The Regressed NoBody

I stirred awake from slumber as I heard the constant beeping and vibration from my phone lying on the desk.

Taking a few more second and enduring the annoying sound of the terrible ringtone which reverberated through the entire room, I finally decided to get up from the bed. I walked up to the desk and took the phone in my hand and pressed the power button.

The screen displayed a simplistic wallpaper of nature and mountains with the sun rising from behind them. Unlocking the phone the first thing I laid eyes on was a series of notifications which were complied like a long series.

I scrolled through those notifications and I saw that they were mostly about useless advertisements or some commercial campaign promotion for some battle equipment or potion or herbs or just some useless not worthwhile articles which had information about how you could get better at using mana in seven days or using a potion which can increase your aptitude or so.

I scoffed as I locked the screen and clenched the phone in my fist. 'Yeah, like that can help you. Wherever you go there are always scams. And growing stronger is something that doesn't happen in a single night.' I thought inwardly as I realized I had unknowingly squeezed the phone hard enough that the screen and body could break.

Putting the phone back down I shifted my gaze away and at the parcel I had received from Jiwoo’s sister.

Taking the items out carefully I saw there were clothes and some other items which were useful for daily life use. I placed to the side of the bed and fumbled through the box to find something else, but I guess those were all the items sent to me.

Unbeknownst to me, I realised that I was again looking at the letter—giving it a side glance—that laid on the edge of the bed. I felt a sigh coming but refrained myself from, the melancholy within me only increased as I kept gazing at it.

‘System.’ I commanded inwardly as the interface jolted to life in front of me.

Just like before I once again laid eyes on my stats. Nothing was different about them, or I guess not that I could think of. Except for the series of question marks which had now appeared over the ‘Returnee’s Privilege’ timer and omitted the section like the rest.

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【Returnee’s Privilege 】[Timer: ???]

–MIND’S EYE (Sealed)

–????

–????

–????

–????

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“Again with the question marks. Just why is this information being omitted from me?" My brows furrowed as I grunted in an irritating tone.

But the truth, I knew that even if I got more of my abilities back with this system's help, my current body wouldn’t be able to use them or take the robust of the powers which I was able to manipulate and the things I could do in my previous body.

Because the current me is not even a fraction to what I used to be. This body just comes in pale, when I compare it with my previous one and the feats I was able to achieve in my original physique. There was just a very large gap which was holding me back. I mentally held all the knowledge and information from my past life, but the only thing holding me back was this weak and malnutritioned body which needed a lot of work to be done on.

“Sigh...” I let that sigh roll out me which I was trying to hold back. My brows knitted as a thought struck me.

I crossed my arms, my facial expression turning into a contemplative frown as I closed my eyes slowly and pondered over something. Could it be possible...I pursed my lips in thought, to even consider the possibility of that sounded kind of absurd, but what if...

After coming to a swift conclusion, my eyes fluttered open as I intently peered at the interface from in front of me.

“System...open inventory!” I said, hesitation lacing my words and thoughts for the possibility of it having a separate space like an inventory or dimensional space which came along with this thing.

After I spoke, another window popped open beside the other and I saw the different sections and icons available.

“So it has one!”

It was only a thought and idea on my side, but for it to have a dimensional inventory was amazing. Now I didn’t had to go to the lengths of buying a physical dimensional storage for myself. Because those things cost almost a fortune, but there are cheaper ones available, and considering the fact that if you lose your dimensional storage, you sequentially lose all your items.

I focused on the window and saw that there were three other icons beside the inventory icon.

The 【Menu】icon

The 【Shop】icon

And the 【????】icon

“Tsk, fucking question marks.” I clicked my tongue in annoyance after seeing the question marks as I spat a curse.

At this point I was a little irked by the constant question marks which were hiding the information from me.

“Well whatever!”

With a shrug of the shoulder I once again fixed my attention towards the interface.

The menu icon brought me back to the status window.

But the think which stirred my curiosity the most was the ‘Shop’ icon.

My finger moved and I tapped over the shop icon as the window wriggled and soon after it opened up to a series of labels which had certain names of equipments written

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【SHOP】

–[Weapons]

–[Skills]

–[Potions]

–[Herbs]

–[Equipment]

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“Ahh...”

Looking at the interface, I placed my hand over my chin and observed the icons written carefully. I felt a slight grin playing on my lips as I felt my old bad habit of letting my curiosity take the better of me.

“Weapons to equipment, huh!”

Clicking on the ‘Weapons’ icon soon a series of weapons appeared in front of my eyes.

They ranged from melee combat related weapons, such as: swords, daggers, hammers, lances and sword staffs. With another section for long range weapons consisting of a collection of: bows, chanting staffs some kind of gun shaped artillery weapon, and all sorts and varieties of other weapons.

But out of all other sections the one I was most curious about was the skill section. Quickly closing the weapons icon, I clicked on the skills section almost immediately.

Just like before, a list of skills appeared in front of me in a decorated manner arranged from alphabetic order.

I was left shocked as I saw the enormous collection of skills at my disposal.

In this world, the most expensive things are either graded weapons created from the most valuable of materials found in dungeons or mana beast inhabitanted area, plus the most oldest and enriched herbs which can help a person grow stronger in a more efficient way and help increase their aptitude for magic, and lastly the easiest way of growing stronger was skills.

But that didn’t mean, that having an arsenal of skills can make a person the strongest as easily as they wanted to. Because adapting to the effects and workability of the skill took time and the party using it also had to put a bit of effort into using it.

These three thing are the most expensive items to obtain, despite the rank being low it could still sells for a hefty and astronomical price. But that depended on the item in question the rarer and more valuable it was, the more expensive its price.

Just the same with herbs or weapons.

If they have a good grade, their price can even reach up to the eight figures easily and the rich folks drool for these items. That's why actuationing these items allowed the owners to become millionaire to billionaires in just a single night. That's just how much value these things were given in the world in this day and age.

But much to my short lived happiness, these skills had a price written over them. So they weren't free to use.

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【SHOP】

[SKILLS]

–Doppelganger:

This skill allows the user to create a copy of himself or any desired individual for a determined period of time, giving the clone a portion of the host’s conscious to allow it operate like a living being. The more detail and effort used in the creation of the clone the strong the manifestation of theclone.

Note: The clone automatically vanishes when the host runs out of mana or if the skill is cancelled, or if either extensive damage is dealt to the clone. The conscious of the host is returned the moment the clone disappears.

Rank: {D}

-Cost: 700 points.

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It cost points to buy skills and other things from the system. It's giving me a feeling like I am poking my head into a bazar with overly charged prices. But still, having a collection of skill had my disposal is a big accomplishment that anyone would kill to have.

“Currently I only have a hundred-points.”

I contemplated as the frown over my face widened and my brows knit together.

“Ahaaa... I can’t thing of anything!” I said whilst ruffling my hair and then slumping down on my bed. I couldn’t think of any means to earn any points to buy these skills.

I felt tired.

Since the moment I had woke up, I’ve been thinking about my next course of action or seeing how the system operates. I had already forgotten about the fatigue which was still fresh, shrouding my mind.

Soon darkness enveloped my vision as I fell asleep.

***

Ring—! Ring—!

I heard the phone ringing from beside me. I seriously needed to do something about this annoying ringtone.

Waking up from my slumber I stood up from the bed and looked at the phone with a refreshing yawn which left me feeling odd.

‘How long has it been since I slept that peacefully? Years I guess. Without having the fear of someone slitting my throat in my sleep.' I thought with a grimace which left me feeling melancholic.

A complicated look flashed over my face, as my brows furrowed and I remembered the memories from my past life. An expression of doubt and guilt flashed on my face, as conflicting and complicated emotions began to stir inside me which I still couldn’t describe perfectly. I guess I was never got any better at my emotions even after so many years, but I felt a deep sorrow arouse in my heart

“Peace...huh?”

I sighed as I spoke in a low whisper.

Peace was something I had forgotten about a very long time ago. In my mind peace was merely just a word which had lost its meaning long ago after the ardours and tenacious time I had spent in that hell.

After the second cataclysm, the world got turned upside down—into a shit hole. A living hell. Peace and quiet was something that you wouldn't have seen anywhere, not even rarely. It was like a dream, a fantasy in my pervious life.

With a tired sigh, I straightened my body and went to the floor and sat down in a crossed-leg meditative position.

Then I placed my hands over my knees and started breathing in a certain manner. The first phase consisted of harder breaths and the latter ones a series of soft breaths. My lungs grunted with a painful squeak, as a frown crept up my face.

Cough—! Cough—!

Coughing a couple of times I once again proceeded with my rhythmical breathing.

“Huuu...Haaa”

This breathing may have looked absurd for the outside eye, but it was in fact a way of opening and strengthening the mana channels located inside the body.

‘Right now this body is too weak. So I'll need to gradually build it. There’s still a decade left until the cataclysm arrives. So my best bet is to rebuild and strengthen my new body from scratch starting toady!’

I though to myself while repeating the breathing form.

Then I felt the mana in the air starting to converge towards my body, as my body sucked the mana rapidly. Like a vacuum. The flow first, I realised, was rigid and slow but after a few minutes of repeating the breathing forms, the mana was converged faster to me than before and I didn't feel any rejection from my body.

‘I’m putting your technique to good use, Han!’

This technique was created by the heir to one of the four greatest Chinese clans in this world. ‘The Han Clan’. And the young master of that clan was supposedly my best friend.

'What could Han be doing right now?' I wondered with a nostalgic expression over my face. But with a grin I remarked. "He probably must be slacking off somehwere.

“Huuu... Haaa...!”

For the next half-an-hour I just repeated this breathing technique as sweat poured down the sides of my face

But there was also one more advantage to using this technique.

It also makes the connection better between the mind and the body of the user to link them together to sharpen their senses and mana flow.

So complete concentration is needed when performing this art. If a person doesn’t concentrate fully, then the art wouldn't reach its full potential, plus its provides with a great eay of training your mana and recovering the mana faster than any potion could. But the only draw back of this technique was, the person using it needed to be in a vulnerable meditative state while using it.

“Haaa...”

Exhaling once more, I felt my body becoming lighter and refreshed.

I felt the fatigue from earlier leave my body and my mana to flow more efficiently.

Standing up from the floor, I looked down at my shirt which was now soaked with my own sweat.

But I could feel the mana around me a little more efficiently.

“System”

The interface appeared in front of me.

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NAME: SEO JIWOO

HP: 119

LEVEL: 10

STRENGTH: 10

STAMINA: 14

AGILITY: 10

VITALITY: 12

INTELLIGENCE: 10

MP: 20

PROFESSION: ????

POINTS: 100

______

FATIGUE: 21

PERSEVERANCE lv.1

_____________

{SKILLS}

....

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“Oh, my Hp, mana, stamina and vitality stat increased!”

Putting my hand over my chin, I thought inwardly for a moment.

Then waving my hand to clear the interface in front of me. I sat foot in to the washroom.

“Despite everything, I first need to take a bath.”

Raising my hand and sniffing my armpits, a disgusted look appeared over my face as a salty kind of smell evaded my nostrils.

“I really stink!”

Taking off my clothes, I pressed on the shower's faucet, and warm water came gushing out.

***

Having finished my shower, I put on clean clothes and sat down on my bed.

Wiping my wet hair with a towel, I grabbed my phone and looked through it.

It was still a saturday and it was right around the night time.

Then getting up from my bed I walked towards the desk and took out a laptop from the drawer of the desk.

Booting up the laptop, I started to search the information I was currently looking for and would be needed for my future endeavours.

“Let’s take a look.”