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Griffin Scans
Translator – Hero of death
Proofreader – Sleepyhead
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The present and the future are connected somehow.
— Steve Jobs —
Chapter 1 - The Phone That Connects Time
37 Years Old
Creak.
I twisted the worn-out doorknob and pushed the door open. It opened halfway before getting blocked by the corner of the bed.
Without hesitation, I squeezed my body through the narrow gap — something I'd gotten used to.
The soft light from the hallway spilled into the room, revealing its interior.
A small, rectangular space.
A single bed, a desk, and a few worn-out clothes hanging on the wall.
That was it. Everything visible in this room.
This was a goshiwon — a place you could live in for just 100,000 won a month, with no deposit required.
TL/N : Goshiwon is a cheap and small Accommodation mostly used by students in Korea.
The sun must’ve been high in the sky by now. Yet not a single ray of sunlight touched this room.
Because of the curtains?
No, There were no windows here.
When I closed the door and flicked on the light, the bleakness of the room became even more glaring.
On the desk was an empty cup noodle container—a pitiful reminder of my situation.
“Sigh…”
“How the hell did I end up like this?”
Because right now, I looked just like that empty cup.
An empty shell, hollow and meaningless.
Not that I had any right to blame the cup noodles that had at least filled my hunger.
I was the one who ate them. I was the one who chose this life.
I glanced around the cramped room and thought — at least I had a place to sleep.
“Ugh, it’s freezing.”
I hurriedly grabbed the worn-out clothes hanging on the wall and threw them on.
Winter was on its way out, but at this hour, there was no hot water. After a shower with freezing cold water, my body was like ice, and the floor felt even colder.
Bundled up in every cloth I owned, including my padded jacket, I quickly dove under the blankets and turned on my smartphone.
Heating? That was a luxury I couldn’t afford anymore.
“Can’t believe it’s that time already.”
I opened my old, crack-riddled phone and started to read articles about the SEAL Academy.
I read about who ranked and from which prestigious family, who graduated top of their class, who signed with which guild — all those kinds of headlines.
But the hottest topic of all was about Lee Mujin, the world’s No.1 ranked talent, delivering the SEAL Academy graduation speech.
“Sigh…”
Seeing him under the spotlight made me let out an involuntary sigh.
We entered the academy together, twenty years ago...
And now, the gap between us was even wider than it had been back then.
SEAL Academy - The most prestigious institution in the Republic of Korea and one of the world’s leading superpower.
Everyone thought: if you made it in there, your life was set.
But, of course, there are always exceptions.
And why, of all people, did I have to be the exception?
“Goddamn it.”
Whenever I thought about my life, all that came out were curses.
Thud, thud!
Suddenly, the wall shook.
“Keep it down! You think you live alone?!”
“Ah, sorry…”
It was the neighbor.
It wasn’t like I’d said much, but still, I couldn’t even protest. I understood.
The walls were so thin you could hear everything — from someone tossing and turning to, well... certain late-night activities.
Sigh… How did I end up in such a situation where I can't even mutter to myself freely?
If I had at least lived recklessly, maybe I wouldn’t feel so bitter.
Even if I’d just lived a normal, average life, things wouldn’t have gotten this bad.
But it was what it was.
This was the product of the life I had lived —
from my days as a promising student to now, scraping the bottom of existence.
If I tried to explain everything that led me here, I’d need days, maybe weeks.
Instead, I chose to skip all the tedious details and wished, with all my heart, for just one thing.
Please… I want to go back.
If only I could return to my days as a student, carrying all the memories and experiences I had now.
If only I could go back twenty years.
If only that miracle could happen... I was sure I could do better.
When I was younger, I dreamed by looking forward. Now, all I could do was fantasize by looking backward.
Whichever way I turned, it was a suffocating life.
So, was it because of that?
Suddenly. Without any warning at all.
An incredible stroke of luck fell upon me.
<Condition met.>
<Skill : the Time-Linked Phone, has been obtained.>
"..."
For a moment, I was left speechless. I wondered if I had heard something wrong. But the message was definitely from the system, and a blue window appeared in my sight.
But, compared to the description of the skill, it wasn’t even that surprising.
<Time-Linked Phone>
Rank: SSS
Description: You can converse with your past self from 20 years ago, and through that, see and feel the world.
*The future altered by your intervention will apply to your life.
*Available time: 360 minutes/day. The first day is free.
*Validity Period: 3 years.
*When activated, the user's time stops, and the same day is repeated until the validation Period.
As I read the description, a sharp gasp escaped my lips.
“Is this even possible?”
It was utterly absurd. Not only have I obtained an SSS-rank skill, but I can also talk to my past self from 20 years ago...
"Is this some kind of prank?"
I jerked my head around, as if expecting to see hidden cameras.
But there was nothing suspicious in the room.
What in the world was happening to me?
Of course, I couldn’t find an exact answer to that question. No matter how much I thought about it from every angle, it seemed like nothing more than a strange suspicion.
So, I decided to accept it.
A miracle had happened to me.
I studied the skill's detailed description, and when the perfect moment came, I activated it to make the best use of the three years available.
That day was the day I moved into the dormitory of the SEAL Academy, 20 years ago.
<The Time-Linked Phone skill is now activated.>
With the system message, my vision was immersed in darkness.
Then, shortly after, the vast, endless campus appeared before my eyes.
A scene so familiar and nostalgic.
I was looking at the world of 20 years ago, across a long span of time.
Though the skill was called Time-Linked Phone, I was, in fact, seeing the world through the eyes of my 17-year-old self.
As I gazed at the academy after such a long time, something welled up from deep within my chest, and tears almost formed in my eyes.
But no tears fell.
I couldn’t turn my head or move my body.
Right now, my body was in the past, belonging to my 17-year-old self.
Tentatively, I tried speaking to myself.
[...Ah, can you hear me?]
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#17 years old.
A city where tall buildings stretch like a forest.
It was the unfamiliar city I had only seen on TV.
The capital of South Korea, Seoul.
The reason I had come here, leaving behind the dormitory of a small, remote hunter school, was to start a new life, having graduated from middle school.
SEAL Academy, the most prestigious institution for training hunters in South Korea, had accepted me.
I had entered as the 500th student out of 500—basically the bottom of the class.
But there was no shame in that.
I had lost my parents at a young age, and had no relatives to rely on. Everything I had achieved had been through my own effort.
SEAL Academy was the dream school for all aspiring hunters.
I had entered the very place that everyone dreamed of.
Yu Jihoon
Born: March 1, 20XX
SEAL Academy, 48th batch.
A simple line on my student ID confirmed it.
I had worked tirelessly to get here, and now I had arrived.
It was time to aim higher.
In the distance, I saw the massive archway, about 10 meters wide. It stood at the center of Seokchon Lake, surrounded by the shimmering water.
Beyond it was SEAL Academy.
"The gate is for students only. Please say your goodbyes here."
As I looked around, I had unknowingly arrived at the entrance.
The area was full of tearful goodbyes as families bid farewell to the new students, since everyone had to live in the dormitories.
The expressions of the students were a mix of excitement and fear.
Today was the day when the freshmen moved in, so everyone would be my classmates.
My expression must have looked the same.
None of the new students appeared particularly strong, but right now, I was the weakest.
For new students, entrance scores were the measure of strength.
Having no one to bid me farewell, I crossed the gate alone.
The moment I stepped through, I felt a cool, refreshing sensation, as though I was submerged in water, and my body was deconstructed into tiny particles, then reconstructed again in an instant.
Just one step, and the world flipped like turning over a palm.
What lay before me was a massive city, far too large to be called a mere campus.
The overwhelming grandeur of SEAL Academy left everyone in awe.
It was a sight that made my heart swell. As I took in the majestic view, I steeled myself.
I would become the world's strongest hunter, no matter what.
It might take about 20 years, I thought.
What would I look like then?
Although the future seemed like a distant, unclear trace, I could feel the confidence and burning passion in my chest, rising up like a surge of energy.
Was that why?
Suddenly. Without any warning at all.
An incredible stroke of luck fell upon me.
<The future has connected.>
<You have obtained the skill 'Time-Linked Phone'.>
"..."
Caught off guard, I was at a loss for words. It was the first time I couldn’t make sense of a system message that seemed so intuitive.
To understand what was happening, I checked the details of the skill.
<Time-Linked Phone>
Rank: SSS
Description: You can talk to your future self, 20 years from now. You can learn about the changes in the future caused by your current actions. However, only changes at specific moments can be detected.
*Available time: 360 minutes/day. First day is free.
*Validity Period: 3 years.
Even after reading the skill description, I still couldn’t make sense of what had just happened.
It was because the skill rank was SSS, an unheard-of rank, and it claimed I could talk to my future self, 20 years from now.
I couldn’t understand what was going on.
That’s when I heard a voice in my head.
[...Ah, can you hear me?]
A voice so clear, it couldn’t possibly be a hallucination.
To my surprise, I instinctively recognized this voice as my own.
It sounded slightly different, but it was undeniably my voice.
And then, at that very moment,
<You have encountered your future self.>
<The future has changed dramatically.>
<Your occupation is now changed to a weary salesperson.>
<Your living situation is upgraded to a semi-basement studio.>
In an instant, my future, a future I didn’t even know about, had been completely altered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter End~~~~~~~~~~~~
