Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: I Became Heo Gyun
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***
Connection failed. Beep... now connecting to voicemail. Call charges will apply.
"Fuck."
I'm a college student. An adult over twenty, for crying out loud.
I've diligently gone through elementary, middle, and high school, studied morals and ethics for over a decade, and grasped concepts like promises and responsibility. I'm an educated person. So shouldn't you at least pick up the damn phone, humanely?
[Oppa, I just woke up and I don't think I can make it to the group project meeting today. Sorry ㅜ. But has Yeonjeong come??]
"She hasn't. You fucking traitor."
The immediate betrayal in message form hit me, and I couldn't hide my frustration as I pulled a cigarette from my pocket. What kind of bastard was it? What demon-possessed fucker unleashed the monstrous abomination known as group projects upon the world? The British? Yeah, probably the British. They invented most of the horrific shit anyway. Whoever it was, I'd love to meet them just once. Land one brutal punch right to the solar plexus.
"This sucks."
I summed up my mood with the most fitting Korean curse and lit the cigarette right away. Ice-packed iced Americano in one hand, thick cigarette in the other.
A combo with serious side effects that turns your body into a sewer, but damn if it doesn't work wonders. Shoving that chemical bomb of nicotine and caffeine down my throat sent a powerful awakening surging through my veins.
"Hoo... fuck."
Body and mind: boot-up complete.
Now, let's think.
It's Saturday today, presentation on Monday next week. Do I have time to wait for those demons to show up?
No.
Among the no-shows today, is there even one with a shred of humanity who might send work late tonight?
No.
Would the professor who assigned this abomination even understand the situation and grade fairly?
No.
"Sigh."
Thinking done.
What can you do? Solo it.
I chugged the half-full Americano in one go to rinse my mouth and dragged my limp, mollusk-like body into the library.
"Kyahaha! Gotta go see Peter Pan!"
"Eunseo-ya, be quiet in the library."
"Hey, did you bring the mock exam solutions? Lemme see."
"Just like that?"
"I'll buy you lunch, okay? Show me."
"Hmm, let me think about it."
"Aah, come on~"
Families out for a cheerful weekend picnic at the library.
Fishy-smelling rookies who might be here to study or just flirt.
Jealous. Why me? Why only me!!
I left their peaceful vibes behind and headed straight to the second floor.
Crossing through the automatic doors of the comprehensive reference room, tens of thousands of books awaited me like old friends.
Search?
Nah. Just ask. It's the weekend—finish quick and go home to rest. Faster to ask the expert than hunt coordinates on the computer, wander around checking shelves, and verify books multiple times. I glanced at the desk ahead, and the female librarian stood up.
"Excuse me."
"Need something?"
"Yes. Looking for books on the Joseon era. Specifically King Seonjo's time, and a Korean-language summary, not classical Chinese."
"Joseon? Wouldn't the Annals be easiest? The translated Annals of the Joseon Dynasty are online anytime."
No way. Already checked.
41 years of reign.
The starting point of factional strife with brutal purges under the guise of strengthening royal authority.
The unprecedented national crisis of the Imjin War.
Those three nightmare conditions made King Seonjo's annals a whopping 221 volumes.
When the hell am I supposed to read all that?
"Um... ideally something three volumes or less?"
"Let me check."
I waited anxiously, hoping. Maybe some diligent soul had compressed those 221 volumes into a 1-2 volume cheat sheet? With this many books, one had to exist. As I nervously picked at my nails, the librarian tapped her tablet and gave an ambiguous smile.
"No summaries of the annals, from what I see."
"...Figures."
Dead end.
"But plenty on that era. Let's see... I Became Yi Sun-sin? Nah. Song of the Sword? Decent, but... what exactly do you need? What's it for?"
"School group project. Liberal arts history class on Joseon before and after the Imjin War."
"So not war-focused novels, but something like official histories with the era under King Seonjo?"
"Exactly."
Experts are the best. She'd handled similar requests before and nailed it. She smiled brightly, pleased her guess was right.
"This one's perfect: Joseon through Heo Gyun's Eyes."
"Heo Gyun?"
She held out her tablet.
"Yes. It's a novel, but reads like an essay or autobiography chronicling his life. He was active under King Seonjo, lived through the Imjin War, joined the early Easterners faction—tons of useful stuff. As someone unbound by class, it'll have plenty on commoners too."
"Oh."
Holy shit.
What perfect compressed cheat sheet is this?
Praise me from ten minutes ago for asking the expert instead of searching.
"Thank you."
"No problem. History section starts third shelf left. Here's the coordinates—check it out."
"Thanks so much."
I bowed ninety degrees in overwhelming gratitude and followed her directions. Coordinates: sa-CH301. Here's ㅅ, so sa's further in. Scanning shelves eagle-eyed, there it was—the cheat sheet I'd prayed for.
Joseon through Heo Gyun's Eyes
First impression... thick. At least 500 pages? And three volumes.
Guess nothing's free in this world.
"Tch."
For a split second, I considered ditching it and asking GPT for a copy-paste. But shook my head. Other groups would do the same, and that scrap metal's answers would be identical. Plus, this was 221 volumes hyper-compressed into three. Not free lunch, but close enough to chewing with the skin on.
"Let's do it."
I grabbed the three volumes, sat by the window, and turned to the first page.
I turned the last page.
Sunset dyed the window red. All-day reading in one position had my joints screaming. Heavy stiffness climbed from my tailbone to my nape.
"Hoo... my head."
Still, worth it.
Three volumes gave the era's full framework.
Joseon, King Seonjo, factions, Imjin War, Prince Gwanghae.
A third-person view of Joseon amid major figures and events was fascinating. And Heo Gyun, who lived a turbulent life rubbing shoulders with them, evoked even more. The final page on his end left a bitter aftertaste.
"This guy's exit was artistic as hell."
Was it the fulfillment from twelve hours of reading, or over-immersion in the protagonist? The aftertaste lingered even after closing the book. Savoring the reluctant resonance, I stood.
Anyway, got the outline.
Base PPT on this, fill details from web searches, order chicken for chimaek while watching soccer highlights—day done.
"Head home. Rip into some chicken, then... uh... what the—"
Vision blurred.
The red sunset vanished; everything went pitch black.
Overwork blackout? No, mind's fine.
Life-flashing death? No, mind's fine.
Then? Only one thing I know blurs vision after reading a book.
Logically deduced, I forced my mouth open with all my might.
"Wah!"
Ah, fuck.
Spot on.
"Heh heh, this boy's got a mighty cry."
With the man's words, vision cleared. The black world bloomed with color. That's a blanket, that's pottery. Hanok house, obviously.
"Uhbebe."
Turning my head, I met eyes with a man stroking his neat beard. Topknot, hanbok, long beard. Joseon guy.
"Kahaha! Recognizing your father, eh?"
"Wah!"
"Good lad. Son, your name is Gyun. Heo Gyun."
"Wah!!"
I'm not rattled this easily. Too many similar prologues—saw it coming.
Recap.
Read book on Heo Gyun's life at library, got isekai'd into it, became Heo Gyun. Simple.
Then, the last page flashed back.
"Uhbe?"
Last page of the book I read.
Heo Gyun, ahead-of-his-time free spirit, dreamer of equality in an oppressive world, author of Tale of Hong Gildong.
Died in his later years, limbs torn apart.
"Wah?"
Fucked.