Chapter 1: New Rift, New Body—Now Haji Can Finally Be That Immortal Somebody
Three violent consecutive coughs left Haji as he awoke abruptly his once closed eyelids opened to the fullest showing a pair of piercing eyes that had a bunch of red lines in lightning patterns surrounding the whites of his eyes; he quickly reached for a bottle of water next to his bed on the table and started sipping like a severely dehydrated mexican who has been on the run from border control for four days straight.
Or a mosquito with a proboscis that was akin to a middle aged man reminiscing the good old, but gold days where he didn't have ED (erectile dysfunction), but in this mosquitoes case severe ED because its proboscis was in such a fucked state; because of this issue it couldn't pierce the skin of its victims and go on a sipping spree; therefore it's not rocket-science to say/guess/suggest that the fucker was quite parched... Famished in fact; its impending doom ever near.
Needless to say Haji cranked that bitch (the water bottle) open like a kids toy youtube channel video on boxing day; he started chugging the water so aggressively you'd think it was alcohol and that he was using it to tend to his metaphysical wounds that led up to him to becoming an alcoholic such as divorce/a series of divorces, shattered gambling dreams, the death of Club Penguin, the death of Moshi Monsters, the death of that one Fight my monsters online game that almost everyone forgot about and the very bitter day that League of Legends went downhill and kept going to shit from there (some time after 2014 near the start of 2015); it just went spiraling down like a caucasian soccer mom on one of her shopping sprees amping up her credit card debt that was already in dire straits and unpaid for some time to the point of no return. Not to mention how badly they fucked fortnite to the very depths of oblivion (some time after 2018).
Haji kept drinking from that water bottle as though it was the elixir of life itself;
eventually he had to slow down and take a breather; then he cranked another open; immediately after he rushed to go take a piss.
As he was washing his hands he thought to himself "Damn it I feel like shit these days funnily enough I'm not even fat I'm in good shape only 75kg and 6'3 albeit despite my pretty great physique I've not gone on a run or even outside these past few days due to the cold weather."
Haji paused to splash his face with some water after he washed his hands thoroughly he continued "I kept telling myself I don't want to catch a cold because then I'd truly be fucked sideways by such circumstances, but this can't do I need a breath of fresh air I can't just continue rotting in my house."
He heaved a very deep sigh, much like a grandfather that betted away his inheritance that he was going to bestow to his descendents without winning at a gambling den or a one trick pony who had his main banned for no reason for the 4th time in his placement matches knowing for a fact he was unlucky enough to get paired up with frenchies again despite living in England.
Haji then started carefully brushing his devil like teeth (Haji is a human but he has the most beautiful set of carnivorous teeth you'd ever see it truly puts even the lions to shame) with his trusty electric toothbrush (the logo of the company that made this electric toothbrush could be seen near the handle Brush Or Hush Ltd) once he finished Haji said, "I really hope I don't catch a cold."
With that Haji suited up in his sunday best and headed outside and started walking to one of his favourite routes from his childhood near the forest beside his old childhood school.
As Haji was walking in the forest he saw a 8'0 tall 6'5 - 6'10 wide rift, a cut in space time if you will, Eryanim was very awestruck and baffled at the bewildering sight of this he quickly looked around to see if anyone else was near and saw that he was alone.
However, he refrained from taking pictures/videos with his smartphone he decided to be smart by checking his surroundings first and foremost; then he picked up a small rock and threw it in the rift to gauge the reaction and safety.
As soon as the small rock went inside, the rift shrunk drastically from 8'0 tall 6'5 - 6'10 wide to only 4'5 - 5'0 tall and 3'0 wide; with that Haji didn't think twice he sprinted towards the cut in space and time before it could disappear, he jumped higher than an olympic gold medalist high jumper on steroids and shouted in his mind while jumping into the rift ravenously like a madman or for a lack of a better word a lunatic; a true lunatic at that "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT IF I DIE HERE THIS IS TOO GOD DAMN INTERESTING, SUCH A CHANCE IT WON'T COME AGAIN EVEN IN A MILLION LIFETIMES, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S BEYOND THIS RIFT, FORTUUUUNE FAVOURS THE BOOOLD BAAAABYYY!!!!!"
Haji roared this despite losing £500 gambling just 8 days ago...
Haji began to shout this time not only in his mind, but with his actual mouth "GOD DAMN IT IT HURTS IT HURTS FUUUUCKKK PAAIN PAIN PAAIIIIN PAIN WHAT THE HELL IS THIS AAAAHHHH PAAAAIIIIINNN NO I WON'T DIE I WON'T DIE I REFUSE TO DIE HERE AAAAAHH AAAH AHAHAHA PAAAIIIN HAHAHA AAAAAH PAINFUL!!!"
It would be a tremendous understatement in saying that Haji's body turned into minced meat, in fact there wasn't even any powder left of him every piece of Eryanim's body changed shapes countless times in such a short span of time and then it got completely destroyed. The only thing that was left was Eryanim's unwavering soul which was emboldened by his extreme desire Haji's extreme nosiness his curiousity on wanting to know just what was behind that spatial rift.
< !Hahaha spatial sounds like special; therefore I simply had to throw that in there! >
Haji's soul landed on a baby of a poor clansman and his wife; as soon as Haji's consciousness was transferred to his soul after surviving the ordeal before the otherworldly transportation from Earth to this new world he immediately got the gist of things from his strong innate instincts and also complimentary knowledge of reading thousands upon thousands of chapters of several different webnovels, manhwas, manhuas, fantasy books and his own dreams.
So as soon as Haji's consciousness awakened he didn't even give the baby's soul time to curse as he quickly chomped it down like a cinnabun and burped.
The mother Kim Seoyoung and father Kim Jungho were looking at their newborn baby in anticipation, but were quickly befuddled after noticing that all this time the newborn baby was yet to cry. So they were extremely confused, and that confusion led to worry. They asked the village healer Choi Minseok in the room if there was anything wrong with the baby, and the village healer took a look. Just as he was about to say no, Haji started laughing as he couldn't hold in his happiness and shouted in his mind, "I'M UP! I'm UP BAABY!! Oh wait, I'm really a baby, isn't that ironic? No, no, I would say it's iconic!"
Everyone in the room gasped in unison; the village healer Choi Minseok's hands trembled slightly as his gaze remained fixed on the newborn. His lips parted, but no sound came at first, as though he were searching for words to match his astonishment. Finally, he muttered, his voice low and laden with disbelief, "A newborn... laughing? This... this is unheard of. Truly peculiar."
The mother's expression twisted with concern, her grip tightening on the edge of the blanket. Her voice wavered as she turned to the healer. "Is this a bad omen? Could it mean the child's health is in jeopardy, or... could it be foretelling a bleak future?"
The healer Choi Minseok's brows furrowed, deep lines forming on his weathered face. His eyes flickered over the baby again, uncertainty clouding his judgment.
He said nothing for a moment, his silence amplifying the tension that weighed heavily in the room...
The father Kim Jungho was patting his wife Kim Seoyoung's shoulder, saying, "Everything will be alright honey, don't fret; even if the Heavens have chosen a series of pelting rain torrents of tribulations for our dear son's future, I'm sure he will overcome it and even if he can't well by golly we will be there for him and do our utmost." Kim Seoyoung then smiled at her husband and quietly nodded.
This was when healer Choi Minseok put a closed fist near his mouth and coughed a few times despite not actually having a cough. The two quickly stopped their sweet little romance after getting the message. Choi Minseok sighed, "Aigoo, you youngsters sure like to have fun. Can't you two see how dire and incredulous the current situation at hand is? And yet you rascals have the time and leisure to be prancing around all lovey-dovey. This is not the time and place!"
The couple quickly nodded and apologized to the healer Choi Minseok. Choi Minseok then lifted his head up slightly, as though gazing at the heavens with an air of pride. He began brushing his beard and said, "Indeed, this situation is very strange. This old man does not know what the Heavens have in store for this kid, but one thing is for sure: whether it's good or bad, it's definitely going to shake Heaven and Earth. You two rabbits have produced a tiger cub, it seems... Or maybe even a dragon that dares to pierce the sky and soar to the very heavens itself."
Kim Seoyoung let out a gasp. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This was when her husband Kim Jungho asked healer Minseok, "Senior, we are just lowly mortals of the lowly Nog-Baek clan, so how can this be?" Before the healer could respond, Kim Seoyoung excitedly interjected, "Could it be our child is destined for greatness? What are the chances for the heavens having good things in store for our child? You said there was a chance of his destiny being either a great omen or a very bad omen. That either way it was going to shake Heaven and Earth. Senior elder brother Minseok, please let junior sister know. I'm very cur—" Before Seoyoung could finish her yapping, healer Choi Minseok shouted, "LADY, YOU HAVE YET TO NAME YOUR GOD-DAMN CHILD. STOP ASKING ME ALL THIS NONSENSE!"
He then noticed his junior sister Seoyoung frown and look down, and her husband said, "You are right. We got a bit carried away and forgot to name our child, but I'm also curious, and I think you were a bit too harsh." The healer cleared his throat. "Aah, you curious bunch are giving this old man a headache. But very well then, I shall enlighten you two frivolous rabbits once more. But only on one condition: you must first name your child. It's already been quite some time. You two are one of the worst parents I've ever seen," he said as he began rubbing his forehead with his right thumb and index finger.
The mother raised her head and shyly said to healer Minseok, "Well, the truth is we were going to give him a basic name, but now that you have told us of this grand news of our son's fate, we don't know what to name him now, could wise senior help us name him?"
The healer then looked at her husband Kim Jungho, and Kim Jungho quietly nodded and clasped his fist at Choi Minseok. "Cham-na, it seems you two rabbits have finally wisened up," he paused to rub his nose proudly. "Good! Good! No, very good! No! Very great! You've made the right decision in entrusting this old man. Yes, an excellent decision."
He paused to stroke his beard and began pondering profusely. Then he spoke again, this time in a serious tone, "The boy certainly needs a name befitting of his glorious fate. We shall call him Kim Yulryong!" Choi Minseok declared with deliberate slowness, his tone as heavy and unyielding as a mountain.
The name lingered in the room, an invisible weight pressing down on all present. Silence followed, deep and oppressive, broken only by the faint rustling of the wind against the wooden walls. Choi Minseok stroked his beard, his gaze unfocused, as if peering beyond the veil of the mortal world. "Yul," he began, his voice reverberating with authority. "Rhythm, law, the natural flow of all things under heaven. Ryong—dragon. A heavenly creature of supreme power who has the pleasure of resting on any cloud in this world, not that it needs a cloud to do so."