That was the end of Choi Yu-Seong recalling the genius scientist that would extraordinarily change this world’s history. It was a distant future that had left at least five years, no, eight years until practical use.
‘I must survive until then.’
The original Choi Yu-Seong had died before even one year had passed, let alone eight years. He had to be able to reach the future first.
‘I hope I’m lucky.’
A strange tension filled Choi Yu-Seong’s eyes as he picked up the Awakening Stone in front of him.
The Awakening Stone could transform an ordinary person into a player. But it didn’t necessarily mean that person would become an ‘outstanding’ player.
‘It doesn’t matter what rank I start with.’
It would be nice if he was talented enough to get a head start as an E-rank, but that would be too much to expect considering the original Choi Yu-Seong had been abandoned as a villain in the novel. So it was okay if he started at the lowest rank, F.
‘After all, once I max out my level, I can raise my rank.’
This was one of the somewhat unique settings of [Modern Master Returns]. If one reached the maximum level within a rank, they were qualified to move on to the next rank. Of course, it wasn’t free.
‘I have to go through the rank-up quest.’
Nobody knew beforehand what the rank-up quest, commonly known as the ‘promotion evaluation,’ would involve. It was a unique setting of the system that gave different missions to each player.
But that was a matter for later.
‘The skill is key.’
The main skill that a player could receive came from an incredibly vast range. There were even a variety of skills usable in daily life, such as cooking and cleaning. Of course, it all depended on how the skill was used, and one could become a truly great player even with such a skill, but that wasn’t the kind Choi Yu-Seong wanted.
‘An extraordinary skill would be nice, but…’
He would be satisfied if the Awakening Stone at least gave him a skill he could use for protection.
As if stroking a magic lamp, Yu-Seong stroked the Awakening Stone about three times and desperately said, “I beg you.”
That was enough for a prayer.
He couldn’t waste any more time. If he hesitated to use the precious Awakening Stone, his greedy siblings would notice and steal it from him.
Therefore, he immediately swallowed the stone, big as it was, with the water he had prepared. Then, his eyes opened widely as his body exploded with unexpected pain.
“ARGHH!!!”
He couldn’t help but scream. It was as if his whole body was being poked by needles, but somehow, he still felt like laughing at the same time.
Although probably a superstition, there was a saying regarding the Awakening in the [Modern Master Returns] novel—the greater the pain, the better the reward. All the characters who played a big role in the novel also experienced terrible pain during their Awakening.
‘Just like now.’
This was why Yu-Seong was able to smile through the intolerable pain when the Jin siblings rushed into his room and were shocked by him rolling around.
‘Don’t worry, guys.’
After all, he felt as if he had won the lottery.
With that last thought, he passed out.
* * *
It had been half a day since Yu-Seong suddenly rolled around screaming and eventually passed out. It was a dumbfounding situation for a normal person, but it looked different from the perspective of the Jin siblings, who had already experienced the Awakening. Yu-Seong had lost his consciousness in a contradictory state of pain and happiness, but right before that, a bright blue light had flashed from within his body.
It was a clear sign of the Awakening. Therefore, they could only wait for Yu-Seong to complete the process and wake up from his Awakening.
The Jin siblings waited in front of Yu-Seong’s room. Do-Yoon repeatedly stroked his lips, glanced at the tightly closed door, reached out with his hand, and then put it down with a restless look.
“What are you doing oppa?”
Jin Yu-Ri sat by the window in front of Choi Yu-Seong’s room and spoke as she gave Jin Do-Yoon a somewhat pathetic look.
“The young master is sleeping too long.”
Half a day was surely too long.
Generally, people blacked out for about an hour after the Awakening, so it wasn’t strange to be worried since Yu-Seong had been sleeping for much longer than that.
“You didn’t get up for about three hours either, oppa.”
Do-Yoon had experienced the Awakening before his sister and like Yu-Seong, he had also passed out after screaming and slept for exactly three hours.
“You were the same, but 15 hours is different,” her brother responded.
Yu-Ri also knew that. “It sure is different. It’s not common, but there are always special cases.”
It wasn’t strange to say that the duration of unconsciousness proportionally reflected the ability earned from the Awakening.
“Are you saying that the young master is an Irregular?”
Surprised, Jin Do-Yoon asked Jin Yu-Ri who spoke indifferently.
Irregular.
This term usually referred to a somewhat abnormal being, but in this hierarchic world where special people gathered, it only meant one thing—awe and respect toward those that were exceptional even among the players who possessed extraordinary abilities.
Every one of those who turned out to be an Irregular gained enormous fame due to their abilities.
"It's quite possible that the young master is an Irregular, considering how long he’s been sleeping." Yu-Ri was the voice of reason.
Do-Yoon strongly bit his lower lip.
Irregulars definitely became powerful if they survived, but surviving was difficult. This current situation, for example, showed the first obstacle an Irregular had to overcome.
"...80 percent of Irregulars never wake up after their Awakening."
"I know." Yu-Ri was not stupid. She was actually much smarter than her brother Do-Yoon.
Because he knew that fact as well, he clenched his fist as he asked, "Objectively speaking, how much of a chance does our young master have to wake up?"
"In a probability game with only two options, the answer is always set: five to five. Why’re you even asking?"
"You're being so cold-hearted..."
Do-Yoon wanted to argue but then shut his mouth. He also knew that it was a silly question. Yu-Ri spoke coldly, but she couldn’t hide the fact she was also shaken as her eyes wavered. She felt the same as Do-Yoon.
How could she possibly leave Choi Yu-Seong? They had stayed by Choi Yu-Seong's side even though he was the family troublemaker and was called “human trash”. But for him to die futilely like this when he had just started to change? She didn’t want to imagine that.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, oppa. It's not like I can't understand how you feel."
Yu-Ri shook her head briefly at her brother’s apology. Then suddenly, she stopped moving. At the same time, Do-Jin turned his head; his expression hardened. They sensed two people that had suddenly appeared across the long corridor. They were extremely familiar and equally unpleasant guests to this house. Even more so now, since this was a time when Choi Yu-Seong's stability was the top priority.
"Shit."
Yu-Ri cursed from the bottom of her heart. Do-Yoon didn't say anything but he also clenched his fist with a determined expression on his face.
Glancing at the siblings, a relaxed-looking young man smiled arrogantly.
"Young master Choi Min-Seok."
Do-Yoon slightly bowed as he stepped forward and addressed the man.
The twenty-one-year-old man, just recently turned adult, slightly raised his left hand and spoke as if he was Choi Woo-Jae.
"No greetings necessary. Where's Yu-Seong?"
In fact, Min-Seok visited Yu-Seong more frequently than anyone else in the Choi family. Of course, it wasn't with good intentions.
He had the typical characteristic of acting weak in front of the powerful and mighty when facing the weak. He often got on Choi Woo-Jae's nerves as he bullied other students during middle and high school.
He didn't cause any big trouble since he was scared of his other siblings and his father, but he still had that wicked root inside of him. He enjoyed picking on Yu-Seong, the only person in his family that was weaker than him.
There was no particular reason. Excluding Yu-Seong, everyone agreed that Min-Seok was the family's worst troublemaker. He suffered from an inferiority complex and wanted to ensure that he wasn't at the bottom of his family.
Choi Min-Seok was the person the Jin siblings hated the most.
He always targeted Yu-Seong because he failed to overcome his inferiority complex. Viciously tormenting Yu-Seong, his inferior, left him with satisfaction, since Yu-Seong couldn’t say anything because he was abandoned by the family.
That very Choi Min-Seok had suddenly come to visit Yu-Seong. He hadn't shown up for a while, since he was in college, yet now he had shown up, right at the worst time possible.
As mentioned before, Yu-Seong needed to be as stabilized as possible.
‘Is this a coincidence?’
Yu-Ri glanced at Choi Min-Seok who was blatantly staring at Yu-Seong’s room. Min-Seok pretended to be relaxed but his eyes reflected his ambition and greed.
‘I’m positive.’
Min-Seok knew that Yu-Seong had received the Awakening Stone.
Again, almost everything of the Choi family belonged to the chairman Choi Woo-Jae. That was why Yu-Seong’s siblings didn’t try to take what he borrowed from Choi Woo-Jae.
It was obvious. After all, wanting Choi Woo-Jae’s property amounted to nothing more than wishing for an early death.
What about a gift from Choi Woo-Jae, then?
That solely belonged to Yu-Seong. Anyone could take it away if they so wished.
Choi Woo-Jae wouldn’t say a word even if the person who stole Choi Yu-Seong’s Awakening Stone brought it in front of him and bragged about it. Rather, Yu-Seong would be lucky if Choi Woo-Jae didn’t mock him for losing a precious gift.
Min-Seok knew this as well which was why he would come to Choi Yu-Seong’s home without hesitation. Someone told him about the stone.
Not Choi Woo-Jae. He didn’t like to be involved in these kinds of childish pranks.
‘Kim Pil-Doo.’
Yu-Ri grit her teeth and then spoke. “It’s been a while, young master Choi Min-Seok. Can I speak to you for a moment if it’s okay?”
“Jin Yu-Ri.”
Min-Seok had been frowning at Do-Yoon who was subtly blocking the doorway to Yu-Seong’s room, but then he turned his gaze towards her. “Considering your polite attitude, it seems what I heard is really true, huh? Yu-Seong did actually get an Awakening Stone.”
“An Awakening Stone? I’ve never heard about such a thing…How would I, as a worker, know what my superiors are doing?”
“Don’t play dumb. I heard the news. What did you do with the Awakening Stone?”
He was talking confidently as if he wasn’t guessing, but was full of certainty. Yu-Ri was quite displeased about this, but nevertheless she continued on calmly.
As Choi Min-Seok said, deception no longer worked, but it did buy them a little more time.
“It’s already gone.”
“You’re telling me that the coward Choi Yu-Seong already swallowed the Awakening Stone?”
Whether in large or small amounts, pain always followed in the process of the Awakening. That was why Min-Seok thought that the coward, Yu-Seong, wouldn’t be able to decide what to do with the stone and would only keep it.
Min-Seok’s expression changed right away.
“I wanted to go the easy way but that’s not the case.”
“You can’t undo what’s already been absorbed.”
“We’ll know for sure once we cut Choi Yu-Seong’s stomach.”
“What the…”
Yu-Ri’s mouth dropped at Min-Seok’s cold words before she quickly closed it.
What did she expect? Since the two were brothers only in name, did she expect some kind of brotherly bond, even if it’s tiny like a speck of dust?
Nonsense.
Min-Seok was only worried that Yu-Seong, his only inferior in the family, would change through the Awakening. That was why he tried to take away the Awakening Stone, and if that was impossible, he was willing to murder Choi Yu-Seong.
‘No.’
Yu-Ri started thinking rapidly. She had to figure out a way to stop Choi Min-Seok while keeping Yu-Seong out of trouble.
Looking at Yu-Ri coldly, Min-Seok smirked and approached the door to Yu-Seong’s room. Do-Yoon stood in front of the doorway and shook his head.
“You cannot enter.” Do-Yoon denied Min-Seok entry.
“A pet dog shouldn't bark at its owner. Move.”
“...”
“You know this won’t change anything, do you?”
“It would be best if you returned for today.”
“Phew… Park Jin-Hyo.”
After a long sigh from Min-Seok, the bulky Park Jin-Hyo came forward. He was Choi Min-Seok’s right-hand man and also a Physical-Reinforcement type player who was roughly two meters tall and was extremely muscular like Do-Yoon was..
“Move.”
“...”
“This is the young master’s order.”
“...”
Park Jin-Hyo threatened Do-Yoon as he glared ferociously.
“How foolish.”
Right after Min-Seok’s remarks, Jin-Hyo swung his fist that was the size of a man’s head.
Thwap-!
Jin Do-Yoon’s body swayed as his face jerked sideways. However, his feet stayed where they were without moving a single millimeter.
Wiping off the blood flowing from his lips, Do-Yoon glanced at Min-Seok, who stood behind Park Jin-Hyo.
“The young master needs to be stabilized right now.”
“That’s not up to you to decide, dog.”
“...”
“You’re really not going to back off, huh? I guess we’ll be cleaning up another body today. Park Jin-Hyo, you don’t have to pull your punches worrying you might kill that.”
“Understood.”
A golden aura flared out from Jin-Hyo’s body as Min-Seok laughed coldly. It was a phenomenon that occurred when a player used their skill.
He started to throw punches at Jin Do-Yoon that were much harder and rougher-sounding.
Do-Yoon didn’t even try to avoid a single punch. Even though he too was a player, he didn’t use any skills and just let himself be beaten up. If he evaded one of them, then it could affect Yu-Seong who was unconscious inside the room. It could also be used as an excuse for Min-Seok to attack Yu-Seong once he woke up.
Watching the situation, Yu-Ri’s eyes gleamed as she bit her lower lip.
‘If I kill Choi Min-Seok right now…’
There would be a big problem. Choi Yu-Seong would probably be okay, but it would become difficult for the Jin siblings to set foot in this society ever again. Choi Woo-Jae would never sit on his hands if one of his family pets killed one of his children.
But she couldn’t just sit there and watch. It was better than everyone dying here.
Having come to a decision, Jin Yu-Ri was just about to act when she heard something—the sound of someone rushing in. Yu-Ri and Min-Seok looked at Choi Yu-Seong’s locked room at the same time.
On the other side of the door, a loud voice echoed.
“Take cover, you idiot!”
Whoosh-!
That moment, the continuous punching ceased. Do-Yoon smiled as he ducked falteringly to avoid the attack.
“Young master…” he spoke in a voice so small that no one but himself could have heard it.
The door burst open. It was Choi Yu-Seong.
With clothes in disarray, he stood in front of the door and looked at Do-Yoon, who was smiling with bloody teeth.
Then, he glared fiercely to Park Jin-Hyo who looked perplexed.
“You gorilla punk, how dare you put your hands on my man?”