[
AN: Hi guys!
- How's everyone's week? I Hope's the new year has been going well for you.
- Reminder: don't forget to add the images to help readers.
]
***
Two hours before school.
Standing in front of the mirror, Lee Cheong-San watched in fascination as his newly developed cat ears moved back and forth by his command. After several minutes of freaking out and making sure his obviously manly scream didn't wake On-Jo up, he went back to confirm that him having large 'freakin ears wasn't so fever dream he had from eating too much food yesterday. Using his fingers, he traced the inner part of his ear, feeling the white fur that now replaced grown and morphed his usually thin, black hair into thick, poofy, and curly strands of white hair/fur.
After he tested several times with the mysterious magic scroll(what else would you call a scroll that made you a furry?), to make sure that cosmetic's option worked, he let out a sigh of relief.
Thank god it wasn't permeant. How was supposed to explain the sudden appearance of furry 'fucking ears? Cheong-San could work with the hair and eye color change because kids his age like that sorta thing. The ears not so much.
Cheong-San sat in the living, staring at the scroll that lay flat on the coffee table along with his other presents.
He recalled that just before he died, something weird happened with Deepwoken. The developers had decided to suddenly update the game without any prior notice, shutting all other servers down. It was also the indirect cause of his death.
"But there's no way someone or something capable of defying the laws of reality would do something so crazy as reincarnating someone, right?"
As Cheong-San kept thinking more and more about the situation, he realized that no amount of speculations could answer any of his questions. Answers lay in the only lead he got since coming to this world: The magic scroll.
Picking up the scroll, Cheong-San noticed a major problem.
"If this is really from Deepwoken, then why does it only show three boxes?" Those boxes were from top to bottom, left to right: Talents, Mantra, and Status Boxes. Ingame, you would check your Status box by pressing a hotkey and your other game mechanics tabs - Equipment, Talents, Mantras, and Summary - by sitting by a fire. Yet, the summary and equipment boxes were nowhere to be found. Making up his mind, Cheong-San chose to forget about it and move on.
Because it's been a while since he played the game, Cheong-San decided to scan the boxes one by one to refresh his memories.
Starting with the [Talents] column, he saw one talent already there. The talent fell under the header [Innate], showing '1/?' to the right.
It was called [Night Child]. Cheong-San read the description:
[Relying on your instincts, you are naturally more stealthy. You are more nimble on wooden surfaces.]
Looking at the other side flavor texts, he rubbed his chin, thinking. "If I remember correctly, each race was created based on a different animal. Because this character happened to be a Felinor, it would be given a talent based on a cat..."
That made sense.
Moving on, he saw that, unlike the [Talents] box, there was nothing but headers inside the [Mantras] box. Besides the [Combat] header, which had a '0/3,' the rest - [Mobility], [Support], and [Wildcard] - had a '0/1' instead. Meaning there was a limit to how many Mantras, aka magic skills, a person could have.
Lastly was the [Status]. It took the majority of the page, hoggin the bottom portion of the scroll. There was the main [Status] box that he remembered and a smaller, condensed version to the right.
At the top of the main [Status] box was information such as his name, age, power, and race. The only question about this was whether he was now a 'Felinor' or 'human.' 'Power' was just another way to say level.
He'll leave that for future Cheong-San.
Moving his eyes down, he noticed another function of the scroll. As Cheong-San touched on the words of attributes like 'Strength' or 'Agility,' words would form at the bottom of the page:
-Stats-
Strength: [Raw physical strength. Increases your Armor Penetration and Carry Load.]
Fortitude: [Your ability to resist damage and disease. Increase Health sightly.]
Agility: [Your slight of hand and nimbleness. Improves Parkour and Stealth.]
Intelligence: [Your logical processing and problem-solving skills. Increases Ether and Reservoir.]
Willpower: [Your inner strength and ability to keep a steady mind. Increases Sanity and Reservoir.]
Charisma: [Your ability to influence others with your personality. Increases Ether.]
-Weapons-
Heavy Weapon: [Your ability to wield Heavy Weapons such as Greataxes, Greatswords, and Greathammers. Increases damage dealt with these weapons.]
Medium Weapon: [Your ability to wield Medium Weapons such as Swords, Axes, and Spears. Increases damage dealt with these weapons.]
Light Weapon: [Your ability to wield Light Weapons such as Daggers, Guns, and Fists. Increases damage dealt with these weapons.]
-Element-
Thundercall: [Your ability to manipulate electricity and energy. Increases Lightning damage.]
-Boons-
Autodidact: [You get a free attribute point to invest every level.]
-Flaws-
Obvious: [Enemies detect you more easily]
In the game, when you created a character, the weapon style had to be chosen and could never be changed. Cheong-San supposed in reality, that quite couldn't happen. Besides in this modern era of technology, it would be more obvious to pick something like 'Light Weapon' because of the increase of damage while using a gun or hand-to-hand combat.
But... if there happened to be a sword or ax laying around, he wouldn't mind leveling those attribute stats up.
"So the little [Status] box is there to add the free point every level. How did someone level up again?"
Tapping his feet against the ground, Cheong-San pondered how to increase his 'Power,' when he accidentally kicked the ankle weights lying on the ground.
Wait.
Wait a minute.
Wait a damn minute!
The ankle weights! The flood of memories from his past life came back to him. Unlike other basic exp-grind games that forced people to kill or do quests to earn EXP, the Deepwoken developers went a different direction. To increase one's 'Power,' the player had to use all the 'Investment Points,' which would then increase their 'Power' and randomly give the player a random deck of either [Talents] or [Mantra].
Looking at the presents and textbooks lying on the living room floor, quickly decided to test something.
Taking out his old Calculus textbook, Cheong-San opened to a random page, searching for practice problems. After landing on a section about finding the volume of a line rotated around the x and y-axis, he began solving a problem.
After finishing the problem, motes of bright specks appeared sporadically around him before fading away with the chime of a bell. Taking a look at the scroll, sure enough, he saw his intelligence increase by one point.
Excited, Cheong-San got up started doing a little dance. "I'm going to do magic. Zap! Zap!"
"Wait, how am I supposed to train Thundercall? Can I use a battery instead as my training device?" Taking a glance at the electric lamp Gyeong-Su gave him, Cheong-San shrugged his shoulders. He might as well try and find out when he leveled up to 'Power 2.' The developers of Deepwoken had for some reason limited the use of 'Investment Points' in [Mantras] to 'Power 2' and up.
Hearing a loud yawn coming from On-Jo's bedroom, Cheong-San decided to take things somewhere more private. Putting on the weight vest, he shoved the math textbook, electric lamp, and scroll into his backpack. Grabbing the scroll, Cheong-San headed out of his apartment.
Waiting at the elevator, he heard the indicator chime as it flashed on. The door opened to show a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap.
"Good morning," Cheong-San said, bowing to the adult. The older man greeted him as well as he got in the elevator.
"Hey, is something wrong with your hand?" spoke up the man.
"What?"
"Your hand - you should get it checked out by a doctor if you're already getting hand cramps at your age."
"Wait, sir, do you not see this?" asked Cheong-San, holding his right holding the scroll.
"See wait," said the man, now irritated by the line of question. "is this some kind of elevator prank? You think that you pull that type of damn thing in this-"
"Wait, wait! That's not what I meant!"
As the elevator opened up, Cheong-San walked out of the opened doors while rubbing his forehead. Even as the stranger left, he didn't believe Cheong-San when he said that he wasn't pranking him or anything, shouting that if he saw his face anywhere online that he would sue him. Not wanting to waste any more time, Cheong-San headed to the roof.
***
"I can't believe I forgot about that."
Sitting against the door to the roof, Cheong-San stared down below at people and cars that moved like ants.
You see, in order to invest the last point and level up the 'Power,' EXP was needed for that promotion. And if his memory was correct, EXP came solely from people and monsters. With killing people instantly off his list of options, 'monsters' looked like the only way to level up. In Deepwoken, the 'monsters' consisted of both mythical creatures and animals alike. So it was plausible to grind animals like livestock for EXP. Though the thought left an unpleasant feeling in his mouth.
He understood the need for animals to be slaughtered to feed people, but killing things for something as selfish as using magic didn't sit well with him.
"This was a dead end. Guess I'm just a regular joe that's a bit smarter now." Patting his pants of dirt and dust, Cheong-San felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out, he cursed.
"Shit! I have to get back down!" He said, shoving the phone back in his pocket.
***
"Come on, On-Jo. We're going to be late at this pace!" shouted Cheong-San, looking over his shoulder at the girl lagging behind.
As the duo hurried to reach the school gates before they were stopped by the gym teacher, the leaves of the spring tree's shadowed their journey. Vegetation was abundant, with well-trimmed bushes and trims decorating the sidewalks and perimeter of Hyosan Secondary school. The sun shined soft and warmly down upon the many students that anxiously moved to the school. The slight breeze, shown only by the most minute of leaves swaying, cooled the air.
"If I had legs as long as you, of course, I would be as fast," complained On-Jo through breathes of air.
Cheong-San cursed in his mind. Looking at the jammed pack crowd of students at the sidewalk, he knew that with them blocking the way and how slow On-Jo was that they'll never make without receiving three demerits each.
Without saying a word, Cheong-San turned around and with a grunt of exertion, threw On-Jo over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
"Cheong-San, you bastard! What the hell is this?" shrieked On-Jo, afraid that her current position would allow people to see her underwear.
Ignoring the girl, he started running hard. Cheong-San could feel the familiar burn appear in his muscles as he sprinted hard across the sidewalk, cutting a path through the hordes of people like a football player.
Running through the school gates, he could hear the gym teacher Mr. Kang yell for people to stop, writing down the names of students to be later be given demerits.
"Touchdown, he shoots! He scores." Dropping On-Jo the ground like a sack of rice. Copying Odell Beckham, he did one of the star footballer's famous celebration dances. Of course, Cheong-San made sure to drop the girl on a grassy area alongside her backpack. "Who's got it? I do! Who's got it? I do- Ow!"
"Brat," scoffed On-Jo after using her special move: leg attack. "Who said you could just pick me up? I'm sure some people saw my underwear with how aggressive you were running!
"Your welcome~!" sang Cheong-San, "Be more appreciative of the positive influence I had on you. You're now both have good grades and attendance."
"Oh?" said On-Jo with a raised eyebrow. "Do you want me to tell your auntie that her son violently grabbed a girl?"
"You wouldn't," he said with a tone of fear creeping into his voice. "everyone knows not to bring parents to the fights. What if I threatened you with your dad?"
On-Jo scoffed, "He wouldn't care. As long as it doesn't involve anything dangerous, he wouldn't bat an eye."
"And if I told him that you've been spending the nights at my apartment playing Animal Crossing, hmm?"
He and On-Jo had a staring contest before they shook their hands.
"Truce?"
"Truce."
With a wave, he watched as On-Jo walked up the stairs to the school buildings. But something caught Cheong-San's eyes. To the side, he saw Yoon Gwi-Nam and his league of cronies march up the path to the new school building under construction.
Rational thought told him to just ignore it and continue on with his school life. Logic reasoned that involving himself the poisonous thing called school hierarchy would come back to bite him in the bum.
But something inside him pushed to trail after them. No, it was not a hero complex or a desire to be a 'white-knight.' No, it was something far more personal that made him shiver in anger at the very memory.
***
"You want to die, asshole?" asked a tall lanky boy with duck-butt hair. The boy who looked like a delinquent tightly held onto another boy's face. This was Yoon Gwi-Nam. The boy that Gwi-Nam is holding was Kim Chul-Soo, whose teeth shattered rapidly in fright.
As Gwi-Nam was about punching the boy in the gut, he heard someone's footsteps.
"That's enough." said a boy. If Nam On-Jo was there, she would recognize the boy as her crush, Lee 'Bare-Su' Su-Hyeok. Nicknamed 'Bare-Su' due to his hate of wearing socks.
Gwi-Nam looked at one of his friends for what to do. Seeing a headshake Gwi-Nam reluctantly let go of Chul-Soo.
Su-Hyeok noticed the teary-eyed girl, who saw on the floor topless.
The girl, Min Eun-Ji, quickly used her discarded shirt to cover her exposed body. The previous boy that had shaken his head at Gwi-Nam was angered at how far the dumbass had gone on. This was Son Myung-Hwan, the de facto leader of the 'bullies' at Hyosan Secondary school. "Shit, son a bitch."
Myung-Hwan walked up to Gwi-Nam, giving the taller boy a smack on the back of his neck. "We're not playing around, you moron." with that said, Myung-Hwan focused on their new guest, walking up to Su-Hyeok with his hands in his pocket. "You used to party with us. Don't act all holier-than-thou, you hear me? Fuck off."
Though his face was impassive as he stared back down at Myung-Hwan, Su-Hyeok's fists were trembling in frustration. "You need to grow up."
Looking at the scared faces of both Chul-Soo and Eun-Ji, Su-Hyeok grabbed each by their arm as he began walking towards the exit.
"You look real sexy in this." spoke up a voice as Su-Hyeok escorted the two bullied teens towards the exit. "Should I send this to your mom? You know I'm friends with her on Facebook."
Su-Hyeok felt Eun-Ji freeze in place. Looking from Gwi-Nam's mocking face to Eun-Ji who was trying to stifle a sob, he tried to comfort her. "It's okay. You can do it."
Su-Hyeok's anger rose as he heard those jerks joke about why Gwi-Nam was friends with a woman way older than him online. But he couldn't do anything. The old Lee Su-Hyeok would've just decked these pieces of crap right then and there; he promised his parents he would try harder in school. Su-Hyeok knew if it got out that he was fighting again, the path towards that dark tunnel would appear once again.
"It's not okay." Tears fell off the girl's face as she clutched at her opened t-shirt. "Because if I leave now..."
"You'll be absolutely fine." said a new voice.
"Oh for fuck sake, another person?!" complained Myung-Hwan. "Who said that!"
Everyone looked for the source of the sound, but couldn't find it.
"Hello there," the voice said again.
Su-Hyeok, who was the first to see who was talking, immediately felt his mouth drop in surprise. "Why are you hanging outside upside down?!"
Turning to face the cement window, everyone was shocked to see Lee Cheong-San give them a wave as he hung upside down.
While they were stunned, Cheong-San lowered himself inside the building through the window as he dusted his clothes. "Man, I did not know construction buildings were so dusty," he said, walking over the pile of rubble in front of the unfinished window. With a nonchalant attitude, Cheong-San walked right up the ringleader. "Hey shortie, miss me?"
"You!" pointed Gwi-Nam, pissed off. "Boy-scout can't help ratting on us out on the teachers, now you're back for more? Let's see if your teacher can save you now!"
"Gwi-Nam!" shouted Myung-Hwan. "You fucking idiot! Let the adults speak."
Myung-Hwan sized up Cheong-San, looking the other boy up and down. The bully gestured to himself and his friends. "What do you want Cheong-San? We're just buddies hanging out here having fun. Right? Chul-Soo? Eun-Ji?"
Before the two could speak up, Cheong-San raised his hand. "Not so fast. Sure, you could force those two to agree with you that they were also having 'fun,' but..." Cheong-San, pulling his phone out, "my video says otherwise."
"Wait a minute," said Su-Hyeok with hope in his voice, "how much did you record?"
"Everything~," Cheong-San said in a song-like manner. "From when you guys walked in the off-limits construction zone all the way to Gwi-Nam blatantly blackmailing a student to continue his sexual harassment." He then put a finger to his chin, "I wonder how you'll get out of this pickle like last time? Myung-Hwan? Gwi-Nam?"
Myung-Hwan got close and right up to Cheong-San, getting his face as close as possible to the taller boy. "You think I'm afraid of getting expelled or some shit?"
"No, I didn't think so either," said Cheong-San, shaking his head, "but I wonder how your dad would react when the construction company he works at laid him off because of his son?"
"Bullshit!" shouted the boy. But even as he said that the blood drained out of his face in fright.
"Oh? So now you're scared. I really do know Mr. Han who runs DayLight construction. My parents and he signed a deal to build five new restaurants with him. He wouldn't mind just one person losing their jobs." said Cheong-San, shrugging his shoulders. "Usually I wouldn't go this far, but you have made this personal."
"What the fuck are you talking about, bastard?!" shouted Gwi-Nam. "We've left your ass alone the entire time! How could this be personal?!"
"8:30 pm on December 20th, 2022," Cheong-San said with a serious face. "Do you remember that day?"
"What?" blurted out Myung-Hwan, confused where the conversation was going.
"On June 20th, 2022, a group of Hyosan Secondary students stopped by Cheong-San's and ordered thirty-five burgers, forty french fries, and over a dozen sodas. They repeatedly said they knew the owner's son, so they were given a discount of 35% off. And when the order was finally ready, these students ate a fraction of what they paid for and threw the trash all over the store before running away, laughing. The workers stayed overtime to clean up the mess. Does that ring a bell?"
Gwi-Nam scoffed, "What does a fast-food joint have to-"
"You idiot!" roared Myung-Hwan, "he's obviously the owner's son!"
"I hate it when people waste food. I hate it when our workers have to do more work than needed. But you know what I hate the most? PEOPLE WHO TRY AND SCAM MY 'FUCKIN RESTAURANT!" Cheong-San screamed into Myung-Hwan's face. Su-Hyeok could see a little dark stan appear on the boy's face.
Coughing into his hand, Cheong-San's smile returned to his face.
"Anyways," continued Cheong-San, "you hand me your phones so that I can delete all your videos and blackmail material. If you don't, your faces will be on the headlines of the evening news tomorrow. What will it be?"
***
"Remember! If I hear from either of these that you even breathe differently on them, my little video will be the next biggest thing on MeTube!"
Watching the gaggle of bullies run off with their tails between their legs, Cheong-San turned to Kim Chul-Soo and Min Eun-Ji.
"Thank you," said Kim Chul-Soo earnestly. Min Eun-Ji nodded her thanks behind Chul-Soo as well.
"I didn't do this for free." said Cheong-San, "I better see your faces often at the Cheong-San's, alright?"
"Yes, I will definitely go there every day!" said Kim Chul-Soo quickly. With a quick goodbye, KIm Chul-Soo and Min Eun-Ji left for class.
This left Cheong-San standing alone with Lee Su-Hyeok in front of the path to the unfinished building. Glancing at Su-Hyeok, he gave him a wave. "See you in class later, I'm going to find Gyeong-Su."
Nice. He had just avoided an awkward that was bound to happen with a main-character 'lookin pretty boy. And they said movies and tv shows taught you nothing. What a bunch of ignorant baboons. Speaking of baboons, would the zoo notice if some monkeys start disappearing...?