White Whale's Footsteps

"Is this an ID tag?"

I found a palm-sized wooden plaque inside the house. Gotta grab the ID. In other novels where you dimension-hop, how many protagonists start off as slaves just because they didn't snag one of these common things?

If I can prevent that future, I should. The plaque had a few words inscribed on it. They were in a script I'd never seen before, but I could read it perfectly.

Well, duh. I'd just been speaking an unknown language moments ago, so what did I expect? It'd be hard to imagine Russell, a free commoner farmer, knowing how to read.

Being able to read must be thanks to the System's consideration.

"Park Chanyoung."

The name on the plaque ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was mine. Besides the name, it listed my affiliated village, occupation, and...

Whoa... Lucky they didn't note 'short' or 'fat' under distinguishing features.

If my looks changed drastically later and I had to update the ID, it'd be a huge pain. No way they make it easy to revise.

Thankfully, it only mentioned that I had black hair and black eyes. That's distinguishing enough on its own.

With the ID secured, I pocketed it and rummaged through the house for anything useful.

Shuffle, shuffle...

"No cash, as expected..."

Seems they get paid in food instead of money. The half-full oak barrel of grains confirmed it. I also found hard bread and dried fruit—preserved rations.

I'd seen the note when entering that this guy had no savings, so I'd half-expected it.

Still, if I'm desperate, I could sell all this for quick coin.

Not sure who'd buy this much at once in a tiny village, though... But it's a village big enough for a protagonist's mercenary band to stop by, so there must be a general store.

I firmly shut the door— no lock on it— and started wandering the small village to get a feel for the place.

*

Screeech... The unoiled door screamed as I pushed it open. Stepping outside, I muttered to myself.

"No distinguishing features, huh."

It matched the White Whale's Footsteps world I knew perfectly. A quiet, peaceful village. Population under a hundred households.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spotted a place running both inn and general store, sold off most of what I could trade for money, and came out.

The shopkeeper seemed to know me; we chatted briefly, but nothing important, so I forgot it.

The farm tools with iron bits fetched good money. The dried foods sold well in bulk too.

Best part: I got a sense of the currency and money values here.

"Copper, silver, gold—fantasy novel national rules."

I fiddled with the coin pouch: 1 silver and 32 coppers.

I sold all my food. I can eat on Earth. Sleep on Earth. Earth's bed beats this dirty, uncomfortable place by miles.

Bathroom and hygiene on Earth too. Nothing holding me back now.

Pure focus on training.

Thud, thud.

I headed toward the forest near the village.

"Status Window."

It felt like ages since I'd last seen it, but that's an illusion. I'd checked my progress sporadically.

Stats shot up fast until 10... then slowed way down. Except mana.

"Mana's growing insanely fast..."

71 is high compared to other stats, but since mana grows quicker overall, it doesn't feel off.

After unlocking mana stats, I could check others' mana pools.

Checked my Terraforming peers and instructors, naturally.

No one but Lee Kangin had mana awakening yet. Instructors...

"Chris was in the Terraforming world about 7 years, right? Her mana was over 150..."

Even accounting for that, hitting 71 in a week since getting Xian Ling Ri Ri Wan Yao Yue Yue is ridiculous.

Like other stats, it'll slow as the base rises... but still, insanely fast.

"Leveling this skill was the right call."

I was satisfied with past me's choice.

Thud, thud... I'd reached the forest edge.

So, what's next? Punch trees for Thousand Fists One Kick practice? Nah.

"No urgent karma needs now. Time to blow it all on shop passives!"

Martial arts from Earth—easy to learn, no mana cost like Thousand Fists One Kick, so not main skills. Individually, they're weak.

But dozens combined? Game-changer. And they can level up, boosting performance.

Training Thousand Fists One Kick might raise their proficiency 1-2% here and there. Not a day or two—lifelong practice. It'll pay off eventually.

"And they're dirt cheap."

Low-level skills were affordable.

"Swordsmanship or aikido skills cost even at 0Lv..."

Couldn't buy every single one—too many. Snagged all the cheap trash ones, prioritized as prices rose.

Even "Decent Basic Movement 0Lv" was 1,000 karma.

Not enough for everything. Skipped spears, shields, slingshots. Focused on core: movement, fists, legs.

Luckily, got all the essentials I deemed must-haves.

"Phew... Let it begin?"

Prep done. Real training starts now.

Thud, thud... I moved to the forest entrance—far enough not to echo to the village, but not too deep.

......

Boom!

- Thud!

Kaboom!

- Thud!!

My fist, infused with a third of my total mana, smashed the tree. One Proper Fist amplified the power hugely.

Boom!

Like the others I'd hit, this tree bore a massive indent—like biting the side of uncut kimbap. It couldn't hold its weight.

Creak... Creak...

- Thud!!

It toppled with a roar. That finished my makeshift clearing. Roots still everywhere, stumps scattered...

"Burn 'em later when they dry out..."

Wouldn't hinder training much.

Mana nearly depleted. But fine—One Proper Fist form practice works without mana.

"Hup!"

*

24 hours on Earth, 24 in Terraforming, 24 in White Whale's Footsteps.

While others live one day, I live three— for days now.

I realized something.

"Wait, fuck a minute. I've already screwed Baek Hamin over so bad revenge feels distant for now, and I can ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drop uni anytime... Why was I playing it safe?"

Terraforming never fully explained mana awakening mutations. Sudden changes won't raise eyebrows. Height spurt? Massive weight loss? Easier to swallow than fire-breathing or steel skin.

Before, needed uni as a link to revenge on Baek Hamin. But after venting on him lately, that urge is gone.

If people whisper about my changes? Ignore 'em. Or take a leave. In half a year, they'll forget me.

I opened the shop and bought six Height Growth Potions. Downed them all without hesitation.

Half a month since last one: up 8cm to ~163cm. Next half-month: +6cm more.

But now six more: +12cm. In a month, 181cm.

"Just need to lose the fat now."

Feels like I went overboard... but tired of inching up. Kinda refreshing after.

*

Morning hell training over, lunchtime.

Brack dragged me to the camp again to memorize faces.

"Ugh... Gonna die..."

"You call training with Instructor Brack 'hell'?"

"Yeah... Every bone aches... You guys okay, Blanc?"

"...Haha. You mean Instructor Chris? Yeah... as you guessed, not great here either."

Blanc François looked exhausted as he replied. Says Chris doesn't mess around during normal training—professional pride?

But after sessions or at meals, she torments trainees.

I pitied his face and spoke up, to console him a bit.

"...Tough break. Everyone knows after the Ri Shaolin thing. Chris is a total psycho."

"Right... Didn't actually gouge her eye, but imagining it..."

"Gouge her eye? Chris tried for Ri Shaolin's?"

"Huh? Didn't I tell you? Oh! I only explained the 'game' part! Skipped the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after."

"What happened?"

I listened quietly to Blanc.

...

So, loser penalty in the game: Chris goes for Ri Shaolin's eye... Brack stops her?

Prioritizes 'trainee' status over 'provisional combatant,' so can't harm her?

What bullshit. Straight-up contradiction?

Blanc didn't notice the inconsistency in his own words.

That Chris... Wait...

Chills ran down my spine.

If she caught the contradiction.

Think how the situation rolls to make it convincing.

One conclusion.

Holy shit... All of Chris's crazy acts so far were just performance...?