ALL NOVEL chapter 3
Chapter 3. Supernatural Powers
Every ‘Awakened’ individual possesses at least one ‘supernatural ability.’
However, there existed countless types of these abilities, and naturally, a hierarchy among them.
The abilities of Cheon Sang-seok, hailed as the world’s strongest Awakened, such as ‘Flight’ and ‘Transcendence,’ were prime examples.
As people watched Cheon Sang-seok soar through the skies like Superman, striking down foes with his might, they deemed his powers to be of the ‘highest caliber.’
In truth, aside from a few like ‘Albrecht Meyer’ with ‘Telepathy’ and ‘Angelo Casano’ wielding ‘Telekinesis,’ there were hardly any who could rival Cheon Sang-seok, making their assessment difficult to dispute.
Yet, in fact, there was one ability that was clearly superior to those top-tier powers.
That was none other than ‘Devouring.’
As the name suggests, the power of ‘Devouring’ allowed one to absorb other abilities and make them their own, and Cheon Sang-seok’s ‘Transcendence’ was no exception to this rule.
In essence, it could consume any supernatural ability, rendering it inherently superior to all others.
And now, such an extraordinary, out-of-the-norm ability had been discovered within this vessel.
‘What a jackpot!’
Kim Do-jin’s eyes sparkled with joy at the unexpected stroke of luck.
I had intended to remain discreet, merely gathering information until the main body returned, but if this vessel possessed the power of devouring, the narrative shifted.
‘With strength, I could achieve even more.’
Capturing Cheonsangseok was still a daunting task, yet the targets of my vengeance were not limited to him alone.
Among the other traitors who had allied with Cheonsangseok, some could be dealt with sufficiently by the power of this vessel alone.
‘It seems I won’t be bored until the main body arrives.’
Kim Do-jin flashed a knowing smile, glancing once more at the date displayed on his smartphone.
[Sunday, March 22, 2037]
It had been over seven years and a month since he had left Earth.
First, he needed to ascertain what changes had transpired during his absence, and then he could lay out a proper plan.
– Thud!
Of course, to do so, the woman who kicked him in the side while tossing in her sleep was merely an obstacle.
– Flutter!
Suddenly, as Kim Do-jin yanked the blanket away, the two women jolted awake, startled.
“Ugh! What? …What kind of play is this?”
“Ugh, really… Can’t you control yourself from the morning?”
Though their relationship was unclear, the two women continued to flirt even in this chaos, prompting Kim Do-jin to speak firmly.
“Stop picking up your clothes and get out. I’ll be alone.”
For a moment, they were taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor.
“What? Hah…”
The two women, as if this bizarre behavior was nothing to be surprised about, rose and began to gather their clothes.
And soon after.
– Bang!
Finally, having chased the two women outside, Kim Do-jin closed the front door and turned away.
– Thud.
He sank onto the living room sofa and pulled out his smartphone, the first thing he searched for was Cheonsangseok’s name.
“…As expected.”
Indeed, Cheonsangseok had been living well since seven years ago, thriving in his position as the director of the UN International Superhuman Management Agency, commonly known as ‘The Order.’
In contrast, he was recorded in history as the villain who had attempted a rebellion to seize that power, only to be suppressed and killed.
“Ha…”
It was something I had anticipated long ago, so rather than feeling anger, a hollow laugh escaped my lips first.
Of course, that didn’t mean my thirst for vengeance had diminished even a little.
I would surely drag Cheon Sang-seok down from that throne and expose the filthy face he hid behind his mask to the world.
Kim Do-jin made this vow as he continued to gather information available online.
* * *
Time flowed swiftly, and the dark evening settled in.
Having grasped the events of the past seven years, Kim Do-jin stepped out of the hotel.
And the destination was none other than the dormitory of Jinseong Hero High School, where this vessel was enrolled—‘Arc.’
I could have waited until morning to visit, but I thought it best to go early and take a look around the campus.
‘Truly, the scale is different.’
Finally, after taking a taxi, I arrived at the grand entrance of ‘Arc,’ which was indeed colossal.
I marveled at the scale and opulence of what could only be described as the world’s premier institution for Awakeners as I stepped inside.
‘Oh…’
The interior of ‘Arc’ was far more expansive than I had imagined.
How vast, you ask? Well, half of Yeouido was ‘Arc.’
Yeouido had been ravaged during the initial Rift crisis, flooded by monstrous beings, and right atop that devastation, ‘Arc’ had been erected.
In any case, after taking a cursory glance at the wide and luxurious grounds of ‘Arc,’ Kim Do-jin made his way to the dormitory.
– Click! Ding-ding!
Finally, as I closed the front door and entered the dorm room, an inexplicable sense of calm washed over me.
After all, this would be my home for the foreseeable future.
“Let’s see what we have here.”
Since the dorms were assigned as single rooms, Kim Do-jin felt at ease as he explored the space.
He opened the wardrobe to check the clothes that the vessel Kim Do-jin possessed and peered into the refrigerator to inspect the food.
And finally, when he opened the bedroom door.
“…Who is this?”
Kim Do-jin’s head tilted to one side in confusion.
On one wall of the bedroom, several photographs of a woman were plastered.
“My girlfriend?”
…It didn’t seem so.
Not a single photo featured the two of them together.
“…or is it some celebrity you fancy?”
At first glance, the pretty face made it seem like a photo of a celebrity unknown to him.
But upon closer inspection, there was no trace of a professional touch; it did not look like a celebrity’s photo at all.
There were even pictures of someone wearing the uniform of this place, ‘Arc.’
“Then could it be that you have a crush on a friend?”
That possibility seemed the most likely.
It felt a bit strange, considering the reckless behavior of a wild child who had been partying until this morning.
“Ugh…”
Regardless, to Kim Do-jin, this was a complete stranger.
Yet, it was odd to keep a stranger’s photo plastered on one wall.
“I can’t make sense of this guy.”
Kim Do-jin shook his head in disbelief and peeled the photos off the wall, stuffing them haphazardly into a drawer.
Just before the drawer closed,
“But why does this face feel oddly familiar?”
That thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Yet, no matter how much he pondered, he could not grasp the reason.
– Thud.
In the end, Kim Do-jin shut off his thoughts and closed the drawer.
After a shower, he slipped into his pajamas and flopped onto the bed.
“Ha…”
Lying back and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, the reality of his situation hit him anew.
A return after seven long years.
He had hoped to take revenge on Cheon Sang-seok after successfully returning, but how had it come to this?
“Talk about bad luck.”
Indeed, it was unfortunate, but he couldn’t just wallow in complaints.
Until Roderick returned with the main body, he had no choice but to live this possessed life and make the most of what he could.
“Still, at least I have the power of a predator like me.”
With that positive thought, Kim Do-jin finally drifted off to sleep.
For the life that would officially begin tomorrow, as this possessed Kim Do-jin.
* * *
The next morning.
Awakening from slumber, Kim Do-jin donned his uniform in time for school and stepped out of the dormitory building.
Private Jinseong Hero High School.
Commonly known as ‘Ark,’ it required all students to live in the dorms, and on the sole path to school, it was inevitable to encounter every other student.
Thus, Kim Do-jin had anticipated this to some extent, yet—
“Hm? That girl is…”
The moment he spotted the girl from yesterday’s photograph, he was taken aback and abruptly halted his steps.
“It seems to be her.”
From afar, a girl was emerging from the girls’ dormitory, walking with friends.
As he had surmised, she was none other than the girl Kim Do-jin had been secretly in love with—Yoon Yu-na.
Eyes gleaming like rubies.
With her silver hair tinged with a hint of blue, she was among the most beautiful in Ark, and as if to prove this, many male students around her were stealing glances in her direction.
“…….”
Suddenly aware of the gazes from those boys, Kim Do-jin thought with a look of understanding.
“Well, it’s not like I’m the only one who has a crush on a girl with looks like that.”
That was all.
He had no further thoughts and attempted to turn his head and walk away.
But just then.
“……?”
By chance, Yoon Yu-na turned around, and their eyes met.
“……!”
Given that he had been watching her, it was only natural to feel flustered.
Yet, Kim Do-jin calmly held her gaze, while Yoon Yu-na, startled, quickly averted her eyes.
“…….”
He stared intently at her retreating figure as she resumed walking with her friends, pondering.
“What kind of relationship does she have with that scoundrel? Her reaction didn’t seem very friendly…”
Curiosity gnawed at him, but it was a mystery he could not unravel at that moment.
“Well, I suppose I’ll find out someday.”
With that thought settled, Kim Do-jin resumed his journey along the path to school.
Time passed.
– Thud!
At last, this vessel, Kim Do-jin, arrived at the door of Class 1-1.
– Creak.
As he swung the previously closed door wide open, the gazes of the students already seated inside turned in unison toward Kim Do-jin.
But that lasted only a moment.
Rustle.
As if a sound echoed, their eyes scattered once more in all directions.
It felt as if they feared that a mere glance might entangle them in some misfortune.
“……”
It was nearly a month since this vessel, Kim Do-jin, had enrolled in ‘Arc.’
How much of a ruffian, how much of a troublemaker had he been to provoke such reactions?
‘Even on the way to school, the path parted like the Red Sea.’
Kim Do-jin let out a wry smile inwardly as he trudged into the classroom.
However, there was one more problem.
While he had managed to figure out which class he was in, he had yet to determine where his seat was within the classroom.
‘What to do now?’
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to step back out and return when only one seat remained empty.
But with nothing particular to do outside, and curious to see what kind of characters were in his class, Kim Do-jin decided to just sit anywhere.
‘I can always change it later.’
Thus, the seat he chose was the one at the very back by the window.
– Thump.
He walked over and plopped down onto it.
“……”
A few students around him shot him puzzled glances.
Of course, it was someone else’s seat.
Yet Kim Do-jin paid them no mind, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.
As he surveyed the classroom, it was clear that, true to a school for psychics, there were all sorts of peculiar individuals present.
Among them, the one who captured Kim Do-jin’s attention the most was undoubtedly the transparent girl, ‘Karla Arlen,’ who appeared to be floating in her uniform, her form barely visible.
‘She’s blessed with a fine psychic ability, but her control is still lacking. Is her invisibility always active?’
Psychic powers, after all, were abilities that defied the laws of physics, akin to magic, making them difficult to master.
In truth, the number of awakened individuals who could perfectly control their powers was far greater than those who could not, and for a girl who was only seventeen, it was even more so.
Thus, institutions for the training of awakened ones, like this so-called Hero High School, existed.
‘Hmm…’
Kim Do-jin found himself intrigued as he gazed at the unseen face of Carla Arlen for a while before finally looking away.
‘What’s that over there?’
Next to capture Kim Do-jin’s attention was a girl, Misaki Ai, whose eyes were tightly bound by a white cloth.
If Carla Arlen was a French exchange student, then Misaki Ai was a Japanese one, and the reason she could enter the world’s top institution for awakened ones, known as ‘Arc,’ as a foreign student was clearly hidden behind that cloth covering her eyes.
‘She must have some kind of power that relies on sight, but what could it be that she keeps so tightly wrapped up?’
Kim Do-jin let his imagination wander, pondering what Misaki Ai’s ability might be.
‘Could it be some Medusa-like power? Turning those who meet her gaze to stone or something?’
Though it sounded like a joke, in a world where ‘cracks’ appeared and ‘monsters’ poured forth, it was no mere jest.
After all, there were indeed awakened individuals who could paralyze the movements of their opponents just by looking at them.
‘Hmm…’
Despite her eyes being covered, Kim Do-jin found himself captivated by Misaki Ai’s striking beauty for a while longer before turning his gaze elsewhere.
He began to survey the other various awakened individuals in the room.
– Creak.
Suddenly, the classroom door swung open, and Yoon Yu-na stepped into view.
‘Huh? What’s this? Were we in the same class?’
Kim Do-jin stared at Yoon Yu-na with a curious expression, wondering what connection this possessed body had with her, and as Yoon Yu-na walked in, she met his gaze and flinched in surprise.
‘…!’
The shock that froze Yoon Yu-na in her tracks was far greater than the surprise she had felt just moments ago on her way to school.
After all, the seat Kim Do-jin occupied was right next to hers.
‘W-what is she doing here?’
Kim Do-jin had no memory of the possessed body and had simply sat wherever, but Yoon Yu-na had no way of knowing that.
‘Ugh…’
Ultimately, assuming that Kim Do-jin was trying to make a move on her, Yoon Yu-na bit her lip for a moment before finally taking a step forward again.
Time passed.
– Creak.
She pulled out a chair and gently sat down in her place.
Without casting a single glance in Kim Do-jin’s direction, as if she hadn’t seen anything at all.
“…….”
Kim Do-jin stared intently at Yoon Yu-na’s face from the nearby seat, lost in thought.
‘Could it be that this fool knows about my unrequited love and is deliberately reacting this way because she dislikes it?’
It was an accurate guess.
In truth, the vessel of Kim Do-jin had already confessed his feelings to Yoon Yu-na once, and she had clearly rejected him.
Yet, Kim Do-jin did not give up; he continued to express his affection, and thus, Yoon Yu-na’s discomfort had only grown more pronounced in the current moment.
‘Hmm… If that’s the case, I should start to pull away and lose interest from now on.’
Now that he had grasped the general situation, Kim Do-jin attempted to tidy up his relationship with Yoon Yu-na, wearing a rather relieved expression.
But just then.
“……?”
As Kim Do-jin was about to turn his head forward, Yoon Yu-na’s name tag suddenly caught his eye.
Naturally, the three characters inscribed there read ‘Yoon Yu-na,’ and upon seeing this, Kim Do-jin’s head tilted sideways instead of moving forward.
‘Yoon Yu-na…’
As he repeated the name in his mind, Kim Do-jin’s eyes widened in surprise.
From the moment he first saw her in a photograph, there had been an inexplicable sense of familiarity, and now he felt he was beginning to understand why.