Chapter 2
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: It Was There, And Then It Wasn't (2)
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First, I hurried home.
I needed some time to think alone.
As soon as I got there, I squatted in a corner and thought, and thought, for a total of three hours.
As a result, I managed to reach my own conclusions about the situation.
There were three main takeaways.
1. I have possessed the protagonist of a novel called [S-Rank Status Window], written by an author named Kim Shin.
2. I have no idea why this happened.
3. Since I don't know the cause, I obviously don't know the solution either.
4. In other words, there's no way for me to return to my original world right now.
The conclusion is: it's hopeless.
"...Ah. How frustrating."
With no clues, there was obviously no way to find the cause of this situation.
And without knowing the cause, I had no way of knowing how to escape this world.
"...The most plausible theory is that Brother Shin was an actual god!"
Kim Shin, the author (creator) who made this world.
He was with me right until the end, before I came to this world.
"Agh. If only I hadn't blacked out."
If Brother Shin was the one who put me in this world, knowing his personality, he wouldn't have just thrown me into a novel without any clues or reason.
Something must have happened last night.
But I have no memory of last night.
Alcohol is truly the enemy. My mortal enemy.
"Ugh. My head hurts."
It's throbbing.
I'm not even over my hangover yet, but it seems I've overworked my brain.
I flopped onto my bed.
Even though this is a different world, the house is identical to my home in my original world.
The familiar scenery made me feel a little more at ease.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
"...What am I doing? This isn't like me."
I felt like an idiot for agonizing over useless worries for three hours.
The important thing isn't 'Why did this happen?' but 'What should I do now?'
I smiled sheepishly.
Like it or not, as long as there's no way to escape, I have to live in this world.
This perilous world of the novel, filled with all sorts of dangers unlike my original world.
"Sigh."
I picked up the smartphone by my pillow and unlocked it.
It wasn't my phone, but the one the original protagonist used.
I opened the message app and checked the text I'd seen earlier once more.
[Superhuman Academy Entrance Ceremony Notice.]
[Entrance Ceremony Date: April 13, 2021]
Today's date is April 9th.
The first chapter of this novel takes place the day before the entrance ceremony.
Meaning, it starts in three days, on April 12th.
And that day is when the protagonist...
In other words, the day I awaken.
* * *
I went back outside.
I needed to learn more about this world before the novel's plot officially began.
Seeing something for yourself is completely different from just knowing about it.
And so, after wandering around for about three hours...
"You can really see the World Tree from anywhere. Just how big is it?"
I gazed at the World Tree, lost in thought.
The novel [S-Rank Status Window] has the typical modern fantasy setting, full of magic, monsters, and villains.
The only unique points were that every living being possessed a [Status Window],
and that despite being modern fantasy, it had a dash of traditional fantasy elements mixed in.
"Other than that, well, the title itself screams generic fantasy."
The protagonist's ability, as you can guess from the title [S-Rank Status Window], is the S-Rank Status Window.
What is a Status Window?
It's a narrative device that shows a character's strength in objective numbers, a means to accelerate their growth.
So, what kind of ability is the S-Rank Status Window?
It's very simple.
You grow three times faster than others and gain three times the stat increases.
In other words, for the same amount of effort, you grow nine times faster than anyone else.
"That guy made the S-Rank Status Window so overpowered..."
It's what ruined the novel.
It was too strong and too predictable, leaving no room for excitement.
I only put up with it because I knew Brother Shin and had enjoyed his previous work.
Otherwise, I would have dropped it long ago.
But now that the novel has become my reality, it's a different story.
"Now, it's a blessing."
Overpowered? Power inflation?
Who cares, as long as I'm the one getting stronger?
"To hell with tension and crises."
On top of a broken ability, I now have knowledge of the future.
It's a situation where a crisis couldn't possibly arise.
"My goal is to make this a boring novel."
As I walked on with a wicked smile...
*Swoosh Swoosh*
I spotted three people, a woman and two men, swinging swords in an empty lot.
One woman and two men.
They were good-looking young people, appearing to be around twenty.
All three were holding real swords.
It seemed they were lightly sparring.
Judging by their gear and how comfortable they looked with their swords,
those three were probably students or incoming freshmen at the Superhuman Academy.
"Tsk. Tired already?"
"Sh...ut up. Kim, Cheol, jin."
Among the three, one of the men looked particularly exhausted.
The other two seemed to be breathing just fine.
"This was... just a warm-up."
The man gritted his teeth and pulled a blackish sword from a sci-fi-looking case.
"...Where'd you get that sword? Such a waste of money. Wait, can you even handle that thing?"
"Hmph. Of course I can. Just watch! Hup!"
Seeing a scene like that makes it all feel more real.
The feeling that this truly isn't the world I used to live in.
I gave a bitter smile and turned away.
"Hyaaaaaah!! Ugh!"
It was then.
"Hey! You i... Aaaah!"
First, I heard the woman's piercing scream from behind me.
*Whoooosh!*
Followed by a sound like a boomerang flying through the air.
A strange sense of dread washed over me.
"To your right! Dodge!"
It was an urgent voice, filled with anxiety.
A shout warning me of danger.
I immediately threw my body to the right.
I just... felt like I had to, for some reason.
The very instant I moved my body just that little bit,
*Whoooosh! Scrape*
Something huge grazed past my cheek, followed by a fierce gust of wind.
*Craaaash!*
Then came the violent sound of something smashing into a tree.
My cheek felt hot for some reason.
I wiped my cheek.
Something red came away on my hand.
"Blood?"
I slowly lifted my head and saw what had shattered the tree.
It was a greatsword.
It was embedded in the splintered fragments of the tree.
That was the sword the lagging man had pulled out while shouting earlier.
...Did that thing just graze my face?
I trudged over and gripped the greatsword with my right hand.
It was a good sword, so it felt surprisingly light.
*Grind*
As I lifted the sword, I checked the blade with my other hand.
*Shing*
It was sharp.
What if I had been even slightly to the left?
At a minimum, I'd have been severely injured. More likely, I would have died.
Holding the sword, I turned back in the direction it had come from.
"A-Are you okay!"
The trio was running over.
Two of them frantically. One of them slowly.
I watched them with cold eyes.
Soon, the woman who arrived first bowed.
"I'm so sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?"
The woman who had yelled for me to dodge looked up at me, her face fraught with worry.
"Ah. There's blood on your cheek..."
Even though it wasn't her fault.
The woman's concern eased my anger a little.
I gestured to the woman that I was fine while glaring coldly at the man approaching leisurely from behindthe straggler who'd thrown the sword at me.
He met my gaze directly, his eyes narrowing sharply.
The audacity of it all.
His eyes showed not a shred of remorse.
"Ha."
The more he acted like that, the colder my head became.
"We're truly sorry! This idiot was trying to show off, swinging a sword far beyond his skill level!"
The man who arrived next bowed a full ninety degrees.
His name was Kim Cheoljin, I think.
"I didn't think anyone would be standing there. Bad luck."
The culprit, who had finally sauntered over, spouted his nonsense.
"Stop talking nonsense and apologize! You could have killed him!"
It seemed the woman was thinking the same thing I was.
The culprit, facing the woman, let out a smirk and then turned his head to me.
"I'll say sorry, for now."
His expression and tone held not an ounce of sincerity.
Is that the apology of someone who nearly killed a person?
My blood boiled.
"...Hoo."
But I couldn't get angry now.
If my guess was right, they were superhumans, or aspiring superhumans.
They weren't opponents I could handle in my current state.
The protagonist with a broken ability, sounding so weak?
Well, it's broken at the start of the novel, but not right now.
Right now, I don't even have a normal [Status Window], let alone an [S-Rank Status Window].
The protagonist of this novel, Kang Seoyul, is depicted in the very beginning as the only person without a Status Window.
Then, on the day before the entrance ceremony, he awakens due to a certain incident.
He awakens to the broken ability known as the S-Rank Status Window.
It's a typical clich, starting the protagonist off from a point of misfortune.
Anyway, for that reason, I currently have no Status Window.
Dealing with that arrogant, clueless punk over there is impossible.
I could probably call the police and sort out the rights and wrongs of it all, but...
If possible, I want to avoid causing any new incidents before the original story starts.
I don't know what kind of butterfly effect it might cause.
"..."
I forced myself to calm down.
And then, with a smile.
"It's alright. No harm done."
I plunged the sword in my hand into the ground, responding as calmly as I could.
I'll remember this and pay him back later.
If I'm right, that jerk is a student or a freshman at the Korea Superhuman Academy.
We'll meet again soon.
"A-Are you really okay?"
"Yes. A small scratch on the cheek is nothing. It's a cheap price to pay for learning a lesson."
Thanks to them, I really did learn something.
This world, with its magic, swords, and monsters, is a dangerous place.
I didn't just understand that with my head; I felt it with my body.
"Ah! That's amazing."
The woman looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Anyway. I'll apologize again. I'm truly sorry. Jihoon, you apologize properly too!"
"I already did."
My shoulders flinched.
'Did she just say Jihoon?'
Around my age, with that personality. The name Jihoon, and that greasy hairstyle.
It's certain.
That man is Choi Jihoon.
I laughed to myself.
"You call that an apology? You really are..."
"It's fine."
If that guy is Choi Jihoon, then this woman is most likely Ha Siyeon.
"An apology shouldn't be forced, after all."
"Ah..."
Finally, I looked at Choi Jihoon and gave him a meaningful smile.
"I hope we meet again."
Choi Jihoon, the eldest son of the chaebol Choi family.
See you soon.
"Well then, I'll be going."
I'll be making good use of your family's wealth shortly.
*Trudge, trudge.*
I walked away slowly, a smirk twisting my lips.
"...I'll suck you dry, down to the marrow."
* * *
After Kang Seoyul had completely disappeared from sight.
"Whoa. Did you see that? He lifted the Blacksteel Greatsword with one hand like it was nothing."
The woman, Ha Siyeon, gushed.
"And the way he dodged the sword earlier was so casual, wasn't it? He didn't even look, just took half a step and *swoosh*, missed him by a hair's breadth. Whoa~"
The man, Kim Cheoljin, agreed.
"Hnngh!"
He clicked his tongue as he watched the other man, Choi Jihoon, straining with both hands to pull the Blacksteel Greatsword from the ground.
"Tsk, tsk. You can't even pull it out of the ground, so why were you swinging it around? You thoughtless idiot."
"It was just a small mistake."
"Oh, sure. Whatever you say. Sheesh."
The Blacksteel Greatsword.
A rare, high-quality piece of equipment made from 'Blacksteel,' said to be the heaviest metal in the world.
He'd acquired it through his family's wealth, but in the end, it was just pearls before swine.
His strength was far too low to meet the Blacksteel Greatsword's [Equip Requirement].
The price for that was the throwing incident from earlier.
"To lift this so easily with one hand, he must have completely met the item's [Equip Requirement], right?"
Ha Siyeon asked, recalling what had just happened.
"Probably. He must be incredibly skilled."
"Yeah, yeah. He had the exact vibe of a hidden master."
"Right? And what he said earlier about learning a lesson? Maybe he meant something like, 'I let my guard down a little because I was resting. I'll reflect on that.' Something like that."
Kim Cheoljin exclaimed in admiration.
Ha Siyeon asked suggestively.
"He seemed to be around our age, right?"
"Probably?"
"He's probably not an active superhuman or an academy student."
"Right. I've never seen his face before."
"And someone that skilled wouldn't be attending a regular university..."
Ha Siyeon smiled brightly and continued.
"Then... he could be a freshman, enrolling with us this year."
"Oh. That's a real possibility."
"Mmm~ But if he enrolls, being the top student will be a little tough."
Ha Siyeon gave a bitter smile.
"Who knows? Maybe he's just a meathead who's all brawn and no brains."
"Nah. I don't think so."
The two of them smiled, looking at the spot where Kang Seoyul had disappeared.
"Kim Cheoljin. I'll grant you the special honor of helping me."
"Agh. That psycho."
Choi Jihoon was still struggling with the Blacksteel Greatsword stuck in the ground.