Chapter 12
Seong-Hwi left the safe zone and entered the Dark Forest. He went deep enough so that no one could see him and placed the heavy backpack on the ground.
𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
It's time to check my lottery tickets, he said inwardly.
Seong-Hwi stared at the pair of silver bracelets on his wrists and smiled. He would first check the ticket that was a guaranteed jackpot.
[Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong (Artifact)[1]
Description: A pair of bracelets crafted to pray for the well-being of the Queen Consort. The left bracelet boosts health. The right bracelet boosts strength.]
[Health F(24) → F(74)]
[Strength F(32) → F(82)]
...
Its description was simple, but its contents were not at all.
“Haha!” Seong-Hwi burst into laughter.
The bracelets had become an item as he had expected. He was impressed by its description—a boost in the Health and Strength stats by F(50) points. It was five times the strength of an average adult male. Items that boosted stats were rare. On top of that, considering the Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong’s potential, the rank of the stats it boosted would change as the bracelets’ rank rose. It was a given that stats got more difficult to raise the higher the rank they were.
No wonder that wolf beastfolk warrior became a Ranker so quickly.
If the silver bracelets grew enough to boost even S-rank stats, the benefits would far outweigh the Karma he would invest in them.
Health and Strength, huh? Magic would’ve been better, but these two stats are just as important.
The Health stat was the foundation for everything. No matter how powerful one’s skills were, it was pointless if their body couldn’t handle it. As for the Strength stat, it was the most useful early on.
I can invest more Karma into other stats now.
Seong-Hwi had truly hit the jackpot. He unfastened the buckle of his backpack to open it and examined the goods he had purchased in various markets. A bronze Buddhist statue, an old wooden fish, a porcelain bowl, a jade ring, and other old items poured out of the backpack.
This one’s a dud. So is this. And this.
Seong-Hwi immediately threw away any objects that did not become items because they were nothing more than junk. He couldn’t keep carrying the large backpack around like an idiot. The backpack rapidly grew lighter, and Seong-Hwi’s expression grew more somber.
“Huuu. Dammit, was it a waste of time?”
He had almost gone through all the items, but none had become items.
I should have spent more time at the library instead of collecting junk. Tsk, I knew it was like hunting for treasure in a landfill, but I had my hopes up just a little.
It was only natural since artifacts possessed at least C-rank potential. It would be disrespectful to thieves if he managed to get several of them. Seong-Hwi felt like an overweight middle-aged man crying as he watched the Saturday 8:45 PM show where they drew the lottery numbers.
His backpack was almost empty, and he saw only a box at the bottom. If it was at the bottom, it meant it was the first thing he had put in the backpack. He recognized the box. He opened it and saw a blackish and somber wooden mask, unsettling with its wide eyes and bare teeth. Seong-Hwi bared his teeth like the mask and smiled once he examined it.
[Myriad Cheoyong Mask (Artifact)
Rank: F(0)
Description: A cheoyong mask that drives away the God of Misfortune. It possesses a countless number of faces.
Skill: Myriad Faces]
“I got a jackpot on my last ticket.”
It was the cheoyong mask that the elderly man he met at the flea market held dearly. He had mentioned that it existed before the Silla period, and he appeared to have been correct.
The artifact did not boost stats but had a built-in skill. Since artifacts, like S-rank items, had no duplicates, their skills were also one-of-a-kind.
“Myriad Faces?”
Seong-Hwi had never heard of such a skill despite knowing most that existed. He focused on the skill description.
[Myriad Faces (Artifact Skill)
Rank: Shared—F(0)
Description: The wearer can change their face into that of the individual they touch, once every 24 hours.
Duration: Proportional to mana volume]
The artifact skill could be categorized as a transformation D Weapon skill.
Hmm, Seong-Hwi pondered.
The skill was ambiguous, but he was sure he would have a use for it since there was no such thing as a useless skill in the Mirror World. Besides, its rank was only F at the moment, but since it had at least C-rank potential, its true value would show itself after some investment.
“Two, huh? I should be thankful.”
To be honest, he wasn’t just thankful. No one would have had a more advantageous start than Seong-Hwi. He obtained two artifacts. Since their potential was at least C-rank, they were worth at least 600,000 Karma. He had jumped far beyond everyone else.
Time for the next step.
Seong-Hwi walked deeper into the forest, his backpack and heart much lighter.
***
What a mess, Seong-Hwi thought as he looked down from atop a giant tree.
Thirty dogs made of black blood were fighting as they scratched and bit each other.
[Black Dog of the race Chaos, discovered.]
Chaos were categorized into Natural Chaos and Invasive Chaos; the Black Dogs below him were Invasive Chaos. The Black Dogs used to be pets raised by members of the dog beastfolk. They were corrupted by Chaos, turning them into that form.
Blood Chaos, the bottom of the ladder, even among the Shen.
While Seong-Hwi was thinking, one of the Black Dogs bit off the os embedded in the chest of another Black Dog and swallowed it.
The Black Dog that swallowed the os roared and began to change form. Bone formed over its body made of black blood, like a white flower blooming. A skull and some ribs instantly formed over the dog. It then attacked the remaining Black Dogs much more aggressively than before.
Oh, it evolved into a Bone Black Dog.
There were ranks even among the Chaos. It was said that the demon Curiositas, the Second Fiend, had come up with them. He was known for his endless curiosity and desire for the pursuit of knowledge, and he would do whatever it took to sate his curiosity. For him, the Chaos were but an interesting research material.
After much time, he presented his research to the Mirror World, naming the lowest rank of Chaos in the Mirror World Shen—Chaos with no intelligence or chaos mana, and fought with only physical strength. Shen-rank Chaos might have all been the same to a demon, a superior race—and the Second Fiend, no less—but it was too broad for humans, an inferior race. Hence, humans divided the Shen-rank Chaos into five sub-ranks.
The first was Blood because they were made of blood. The second was Bone because bone formed around them. The third was Flesh because they gained flesh. The fourth was Skin because it formed over the flesh. The fifth was Armed because they gained armaments.
The Chaos was, as the name suggested, chaos. They had no awareness of each other being the same race. Rather, they devoured each other to evolve, although they attacked other races before attacking each other.
Alright, what to do now?
Seong-Hwi shuffled his D Weapon, Old Tarot Deck, as he stared at the Black Dogs that had been reduced to twenty.
Should I establish a rule?
He could do it right now because his D Weapon stat had surpassed F(50), but he shook his head.
I’ll decide after checking how much Karma they give me. I need to assess my body condition, too.
His D Weapon disappeared once he made his decision. He pulled out the knife from under his hoodie and jumped down from the tree, purposefully making a loud noise by landing on the ground.
Grrr.
Woof! Woof!
The Black Dogs, fighting against each other, simultaneously turned to Seong-Hwi.
“Come at me, damn lumps of blood.”
Woof!
The Black Dogs charged at Seong-Hwi. He sensed their presence—the vibrations from their feet hitting the ground, their panting breaths, the splashing of mud—with his F(23) Sense stat.
I might as well be blind compared to my prime in my past life, he said inwardly.
However, he could still easily read the movements of mere Shen-rank Blood Chaos. His F(25) Dexterity stat allowed Seong-Hwi to evade their attacks. Dexterity not only made one’s movements faster but also improved flexibility, reaction speed, balance, hand-eye coordination, and more. Those with high Dexterity were so fast that their movements transcended one’s senses—it was as if time itself was compressed for them. Although Seong-Hwi was not that fast yet, he could still easily evade the Black Dogs’ attacks.
Woof!
The Black Dogs, annoyed by their bites and scratches hitting nothing but air, surrounded Seong-Hwi. They were killing each other moments ago, but were now working together when a member of another race appeared.
Woof, woof!
Ruff!
The Black Dogs charged at Seong-Hwi. Seong-Hwi held the knife in a reverse grip and used his Strength stat that rose to F(82) thanks to the Silver Bracelets of Queen Consort Muryeong. He split the Black Dog nearest to him in half, both its body and its os. It then turned into black blood and splattered on the ground.
[Black Dog, defeated.]
[6 Karma obtained.]
[You are the first in all districts of the Dark Forest to defeat a Chaos.]
[Hidden Quest: First Act of Bravery, complete.]
[1,000 Karma obtained.]
...
Seong-Hwi quickly adjusted his stance and destroyed the Black Dogs’ os as he weaved between them.
“Hup!”
The ground was covered in bitter-smelling black blood in an instant. Seong-Hwi had scratches on his arms and legs, still unaccustomed to his current body. However, he did not worry. His torso was protected with body armor, and light scratches would close quickly because of his Health stat, which was at F(74) thanks to the silver bracelets.
Huuu. My movements are still a bit dull, but I have to get used to them.
He was moving awkwardly because it had been a decade since he had F-rank stats, but he was quickly getting accustomed to it. Although his knife strikes were not elegant or flashy, they were quick and precise. He struck where he needed to, evaded at the perfect time, and positioned himself in the most ideal positions.
[6 Karma obtained.]
[5 Karma obtained.]
[4 Karma obtained.]
...
Seong-Hwi clicked his tongue as he listened to the Akasha Messages.
It’s barely a fifth.
Seong-Hwi obtained 25 Karma on average when he killed Black Dogs in his past life during the mandatory quest. This was because his stats were nowhere near as high back then. The Karma System was fair to all. Much Karma was awarded against enemies that one would have difficulty against, and little Karma was awarded against small fry. This was why people headed to the center of the Mirror World despite its risks.
“Hup!”
The Black Dogs turned into blood, and only one remained—the Bone Black Dog.
Grrr!
It did not recklessly charge at Seong-Hwi, instinctively realizing Seong-Hwi was a predator.
“I’ll come to you, then!” Seong-Hwi shouted and charged at the Bone Black Dog first.
Woof!
It tried to bite off Seong-Hwi’s head with teeth that had become harder and sharper now that it had a skull. Once it opened its mouth, Seong-Hwi quickly stuffed his knife vertically into the Bone Black Dog’s mouth with his right hand.
Woof!
It could no longer close its mouth or use its sharp teeth.
“Hup!”
Seong-Hwi circulated the mana of his F(29) Magic stat. It felt like small worms were crawling along his blood vessels. He thrust his left hand, enhanced with mana, into the Bone Black Dog’s chest while destroying the ribs in his path.
Whine! Whine!
“Hah, got it!” Seong-Hwi grabbed the os and crushed it with his immense grip strength.
The Bone Black Dog melted like ice cream, like the other Black Dogs. Its broken ribs and skull fell into the pool of blood.
[10 Karma obtained.]
“Huuu,” Seong-Hwi caught his breath and shook off the sticky blood on his left hand.
I only got ten Karma from a Bone Black Dog. I’m already getting so little, so I might only get one or two Karma if I establish a rule on my D Weapon. Should I head to the second zone?
The Dark Forest where the mandatory quest took place was made up of five zones. The first zone was the outskirts, and stronger Chaos monsters appeared the closer one got to the fifth zone, the central area.
Seong-Hwi could easily obtain a Teleport Rock within a week if he wanted to. It was about fifty kilometers away, and he more or less knew the way. However, he shook his head.
I shouldn’t be chasing immediate gain.
Seong-Hwi’s goal was not only to acquire the Teleport Rock or earn Karma through hunting. He would never be able to come back to the Dark Forest once the mandatory quest was complete. He was planning on using all the information he knew about the Dark Forest to earn as many hidden pieces as possible.
A trait quest will appear once you kill a thousand Black Dogs, right?
***
“Sniff.”
“Mommy! Hurgh.”
“Goddammit! Fuck!”
The safe zone had become a mess after Seong-Hwi left. Everyone here had been dragged out of their ordinary lives, and they had witnessed someone’s beheading after not even thirty minutes of their arrival.
“What the hell was up with that guy? How could he kill someone so nonchalantly? Is he insane?”
“I’m sure he got that Dark Seal thing! That damn murderer!”
“What are we supposed to do now?”
No one knew the answer. The commotion did not die down, and some people started to band together.
Two men were disposing of Kim Min-Su’s body amidst the chaos. One was a young man in his mid-twenties with a buzz cut, and the other was a man in his fifties with gray sideburns and a burly beard.
“Urgh. I never thought I would dispose of a corpse,” the bearded man said.
“I said I would do it myself,” the young man replied.
“What’s your name, young man?”
“It’s Shin Jun. What about you, ahjussi?”
“I’m Park Ho-Geun. You got that Destiny Weapon thing too, right? What’s yours?”
“I got a manhole cover.”
“I got a sledgehammer. I used to work in demolition, and I got the same one that I used for work. Even the product name is the same. Made In Korea Recoilless Sledgehammer,” Ho-Geun talked idly as he scanned Jun.
Although Jun’s build was average, Ho-Geun was impressed by his attitude of volunteering to get rid of the body when people were complaining that the smell of blood might attract beasts in the forest if there were any. Hence, he volunteered to help so he could get closer to Jun.
Some people are already banding together. I don’t know what kind of place this is, but I have to survive and go to that Mirror World place no matter what!
Ho-Geun’s wife and daughter had been Lost a year ago. He might reunite with them in the Mirror World.
And for that, I need people I can trust!
Jun and Ho-Geun got three hundred meters away from the field with Min-Su’s body.
[You left the safe zone.]
“Huuu,” Jun took a deep breath while Ho-Geun swallowed his saliva. Jun said, “Let’s go another hundred meters and bury the body there. That should be fine even if there are wild beasts here, right?”
“Yeah, since there’s a safe zone. I think it’ll be fine as long as it’s outside of it.”
Ho-Geun was not brave enough to get more than a hundred meters away from the safe zone. Bitter-smelling blood was still dripping from Min-Su’s body, which only amplified their fear.
“Huuu. I think this area is good enough,” Jun remarked.
“Okay. I’m confident in my digging skills. You can—”
The moment Ho-Geun turned around, Jun shouted wide-eyed, “Watch out!”
“What?”
A dog covered in black blood appeared from between the trees—it was a Black Dog. It charged at Ho-Geun, who had his back to it, opening its mouth wide.
Woof!
Jun instinctively thought about his only weapon. The manhole cover appeared, and he used it like a shield to block the Black Dog.
Whine!
“Urgh! Ahjussi! Your sledgehammer!”
“O-okay!”
Ho-Geun summoned his D Weapon, a sledgehammer with a long handle and a large head. Jun stood in front of Ho-Geun and pointed the manhole cover at the Black Dog.
Jun shouted, “I’ll block it, and you’ll attack!”
“Will our attacks even work against that monster?”
“We’ll be eaten if they don’t!”
Woof!
The Black Dog recovered from colliding with the manhole cover and charged at the men again without minding its injuries, foaming at the mouth.
“Ngh,” Ho-Geun grunted, intimidated by the Black Dog’s mad ferocity.
The largest dog he had seen was a golden retriever. Although their sizes were similar, the ferocity of the dog before him was on another level. Unlike the flustered Ho-Geun, Jun calmly assessed the right timing.
Now!
Jun pushed the manhole cover forward hard and smashed into the charging Black Dog.
“Sledgehammer!” he shouted.
“You got it! Chaaa!”
Ho-Geun regained his composure as he watched how calm Jun was, and smashed the sledgehammer down on the Black Dog’s lower body. Its hind legs turned into black liquid and melted away.
Woof! Ruff!
However, the Black Dog still had its front legs and teeth. Its pure black eyes with no whites gleamed with bloodlust.
“The head! Aim for its head!”
“Haaah!”
Ho-Geun swung his sledgehammer again, but down on the Black Dog’s head this time.
“Huff, huff!”
“Huuu, huuu.”
The two men panted heavily. The Black Dog turned into a pool of black blood, and a small, black orb floating in the blood broke.
What’s that?
An Akasha Message appeared as Jun was wondering what the orb was.
[Black Dog of the race Chaos, defeated.]
[21 Karma obtained.]
Jun turned to Ho-Geun and remarked, “I got twenty-one Karma.”
“I got twenty.”
“I think we need to collect these points called Karma and buy cubes.”
“What do we get from those cubes?”
“I’m not sure, but since there are stat, skill, and item cubes, we should be able to get stronger by buying them. It’s like an RPG.”
Jun’s eyes sank even deeper. He was just a young man who worked at a diner but was learning different sides of himself as he faced danger.
Was I... always this calm? I was dragged to this weird place, touched a dead body, and fought a monster, but... I’m weirdly not afraid.
Some people changed completely from their past selves after coming to the Mirror World. Mediocrity was but another form of the extraordinary. The people who were dragged here were bound to change, voluntarily or involuntarily.
1. The official name is a little too long, so I shortened it. ☜