---
1. Gene Lock
Great! Now no one can clone me or steal my DNA. Not that this world has that kind of technology anyway—it feels like a medieval world.
2. Do Janggon (Merciless)
Huh… another spy—and he's from Korea, and brutal. Neat!
3. Desert Eagle (The Novel's Extra)
Ah yes! I remember this. It was Hajin's first gun that he got from Yeonhwa. Pretty good.
4. Weakness Removal Card x1
So I can erase one weakness? Perfect. Does it work on me or only the characters I got from the gacha?
5. Jeon Jae-woo (Circles)
…Um, what am I supposed to do with him? He's f*cking useless. Well… he can help with dealing with ladies—cough.
6. Inventory (The Gamer)
Finally! No more stuffing things in my backpack like a budget Santa Claus. My back thanks you. And it has infinite storage too. That's a win.
7. Universal Translator (Ben 10)
I can now understand any language. Even cat videos? Even K-pop fan wars? Truly, I have ascended.
8. Lee Joohee (Solo Leveling)
A healer? Sweet! And she's my first supernatural character pull.
9. Background Customisation Card x3
So you're saying I can literally rewrite a tragic past? Cool—make it "raised by boars," but the boars were chill and ran a jazz bar.
10. 500 grams of Iron
You really looked at all this cosmic loot and went, "Yeah, let's throw in some raw metal." What am I supposed to do, open a gym?
...Well, that's not a bad idea.
---
[Name: Kael]
[Race: Human]
[Character Assimilation]
[Fully Assimilated: Loid Forger]
[In Progress: None]
[Powers: Unassuming Presence, Common Sense (Upgraded), Gene Lock]
[Inventory: Kunai, Backpack, Compass, Ration Box, Desert Eagle, Weakness Removal Card x1, Universal Translator, Background Customisation Card x3, Iron x500g]
[Character Cards: Hiro Protagonist, Samwise Gamgee, Do Janggon, Jeon Jae-woo, Lee Joohee]
---
Hmmm… I got three characters. One of them is pretty useless, and as for the other two, I'm going to use them. One is a healer who can use mana, and the other is a spy with experience in killing and all that spy stuff.
The Gene Lock will be useful… I hope.
As for the rest, they're pretty self-explanatory. The Weakness Removal Card removes the weakness of a character I get. The Universal Translator is probably the most useful tool—I don't understand this world's language… yet. The Background Customisation Card, though… its description says I can customise the background of characters I summon. Duh. But does that mean I can make any change in their background? Like, could I make them the heir of a rich or influential family?
That would be… helpful. Well, we'll see about that.
And then there's the iron...
...Just plain old iron. I can't even make a weapon with it. Well, I could just throw it at someone. Good idea.
After sorting through the gacha haul and analysing the pros and cons of every item, I put Lee Joohee and Do Janggon in the assimilation slot since I can only put two cards at a time. Not like I'm in a hurry to put Jeon Jae-woo in there—he's useless anyway.
---
[Character Assimilation]
[Fully Assimilated: Loid Forger]
[In Progress: Do Janggon (5%), Lee Joohee (1%)]
---
5%!? Already? Guess assimilating a spy helps speed things up. Joohee's only at 1%—maybe it's because of the mana and all the supernatural stuff, or maybe it's because I'm a completely normal human. Well, whatever it is, I'm getting stronger, and that's good for me.
I stretch a bit and look around. The forest feels like it's holding its breath. Birds chirp from the trees, but nothing else moves. The kind of quiet that usually comes before something very inconvenient happens.
Suddenly—
CRASH!
Something tears through the trees ahead. Twigs snap like toothpicks, birds scatter into the sky. I instinctively step back and pull out the Desert Eagle from my inventory.
Out from the bushes bursts a beast—massive, muscled, and coated in matted fur. A mana beast. Horns spiral from its head, its eyes glowing faintly blue.
"Oh, come on," I mutter, leveling the gun. "Can't a guy get a break without a surprise encounter?"
It roars, baring fangs way too big for a herbivore.
Just great.
I fire.
BANG!
The shot slams into its shoulder. To its credit, it actually staggers. The Desert Eagle isn't just for show—it's packing real power. But the beast recovers fast and lunges.
I dodge left, nearly tripping on a root. Janggon's instincts flicker in my mind—move low, aim for the vitals, conserve your shots.
Better. I flip a kunai into my other hand, aiming it at the beast's eye—but I don't throw. Not yet. Joohee's mana starts to stir—like something brushing against my skin, faint and soothing.
Joohee is syncing with me slowly. I feel... less panicked.
"Come on, just give me one good opening already," I whisper, sidestepping another charge. The beast crashes into a tree, splinters flying.
I spot the 500 grams of iron in my inventory. Still useless. Unless—
Wait. Idea.
I dart to the side, crack open the ration box, pull out the hardtack bread, and wrap it in the cloth I used to store the iron. I jam the metal inside like a core and toss it high as the beast charges again.
It takes the bait. Jumps. Mouth open.
I draw the Desert Eagle again and shoot straight through the makeshift projectile mid-air.
BOOM.
The iron explodes into shrapnel inside the creature's mouth. It collapses, twitching.
Silence.
Yes!! My plan worked. I know it was risky, but it worked, so who cares?
Not me.
Now… does this beast also have a core? Let's see… Oh, here it is. So, every beast does have a core?
Hm. Interesting.
Anyway, how do I get out of this forest?
Oh, I got that compass from the gacha, didn't I? The one that points to my honest destination.
I took it out from my inventory and concentrated on my destination—getting out of the forest. The compass spun erratically like it was having a stroke. I focused harder, and finally, the needle stopped in the southwest direction.
I started walking in that direction and—
---
AFTER WALKING FOR 3 DAYS STRAIGHT
---
I finally stopped in front of a blue portal.
Why the hell is this portal so far away? Or was I that deep in the forest?
Damn.
So… should I go through the portal or not? What if it's a trap? Or maybe a gate to another world—
Nah. What am I thinking? I'm just being paranoid.
Whatever happens, I'll survive.
I stepped through the portal. My senses dulled and my stomach churned as I was spat out on the other side. I staggered, but quickly adapted as my spy instincts kicked in, analysing my surroundings.
I was in a medieval city, and all sorts of people walked the streets.
So I was right. This is a medieval world.
But before I could analyse further, two guards approached me.
"Halt, stranger!" one of them barked.
"Who are you, and where are you coming from?" the one on the right asked.
Now, how should I handle this? We're in an open area, so I can't knock them out. Let's go with the amnesia route and make them pity me. That way I can gather some information.
"Uh… from the portal," I replied—and I swear I saw a vein pop on the guard's forehead.
"We can see that. I meant, why are you coming out of a portal that leads to that forest?" he said, restraining his anger.
That forest, huh.
"I don't know," I replied.
"You don't know? What's that supposed to mean?" both of them asked.
"I don't remember," I said, keeping my answers short.
"What do you mean? What's the last thing you do remember?" the guards asked, clearly flabbergasted.
"I remember… waking up in the forest. When I saw the portal, I stepped through it," I said, watching their reactions.
Hearing that, the expressions of both guards softened. They looked at me with pity.
"Maybe trauma caused you to lose your memory… or maybe there's another reason. How old are you, anyway? Do you need help?" one of them asked.
"Um… 14. And I'll be fine. Just tell me where I am," I said, desperate for any clue.
"Well, if you say so. This is Xyrus," the one on the right said hesitantly.
Xyrus.
Xyrus… why does that name sound familiar?
Where have I heard it before?
Wait, isn't this where—
------------------------------
CHAPTER END
A.N.
So any suggestions. And tell he how is the story progressing is it good or is it bad.
Thank you.