Hopeless Possession -
Chapter 1 - Manual (Revised)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is a note for all those who have read the translations of the previous group for this novel. What they have translated are the chapters before this novel became premium, and after it became a premium novel, the author changed the starting chapters. So, what I am translating is the newer version. Don’t get confused as to why this is different from what you have read. Thanks.
Chapter 1: Manual (Revised)
TL: Pai_
“Don’t panic, and breathe out comfortably.”
The silver-haired woman, wearing a warm smile, spoke as if she were an emergency room doctor.
“I understand that the current situation might be confusing to you. Yes, I do understand.”
The young man couldn’t respond, his lips just parting slightly. After a moment of staring at the woman’s face, he slowly turned his head to look around.
The surroundings were not the moderately messy and comfortable view of his one-room apartment. It was a stark, white room, devoid of any furniture.
The eerily barren room was reminiscent of a psychiatric ward from a movie.
He actually got goosebumps.
The young man flickered his lips a few times before looking forward again.
Shimmering silver hair and red pupils. That surreal appearance somewhat reassured him.
“Is… Is this a YouTube prank?”
He asked in a cautious voice.
“I don’t remember subscribing to anything like this…? I didn’t sign up for any event either… Maybe, you’ve mistaken me for someone else…”
“Uh-hum, this is not YouTube prank. It’s neither a hidden camera prank nor a shooting.”
The soft tone of her speech halted for a moment. The warm smile that was meant to ease him shifted slightly.
A mix of pity and guilt.
The slight change in the curve of her lips brought those two emotions directly in front of the young man.
“If I have to say, it could be considered a kidnapping.”
“Just, wait. Hold on.”
Barely managing to breathe, the young man squeezed out his words.
“That, just now. I think I heard something weird… Kidnapping?”
“Possessor-nim! There’s no need to hurry. Please calm down and speak.”
The emotion in her smile changed. The woman conveyed genuine concern in her eyes as she held the young man’s hands.
“No… No, no, that’s not it.”
His head was spinning, and his heart was pounding.
“Uh…?”
The hands that were holding his.
They weren’t his hands. He could tell at a glance. The pale skin tone was unlike the skin he had seen all his life, leaving the young man with no choice but to scream in horror.
“What, what, what is this?!”
He violently shook off the woman’s hands and felt his face. It wasn’t just the skin. The bone structure of the face was different too. This wasn’t his body. The certainty that came rushing in made his shoulders tremble.
“Possessor-nim! Please calm down.”
“Pos… Possessor? Possessor, you say? What is that? And why is my body like this?”
“Please calm down! I will explain everything step by step!”
The woman once again enveloped his hands with hers and whispered.
“Seronis. Do you know it?”
Of course, he knew. But he had no idea why that name would come up here.
“Possessor-nim… No, I apologize.”
The woman hastily corrected her habitual address, smiling again.
“Lee Soo-hyuk-nim. Your Seronis nickname is ‘Immune to Insults,’ correct?”
“…”
“It’s truly an honor to meet you!”
In reality, it was a nickname hard to keep a straight face at, but now, he couldn’t even feel embarrassed.
Seronis. The game Lee Soo-hyuk had played the longest and most deeply in his life.
Possessor.
—How much time had passed?
Thump, thump, thump… His rapidly beating heart slowly calmed down. The warmth from the woman’s gently held hands seemed to soothe his heart.
“Possessor…?”
Lee Soo-hyuk, who had barely calmed down, opened his mouth with a thought that seemed unbelievable.
“By any chance, have I entered into Seronis?”
“A bit different, but similar!”
The woman clapped her hands together with a pop sound and smiled broadly. Lee Soo-hyuk opened his eyes, but he just couldn’t bring himself to smile.
“Could it be because of the Hall of Fame, I am here?”
“Yes, that’s correct!”
Seronis.
A name of a crappy game with a difficulty level so high that one has to start all over again upon death.
He had gone out of his way to find that game, which didn’t even advertise, and for several years, he obsessively delved into that crappy game which others would have long deleted, cursing it as a crappy game.
He created countless characters only to kill them off.
Even after barely defeating the so-called final boss, he couldn’t see the ending. Instead, a GAME OVER appeared, sending him back to the title screen, and his painstakingly raised character was deleted.
But it’s a game; it must have an ending. Thinking there might be a specific condition to reach the ending, he started the game again.
There’s a strange addiction and charm to this crappy, trashy game, and once you get a taste, you keep digging into this rubbish.
That’s when he discovered a hidden boss.
This hidden boss, named the ‘God of Chaos,’ could only be encountered in a route accessible by meeting special conditions, and it had far higher specs than the final boss.
If that was all, he would have tried hard to defeat it once and be done, but, to his excitement, this hidden boss had a differentiating factor from the other bosses.
The only player-vs-player competitive element in this damn game.
<Hall of Fame>
When the hall, which records the fastest clear times, first opened, Lee Soo-hyuk set a goal for himself.
He wanted to immortalize his game ID at the very top of that hall.
「Hall of Fame
1st Place Immune to Insults」
It was an embarrassing ID to mention to anyone, but he wanted to place it at the top, if only to not waste the time he had sunk into this rotten game.
Though it wasn’t something he could brag about, he had thrown years of time and effort into this damn game, driven by affection and respect.
And today, he finally climbed to the top of the Hall of Fame.
“Were all the people who were first before me like this?”
“Yes, that’s correct!”
Following her affirmative response, Lee Soo-hyuk closed his eyes again. Barely suppressing the swear words about to slip out, he let out a long sigh.
It’s a game that can’t be called great or convenient in any way, hence it didn’t have many players. But that didn’t mean there were none at all. Searching foreign websites, he could find addicts addicted to its deep, crappy taste.
Yet, the top rankings of the hall rarely changed. No matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find any tips or even a single proof of someone achieving 1st place after the game.
With no proof and no changes, many players speculated that the game developers had manipulated the top records of the hall.
Instead of improving the shitty game design or adding new competitive content, they were shadowboxing the players by inserting dummy records in the top ranks.
Lee Soo-hyuk, too, thought there was credibility to this, but it only fueled his motivation more. What if he could surpass these seemingly unbeatable top dummy records? What if he could proudly plant the name ‘Immune to Insults’ at the top of the Hall of Fame?
He felt like he could achieve enlightenment in Seronis, this trashy game, if he accomplished that.
“Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, are you alright? You look unwell… If you haven’t calmed down yet, maybe rest a bit more and then…”
“Send me back, please.”
He couldn’t listen any longer. Lee Soo-hyuk managed to squeeze out his words with a trembling voice.
“If you brought me here, then you should be able to send me back…”
“Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, I’m sorry. That’s impossible.”
The woman shook her head with an expression full of genuine regret and apology.
“It’s a bit late for introductions, but let me introduce myself. I am a priestess serving the Goddess of Order, Lorelia.”
“The Goddess of Order…?”
“Yes! My role, along with the other priestesses of the Goddess of Order, is to guide and provide basic education to Possessors who suddenly enter this world!”
“So… the Goddess of Order, she brought me to this world?”
“No!”
Lorelia immediately denied it.
“The one who kidnapped you and others to this world is the God of Chaos. The game you played, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, was a trap created by the God of Chaos.”
The moment he heard the name ‘God of Chaos,’ Lee Soo-hyuk had no choice but to abruptly stand up. That name was the same as the hidden boss he had encountered.
As Lee Soo-hyuk stood up, unable to continue speaking, Lorelia kept talking.
The Seronis game was a trap set by the God of Chaos.
The God of Chaos had created a game crudely imitating this world and let it flow into Lee Soo-hyuk’s world.
“That arrogant and audacious god, who does not know death, took interest in those who defeated him in his own game. Simultaneously, he kidnapped the false god-slayers into this world, watching them suffer through painful lives.”
“…”
“The God of Chaos, as his name suggests, loves disorder and drinks in the blood and tears of the victims lured into his malevolent toy and brought to this world. That’s why the God of Chaos is also called an Evil God!”
Lorelia looked up at Lee Soo-hyuk, who was still standing, and clasped her hands together.
“Our Goddess of Order stands in opposition to the God of Chaos. To take care of the innocent victims, the Goddess sent us, her priestesses, here.”
“Then… what happens to me now? Can I not return to my original world?”
“Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, the current world is in great chaos.”
Lorelia’s tone changed.
“The lords of the divine thrones are selfishly vying for each other’s positions, and righteousness and order are not respected. However, if the God of Chaos, the Evil God, is defeated, the world will become a better place.”
Her red pupils, shining like jewels, looked straight at Lee Soo-hyuk.
“If that happens, the Goddess of Order will regain her strength and be able to send the possessors back to where they originally belonged.”
“So, you’re telling me, to, uh, kill that god?”
“Yes! And if you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, defeat the Evil God, the Goddess of Order will certainly grant you one wish!”
“How does that make any sense? Seronis, that’s just a game. I was good at that game, I defeated the God of Chaos in the game! How am I supposed to kill a god in reality?”
“If it’s you, Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, you can do it!”
The hands that were joined in prayer opened. ㅡPaah! A thin book fell onto Lorelia’s hand.
“Lee Soo-hyuk-nim! Although it’s my first time guiding a possessor like you, I have memorized the manual several times. I may lack experience, but not enthusiasm! There are many more capable priestesses than me, but none know Lee Soo-hyuk-nim as well as I do!”
Lorelia held up the book proudly, smiling broadly. Although the pretty woman, who seemed like someone he would only see on a screen, was smiling kindly at him, Lee Soo-hyuk couldn’t feel even a bit of excitement. Instead, he felt wary and doubtful as he stared at Lorelia.
“You say you know me well? Is that written in that mysterious manual?”
“The Goddess of Order and we priestesses have been observing the players by interfering with the game, a trap of the God of Chaos.”
“Could you observe but not warn us?”
“Sadly, that was the case…”
Her smile vanished as quickly as flipping a hand. Lorelia let out a long sigh, lowering her eyebrows, lips, and shoulders all at once.
“As I mentioned earlier, in the current world, the power of the Goddess of Order is extremely weak. It’s impossible to intercept a confirmed possession or to send possessors back.”
Lorelia then placed the book down, clenched her fists tightly, and held them up in front of Lee Soo-hyuk.
“But! For the happiness and safety of all possessors, the Goddess of Order barely interfered with the game, observing the players. She warmly bestowed mercy to greet the souls of players who were being led into the cunning trap of the Evil God and to prevent them from facing a meaningless death! For this, our Goddess of Order sacrificed a great deal…”
“Ah, yes…”
Was she boasting? That thought crossed his mind, but he couldn’t muster any irritation. Lee Soo-hyuk, who had been standing until then, felt his legs give way and plopped down onto a chair.
“F**k…”
Lorelia watched Lee Soo-hyuk, who had just muttered a curse under his breath. She then reached out and gently took his hand with a soft smile.
“Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, I know what kind of player Immune to Insults was.”
“…”
“Persisting with different builds from other players, not giving up despite failures, and attempting anew several times! Especially, I was amazed by your determination not to update the record in the Hall of Fame deliberately!”
Lee Soo-hyuk scoffed and shook his head. Lorelia gently caressed the hand she was holding and whispered.
“Your character, Immune to Insults, could have entered the top ranks of the Hall of Fame long ago. But you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, kept committing character suicide just before clearing, deliberately avoiding updating the record in the Hall!”
It wasn’t for a noble reason. What Lee Soo-hyuk aimed for was the 1st place.
If it wasn’t going to be a notable achievement, he thought there was no need to clear it. He preferred to burst onto the scene like a comet and carve his name in the 1st place, rather than slowly climbing up in an ambiguous ranking.
It couldn’t just be the 1st place. There had to be an overwhelming gap from the 2nd place.
ㅇㅇ: World’s 1st in this crappy game, lol?
He had vowed to post something like that one day and repeated retries several times a day.
“Ah, really…! Lee Soo-hyuk-nim! You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you! When will you come? Isn’t it about time now? You’ve already broken the 1st place record, why do you keep committing suicide?”
Lorelia’s voice was full of passionate enthusiasm. She grasped both of Lee Soo-hyuk’s hands tightly, her eyes sparkling brightly.
“And finally, today! Your character, Immune to Insults, achieved 1st place with an overwhelming record! Congratulations on reaching 1st place!”
“Thanks to that, I ended up possessing a body I didn’t even want. Is this something to be congratulated for…?”
He managed to reply, but his hands were trembling. Lorelia, startled by the shaking, let go of his hands.
“Ah… I’m sorry! Indeed! This may not be a congratulatory event for Lee Soo-hyuk-nim…”
It seemed that the priestess was quite oblivious.
“However, I must say something to Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, even at the risk of being impolite. I believe! It is you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, who can defeat the evil Evil God!”
While her support was passionate, Lee Soo-hyuk couldn’t understand why she had such expectations.
“No… Just because I was good at clicking the keyboard and mouse in a game, what can I possibly do?”
“You can do it, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim!”
Lorelia held up the book she had set aside again.
“First, let me recite your profile so you can adapt to our world.”
The book opened.
“Name: Lee Soo-hyuk. Age: 27 years old, nickname: Immune to Insults. No parents or family, right? That’s really fortunate!”
“Uh…?”
“The body you have possessed is named ‘Yuri.’ Age: 20 years old, and he also has no parents or family! You’re very lucky!”
“F**k, what?”
Unable to hold back, Lee Soo-hyuk blurted out a curse. Although his nickname was ‘Immune to Insults,’ it didn’t mean he was immune to harsh words in reality. Lorelia, who had been smiling broadly, widened her eyes at the sudden outburst of swearing.
“Did I make a mistake in my wording? I apologize. If you point out my mistake, I will promptly correct it.”
“What do you mean it’s fortunate that a person is an orphan? And that it’s lucky that the body I’ve possessed has no parents or family either?”
“Ah! I apologize, my wording lacked consideration and explanation.”
Lorelia set down the book, stood up quickly, and bowed deeply to Lee Soo-hyuk.
“What I meant by ‘fortunate’ is that possessors with parents and family are more likely to suffer from homesickness and have a higher chance of committing suicide. Similarly, possessors who had a prosperous and happy life also have a high risk of suicide.”
“…”
“The reason I said it’s lucky is that maintaining harmonious relationships is not easy if the possessed body has parents or family. It’s not common, but there have been instances where possessors were killed after being discovered.”
Suicide and murder! Lee Soo-hyuk’s pupils trembled.
“But I felt that you, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim, would be relatively less at risk, so I unintentionally made a rude remark. Please forgive me…”
His legs gave out, and he sat down heavily on the chair.
It wasn’t an incomprehensible explanation. So, this is ‘possession.’ From the standpoint of family or acquaintances, it’s like suddenly becoming a complete stranger.
“Then… what happened to the original soul of this body?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. The 20-year-old Yuri just died.”
“What?”
He’s dead?
In front of Lee Soo-hyuk, who had opened his mouth in shock, Lorelia turned a page in the book.
“The official cause of death is… shock due to a penetrating wound in the abdomen and excessive bleeding. Ah, you don’t need to worry about this. The injuries heal as soon as a soul enters the body.”
“Wait, he’s dead? Is possession always like this?”
“No! Most of the time, possession occurs in a living body, but there are cases, though not common, where possession happens just after the body has died. You are lucky, Lee Soo-hyuk-nim!”
“Why do you keep saying I’m lucky?”
“When a living body is possessed, the original soul vanishes. Some possessors become overwhelmed with guilt and either become recluses or commit suicide.”
Hearing this, Lee Soo-hyuk somewhat understood why being called lucky. The idea of suddenly being thrust into a game was sorrowful and distressing enough, but to think that a living person died because of him would not be easy to bear.
“May I continue explaining about Yuri? This is very important, as emphasized in the manual. Even though memories will sync once possession occurs, it’s important to study beforehand! If you don’t familiarize yourself with the physical condition and relationships of the body beforehand, you could get tangled in various problems.”
“Give me that.”
Forcing his emotions under control, Lee Soo-hyuk pointed at Lorelia’s book.
“I’ll just read it myself. It’s quicker for me to memorize by reading than listening.”
“Um… but… this is part of our priestess’s role…”
“It’s okay, just give it to me.”
Upon further urging, Lorelia handed over the book with a resigned expression.
Lee Soo-hyuk took a few deep breaths to calm his emotions.
This isn’t a dream, but reality.
Just because he played that crappy game diligently.
Not just diligently, but also skillfully.
And for just that reason, he found himself in the game.
“At least I didn’t wake up in a different body without knowing anything…”
He murmured, trying to find some positive aspect in his situation.
“That was the most common cause of death among the first generation of possessors! Unable to adapt to the world, not knowing who they were!”
Lorelia, who had seemed a bit downcast at having her role taken away, suddenly brightened up and exclaimed as if nothing had happened.
“That’s why the Goddess of Order observed the game, and we priestesses became guides for the possessors!”
“Ah, yes…”
Lee Soo-hyuk ignored Lorelia, who was making a fuss in a high voice, and opened the book.
‘Name: Yuri… no last name, no family, 20 years old.’
There was no information about who his parents were, whether they were alive or dead.
Yuri, abandoned as an infant on the streets, was fortunately not left to die there but was taken in by the Aldor Orphanage.
Lee Soo-hyuk read through the brief summary of life at the orphanage. To be frank, Yuri wasn’t exactly a good or well-behaved orphan. He often fought with other orphans and caused various problems outside the orphanage too.
After turning 17, Yuri left the orphanage but didn’t lead a decent life. He had a knack for pickpocketing and eventually joined a small organization, growing into a genuine delinquent.
However, he wasn’t completely heartless, as he sent part of the money earned from his dirty work to the Aldor Orphanage in the form of donations every month.
‘Personality… proud for his situation. Holds grudges, has paranoid delusions, and some anger issues.’
It wasn’t hard for Lee Soo-hyuk to empathize due to similar circumstances. He possessed these traits because he lacked what others simply had. Nodding, Lee Soo-hyuk turned the page.
****
TL Note:
Hi, I’m Pai_ New to the group and I’ll be translating this novel with around 3-5 chapters a week release rate. Let me know via comments or via discord if you find any mistakes.
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Illustration of Lorelia
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