LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter: 2: Regression [2]
The white glow slowly resided and once again the interface came into my view.
I continued to observe this interface with caution and keeness for a good minute before I tried touching it. My arm drew closer to it with as much caution and apprehension possible.
When I brought my finger close to touch it, the smooth and hard surface of the interface reminded me that of a phone's screen. It was sturdy and transparent, and looked really peculiar now that I focused on its shape.
Then as I clicked on the interface, the phone like screen wriggled and something akin to a status like window appeared in front of me, replacing the previous sign.
In my pervious life, I myself had a status window—a kind of display type screen, similar to this interface but different, one which was only accessible by one person each and could only be seen by them—which we humans could see to check our skills, stats and abilities.
But for me to be able to touch interact, this interface window appeared to be different from the status window which each individual human can see but not touch. Like an advanced updated version of the status.
Upon closer inspection, my eyes followed from the top of the window and I saw my stats and abilities being displayed over them.
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NAME: SEO JIWOO (???)
HP: 115
LEVEL: 10
STRENGTH: 10
STAMINA: 10
AGILITY: 10
VITALITY: 10
INTELLIGENCE: 10
MP: 11
PROFESSION: ????
POINTS: 100
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FATIGUE: 31
PERSEVERANCE lv.1
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{SKILLS}
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【Returnee’s Privilege】 [Time: 1:59
–????
–????
–????
–????
–????
______________
【?????】
–????
______________
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I looked in complete and utter flabbergast as I saw my stats; now being displayed in a number like sequence, unlike in the past when they showed themselves in a rank. And this status window was completely different from the one I was familiar with, it was better detailed in form amd shape. But my eyes locked on to the end of the status window where it was filled with a series of question marks which omitted the information.
“Returnee’s Privilege...?” I thought whilst inclining my head in question. I frowned, trying to make out of its meaning but just by the name no answer was forming in my head.
There was also a timer which was gradually coming to end.
I looked around the interface for a good minute trying to figure out what this thing was, but after a minute or two of frustration, I tore my gaze away and again focused onto the status area once again.
Then touching the window and scrolling down I saw another panel where nothing was written, with several questions marks omitting the information.
“What the hell do these question marks mea—!” I stopped mid sentence as I snapped my head toward the door.
Ding—! Dong—!
Jolting me out of my thoughts was the sound of the bell.
I walked up to the door and grabbed hold of the knob. With a breath, I opened the door and saw the delivery man standing at the entrance with a cardboard box held in his muscular hands.
“Excuse me, a package for...Mr. Seo Jiwoo!" He read from document placed over the box and then shifted his gaze to look up at me. "Are you the right person?" He inquired with a fake smile over his face as beads of sweat trickled down the sides of temples.
‘A package for who?’ I thought as I blankly gazed at the box held in the man's hand then shifted my gaze at the person in question.
The delivery man kept looking at me with the kind of smile which indicated to get this over with. I thought for a second before my eyes landed on top of the system interface where a name was written which matched with the one the man had just spoke.
‘Seo Jiwoo.'
That was the name of the guy, whose body I found myself in when I regressed back in time.
"Yeah that's me. I am Seo Jiwoo." I said, but that didn’t feel right in my mouth. I strangely felt unusual as I introduced myself with this boy's name.
"Can I know who sent this parcel?" I questioned, but he looked at me with an apologetic expression.
"I apologise sir. But my job is to only deliver the packages to the respective receiver. So I don't know of any information about the sender." He jabbed.
With a shrug of my shoulders, I brought both hands forward as the man gave the package to me and with a respectful nod exited down the hallway.
Clank—!
Having received the package I closed the door and walked back into the room with the box in hand..
I placed it over my bed and sat down on the chair myself.
Once again my attention went back to checking the interface as my eyes darted up and down repeatedly, reading each and every word keenly not missing a single thing.
With a solemn look of disdain over my face, I snorted and muttered.
“My stats are too damn low! Just what's up with this pathetic body. It's even weaker than an average teenager's. Didn’t the previous guy take care of himself." My anger bubbled up as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The dark circles were palpably visible under my eyes, plus my sunken cheeks.
"Sigh...well nothing can be done now that I am in this body. I can’t ask for a transfer or exchange, right? But it's better to be alive than dying with nothing and so many regrets by my side." I said with a tight frown creasing my brows making me feel melancholic as I remembered the life I had led in the past. It wasn’t much of a good life, except for the early years of them which I genuinely enjoyed.
I leaned in the chair and looked up at the ceiling, the interface moved and came into my vision as I placed my hand over my chin and pondered as I laid eyes over the timer from before.
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[Time: 00:30
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“Thirty seconds, huh? Is something going to happen once its over?"
Waiting for another thirty seconds I exchanged glances between my body and the interface but nothing happened. It was just normal.
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[Time: 00:00]
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“What the hell, nothing happen—!”
My words felt stuck inside my throat as my body winced and I staggered to the floor.
A warm sensation filled me up, as my eyes fluttered open and my mouth hung agape from the unbearable surge of pain as my body went numb.
A sharp pain shrouded my chest, as my breathing heaved and I fumbled on the floor like a worm, trying to take control over my breathing.
Each breath felt more labours than the one before with each passing second. I placed my hand over my chest as the pain increased until the moment it became unbearable.
I held onto my head as it threatened to burst. My arms and legs flailed as I felt like my body was on fire. Each muscle and cell inside me cried in agony as my blood ran backward. I felt like I was dying...again.
The pain was unlike anything I had felt before. A pain akin to my body being ripped apart over and over and over. The process continued without any delay.
A tried to shout, but my voice was caught in my throat, as my veins popped out and blood began to drip from my noise and eyes. It was painful, unbearable. I felt I couldn't take it any more.
Time seemed to slow down as each prickle in my muscle sent a painful shiver to run wildly around my body; like I was being struck by a continuous barrage of lightning. It felt like an eternity had come to pass, but like the shortest of second.
But then slowly the pain began to recede and once again a soothing warmth shrouded my entire body, as I was again able to breathe.
I steadied my body as I wiped the blood dripping from my eyes and nose and took a hold over my breathing.
I placed my elbow over the desk as I grabbed my phone and saw the time after I had calmed down.
I was sure that a few hours had passed after I had went through that experience.
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【Date: March/14】 【 Year: 2048】 【Time: 6: 39】
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“O-Only a minute has passed since the timer ended?” I stammered as I looked with a dumbfounded expression. “How could this be?"
The pain I felt, I thought...! Just what was happening to me. First I was killed by that loathsome demon king and now I found myself in this weak body trying to figure out why I am having these painful attacks.
“Sigh...”
With a tired sigh I put the phone back on the desk and sat down on the chair.
'System'
I inwardly said with my eyes closed as I leaned my head back in the chair.
Then the interface wheezed to life to life in front of me.
“Oh, I can control it with my mind, and touch use it. That’s quite convenient to use." I voiced in acknowledgement.
“Huh...?”
But this time the interface looked different from previously.
One of the scetions over the window which were omitted by a series of question marks had something written on it now.
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【Returnee’s Privilege】[synchronization 10%]
–MIND’S EYE (Sealed)
–????
–????
–????
–????
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“Wait... this is one of my old skills... Mind’s Eye!” Surprise flashed over my face as my brows knitted. This was one of my old skills which I had obtained in my past life. But how..? Shouldn't it have been lost after my death.
“Synchronization... Sealed?” I whispered as I stroke my chin with a contemplative frown over my face.
‘So I can gain access to some of my pervious skills from the help of the ‘Returnee’s Privilege'.
But why is ‘Minds eye’ sealed? My mind raced as I tried to think of some answer but nothing seemed to come to mind.
“Activate Mind’s Eyes!” I exclaimed as the interface sparkled ever-so-slightly as if to acknowledge my command.
Just as I said, my vision blurred and I fell on to the floor as my knees gave out.
I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as I felt like they could pop out of their socket.
【Warning】 【Warning】
【The host doesn’t have sufficient mana to use the desired skill: ‘Mind’s eye’.】
【The skill's activation is cancelled as the Host is in a weak state, so the rebound from using the skill can cause severe damage to the Host】
【The skill will deactivate automatically!】
I saw a series of windows pop up in front of me.
Afterwards the stinging sensation in my eyes receded as I laid on the floor gasping for air and looking up at the window.
"Sigh...even the system is mocking me in its way for being weak." I said with a tired sigh. “But even if the skill is sealed and it’s not on its full potential I just don’t have the requirement for using it for now. And I even lack the mana to do so."
This body is still too weak and the mana it has is a far cry to what I used to have and could command.
Standing up from the floor I sat back down on to bed as I placed my arm over my eyes and relaxed.
With a tired sigh I exclaimed.
“For a person like me, who had reached the pinnacle of power among humans and fought the Demon king on an almost equal footing to be reduced to such a state, was truly pathetic."
With another sigh, I guess I was sighing a lot since I regressed, I once again looked at the system interface.
“But this is an opportunity for me. I still have time before the cataclysm hits ten years from now.”
With a determined look on my face. I saw the box from the corner of my eye.
“Oh yeah, this box... who exactly sent this anyways?”
Then taking the tape off from the box I opened it up and looked inside.
The first thing I saw when opening the box was a letter, which was placed over all the other items.
Grabbing the letter and tearing the top end off, I pulled the letter out and began to read it.
It was addressed to me by my sister.
Or to be exact, to Jiwoo from his sister.
It went as:
*
Dear Jiwoo,
I hope you’re doing fine at the academy. Hope my kid brother isn't getting too lonely without his big sis. I am so, so, soooooo, sorry I couldn’t send you anything for your birthday, as I was busy with my job, had to fill in for some leftover guild work which took quite a while to finish. I’m really, really sorry.
Big sister didn't forget your important day.
I know you must be thinking: "It's fine. I understand that you must be busy with work, and I am almost an adult so celebrating birthdays are just for kids anyways" something along those lines right.
I can tell. I have my own psychic powers to read your mind, Jiwoo. It's alright if you act selfish and spoiled once in awhile.
Anyways, enough with that. I hope you're doing well and enjoying your time at the academy. I'm so happy you were selected to your dream school. Considering it's the best institution in the world, and only the best is good enough for my lil bro. You don’t need to push yourself too much and rest when you need to.
Sleep at appointed hours and eat your meals at time without being picky of your selection of food. And most of all don't eat junk food, its bad for health and can make you lazy.
Well, I guess I don't need to tell you everything on how to take care of yourself.
Anyways I hope you are doing well, I’m also doing well at the guild, I just made some good sales and got a bonus. And be sure to call me once in a while, I get lonely even if you don't.
Love!!!
"Seo Jihye"
*
Reading through the letter I felt my chest tightening up and the energy in body leaving as a torrent of emotions began to whirl inside me.
I don’t know why I left like this.
Was it me or was it the influence of this body remembering the name of the sender of this letter. Could be both.
I don’t know either way. It had been so long since I saw such care from a person—even in the form of words. Even the way she wrote the letter tells that Jiwoo’s sister is a kind person.
But one thing I was sure of and that was I felt melancholy emerge from within me as a sombre kind of atmosphere grew around me.
“Sigh..."
With a tired sigh I slumped down on my bed and closed my eyes as a wave of tiredness overcame me.