Chapter 1: The Same Soul in a Different World (1)
One day, three hundred years ago.
The world changed suddenly and without warning.
An unknown and mysterious substance permeated Earth's atmosphere, which people only later came to call "Mana." As a result of that unknown invasion, humanity experienced a horrific nightmare, losing ninety percent of its total population.
Now, three centuries after that catastrophe.
The world's population has been divided into four main categories.
First, there are the "Mana Rejects"—those whose bodies remained unable to accept Mana even after the radical change the world underwent. They were born with a celestial curse that turned Mana into a deadly poison flowing through their veins. Because their physical constitution is completely at odds with this energy, they usually do not live past their early or mid-twenties; their internal organs—specifically their hearts—rupture, leading to their inevitable demise. In short, they were considered untouchable outcasts.
Second, the "Mana Adaptors"—the group that was able to absorb Mana into their bodies without causing any disruption to their daily lives. It is easiest to consider them as ordinary people, representing what is known as the productive and working class.
Third, the "Mana Practitioners"—they possess physical abilities that exceed those of ordinary humans thanks to their absorption of Mana, forming what could be called "New Humanity." When their bodies accepted this energy, their muscles grew, their blood vessels strengthened, and their internal organs became more resilient. Furthermore, ninety-nine percent of the "Awakened" descend primarily from the ranks of Mana Practitioners; for this reason, they are also called "Awakening Candidates." From this class and above, the actual ruling class of society begins.
As for the fourth category, it is the upper class we referred to earlier: the "Awakened."
Awakening is considered a supernatural phenomenon that science cannot explain, just like Mana itself. Upon awakening, a mysterious tattoo is etched onto the person's face, serving as a mark and a brand symbolizing the extent of their connection to the "System." Through this system, they continuously grow stronger and evolve. No one was capable of facing "Elite" and "Hero" class Mana monsters except for these Awakened individuals.
In fact, there was a fifth category.
The "Demi-Demons."
They were originally Awakened who strayed from the path and took a dark and wrong turn. However, Demi-Demons were not considered human, and thus were excluded from this classification.
The Samhan Empire.
A rising power asserting its dominance over the Eurasian continent. Three hundred years ago, it was known as the Republic of Korea. Its territory has expanded significantly, thus earning the title of Empire. The Japanese archipelago, half of which was swallowed by the sea; the vast granaries of Manchuria; the lush green plains of Mongolia and the Gobi pastures; as well as the Primorsky Krai region, packed with factories and industrial facilities—all these lands have come under the sovereignty of the Empire.
Meanwhile, Second Lieutenant Kim Tae-ju, an officer in the Samhan Imperial Army, was taking a short rest inside a temporary barrack erected at the summit of "Daecheongbong," specifically at the "Seoraksan Outpost" on the east coast, gulping down a can of cold beer.
"Khah!"
He sighed with relief, telling himself: "This is the life."
For someone living a life condemned to a near end, this moment was one of the small pleasures of life he clung to.
"Damn it!"
The curse escaped from between his lips.
What a wretched life, where death could find him at any moment. He had truly yearned to prepare for his demise in a quiet and peaceful resort, but the place he stood now was nothing but a frontier where fierce battles raged against Mana monsters.
Tae-ju belonged to the category of Mana Rejects.
Consequently, his life had a fixed expiration date that could not be exceeded.
Compared to other Mana Rejects, Tae-ju had held on for a very long time; he was still breathing at the age of twenty-nine.
But...
"...Aagh!"
Tae-ju clutched his chest in pain and collapsed to the ground as a sharp, sudden bout of agony struck him.
"D-damn it!"
The attacks struck him periodically, but the intervals between them had shortened noticeably over the past few days.
"Gaak! Gaaaaaak!"
He writhed on his bed, groaning from the intensity of the torment; yet, no one crossed the threshold of the barracks to check on him.
It wasn't as if this was the first time this had happened; in fact, the number of people who wished for his death was far greater than those who hoped for his survival.
He was just scum that failed to accept Mana—an untouchable outcast. Ironically, that piece of scum held the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Samhan Empire.
How was that possible?
The reason was simple: Tae-ju's father was none other than Mr. Kim Woong-bang, who held the rank of Brigadier General in the army. In fact, he possessed his own fiefdom that he ruled directly: the "Paju Estate," which belonged to the Samhan Empire.
It was not a wealthy estate by any means. Paju was ordinary and small, perhaps even poor and marginalized in some respects. However, his father was a general, a man of influence and authority who owned his own land. Regardless of Tae-ju being a Mana Reject, how could a father exile his own biological son to a remote and perilous frontier?
The matter was shrouded in extremely complex circumstances.
Kim Tae-ju was the legitimate heir to the Paju Estate. However, fate was cruel; his biological mother passed away during his birth. Following that, his father took a new wife named Mitsui Honda, the second daughter of the lord of the "Kyushu" estate, located in the lands once known as Japan.
This woman married into and joined the Paju family, giving birth to two sons. From that moment, Tae-ju's position in the family became murky and precarious.
Tae-ju had been a Mana Reject since birth, a fatal flaw for one supposed to be the heir to an estate. This was perhaps the reason his stepmother, Mitsui, simply left him alone, at least for the first few years. After all, it was clear as day that he would meet his end as soon as he reached his twenties.
Had things continued that way, Mitsui would have kept playing the role of the kind stepmother, but the situation took a strange and unexpected turn. He reached twenty, then passed twenty-five, then reached twenty-eight—and he was still alive!
At this point, anxiety began to gnaw at Mitsui's heart. Even Mana Rejects did not face a certain, inescapable death. In extremely rare cases, with a very slim probability, a Mana Reject might suddenly awaken. The longer they remained alive, the higher the probability of this awakening occurring. In fact, all recorded cases of Mana Reject awakenings had happened around the age of thirty.
What if Tae-ju awakened? What if he jumped from the bottom of the outcasts to sit at the top of the upper class? Wouldn't her children be left out in the cold overnight, without any inheritance or influence?
Therefore, she began pestering her husband and annoying him with her request until he pushed Tae-ju to the Seoraksan Outpost. She argued, protesting: "How can a general's son remain confined at home when he is twenty-nine years old? Won't his chances of awakening increase if he is active outside and faces Mana monsters face-to-face?"
His father, Brigadier General Kim Woong-bang, feigned hesitation and reluctance but agreed in the end. In truth, his eldest son, Kim Tae-ju, was the major obstacle standing in the way of his own promotion. The eldest son, a Mana Reject... the father a Master, and the son a mere piece of scum.
The father thought to himself that it was better for his son to die fighting Mana monsters; if he were killed during a military operation, he could at least receive a medal of honor, which would enhance his own chances of promotion.
As a result of those machinations, Tae-ju was cast out and thrown into the Seoraksan Outpost.
"Hooo."
Fortunately, the pain squeezing his heart began to recede gradually. He had survived another day, bearing the burden of existence.
And at that very moment!
"Second Lieutenant Kim, are you inside?"
Tae-ju sprang up from his bed, standing straight as an arrow.
"Second Lieutenant Kim Tae-ju!"
It was the voice of his direct superior, First Lieutenant Jang In-dong.
"Myul-ma!" (A military salute meaning: Annihilate the Demons).
"Myul-ma."
They exchanged a quick, brief military salute.
"I just heard a groan. Are you alright?"
"Ah! I'm fine, sir. The pain has passed now."
"Good. You must keep holding on. As long as you are alive, the opportunity will inevitably come."
First Lieutenant Jang In-dong was one of the few allies Tae-ju possessed. He had been a superior who looked after him and encouraged him from the first moment his feet touched the Seoraksan Outpost.
"But... what brings you here, sir?"
First Lieutenant Jang In-dong's face took on a gloomy and somber expression.
"Your assignment location has been changed."
"Changed, sir?"
"Yes, from administrative office work to field work. An order has been issued from High Command to deploy you to participate in a combat operation."
"...This suddenly and quickly?"
Tae-ju was assigned to the Combat Support Company, part of the Third Battalion of the Fifty-First Regiment in the Imperial Army. Because his physical condition was nearly at the level of those with special needs, his duties had been primarily restricted to administrative work.
Now, he had been asked to deploy in an actual field operation.
"I looked into it, but it's a decision that cannot be refused; the order came directly from Army Headquarters."
"..."
Silence fell over Tae-ju. Was this possible? Was this one of his stepmother Mitsui's machinations? Surely! After all, he was still breathing and living despite reaching twenty-nine.
"It seems even the General's influence could not stop this decision."
On the contrary, perhaps his father was the one who pulled the strings himself. A general's son meeting a valiant end during a military operation... what a perfect and dramatic image to serve his interests.
Fine then, let him die an honorable death.
"Direct combat is still far beyond your capabilities, so we will start by assigning you a reconnaissance mission. You won't be in a command position; rather, I will assign some squad members to you, and you just have to follow their directions."
He had no other choice. He was a soldier, and a soldier is bound to execute orders regardless of the cost.
"And who knows? Maybe you'll get a chance to awaken. It's true that it's rare, but Rejects do awaken sometimes."
First Lieutenant Jang In-dong patted his back affectionately and spoke in a warm, hopeful tone. Jang was a Mana Practitioner and one of the actual Awakened. The tattoo indicating his Awakened status was clearly etched on his face.
"Yes, sir! I understand the situation."
Tae-ju replied internally: "Yes. The day will come when a tattoo is etched on my face too, just like First Lieutenant Jang In-dong. Only if I can hold on and endure."
And on the following day.
Tae-ju went out on the reconnaissance mission accompanied by his squad members. The primary reconnaissance area was the "Jungcheongbong" peak, which is not far from "Daecheongbong."
Sergeant Go Young-ho pointed with his hand and spoke to Tae-ju, saying:
"Below there lies the Orc settlement area, sir."
Orc monsters were the most common and widespread Mana monsters in Mount Seorak. Originally, they were nothing but ordinary wild boars, but they were exposed to the influence of Mana and evolved into boars that walk on two legs. Because their appearance perfectly matched the description of Orcs in fantasy novels, they were simply named as such.
"Please come here and take a look through the binoculars, sir."
Tae-ju observed the Orc settlement intently through the binocular lenses.
The mission of the Imperial forces stationed at the Seorak Outpost was to control the Orc population and monitor them closely to prevent their tribes from uniting and merging.
"It's not their mating season yet, so the situation is safe for now."
"I see."
But why aren't the Orcs being completely eliminated and annihilated?
The answer is that engaging in a large-scale battle would pose a massive burden. If the Empire tried to subdue the Orcs by force, they would unite to face the danger. Although Orcs at the level of scattered tribes were not frightening, the formation of a unified Orc kingdom would pose a massive threat and a heavy burden, even for an empire the size of theirs.
'Hmm, there are no unusual movements.'
In fact, it was just a simple and routine reconnaissance mission. The requirement was observation with binoculars, attaching captured footage from a drone flight, and then submitting a detailed report. That was all there was to it.
"What about the drone?" the Sergeant asked.
"Shall I launch it, sir?"
"Yes."
Clank!
A mechanical metallic sound echoed from behind him.
And at that very moment!
Prick!
"Aagh!"
Something sharp and hard pressed against his back. He froze in place, and his entire body stiffened.
"Wh-what is this?"
"You'll be in big trouble if you move an inch, sir."
Sergeant Go Young-ho was pressing a long, shiny sword against Tae-ju's back, with a wicked and malicious smile on his face.
"Don't worry at all, sir. I won't stab you; rather, Second Lieutenant Kim Tae-ju will lose his balance during the reconnaissance mission and meet his end following a tragic fall from the cliff."
"What...?"
"I am merely a servant carrying out orders."
"O-orders?"
"Exactly! Orders that came directly from our platoon leader."
The platoon leader... First Lieutenant Jang In-dong?
"He told us it was necessary to dispose of the waste. And to be honest with you, the platoon leader himself is just a subcontractor to execute this mission. And we are just subcontractors to that subcontractor."
Damn it!
Had he been betrayed in the end?
Tae-ju didn't want to die. It's true that his life was running on a timed countdown, but he had fought and struggled fiercely for survival until his last breath.
Now, would he be killed in this absurd and meaningless way?
He looked at the cold eyes of the squad members; they were all accomplices in this vile conspiracy.
"Damn you! You son of a..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. So weak, yet you still try to resist."
Tae-ju struggled hard trying to pull the Mana rifle hanging at his waist, but it was brutally snatched from him.
"Well, it's time to take out the trash. Myul-ma!"
"You son of a bitch!"
Go Young-ho kicked Tae-ju's body with force.
Thud!
Tae-ju's body rolled and plummeted over the edge of the deep abyss.
A few moments later, Kim Tae-ju opened his eyes slowly and heavily.
Darkness shrouded the place.
'Has night fallen?'
"Nngghh," he groaned in pain.
He felt as if every bone in his body had been shattered and crushed.
'Where am I...?'
He was stuck somewhere in the middle of the cliff. It seemed a massive tree had obstructed the path of his fall, saving him from certain death.
'I must move.'
Do you think I'll just die here?
I will survive, no matter what it costs me.
But!
"G-gasp!"
A sudden and excruciating pain erupted from the core of his heart.
The celestial punishment for a Mana Reject had activated again.
"Gaak, gaaaak! Ggghk!"
But this time was completely different.
The level of pain was beyond description, as if it were from another dimension.
'D-damn it to hell!'
Vision blackened in his eyes, and he felt his heart was about to explode from the intensity of the palpitations and pain.
'Is this how I die?'
'...No!'
His body began to convulse violently, and focus receded from Tae-ju's gaze, leaving his eyes hollow.
They say that when you are on the brink of death, your past flashes before your eyes like a rotating lantern displaying your memories.
His father, who turned his back on him in greed for promotions and positions; his demonic stepmother, Mitsui; and his half-brothers, who had always looked at him with contempt and excelled at torturing and mocking him.
Why were these the only faces that came to mind now?
If I could only see my mother's face before I draw my last breath... though I don't possess even a shred of memory of her features.
At that moment.
Another person appeared, manifesting before him like a passing ghost.
'Huh?'
An elderly man with snow-white hair, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in stillness.
'Who is this man?'
I've never seen him before, so why is he manifesting in my imagination now?
'...Is this a deathbed hallucination?'
But it was strange and wondrous. The more he looked at him, the more familiar his features seemed.
Who in heaven's name could he be?
In that fleeting moment, the old man's eyes opened to radiate a mysterious glint.
At the same time, he directed his gaze toward Tae-ju.
Their eyes met in silence.
For a long time, they merely stared at each other.
The feeling was like the communication of souls and their harmony in an eloquent silence.
Finally, the old man's features relaxed into a gentle and calm smile. His eyes were overflowing with a look of understanding and deep realization.
And then, Tae-ju realized it too.
He realized this man's identity.
'...Dang Gun-ak?'
That was the man's name.
But it was much deeper than that.
The old man's lips parted very slowly.
'You...'
He couldn't hear the spoken words, but Tae-ju knew for certain what the old man was about to reveal.
'...Are me. I am from another world.'
It was exactly like that.
This old man was another version of himself.
The same person, with the same soul.
His name was "Dang Gun-ak."
And the other world he lived in was the world of martial arts, the "Gangho" (Murim).
And in that world, he held the title of "The Absolute Poison Demon."
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