Having accepted all the terms, the first thing Seo Jinwoo did was to finally read through the user information and skills he had previously set aside. In the time that had passed, the sky had turned a perfect shade of violet.

The spring night in a Joseon without fine dust was cooler than in the world he knew. Jinwoo, who was sensitive to the cold, shivered. Unable to watch any longer, Euishin created a heating item in the form of an ornate paeyeong.[1] The accessory, strung with small jade beads, could be activated with a simple conditional command. Just by mouthing the word [Heat], the air around him grew warm. 

Wow, Noona, your tech is insane. 

A stream of sincere compliments followed, but Euishin ignored them all.

Feeling his body warm to a comfortable temperature, Jinwoo zoomed in on the screen. In the bottom right corner was a hexagonal graph representing the user’s stats. Starting from the top and moving clockwise, the stats were: Strategy, Crisis Management, Stamina, Intellect, Charisma, and Crowd Control. The red area, heavily skewed toward the top of the graph, made it clear that Seo Jinwoo was not a user with exceptional physical abilities.

Well, it’s not like I’m a customizable character in an online game. Since a real person is involved, it’s only natural for the stats to follow the actual individual. Jinwoo thought back to his time in the army, the healthiest he’d ever been in his life. For various reasons, that past glory was never to return. He quickly came to terms with it and accepted reality.

The minimum value for a stat was one, and the maximum was five. Of the six categories, Intellect and Strategy were maxed out. Next came Crowd Control at four, Charisma and Crisis Management at three, and Stamina at one. After quietly absorbing this information, Jinwoo opened the skill window again.

With both windows open, Jinwoo’s eyes darted left and right. It seemed the skills and stats were connected. Either the abilities were created based on the user’s stats, or the user was given these abilities to facilitate the story’s progression. Whatever the purpose, it was a relief that the components making up his character weren’t just a jumble of disconnected elements.

She acted like a content-creation novice with no plan, but it looks like she at least paid attention to the synergy between the character and the main story. With an impassive expression, Jinwoo examined [Matador], which seemed related to Crowd Control.

+++

[Matador (Senior 1st Rank)]

– An ability granted to a loyal subject who can recognize and cultivate someone with the makings of a wise king. Can cause the opposing faction to lose their will to fight or lower their morale.

Target: 1 person ~ ∞

Activation Condition: Narrative cohesion of 65% or higher must be met.

※ Excludes targets under the effect of the [Key Supporter] (Senior 1st Rank) skill.

Limitation: Can be used once per stage of an event.

+++

“Whoa. This is more serious than I thought.”

Jinwoo’s eyes widened as he reviewed the skill. It was a setup that wouldn’t feel out of place in a fantasy webnovel where a dungeon suddenly opens in the middle of Seoul or the protagonist is transported to a magical world. He sat up straight, holding the skill window in both hands as he read the description thoroughly.

“The target is infinite? Does that mean I can incite anyone I want, as long as I put my mind to it? Seems a little inflated.”

Tap, tap. 

He drummed his fingers on the screen, his brow furrowed. The skill even had limitations. Once per stage? For a Senior 1st Rank skill, wasn’t that a bit harsh? The balance felt off.

No matter how he thought about it, Seo Jinwoo was no Zhuge Liang, let alone a Sima Yi.[2] Even Jesus got hate comments from the Sadducees.[3] How could a mere commoner like him incite an infinite number of people with black propaganda alone? It seemed to be a hint that he would have to meet and inevitably get entangled with many people. A bitter smile touched Jinwoo’s lips as he opened the next skill.

+++

[Key Supporter (Senior 1st Rank)]

– One who can help a specific person rise to a desired position. Can rapidly build favorability with a person to whom a condition is applied, allowing unrestricted provision of power, information, tools, etc.

Target: 1 person + α (up to 5 additional people)

Activation Condition: Conditional phrase [This is my person].

Special Note: When favorability with the specific person exceeds 80%, the ‘Flawless Trust’ buff is activated.

Duration: 15 days.

+++

The cheesy activation phrase made him grimace. Was this a reflection of the romanticism of an era where rebellion and treason made for great history? Even so, ‘This is my person’ was incredibly anachronistic.

The skill also had quite a few restrictions. It seemed more difficult to handle than [Matador]. The primary target of ‘1 person’ must refer to the 4th Prince, and ‘+α’ likely meant he could win over up to five additional people to join his cause. The 15-day duration probably meant he had to communicate with the target regularly. Maybe if I get the ‘Flawless Trust’ buff, it’ll be less work.

“Ugh, seriously. Looking after others and managing connections isn’t my specialty.”

His whole body felt stiff, probably from sitting and studying for so long. He rolled his neck once and let out a stream of complaints. It’s true that you have to know yourself and know your enemy to win a hundred battles, but I’ve never had a talent for slander or strategic maneuvering. It all felt overwhelming.

Grand strategies like the Empty Fort Strategy[4] were dramatic and beautiful only when you watched them in movies. If he had to come up with such a plan himself, he’d probably go bald from stress and die young. Having a newfound appreciation for why strategists in martial arts novels always seemed to suffer from blocked meridians,[5] Jinwoo opened the rest of his skills.

+++

[Individual Agent (Junior 1st Rank)]

– An ability granted to the initial user. Can be activated when needed to pause the progression of the narrative.

Target: All organic life forms.

Activation Condition: Activated by conditional phrase [Separate].

Special Note: 72% chance of activation.

Time Limit: 90 seconds.

Cooldown: 5 days.

A 72% success rate means there’s a 28% chance of failure. Although it had a time limit, it seemed like it could be useful in an emergency or when he needed to quickly manipulate a situation.

+++

[Not Blaming the Heavens, Nor Fault Others (Senior 3rd Rank)]

– An ability assigned to the ‘Key Supporter.’ Can be activated when needed to help resolve suspicion, jealousy, or doubt directed at the Key Supporter or a specific person.

Target: Desired person.

Activation Condition: Activated by conditional phrase [Forgiveness].

Special Note: 64% chance of activation.

※ Ability cannot be stacked on a single target.

Cooldown: 30 days.

+++

Unless they were Junior 1st Rank or higher, it seemed all his skills were probability-based. He ought to be thankful the chances weren’t below 50%. It looked like he should avoid using these unless the situation was dire enough to warrant the risk. Jinwoo, who had lived a life rather distant from jealousy and resentment, closed the skill window with dead-fish eyes.

The rest were skills that could be used in conjunction with others. While their ranks weren’t high enough to expect any dramatic effects, they were better than nothing. Jinwoo tapped on [Recovery] from among ‘Recovery,’ ‘Amplification,’ and ‘Block.’ The skill’s effect was immediate. A faint but distinct energy slowly spread to the tips of his fingers and toes. Soon, his body felt as refreshed as if he had just woken from a deep sleep. Jinwoo stretched his arms toward the sky.

As he stretched and tilted his head back, he saw the clear spring night sky framed by the eaves of the pavilion. The sky, layered with clouds, had deepened to an ultramarine.

The night, in an age without electricity, was serene. The branches of a willow tree drooped gracefully, its leaves rustling against each other in the wind, and from somewhere, pollen drifted by, tickling his nose. A cool breeze caressed his cheek. Nameless stars, invisible in the city, began to reveal themselves one by one. In the distance, he could hear the sound of a water cart crossing an unpaved road. From beyond a low stone wall came the cheerful clatter of dishes.

It was a long-overdue silence. His mind, always hazy and noisy like a fog-filled room, grew calm. The reality he knew, where all sorts of distractions constantly intruded, held no power here. There was no life-sapping smog, no people who snacked on the misfortunes of others like candy. The fact that he was separated from the world he had lived in was now palpable.

“First things first, I guess I’ll go and greet my parents here.”

It’s the least I can do as their son. And I’ll need their help if I want to expand my sphere of activity. Gathering his sprawling thoughts, Jinwoo looked down from the pavilion at the Joseon ground below.

By the way, where did that woman go? Why is she so quiet?

As he was slipping his feet back into his silk shoes, Jinwoo suddenly realized something was off. The low voice that had been prodding him without warning had gone silent at some point. Did she step away for a moment? After she made such a big deal about not taking her eyes off me. The area was quiet right up until he left the pavilion. 

Noona. Euishin-noona? 

He called out several times, but there was no answer.

The sudden freedom felt somewhat unsettling. With a nagging feeling, Jinwoo started walking toward the main road where there were more people.

***

At that moment, Euishin was staring at a wall, one side of her headphones pulled away from her ear.

The color of her face shifted with the light. Red, green, blue. The three primary colors of light washed over her before receding. The light emanated from a monitor next to the small recliner where Seo Jinwoo lay. As the Seo Jinwoo in the screen thought and acted, the speed at which the light flickered grew faster. A graph, moving up and down, formed a series of sharp, narrow spikes. Looks like the Hell of Sword Trees.[5] Murmuring softly, Euishin reached for the keyboard. After a few keystrokes, the lights in the laboratory dimmed.

Seo Jinwoo, with his eyes closed, lay like a corpse, his face devoid of any worry.

Sharp as ever, then and now. Even if it’s only a 50% chance. After glancing briefly into the lab, Euishin immediately turned away. As she pushed herself back, the wheels of her chair grated against the floor. Stretching her shoulders, she planted her feet on the ground. Her long body moved past the Joseon era that held Seo Jinwoo captive. With each step, the soles of her three-stripe slides scraped against the floor.

“What do you mean there are no detailed episodes?”

Chapters and sections are fundamental to a person’s life. 

On the screen, Jinwoo was readjusting his gat strings while taking in the gentle breeze, navigating through an unfamiliar alley. He soon reached the marketplace and began observing the now-empty stalls, where only traces of the day’s business remained.

In a world of muted colors, only Seo Jinwoo was in full color. As expected, his adaptability was second to none. After a pause, Euishin pressed a button under the desk. One of the walls flickered brightly. The wall, which had been translucent all this time, transformed into a large screen. On it, words appeared one by one, assembling like typography.

[Part 1: The Light of Reformation]

[Part 2: The Dawning of a New Era]

[Part 3: Where the Dawn Breaks]

[Part 4: Derailed]

[Part 5: Persecution]

[Part 6: To Die is to Live][6]

The cursor was stopped at Part 1. Using her height, Euishin touched ‘Part 1: The Light of Reformation’ at the top of the screen, and her face lit up. After a few more taps, Jinwoo’s in-game information appeared, mixed with various other text.

[‘Key Supporter’ has been inserted. The narrative density is increasing.]

[Composition Condition – ‘Character’: Fulfilled.]

[Composition Condition – ‘Setting’: Fulfilled.]

[Composition Condition – ‘Incident’: Needs to be fulfilled.]

[Setting ‘Key Supporter – Seo Jinwoo’ as the suitable character for incident progression.]

[Current incident progression stage: ‘Exposition’.]

Beneath the bright moonlight, a cheerful laugh rang out. He must have gotten a piece of taffy from someone, as a white, stick-like candy was now in his hand. His moon-like face shone even brighter in a Joseon society free of skyscrapers and low population density. As she scrolled the mouse wheel up, the camera zoomed in, filling the screen with Jinwoo’s face.

[Extract episodic data from ‘Key Supporter – Seo Jinwoo’?]

The values in the user information panel changed geometrically. Red, green, blue. The three primary colors of light washed over Euishin again. A circular graph cycled through various values until, suddenly, thump.

[Character Input Suitability: 87.2%]

It stopped. A faint smile touched Euishin’s lips. That’s a nice, high number. She then lightly pressed the ‘Yes’ button on the giant screen.

<Episode 1. To Return.>

Simultaneously, the text appeared at the bottom of the monitor displaying Jinwoo’s location. Just as Jinwoo turned to look in her direction, the screen became even more dramatic. Euishin sat down in her office chair with a flourish and put her headphones on properly.

“Let’s see just how good a script this 87.2% can generate.”

On the screen, Seo Jinwoo was busy exploring the world of Joseon. As if recognizing his voice, the screen on the wall began to record his dialogue, line by line. Soon, the erratic data stabilized, and the fan inside the computer whirred loudly to cool the overheating system.

Amidst the noise, the only quiet person was the Seo Jinwoo who existed only as a body with a breath.