Chapter Text
It was official. He was going to strangle the Architect.
It was bad enough that he'd left that accursed Double Dungeon. Bad enough that he'd found himself blinking up at a Hospital ceiling again. Bad enough that he'd had to re-live those first few months of his re-awakening.
He had been incredibly confused when Woo Jin-Chul had walked in, associate behind him. When he had spoken those words he remembered so well. It had taken some careful questioning from him to figure it out, but then it had clicked.
He'd gone back. Whether it be through some trick by the Architect. Whether it be by sheer coincidence. His exit of the gate with the Black Heart beating in his chest had sent him tumbling into the past. To that day when his life had completely changed.
After dealing with the shock that had come with discovering that he again had only 10 mana - and how did that happen?
He was sure he still had all of his shadows, and he had to resist the urge to check his stat page then and there. But Jin-Ah's frantic mother-henning had been amusing. Once she was gone, he had slumped back onto the bed and taken the time to check himself over.
He could feel the Black Heart sitting still and heavy in his chest. It was a dead weight that left him feeling strange, as though he were dead but also not. As he looked down at himself, he realised something.
He looked like a child again.
A hand drifted up to prod at his face, and his cheek squished under his probing fingers. He still had that chubby baby fat that had lingered on his body into his early 20s.
He was sure that if he looked in a mirror, he would not find the face he was so used to seeing over the past few months.
He wasn't the wide-eyed 20-something wandering into Dungeons and rarely came back. But he looked that way now, and it was such a strange feeling that Jin-Woo had laughed.
A nurse had poked her head into his room when he started getting a bit loud, and he had waved away her concerned glance. He had gone through the ritual of checking his mail and his stats unthinkingly . He frozen and stared in shock when he read the numbers.
Name: Sung Jin-Woo Level: 1
Job: Shadow Monarch Fatigue: 0
Title: Demon Slayer [More Available]
HP: 100
MP: 10
Strength: 10 Health: 10
Agility: 10 Intelligence: 10
Sense: 10
Available Stat Points: 10
He really had reset everything. But . . . It was hard to ignore Beru's questions rattling around in his head. Or the quiet confusion Igris was emitting. He glanced at the little figurine next to his stat page. Yep, that was him from six months ago.
He'd forgotten just how small he'd been. He looked like a freshman, nervously stepping into their first year of High School. With a sigh, he opened his Skill page, mildly pleased to see everything was still there.
Not that he'd be able to use much other than his Class-Specific skills, due to how little Mana he had. And wasn't that something to fix? He would pass out from Mana Exhaustion if even one of his soldiers regenerated at this rate.
He glanced at the Daily Quest that had popped up next to his Stat Page. He sighed, allowing his body to fall into the familiar rhythm of working out. He did his best to double the goal as he was used to doing, but hell, he'd forgotten just how weak he was at the start.
That was something he'd need to remedy quickly . He checked his inventory and groaned. Nothing except Mr Kim's sword, which he remembered had been in there when he woke up the first time. He missed his Demon King's Daggers.
Ah well, he could collect them all over again, he supposed. And prepare differently this time. He finished the exercises he could do in his room. Then, he wandered out to the courtyard outside and starting to run laps of the building. A concerned nurse flagged him down and asked him to please calm down and come back inside. He just smiled, shaking his head, and began his run again.
He'd gotten the key to the Rasaka dungeon as one of his rewards. Then, he'd chosen the Blessed Random Box from the Hidden Quest's rewards. He left that in his inventory to check out another time. He distributed the stat points evenly between his Intelligence, Strength and Agility.
The next few weeks passed in a blur. The hospital had kept him for as long as they could. Just to make sure he was in perfect health before discharging him.
He'd dealt with the Rasaka dungeon the day he was released , and the Golem from the Dungeon Break soon after. He'd left the scene to go home to Jin-Ah before anyone could notice him. He'd stopped by a public restroom on the way to clean himself up a bit before he got home, though.
Jin-Ah had been extremely surprised, to say the least. When she'd opened the door, Jin-Woo had silently enveloped her in a hug. She'd shrugged him off after a few seconds, complaining that he smelled like a Dungeon. He had just chuckled, ruffling her hair despite her half-hearted complaints. He was swiftly regaining his former strength, and the next few months had felt like a blur.
Meeting Jin-Ho had felt like coming home, in a way. After the first few raids together he was glad for the younger man's companionship. He didn't bring out any of his shadows this time for anything other than resource gathering.
His stronger shadows were content to stay tucked away, letting him grow stronger on his own. He was mindful to let Jin-Ho help out with collecting things. Just so the young man didn't feel left out the way he had the first time around. No other reason. Nope. None at all. It wasn't at all to help Jin-Ho bulk up.
It was nice, for a while, to relax back into the familiarity of it all. But all that changed when he decided to take Han Song-I with him into the White Tiger Guild's raid.
He knew what to expect now, and had handed Song-I some heavy winter gear before going in. He had made sure she stayed behind him the entire time. The Hyakki never got the chance to shoot at her.
He cleared the dungeon in record time and even managed to take Barruka's Shadow. But something changed as he exited the Dungeon. The world had rippled and pulsed around him as it always did when he exited a Dungeon, but this time it felt like more .
The movements were more intense. The sensation was more akin to falling than walking through water. And then it had stopped, and he had found himself someplace other. It was dark, and there were trees surrounding him on all sides.
The place would've felt ominous to anyone else, but to Jin-Woo it felt like home in a way nothing else ever had. It was dark and cool and smelled of night and pines. He took a deep breath, forgetting, for a moment, his worries, and smiled at the sharp tang of Mana in the air.
The whole place was soaked in Mana. The roots of the trees and the plants sucking it up as greedily as they would nutrients and water.
A loud ping broke him out of his thoughts. He turned and read through the Quest Alert that had appeared before him.
[A Quest has arrived!]
Quest received!
A Complete Education Difficulty: N/A
Type of Quest: Normal No. Of Attempts: 1
Complete your education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to learn how to return home !
WARNING!: Failure to complete this Quest will result in the Player being trapped in this world!
Goals:
-Pass 1st Year [Incomplete]
-Pass 2nd Year [Incomplete]
-Pass 3rd Year [Incomplete]
-Pass 4th Year [Incomplete]
-Pass 5th Year [Incomplete]
-Pass 6th Year [Incomplete]
-Pass 7th Year [Incomplete]
Pass Conditions:
Complete all Goals
Time Limit: 8 Years
Fail Conditions:
Get Expelled
Drop Out
Fail To Pass Within 8 Years
Rewards: 100,000 Gold A Way Home ???
[Accept] [Decline]
!Alert! This Quest cannot be declined !
Then, the situation had come rushing back. The otherness of everything around him striking him like a slap to the face. Darkness curled about his feet as he spread out his senses, wary of the world.
There were monsters in this forest. He could feel some watching him. They were large, larger than men, and armed with bows. He barely had to call upon his soldiers anymore, so attuned were they to his thoughts and moods.
As he pulled Barruka's Tanto from his inventory, Igris and Beru rose from his shadow. They flanked him, prepared to fight if needed. He stared into the darkness of the trees as one of the monsters advanced.
He wasn't entirely surprised when a Centaur walked out of the shadows, its bow trained solidly on him. He was surprised when it spoke.
"Who are you?" It asked in English, with an accent he couldn't quite place. Something Scottish, he thought, or maybe Welsh. Beru didn't like the weapon the Centaur had drawn on him.
The ant was shifting agitatedly , mandibles clicking in a staccato rhythm. Igris had a gauntleted hand resting on the hilt of his blade, but he didn't remove it from its scabbard yet. Jin-Woo hummed, considering the question, before scanning the Centaur.
It was large, and from the sound of its voice and the shape of its face, female. Her coat was a dark brown, the colour of freshly-tilled earth, and her tail was deep ebony, as was her long hair.
Her skin was the same dark brown as her coat. She had a white blaze on her forehead that drifted down into a large blotch on her nose and chin. Her bow looked like it was made of a pale, shiny wood that he thought might be rowan, and she had a quiver of arrows on her back.
The fletching on the arrow knocked to her bow was dark, and looked like crow feathers. Her ears were rounded , with the barest beginnings of a point at the tip. Her eyes were a dark colour he couldn't quite make out in the faint light, even with his boosted sense stat.
"I was going to ask you the same thing," he replied. His English had been passable before his reawakening. It had rapidly improved since. He'd noticed , as he got stronger, He'd been able to understand snippets of conversations in languages he'd never learned .
It was surreal, but he'd chalked it up to more of the System's bullshit and pushed it into the corner of his mind labelled 'Shit I Can't Explain' . It was a corner that had filled quickly after gaining access to the System. His sudden trip into the past was included there.
The Centaur snorted impatiently , pawing at the ground, and her eyes narrowed.
"That is none of your concern, trespasser. How did you get inside our wards?" Her hand had tightened slightly on the bow, and she hadn't yet put the weapon away. He couldn't blame her, but he wasn't going to put his weapon away either.
He did, however , draw Igris and Beru back into his shadow. He ignored the latter's chattering protests. They weren't needed yet. It was a display of intimidation that was more likely to lead to violence than the opposite.
"I do not know how I came to be in your forest. I was leaving a Gate, and found myself here." He answered. The Centaur's eyes widened at the mention of a Gate. The other figures in the trees shifted on their hooves, stamping the ground in agitation.
"A Gate? Those do not exist here, and the stars say they will not for another twenty years." The Centaur eyed his weapon with suspicion, but her bow wavered. He sighed, seeing no other way out, and banished Barruka's Tanto to his Inventory.
The Centaur opposite him lowered her bow but did not remove the arrow. The Centaurs in the shadows around him had yet to move. "But you still have not answered my question. Who are you?"
Jin-Woo sighed. There was no avoiding it, he supposed.
"My name is Sung Jin-Woo." He wasn't going to divulge where he was from, although he wasn't sure if it would mean anything to these monsters. He wasn't even sure if he was still on Earth.
"Where am I?"
The Centaur shifted, glancing into the shadows to her left, and a few seconds later turned back to him.
"You are in the Forbidden Forest. On the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland."
Scotland. So he was still on Earth, then. Or a version of Earth. Though perhaps he'd just been thrown back in time again.
The Centaur had mentioned that Gates were not supposed to appear for another twenty years . Perhaps that was the case. He frowned, thinking. The Quest had said he was in another world . . . He was interrupted by an owl fluttering down to land on the ground before him.
He stared at the tawny creature, which hooted loudly at him and bounced forwards. It was holding out one leg and glaring at him, clutching something in its talons.
"It wants you to take the letter," the Centaur said, looking faintly amused at how clueless he was. The owl chittered, clacking its beak in agreement, and flapped the leg holding the letter at him.
He sighed, bending down and picking it up. The owl hooted at him and fluttered over to sit on the Centaur's rump. The centaur pulled a strip of dried meat from a pouch on her belt and offered it to the owl, who snapped it up gratefully .
Jin-Woo looked over the letter, noting the heaviness of the paper, its age, and the large wax seal on the back. He turned it over. He was grateful that his ability to translate written language was boosted . Bright green cursive stared up at him from the heavy yellowish paper, and he struggled for a second to read it.
Mr. Sung Jin-Woo
The Largest Clearing
The Forbidden Forest
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
He was instantly wary of the letter. How did it know his name? How did it know where he was? How did the owl know? He opened the letter, taking out the first of two sheets and what looked to be a train ticket. It seemed to be an incredibly old-fashioned one.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Sung,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours Sincerely ,
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
Jin-Woo blinked, putting the first page in his Inventory to go over at a later date, and pulled out the second page. He stashed the envelope and ticket in his Inventory as well.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Uniform
First-Year Students will require :
- Three sets of plain work robes (black)
- One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
- One pair of protective gloves (Dragon Hide or Similar)
- One winter coat (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all students' clothes should carry nametags.
Course Books
All students should have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book Of Spells (Grade 1)
By
Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
By
Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
By
Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide To Transfiguration
By
Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs And Fungi
By
Phyllida Spore
Magical Draughts And Potions
By
Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
By
Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide To Self-Protection
By
Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment
1 Wand
1 Cauldron (Pewter, Standard Size 2)
1 set Glass or Crystal Phials
1 Telescope
1 set Brass Scales
1 Trunk
1 Quill Set (Plus Sharpening Kit)
1 Inkwell (plus Ink refills)
1 Large bundle Parchment Scrolls
Students may also bring, if they desire, an Owl OR a Cat OR a Toad
Parents are reminded that First Years ARE NOT allowed their own Broomsticks
Yours Sincerely ,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
Jin-Woo frowned at the letter, then looked up at the Centaur.
"What's Hogwarts?"
"Hogwarts is a school. It teaches Witches and Wizards, people with magic like yourself, to use their gifts. It appears you have a place, despite just arriving here." The Centaur said, waving a hand at the letter in his hands. He sighed, putting the paper in his Inventory and pulling out the first page again.
"It says here I need to reply by owl? How do I do that?"
"You write your acceptance or denial on a piece of parchment and give it to the Owl." She gestured to the owl on her rump, which was now making a mess of her tail. She didn't seem to mind all that much.
Thinking back to the Quest from earlier, which was still floating open next to him, he sighed.
He pulled a spare piece of paper and a pen from his Inventory. He bent over, using his knee as a solid surface to scrawl out a reply. His English was surprisingly readable. He scrawled 'Hogwarts' on the top and handed it to the owl.
It took the letter in its beak and let out a muffled hoot before fluttering away. He watched it go. His eyes glowed slightly as he infused his vision with Mana to follow it.
He turned back to the Centaur and let the Mana fade, his eyes returning to their usual dark grey.
"How do I get the things on the list?"
"I suppose you would need to go to Gringotts and ask them to make you a vault. Assuming you have any way to make money, that is."
"Would they take these and convert them?" He took a moment to convert one of his coins from digital to physical currency and held it out to the Centaur. She took it and weighed it in her hand, turning it this way and that and holding it up to the moonlight.
"Yes, I daresay they would," the Centaur said, handing the coin back. "But I suggest you keep those quiet."
Jin-Woo nodded, knowing what she meant. Humans were greedy creatures at the best of times.
"How do I get to Gringotts?" He asked, frowning. He knew nothing about this world. He would have to remedy that, and swiftly .
"Head to Diagon Alley in London. Someone will be able to guide you from there if you ask Tom the Barkeep."
Jin-Woo nodded, thanking her, and then realised something. He didn't even know the Centaur's name. It seemed only fair, after she had helped him.
"Before I go, may I know your name?"
The Centaur blinked at him, surprised, then laughed.
"Astoria. Call me Astoria."
He bowed his head and smiled, then turned and walked away. He could sense a large clear area from what was presumably the edge of the forest. He pretended not to notice the Centaurs moving out of his way as he passed. They obviously wanted to keep themselves hidden. He would allow them their illusions . . . for now.
He made his way out of the forest quickly and began running, swiftly leaving the forest behind. He rounded a hill and slowed as a large stone castle came into view. Some of its windows were glowing brightly , but a majority stayed dark and unlit.
He supposed that was because it was the middle of the night. Even the moon was hiding now, affording him perfect cover as he made his way out. He passed through a large set of gates and found himself on a railway platform. With a sigh, he made up his mind.
He sent out his fastest shadows with orders to scout the area. Another group were to scout London for any residence bearing the name 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Within minutes, he had a report. London was some several hundred kilometres away, apparently . The Leaky Cauldron did exist.
It looked like a dingy old tavern, complete with an old wooden sign hanging above the door. He sighed, getting to his feet. Might as well scope the place out.
Recalling all of his other shadows, he activated Shadow Swap. He appeared outside the establishment, crouching on the opposite roof. He studied the place. The sun was just beginning to rise when he finally decided to enter the tavern.
He dropped down from the roof and landed lightly on the empty cobblestone street. His hands were tucked in his pockets. He opened the door and was greeted with the sight of a mostly-empty room with only a few people sitting at tables scattered around . They were probably the early risers who didn't want to be bothered by everyone else.
He walked up to the bar, nodding to the man behind it, who was polishing glasses. What was it with barkeeps and idly polishing the same glass? Maybe they just needed something to fidget with.
"Are you Tom?" The man nodded, still polishing his glass.
"How can I help ya, lad?" The man's voice was nice, he decided. Soft and bassy, with a low rumble that curled through his words and gave it an odd accent.
"I was told to find you to get into Diagon." He didn't think it would be wise to mention who, exactly, had told him to see the Barkeep. Tom only nodded, setting his glass down, and waved him over to the door at the end of the bar.
"Won't be many shops open yet, but Gringotts always is, if that's what yer after." He stopped in front of a blank stretch of brick wall above a few bins, and pulled out a long, thin stick. That was a wand, Jin-Woo supposed.
He tapped the bricks in an upside-down 'L' shape, muttering 'Three up, two across,' under his breath. Jin-Woo felt a surge of Mana and tensed, prepared for a trap. But the wall merely rippled, a small hole appearing in the bricks.
They quickly shifted and turned in on themselves. The hole grew larger and larger until even Kaisel could've walked through it upright. A large alley that he was sure hadn't been there from the outside stretched away. It wound all the way up a tall hill to an enormous white marble building perched atop the crest.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Tom said with a wide grin. Jin-Woo thanked him and walked through the entrance. It quickly shifted back into a blank stretch of wall between two shops. He made straight for the building that looked most like a bank, the one made of marble that he'd noticed earlier.
In took five minutes for Jin-Woo to reach the doors to the building. He had seen several shops that appeared to sell the items he needed for his school supplies. Stepping up to the doors, he was surprised to see two burly Goblins in plate armour and armed with spears flanking the embossed structures . They bowed as he approached, and he bowed back as his manners dictated. The Goblins seemed surprised, but opened the doors nonetheless.
Inside, he saw another set of doors flanked by Goblins, and bowed when they did once again. There was an inscription on this set of doors, and he paused to read it.
Enter, Stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of Greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors,
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned , Beware,
Of finding more than treasure there.
The Goblins opened the doors, and he thanked them. Walking through into a large echoing chamber, he stared at the ceiling. He walked slowly , taking it all in, and then moved for the nearest Cleric's desk. There was a Goblin sitting behind it, and he took the time to fleetingly wonder if the entire building was run by them . But then the Goblin was looking up and speaking in its gravelly voice.
"State your business," the Goblin looked down its long, hooked nose at him. Ashborn, why was he so short. He had to crane his neck back to look the Goblin in the eyes. He glanced at the nameplate on the desk.
"Master Gorlak-Ssi, I was told to come here if I needed to arrange an account?" The Goblin raised a fluffy grey eyebrow at the honorific, and ducked under his desk. He emerged from a door Jin-Woo hadn't noticed before, holding a packet of papers and waving for him to follow.
They walked through several hallways lined with many doors. They stopped outside one labelled 'Head Goblin, Master Griphook'. Gorlak knocked on the door, and poked his head in when it opened. He said something quietly to whoever - Griphook, Jin-Woo assumed - was inside. Then, the door opened wider, and Gorlak waved him in. He handed him the packet of papers before walking out, closing to door behind him.
Griphook was tall, for a Goblin, and wore immaculate silver armour. It complimented all the weapons lining his walls. He gestured to a chair on the other side of his large mahogany desk, and Jin-Woo took the obvious invitation to sit. When he was settled , Griphook eyed him up and down before speaking.
"So you wish to create a vault?"
Jin-Woo nodded, looking down at the packet in his hands. Griphook followed his gaze.
"Yes, I suppose we should start there. That is a packet that contains the basic information given to all Muggleborns who enter this building . It also contains all of the necessary papers for setting up a vault. I suppose, if you're setting up a Vault, you have something to pay the appropriate costs with?"
He nodded, collecting one of the coins he had exchanged for physical currency in his Inventory .
He placed it on the desk between them, noting the way Griphook's eyes lit up.
"How much would one of these be exchanged for?"
"May I?" Griphook asked, gesturing to the coin. Jin-Woo nodded. The Goblin picked up the coin. He checked every facet against the light before pulling out several tools and testing the metal .
"It is unlike anything I have seen before. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say they exchange for one hundred Galleons each. The Vault Setup Fee is two thousand Galleons."
Jin-Woo glanced at the Shop window he currently had open, reading the balance.
453,267 G
He could take out maybe 3,000 Gold for the vault. Doing the calculations quickly , he realised that would equate to 300,000 Galleons. Not that he knew how much that was.
With that settled, the rest of the talks progressed smoothly . Jin-Woo read through his packet, and Griphook was surprisingly patient. By the end of the talk, almost three hours later, they were both satisfied and Jin-Woo had a new Bank Vault. He had a Keyto the vault. He had a stone tablet that acted like a credit card. He had a chequebook. And he had a Blood Heritage Test sitting in his Inventory.
They'd needed to use his blood for a few of the setup details. After some careful questioning, however , he had acquiesced. By now, all the other shops in Diagon were open, and he had compiled a list of things he would need.
He stepped out of the bank, feeling satisfied. He hoped the rest of the day would go that smoothly .