A Monster Who Levels Up

Chapter prologue

He became an orphan very early in his life due to a calamitous tragedy.

Barely at the tender age of 7, when it would only be normal to look for his mom’s guidance whenever something vexed him, he had to go to an orphanage because none of his relatives wanted to take him in.

The orphanage’s director wasn’t a human trash that treated children like dirt but at the same time, wasn’t a sparkling example of how to be a nice person, either.

Wanting to leave such an orphanage as soon as possible, he found a job and started working right after graduating from the Elementary School. While resembling a very thin stick, thanks to his tall-for-his-age height, convincingly lying about how old he actually was proved to be rather easy. Of course, on that one occasion his lies were exposed, he got chased away from the workplace without receiving a paycheque, but well, that was to be expected.

Regardless, he continued to work tirelessly during the night and slept in the Middle School during the daytime; and this was how he lived his early life.

Around this time, he stopped utilising the bed in the orphanage as well. Honestly, he found it more comfortable to sleep in the school’s infirmary, or among the wary gazes of the homeless occupying the subway station.

He couldn’t be sure, but maybe the reason for his height remaining the same from 6th grade in Elementary School probably had something to do with this unhealthy lifestyle.

Whatever the case may have been, through all the rough and tumble, he succeeded in becoming completely independent upon turning 18.

4 years of back-breaking labour after that netted a total of $8750 which sort of enabled him to rent out a single room for himself.

Other people might have found this space a seriously tight fit, but for him, it was the safest and most comfortable place to put his feet up and take it easy.

And within this comfortable environment, his own home, he allowed himself to have a dream of a better future.

If it was under any other "normal" circumstances, he would’ve surely achieved that idyllic life he had dreamt of in the near future.

[Innate Trait Progression: 100% Complete]

System has activated

– Change in species due to host’s Innate Trait Progression: Human → Monster

[Name: Kim Sae-Jin]

[Age: Roughly 22 Years Old]

[Height: 172 cm/ Weight: 65kg]

► Status

[Physical Strength 13]

[Endurance 12]

[Agility 16]

[Energy Manipulation 6] (Raw said "Ki Strength", which didn’t make much sense to me, so I changed it....)

[Mana Affinity 1]

[Magic Strength 1]

[Luck 3]

► Trait: ⸀Monster⸥

[Rank: Rare]

[Trait Level: 1]

– Species changed from Human to Monster. Once per 24 hours, the host can maintain the Human Form for (60 Minutes) that is calculated from the numerical value of [Energy Manipulation] stat.

– Stats of the Monster Forms will be reduced during the Human Form.

– Currently maintaining the Brown Wolf* Form.

Currently available Monster Forms*: Orc, Wolf, Goblin.

[*Forms: living as a chosen Monster. When certain conditions are satisfied, Monster’s rank will rise. Example: Orc - Orc Warrior - Great Orc Chieftain]

[*Brown Wolf: Strength and Defense increase by 3, Agility increases by 6. When in Human Form, the effects will be reduced by ⅓.]

=======

....That was until this f*cking Trait ambushed him out of nowhere.

< 00. Prologue > Fin.