I was considered one of the best detectives in Korea, especially now since I easily detected where one of the most lunatic murderers in Korea was hiding not long after being put on the case—which wouldn't hurt my pay.
I planned on retiring early at the ripe age of 27 after getting my paycheck and spending the rest of my days in rich peace after this last case, but fate is ruthless...
I cornered the murderer in a dark alleyway, with other police officers surrounding him, guns pointing at him.
"There's nowhere for you to run. Surrender now," I said flatly.
"Killing people is what makes me feel joy! You won't take it away!" he screeched, his voice like nails on a chalkboard.
Before I could react, he lunged toward me and stabbed me in the stomach with a knife hidden in his pocket.
He smiled creepily, a smile that would make anyone instinctively back away in disgust.
I grimaced from the pain, lamenting my carelessness. Suddenly, my life flashed before my eyes: all the late-night work and sleepless nights on investigations to the point of getting nosebleeds and severe headaches, my parents trying to force me to be a doctor telling me it was in the family, cursing me out, and cutting ties with me completely.
Even though I saved enough money to retire early and finally be at peace, it had to become a fleeting dream because of my idiotic carelessness.
{Revivement for host in progress….}
What is this ringing in my ear?
{Unsuccessful. Trying again….}
{Unsuccessful. Trying again….}
If I'm going to die it should at least be as peaceful as being stabbed in the stomach should be.
{Putting the host in a different body....}
Suddenly My vision suddenly turned black.
{Successful. Loading host into new body....}
When I woke up, the first thing I saw was a stat window floating in front of me.
-Status-
Name: Park Ji-won
Age: 16 Profession:
None Race: Human
Magic Affinity: None
[Basic Stats]
Intelligence: 60
Physical Endurance: 10
Strength: 30
Combat Skills: 10
Deductive Reasoning: 60
Magic Resistance: 20
Mental Strength: 20
Agility: 20
Dexterity: 30
Charm: 15
Luck: -10
XP Points: 0
[Skills]
Observation Mastery: Passive (Increased perception of your surroundings; +20 to observation-related tasks.)
Unshakable Mind: Passive (Increased resistance to mental manipulation or stress; +10 to mental resilience.)
Keen Observation: Passive (Automatically notices small details about others, places, or things.)
Intimidation Expertise: Passive (Pressing on a matter persistently makes people feel forced to reveal information; more effective against those with weak resolve.)
"What is this?" I mumbled, studying it intently. Suddenly, the screen changed.
{Welcome, User. Quest is loading...} {Investigate the room you woke up in.} {Reward: 20 XP.}
I stared at the flat screen in front of me.
A quest? Seriously?
"What is this, some kind of game?" I muttered. For some reason, my voice sounded different. I tried to put my hand on the strange window, but it simply went through it.
Why am I not dead? A better question: Why don't I feel any pain? That was clearly a fatal injury that should've hurt like hell it sure did before I blacked out.
I pressed a hand to my stomach where the knife should have left a wound. Nothing. No blood, no bandages. Just skin under the yellow shirt and a strange black-and-white jacket.
I sat up, yanking the hem of the shirt up to see for myself. Sure enough, there wasn't even a scar.
My voice trailed off. The last thing I remembered was collapsing in the alley.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood. For some reason, they didn't feel like mine. I caught my reflection in a cracked mirror on the wall and froze.
The face staring back wasn't mine.
"What the hell? Why do I look like some kind of high school kid?!" I exclaimed.
I stumbled toward the mirror quickly. Black, messy hair. Sharp yellow eyes. My skin looked pale, and my features were smooth.
I tried to stay calm and began looking around, noticing details surprisingly easily. The walls were lined with peeling wallpaper, and a crooked bookshelf filled with worn books.
One title caught my eye: Magic Fundamentals: A Beginner's Guide.
I picked it up, flipping through the pages. It was filled with diagrams of symbols, spells, and magical theory.
"Each individual possesses a unique affinity to magic, dictating their proficiency in spellcasting."
What the hell is this?
"The stats said I have no affinity, so I can't use magic," I muttered.
The rest of the room was just worn out and old, with stale air and dust everywhere.
{Quest complete.} {Reward: 20 XP.}
"Put 20 XP into agility," I said out loud.
{20 XP Spent.}
Agility: 20 +20 (40)
I clenched and unclenched my hand.
I don't know why, but I'm alive. I should make the most of it. It's a loss to have all my hard work gone to waste, but I can't do much about it. I'll just rebuild it—a detective in this new world.
I opened the door, the sun and fresh air hitting my face as I looked at the exterior of the house. It was a crooked old cabin that should have been demolished years ago, and this place was in the forest. Was it abandoned?
Suddenly, something flew at me, and I dodged swiftly. It fell to the ground. It was a broken booze bottle.
"Hey! You didn't pay this month's rent, you fucking brat!" a man called out, appearing from one of the bushes.
"Do you own this place?" I asked, unfazed.
I studied him closely. He had dirty, baggy brown clothes, walked in an unnatural way, and looked really pissed off.
That fucker's probably drunk. There are always scumbags like this.
"You got all brave all of a sudden. Don't get cocky kid," he said, his breath unsteady, swaying toward me with dangerous eyes.
Hmm. What should I do? I don't need to fight him. Do I just run?
"Don't try to ignore me" He warned and ran toward me with the intention to kill. I quickly stepped to the side, gripping his arm and twisting it behind his back, making him fall to the ground.
He stank of alcohol i resisted the urge to pinch my nose.
"If you don't want any trouble, then leave. Nod if you understand," I warn.
The man quickly nodded, clearly had immediately sobered up.
I let go of him, and he didn't waste a second running away, muttering curses under his breath as he left.
How strange. I suddenly felt so natural in this body when he attacked me. For a moment, it was as if I'd always been like this.
I shook my head. No need to focus on something I can't answer just yet.
I turned my focus to my surroundings, scanning for any clues about what this place was. My eyes caught a faint trail in the dirt, leading toward a clearing. I followed it and emerged at a small cliff, revealing a clear view of a bustling town.
The streets below buzzed with activity. Vendors lined the roads. Food carts floated midair, and holographic watches displayed the time and notifications.
"What a lively place," I muttered, heading down the mini cliff and into the town.
I stopped at a vendor selling glowing fruits. They glowed with a dim light.
"Are you interested in getting a berry? Only 2 silvers" the vendor grinned his crooked teeth visible.
"No I'm okay" I replied and walked away.
I look around and notice a kid no older than twelve.
His movements were quick, practiced, he knew exactly how to blend into his surroundings.
He glanced around making sure nobody saw him and grabbed a small pouch of sparkling crystals from the counter, stuffing it into his tattered jacket.
Hmm he's good at stealing based on his clothes he's probably an orphan.
I cut through the crowd trying to catch up to the kid.
"Gotcha," I said, pulling him back with a tug.
The kid let out a yelp and turned to face me looking at me. Looking at this kid closely he was almost cute. He had dark brown hair and orange eyes that stood out against his brown skin.
"What do you want creep?" He asked snarkily.
Uwah even though he looks kind of cute his personality sure isn't.
"If you don't have anything to say then I'm leaving" He said hurriedly trying to escape.
"Based on your skill you probably stole multiple times before" I remark casually.
He glares at me.
"You bastard, what are you going to do!?" He asks warily.
"Don't worry I don't care enough to turn you in so what's your name"
"Shouldn't you be introducing yourself first?" The brat said bluntly.
"My name's Park Ji-won," I told him.
"What a strange name" He said candidly "My name's Toonka"
"Nice meeting you Toonka" I said to him, smiling at him.
It wasn't a lie, it was very nice meeting him, my first subordinate that is.