Latest Posts by redibanni - Page 4
//spoilers from chapter 662
ories = single-lifers (Choi family)
Immortals >> frequently called to solve problems in different dimensions because they do not impact other souls. (None in TCF) (PR: So far.)
Variables =
Reincarnators (White Star)
Transmigrators (Kim Rok Soo, Cale Henituse)
Regressors (Cale Henituse)
> Reincarnator: Pushes out the soul that is supposed to take a body and is born with the memories of their past life and the soul that is pushed out is born like a twin in a different dimension. The reason the White Star looks like Kim Rok Soo is because he pushed out Kim Rok Soo who was supposed to be in that body.
> Transmigrator: Pushes out a soul that has been living in a body and forces in a different soul; the soul that is pushed out has no choice but to go into the empty body of the invading soul. Basically, it causes chaos to the soul.
IM GOIN INSANE, PERHAPS WACKY, ONE MIGHT EVEN SAY CRAZY, IM LOSING MY MIND, MY MARBLES, MY BANANAS I AM FALLING OFF MY ROCKER SO TO SPEAK
CALE WAS ORIGINALLY FROM 'BIRTH OF A HERO' WORLD????? AND HE FUCKING TRANSMIGRATTED BACK???????? AND WHITE STAR IS CURRENTLY USING HIS BODY NOW???
Everytime i think i get used to all the bombs the author throws at me, something like this happens
I like how alberu knows how cale operates. Like everybody seems to be assuming that cale is righteous and his morale compass is definetely "good", but alberu knows thats not the case. Its not so bad that everyone thinks so, i feel like it will be the running gag throrough the whole series, but i was hoping for at least someone to have an idea that cale is always strategizing and his intentions are not purely good.
Cale is kind, yes. But he is not righteous
I REALLY hope alberu does not change his view of cale, from someone who always has ulterior motives to a lawful good person
Spoiler Novel Ch. 767
Cale: Your highne—
Alberu: Cale, faint
Cale: But your hi—
Alberu: Cale
Cale:
Cale: *sees toonka and Litana running*
Cale: *proceeds to fake fainting*
CANON 2x!!
Alberu: Please, I'm begging you go to a doctor.
Cale: I'm sorry is this 'OUR' stab wound? Stay out of it.
Got to love that the first thing Alberu decided to do after he realised that Cale wasn't joking about being a Slacker is to threaten him into doing things for him by using government positions and titles.
This man is the only one aside from Ron and the children that are actually able to get Cale to do things that he would normally protest against. Doesn't mean that he's going to make it enjoyable for his Hyung-nim, but still, he's figured out the secret to Cale's obedience very quickly.
It hurts me to think that Cale's worst fear is not his family and people dying, but being the only one to survive again.
That's what I think the reason Cale is so ready to throw himself into danger is, because if he does, not only will he potentially save everyone, but he has a high chance of not being left behind again.
His hyungs died protecting him, and he had to live with the guilt afterwards. The thought of going through that, technically for the third time, is what pushes him to overuse his powers constantly. It's why he was able to complete the Thief's test the way he did, even though it'something he managed to stop himself from doing during his life as KRS.
His fear is not the fear of losing everyone, but the fear that he will be the only one left alive.
Cale is so ready to take on everything.
I’m rereading the heart scene and, just- his life as Kim Rok Soo had such an impact on how he handles pressure, it’s actually sad. When he was KRS, people relied on him. Heavily. As the team leader, people saw him as a life line.
He never took breaks, he put himself in danger and sacrificed his well-being by using his abilities (for example, Instant), and as we hear later on- he had a 0% mortality rate. When people around him were weak, he became strong in order to overcome it. Nobody died when he became the Team Leader.
And in the world they lived in- yes! I’m not surprised at all that people latched onto him. No matter how much they care about him, they couldn’t help but allow him to save them. Over and over again.
So Cale had this expectation for himself too! When others give up -> he does not. In front of impossible tasks, he rises up, because that’s how it should be. How could someone who had so little as a child- no parents, no friends, no stability or safety or reliability- how could he possibly give up what he’s managed to attain? How could he let his friends get hurt when he knows that he could be hurting instead?
And then he becomes Cale, and he relaxes. His new companions are strong, and he’s not going to be with them for very long anyway. He will slack off, chill out, and take his hands off the wheel.
But he can’t- he just can’t stop helping them. Like an addiction, he helps Choi Han get a connection to Ron and Beacrox. Then he saves Raon. He helps Lock, Amiru, Mary, Alberu, Queen Litana. It’s fucking impulsive. It’s for his own benefit but he tangles himself into the story because tampering with Fate is a fucking side hobby for him.
Then he develops relationships and friends- and when he sees danger approaching he stands up against it like a solid wall. Over and over again.
And, what? He naturally expects the people behind him to stay behind that wall. To listen to him and help, but to stay safe in the long run. He expects them back off when something looks impossible. Because- well, he’s right here isn’t he? Overcoming the impossible is second nature for him!
But the people around him… aren’t standing by passively, like they did when he was KRS. When he was KRS they let him protect them for 15 years. Then he’s Cale Henituse and they don’t. They learn from him. They learn to stand up against the unpredictable and the indomitable. They see him and learn.
They aren’t happy about his sacrifices, but he tells them to be full and content and to eat well… so they listen. For a while. They understand wisdom and they take his words and learn their limitations.
Right until he stabs himself in the heart. What the fuck?! Biggest hypocrite in history right??! Can’t trust this guy to not bleed and sacrifice himself for shit!!!
So they angrily push aside his worry and their limits and they decide that it’s THEIR turn to protect him. Even against a GOD, Cale has shown them that nothing is impossible so they’re going to turn the tables and THEY’RE going to be the ones to cough blood!!
This scene is so heart wrenching, but it’s Cales disbelief that hurts the most. He’s fucking stunned. He’s someone who can’t even imagine the lengths that a person would go for him. He’s a person who protects without ever expecting to receive that same effort.
Sure, he knows he’ll be protected. He’s not naive. But he puts 200% and expects 50-100%. He goes above and beyond, but prepares for average. Prepares for lackluster.
So when everyone tries to push him aside to protect him? He- he doesn’t even notice their efforts! It’s like looking for a leaf in a forest, but he’s supposed to be looking at the entire forest. Why would he think that they would give him a forest’s worth of leaves? He’s oblivious. So he looks for a single leaf.
Then they really do push him back and protect him- they defend against the orb that’s exploding and it’s like they’re screaming “It’s the forest! It’s always been the forest!”
And he’s lost. Absolutely, utterly lost. It’s heartbreaking, how distressed he is that his friends are hurting and they won’t let him handle it for them. He’s not even hurt, after all! He hasn’t fainted, he’s still useful! He’s ready! What he’s done so far hasn’t even been too difficult! Why won’t they let go and give it to him?
Everyone is so angry at him, or busy pitying him, that he’s left alone with this. While reading this scene I’m filled with a strong disconnect. He is surrounded by his friends but everyone is far away from him. Their goals have never been farther apart than this moment.
He’s always been one step ahead.
He’s always been ready. He’s always waiting.
And then he stabbed himself in the heart, and everyone but him felt the shift in the stars.
And then the next scenes are his friends trying to wrestle the responsibility out of his white-knuckles hands. They fight for it! Yet all the way until the orb’s time to explode, he holds onto it with an iron grip. I don’t even think he realized they were trying to take it out of his hands.
He kills the White Star, he Embraces the Ancient Powers, and he even manages to Embrace the Sealed God into the book and take over the temple in one move. We get to see everyone’s reactions to his stubbornness too.
So they become twice as stubborn. They cough up blood, they faint, they do 200% of what they’re naturally capable of. Why?
Because they saw Cale do it first. Because they refuse to let him do it again.
And Cale?
He can’t say anything.
Cale is used to being without.
Whether it’s food, sleep, safety or otherwise, he’s used to the feeling of lacking something.
His past has been filled with it. Anything that could be desirable, he’s been without it before.
So it’s no wonder he wants to be a slacker. It’s no wonder he asks if people have eaten or if they’ve slept. That’s what he’s always wanted. To be content. To not be lacking something. He wants to be bored because it means he’s not worrying about something.
No one else can understand why he so adamantly exclaims that his dream is to be a slacker yet can never seem to throw himself into the next problem— because he knows more than anyone else that he’s always had to fight for his peace.
As an orphan, as a teenager, as 20 year old KRS and as the 35 year old KRS. He understands more than anyone that the slacker life isn’t going to come easily. He had to fight for the bare minimum for years, so he is determined to fight for the maximum for even longer.
It’s his determination to be content that keeps him going. His refusal to lack something. His refusal to lose something.
Me and my friend 😂😂😂
I'm still in the process of bringing him to read it no fair!!😭
But atleast he's interested in my indofumps so far!
(I'm tempted to spoil him everything help 😭😭)
I'm trying to force my friend to read TCF
I got her into manga and anime (I started myself on a romance, and decided you know what? I'll start her off with Death Note :D)
Now I'm desperate to get her into manhwa and novels
Please, she's coming over tonight and trust me
I am making her read TCF
If she's making me watch Boku no Hero Academia (an ehhhh series for me)
Then she is reading TCF
I don't care
Girl, get over here
tcf spoilers (ch 333+)
re-reading White Star's debut in 333 and what came after, and i am once again reminded of how terrifying he was as an antagonist before he became the fandom's silly little meme
some other bits and foreshadowing i forgot/missed and find interesting
WS is proficient enough as a mage to be able to send messages telepathically
...and he used that skill to pester Cale with one-way messages lmao
WS and Cale both felt a sense of kinship the moment they locked eyes, which they both chalked up to their similarities in abilities and appearance (but it's probably more because of KRS' soul recognizing its original body)
Eruhaben says WS looks 20 (and 200+ chapters later Cale himself says he looks to be in his early 20s. If og!Cale is older than KRS, does that mean it took KRS a few years before he got kicked out of his body by WS and settled into Earth 1? Or is it the time difference between the two worlds?)
WS just affectionately addressing Cale while spouting terrible things
TBOAH Headcanon
About Kim Rok Soo’s abilities (spoiler alert for chapters 356+)
Have you guys ever noticed that all of Kim Rok Soo’s abilities that are revealed are related to time?
Record: Allows KRS to have perfect recollection of the past
Instant: Being able to move beyond human limitations in the present
I wonder if his other abilities are also related to time. Maybe he has one that is related to the future.
Random TCF Shower Thoughts Time:
do you think Cale would K.O. if he used Instant and Record at the same time?
How bad would Cale's records act up if he was trapped under some rubble somewhere for days during part 2, far from his family?
(longer idea inspired by us questioning Cale's third ability below)
Give me Cale with some sort of Survivor ability. Where Kim Rok Soo lives because he literally can't die. Where whenever he's on the edge of death, when his heart is about to stop, Survivor kicks in and goes above and beyond his limits to keep him from dying, be it by fighting or running away. Where during a battle Cale is fatally injured and his body stills for one second before immediately getting back up, forcing broken bones back into place and wiping blood from his face and gunning it towards the enemy like doom incarnate.
His family is screaming because "gods dammit Cale-nim/Unlucky bastard/Cale-nya/Human/Young Master/Dongsaeng you're bleeding out!!! you've done enough, stop fighting!!!" And something feels so Wrong about this and they don't like it one bit. But they can't place what's wrong until after the battle once they've forced Cale to lay down and realize he hasn't said a word and has been diligently listening to their demands that he rest and let them handle the rest.
His eyes are blank, not like when he uses Record, no it's worse somehow. There's nothing behind his eyes at all-Survivor is active and in control, not Cale. Cale's down for the count, deep deep down somewhere recovering because that attack did more damage than anybody realized and he's not waking up anytime soon.
Give me everyone losing their minds over this with worry and fear because there is Something walking around that looks like their beloved red head, Something that mechanically eats apple pie and drinks lemon tea but doesn't pet the kittens and give them a scammer smile. Give me the kids rambling about their days in his lap. Give me Alberu offering Cale golden plaque after golden plaque. Give me Choi Han quietly whispering to Cale in Korean while he guards him day after day. Give me everyone doing everything they can think of to get his attention and wake him up, only for Survivor to ignore it all.
Survivor is there to ensure Cale's physical wellbeing-to help him survive, not to help him live (because yes there is a difference)
Cale is so trustworthy because he’s very good at payment. Exchanging “equal” goods, even if they may not seem equal in his eyes. He sees his own priorities as more important and naturally thinks that he’s ripping off the other person, when actually they are likely benefitting as much or more as Cale himself. Even in something like emotional stability or feelings of safety and security. He doesn’t always give visible benefits, and helping them out is usually not inconvenient for them. In a similar way, his tasks aren’t usually inconvenient, and the benefits he receives are for the future and inconceivable to anyone without context.
He has very low empathy, in that regard. In most regards, actually. He can sacrifice himself, and manipulate people, and use his glib tongue, but his actually empathy is extremely low. Even when everyone is openly concerned for him— he doesn’t recognize it. It’s “weird.” “Disturbing.” He gets put off by people looking at his with admiration, because, he doesn’t feel like he did anything amazing? He just said a few well words? Why is everyone looking at him like he just something profound?
He’s smart, but he can’t easily connect to outsiders feelings. He does and says when he wants to— and predicting the outcome is his specialty— except when it comes to positivity. He prepares for the negative, he anticipates it.
He just… doesn’t understand how to comprehend when it’s not seeing him in a bad light.
Rereading Trash of the Count’s Family has really given me insight into the perspectives of the people around him. The first time is like walking in blind, because Cale describes their expressions and actions- but the narrative doesn’t dive into their emotions or past, so we’re left in the dark for why their expressions and actions are significant.
Very happy about finally understanding the depth of these characters, and the hidden meaning to Cales actions and how it affects them.
About Kim Rok Soo’s abilities (spoiler alert for chapters 356+)
Have you guys ever noticed that all of Kim Rok Soo’s abilities that are revealed are related to time?
Record: Allows KRS to have perfect recollection of the past
Instant: Being able to move beyond human limitations in the present
I wonder if his other abilities are also related to time. Maybe he has one that is related to the future.
Every day I wake up thinking about how Cale's transition from hunk to twink is revolutionary.
Like, in other isekai, you get those plain dudes who turn into cute twinks sure, but it's instant. They transmigrate, and it's a new skin bag for them. They didn't earn that prettiness. They just up and died, and god decided to bless them.
Cale had to be lazy during war time and twinkify himself. He said god is useless, and he had to roll up his own sleeves for it.
I think that's powerful.
Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP
(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)
An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:
(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)
I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:
IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.
You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:
HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:
First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.
Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.
Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.
In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.
In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:
I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.
In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.
Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.
Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!
NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!
Krs!cale came from a world where food was scarce and you'd probably die if you're picky...
Imagine everyone just shouting in shock when he drops a cookie and immediately squats down, looks at it for 2 seconds, and then pops it into his mouth.
After that??? They watch him like hawks because he's basically a toddler putting random things into his mouth... Like you can't tell me his old habits wouldn't kick in sometimes and he wouldn't dig up some random wild carrot or smth and just smack some dirt off before taking a bite. Ron would literally have to take it away.. and you know the little kid thing where the parents dust the dirt off the kids hands and stuff?? That.
Cale: I don't get why you guys are so against leaving me alone??? I'm grown .
Also Cale: (eating random bread off the ground)
Beacrox just , having a mental break down over how dirty it is and how many germs Cale must've ingested ...
I wanna write this fkdkfkdlg
Some old notes on three-point lighting 💡
You know what??
De-aged Cale where its roksoo right??
He's sitting there anxiously as the adults discuss what the do with him. It's happening again. He knows they're going to get rid of him like some old, unwanted toy.
His stomach gurgles and growls. He keeps his eyes trained on the shoes everyone is wearing, ears burning. How embarrassing... He's usually better than this.
He jumps when a pair of shoes move in front of him. It's hard to hear what's going on when the cotton in your ears keep blooming. Suddenly, he's face to face with an old man... whose smile is.. pretty scary. Not that he'll say anything about it though. He can't figure out where to place his eyes. Adults don't like it when he looks at them in the eyes. They say he's being defiant, that they don't like the way he looks at them. But then they don't like it when he doesn't look them in the eye, something about finding the situation unimportant. He doesn't know what to do... So his eyes jump from meeting the old man's and back to things around the room. Back and forth, back and forth.
"young master," the man starts, "why don't you follow my son to the kitchen? My son, Beacrox, will get you something good to eat."
Oh! He can do that. He's been in kitchens before, so he willed himself to meet the man's gaze one last time before giving a small, but firm nod. Then, he hops off the plush couch and trails after the guy who must be Beacrox.
This man is stoic looking and not much of a talker. It's okay though, he isn't much of a talker either. They walk in silence to the kitchen, he tries to keep his breathing in check as he jogs to keep pace with the man. His steps must be too loud though since the man turns towards him and then slows his pace. So nice!!
Even when they get there, the man still hasn't said anything. He stands at the doorway, unsure of what he's needed for. The kitchen is clean... Extremely clean. How will he earn his food? What is he supposed to be doing here??
We makes his way up to the counter where he finds a rag. That'll do!! He takes it and wets it in the sink before making his way back to the sitting area. He drops to his hands and knees and begins to scrub at the already clean floor. The adults at home say that even if it looks clean, it's never clean enough! So surely this should be enough to earn his keep.
He hears a clatter and startles as the knife falls to the floor. The man's face isn't stoic anymore. The man is mad?? Is he cleaning wrong?? Roksoo is scared.
The man storms up to him and begins to reach out towards him. Roksoo fails to hold back a flinch. He's messed up, adults don't like it when he's scared. He squeezed his eyes shut, in hopes of hurting less.
Nothing comes. The pain never comes. Only a warm hand on his head?? He slowly opens his eyes and meets Beacrox 's. There's nothing, but hurt and eager swirling in the man's eyes. Why's he sad? Roksoo doesn't understand.
"young master..." Beacrox sounds strained. Again with that weird title.
Roksoo wordlessly watches the chef try to string together words. His own throat feeling too clogged up to ask what he did wrong.
He manages though.
"why.. why are you sad?" His words come out like small croaks. It's getting hard to speak again. Adults don't like it when he can't speak.
Beacrox's eyes just fill with more hurt, hurt, hurt as he opens and closes his mouth uselessly.
He seems to figure out what he wants to say though.
"young master, why are you on the ground?" Beacrox keeps his voice soft, keeps his tone open and forgiving.
"I didn't know what else I could do," he confesses like he's sinned. His eyes make their way back to anything other than the other's.
Beacrox brews silently, waiting for his master to finish his thoughts. Beacrox doesn't like where this is going.
"how else can I earn.." roksoo's palms feel sweaty where they're clenched at his sides.
"I don't deserve food yet," roksoo's words are firm and believing as he meets Beacrox's eyes.
The man's eyes seem to tremble as he processes what roksoo had said.
(Beacrox wants to skin whoever taught his young master this. He wants to make them beg for the sweet release of death as he slowly guides them towards it. Having them teeter on the edge of death and consciousness).
He snaps out of thought, saving them for later. The others will be hearing of this, they can all come up with the plans together.
"young master," Beacrox hopes his words will reach the boys heart, "you deserve everything."
He watches as the boy takes his bottom lip captive between his teeth. How the boy clenches at the hems of his shirt and tries to calm his breathing. How the boy is trying to blink away tears, but is failing.
"you are worthy" he whispers, removing a glove to pat roksoo's head. Beacrox looks seconds away from jumping back and escaping. Roksoo let's put a shaky laugh at the thought.
Right now it's hard to believe, but.. he wants to. He wants to believe that Beacrox is right. He'll try...
But he still follows Beacrox back to the counter and begs to help. He feels too antsy not doing anything.
All he's handed is a small bowl of snacks and he's told his job is to finish them by the time the meal is done cooking. He feels his heart swell. Roksoo feels like his heart is doing flips in his chest. He feels so safe.
-
Feeling like I probably post too much on this,, but I will.. continue. :)
Cale, upon feeling the sensation of something like a parents warm hand, immediately deduces that danger must be nearby and that it isn’t to be trusted
That’s super depressing wtf
Don't lose your wallet in the forest, young hero.
Lmao there was a comment on a chapter of King’s Maker that went “It’s always the redheads that cause the chaos” and someone simply replied with “Cale Henituse” and everyone was agreeing with them. No questions asked none needed
The Soo Trio & Earth Abilities
Let's talk about Earth Abilities for a moment, shall we?
It's been a long-standing debate in the fandom whether Cale has more Abilities than just 2. Of course now it’s at least 3, since he got Embrace from Lee Soo Hyuk. However, just like how the area where Cale and the others live was never called “the whole world”, merely “the two Continents” implies that there might be more continents in that world, Kim Rok Soo had never been stated to have “2 abilities”. Instead, he was called a “Multiple Ability User”.
It was especially worth noticing when OG Cale!Kim Rok Soo was talking with Choi Jung Soo about it. He said he was getting hang of his new Abilities, but Choi Jung Soo warned him that Kim Rok Soo was a “multiple Ability User” and that his Abilities were hard to master.
Furthermore, it appears that Abilities evolve over time, as in the beginning of the cataclysm, most people seemed to have only 1 Ability per person – Park Jin Tae was an unusual case, and thus kept it a secret.
What form Abilities take highly depends on the person’s personality and interest. For example, there was person at Kim Rok Soo’s shelter who used to be a music major, and her ability allowed her to project her voice for others to hear from far away.
Kim Rok Soo’s first Ability was Record. Which fits his personality of someone who has excellent memory and is able to process all information to his advantage. His second Ability, gained after years of working for the Company, was Instant. Yet again, it fits with how desperately he wished to rush in and save his team. He’s also someone who breaks the rules to achieve his goals no matter what it takes, so no wonder his Ability allowed him to transcend time itself.
Unlike Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo, who tragically died quite young, Kim Rok Soo lived to his late 30’s. He had time to develop more Abilities afterwards. I don’t have valid theories about what his third Ability could potentially be. I suspect it was probably something passive, such as “Perseverance” or something. Perhaps it’s an Ability that allows him to stay conscious for as long as he needs to in order to accomplish something. It’s a wild shot, but it’s as good of a guess as any. There haven’t been any clear hints about that yet. Perhaps I’m wrong, and it’s all just red herring – maybe Kim Rok Soo just had 2 Abilities all along and that was it.
Let’s talk about Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo for a moment, shall we?
Lee Soo Hyuk is a fascinating case. He’s clearly someone special. He doesn’t seem to be a Single-Lifer – because he naturally reincarnated after his death. And yet, even Monsters recognize he is someone unusual. He is a natural-born hero: he has the charisma, the skills, and the ideals of one. And his first unnamed Ability was incredibly strong – it allowed him to cut through anything. The power was described to be eerily silent, cutting through the air itself.
...And that Ability previously belonged to Choi Jung Gun, aka. Nelan Barrow, the first Dragon Slayer.
Why the heck Choi Jung Gun decided to hand this ability to Lee Soo Hyuk is a mystery. He doesn't exactly strike me as a generous type. I’m very curious to learn about that story in the future. For now, I just assume Choi Jung Gun saw potential in Lee Soo Hyuk (there was implication that he’s able to see some ‘Threads of Fate’ during his meeting with Cale in the Sloth Test) and decided he should have it due some circumstances.
After getting that Ability, Lee Soo Hyuk developed Embrace. We know Embrace came second, because he did not use it in the Sealed God’s Test, despite going against an Unranked Monster and giving his all. It was also a very peculiar and unusual Ability – it was even able to seal a God!! That is no small issue, Lee Soo Hyuk’s Abilities are all busted!!! No wonder he was such a big deal in Korea.
And finally, we get to Choi Jung Soo. He’s the one I really wanted to talk about from the start.
You see, we all forget that Kim Rok Soo was not expected to be the successor of Lee Soo Hyuk. In fact, everyone in the Company expected it to be Choi Jung Soo. Considering how incredibly skilled Kim Rok Soo was, that’s quite a big deal.
Choi Jung Soo gave Choi Han his Miru Ability – his own variation of it being the White Miru – but looking at Lee Soo Hyuk and Kim Rok Soo, it becomes obvious that he must have had another Ability.
And that’s where chapters 580 & 581 come in.
Cale meets Choi Jung Soo and is incredibly happy to see him. Choi Jung Soo is naturally wary of the person who has Rank 1 Monsters such as the Dark Tiger following him. Cale then thinks this:
“‘He’s wary of me again.’ He could tell that Choi Jung Soo was quite wary of him. That was why Choi Jung Soo was focusing his gaze on him instead of the monster Alberu or Choi Han who had a sword on his side. Cale could tell that Choi Jung Soo's ‘intuition’ was still there after seeing Choi Jung Soo be wary when he was trying to speak as warmly as possible.”
Choi Jung Soo, on the other hand, thinks this:
“The fact that such a person had recognized him through foresight was shocking, and it was weird that he was being so friendly. He also found something weird about himself as well. ‘...I don’t feel any wariness toward him.’ Choi Jung Soo had been quite tense since the world became like this. It was because he was weak. This world was now one where the weak could be preyed upon by the strong at any moment. But for some odd reason, he didn't feel any wariness toward this man named Kim Rok Soo even after hearing how strong he is. Choi Jung Soo found that the current situation was even more chaotic as he had never felt this way before.”
Choi Jung Soo feels wary NOT because he’s distrustful towards Cale. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. He’s wary BECAUSE he’s not feeling distrustful, and finds that very strange!
Don’t you see what this is??
This is, yet again, foreshadowing, my friends! Choi Jung Soo has an ‘Intuition’ Ability!!
It makes a lot of sense! His first Ability wasn’t the White Miru – because when Choi Han starts training him, he doesn’t have that yet. Choi Jung Soo recognizes Choi Han’s style as familiar, but not the Ability itself. It should have been a dead giveaway if Choi Jung Soo used the same-looking dragon power.
Park Jin Tae had a similar Ability, which allowed him to recognize individual’s strength based on the pressure they gave off. I think Choi Jung Soo’s Ability has less to do with strength, and more with intent. Especially because he thinks this regarding Choi Han:
“Choi Jung Soo realized something at that moment. They had said that Choi Han was the strongest person in the group. ‘But why-’ For some very weird reason... ‘Do I have even less wariness toward this person than even Kim Rok Soo?’ Choi Han was standing there with a stoic expression, but it did not seem threatening at all to Choi Jung Soo. It didn't seem to be because Choi Han was younger than Choi Jung Soo. ‘What is going on?’ Cale continued to speak as Choi Jung Soo became even more confused while looking at Cale and Choi Han.”
Choi Jung Soo feels completely safe with Cale and Choi Han, which confuses him extremely. Those individuals are the strongest, and yet, he feels absolutely no ill intent from them.
That is no mystical connection, or Choi Jung Soo recognizing Choi Han as his family... That is not at all what is going on here. Choi Jung Soo’s logic dictates that he should feel wariness towards the two strongest individuals, and yet his Ability is telling him: “Those two are Completely Safe. You can Trust Them.” Because both Cale and Choi Han love him already as family, even though he doesn’t know them. That must have been very confusing.
I am very looking forward to Choi Jung Soo reuniting with Cale and Choi Han in the Murim world later. I am very sure we will learn more about his Intuition Ability there. I’m convinced such an Ability would be very useful for recognizing allies and forming a rebel group to fight against the Hunters.
Do not underestimate the subtle powers. After all, Cale’s Record was able to change the fate of multiple worlds so far.
So, there you have it! All known Abilities of the Soos:
Lee Soo Hyuk: “Slashing” Ability (received from CJG), Embrace (given to Cale)
Kim Rok Soo: Record, Instant, possible third Ability
Choi Jung Soo: “Intuition” Ability, White Miru
Kris and Asriel but dressed as Marlo and Yawzee from Super Smashing Fighters
Don't Forget - Games aren't real!
I'm late, but Happy 4 years of LCF!! 🥳
To celebrate, I redrew one of the first pieces I've ever made for this fandom! Both the novel and I have come a long way TvTb