Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: What’s a Forbidden Jade Leaf?
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What's a Forbidden Jade Leaf?
Total positivity.
My mindset has always been to look on the bright side of any situation.
The director at the orphanage used to say that positive thinking was my greatest strength and weapon.
So even after reaching adulthood, my outlook never changed.
Even if I was clumsy at my job and got fired from part-time gigs.
Even if I got yelled at and kicked out of day labor.
Even if I was scraping by on government handouts, barely making ends meet.
"Today's a good day. It'll pass just fine."
I believed that meant I could push through tomorrow the same way.
The site foreman today was super nice.
Got praised for doing a good job and even scored a daily wage bonus. Hehe.
Especially today, something good happened, just like in the diary post I made on High School Grad Job Gallery.
This guy's always using the gallery like a diary.
High School Grad Job Gallery legend lol
Better than other galleries where it's nonstop talk of dying or whatever.
What kinda work did you do?
Carried ore out in a cart inside a Gate.
Dungeon-type Gate, they called it?
I thought only Hunters went into those dangerous places, but it wasn't risky at all, the pay was fat, and they even let me head home early. Sweet.
? You a Hunter?
Bullshit, why would a Hunter be in High School Grad Job Gallery lol
Nah, not a Hunter;; Just high-pay grunt work.
Grunt work in Gates now? Where was it?
Should be fine to tell them.
It was just a one-day gig anyway.
Nokbeon-dong Gate.
????? No way you went there? You okay?
? What're you talking about?
(News article link) Shut up and read this.
The sudden freakout had me baffled, so they linked a news article. I clicked it right away.
What the hell happened...?
[Nokbeon-dong Gate Rampage and Mass Infection Incident... Cause Under Analysis]
Over 300 residents within 500m radius of the Gate in coma from unknown infection. 34 dead. Hunter Association investigating possible leak of unidentified substance from inside the Gate.
The article details were horrifying—even I was shocked.
Things were totally fine when I got home...
"I'm fine though... Ugh... Cough!"
I'd barely muttered to myself when a cough wracked me, and I collapsed right there.
My vision blurred. My eyes grew heavy.
"Today's supposed to be a good day, and I've gotta push through tomorrow too..."
The last hazy thing before my eyes was a tangle of countless vines.
.
.
.
What the hell is this?
I could've sworn I blacked out.
Opening my eyes felt like after chugging booze from the site guys and losing the rest of the night—but instead, this weird thing was floating in front of me.
Come to think of it, I'd heard that when you awaken as a Hunter, a game-like status window pops up...
Actually, it was from some guy on High School Grad Job Gallery always whining about wanting to be a Hunter.
"No way... Did I awaken...?"
The shock of awakening didn't last long.
"Wait, why does my voice sound like this?"
Startled by the unfamiliar voice, my eyes darted to the mirror—and I jolted again.
A cute girl I didn't recognize stared back with wide eyes.
But her clothes looked familiar.
The tracksuit from yesterday, tears stitched up with thread and all.
Though the pants dragged on the floor, and the sleeves flopped loose.
Just to test, I waved my hand up high. The girl in the mirror waved back identically.
"It's me."
Three little words.
Situation grasped. Hard to believe, though.
After over twenty years as a guy, waking up a girl overnight? What gives?
I look too weak for this body to work any jobs...
"Nah. I awakened, didn't I? Why worry about dumb stuff?"
But I snapped back to total positivity quick.
According to that High School Grad Job Gallery chatter, this was basically winning at life.
Hunters rake in cash and get mad respect, right?
"They said the first thing after awakening is download some app or whatever. What was it...?"
I grabbed the cracked-screen smartphone by my cheap mattress.
My hands had shrunk with my body, so even the lightweight phone felt heavy and awkward now.
"Oh yeah. Behind. That was the name."
Poking at the tiny keys, I installed the Behind app from the store.
【Behind | Global Awakener Info & Networking】
[Welcome to your first visit! Long-press the screen for mana check]
No clue, but soon as it installed, I jammed my index finger on the screen.
A loading spinner popped up in the center.
Watching it spin had me on pins and needles—like hitting the jackpot on a lottery scratch-off.
[Please register a nickname]
"Phew..."
Next page loaded, and I let out a relieved sigh, pumping my fist inside.
I really awakened.
Gallery folks said non-awakened get filtered out for no mana.
Nickname: Yeon Chorok
No hesitation—I used my real name from the orphanage. I like it.
[Korea Public Lounge]
The page looked like any old community board.
Skimming it, felt just like High School Grad Job Gallery—same vibes everywhere people gather.
Time to post something.
They said start here, so folks should help out.
Woke up and status window appeared.
Does this mean life's about to get sweet now?
If life was that sweet, we'd all be guild-copping here.
For real lol
Real sweet life is for big guild newbies.
For real;;
Hunters got tiers too. To make bank, need good class, skills, stats.
And by then guilds are lovebombing you.
Or the Management Bureau lurks here flexing armbands.
Nah, armbands ain't sweet lol
Glad it wasn't hostile. Whew.
But the shock that awakening alone doesn't guarantee the sweet life...
Class name is glitched, can't read the front part, but ends with ~Dormant Forbidden Jade Leaf? What's this class do?
? What nonsense? Trolling?
Nah, can't change nicks on Behind like other sites. Newbie, drop the gimmick and just show your class.
But mentioning the class name got me labeled weird immediately.
Too harsh on newbies? Unfair.
Pouting, I called up the status window again to double-check.
Not a gimmick;; Skills are readable tho.
Lol what skills?
Plant Growth Lv.EX and Plant Empathy Lv.01
Ooh, EX is promising, but first time seeing those skills... Stats?
What's stats?
Being nice and you're still gimmicking? Ffs.
Not gimmicking Is it the stuff right under skills?
Yeah
All glitched, can't read a thing. Hurts my eyes.
?????
This newbie's got issues up top;;
Heard fake awakener drugs are circulating, Association's tearing hair out.
Just admit it's a gimmick already.
Not easy for a real newbie to act this weird.
No, it's still glitching and hurting my eyes right now...
Last chance, drop the gimmick.
Not a gimmick!!!!!!!
The replies treated me like trash, so I hammered the keys in a fury.
No gimmick, didn't take drugs. Use a skill for proof?
Lolol do it.
If real, life's sweet for sure. No hidden classes in Korea yet.
Nobody buying it, so I figured I'd prove it gallery-style.
I've got cred on High School Grad Job Gallery, after all.
"But how to prove it?"
Actually trying, I tilted my head, clueless.
Grow a plant or something...?
"Ah!"
Plants reminded me of that pot I got scammed into buying last year.
Still had the ad sticker on the pot abandoned in the balcony corner.
Followed instructions but no sprout, so I gave up.
"Maybe it'll grow now?"
No manual. But plants grow with water, right?
Grabbed tap water and poured it generously into the pot.
"Grow big and strong... Oh! Already sprouting?"
Encouraged it for good measure, and the cotyledons popped up in seconds.
Plant Growth is OP!
...But then.
【Plant Empathy Lv.01】 proficiency has slightly increased.
【Plant Growth Lv.EX】 is affected by 【Plant Empathy Lv.01】.
"Huh...?"
Text scrolled by, and the plant in the pot started wriggling.
"Growing fast already? Uh... Uhhh?!"
The plant I'd bought was a Venus flytrap.
Roots burst from the pot, propping up the body like animal legs, twitching and moving.
And the trap? No need to say—it ballooned way past my height into a grotesque monster.
"Aaaah! Stop! Enough growing already!"
Far beyond my expectations, the Venus flytrap swelled to fill my entire studio apartment.