Chapter 2
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After moments of silence, Do-hyuk asked again, "Did you just say God?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Jimin was different. This woman leaning her back against the wall with her arms crossed was not the same 20-year-old freshman he knew.
"In a few hours at midnight, the bastard will invade the earth." After saying those words, Jimin braced herself to tell a lengthy tale of a warrior who survived years of war. "And you…" She breathed before she began telling an epic of bravery.
At least she tried to.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Bam—
The ground shook with a loud noise, interrupting their conversation.
"An earthquake?" A dab of shock covered Do-hyuk's face.
"This can't be…" Compared to Do-hyuk's, however, Jimin's expression was beyond surprised. "How can it begin so early?"
She opened the curtains she had closed a minute ago to oversee what's happening outside. Do-hyuk could not believe his eyes. The tower, the black spire—which stood mysteriously for a month—was spinning with great ferocity. Maybe this phenomenon he's seeing happened on other towers as well.
He wanted to react somehow or say something, but before he could do so words flashed before his eyes, taking him aback.
<<S4 Space–Planet MPS-913: Program Launched>>
<<Casita's needle: Spin Activated>>
"… Ugh!" Agony covered his body by the time the flashing of the words came to a halt, causing him to drop to the ground. It felt as if an unknown force was crushing his body and the one thing Do-hyuk could do was to submit to its power.
Crack!
As he moaned in pain with his face planted on the ground, Do-hyuk realized he was familiar with this pain—muscle ache! The pain ripped him apart as if someone was forcing his joints to stretch. Words begun to appear in his vision once again, blinding him of his surroundings.
<<Transcending the specie to its maximum capabilities: Confirmed>>
<<Advancing the individual to the limit of its normal development: Confirmed>>
Do-hyuk felt a soothing aura running through every corner of his body. It eased his suffering, but the pain won over him nonetheless.
Crack, crack! Do-hyuk heard from both inside his body and his surroundings. He wondered was it the earthquake blurring his sight? Perhaps it was the trembling of his body as it worsen as time passes? All he knew was he could not t take the pain any longer.
"Ji-Jimin..." He groaned scanning his surroundings for her. Do-hyuk soon found out she's lying on the floor, trembling out of control as well. Then he saw blank as his consciousness drifts away.
How much time had passed before he awakened from his unconsciousness?
When Do-hyuk opened his eyes, it was already dark outside. The earthquake has stopped, and by the time he regained his composure, he realized something odd about himself. Not only was the pain gone, but his movements seemed lighter than ever, and his size was somewhat bigger than before.
"Jimin? Choi Jimin?"
Jimin was still lying on the ground. Do-hyuk saw her breathe. It seemed like her condition was not serious. But unlike Do-hyuk, she was taking longer to regain her consciousness. Jimin seemed unhurt from the outside, but to be certain, Do-Hyuk tried to go beside her to confirm her status. However, words flashed before his eyes once again before he could do so.
<< Individual: Yoo Do-hyuk's Physical Development Completed >>
<< Word: Utilize 'Status' to check Ability Leve l>>
The sudden appearance of those words before him blocked his path.
"What the fu…"
There are two main types of humans made to confront anomalies in conflict with what we perceive as normal. There are those who possess the ability to break their train of thought to rid themselves of stress and seek external medium to utilize instead. And there are those who search for a power within themselves and find answers to make sense of the situation. Thankfully, Do-hyuk was the latter type.
An unknown number of people were after his life, but the only thing Do-hyuk could think of is how to make sense of Jimin's story about the regression or the story about gods or whatever she was trying to say. He could think about it but, if he stands around doing nothing to adapt to his circumstances, his life will be in danger.
With that, "… Status." Do-hyuk mumbled with a defeated tone. Words started to list down in front of his eyes showing his physical well-being.
<<Ability>> Muscle Strength: 17(Grade: E); Stamina: 21(Grade: E); Agility: 15(Grade: E); Power: 2(Grade: F); Tolerance: 17(Grade: E); Charm: 14(Grade: E)
<<Faith>> No set 'Faith' at present.
<<Skills>> No set of 'skills' at present
<<Talent>> Personal Survival (Lv. 2), Wolf's Keenness (Lv. 1)
The word <<Nature>> appeared at the end as if begging Do-hyuk to read it. He was about to check it's details when Jimin groaned behind him, gaining her consciousness back. "You'll see that more than you'll want to from now on. That is your seed money."
Do-hyuk tried his best to give a good response, but he lost all the composure he built when he turned his head to face her, his eyes meeting with hers. Jimin has changed. She was always petite, but it was never accurate to call her skinny, she's not out of shape. A more befitting description for her was a woman who hasn't let go of her baby fats yet.
But not anymore. Her clothes that fit her tightly were short and loose on her now. She was almost a head taller than before. Also, her skin texture changed from soft to silky. It's fair to say Jimin's body turned into a gymnast's.
"Oh, this?" Jimin acknowledged Do-hyuk's visible confusion.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare…"
"It's fine. My body changed. Did you see the words that appeared when you were in pain?" Do-hyuk nodded his head as a reply.
"Our bodies have been 'developed' by force. We have transcended into the final extent of what a human body can do. If we want to we can run a marathon forever and our energy will never deplete." She ran her hands from her breasts down to her stomach, signalling Do-hyuk to follow her lead. Do-hyuk obliged and placed his hands on his chest.
"...!"
What he felt was a firm and curved shape. He was not imagining things earlier, his body has gotten bigger and it wasn't in his imagination alone. He could vividly feel his peck, stomach and the lines of his abdominal muscles he didn't have before.
"How… is this be possible?"
"Maybe it's god himself who's giving us all this bullsh*t?"
A simple answer. Instead of adding more from her statement, Jimin pointed her fingers behind Do-hyuk. She was pointing at the scenery outside the window.
"Go and see what's happening outside for yourself, and don't you dare make any noise."
Do-hyuk walked closer to the window.
"Do you see it?"
It was dark outside, but the difference was certain even by a single glance.
"There are…"
"A lot, right?"
Seoul's night sky was filled with nothing but darkness. The most you could see was the occasional full moon hiding beneath the darkness. Tonight, the moon was not the only orb sitting on the skies. No, was the moon he was familiar to the same as the one he was looking at? It took a few moments before he could process what he was seeing. The 'smallest' orb, the moon, hovering on the skies was as big as a ping-pong ball. However, the gigantic ones beside it was of such great proportions, Do-hyuk could only hide them if he places his palms a few inches from his face.
How big and how close does it have to be to Earth to appear that large? As he marvel at the orbs on the skies, losing his grasp on reality, he was late to noticed a terrifying scene.
Under the sky, the streets Do-hyuk used to know have been transformed into something sinister. Rocks. Monstrous rocks bursted out of the asphalts and the concretes of the city, towering over the skyscrapers. Not to mention the dense forest-like terrain created by the random trees and vines spewing out of the huge rocks?
Half of the buildings, or perhaps more than half of them, were ruined or destroyed by the crustal movements. Do-hyuk's house was not safe from the onslaught as well, the room they were in seemed to be the singular thing left in one piece. The bottom part of his house was eaten by the green incursion.
"[Casita's needle], that's what this is called. Every time those towers spin, the earth overlaps with another world."
Jimin bobbed her head towards the distance, gesturing her head towards the black tower which stopped spinning.
"I don't know what the hell is happening since they were supposed to start spinning at midnight…" Jimin was about to throw a tantrum over the destruction the towers caused but a loud noise interrupted her.
Outside of the window, a sound from a distance not too far away, a roar resounded like a foghorn mixed with a cry of a dinosaur Do-hyuk saw at a movie in his childhood.
Right, it was definitely coming from a living creature. He didn't have to be there to understand. He didn't know what creature it was, but it must be a predator that could cause havoc. Its roars serves as a warning for their impending doom.
"Crap…" Jimin, knowing the identity of the creature, reached her hands out and pulled the curtains shut. However, someone else's hand moved faster than hers.
It was Do-hyuk's.
"OK, I got it." His skin is pale and his hands are quivering, but it wasn't hardened or stiff. Two serious and focused eyes pierced its' gazes through Jimin. "Tell me everything I need to know. What is happening outside?" That monstrous roar he heard a few seconds ago made him realize the gravity of his situation. "You don't have to waste words and time by trying to make me understand something"
Just accept it. If not, he will die. Indefinitely.
"Sure," Jimin answered without hesitation. "First, you need to kill someone."
"Because of the Nature?" Jimin responded with an affirmative answer, but instead of a verbal answer, Jimin kicked off the floor and jumped. It wasn't too high of a jump, she even missed the ceiling by few inches or so. However, when Jimin landed on the floor after a few seconds, Do-hyuk could not keep his mouth from remaining agape.
How many times did she spinned? It wasn't even perpendicular spin, but a somersault one in air. Jimin was able to change direction and completed them multiple times in that short amount of time.
When her feet was about to land the floor, Do-hyuk expected the wooden floor to give in to the impact instead...
Tap.
The only sound she made after her feet touched the ground was a light, almost soundless, tap.
"This is the effect of my Nature." Jimin continued talking after finding her balance as if nothing happened at all. She didn't even stumbled a bit. "[Gum bodies]. My flexibility is way above what a normal human body could pull off, all thanks to my Nature. I can go beyond the ability of what humans deemed possible, or to do more diverse and sophisticated movements. I can also perform bodily movements that can be burdening to the joints or muscles of a normal human's body without giving me harm. It has its limits… but it's a pretty good Nature. There's a lot of use for it in the beginning."
"The description sounds like…"
"A passive skill?"
Do-hyuk opened his eyes in surprise when she predicted what he was just about to say. Jimin smiled faintly when she saw his obvious astonishment. It was the first time Do-hyuk saw her smile after the world had a sudden change.
"It was a comparison you told me before. Long time ago, when I was an idiot who stood in your way." The smile faded quickly, and Jimin continued her explanation. "You're right. Passive. It's like the basic skills a character has when you play the AOS games. As I said, everyone carries one of each from birth, and you can carry up to two by acquiring your first murder victim's Nature."
"… I guess my Nature is pretty good." Do-hyuk mumbled as he thought of the people who tried to kill him.
"Calling it 'good' will be offensive to your Nature. It would be an understatement to say your Nature is above all else, its number one." Her words didn't make it seemed realistic.
"… Status," Do-hyuk mumbled once again to check the list of his stats and continue reading from where he stopped earlier, the description of his <<Nature>>
The beginning part goes as follows:
<<Nature>>
[Flavor of Iron] Unique Nature of Individual 'Yoo Do-hyuk'.
"Does it say Flavor of Iron?"
"Yeah, but…" While squinting his eyes, Do-hyuk attempted to ask Jimin a question when, a strong burst of light as intense as the high-beam of a car beamed towards the room. Simultaneously, a figure appeared before appeared, basking from the glory of its luminance.
"Rejoice the glory that has been bestowed upon you." A beautiful and soft voice so incredible they could feel it's tenderness in their hearts rang on Do-hyuk's head.
As the light lost its intensity, Do-hyuk was able to see the identity of the source of glowing light. It's located on the black tower in the distance. There was a gigantic figure of a man hovering over the top. The unknown character had two massive wings around from side to side, each bigger than the tower itself.
Yes, the figure was undoubtedly an angel.
"By the name of the great Deity, Casita, I give you your first suffering."
"Talking out of your ass, stupid bitch." Jimin mumbled behind her breath filled with nothing but hatred. "I want to rip her head off… but we have no choice since we're in the 'beginning' state. Listen, you must pass the test that b*tch is talking about. You're lucky you have me, I memorized the strategy!"
"First, you must… No, what is happening?" The soft-spoken angel shifted its stone and spoke, baffled. "The test hasn't even begun, but so many became blinded after obtaining a Nature and began slaughtering each other."
A moment of silence followed.
When the angel began to speak again, the voice was more stern. "Fine. For those villains who have forsaken the word of the Lord by acting according to their instincts, you must prepare for the appropriate chapter of your demise. For those who already obtained two Natures, I will smite you with an excruciating pain heaven alone could give!"
"N-no way. Another unpredicted situation?" Jimin's voice quivered, but she regained her composure right away and turned to Do-hyuk. "It's alright. You and I haven't killed anyone yet, so that won't apply to us..."
"I think it applies to me."
"What?"
Jimin's eyes opened wide. Do-hyuk's expression was no different. If it wasn't for the angel, he was about to ask Jimin how to understand what was happening.
"I mean, my status implied so." The letters in front of his eyes gleamed the same as before. On the space invisible to Jimin, the following words appeared:
<<Nature>>
[Flavor of Steel] Unique Nature of individual 'Yoo Do-hyuk'.
And underneath it...
[Over the Horizon] Obtained by killing individual 'Casita'.
"I will first isolate the evil beings!"
As the angel's voice echoed across the horizon, Do-hyuk's body began to gleam brightly, and it flickered as if it was about to disappear along with him.
"I will gift the first suffering."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
After moments of silence, Do-hyuk asked again, "Did you just say God?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Jimin was different. This woman leaning her back against the wall with her arms crossed was not the same 20-year-old freshman he knew.
"In a few hours at midnight, the bastard will invade the earth." After saying those words, Jimin braced herself to tell a lengthy tale of a warrior who survived years of war. "And you…" She breathed before she began telling an epic of bravery.
At least she tried to.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Bam—
The ground shook with a loud noise, interrupting their conversation.
"An earthquake?" A dab of shock covered Do-hyuk's face.
"This can't be…" Compared to Do-hyuk's, however, Jimin's expression was beyond surprised. "How can it begin so early?"
She opened the curtains she had closed a minute ago to oversee what's happening outside. Do-hyuk could not believe his eyes. The tower, the black spire—which stood mysteriously for a month—was spinning with great ferocity. Maybe this phenomenon he's seeing happened on other towers as well.
He wanted to react somehow or say something, but before he could do so words flashed before his eyes, taking him aback.
<<S4 Space–Planet MPS-913: Program Launched>>
<<Casita's needle: Spin Activated>>
"… Ugh!" Agony covered his body by the time the flashing of the words came to a halt, causing him to drop to the ground. It felt as if an unknown force was crushing his body and the one thing Do-hyuk could do was to submit to its power.
Crack!
As he moaned in pain with his face planted on the ground, Do-hyuk realized he was familiar with this pain—muscle ache! The pain ripped him apart as if someone was forcing his joints to stretch. Words begun to appear in his vision once again, blinding him of his surroundings.
<<Transcending the specie to its maximum capabilities: Confirmed>>
<<Advancing the individual to the limit of its normal development: Confirmed>>
Do-hyuk felt a soothing aura running through every corner of his body. It eased his suffering, but the pain won over him nonetheless.
Crack, crack! Do-hyuk heard from both inside his body and his surroundings. He wondered was it the earthquake blurring his sight? Perhaps it was the trembling of his body as it worsen as time passes? All he knew was he could not t take the pain any longer.
"Ji-Jimin..." He groaned scanning his surroundings for her. Do-hyuk soon found out she's lying on the floor, trembling out of control as well. Then he saw blank as his consciousness drifts away.
How much time had passed before he awakened from his unconsciousness?
When Do-hyuk opened his eyes, it was already dark outside. The earthquake has stopped, and by the time he regained his composure, he realized something odd about himself. Not only was the pain gone, but his movements seemed lighter than ever, and his size was somewhat bigger than before.
"Jimin? Choi Jimin?"
Jimin was still lying on the ground. Do-hyuk saw her breathe. It seemed like her condition was not serious. But unlike Do-hyuk, she was taking longer to regain her consciousness. Jimin seemed unhurt from the outside, but to be certain, Do-Hyuk tried to go beside her to confirm her status. However, words flashed before his eyes once again before he could do so.
<< Individual: Yoo Do-hyuk's Physical Development Completed >>
<< Word: Utilize 'Status' to check Ability Leve l>>
The sudden appearance of those words before him blocked his path.
"What the fu…"
There are two main types of humans made to confront anomalies in conflict with what we perceive as normal. There are those who possess the ability to break their train of thought to rid themselves of stress and seek external medium to utilize instead. And there are those who search for a power within themselves and find answers to make sense of the situation. Thankfully, Do-hyuk was the latter type.
An unknown number of people were after his life, but the only thing Do-hyuk could think of is how to make sense of Jimin's story about the regression or the story about gods or whatever she was trying to say. He could think about it but, if he stands around doing nothing to adapt to his circumstances, his life will be in danger.
With that, "… Status." Do-hyuk mumbled with a defeated tone. Words started to list down in front of his eyes showing his physical well-being.
<<Ability>> Muscle Strength: 17(Grade: E); Stamina: 21(Grade: E); Agility: 15(Grade: E); Power: 2(Grade: F); Tolerance: 17(Grade: E); Charm: 14(Grade: E)
<<Faith>> No set 'Faith' at present.
<<Skills>> No set of 'skills' at present
<<Talent>> Personal Survival (Lv. 2), Wolf's Keenness (Lv. 1)
The word <<Nature>> appeared at the end as if begging Do-hyuk to read it. He was about to check it's details when Jimin groaned behind him, gaining her consciousness back. "You'll see that more than you'll want to from now on. That is your seed money."
Do-hyuk tried his best to give a good response, but he lost all the composure he built when he turned his head to face her, his eyes meeting with hers. Jimin has changed. She was always petite, but it was never accurate to call her skinny, she's not out of shape. A more befitting description for her was a woman who hasn't let go of her baby fats yet.
But not anymore. Her clothes that fit her tightly were short and loose on her now. She was almost a head taller than before. Also, her skin texture changed from soft to silky. It's fair to say Jimin's body turned into a gymnast's.
"Oh, this?" Jimin acknowledged Do-hyuk's visible confusion.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare…"
"It's fine. My body changed. Did you see the words that appeared when you were in pain?" Do-hyuk nodded his head as a reply.
"Our bodies have been 'developed' by force. We have transcended into the final extent of what a human body can do. If we want to we can run a marathon forever and our energy will never deplete." She ran her hands from her breasts down to her stomach, signalling Do-hyuk to follow her lead. Do-hyuk obliged and placed his hands on his chest.
"...!"
What he felt was a firm and curved shape. He was not imagining things earlier, his body has gotten bigger and it wasn't in his imagination alone. He could vividly feel his peck, stomach and the lines of his abdominal muscles he didn't have before.
"How… is this be possible?"
"Maybe it's god himself who's giving us all this bullsh*t?"
A simple answer. Instead of adding more from her statement, Jimin pointed her fingers behind Do-hyuk. She was pointing at the scenery outside the window.
"Go and see what's happening outside for yourself, and don't you dare make any noise."
Do-hyuk walked closer to the window.
"Do you see it?"
It was dark outside, but the difference was certain even by a single glance.
"There are…"
"A lot, right?"
Seoul's night sky was filled with nothing but darkness. The most you could see was the occasional full moon hiding beneath the darkness. Tonight, the moon was not the only orb sitting on the skies. No, was the moon he was familiar to the same as the one he was looking at? It took a few moments before he could process what he was seeing. The 'smallest' orb, the moon, hovering on the skies was as big as a ping-pong ball. However, the gigantic ones beside it was of such great proportions, Do-hyuk could only hide them if he places his palms a few inches from his face.
How big and how close does it have to be to Earth to appear that large? As he marvel at the orbs on the skies, losing his grasp on reality, he was late to noticed a terrifying scene.
Under the sky, the streets Do-hyuk used to know have been transformed into something sinister. Rocks. Monstrous rocks bursted out of the asphalts and the concretes of the city, towering over the skyscrapers. Not to mention the dense forest-like terrain created by the random trees and vines spewing out of the huge rocks?
Half of the buildings, or perhaps more than half of them, were ruined or destroyed by the crustal movements. Do-hyuk's house was not safe from the onslaught as well, the room they were in seemed to be the singular thing left in one piece. The bottom part of his house was eaten by the green incursion.
"[Casita's needle], that's what this is called. Every time those towers spin, the earth overlaps with another world."
Jimin bobbed her head towards the distance, gesturing her head towards the black tower which stopped spinning.
"I don't know what the hell is happening since they were supposed to start spinning at midnight…" Jimin was about to throw a tantrum over the destruction the towers caused but a loud noise interrupted her.
Outside of the window, a sound from a distance not too far away, a roar resounded like a foghorn mixed with a cry of a dinosaur Do-hyuk saw at a movie in his childhood.
Right, it was definitely coming from a living creature. He didn't have to be there to understand. He didn't know what creature it was, but it must be a predator that could cause havoc. Its roars serves as a warning for their impending doom.
"Crap…" Jimin, knowing the identity of the creature, reached her hands out and pulled the curtains shut. However, someone else's hand moved faster than hers.
It was Do-hyuk's.
"OK, I got it." His skin is pale and his hands are quivering, but it wasn't hardened or stiff. Two serious and focused eyes pierced its' gazes through Jimin. "Tell me everything I need to know. What is happening outside?" That monstrous roar he heard a few seconds ago made him realize the gravity of his situation. "You don't have to waste words and time by trying to make me understand something"
Just accept it. If not, he will die. Indefinitely.
"Sure," Jimin answered without hesitation. "First, you need to kill someone."
"Because of the Nature?" Jimin responded with an affirmative answer, but instead of a verbal answer, Jimin kicked off the floor and jumped. It wasn't too high of a jump, she even missed the ceiling by few inches or so. However, when Jimin landed on the floor after a few seconds, Do-hyuk could not keep his mouth from remaining agape.
How many times did she spinned? It wasn't even perpendicular spin, but a somersault one in air. Jimin was able to change direction and completed them multiple times in that short amount of time.
When her feet was about to land the floor, Do-hyuk expected the wooden floor to give in to the impact instead...
Tap.
The only sound she made after her feet touched the ground was a light, almost soundless, tap.
"This is the effect of my Nature." Jimin continued talking after finding her balance as if nothing happened at all. She didn't even stumbled a bit. "[Gum bodies]. My flexibility is way above what a normal human body could pull off, all thanks to my Nature. I can go beyond the ability of what humans deemed possible, or to do more diverse and sophisticated movements. I can also perform bodily movements that can be burdening to the joints or muscles of a normal human's body without giving me harm. It has its limits… but it's a pretty good Nature. There's a lot of use for it in the beginning."
"The description sounds like…"
"A passive skill?"
Do-hyuk opened his eyes in surprise when she predicted what he was just about to say. Jimin smiled faintly when she saw his obvious astonishment. It was the first time Do-hyuk saw her smile after the world had a sudden change.
"It was a comparison you told me before. Long time ago, when I was an idiot who stood in your way." The smile faded quickly, and Jimin continued her explanation. "You're right. Passive. It's like the basic skills a character has when you play the AOS games. As I said, everyone carries one of each from birth, and you can carry up to two by acquiring your first murder victim's Nature."
"… I guess my Nature is pretty good." Do-hyuk mumbled as he thought of the people who tried to kill him.
"Calling it 'good' will be offensive to your Nature. It would be an understatement to say your Nature is above all else, its number one." Her words didn't make it seemed realistic.
"… Status," Do-hyuk mumbled once again to check the list of his stats and continue reading from where he stopped earlier, the description of his <<Nature>>
The beginning part goes as follows:
<<Nature>>
[Flavor of Iron] Unique Nature of Individual 'Yoo Do-hyuk'.
"Does it say Flavor of Iron?"
"Yeah, but…" While squinting his eyes, Do-hyuk attempted to ask Jimin a question when, a strong burst of light as intense as the high-beam of a car beamed towards the room. Simultaneously, a figure appeared before appeared, basking from the glory of its luminance.
"Rejoice the glory that has been bestowed upon you." A beautiful and soft voice so incredible they could feel it's tenderness in their hearts rang on Do-hyuk's head.
As the light lost its intensity, Do-hyuk was able to see the identity of the source of glowing light. It's located on the black tower in the distance. There was a gigantic figure of a man hovering over the top. The unknown character had two massive wings around from side to side, each bigger than the tower itself.
Yes, the figure was undoubtedly an angel.
"By the name of the great Deity, Casita, I give you your first suffering."
"Talking out of your ass, stupid bitch." Jimin mumbled behind her breath filled with nothing but hatred. "I want to rip her head off… but we have no choice since we're in the 'beginning' state. Listen, you must pass the test that b*tch is talking about. You're lucky you have me, I memorized the strategy!"
"First, you must… No, what is happening?" The soft-spoken angel shifted its stone and spoke, baffled. "The test hasn't even begun, but so many became blinded after obtaining a Nature and began slaughtering each other."
A moment of silence followed.
When the angel began to speak again, the voice was more stern. "Fine. For those villains who have forsaken the word of the Lord by acting according to their instincts, you must prepare for the appropriate chapter of your demise. For those who already obtained two Natures, I will smite you with an excruciating pain heaven alone could give!"
"N-no way. Another unpredicted situation?" Jimin's voice quivered, but she regained her composure right away and turned to Do-hyuk. "It's alright. You and I haven't killed anyone yet, so that won't apply to us..."
"I think it applies to me."
"What?"
Jimin's eyes opened wide. Do-hyuk's expression was no different. If it wasn't for the angel, he was about to ask Jimin how to understand what was happening.
"I mean, my status implied so." The letters in front of his eyes gleamed the same as before. On the space invisible to Jimin, the following words appeared:
<<Nature>>
[Flavor of Steel] Unique Nature of individual 'Yoo Do-hyuk'.
And underneath it...
[Over the Horizon] Obtained by killing individual 'Casita'.
"I will first isolate the evil beings!"
As the angel's voice echoed across the horizon, Do-hyuk's body began to gleam brightly, and it flickered as if it was about to disappear along with him.
"I will gift the first suffering."
After moments of silence, Do-hyuk asked again, "Did you just say God?" "Don't make me repeat myself." Jimin was different. This woman leaning her back against the wall with her arms crossed was not the same 20-year-old freshman he knew. "In a few hours at midnight, the bastard will invade the earth." After saying those words, Jimin braced herself to tell a lengthy tale of a warrior who survived years of war. "And you" She breathed before she began telling an epic of bravery. At least she tried to. Boom! Boom! Boom! Bam The ground shook with a loud noise, interrupting their conversation. "An earthquake?" A dab of shock covered Do-hyuk's face. "This can't be" Compared to Do-hyuk's, however, Jimin's expression was beyond surprised. "How can it begin so early?" She opened the curtains she had closed a minute ago to oversee what's happening outside. Do-hyuk could not believe his eyes. The tower, the black spirewhich stood mysteriously for a monthwas spinning with great ferocity. Maybe this phenomenon he's seeing happened on other towers as well. He wanted to react somehow or say something, but before he could do so words flashed before his eyes, taking him aback. S4 SpacePlanet MPS-913: Program Launched Casita's needle: Spin Activated " Ugh!" Agony covered his body by the time the flashing of the words came to a halt, causing him to drop to the ground. It felt as if an unknown force was crushing his body and the one thing Do-hyuk could do was to submit to its power. Crack! As he moaned in pain with his face planted on the ground, Do-hyuk realized he was familiar with this painmuscle ache! The pain ripped him apart as if someone was forcing his joints to stretch. Words begun to appear in his vision once again, blinding him of his surroundings. Transcending the specie to its maximum capabilities: Confirmed Advancing the individual to the limit of its normal development: Confirmed Do-hyuk felt a soothing aura running through every corner of his body. It eased his suffering, but the pain won over him nonetheless. Crack, crack! Do-hyuk heard from both inside his body and his surroundings. He wondered was it the earthquake blurring his sight? Perhaps it was the trembling of his body as it worsen as time passes? All he knew was he could not t take the pain any longer. "Ji-Jimin..." He groaned scanning his surroundings for her. Do-hyuk soon found out she's lying on the floor, trembling out of control as well. Then he saw blank as his consciousness drifts away. How much time had passed before he awakened from his unconsciousness? When Do-hyuk opened his eyes, it was already dark outside. The earthquake has stopped, and by the time he regained his composure, he realized something odd about himself. Not only was the pain gone, but his movements seemed lighter than ever, and his size was somewhat bigger than before. "Jimin? Choi Jimin?" Jimin was still lying on the ground. Do-hyuk saw her breathe. It seemed like her condition was not serious. But unlike Do-hyuk, she was taking longer to regain her consciousness. Jimin seemed unhurt from the outside, but to be certain, Do-Hyuk tried to go beside her to confirm her status. However, words flashed before his eyes once again before he could do so. Individual: Yoo Do-hyuk's Physical Development Completed Word: Utilize 'Status' to check Ability Leve l The sudden appearance of those words before him blocked his path. "What the fu" There are two main types of humans made to confront anomalies in conflict with what we perceive as normal. There are those who possess the ability to break their train of thought to rid themselves of stress and seek external medium to utilize instead. And there are those who search for a power within themselves and find answers to make sense of the situation. Thankfully, Do-hyuk was the latter type. An unknown number of people were after his life, but the only thing Do-hyuk could think of is how to make sense of Jimin's story about the regression or the story about gods or whatever she was trying to say. He could think about it but, if he stands around doing nothing to adapt to his circumstances, his life will be in danger. With that, " Status." Do-hyuk mumbled with a defeated tone. Words started to list down in front of his eyes showing his physical well-being. Ability Muscle Strength: 17Grade: E; Stamina: 21Grade: E; Agility: 15Grade: E; Power: 2Grade: F; Tolerance: 17Grade: E; Charm: 14Grade: E Faith No set 'Faith' at present. Skills No set of 'skills' at present Talent Personal Survival Lv. 2, Wolf's Keenness Lv. 1 The word Nature appeared at the end as if begging Do-hyuk to read it. He was about to check it's details when Jimin groaned behind him, gaining her consciousness back. "You'll see that more than you'll want to from now on. That is your seed money." Do-hyuk tried his best to give a good response, but he lost all the composure he built when he turned his head to face her, his eyes meeting with hers. Jimin has changed. She was always petite, but it was never accurate to call her skinny, she's not out of shape. A more befitting description for her was a woman who hasn't let go of her baby fats yet. But not anymore. Her clothes that fit her tightly were short and loose on her now. She was almost a head taller than before. Also, her skin texture changed from soft to silky. It's fair to say Jimin's body turned into a gymnast's. "Oh, this?" Jimin acknowledged Do-hyuk's visible confusion. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare" "It's fine. My body changed. Did you see the words that appeared when you were in pain?" Do-hyuk nodded his head as a reply. "Our bodies have been 'developed' by force. We have transcended into the final extent of what a human body can do. If we want to we can run a marathon forever and our energy will never deplete." She ran her hands from her breasts down to her stomach, signalling Do-hyuk to follow her lead. Do-hyuk obliged and placed his hands on his chest. "...!" What he felt was a firm and curved shape. He was not imagining things earlier, his body has gotten bigger and it wasn't in his imagination alone. He could vividly feel his peck, stomach and the lines of his abdominal muscles he didn't have before. "How is this be possible?" "Maybe it's god himself who's giving us all this bullsh*t?" A simple answer. Instead of adding more from her statement, Jimin pointed her fingers behind Do-hyuk. She was pointing at the scenery outside the window. "Go and see what's happening outside for yourself, and don't you dare make any noise." Do-hyuk walked closer to the window. "Do you see it?" It was dark outside, but the difference was certain even by a single glance. "There are" "A lot, right?" Seoul's night sky was filled with nothing but darkness. The most you could see was the occasional full moon hiding beneath the darkness. Tonight, the moon was not the only orb sitting on the skies. No, was the moon he was familiar to the same as the one he was looking at? It took a few moments before he could process what he was seeing. The 'smallest' orb, the moon, hovering on the skies was as big as a ping-pong ball. However, the gigantic ones beside it was of such great proportions, Do-hyuk could only hide them if he places his palms a few inches from his face. How big and how close does it have to be to Earth to appear that large? As he marvel at the orbs on the skies, losing his grasp on reality, he was late to noticed a terrifying scene. Under the sky, the streets Do-hyuk used to know have been transformed into something sinister. Rocks. Monstrous rocks bursted out of the asphalts and the concretes of the city, towering over the skyscrapers. Not to mention the dense forest-like terrain created by the random trees and vines spewing out of the huge rocks? Half of the buildings, or perhaps more than half of them, were ruined or destroyed by the crustal movements. Do-hyuk's house was not safe from the onslaught as well, the room they were in seemed to be the singular thing left in one piece. The bottom part of his house was eaten by the green incursion. "Casita's needle, that's what this is called. Every time those towers spin, the earth overlaps with another world." Jimin bobbed her head towards the distance, gesturing her head towards the black tower which stopped spinning. "I don't know what the hell is happening since they were supposed to start spinning at midnight" Jimin was about to throw a tantrum over the destruction the towers caused but a loud noise interrupted her. Outside of the window, a sound from a distance not too far away, a roar resounded like a foghorn mixed with a cry of a dinosaur Do-hyuk saw at a movie in his childhood. Right, it was definitely coming from a living creature. He didn't have to be there to understand. He didn't know what creature it was, but it must be a predator that could cause havoc. Its roars serves as a warning for their impending doom. "Crap" Jimin, knowing the identity of the creature, reached her hands out and pulled the curtains shut. However, someone else's hand moved faster than hers. It was Do-hyuk's. "OK, I got it." His skin is pale and his hands are quivering, but it wasn't hardened or stiff. Two serious and focused eyes pierced its' gazes through Jimin. "Tell me everything I need to know. What is happening outside?" That monstrous roar he heard a few seconds ago made him realize the gravity of his situation. "You don't have to waste words and time by trying to make me understand something" Just accept it. If not, he will die. Indefinitely. "Sure," Jimin answered without hesitation. "First, you need to kill someone." "Because of the Nature?" Jimin responded with an affirmative answer, but instead of a verbal answer, Jimin kicked off the floor and jumped. It wasn't too high of a jump, she even missed the ceiling by few inches or so. However, when Jimin landed on the floor after a few seconds, Do-hyuk could not keep his mouth from remaining agape. How many times did she spinned? It wasn't even perpendicular spin, but a somersault one in air. Jimin was able to change direction and completed them multiple times in that short amount of time. When her feet was about to land the floor, Do-hyuk expected the wooden floor to give in to the impact instead... Tap. The only sound she made after her feet touched the ground was a light, almost soundless, tap. "This is the effect of my Nature." Jimin continued talking after finding her balance as if nothing happened at all. She didn't even stumbled a bit. "Gum bodies. My flexibility is way above what a normal human body could pull off, all thanks to my Nature. I can go beyond the ability of what humans deemed possible, or to do more diverse and sophisticated movements. I can also perform bodily movements that can be burdening to the joints or muscles of a normal human's body without giving me harm. It has its limits but it's a pretty good Nature. There's a lot of use for it in the beginning." "The description sounds like" "A passive skill?" Do-hyuk opened his eyes in surprise when she predicted what he was just about to say. Jimin smiled faintly when she saw his obvious astonishment. It was the first time Do-hyuk saw her smile after the world had a sudden change. "It was a comparison you told me before. Long time ago, when I was an idiot who stood in your way." The smile faded quickly, and Jimin continued her explanation. "You're right. Passive. It's like the basic skills a character has when you play the AOS games. As I said, everyone carries one of each from birth, and you can carry up to two by acquiring your first murder victim's Nature." " I guess my Nature is pretty good." Do-hyuk mumbled as he thought of the people who tried to kill him. "Calling it 'good' will be offensive to your Nature. It would be an understatement to say your Nature is above all else, its number one." Her words didn't make it seemed realistic. " Status," Do-hyuk mumbled once again to check the list of his stats and continue reading from where he stopped earlier, the description of his Nature The beginning part goes as follows: Nature Flavor of Iron Unique Nature of Individual 'Yoo Do-hyuk'. "Does it say Flavor of Iron?" "Yeah, but" While squinting his eyes, Do-hyuk attempted to ask Jimin a question when, a strong burst of light as intense as the high-beam of a car beamed towards the room. Simultaneously, a figure appeared before appeared, basking from the glory of its luminance. "Rejoice the glory that has been bestowed upon you." A beautiful and soft voice so incredible they could feel it's tenderness in their hearts rang on Do-hyuk's head. As the light lost its intensity, Do-hyuk was able to see the identity of the source of glowing light. It's located on the black tower in the distance. There was a gigantic figure of a man hovering over the top. The unknown character had two massive wings around from side to side, each bigger than the tower itself. Yes, the figure was undoubtedly an angel. "By the name of the great Deity, Casita, I give you your first suffering." "Talking out of your ass, stupid bitch." Jimin mumbled behind her breath filled with nothing but hatred. "I want to rip her head off but we have no choice since we're in the 'beginning' state. Listen, you must pass the test that b*tch is talking about. You're lucky you have me, I memorized the strategy!" "First, you must No, what is happening?" The soft-spoken angel shifted its stone and spoke, baffled. "The test hasn't even begun, but so many became blinded after obtaining a Nature and began slaughtering each other." A moment of silence followed. When the angel began to speak again, the voice was more stern. "Fine. For those villains who have forsaken the word of the Lord by acting according to their instincts, you must prepare for the appropriate chapter of your demise. For those who already obtained two Natures, I will smite you with an excruciating pain heaven alone could give!" "N-no way. Another unpredicted situation?" Jimin's voice quivered, but she regained her composure right away and turned to Do-hyuk. "It's alright. You and I haven't killed anyone yet, so that won't apply to us..." "I think it applies to me." "What?" Jimin's eyes opened wide. Do-hyuk's expression was no different. If it wasn't for the angel, he was about to ask Jimin how to understand what was happening. "I mean, my status implied so." The letters in front of his eyes gleamed the same as before. On the space invisible to Jimin, the following words appeared: Nature Flavor of Steel Unique Nature of individual 'Yoo Do-hyuk'. And underneath it... Over the Horizon Obtained by killing individual 'Casita'. "I will first isolate the evil beings!" As the angel's voice echoed across the horizon, Do-hyuk's body began to gleam brightly, and it flickered as if it was about to disappear along with him. "I will gift the first suffering."
