Hopeless Possession -
Chapter 2 - Manual (Revised)
Chapter 2: Manual (Revised)
TL: Pai_
In the next page, there were personal details of those around, and strangely, as soon as I saw the names, their faces immediately came to mind.
‘Childhood friend?’
Elena.
An orphan of the same age as Yuri, who kept in touch with him even after leaving the Aldor Orphanage. Just by reading the written profile, it was clear that Elena was completely different from Yuri.
Born with a natural talent for magic, Elena could manipulate mana since the age of 10 without being taught by anyone.
The head of Aldor Orphanage, out of curiosity, wrote about Elena in a letter and sent it to various towers, and among them, the master of Dercia Tower took an interest in Elena and visited her personally.
Thus, Elena was recognized for her talent by the master of the tower and entered Dercia Tower. It’s been 10 years since then. Although they haven’t met in person, Yuri and Elena still exchange letters.
Jangsam.
A senior in the Black Snake Faction, where Yuri belonged. He was like a mentor to Yuri, showing him the way of life after leaving the orphanage.
After cramming several other names and personal details into my memory, I turned the page. There, written were precautions for after possession, summarized as follows:
1. One must not rely solely on knowledge from the game.
To be precise, one should not easily utilize the knowledge from the game. Especially, the ‘settings’ regarding living beings must never be relied upon.
The game and reality are different. This world has a different flow of time and space from Earth, and 30 years have passed since the first Possessor entered.
Some of the NPCs Lee Soo-hyuk knew from the game are now dead, while others are still alive.
Living humans are naturally different from NPCs who repeated the same dialogues and attack patterns in the game.
The warning to not rely on the ‘settings’ of living beings is a mistake made by several Possessors who were kidnapped before Lee Soo-hyuk.
There were Possessors who approached NPCs with information from the game or hunted according to the ‘strategies’ from the game.
Most of these Possessors either died or were harmed.
2. The fact that one is a Possessor must be kept secret.
It’s only natural in a world where the perception of Possessors is not favorable.
3. One must not trust other Possessors.
Just because they were dragged into this world playing the same crappy game doesn’t mean there should be a sense of camaraderie. A common example is competition for wishes, but there are also cases where Possessors use or betray each other, and some even hunt other Possessors.
Especially beware of Possessors who consort with the Evil God, the root of all evil.
“Why are such dangerous people still alive?”
“Who are you referring to?”
“The Possessors who consort with the Evil God, written here.”
“Ah! Are you talking about those bastards who betrayed the mercy bestowed by the Goddess of Order, and instead of returning to their original world, actively cause chaos in this world according to the Evil God’s will!”
Startled by the uncharacteristic harsh words from the priestess, Lee Soo-hyuk continued his questioning.
“Yes. Shouldn’t it be fine to tell me who those people are? I need to be cautious.”
“Lee Soo-hyuk~nim…! Let me clarify first that I’m not lying. I really want to tell you, but I can’t.”
“Why not? Is the Goddess of Order such a pushover that she would protect Possessors who have joined forces with the Evil God?”
“What blasphemy!”
Lorelia stood up abruptly from her seat.
“Even if you are Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, Immune to Insults! To commit blasphemy against the divine in front of me, a priestess of the Goddess of Order! I, Lorelia, demand a correction to your statement!”
“But the situation is just like that. Why can’t you tell me about those bastards?”
“Because I don’t know!”
Lorelia tapped her chest a few times as if she herself found the situation frustrating. Then, spreading her arms wide, she raised her hands towards the ceiling and looked up.
“Our priestesses are only responsible for one Possessor each! The moment a soul from Earth crosses over to this world, their respective priestess is determined!”
“But even so, if you’re observing the game, you can make some guesses, right? Plus, by looking at my profile, you’d already have some idea about where I’d be possessed?”
“It’s a miracle of the Goddess that allows us to discern the body to be possessed at the moment the soul crosses over.”
Lorelia replied in a grumbling tone.
“Like Lee Soo-hyuk~nim said, it’s somewhat possible to guess who will come over by observing the traps of the Evil God. But more important than that is ‘who’ they will be possessed by.”
“That makes sense.”
“What is forbidden for us priestesses is information about the body that will be possessed. We absolutely cannot reveal information about our assigned Possessor to anyone else!”
“But still, if the Possessor you were responsible for turns out to be a bastard, wouldn’t the Goddess of Order reasonably lift the prohibition?”
“That’s something you could only say because you don’t understand the situation!”
Lorelia explained the circumstances while grumbling.
The moment a soul from Earth crosses over to this world, the body that will be possessed in this world is determined.
It’s a miracle of the Goddess to be able to discern that body in advance. The sealed profile is the revelation that reads the memories of that body.
The designated priestess brings the profile and manual into this place, a meeting room where mind and spirit converge.
ㅡThe Goddess of Order is in a deep sleep due to expending too much divine power, so she is not communicable.
“That’s why I can’t give you any hints about other Possessors. I, Lorelia, don’t even know how many other Possessors there are, let alone who they are, and even if I did know, I couldn’t tell you. This is a prohibition to protect the Possessors.”
Moreover, some Possessors who joined the Evil God and received his baptism have killed the priestess assigned to them. Thus, the priestesses of Order have no way of knowing which Possessors have joined forces with the Evil God.
“Do you understand now?”
“Yes…”
“Please retract your blasphemy!”
Although it seemed like she might be right… Lee Soo-hyuk thought so, but he didn’t want to argue unnecessarily with Lorelia.
“I retract it. The Goddess of Order is not a pushover.”
“Do you repent?”
“Yes, I repent.”
“I forgive you.”
Lorelia, who had been raising her voice in anger just moments ago, now sat down with a broad smile as if nothing had happened.
Lee Soo-hyuk sighed deeply and closed the book.
The biggest problem is still the Possessors who came before and the 30 years that have passed. There’s a warning not to rely too much on game knowledge, but if so much time has passed, most skills and items would already have been farmed.
“Have you finished reading?”
“Yes. So what should I do?”
Lee Soo-hyuk asked with a blank expression.
“I understand the precautions, but I don’t know what more to do. I can’t use game knowledge, nor can I find skills or items. Then what advantage do I or other Possessors have?”
It seemed too pitiful for human Lee Soo-hyuk to enter the game and kill the Evil God. It would have been different if he could use various game knowledge, but most of it is unusable, so what should he do?
“Exactly, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, Immune to Insults! Such a sharp question!”
“I really don’t understand, so I’m asking, but the way you occasionally say ‘Immune to Insults’… Are you mocking me?”
“What does ‘mocking’ mean? Feed? Are you saying I, Lorelia, fed you something?” (TL: Hi, in the sentence used above, ‘Are you mocking me?’ ata ‘Are you fucking with me,’ the word ‘mocking’ (aka ‘fucking’) is a non-standard korean word and sounds similar to the Korean Hangul word for ‘to feed.’ also ata = also translated as)
“Never mind then.”
It seemed like she was doing this on purpose… Lee Soo-hyuk thought as he bit his lower lip.
“As I mentioned earlier, souls from other worlds are very special. All possessors, when they cross over to our world, see the potential within their souls bloom~ like a flower.”
Lorelia brought her hands together and then spread them wide, mimicking a blooming flower.
“The details are difficult to explain, but basically, souls from other worlds have high affinity and understanding of mana! Most possessors quickly achieve great things upon embarking on the path of magic or martial arts!”
Her spread hands clenched tightly.
“However! I, Lorelia, deeply understand that it is a terribly harsh task for possessors who lived in a completely different world to adapt to ours, survive against other possessors and adversaries, and eventually defeat the Evil God, with just these privileges!”
Slowly…
The chair and desk Lorelia was sitting at, along with the books, disappeared.
“The very first possessors who were possessed did not receive any explanation about the privileges they had gained! Some possessors who intuitively understood struggled a lot to adapt!”
“Well… yes, I suppose so.”
“Therefore, I, Lorelia, want to provide Lee Soo-hyuk~nim with special training. Now, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Please stand up.”
Not sure why she was asking him to stand, he did as told and got up from his chair.
Slowly…
Lee Soo-hyuk’s chair disappeared.
“Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, Immune to Insults!”
With a bright smile, Lorelia raised her clenched fist.
“This is a fist!”
“Yes… it’s a fist.”
“And this is a punch!”
As she shouted, her fist moved.
Thump!
Lee Soo-hyuk’s head jerked backward.
“Ugh!”
Something exploded in front of his eyes. Staggering back, Lee Soo-hyuk’s ears rang with a high-pitched noise.
“This is a guard!”
In the midst of his dizzy vision, a broadly smiling Lorelia brought her arms together in front of her head.
“Raise your guard!”
Why a sudden punch? He couldn’t understand that first. The curriculum was supposedly for quick adaptation and survival of possessors, so why start with a punch?
“Wait, what are you…”
Thump! Before he could finish his sentence, Lorelia’s punch struck again. It was a fierce punch, too harsh to believe it came from such a pretty hand.
A punch not straight but twisted, as if slicing through. Lee Soo-hyuk couldn’t think of anything. It felt like his train of thought had been abruptly cut off. Half-conscious, he slumped down where he stood.
“That’s not acceptable!”
Lorelia warned in a loud voice.
“Talking with your mouth open during combat is a very bad idea! You might accidentally bite your tongue off! You should also refrain from shouting or yelling as much as possible!”
His semi-severed consciousness reconnected. He felt no pain in his face where he had been hit repeatedly. But Lee Soo-hyuk didn’t think to stand up, just staring blankly at Lorelia.
“Failing to keep your balance and slumping down is also worthy of criticism! That posture significantly limits your movements! The best thing is not to get hit, and the next best thing is to block! If you can’t do either, you must endure with tenacity!”
“Wait, just a moment.”
Lee Soo-hyuk stuttered out a response to her continuous admonishments.
“Why are you hitting me…?”
“As I said before, it’s for the rapid adaptation and survival of possessors!”
“What does that have to do with hitting me…”
“Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Possessors have many enemies! Avoiding adversaries is the best self-defense, but no matter how much you prepare and evade, unexpected encounters can still happen!”
Thump! Lorelia’s fists collided. The sound from her small fists was surprisingly loud, shaking Lee Soo-hyuk’s body.
“I, Lorelia, believe this! The most perfect self-defense technique is to have the power to not die in any situation! To teach the mortal attackers who come to kill me why they are indeed mortal! To trample my potential adversaries in advance! That is the most perfect self-defense technique!”
It was a violent statement, unbelievable for a priestess.
“In our world where order has collapsed, the law does not fully protect the weak! Especially, there’s practically no law to protect Possessors! That’s why you need to grow stronger!”
Lorelia raised her fist proudly.
“Violence is a great means of negotiation and conversation in most situations! If it’s trivial violence, it’s not worth discussing, but sufficient violence can be more valuable than a fortune in certain situations!”
Though I still didn’t fully grasp what a priestess of the Goddess of Order was, applying my common sense, she seemed similar to a religious person.
Lee Soo-hyuk looked up at the religious person, Lorelia, with a blank face. Lorelia, speaking about violence and power, seemed more joyful than ever before.
“Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! I, Lorelia, will do my best to educate you so that you don’t die in vain!”
Without responding, Lee Soo-hyuk found himself lifted forcibly as Lorelia reached out her hand and grabbed the air. Whoosh! It felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed him by the collar. Still unable to grasp the situation, Lee Soo-hyuk’s lips quivered.
“Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Your adversaries will not be as merciful as I am! They won’t warn you in advance, they won’t just knock you out cleanly, and they certainly won’t help you stand up if you fall!”
“…”
“Remember this fact! Now, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! I have just taught you how to make a fist, punch, and guard!”
“So, what do you want me to do…?”
“Attack me!”
Lorelia said with a wide smile.
“Make a fist with your hand! And throw a punch at me!”
My thoughts finally began to clear, but I was far from calm. After a long explanation, the necessary details were glossed over, and anger surged at Lorelia, who had punched me.
This anger also contained frustration over the entire situation. The frustration of being dragged into another world just for playing a crappy game!
I clenched my fist.
“F**k!”
I yelled out an expletive like a battle cry as I swung my fist. But misjudging the distance, my fist filled with rage did not hit Lorelia. She sighed at the missed punch and Lee Soo-hyuk, who stumbled over his own force.
“Oh, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim…! This… this is not a punch!”
“F**king bitch…!”
“Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Is that curse directed at me, Lorelia? I understand that you are greatly agitated, but please refrain from using such language!”
It was a polite request, but Lee Soo-hyuk let it go in one ear and out the other. The explosion of emotions that had been suppressed several times sent his rationality flying far away.
“Why do I have to put up with this crap!”
“Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Follow my advice! It’s very dangerous to open your mouth and shout during combat!”
“You’re talking too!”
“Ah, right! Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, you seem to be under a misunderstanding! It’s fine for me! For me, Lorelia, this is not a battle right now!”
With a refreshing smile, Lorelia exclaimed. Her expression and tone of voice were so lively that it took a moment to realize she was openly ignoring me.
“F**king bitch!”
Realizing he was being ignored, Lee Soo-hyuk shouted an expletive and swung his fist again. Having rarely fought in his 27 years, he had an unfounded confidence that he couldn’t possibly lose when going all out against a woman.
Thud!
A bright light flashed before his eyes.
“This is a counter!”
Lee Soo-hyuk collapsed to the ground with his head feeling half-exploded.
“That punch was quite good! But next time, please attack more delicately! Hot in the heart! Cool in the head! Heavy in the fist! Light on the feet!”
His head cleared. Lee Soo-hyuk didn’t understand what had happened to him, but he realized that no matter what kind of dragon-like tactics he used, he could never beat Lorelia.
“…You told me to attack… why counter…?”
“I, Lorelia, never said I would let myself be hit! Even if I had said that, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim should not have believed it! There are many snakes in the world who deceitfully twist their tongues!”
It was a valid point. Lee Soo-hyuk blinked blankly and then spoke up with a new resolve.
“Um, Lorelia-nim, can I ask you for one thing?”
“Of course, feel free!”
“Can you let me hit you just once?”
For a moment, Lorelia’s smile wavered.
“Imu… Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, I’m sorry! I cannot fulfill that request.”
“Why did you stop yourself from saying the nickname just now?”
“This is an educational exercise for your survival, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! If I were to simply let myself be hit by your punches, which are hardly like punches, you might despair later when you really need to throw a punch due to the disparity with reality! Therefore, I, Lorelia, cannot just let myself be hit for your sake…”
Her words came out swiftly. The conclusion was that she couldn’t let herself be hit because the punches were too poor, but it seemed like there was more to it than that. Maybe she just didn’t want to be hit? Lee Soo-hyuk twisted his mouth and glared, but Lorelia, as if never wavering, received his gaze with a calm smile.
“Do all other Possessors also receive this kind of training?”
“No! This is a special training that I, Lorelia, am providing just for Lee Soo-hyuk~nim!”
“Um, I’m really curious and don’t understand, but why exactly are you, Lorelia-nim, my assigned priestess…?”
“My goodness, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! Are you dissatisfied that I, Lorelia, am the priestess assigned to Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk?!”
“No… uh… it’s not that, just curious.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I, Lorelia, was not originally preparing to be in charge of Possessors. So I was worried that you might be dissatisfied with me due to any mistakes I make.”
Lee Soo-hyuk felt uneasy at her answer. She wasn’t originally in charge of Possessors? Then, was this messed-up possession situation all wrong from the start?
“You weren’t originally in charge of Possessors?”
“Yes! There were various problems in the Order, so it ended up this way. But don’t worry, Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! I, Lorelia, have no less enthusiasm and motivation compared to the priestesses who officially went through the training process!”
“Can I ask what you were originally in charge of?”
“Violence!”
Lorelia answered with a wide smile.
“I see…”
The glorification of violence, suggesting that fists are mightier than laws and swords mightier than pens.
Now I understood why Lorelia was so insistent on the necessity of violence.
“Let’s continue with the training!”
Watching Lorelia lift her fists with overflowing enthusiasm, my eyes couldn’t help but waver.
“When does this training end?”
“Hmm…”
There was no immediate response. Lorelia, no longer clenching her fists, sat down. Sitting with her knees modestly bent, she looked at Lee Soo-hyuk with a serious face.
“When Lee Soo-hyuk~nim can throw a punch with full force, without hesitation or fear, harboring the intent to kill a living human, that is when this training will end.”
It sounded difficult.
That thought crossed his mind immediately upon hearing Lorelia’s words. How many people in the world have ever thrown a punch with the full intent to kill someone? Lee Soo-hyuk certainly wasn’t one of them. He had never done or even imagined such a thing.
“Does it have to be a fist?”
Lee Soo-hyuk hesitated for a moment before asking.
“Could I maybe do it with a weapon or magic… something like that?”
“A weapon?”
Lorelia’s eyebrows twitched, and her red eyes emitted a chilling glare.
“Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk~nim! You didn’t use a weapon, did you?”
“Excuse me?”
“In the trap of the Evil God! The game! In Seronis! Your character, Immune to Insults, didn’t wield any weapons or wear any armor!”
Lee Soo-hyuk was speechless at her exclamation. It was true. In Seronis, his character didn’t use weapons or wear armor.
This was because his build revolved around a skill that gave extra stats for every sealed equipment slot. The seals increased as the game progressed, and at the end, ‘Immune to Insults’ became a character wearing only underwear, with no equipment at all.
Stacking extra stats. Blessings granted according to the flow of combat.
Evasion rate that broke the game’s limits.
High-power skills that used health.
As health decreased, stats pumped up further, recalculating the extra stats based on total amounts, berserking at near-death to amplify stats further, sustaining through life steal…
His concept as ‘Immune to Insults’ was to fight using massive extra stats gained in the process, covering for the defense normally provided by equipment with health boosts, and barely maintaining health cutoffs through control.
“But that was just a game…”
“Immune to Insults Lee Soo-hyuk~nim, that was you!”
“No… uh… If I can’t acquire skills in the same way as in the game, why are you imposing the game’s concept on me…?”
“Just create your own skills!”
It sounded so obvious that Lee Soo-hyuk was left without a response.
“Didn’t I tell you? Possessors inherently have a great affinity for mana. Affinity means the ability to freely manipulate mana, and depending on your effort, you can create new magic or martial arts!”
“That’s absurd…”
“It’s no lie! The strong survivors known as Possessors in our world have developed their own combat techniques, validated in the games they played!”
It seemed impossible to realize a game concept of wandering around in underwear without armor or weapons in reality.
“In reality, not wielding a weapon won’t increase my stats.”
“There are ways, though it’s not common.”
What does she mean there are ways? It was a baffling answer.
“I don’t know about other Possessors, but my character’s concept is difficult to realize.”
“That might be true, but I, Lorelia, do not recommend wielding a weapon.”
Instead of smiling, Lorelia pouted her lips.
*****
Illustration of Elena
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