In Superhuman Chronicles, various threats exist. It’s not just enemy beasts that pose a danger.
Sometimes…
Persistent scout offers are a threat, too.
A prime example is Professor Wrangler.
Any playthrough where I got fooled by this piece of trash’s sweet words and joined “Wrangler’s Lab”—every single one of them—ended in total disaster.
Do this. Don’t do that.
Bring this. Hunt that.
Mongolia, the Amazon, the North and South Poles—I explored every remote corner of the world.
And what was left in the end?
Only Wrangler’s rising reputation, built from Han Taepyeong’s suffering.
I’m Kim Seungtae this time.
I won’t fall for it again.
“Cadet Kim Seungt—”
“Sorry, I have to get to my next class.”
Dr. Rachel, Wrangler’s right-hand woman, is kindhearted and stunningly beautiful, but that’s hardly a good enough reason to join their lab.
Honestly, I was tempted a few times, but…
“Cadet Kim Seungtae. Don’t run away—have a cup of black tea with me.”
I ran down the hallway at full speed without even answering.
Rude behaviour that a British-born doctor like Rachel would find unbearable! But I don’t care—I have no manners, so just give up!
Besides, if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s running.
I always took first place at school sports events.
“Do you not like black tea?”
“……?”
Rachel easily caught up with me. Oh right, she’s a superhuman too…
“Then, Cadet Kim Seungtae. How about milk tea? A cup of milk tea brewed by a true Brit will wash away all your worries and fatigue.”
“Huff… Huff… I’m lactose intolerant.”
“Then skim milk it is.”
“No thanks! I… really need to prepare for my next class.”
“But you have plenty of time left, don’t you?”
Huff… Huff…
I had to stop running—I was already out of breath.
“I think… you’re mistaken, Doctor. I only finished up to level four.”
“Yes, I saw.”
“Then why…?”
“You deliberately wiped out your squad right before facing the boss of level five, didn’t you?”
Ah.
That was…
Exactly why I did it.
An A-grade is nothing but a trap. If you get an A, you’re practically forced to join the lab.
A lab that exists solely to boost Wrangler’s achievements.
I had planned to throw the game and slip through unnoticed, but she checked the details.
All 1,300 first-year cadets, and she went through them all?
“Kim the Pirate! Seriously? You almost cleared level five?”
Yoo Eunha, who had been eavesdropping, suddenly shouted in surprise.
Why are you even here…?
“Cadet Kim Seungtae, this is a great opportunity. Professor Wrangler is a highly respected figure in academia. Scholars line up outside his office, hoping to join his lab.”
“I’m sure they do. If they all stood in a line, it’d probably stretch for hundreds of meters.”
“So… does that mean you’re coming?”
Rachel’s eyes sparkled as she asked.
Unlike Wrangler, she’s a genuinely kind person.
Plus, there’s something undeniably powerful about that white lab coat.
I fell for it plenty of times while playing Superhuman Chronicles.
I mean, what’s the point of playing a game if you’re just going to ignore a genius blonde senior?
“I’m not joining.”
But this time is different.
This isn’t a game. This is real life on nightmare difficulty.
“Then just one interview. There’s no harm in that, right?”
“There’s a lot of harm. I have other things to do.”
Other things?
Honestly, not really…
Rachel hesitated at my cold response.
“If you turn down the lab offer, Professor Wrangler won’t be happy…”
As expected of his right-hand woman. She knows him well.
Rachel is genuinely worried about me, but…
“I already know that firsthand.”
“Wow, Kim the Pirate. Damn, that’s cool. Are you on your second life or something?”
Yoo Eunha butted in, sounding annoyingly impressed.
“Oh! Dr. Rachel, how about Eunha instead? She’s a top-ranked student in the Healing Department.”
Healing Department’s top student?
Rachel turned to Eunha with an assessing gaze. Eunha, startled, immediately looked away.
“Oh no! Look at the time! The next class is really, really important! I have to hurry to the Healing Department’s main building!”
She bolted.
Fast.
Like a tiger that just spotted a deer…
Does she really hate studying that much?
Same here.
“Then I should get going to Necromancy Workshop.”
I left Rachel behind.
As Eunha said, the next class was a major course.
A rare occurrence in the first-year curriculum.
Creak.
The old door of the Necromancy Workshop greeted me.
I was the only one here.
Forget the major course.
Class couldn’t even happen.
“So, another day of cleaning?”
I said that, but my body refused to move.
I collapsed onto the couch in the lounge.
“Ugh~ My body won’t move! Is this the work of an evil spirit?”
[Lucy… joins!]
[Lucy… lazy!]
Lucy and I lazed around on the couch for a while.
Knowing that everyone else was suffering through their classes made it all the sweeter.
“This is the life…”
After rolling around for a while, I checked my status window.
[Name: Kim Seungtae]
Role: (???)
- Magic: 0.0
- Strength: 0.6
- Agility: 0.7
- Endurance: 0.5
- Luck: 2.5
- Mental Strength: 1.7
- Spirit Energy: 2.9 (Unique Stat)
Hmm.
This is depressing.
“Unique stat… Spirit Energy.”
It’s a unique stat, meaning there’s no point comparing it to others.
But even among superhuman cadets, there probably aren’t many with a Spirit Energy stat this high.
[Lucy… doesn’t care!]
[Lucy… sleepy! ZzZzZz]
“Don’t sleep! Sleepiness is contagious.”
Most people misunderstand, but the defining trait of a superhuman isn’t magic. It’s not enhanced physical ability, either.
Those things are just perks.
Unique stats—that is the true foundation of a superhuman’s power and potential.
In that sense, I might be an underachiever in every other area…
But ironically, as a superhuman, I’m perfectly average.
Because I have high Spirit Energy.
That’s probably how I slipped through the entrance exam, too.
I checked the description of Spirit Energy.
[Spirit Energy: Draws upon spiritual power.]
“This game’s design is something else…”
I sighed.
Unique stat descriptions are always vague like this.
Yoo Eunha’s Yin-Yang ability probably just says, ‘Can control the flow.’
So unhelpful.
This game is brutal.
Straight-up fire-spicy.
“I suffered so much because of this in Superhuman Chronicles…”
Han Taepyeong’s unique stat changes depending on how you develop him.
Each playthrough, you can build a different character concept.
Everyone starts with Swordsmanship, but from there, it evolves based on how you train.
Now imagine this—
You gain a new unique stat, but the description is vague as hell.
Then what?
You enter ‘If you don’t know, you get beat up’ mode.
“My head hurts.”
Which eventually led to game overs.
But that was fine.
Because it was a game.
But this?
If I don’t know, I get beat up.
And if I get beat up… I die.
If I die, that’s it.
“I really… don’t want to deal with the afterlife…”
[Lucy… welcomes it!]
[Lucy… excited!]
I threw Lucy aside who was casting a curse and stood up.
Hmm….
I can talk to Lucy. But can others do the same? Probably not. It’s nothing special, but this conversation is also a result of my spiritual energy at work.
If that’s the case…
I approached the portrait hanging on the wall.
A man with an impressive mustache struck a dignified pose.
[Portrait of the First Department Head]
“Hello. I’m the host of this grand necromantic workshop…”
Swiiiish~
Astonishingly.
Terrifyingly.
The mustached man’s portrait looked straight at me.
‘Drawing out spiritual power.’
That was the description of spiritual energy. A stat that allows one to hear the voices of vengeful spirits.
That means I can trigger phenomena like this, too.
For me, the supernatural is natural.
“I’d like to explore the necromantic workshop a bit. Any rooms you’d recommend?”
Swish swish.
The mustached man looked here and there and from the painting. Then, he pointed at a map.
An old map of the necromantic workshop.
Following his fingertip, I was stunned.
“…! T-this….”
Of all places, why this room? Confused yet thrilled, I asked again.
“Here? Really, here?”
Swish.
The first department head gave me a double thumbs-up.
And then, whether his energy had run out or his task was complete—
He no longer moved.
“Well, then. Thanks. I’ll make sure to dust you off properly next time.”
Thanks to the portrait, I had my destination. I stepped into the hallway.
The second exploration of the necromantic workshop.
During the first, I had come across the grand hall—the Sealed Chamber of Vengeful Spirits.
That’s where I fought Ahn Eunhoon.
Then this time, my opponent… This time, I had to face myself.
Click.
As I inserted the golden key, the door smoothly swung open.
A carpet, a single-person sofa.
Soft lighting radiated.
I walked straight to the sofa and sat down.
“This place is surprisingly cozy.”
Of course, if the atmosphere were too oppressive, it would be difficult to initiate a meeting.
With another me, that is.
This place was where I would confront another me.
A space where I would face my past self.
The second room on the first floor.
[The Past Life Experience Room.]
“A past life, huh!”
A thoroughly unscientific term. And yet, I had just used it myself.
“…Which is exactly why I love it!”
This is the world of Superhuman Chronicles. Past lives aren’t just a mystery or theories here.
“I want to do it! Right now!”
Excitement surged within me.
Pure, unfiltered excitement.
Because—
Back in the day, there were plenty of TV shows like this. Ones that claimed to let people experience their past lives through hypnosis….
My little sister and I used to watch them, gulping in anticipation. What was my past life?
“I was definitely King Sejong in my past life! It all makes sense.”
“Pfft. Oppa, we’re in trouble. I just realized something. In my past life, I was Audrey Hepburn!”
“What? She’s still alive, though?”
“Eh? So what? Is there a rule against that? Stop being mean!”
“Hmm.”
Ah, nostalgia…!
They say memories get romanticized, but I see the foolish parts don’t.
How are you doing these days, little sister?
Your big brother is doing just fine.
I’m popular in the department, I have lots of female friends, and even the professor says I’m talented.
[Lucy… pitiful!]
[Lucy… pat, pat!]
“…This is unexpectedly emotional.”
How are you doing, little sister?
Actually, your big brother isn’t doing so well.
My roommate is a vengeful spirit, and for some reason, I ended up as a necromancer.
I’m ranked 1111th, and in my department, forget female friends—I don’t even have any regular friends.
No—
There isn’t even anyone in my department.
[Your emotions are overflowing!]
[Your spiritual energy is surging!]
Huh.
So emotions can unlock it too?
Spiritual energy had some things in common with an iPhone.
[You have unlocked a hidden room in the necromantic workshop.]
[You have acquired a new trait.]
[Past Life Necromancy]
[Awakens memories of past lives. (Consumes stored spiritual energy.)]
My grumbling was short-lived.
Excitement overtook me once again.
“Past Life, ON!”
But… how does one summon a past life?
On TV, they’d sit people in chairs like this and have a hypnosis expert guide them.
[Initiating Past Life Necromancy.]
In an instant, my eyes closed.
No hypnosis expert was needed.
The single-person sofa was that comfortable.
As I sank into it, fragments of memory surfaced before me.
“……!”
And my past self was—
(Continued in the next chapter.)
Yoo Eunha :
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