Reborn as Sung Jin Woo

500 gems = bonus chapter

Story is now fully available:

www.patreon.com/posts/reborn-as-sung-124287235

***

My breathing was coming back to normal, as was my heartbeat. Gradually, after that shocking dream, I was calming down. And as I relaxed, I plumped down on my bed, looking straight at the game window with a message.

You have one unread message.

Actually, everything was falling into place now. That grim figure in the dream, that hospital room, the message, and even my own body. Lowering my gaze, I looked down at my hands. Skinny, but surprisingly, wiry hands. Yet, I could definitely see that they weren't my hands, and neither was the rest of my body. And I even knew whose body this was before.

In fact, just before realising myself in that strange dream... I remember reading that colourful comic book. Leveling up alone. And that figure in armour, that's the monarch of shadows, the one whose powers were given to the protagonist of the webcomic in whose body I now woke up. The memories were coming back a little clearer now. And I also remembered... a cart?

- Heh heh heh heh... - A laugh escaped my mouth on its own.

I was walking down a historic street. It's just that there was a comic book shop, the only one in town. And, suddenly, I noticed a child running by and almost getting hit by the horses. A cart with two harnessed horses was travelling down the street, entertaining the gawkers. On impulse, I rushed after the child and managed to grab him by the collar. I remember pulling him out from under the hooves, but I lost my balance and found myself right in front of the horse. My last memory was when the horse reared up and hit me in the face with a hoof. I think it hit me in the head from above.

- Normal people are sent to Issekai by a lorry, but I was run over by a cart....

Or not by a cart, but by horses.

Although, it's pretty amazing that I'm actually in this situation after death. Or maybe I'm not dead. The collision with the cart cost me a head injury and, in fact, I'm in hospital now. Only not in this clean and spacious single-person ward, but in a shabby ward of a typical city clinic, on a rusty iron bed with a holey mattress.

Closing my eyes, I open them....

And it's the same thing.

I even thought to pinch my arm.

- Shh... - I pinched it too hard.

But nothing's changed.

Dream or not, I can't just wake up. And, there's still the possibility that this is all happening for real. So, I'd better assume that this is the real reality I'm in.

Rubbing my head, I also came to the realisation that there was no memory of Jin Wu in this head at all. I remembered absolutely nothing of his life.

And, just as I turned my full attention to the system's message.....

The sliding doors rustled aside, and as they opened, two men in suits entered the room.

- Are you awake yet? - He sighed with a sigh of relief, the guy with the stamp of severe sleep deprivation on his face.

I was a little taken aback by what he said. I understood exactly what he said, but the Korean language sounded very unfamiliar. And it was an extremely strange sensation that simultaneously felt so unreal and yet, at the same time, violently shattered my assumptions that this was all part of a dream.

- I...

- I apologise if we startled you.

The man held out a business card to me.

And, it's the same here. I was able to read it quite calmly. Inspector of the Korean Hunting Association. Yes, there are special people in this world who have gained supernatural powers. And with them came gates, dungeons full of bloodthirsty monsters. And, to clear these gates, hunters are organised into guilds. And it's the hunters' association that controls them. Both the guilds and the gates. In some cases, the association grants guilds ownership of gates so they can extract valuable resources from the dungeons. Other gates, however, the association and guilds mop up and shut down. Actually, even the strongest guilds can not control many gates at the same time, and they periodically appear here and there. And if they are not contained, then after a while, monsters from the gate will start to come out into the world and attack ordinary people. Well, that's what I remember from the comic book.

- You've been unconscious for three days--

- I see." I exhaled calmly.

The inspector arched an eyebrow briefly.

I tried to remember the beginning of the manhwa. I don't have any memories of Sung Jin-woo, but I don't really want to tell anyone that I'm another person who took over his body in some strange way. And, I don't even know if I should claim amnesia, or if I should just pretend I'm Jin Woo to avoid any possible problems. They'll bring in some hunters with mental superpowers. Although, is there such a thing?

- Did anyone else from the group survive? - I asked.

- Yes... - Nodded the inspector. - Including you, six people managed to get out of the double dungeon. Hunter Ji Yeol lost his arm. He feels fine now, but with such an injury, he is unlikely to be able to continue his hunter activities. As for hunter Joo Hee, she has traumatic shock and is now under the care of doctors, but her health is fine.

I listened to him attentively, but I realised that I wouldn't even be able to repeat the names he said. It went in one ear and out the other. Of all the survivors, I could remember only the healer girl. I think she was the one the inspector was talking about when he mentioned traumatic shock. She seems to have a pretty high rank, but she's afraid of danger, so she goes to low-rank dungeons. And everything going on at the beginning of the manhwa was a major stressor for her. But then again, I couldn't even remember her name.

Meanwhile, the inspector was telling me about the fate of the other hunters who had survived, but I wasn't really listening to him. The guild representatives themselves, most likely, wrote off my apathy to post-traumatic shock. You know, like in the case of that girl. In reality, I just didn't feel anything about those events. And, in a way, I was really still dumbfounded by the very fact of my being in this situation, in this world, and in this body.

- We had already gotten statements from the others, and we had found the bodies of the victims. But, when our inspectors and the people of the White Tiger Guild, arrived... everything disappeared. We only found you lying on the altar, no statues.''

The inspector shook his head.

- ''Hmm... that's strange...''

- We think so too, but the readings match. It's only a guess, but... perhaps we think you went through a re-awakening.

It happens sometimes.

Usually when a person awakens as a hunter, their strength remains unchanged. Some awaken with a low level, others with a medium level, and only a few become really powerful national level hunters. But, sometimes, a weak hunter can re-awaken and become stronger. As a rule, these moments of awakening do not depend on the people themselves at all. They happen by chance, or rather at the whim of some force above this world.

- So... you think that when I was abandoned, I got a second awakening, and I was able to deal with the monsters on my own? - I clarified.

- It's... possible. - The inspector hesitated.

The second inspector placed a strange device on the bedside table. A magical mechanism with a violet crystal was more suited to the entourage of a wizard's room in a fantasy world, but in a modern hospital this thing looked unnatural.

- It's a magic power meter. - The inspector clarified with a tired look on his face. - Just put your hand on this stone.

- Okay. - I nodded obediently and complied. - But I doubt that my data will change in any way.

The instructor who was using the device had a look of disappointment on his face. I could tell from that expression alone that he was seeing some pretty depressing numbers.

- I'm still a little... stunned, but I can definitely tell you that I didn't fight those monsters. - Telling the inspectors. - As I understand it, it was a condition...

- A condition? - The man was interested.

- Yes... you've already asked the others, haven't you? The monsters didn't attack us like they normally do. It was more like... like a puzzle with traps... I've never seen dungeons like this before, and it seems like it's really something strange. But I guess I survived because the conditions of the task were fulfilled, I was sacrificed to the lord...

- We will take that information into consideration. - Nodded the inspector.

In any case, after realising that I had not re-awakened as a super-powered hunter, these guys almost completely lost all interest in me. With a nod of indifference, they packed up and went on their way. I, left alone in the room, breathed a sigh of relief.

And then I looked at the system message again.....

It was always hanging in the air in front of me, but I was the only one who saw it. The guild representatives weren't paying any attention to this thing at all.

- So...

I put my hand out and--

- Brother! The doors opened again.

I shuddered in surprise.

I'm being prevented from learning the damn system again! Honestly, I was impatiently waiting for the guild representatives to get rid of me, because I wanted to start examining this very important element as soon as possible.

- Ahem... sister... - I stretched out somewhat uncertainly.

A young girl in a school uniform stood in the doorway.

Hmm, and she's pretty....

- How are you feeling? - She showed concern.

- Umm... I'm still... a bit dazed by what happened, but I'm fine now.

The girl sighed in relief.

- You're as usual...'' She said somewhat unhappily already.

Sister Jin Wu still spoke to me for a while. But as I remained rather passive in this conversation, the girl's remarks became more and more uncertain and somewhat awkward.

- Are you sure you're alright? - And she was starting to get worried.

- Yes, I just need to... rest... for a bit. Then I'll continue... working... - I blurted out.

- Brother... take care of yourself. - The girl's voice trembled.

An unpleasant feeling prickled in my chest. I'm not Jin Wu, but I don't want to upset this girl with the news that her brother has disappeared and I'm now in his place. That's why I've been trying harder and harder to impersonate her brother, who was just stunned by the events at the double gate and is now so dumbfounded.

- P-I see..." she said. - Well... if you're okay... I'll be off. I still have an assignment to do tomorrow.

- Okay. - I nod to her.

Sighing, the girl stepped back.

Looks like I wasn't exposed. But, for the future, it's best to keep contact with my family to a minimum.

In the meantime...

Now that the girl was gone, I could safely look at my messages. Reaching out, I touch the translucent screen and, blinking, it disappears. A new one appears in its place.

A message

Welcome player! (unread)

The daily task "get stronger!" has arrived. (unread)

So, I received two messages.

And without hesitation, I immediately opened the first of them.

Welcome player!

The system will help the development of the player!

You will receive a penalty for not following the system's instructions.Get a reward for joining the system!

Blinking, I clicked on the small icon below this message.

And in the same instant, I felt a familiar force. A ripple of violet lord energy that settled within me. Dark threads that wove through my entire being. And I could feel the power hidden within them. If it were to penetrate my body all at once right now... I would be torn to pieces. But instead, the threads let just a tiny bit of that power seep into me. And I felt that energy coursing through my body, penetrating all the way to my bones.

I got +10 characterisation points!

And after that, a character window that displayed my own characteristics immediately opened in front of me.

Sung Jin Woo

Level 1

Speciality

No

Title

No

Health - 100%

Mana - 100%

Characteristics:

Strength - 9

Dexterity - 7

Endurance - 8

Perception - 6

Intelligence - 7

Available points - 10.

Next to it was another image of my body and empty equipment boxes, like in the game. And also a window with skills, which was still empty. But there was an additional window of effects.

Permanent effects:

Longevity - all diseases, poisons and negative effects are neutralised, and sleep greatly increases the ability to regenerate.

All in all, it looks very useful.

Interestingly, health and mana were labelled in percentages rather than whole numbers. That didn't seem to be the case in the manhwa. It's not a critical change, though.

Sighing, I put my fist to my chest.

I can feel my heart beating....

But if I concentrate, I can feel the echoes of that ominous pulsation, the power of the shadow lord. It's already in me, or rather, in this system that braids my body and possibly my soul. So, no matter how much I pump with this system, one way or another, I'll end up with this power? I don't mind it at all. The shadow lord ability is one of the things I liked most about the comic! And despite all the dangers this world promises me, the possibility of gaining these powers is exhilarating and awe-inspiring. I want those powers!

- Ahem...

I came to my senses and went back to the message window.

There's another one. A daily quest. And from what I remember of the manhwa, this quest is best not ignored. At least right now, I'm definitely not ready to experience the system's penalty. I believe in the comic, Jin Woo was transported straight from his hospital bed to a vast desert inhabited by huge train-sized scolopendras. The point of the punishing task was to survive in this desert, for four hours. And with my current stats, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to run from these creatures indefinitely. Although, Jin Wu seemed to be good at it. But, I definitely don't want to take that risk.

Therefore...

The daily challenge is to become stronger!

Objectives:

Push-ups 0/100

Bench Press 0\100

Squats 0\100

Run 0\10km

Warning!

Failure to complete the task within the time limit will be penalised!

The remaining time is 05:32.

Swallowing nervously, I glanced at the nightstand where Jin Wu's smartphone was lying.

Taking the phone in my hands, I swiped my finger across the screen and looked at the time. Yes, it looks like the daily task is updated at midnight sharp. After all, there are exactly five and a half hours until twelve pm.

And with a sigh, I put the phone away, then closed the system messages, and immediately started the task.

- And one...

Push-ups...

Yeah, it's been a long time since I've done this kind of exercise. But now, I don't think I have much choice. It's actually good for me.

- Four.

When I had already done five push-ups, the thought caught up with me that I hadn't distributed my ten reward points. But, for now, I took my time and just opened the challenge message.

5/100 push-ups.

I'm making progress.

Or else I'll lose count and exceed the standard. Not that that's a bad thing, but these tasks can be really exhausting when you're not used to them. And until all the standards are not fulfilled, it's better to save your strength!

And so I went on.

But a hundred push-ups for my body turned out to be not such a difficult test. In my own body I would not have been able to do a hundred push-ups like that and feel so comfortable. No, I might have done a hundred push-ups, but I would have been drenched in sweat and my arms would have been numb and writhing with fatigue. But, Jin Wu's physical fitness was obviously much better. After all, he was a hunter. Albeit the weakest of them all, but even so, he was superior to ordinary people in terms of his physical parameters.

After push-ups, I just as calmly moved on to squats.

And then I did abs exercises.

- Huh...

Now I'm starting to get a little tired.

Therefore...

I opened the status window and spent two units of my reward points to increase my stamina to ten units. And you know what, I immediately began to breathe easier, and the fatigue that was already coming up instantly receded.

Remembering the circumstances of the manhwa, I invested the remaining eight points fully into strength, raising that characteristic to seventeen.

- Ahhh...

And the dark power pulsing through my body, a wave of heat travelled through my muscles. I could directly feel my body becoming stronger, more powerful.

Strength 17.

Dexterity - 7

Endurance - 10

Perception - 6

Intelligence - 7.

In the end, although speed and stamina are important, but at first the main role is played by strength. No matter how fast I am, if I can't kill a monster, I'll just have to run away. And this system is designed to push me into battle and cut off my escape routes. So running away isn't the best option either. But in general, it's better to increase the characteristics more or less evenly. Still, although the system creates some illusion of a game, but it's not a game. And all characteristics are important. If I have a hundred points of dexterity, without strength they will be practically useless, and vice versa.

- Okay... - I sighed. - Now the running.

But first, I had to look around.

And change my clothes.

My clothes were found in the bedside table, and after changing into my hospital pyjamas, I left the room. A nurse passed by in the corridor, but she didn't pay much attention to me. Well, the patient decided to take a little walk, no big deal. Only a little later I had to ask the girl at the reception desk where the hospital courtyard for walking was. And, of course, there was one. No problem at all with my wanting to go for a triple jog.

- Hmm...not bad....

I went out into the courtyard of the hospital complex and started a calm, easy jog. I didn't run too fast, as there was still time.

As I jogged, I studied the system I had been given. In addition to the status window and tasks with messages, I found the game shop. There were a variety of weapons, armour, and consumable items, but nothing could be bought yet. My level is too low to make purchases, and I have almost nothing for sale. Only one single item I found in the inventory window.

A simple steel sword

Attack +10.

I don't know where it came from, but at least it's some kind of weapon.

By this time my run was coming to an end. I had less than a kilometre to go, and the last few metres I was sprinting at a good pace. The run itself made me sweat a little, but I didn't feel any particular fatigue. It was only during the acceleration that my breathing became laboured.

- Huh...

And so...

The system solemnly rewarded my efforts.

The daily task "Get Stronger!" has been completed!

Receive your reward.

Choose your reward!

Restoration

Character Points +3

The box of the unknown

Choosing a reward didn't mean I could only take one thing at a time. All three rewards were provided to me, it was just that I could take them in turn, first one, then the other. Although, still unsure about it, I took the characterisation points reward first. After all, development is a priority. But then, seeing that the message let me choose the next reward, I also took recovery, which chased all the fatigue out of my body with a wave of vigour. And finally, the box of the unknown.

- Hmm...

And in the box was a small potion of healing. I'll put it in my inventory for now.

I've never been a fan of exercise, but I don't have much choice now. And after completing this task, I felt surprisingly good.

Just fine.

*** 

Don't forget to donate gems and write a review.

And subscribe at:

patreon.com/FanFictionPremium