Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 063
Chapter Title: The Second Possessor
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……The trigger was a KakaoTalk message from my little brother.
Hey sis, you said you're reading webnovels lately? Wanna try this one? There's a character with the exact same name as you lololol
My little brother had been obsessed with comics and anime since he was a kid—a classic otaku, as they say. Lately, he'd gotten hooked on webnovels, and it was a daily sight to see him grinning at the tiny smartphone screen filled with minuscule text.
The novel he recommended to me was Era of Superhumans.
I wasn't as into it as he was, but I liked comics too. And though the genres differed, I occasionally read webnovels. Maybe that's why I got hooked on this unfamiliar novel called Era of Superhumans so quickly.
……Though when I found out that the character named Kang Ha-neul—who shared my exact name—was a pathetic villain who appeared briefly and vanished, it left me with a bit of a headache.
Setting that aside, the novel itself was decently entertaining.
Right up until around chapter 200 of the first half.
It was like the author had suddenly changed; the story started twisting in weird ways, and I eventually stopped reading Era of Superhumans. You know, the classic "dropping the series."
My brother urged me to read a bit more, but what could I do? When a novel you read for fun stops being fun…
Dropping a series midway is pretty common, isn't it? These days, there's no shortage of entertainment. Even without webnovels, and even without Era of Superhumans, I had plenty of ways to spend my free time. Still, with the vague intention of at least seeing the ending, I'd binge a few chapters now and then—but even that often piled up to a month or two's worth.
And then one day, while I was waiting for the bus, a truck suddenly barreled into the bus stop and killed me.
Or so I thought.
===
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Congratulations! You have possessed the character [Kang Ha-neul] from [Era of Superhumans]!] [Become a character in the novel and change this world's story as you desire!] Until the unidentified message suddenly popped up in front of my eyes.
That day, I abruptly became an extra villain in an academy novel.
I was flustered. Escaping death was undoubtedly a good thing. But I soon realized that the fate awaiting me from now on wouldn't be easy.
This was a world where even heroines died without fanfare. How harsh must it be for an extra villain? I considered using my original knowledge to befriend the protagonist, but I quickly dismissed it. To protect myself, I needed to stay far away from the story's stage no matter what. Era of Superhumans was an academy story. Yes, to survive, I had to distance myself from the academy.
Fortunately, Kang Ha-neul's superpower was one that could sustain me even without being a hunter. No, to me, it was practically a blessing.
Embarrassing as it is to say it myself, in my original world, I was a moderately successful streamer. And Kang Ha-neul's avatar ability offered endless possibilities for streaming. The internet culture here was similar, so making a living as a streamer seemed feasible.
Above all, what other job could be as detached from superhumans and fights as streaming?
And so, I decided to drop out of the academy and make a flashy debut as an internet broadcast streamer.
It was smooth sailing. With my experience from the original world and a finely tuned avatar, it was impossible not to succeed. Seeing the graphs shoot straight up, I dreamed of a peaceful life.
Yeah. Monsters, Dawn Corps, Noblesse—let them all buzz off. I'd make a killing in the peaceful internet world and live off passive income for life.
I'd half-given up on returning to the original world. The mysterious guide message vanished after the first day. Naturally, I had no idea how to get back. I vaguely guessed that resolving the original story's events might reveal a clue, but I knew that process wouldn't be easy.
Well, I had no real attachments to the original world anyway. Since I'd died and come back to life, I'd make this my second home and live out my days in peace.
……That's what I'd resolved, but this damn world seemed unwilling to let me live peacefully.
One academy dropout announcement, and suddenly another academy's scholarship officer shows up. Then that academy affiliate tries to kidnap me. Just when I think I've survived, even the high-ranking Security Force member who helped me turns out to be targeting me too.
In the midst of situations twisting like someone was deliberately tormenting me, I was half-forced back into academy life. As insurance, I tried getting close to the protagonist, but the anxiety didn't fade.
An unfamiliar world, unfamiliar people. With no one to rely on, how could I not feel anxious?
……No, there was one person I could rely on.
I'm Ahn Su-ho from the Green House Academy Security Force Special Countermeasures Division. Is this Student Kang Ha-neul's number?
Ahn Su-ho. A Security Force member absent from the original story, with an oddly enigmatic air about him.
At first, I thought he was just a nuisance. When he barged into my house uninvited and caught me streaming, I even wanted to sue him.
But when assassins attacked me, and I saw him fight for my life, risking his own…
All my bad feelings toward him melted away like snow, and before I knew it, I'd developed a fondness for him.
When I realized that fondness wasn't ordinary but a blushing romance, I was quite flustered. How long had I even known him to fall in love this quickly? No matter how I thought about it, it was strange—but so what? I wasn't twenty-three dreaming of fairy-tale princesses, but every woman secretly hopes, just a little, for a prince on a white horse to sweep into her life.
Even if he wasn't on a white horse or a prince.
To me, with no one to lean on, he was like a ray of light piercing the darkness.
……Listen to me carefully.
And now, that man was dying right before my eyes.
……I'll put up a smokescreen to block the guy's vision. Then run for the gate… Your legs are frozen, but releasing the avatar should heal them…
Once again, he'd gotten himself beaten to a pulp protecting me, and now he was growing cold.
He told me to run. To survive, even if just me. But there was no way I could.
Because this was entirely my fault.
If I hadn't mistaken the gate. If I hadn't gotten isolated on the cliff. If I hadn't reenrolled in the academy to begin with.
He wouldn't have had to fight that monster-like knight, wouldn't be cooling before my eyes.
Yet without a single word of resentment, he told me to run.
As I watched him look at me with that apologetic, sad expression, wondering what he had to be sorry for…
I couldn't bring myself to flee. Trembling, I dragged my shaking knees forward and faced the pale knight of death.
I was terrified.
Terrified of the knight before me. Terrified of the sword he'd swing. Terrified of the pain as it sliced my flesh. Terrified of the death that would follow.
Yet the reason I didn't run and stood to block the white knight was probably…
A sense of duty not to abandon my benefactor, reckless bravado from fear-numbed reason, resignation that escape was impossible anyway, and vain hope that maybe a miracle would happen.
But amid those varied reasons, there must have been a touch of tender affection for him.
-Fwaaaaaah!!
The moment I realized that feeling, a warm light burst from my chest.
At the same time.
-Ding!
===
⚔ STATUS UPDATE ⚔ Willpower: E → C Strength: E → D Agility: D → C Endurance: E → D Magic Power: E → B Superpower : E → C Skill: [Cherry Blossoms of Affection] unlocked! ⚙ SKILL INFO ⚙ [Acquired Skills] 1. Slow Starter (Unique, S) 2. Cherry Blossoms of Affection (Legendary, S) -Awakens a cherry blossom-shaped stigmata on your chest upon realizing affection exceeding a certain threshold originating from this world. -Consume one stigmata per day to fully unlock a specific target's latent potential temporarily. Duration proportional to the depth of affection. -During the effect, the target achieves peak physical, mental, and technical prowess possible for them. All injuries and status effects are restored to perfect condition. -Effect ends with target fainting; recovery 2-48 hours. -Using all stigmata incurs a penalty whereby you will…. A long string of system messages. No time to read them all. The pale knight was closing in by the second.
……Restrictions, penalties—who cares.
If I could survive this and save the man behind me, I'd do anything.
===
⚙ SKILL ACTIVATION ⚙ [Activate [Skill: Cherry Blossoms of Affection]?] [To activate, set an activation phrase and recite it.] Cherry Blossoms of Affection. A skill that makes someone you love stronger, proportional to your feelings.
……Even for a skill like that, did the activation phrase have to be embarrassing? It needed to trigger instantly in a pinch.
Yeah. No overthinking. Keep it simple here….
"……Activate."
With that quiet murmur, pale pink cherry blossoms bloomed brilliantly.
***
-Fwaaaaaah!
Light bloomed.
Like pale pink petals of a warm spring day filling the barren winter forest, like cozy sunlight, the gentle light filled every direction.
A mystical scene that inspired awe in any beholder.
-……Hah.
Even Wilhelm was at a loss for words before that overwhelming light. A low exclamation escaped his lips.
This is……
Meanwhile, Ahn Su-ho was just as shocked. The agony he'd felt until moments ago vanished, and he opened his eyes with a puzzled expression. This warm light must be the cause. With that thought, he lifted his head toward it.
What he saw was Kang Ha-neul looking back at him, and a massive cherry blossom blooming on her chest.
What the hell is that?
Kang Ha-neul had no such ability in the original. No, an application of her avatar power?
Wait, cherry blossoms? If it's cherry blossoms, then definitely—
-Ding!
A clear alarm rang in his mind.
===
⚔ SKILL TARGETED ⚔ All injuries and status effects temporarily restored! [Whisper of the Morning Star] uses reset to 3! Latent potential fully unlocked; all stats temporarily boosted! Strength: D+ → A+ Agility: C+ → A+ Endurance: D → B Magic Power: C → A Technique: C → A+ Willpower: E → C → A [Black Smoke] temporarily A-Rank! [Mana Absorption] temporarily S-Rank! Remaining duration: 5min 07sec System messages filled his vision.
Beyond them, Kang Ha-neul spoke with a troubled expression, unsure how to explain.
……Listen carefully to what I say from now on. Oppa, right now—
No need to explain.
He'd grasped the gist from the system. Ahn Su-ho rose. The frost sword embedded in his gut had vanished. His body felt light as if it could fly; no trace of injury remained.
A sense of fullness surging through him.
An omnipotence that said he could do anything.
Thoughts spinning rapidly, vision crystal clear.
He clenched his fist and glared ahead. Wilhelm stared right back.
-How peculiar. Not only have the wounds vanished, but even the aura has changed. Moments ago, he was half-dead; now he has the eyes of a veteran warrior who's transcended countless battlefields. Most peculiar.
Wilhelm swung his sword—not at him, but at the gate.
-Pagagagagak!!
A massive ice wall erupted, encasing the gate. As if refusing any escape.
-Then I'll test if that aura is real or bluff. Come at me.
Facing the sword-pointing Wilhelm, he thought quickly.
As the system said, his current state was the pinnacle of Ahn Su-ho's potential. But even with those stats, beating Wilhelm was improbable. Ahn Su-ho's body wasn't exceptionally talented to begin with. Even decades of effort from a dullard couldn't match a true master.
But a perfected dullard could at least hold his own. Creating an opening to escape wasn't impossible.
Stay back.
-Papapapapang!
Artifacts in both hands glowed. The talisman shone brighter than ever, and Whisper of the Morning Star scattered menacing red light.
Knowledge of what his current stats enabled, how his upgraded superpowers had changed—flowed naturally into his mind. Cherry Blossoms of Affection didn't just boost physical abilities. Along with technical mastery and mental maturity, he was now at his absolute peak.
He clenched his fist, and massive smoke coalesced into an inky black sword.
===
Remaining skill duration: 3min 59sec About four minutes left.
Running outright would let the guy cleave his back. To survive, he had to create an opening in those four minutes and exploit it.
……Yeah, he wouldn't arrogantly claim to beat him head-on like some protagonist. He had his own way.
Right now, he planned to use every card he had to escape at full throttle.
-Thudkwang!
Ahn Su-ho kicked off the ground, cratering it explosively.
He closed in instantly, swinging his sword. Wilhelm did the same. White and black blades clashed, scattering trajectories.
-Kaaaaang!!!
A piercing metallic clang echoed.
Wilhelm swallowed hard. The heavy presence from the colliding sword. A+ magic power, A-rank Black Smoke, and S-rank talisman-forged black blade rivaled his frost sword.
And that was just the start. A+ agility, accelerated 8x by Whisper of the Morning Star, matched Wilhelm's speed.
But against sword master Wilhelm, Ahn Su-ho was an amateur. Swordplay head-on? No chance.
-Kiiiiing!
But there was no reason to fight sword-on-sword upfront.
-Kwaaaaaang!
Ahn Su-ho's swing exploded. Stronger than any prior strike. A massive black storm rampaged through the winter woods.
But differently: he fully sensed every smoke flow and controlled it perfectly. He directed all explosive force at Wilhelm. Concentrated like shaped charges, the smoke slid across Wilhelm's body.
-Kiiiiing!
The talisman blazed. Ahn Su-ho knew one hit wouldn't suffice.
Then increase the numbers!
-Thudwaaaaak!
Dozens of black tentacles erupted from his right hand—highly compressed smoke clumps. Each matched the prior strike's power.
Filling up, down, left, right, they surged toward Wilhelm from all sides.
-You think these tricks will take me down!
-Kwaduk!
Wilhelm stabbed his sword into the ground. Dozens of ice spikes burst forth, clashing with Ahn Su-ho's tentacles.
-Thudkwang! Kwang! Kwaaaaaang!
Earth-shaking roars. Clear ice and sticky tentacles tangled everywhere. Explosions blanketed the area in icy shards and black smoke.
-Whoooosh!
Ahn Su-ho clenched his fist; scattered smoke swirled into a vortex. Even expanded, it remained under his control. With full potential unlocked, he manipulated the massive smoke. It compressed around Wilhelm, forming a giant whirlwind.
-Kwagagagak!
Metal sparks flew as clashes rang. Perfectly controlled smoke formed thousands of blades, lacerating Wilhelm. Enough to pulverize most monsters' bones.
But his foe was the turnaround specialist who even gave Ryu Tae-hyun trouble.
-Pababababat!
Wilhelm swung at all directions. Smoke parted, spread, dispersed along his trajectories. In under a second, dozens of slashes; the whirlwind lost power and scattered. Wilhelm emerged with minor scratches, unscathed. He'd perfectly dismantled the technique.
-Thudkwaaang!
But the scattered smoke became a smokescreen. In that gap, Ahn Su-ho's spear pierced his side.
-Kwang!
-Kuhuk!
The first groan from his mouth.
Wilhelm stifled a grunt from the sudden strike. For Ahn Su-ho, whose weapons were ability constructs, distance meant nothing. A spear over ten meters long. He whipped the gripping hand.
-Thudwaak!
The embedded spear split into four tentacles, wrapping his arms and legs tightly.
-You think this will stop me…!
As he shouted, his body yanked forward. A presence approaching from the front.
Pulling him while attacking? Obvious. With a low chuckle, he swung at the hazy figure through the smoke.
-Seog!
Sliced. Clean sensation from left shoulder to right side. The silhouette split neatly in two.
-Zzirit.
But his senses alarmed. Another presence from behind.
-Swish!
Sliced again. Definite feedback—from crown to groin, perfect downward cut.
-Zzirit!
Yet presences persisted. No, multiplied. Surrounded by them, hazy forms everywhere, he recalled being isolated in enemy lines mid-war.
No way. Presences are clear, but only one enemy. That means…!
In thick smoke, he heightened senses. Every presence in dozens of meters detailed.
As expected, clones. Size, shape, weight identical to the original. In limited vision, deceptive. Yes, circling with clones to escape.
He sneered bitterly. Good try, but shallow trick. Third-rate ploy.
-Paang!
Wilhelm kicked off, ignoring brushing presences. Occasional blades he took on body. Minor scratches on white armor, nothing more. None threatened his life.
Ignoring all, he dashed to the gate. Just before, smokescreen cleared, revealing bright winter woods.
Ice around gate intact. Enemy hadn't crossed yet.
Where then? Blue eyes blazing, he scanned.
Nothing.
The enemy he'd assumed fled to the gate was nowhere.
Then, the massive smoke cloud behind him surged at once.
-Damn!
Thousands of black whips targeting him. Waves of black toward his body; Wilhelm swung. Smoke from all directions, but one sword repelled all. Godlike swordsmanship.
Yet thousands—even a sword in human form had gaps. Soon, blade-whips reached his armor. Power for scratches only, but thousands.
-Kakagagang!
Sparks flew, etching wounds. Irritating. Scratches on lord-given armor pissed him off. Honorable duel scars were one thing; this sorcery-like assault was dishonor. Grinding nonexistent lips in rising annoyance, he sought Ahn Su-ho. Clones obscured pinpointing, but so what? Guarding the gate, he couldn't flee. He'd stubbornly hold.
How many whips had he slashed?
-!!
A heterogeneous presence behind snapped him smiling triumphantly.
He swung with full force. Ahn Su-ho, ambushing from a tree, fled hastily. Location known, initiative his. Ignoring whips, sword gripped, he charged.
Ahn Su-ho fled in panicked ugliness. Fitting for a sneaky smokescreen rat. Wilhelm raised sword. This distance, next leap would cleave him.
Then, another heterogeneous presence behind.
Clones fooling him with real body ahead? But presence, killing intent too real. Then the fleeing Ahn Su-ho shimmered largely. Like a mirage lifting, legs buckled—Kang Ha-neul's form.
-Huh?
Wilhelm's low gasp. Then sharp killing intent from behind. Too late to turn—
-Karduk!
Before half-turning, Ahn Su-ho's blade pierced armor gap.
Damn!
Wilhelm grasped instantly. The girl had transformation powers. Used as bait. Surprising. Transformation aside, unimaginable he'd use his protectee—risking life for her—as bait.
Ready to sacrifice anything for victory?
……No, he was certain she wouldn't be hurt.
-Mungkul!
Ahn Su-ho's sword swelled massively. Same trick as before. Wilhelm glared.
……This time it's different.
-Different my ass!
Wilhelm swung at Ahn Su-ho. But body wouldn't move.
-Wh-what…?
Joints frozen solid, locked.
Seeing black smoke seeping from gaps, he realized Ahn Su-ho's ploy.
-Kkaduk! Kkaduk!
Blade thorns extended like barbs from within, clamping joints. Possible because living armor.
Watching smoke slowly expand joints, Wilhelm groaned. Injury recovery, sudden physical/technical growth. Plus boldness to use protectee for victory. Was this the same weakling from before?
Forcing creaking joints for a swing, he sighed deeply, muttering.
-……I lose.
No. Your victory.
Ahn Su-ho thought: lacking lethality, he'd never fell Wilhelm even revived. In a duel, turning to flee now would be defeat.
His talisman flared; internal smoke exploded.
-Kwaaaaaaaaang!!
With fierce blast, Wilhelm's body scattered. Not shattered—loose joints couldn't withstand, dispersing. As living armor, full reform in under 30 seconds.
But that time sufficed. Ahn Su-ho sought escape, not victory.
Swept ice from gate with sword, called Kang Ha-neul.
Ha-neul!
She dashed from behind tree. Cherry blossom on chest nearly dimmed.
===
Remaining skill duration: 37sec So close. Thinking that, Ahn Su-ho kicked debris aside, approaching her.
That instant.
Huh?
As if waiting, two light sources on ground before him.
Blue necklace sprinkling frost, palm-sized transparent cross with red gem.
He guessed quest extra rewards: Cryo Cross and Frost Spirit's Proof.
Dropped when Wilhelm disassembled. Details irrelevant. Scooping them, Kang Ha-neul clung close.
Oppa, a-are you okay?
I'm fine. Let's go.
He soothed her worried face. They plunged into gate like fleeing. Glancing back just before, Wilhelm reformed slowly, staring blankly.
What that slit-gaze conveyed, Ahn Su-ho couldn't know.
But it seemed satisfied, somehow. So he thought.
Bidding that gaze farewell, the two vanished beyond the gate.