Sunday morning after completing the first week’s schedule at Shio-ram.
Once again, I woke up early without fail. I just couldn’t let myself lazily roll around in bed, lacking the mental freedom to do so.
For breakfast, I munched on a nutrition bar again. I couldn’t really taste it, so my appetite was completely absent. But hey, gotta keep those nutrients coming, so I was periodically downing bars and vitamins.
I thought about changing into my casual clothes and getting moving, but decided to take a moment to review my plans instead.
“Is it really the start of week two…?”
Sitting at the desk in my room, I fell deep into contemplation. I planned to organize what I had achieved so far. It was only the first week, but I had gained quite a bit.
I scribbled with a pen on the learning pad provided by Shio-ram.
“Physical Ability.”
It had only been just over five days, but my physical abilities had noticeably improved. I was on the brink of becoming a superhuman, thanks to my amazing potential, the growth boost from the Tower of Growth, the extra multipliers for special exceptional students, and Professor Atra’s intense classes.
All of these factors had pushed my growth, and within just five days, my physical development was already apparent.
“Magical Power.”
I had received guidance from Professor Riana on entering the world of magic yesterday. Thanks to that, I successfully ventured into magical power, and I could now officially call myself a superhuman.
Of course, I was only just beginning the basics. I couldn’t even properly use things like Ki or physical enchantment, so it didn’t look like much, but even just handling magical power changed a lot. I’d say my growth acceleration was definitely back on track.
“Unique Abilities.”
Spatial perception, Jack of All Trades, magical affinity.
I had started using all three unique abilities simultaneously. I still hadn’t deeply grasped them, but I felt something was improving in minor details. I planned to delve into this during my sparring sessions with Professor Atra.
But even that was just the beginning. I hadn’t even grasped my own abilities yet, much less established my ‘unique’ capabilities…
Typically, people are born with unique abilities, like Gop-hwa and Chang-ha, who inherited abilities from their ancestors. They can be passed down through bloodlines or a person can awaken a completely different unique ability.
Are there cases of acquiring them later? It’s not impossible. Those who awaken magical power but start with no unique abilities can eventually awaken their own after years of hard work.
But I didn’t fit either category. Unlike some, I wasn’t born into a prestigious lineage or gifted with overwhelming talent.
Nor had I spent my life diligently training to acquire them. None of that applied to me. I simply got lucky messing around with a game character setup.
Thinking about my unique abilities and constraints just fueled my frustration.
I found myself frowning without realizing it. A stupid game that added twists to my life when I thought I was finally catching a break.
In [Savior], when creating a character, you typically get to choose one ability. You could pick a common ability found in the game world or even select a special effect ability.
Or you could start with no abilities at all and just go in barehanded.
So, I had a rough time in my first playthrough. Wanting to enjoy a vanilla experience, I chose to start without any powers. And boy, did I screw up.
Ironically, my first playthrough ended up lasting the longest compared to others, but…
Anyway, the ability selection aspect of the game was a bit off.
You start with one ability you can choose.
With the addition of constraints, each constraint lets you receive a unique buff.
So if a player takes on a constraint, their total abilities usual combine to one chosen ability and one they were initially supposed to have.
But this game… it’s not like that.
If you take a constraint at the beginning, you get nothing. If you take one constraint, your total abilities amount to just one.
The initial constraint basically serves as a setup for getting a second constraint and ability.
What kind of crap system is this? I thought about emailing the developers, but all I got back was a formal reply saying, “We considered this when setting it up.”
Basically, the first constraint doesn’t give you anything; it’s just a lousy deal.
I’d love to toss it aside, but I had to put up with it for the sake of getting a second and third ability.
Eventually, I could start the game with Ability 3: Curse 3 to balance things out.
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“Tsk.”
The formal email from the developers raised another question. Who were these people behind such a ridiculous game?
I didn’t know. I wanted to find out, but for now, I couldn’t spare the energy to focus on it. So I just let it go, planning to look into it when I had the time.
Next question.
The original world vs. the game world.
A realistic world where powers didn’t exist, and this magical world full of mana, unique abilities, dungeons, and towers.
I am Lee Ha-yul from my ‘original world.’ That’s what I’m certain of for now. Beyond that, I can’t make any judgments.
I am the Lee Ha-yul who remembers a crummy, old house; the Lee Ha-yul who escaped from there after it burned down and ended up wandering into a orphanage.
The same Lee Ha-yul who, after that orphanage also caught fire, roamed around until I found some semblance of stability.
So what about here? The Lee Ha-yul of this world, filled with virtual elements—who is he?
That’s a question that had been on my mind since the beginning.
I crossed over from my ‘original world’ into this place. At least, that’s what I think.
But there’s a curiosity: My identity existed even before I got here.
If it’s a game, I could just brush it off as a setting, but since I acknowledged this place as a real world, I can’t just dismiss it.
So, I took the time to look into my identity today, since I finally had a little breathing room.
As it turns out, the framework of the Republic of Korea was still maintained, and quite a few familiar websites existed.
Thanks to that, it didn’t take long to pull up records online.
I meticulously checked over various holographic documents.
[Yeonsung Orphanage]
Records from ages 0 to 7. I was discovered as a mere baby left at the front gate, and they initiated admission procedures. I was processed as missing or presumed deceased due to the fire and my detailed records were lost in the fire.
[Ilbo Orphanage]
Records from ages 8 to 18. I went missing, but after a year and a half, I was found. At that time, I was blind and discovered with severe burns on my right arm.
I later went through procedures to enter the orphanage. However, I had no special records listed due to my disabilities and my resembling a doll-like existence, just going through the motions of living.
Before I left the orphanage, a fire occurred there too. Thankfully, there were no special injuries recorded.
“Hmmm…”
I furrowed my brow. A shiver ran down my spine as I brushed my arm, a tingling discomfort creeping over me.
Yeonsung Orphanage. I didn’t know much about it. It was my first time hearing the name. Honestly, who remembers the names of orphanages?
But…
“Ilbo Orphanage.”
That name rang a bell. How could I possibly forget? It was the orphanage I went to.
It sent chills through me. It’s downright creepy. I thought it was a coincidence that ‘Lee Ha-yul’ was the same name, but now I discovered the eerie similarities.
The only dissimilarity was mainly the part about Yeonsung Orphanage.
In the original world, I should’ve been at my parents’ house during that period. The unsettling common thread was the fire.
Both my parents’ house and this orphanage met the same fiery fate.
There’s also the coincidence of spending almost a year wandering around.
At that time, I naturally thought I was going to die. I mean, how could I not, right? With fire raging on my right arm and my consciousness fading, it was a given.
But then I woke up. Somehow, my right arm bore the only horrific burns.
Before I could grasp the reasons, back then, I lived in such a manner, wandering around with a growling stomach.
Then I ended up at a different orphanage, Ilbo Orphanage.
At that time, I was a ghost child without a birth registration. I heard I finally had my birth registration once I entered Ilbo Orphanage.
“Sigh…”
I felt utterly stifled. Leaning my back against the chair, I let out a deep sigh.
My thoughts were all jumbled. Just dealing with this world had me spinning in circles. I discovered that debts were tied to my name too.
Seems like I had some financial ties I had slipped into, probably for living expenses. The amount wasn’t small—millions of won. I genuinely wondered how I managed to get a loan back then with no credit to speak of.
Fortunately, thanks to Shio-ram providing regular maintenance allowances, I wouldn’t face immediate financial troubles.
But considering the interest, it would be best to clear it up as soon as possible. If I could get past even the lowest tier of heroes and hunters, I could repay that sum quickly.
“Ugh, my head hurts…”
So many thoughts rattled around in my head, sparking a headache.
Yesterday, I managed to catch some sleep next to Professor Riana, so I was feeling okay, but today, my sleeping hours would start to dwindle again, causing my head to throb.
Wasn’t it called a sleep class? It was more challenging than I expected. I didn’t think I’d have trouble lightly falling asleep, but I never thought I’d end up sleeping straight for hours.
The fact I covered myself with Professor Riana’s coat and dozed off was such an absurdity.
At first, they all said it was normal, but as much as Professor Riana laughed it off, I still felt a tad embarrassed.
“Is it the third week already?”
Smacking my desk in frustration over my embarrassment, I suddenly remembered to tap my smartwatch. I pulled up the academic calendar file I had downloaded last time.
Today is the weekend of the first week.
There’s a dungeon exploration schedule on the Monday and Tuesday of the third week, which is a mandatory event for first-year students.
First-year students would be grouped into teams of 4 to 5 and sent into a level-4 dungeon to conduct their missions. The schedule was planned for overnight stays.
Exploring dungeons and defeating monsters is a critical part of being a hero.
Thanks to that, dungeon exploration and monster-hunting events are regularly part of the academic calendar.
After the dungeon exploration wraps up, the following week at Shio-ram is the entrance to the Tower of Growth.
The Tower of Growth is basically the reason for Shio-ram’s existence.
It’s hugely beneficial in two ways: one is the Growth Blessing applied to students belonging to Shio-ram; the second is the admission ticket to the Tower of Growth.
In the Tower of Growth, the already boosted growth rates get amplified even further, and you can face special trials provided by the tower.
Moreover, during these trials, even if your body suffers damage or you lose your life, everything remains an illusion.
Put simply, when the trial ends, everything negative is just expelled out.
Scarlet scars fade away, while all positive growth elements are left intact.
Warnings about the dangers of real combat couldn’t be overstated. Inside the tower, you can experience real combat without the risks of dying or injury.
And that too, while enjoying the amplified Growth Blessing.
It’s one of the critical events where they can achieve the most significant growth at Shio-ram—spending five days in the Tower of Growth.
I racked my brain.
The dungeon exploration was in two weeks, and the Tower of Growth entrance was in three weeks.
Almost a month. By the time I entered the Tower of Growth, I’d have grown considerably.
At this rate, maybe after a month, I could start utilizing my original knowledge to navigate dungeons.
The first dungeon I planned to explore was already set in my mind.
It’s a dungeon located close to a small town in the UK. The reward I aimed to obtain from there was clear.
The Necklace of Confession.
An artifact that expresses the whispered thoughts of the wearer aloud.
Even if I’d want to use it as a confession tool, the conditions to use it were quite inflexible, making it less than ideal—but my current circumstances were uniquely advantageous.
It’s one of the ways to bypass the Silence Curse.
With just that, I could pretty much sidestep this obnoxious Silence Curse entirely.
“Alright.”
I focused on a near goal. With a somewhat realistic target set, I felt my motivation surge tremendously.
Determined, I stood up. With the goal determined, it was time to get moving.
.
.
.
Thus began the second week at Shio-ram—a week of steady growth.
During the general lectures, I exercised my brain, and during the major courses, I worked my body along with my mind.
I rolled around, but everyone was rolling forward, and it was clear I was making little progress.
It was a fulfilling week nevertheless.
“I’m requesting a duel with Lee Ha-yul.”
A twist happened on Wednesday.
In the general lecture “Fundamentals of Practical Swordsmanship,” a student looking at me called out.
He was a male student with a sharp impression. He was masking a poker face, but I could sense an unmistakable vibe of disdain coming from him.
“……”
…This wasn’t like being attacked by a monster, nor was my life in danger.
To think this was somehow a normal everyday occurrence.
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