Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin *revised*
3. Unknown Supernova (2)
The yesterday incident made the world’s most ungrateful[1] bastard into a hero and a star, but the world was moving forward like before.
The workers had to go to work and students had to go to school.
‘I’m a middle school student now, right? Should I go to school?’
The entrance exam process to the special purpose high schools, including Eungwang Player Maister Highschool, began in November or December and ended in December if fast or in February if late.
Because the middle school students had their 2nd semester’s final exams in December, the middle school 3rd years’ academic report only included grades up to the 1st semester.
‘There is no need to go to school’.
In my case, the document screening and writing exam had passed before I came to this world.
According to Jegal Jaegeol’s words, the practical exam would also be passed.
In other words, I, who was determined to enter Eungwang School successfully, was set free without the need to attend school.
‘In the past, I was forced to attend school, even after my pass to high school was determined.’
Even after passing, if I didn’t attend school, I could receive a penalty like 0 points on the performance assessment as a way of revenge, unrelated to the minus points and whether I attended or not, because I would be treated as a truant.
Even so, if I just took the final exam, there would be no problem whether I attended or not.
Because if I fulfilled the necessary attendance rate, even if I was expelled, it wouldn’t cancel my admission to the high school, which already confirmed that I passed.
When getting a job, there were almost no companies, which checked even the middle school and highschool student records, and even if they sometimes did, they usually ended it on the highschool’s, so it also wasn’t a disadvantage.
‘There are many things to do, but let’s go at least once.’
Finishing my worries, I decided to go to school to investigate myself.
I left behind the hillside slum room with nothing but a one-person sized electric mat acting as a heating tool and headed to school.
‘My character information seen with the menu is similar to my past.’
Lost parents and dongsaeng not a long time ago.
Currently attending Jinsu[2] Middle School.
Everything was like my real past.
‘However, this world is different from the Korea I was in.’
The Clash of Different Words, Players and Eungwang School were all stories from the game, but they existed in this world as if they were natural.
Even Korean’s history was becoming different bit by bit.
The address of the place I was living in and address of the middle school were different from what I knew.
‘It’s not just the addresses are a bit different.’
There was a difference between this Seoul and the Seoul I knew.
Even just looking at the map of Special City of Seoul, the lines dividing districts were somewhat different and there were unfamiliar names.
From the beginning, the name ‘Seoul Special City Eungwang District’, where Eungwang Highschool was located wasn’t something that existed in the real Seoul.
‘Even so, the flow of history is similar to the Korea I knew.’
When examining the history of the recent 100 years, the major flow was the same if the Clash of Different Worlds was excluded.
The published artworks, movies, drams or songs.
Even though there existed very small differences, they were almost the same.
‘But none of the people I actually knew and was acquainted with are in this world.’
None of the relatives or friends, who existed in the old world, were here.
To put it into words, this world was kind of like a parallel universe of the world I was in, where the Clash of Different Worlds was added and the composition of ordinary people was almost completely changed.
‘I don’t see the ground.’
As I walked while considering things, at some point I arrived at the middle school I was attending.
Journalists were swarming like clouds in front of the school.
In the PlayerSAT-K’s subjugation announcement only the letter ‘Jo’ was revealed, but it seemed that my personal information spread out among all the journalists.
If I didn’t request Hong Gyubin to hide my name while sending a message informing him about my bank account yesterday, the journalists may openly put my name in their articles.
‘Even in the world where the Clash of Different Worlds occurred, the vultures are exactly the same, huh?’
Rather, because an enormous candy called ‘Clash of Different Worlds’ fell on their laps, they might have been even more excited to poke everywhere.
The vultures were forcibly stopping students wearing school uniforms and making interviews.
Even a student, who was walking, while staring down at the vocabulary book and studying had a mic and camera suddenly thrust upon them.
‘Let’s flee. Because it’s going to be annoying if I get caught.’
I felt sorry for the students, who were drawn into it, but If I appear here, it would become an even bigger mess.
After circling for a while to find a gap to enter, I discovered a dog hole.
I hesitated looking at the dog hole size, but the current me was a middle schooler.
It was a small hole that if I was an adult man, it seemed that my waist would be stuck in the wall gap, but I was able to narrowly get through it.
* * *
In front of the Jinsu Middle School’s 3rd year class 8.
I looked around the school while heading to the class, but the middle school was different from what I remembered.
Be it the building design or placement, it didn’t match my memory.
I peeked in the teacher’s room, but there was no one I knew.
‘Only the school uniform’s design is exactly the same.’
I chose some people in the corridor to try to check their character data.
⟨Character not registered in the database. Character data cannot be read.⟩
Character data wasn’t read.
Was it because this middle school didn’t appear in the game?
I selected more people to test it, but it was the same.
No information could be obtained through the menu.
It seemed that I couldn’t help it but personally run on my two feet.
Creak.
I opened the old classroom sliding door and entered.
Punks wearing school uniforms with dowdy design were chatting everywhere.
The topic of all of them were yesterday’s Eungwang School Demonic Beast attack incident.
“Did you see the news? It was so cool.”
“I was interviewed, but I trembled like a dog. But is it true that the biggest contributor is a bastard from our school?”
Bastard from our school was correct.
Because it was me.
“There is a bastard, who had grades to get into Eungwang School in our school?”
“The school’s first place hides his strength.”
“I don’t think the school’s first place had Player’s abilities.”
Here too there was no one I knew.
There was not even one of the middle school classmates I knew.
I listened to the conversations close to the door, and then grabbed the closest student and spoke up.
“Hey.”
“… Uh? People from other classes are forbidden from entering. If you’re looking for someone, I’ll call them.”
“I’m from class 8.”
I showed my student ID.
[Jinsu Middle School’s 3rd year class 8 Jo Uisin]
The other party who looked at my student ID was startled and then nodded.
“What? Ah… Right. It seems you were there. Sorry.”
The eyes were blank, as if hypnotized.
“Okay. I have something to ask.”
“What?”
“Were our school uniforms this dowdy in the past?”
“No, it suddenly changed to be like this in our generation. Seniors were wearing normal things.”
Now I started to guess what happened to me.
After that, I returned to the teacher’s room and tried to speak up.
All teachers made bewildered faces.
They usually showed reaction like ‘Was there a person talented enough to go to Eungwang School in our school?’.
‘The homeroom teacher is also someone I don’t know.’
My homeroom teacher, who hastily returned from a business trip, was also a person I didn’t know, and the homeroom teacher also didn’t seem to know me.
The homeroom teacher pretended to know me and to be close, but it was very awkward.
As result of looking through the classroom and the teacher’s room, the records related to my middle school life was perfectly preserved.
However, all people reacted with ‘Thinking about it, was it there?’.
I confirmed everything I wanted to confirm.
“I think I should rest at home because I don’t feel so well. Can I leave early?”
While adding to talk anytime when there is a matter needing a guardian, the homeroom teacher gladly agreed.
While on my way to leave the teacher’s room, each teacher threw a word of praise and congratulations to me.
But even then, everyone’s memory of who I was, was vague, so they were confused.
My guess turned into certainty.
* * *
I left school and returned to the hillside slum’s compact room.
Did I really enter the game?
If not…
I knew someone, who possessed answers to those worries.
⟨Reading ‘Jo Uisin’ character data.⟩
[Name] Jo Uisin
[Titles] Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification, One of the Little Heroes
[Blessing] (Some loading failed.)
[Gwangrim] (sealed)
[Status] Normal
[Overall stats] Lv. 10
[Skills]
Use of Everything Lv. 1
Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification Exclusive Menu Lv. 1
Communication with the Transcendent Universe Lv. 1
Power of Fate Lv. 3
(Some loading failed.)
The moment I saw the titles, I almost cursed.
Thanks to Son Mingi, who quickly did an interview yesterday, becoming a ‘Little Hero’, I, the biggest contributor, got a third-wheel treatment.
‘Let’s endure for now, let’s endure.’
Anyhow, it would be difficult if I attracted attention right now, so it may be for the best.
I chose ‘Communication with the Transcendent Universe’ skill from the menu.
⟨Reading skill’s details.⟩
[Skill name] Communication with the Transcendent Universe
[Rarity] UR
[Skill level] 1
[Effect] Communication with the Transcendent Universe.
[Description]
Communication with the existence of all dimensions, all space-time, and all universe causes an enormous load on the body and soul of skill user.
In case the result of communication exceeds the skill user’s possible information acceptance capacity, the skill is canceled.
Communication with something which transcended dimensions, time, space and universe.
If I talked with the being which summoned me to this world, the answers would come out.
I was concerned about ‘enormous load’, but I wanted to confirm things before entering Eungwang School.
⟨Using the skill ‘Communication with the Transcendent Universe’.⟩
Uung.
I had a sensation of my brain rising into the sky.
In that sensation, the rising brain broke into pieces and scattered to different spaces, different times, different dimensions.
Following the brain, I myself was slowly turning into powder.
I hit my cheek with all my might.
Slap!
My palm and cheek throbbed.
Thanks to that I returned to my own self.
“I didn’t enter the game.”
Uuung.
There was no change.
However, my mind was dyed green[3] and breathing became a bit more comfortable.
The answer was positive.
“That game wreck was a screening process to select people to bring here, right?”
The unspeakable money invested into advertisement.
The operation spanning 10 years, even though the sales were close to 0.
The game, which didn’t reflect the user’s opinion even a bit.
When I looked back at it now, it was beyond strange.
‘If the Transcendent Universe was all-powerful being, there is no way I would be called.’
Because it could directly modify this world’s future.
Moreover, even when using the menu, excluding me, I couldn’t read the data of ordinary people besides the key people, who appeared in the game.
It was certain that the Transcendent Universe wasn’t all-powerful.
‘I get why I’m called ‘Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification’.’
⟨Warning, the excessive communication between the Transcendent Universe and Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification puts a load on the Suitable One.⟩
An iron smell suddenly rose through my throat.
“You, who can’t do anything besides limited interference, summoned me to a different dimension. And you left an empty spot for a ‘supporting character’ in this world. And through information modification matched the past with mine, and gave me a game-like power. To change the future.”
Because it was difficult to link words, completing the sentence was hard.
My vision was dyed bright green.
I felt my whole body pierced the sky and rised to the universe, and then plummeted to the ground again.
It wasn’t any kind of language, but I was certain that the other party affirmed all my words.
As if both my mind and my body were close to its limits, the corners of my mouth burned and blood dripped down.
⟨Warning, the body of the Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification reached its limits.⟩
⟨Limiting the Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification’s connection.⟩
I heard the system voice and then the unknown sensation that was dominating me disappeared.
⟨The Suitable Other Dimension Future Modification’s dimension understanding increased. The skill level of ‘Other Dimension Future Modification Exclusive Menu’ rose from 1 to 2.⟩
It seemed that all my guesses were correct.
I realized why I came to this world.
Because I knew this game very well?
Because I cleared the last chapter?
‘That would also be correct, but…’
The reason I came here.
It was because I most earnestly wished for a happy ending of this game.
It would because, the gamer, who would gladly replay this game, this world, for the sake of that happy ending, was me.
‘… Ah, the skill level rose, so I should check what changed.’
However, at the end of this thought, my vision turned pitch-black.
In the end, I passed out before I could check the menu.
* * *
It was 3 days later when I opened my eyes.
Because I didn’t drink a drop of water in the meantime, my lips were preached, and my head was spinning.
Perhaps it was a symptom of dehydration, the world looked black and white.
As I barely crawled to the kitchen and drank tap water mixed with a bit of salt and sugar, I came to my senses.
‘I had no idea I would collapse for 3 days after just a few seconds for a conversation.’
If I knew it would be like that, I would at least put out a blanket and then use the skill.
I took off and threw out the school uniform I was still wearing.
My whole was stiff, so taking off my clothes took a while.
As I changed into comfortable clothes, the discharged smartphone entered my eyes.
After connecting it to the charger and turning it on, records of calls and unread messages poured in.
Hong Gyubin and Jang Namuk.
Mostly those two were responsible for the message terror.
Hong Gyubin content was annoying ‘I made the bank deposit, so check it’, ‘I’ll buy you a meal, so come to the Player’s Association and show your face at least once’, ‘Is there anything you need perhaps?’.
Jang Namuk was nagging with ‘You aren’t receiving calls, did something happen?’, ‘Are you eating?’.
As I didn’t exactly have anything to say, I decided to postpone a reply.
When I was searching the cupboard if there is any ramen, a call came.
The name which appeared on the smartphone was Yu Sang-hun, who didn’t contact me even once after being discharged from hospital.
… I had a guess as to why he was calling.
Let’s accept Yu Sang-hun call.
“Hello?”
[It’s me. Jang Namuk said something that you aren’t picking up calls.]
“I was a bit busy. Why are you calling?”
[Ah… that.]
Yu Sang-hun’s words blurred.
“Is it because of Son Mingi?”
Yu Sang-hun didn’t deny.
* * *
Son Mingi was even more of a bastard than I thought.
Son Mingi led the Demonic Beast to attack Yu Sang-hun and murder him.
The issue of whether Jang Namuk and I were his victims was complicated, but Yu Sang-hun was certainly a victim.
‘I thought he would at least pretend to apologize to Yu Sang-hun.’
I didn’t expect that he would come out with ‘I’ll give you money if we reach consensus on the criminal case, so eat it up and drop it’, without any apology.
Yu Sang-hun’s family was furious, but because Son Mingi made the first move with an interview, they were in a disadvantageous situation.
“Can I and Uisin give a testimony?”
Jang Namuk didn’t hide his rage and spoke with agitation.
Inside the hanjeongsik[4] restaurant room, where Yu Sang-hun invited us.
Yu Sang-hun didn’t say a word besides greetings.
Yu Sang-hun’s parents-nim were also sparing with words, with complicated expressions.
Right now, the one leading the conversation in this place was Yu Sang-hun’s noona, Yu Sang-hui.
“Yeah. I’ll pay you a compensation if you request it. As the Gwangrim I possess is rare, if I became a Pro-Player, I can make quite a sum. And of course, I can help you in various ways as an Eungwang School’s senior.”
Her appearance, with loose hair and an elegant smile, was in contrast with her wailing and screaming at the hospital.
I knew one more of Yu Sang-hui’s faces.
⟨Reading ‘Yu Sang-hui’ character data.⟩
[Name] Yu Sang-hui
[Titles] Eungwang School’s 2nd year, Student Council secretary, Acea’s apprentice priest, Healing Frenzy[5]
[Blessing] Acea’s favor ‘I’ll lend You strength’
[Gwangrim] (inactive)
[Status] Normal
[Overall stats] Lv. 34
[Skills]
Healing Magic Lv. 5
Defense Barrier Lv. 3
Vital Point Strike Lv. 3
[Description]
Possesses an extremely rarely existing ability of the Healing category.
Uses part of the Goddess of Healing Acea’s authority with a Gwangrim thanks to receiving Acea’s blessing.
An amazing talent, who never left the top 10 overall grades rankings, while enrolled at Eungwang School.
Cherishes family.
‘The in-game Yu Sang-hui I know was completely different.’
In this world, besides Enemies and Jin people there were also so called ‘higher beings’.
Simply speaking, higher beings were ‘gods’.
The higher beings didn’t exist all the time like Jin people, but they interfered into this world through blessings, miracles, possessions, advents, divine revelations, etc.
Yu Sang-hui received a blessing of one of those higher beings, Goddess of Healing Acea.
‘The title of Yu Sang-hui in my memory was ‘Nemesis’ Contractor’.’
Yu Sang-hui made a contract with the Goddess of Revenge to triple her Gwangrim attack power against Demonic Beast species for the price of her life.
So Yu Sang-hui was the recommended character in the quests where Demonic Beast species appeared, as an ultimate weapon against the Demonic Beast kind in the game.
‘No… thinking about it, the setting behind her becoming a revenger was also put in the setting book. But because it was a setting after the in-game things I needed, I read it roughly and moved on.’
It said that Yu Sang-hui abandoned the precious blessing of Acea, and took the hand of the Goddess of Revenge Nemesis to annihilate the Demonic Beast species, which killed her dongsaeng.
‘That dongsaeng was Yu Sang-hun, huh?’
She, who hunted down Demonic Beasts with disheveled hair blowing in the wind, was gnawed by a Demonic Beast and died before graduating.
“Compensation won’t be necessary. I’ll testify to the end not matter how long the trail takes.”
Jang Namuk spoke strongly.
And then he looked at me, filled with expectation ‘You will naturally also do it, right?’.
I closed Yu Sang-hui’s status window and thought.
Son Mingi.
Press.
Public.
Hwang Myeong Foundation.
I organized moves in my head one after one.
The answer was decided.
“I won’t do that.”
Jang Namuk made a face of open disappointment, but Yu Sang-hui replied with a soft tone.
“Okay… Ah, thank you for saving this empty head. If Uisin wasn’t there, he would die.”
“Ah, what are you talking about? Jo Uisin, let’s eat.”
Yu Sang-hun opened his mouth for the first time, as if he really didn’t care about my refusal.
Even Yu Sang-hun’s parents-nim, who already thanked me a few times in the hospital, thanked me again, while giving me warm smiles.
However, my words didn’t end here.
“Please reach an agreement as quickly as possible. It would be best to do this today or tomorrow.”
“… Uh?”
The atmosphere became cold.
“Besides the agreement content, there also should be a condition about not revealing anything.”
After taking a sip of the green plum[6] tea, I continued.
“It would be good to raise settlement money by adding condition that I and Jang Namuk will also keep out mouths shut.”
“What?! I’ll testify!”
Jang Namuk shouted fiercely.
“It would be good that the forfeit in the clause about breaching the silence ban was two times… no, three times of the compensation money.”
If Yu Sang-hui could kill people with her gaze, I would have already died three times.
Yu Sang-hui’s eyes were filled with faint murder intent.
“You’re saying to take money and shut up now?”
“Yes.”
Yu Sang-hui’s gentle mask slipped and rough words come out of her mouth.
I endured Baek Ho-gun gaze.
And communicated with the Transcendent Universe.
There is no way that this degree of murder intent would shake me.
“If You can receive money when exacting revenge, You should do it, correct?”
Even taking compensation money would become a move to crumble Son Mingi.
*~*~*
[1] world’s most ungrateful — so 천하 (cheon-ha) refers to all things under heaven, but it also could mean ‘Heavenly River’ referring to the galaxy/Milky Way. So you could interpret this as ‘ungrateful to Heavenly River’. 천하 (cheon-ha) could also refer to the underworld/world of the dead…
[2] Jinsu — Many, many meanings… In random order: ‘essence/core’, ‘ceremonial ship launching’, ‘to cultivate/to become better than before’, ‘a rare and precious animal’, ‘stationing of the army to protect strategically important place’, ‘quantity of everything’, ‘Twenty-eight constellations of Twenty-Eight Mansions’, ‘pure water’, ‘stars of all constellations’, ‘protecting border, ‘pretty appearance’, ‘delicious and very precious food’. Also, among many hanja for ‘su’ it could also mean ‘prisoner’.
[3] green — this word could also mean blue.
[4] hanjeongsik — 한정식, Korean table d’hotea, a full course meal of traditional Korean dishes. Also, 한정 (hanjeong) is a homonym for a ‘limit/restriction’.
[5] Healing Frenzy — ‘Frenzy’ can mean madness here or ‘wild winds’.
[6] green plum — 매실 (maesil), Prunus mume Plum blossom’s fruit before it’s fully ripe.
Translator’s note: To new readers. Read Jo Uisin’s communication with Transcendent Universe very very carefully. Because this is how this novel hides things under your nose. You probably won’t be able to notice it (it’s very hard to notice without prior knowledge or spending a lot of time with this novel), so just keep this advice in mind: Never, under any circumstances, believe what Jo Uisin is saying. This bastard will omit, downplay, lie or be completely delusional about some things. His narration is as reliable as Herodatus is a reliable historian.
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