Chapter 9
Chapter 9 - You're Already Dead
"Kheuk!"
Right after passing through the Gate, I opened my eyes as if having a seizure.
It felt like my breath was rising up to my chin. Following my instincts desperately, I rolled my eyes to assess the situation. The gloomy sewer landscape came into view. The stench mercilessly stabbed my nose.
I was sprawled in the middle of a sewer.
"Phew... This is strange. Was it this... difficult when I passed through the Gate before?"
I was preoccupied with shaking off the inexplicable heaviness pressing down on my entire body. I roughly wiped away the cold sweat flowing on my forehead and gathered my rough breathing. And I devoted all my energy to organizing my muddled thoughts.
After several minutes passed, my pounding heart gradually calmed down. Once I regained some stability, I got up. After roughly tidying my appearance, I immediately began to examine my surroundings.
"Whoa. What's with these clothes?"
And I exclaimed at my changed appearance.
Gone was my shabby knit outfit, replaced by thin leather armor over a shirt like a medieval hunter. Gaiters were attached over leather pants, and the armor was firmly secured with a belt and chest strap. A bag was on my back and a pouch was attached to my waist.
As I was staring intently in wonder, suddenly a slight feeling of exhaustion occurred near my eyes.
Before I could even feel puzzled, with a beep sound, a familiar panel appeared.
[Name: Leather Armor]
[Modifier: Defense +5]
[Details: Basic equipment given to novice heroes. Don't expect any special performance.]
[Available Enhancement Count: 5]
It was similar to the panel that Minerva had shown before.
Only then did I recall the effects of the special skills I had seen before. I nodded my head.
'Is this the effect of that special skill called "Mimir's Eye"?'
Although I already knew about it, experiencing it firsthand was quite fascinating. I kept letting out exclamations while fiddling with the panel. This feels completely like playing a game!
Since I ended up using it anyway, I decided to check not only the items in my bag but also my status. When I closed my eyes and concentrated, soon a beep sound rang out.
[Name: Park Jeong-yong]
[Title: 163417413th Hero. Guardian of the Demon King's Egg. One Bound to Immortality]
[LV. 5]
[HP: 150/150 MP: 112/120 Physical Condition: Normal]
[Strength: 15 Agility: 18 Intelligence: 10 Hero Sense: 3]
[Remaining Ability Points: 0]
My displayed status was very intuitive.
Strength, agility, intelligence - these are the standard measures of status in any game. It seems Mimir's Eye only recognizes these three categories.
The notable points were that MP was reduced by 8, and the level started at 5 from the beginning. Why start at 5? Did Minerva raise it to 5 out of spite, like giving an extra rice cake to someone you don't like?
I couldn't know, but having a higher level couldn't be bad.
"...But what's this?"
There was something I couldn't understand even after looking it over two or three times. That was the 'Hero Sense' category.
As I tilted my head, the system seemed to perceive this and soon displayed a new panel before my eyes. From the previous status panel, another 4 MP was deducted, bringing the total to 108.
[Detailed Description: Hero Sense]
[A second sense that only heroes summoned from another world possess in the continent of Gailand . It leads to improvements in luck, charm, instinct, and intuition. It cannot be enhanced through normal leveling up, and can only be improved through specific experiences that touch 'God's Dice'.]
"Wow. This is convenient."
I exclaimed at the perfect skill system. If nothing else, this Mimir's Eye seemed like a skill I would use a lot in the future.
"Well then..."
After rubbing my hands together, I searched for my items one by one. This was to properly check them one by one while organizing the items I had in my head.
I placed the items on the ground one by one, and finally put down the backpack and pouch as well. Then I stared at each one and concentrated.
Beep. Soon numerous panels were created one after another in my field of vision.
[Names: Leather Backpack, Leather Pouch, Box of the Dead, Izanami's Heart, Demon Sword Bestak, Ether Condensation Bottle, Portable Igniter]
However, only the names appeared in a row without detailed descriptions.
After briefly tilting my head, I focused on the Portable Igniter panel, which was the most unfamiliar. Soon, with a feeling of exhaustion near my eyes, the detailed description stretched downward.
[Name: Portable Igniter]
[Modifier: Ignition function. Can add buffs to campfires when enhanced.]
[Details: A portable igniter given uniformly to first-time heroes. While it operates the same as regular flint, it uses magical material as fuel, making its lifespan semi-permanent.]
[Available Enhancement Count: 3]
"No wonder I thought it looked like a lighter... it was a magic lighter?"
It seemed that reading detailed descriptions was only possible for one object at a time.
I decided not to bother reading the descriptions of the Box of the Dead, Izanami's Heart, and Ether Condensation Bottle which I already knew the uses for, and the backpack and pouch which didn't need explanation. With no knowing what might happen from now on, it would be better to save MP when possible.
After putting the other items back in, I shouldered the backpack again. Finally, I picked up the sharp sword that remained on the ground.
Swoosh. With its characteristic sharp metallic sound, the sword's description tickled my eyes.
[Name: Demon Sword Bestak]
[Modifier: Strength +10, Agility +5]
[Details: A black double-edged sword said to have been used by the Knight’s Witch Han. It grows by absorbing magical energy. An ancient 'ego' sleeps within it.]
"Ancient ego?"
One mountain after another. More unknowns keep appearing after unknowns.
By ego, could it be the ego from the Ego Swords that I know? Simply put, does this mean it's a sword with consciousness but hasn't awakened yet?
The system, which eerily caught my doubts again, soon gave me a sense of exhaustion.
However.
[Detailed explanation: Ancient ego]
[Error: Unknown. Insufficient stats.]
I immediately lowered the sword with a sour expression. I let out a deep sigh of resignation.
'Does this mean I still lack the experience to understand?'
It seems this Ancient Ego is an entity beyond my current comprehension... simply put, it's an entity in a realm I can't access because my level is too low.
Someday I'll come to understand as I level up and grow the demon sword. If the ego happens to wake up, I can ask them directly.
"...Alright."
That's enough. Now that I've grasped the situation. I turned my gaze to my surroundings.
The sounds of water and squeaking rats echoed particularly loudly in the endless dark sewer.
I unconsciously gulped. And I gripped the sword tightly.
"Shall we begin an exciting adventure?"
And so my first adventure began with the smell of sewage in an unnamed sewer.
The goal for now is to escape from here. Let's postpone enjoying the joy of reincarnating in another world until after that. With such light thoughts, I slowly moved forward.
... At that time, I truly couldn't even imagine.
That this sewer would be an endless hell (無間地獄) prepared for me.
* * *
When doing manual labor, you often have to lurk around sewers.
Most construction sites involve building structures. And buildings aren't just built by marking the ground and putting them up quickly. You need to bring in surrounding infrastructure including water and sewage into the building. I've occasionally been assigned to that kind of work.
Thanks to that, I was already adapted to sewer smells from my previous life. So I didn't get nauseous from the characteristic repulsive smell of sewers. However.
"Ugh... what kind of smell is this?"
It's different.
The smell spreading through this sewer I'm wandering in wasn't the typical stench of an ordinary sewer.
I deeply furrowed my brows at the distinctive smell that made my nose sting.
"The smell of rot... and this..."
The smell of blood.
The characteristic metallic and fishy smell was mixing with the sewer smell and reverberating.
The rotting smell was bearable. Sewers are spaces where it's not strange for things to be rotting. Since I was already immune to it, my nose quickly adapted and I could ignore it.
But the intense blood scent lurking within the reverberating smell of rot was impossible to ignore.
"Is it this way?"
Moreover, the blood smell kept getting stronger. Or more precisely, I was heading towards where it was getting stronger. Somehow my shoulders felt heavy. My skin felt tingly all over. It was hard to even breathe from the tension.
Eventually, when I reached the point where the blood smell completely overwhelmed the rotting smell.
"Ugh, urgh!"
I unconsciously covered my mouth and turned away. Because it was too difficult to face the horrific scene before my eyes.
Corpses. Corpses. And more corpses.
A mountain built of countless corpses was spread out there.
At the dead end of the sewer. Easily hundreds of corpses were piled up, covered in blood and filth.
All corpses with parts severed or crushed. The time of death varied - some corpses had only bones left with rotted skin stuck to them, while others looked freshly dead with clear complexion.
"What... what is this?!"
I turned my gaze slightly. Something yellow caught my eye.
There was a small cart next to the mountain of corpses. Pieces of arms and legs were scattered about, and several corpses that hadn't been fully unloaded were still on it. They must be using that to transport corpses from somewhere and pile them here. That must be it.
And at some point.
My gaze was captured by one of the corpses piled on the yellow cart.
"...Huh?"
And my mind went blank.
"No. Wait..."
I took several steps back from that spot. I tripped over an unknown corpse and tumbled down. Splash. The fluid and filth pooled on the ground quickly soaked my pants.
I raised my trembling hand like an aspen tree and pointed at the scene unfolding before me.
"No. That's... me?"
What I witnessed was my face.
I thought I saw wrong but that couldn't be. I couldn't take my eyes off it so I kept watching, but no matter how many times I looked again, that corpse was mine. There I was, with rolled back eyes, roughly stuffed between the corpses piled on the cart.
"No, this. What, what is...!"
Half of the upper body was completely crushed by something. It looked like it had been hit by a blunt weapon.
As if that wasn't enough, with blood soaking the chest, it seemed to have been stabbed multiple times by something sharp. I unconsciously rubbed my body at the sight of the figure mangled like a rag.
What is this.
What on earth is this?
This is strange. What kind of situation is this?
I... I definitely just got summoned from the gate and... started my adventure just now.
Then what is that? Why am I dead and lying there?
I don't know.
I don't know anything. What exactly is going on here.
"Urgh!"
I covered my mouth. My mind is too jumbled. Maybe that's why, it was hard to bear
Nausea welled up. I feel dizzy.
Meanwhile, the words I exchanged with Minerva in the white space thundered in my mind. They kept circling around.
'... Well. What do you think?'
'When you activate that lantern, it will guide you to where the thoughts are.'
'Izanami's heart restores past life memories, skills, and some abilities....'
And there I realized it. One phrase of her voice kept replaying.
'Memories and skills. And restoring abilities....'
An item that restores memories.
In other words, I, who died and was resurrected, don't have memories of my past life until restoration.
Why did I only notice this now?
"No way... no way...."
I fumbled with trembling hands at the lantern at my waist, Izanami's heart.
Woooong.
The lantern emitted a faint light and I heard whispering sounds. A grayish black light guides my path ahead. It was as if it was gesturing for me to follow.
I couldn't help but widen my eyes.
"...... It works."
The lantern shines. When I activated it, it guides me as if it's natural.
The meaning of this is clear.
However, it took considerable time for me to recognize and accept it.
And I realized anew.
Why my level was already up to 5 from the start.
"I... I...."
Ridiculously, I recalled a famous line from a manga.
"Am I... already dead?"
I just hadn't realized it yet.
I came to know that fact.