"Captain Kim!" {Said, Team-mate ?.}
"I'm fine! Just hold off against those bastards and we can find some place to recover!" {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
'Yeah, as if. We're all dead anyway, might as well prolong the inevitable.' {Thought, Kim Min-Soo.}
Entering the purple portals was a mistake, we found monsters rivaling if not stronger than the strongest S-Class monsters in the blue gates. Not even 10 minutes have passed since we entered the purple portal, and yet, more than half of my 25 member team is wiped out. We're being bombarded with S-Class and beyond S-Class monsters that are considered to be living disasters.
Suddenly, a ripping sound reverberates in our ears, like paper getting torn with bare hands.
The next second, I felt pain, immense pain.
Everyone in my team including me fell to the ground, brutally cut in two.
My head falls to the side, clashing with the mud and I see the blood puddles gather around our severed bodies, before my consciousness fades to black.
...
...
...
...
...
"Student Kim!" {Said, Teacher ?.}
A loud and familiar call, making my head shoot up.
"A... classroom? Wait. Teacher Geul?!" {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
"If your not going to stay awake and pay attention in my class, you can just get out." {Said, Teacher Geul.}
'This is... my highschool classroom from thirteen years ago. Did I perhaps... go back in time?' {Thought, Kim Min-Soo.}
The next moment, a holographic screen arises in my vision.
[System Initializing...2%...47%...84%...100%.]
[System Initialization completed, welcome Host.]
But before I could start to care about all of that, I spoke.
"Sorry, Teacher Geul." {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
"You'd better be. Now pay attention." {Said, Teacher Geul.}
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
She walks back to the front of the classroom, and I look at this screen that appeared in my vision once more.
[In order to access the function of the System, please say or think the word 'status'.]
'Well, okay. Status.' {Thought, Kim Min-Soo.}
Then, a status that looks like it came right out of a game popped up in place of the previous one.
--------------------
[-Status-]
Name: Kim Min-Soo
Race: Human
Level: 0, (0/100) EXP | 0 AP, +10 Free Attribute Points Per Level
Jobs: None
Titles: None
Attributes: STR-12, AGI-13, END-12, INT-14, CHA-17, LUC-92
Traits: None
Skills: Appraisal(U) | Skill Ranks: (F), (E), (D), (C), (B), (A), (S), (X), (U)nique
--------------------
'Dammit, I don't have any of the skills I had before, but... appraisal?' {Thought, Kim Min-Soo.}
In the past, or in the future more like, skill books would drop rarely from monsters, and you could learn skills by pressing the skill book to your chest for 3 seconds. After which, all of the information of the skill would go to your mind, and you would be able to use it like an extra limb. Of could versatility with a skill would need combat experience.
'With this system, and my memories of the future, I'll stop the monsters, prepare humanity, and stand atop of everything as the strongest man.' {Thought, Kim Min-Soo.}
The bell rang and brought me out of my brooding stupor, so I got up, and left for the home and family that I couldn't protect in past future.
I thought of all the ways to gain strength and attain good equipment as I was walking to my house of distant, and not so distant memories.
I also used the appraisal skill on everything I could, from people to pebbles making my understanding of it a little higher. My mind was mostly on how to attain strength, and the blue portals that will be appearing and exploding all over the world in a week's time.
I'm not planning to do what I did in the past, dying a meaningless death among all the rest of the world. Instead of being a righteous and serving hunter, I'm going to be ruthless and selfish, protecting only myself and my close family.
A reminiscing thought resurfaced briefly in my mind as I unlocked the door to my house.
"Min-Soo~, is that you?" {Said, Kim Min-Soo's Mother.}
"Yes, mother." {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
My mom asked loudly from the kitchen, and I answered back while walking in.
I saw my mom preparing kimchi, rice, and japchae for an afterschool lunch. I also saw my 9 year old little sister sitting and playing at the counter. I stood at the entrance of the kitchen looking at them, and banishing the tears that were already shed in another past. They both had died the same day the portal explosions occurred, leaving my 16 year old self to fend off against the world.
Luckily, I awakened a week and a half later, gaining the power to grow by killing the monsters that took my family. As I grew stronger, I ached for revenge, and set the goal to kill every monster.
With what I have now, and what I'll gain in the future, I'll protect them and myself by growing stronger and faster than anyone else. I knew that not only were the monsters my enemy, but humans as well. Humans have a tendency to want everything, and they'll do anything to get what they want, same as me, therefore, I'll gain enough power and stand on top of everything.
But I need both the power to get what I want, and protect what I have.
"Don't just stand there all day, come over here." {Said, Kim Min-Soo's Mother.}
My mothers voice sounds out, causing me to smile and walk over.
I sit next to my little sister at the table, and she speaks cutely to me as mother puts food dawn on the table.
"Oppa, oppa, what'd you do today?" {Said, Kim Min-Soo's Sister.}
"Well, I learned that a great catastrophe will strike the earth in a little over six days." {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
I say so both playfully and seriously to both mom and Euna, my sister.
"Min-Soo, don't say things like that to your sister." {Said, Kim Min-Soo's Mother.}
"I'm serious mom. And we've got to get out of here, at least out of Incheon and over to Daejeon." {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
I say so with a serious face full of meaning and hopeful trust.
She looks at me in slight surprise, and confusion.
"Please believe me mom, we have got to get out of Incheon at least. I know you probably don't believe me but a world-wide disaster really will oc-" {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
She hugs me tightly before I could finish, and says something in serious belief and affection.
"I don't know what this disaster your talking about is, but if you want to move to Daejeon, we will." {Said, Kim Min-Soo's Mother.}
She pulls back, and I continue.
"Portals will form all over the world, spewing out monsters and a special energy called mana. It sounds completely unrealistic, but... it will happen, and one of these portals will appear above the street next to our house." {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
"It's okay Min-Soo, I believe you wholeheartedly. We will move tomorrow." {Said, Kim Min-Soo's Mother.}
"What... really?" {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
'Why is she believing me so much?' {Thought, Kim Min-Soo.}
"Yes, your eyes, they bleed truth and care that I've never seen in you before. They also have a sense of maturity. I do not know how or why you know these things, but I will trust you." {Said, Kim Min-Soo's Mother.}
A single tear slides down my left cheek, as I smile a smile of relief and thankfulness. I didn't want her to not believe me and wind up staying here in the area where a portal will spawn. Her believing in me broke a wall in me, a wall that said that no one would ever believe in me. Even my team-mates, those whom I led into the gates multiple times never fully trusted me, but her... her gaze and her words broke that wall, that barrier of belief.
"Thank you mom." {Said, Kim Min-Soo.}
I smiled in bright relief, then went upstairs after eating swiftly.