayed by someone else's memories.
'...What's done is done.'
To lift his sinking mood, he forced himself to think of the positives.
Forcing positive thoughts during depression—an old habit from his porter days. Simple mind control, but surprisingly effective.
Sure enough, pondering revealed a major gain.
'Learning that I return to my original body even after death is a huge win.'
And this wasn't some hypnotic past-life experience. It was vivid reality. Though brief, the life felt in that other world was real.
No matter how he looked at it, it was closer to isekai possession than reincarnation.
'Something's weird.'
It was far from the typical reincarnation stories.
Suddenly recalling a message that had flashed by earlier, he checked the logs.
You have become the owner of All Things Reincarnation.
The very first message after awakening. He opened his smartphone and searched the hanja meaning.
'All Things. That's basically everything in the world. Reincarnation... huh? Not 'previous life,' but 'complete' life?'
No wonder it felt off.
He could do whatever he wanted with his own will.
Nodding roughly, he thought about 'reincarnation access.' It seemed like the ability to possess and live as someone else.
The moment he realized that.
'This is insane.'
A chilling thrill ran through him. This time, poor preparation led to a lame end, but properly using [Inventory] could yield massive gains.
As he mulled over the upsides.
A truly joyful message arrived.
[Martial Arts Earth] Karma calculation completed.
> Karma: You protected the child who was originally fated to cower in fear and be sold off. The child, who will become the Sword Phoenix in the future, was drawn by the scent of blood and found by a master, becoming a disciple of the Hidden Forest.
> Obtained 1,526 Karma
> Acquired skill [Low-Grade Martial Bone]
'...Fated to cower and be sold off?'
The kid had been a bit brave, but yeah, a child might do that.
Once he'd possessed the body and gained a sliver of power, he'd charged in recklessly. But getting one-sidedly beaten would have erased any courage.
Anyway, relief washed over him that So-hyang was safe. The kid he'd risked his life for would become the Sword Phoenix.
'So it wasn't a dog's death?'
A faint satisfaction made him nod, then he snapped out of it.
'Nah, it was a dog's death. What do I care what happens after I die? ...Anyway, a skill?'
[Temporary Inventory], [Low-Grade Martial Bone]
[Low-Grade Martial Bone]: Provides slight assistance in learning and using martial arts. Applies to all reincarnation bodies.
His jaw dropped in admiration, then he clenched his fist.
Assuming a boxing stance, he threw punches into the air.
Whoosh, whoosh whoosh!
His punches felt noticeably smoother. His guard, when not consciously held, naturally protected his chin more solidly.
'Not bad.'
The description said "slight assistance," but it felt like more. His movements were different, like he was in another body.
Reward: Starter Pack
Another alert chimed. The string of rewards was making his teeth ache from sweetness.
'Starter Pack?'
He swallowed hard and looked around.
He searched every corner of the studio apartment, but no pack or even a delivery box. After a moment's thought, he checked his [Inventory]. There was a box inside.
- Would you like to open the Starter Pack?
'Of course.'
Opened Starter Pack.
[Temporary Inventory] has been upgraded to [Inventory (Lv.1)].
[All Things Shop] has been unlocked.
Acquired Random Reincarnation (Lv.1) Awakening Scroll.
His inventory expanded from a large backpack to the size of a small studio apartment.
- Random Reincarnation (Lv.1) Awakening Scroll: Awakens a Lv.1-grade reincarnation.
Si-woo flopped onto the bed, pondering.
Awakening a reincarnation—different from the 'access' he'd done earlier? The description didn't quite click.
[Random Reincarnation (Lv.1) Awakening Scroll].
'Hmm... save it?'
Habitually about to hoard, he smacked his forehead. Why save something without knowing what it does?
After rejecting the guild's offer six years ago, he'd lived frugally. Holding back and saving had become second nature.
He was sick of a life of restraint.
'From now on, I'll live my way. Not even licking yogurt lids.'
With that resolve, he used the scroll.
Used [Random Reincarnation (Lv.1) Awakening Scroll].
Countless clumps scattered like cherry blossoms before his eyes.
'...Film strips?'
Each strip was someone's lifetime. Innumerable clumps of them fluttered about.
The beautiful sight held him captivated.
As he stared, entranced, one strip veered off course and seeped into his forehead.
[□□ Earth's third-rate hunter. Park Jin-su's life awakened.]
Flash!
'□□ Earth?'
The text was glitched and unreadable. Before he could feel puzzled for long.
Awakening complete.
Soul rank difference is minimal. Successfully acquired entry rights to [□□ Earth].
Duration: 23:59
Just like absorbing the child's memories from [Martial Arts Earth], Park Jin-su's memories flooded in all at once.
But it felt different.
The child's memories were like an empathetic movie. Park Jin-su's life felt detached, like forcing through a documentary on an uninteresting topic.
- Awakening complete.
He sorted through Park Jin-su's memories, frowning. Even being generous, it wasn't a good life.
His world in one word:
Hell. Ruined World.
Unlike Si-woo's Earth, monsters had poured out from the start—powerful ones.
Beasts that could crumble mountains with a gesture.
Civilization naturally collapsed. Swept away like a tsunami, without proper resistance.
'Ahh.'
Park Jin-su hated monsters. They'd taken everything he had, so it was natural.
Even with arms severed and legs torn.
His hatred ran so deep he'd charge at them in rage.
Until his final breath. Killing and killing again.
'...Impressive.'
Shame his power had been weak.
A faint hatred for monsters welled up in him. Just from a 'documentary' feeling, he'd empathized. Knowing someone's life meant that much.
'Tch.'
He didn't like it. The borrowed anger felt unpleasant.
'Gotta build mental strength first. Maybe buy and learn a Heart Protection Art.'
Heart Protection Art was a modern qigong that boosted resistance to mental attacks like.
'How much was it... Intermediate Heart Protection Art was over a billion, I think.'
Remembering the price on the Hunter Market made his head spin.
Building mental resistance was priority, but scraping together a billion felt hopeless.
'No. With this ability, a billion's nothing.'
First, sort the memories. He cleared his mind and focused on breathing.
Meditating as taught at the academy, the faint anger slowly faded.
"Hoo..."
He drew the iron sword from the floor. The familiar blade from his porter days.
The cool metal sharpened his mind.
Swish!
Thrusting and slashing, his eyes gleamed. Far freer than usual.
He'd trained hard with the sword for a year at the academy, but never this familiar.
Thanks to [Low-Grade Martial Bone] or Park Jin-su's experience, the sword felt comfortable.
'This puts me above most E-rank hunters.'
Freely striking where he wanted. He'd mastered the basics of swordsmanship.
Swish!
The more he swung, the more natural it felt. The sharp blade felt friendly.
He hadn't expected much from a third-rate hunter, but the swordsmanship proficiency was high. A lifetime of combat-honed skill from a barely awakened hunter.
Inheriting even a part skyrocketed his sword mastery.
'That's settled.'
Sheathing the sword, he organized his thoughts.
'Reincarnation Awakening' seemed to awaken someone's memories.
The monster hatred side effect worried him, but gaining someone's experience instantly was a huge boon.
Nodding, he reviewed today's tasks.
'Next... check out the shop and hit a rift.'