Only I Am A Reader

"As expected from the son of an outsider, you have no talent!"

Denied the right to choose, the daughter of the grand Namgung Family Head persistently eloped with the man she loved… That was how Namgung Geochin came to be.

Despite living a simple life in hiding, happiness endlessly filled the family's days. However, even whatever little they had didn't last for long.

An ominous disaster! Given no choice when an enemy emerging from her husband's unknown past threatened their life, Namgung Ryeong could only crawl back to the Namgung Family, collapsing before their gate as she held onto the child drenched in blood.

"This disgrace only dares to return in this state?"

The Namgung Family Head almost renounced his daughter out of anger, but he was genuinely worried about her. Although it was still impossible for him to accept her marriage to a nobody, she was still his beloved daughter. In fact, it was only because he turned a blind eye to them that they managed to live in hiding.

Unfortunately, the chance for a true reunion never came to be. Even with the support of the grand family's Elixir supply, Namgung Ryeong only remained unconscious for days before… silently passing away.

'It's all his fault!'

Rather than treating the child she saved with love as Namgung Ryeong herself would have wanted, the enraged Family Head channeled all the blame to him. Wasn't it this child's father that caused his daughter's death? Wasn't it to save him that she suffered those life-threatening wounds?

"Trash!"

To make it worse, the child's talent in swordsmanship, the Namgung Family's pride, was close to null! Even when his wife begged the Family Head to give him a chance for their daughter's sake, Geochin proved to be worthy of his name, a rough board that one would find hard to write on, other forms of martial arts were just as ineffective.

"Did you grow senile before this old man? You dare bully my cute great-grandchild?"

As if blessed by luck, Geochin's took a turn for the better. Before he got to have a true taste of suffering, the former Family Head came out of seclusion, scolding his son for being heartless. In a fit of anger, he stormed out of their base with Geochin in toe, promising to make it up for him…

Like a bumpy road that had its ups and downs, the great grandfather-grandchild duo's happy roaming life didn't last long either. The former Family Head's life was already approaching its end. Things would have been different if he broke through to the next stage, but his premature emergence had sealed his fate.

"I'm sorry…"

Once again, the enemies that had been waiting for their chance bounced on their elderly prey. The Murim Alliance's reinforcements appeared to rebel the Evil Factions' hounds, but all they could do was bring the comatose outcast back to the Namgung Family…

No one cared about the cursed child that was always brought to death wherever he went other than his grandmother. However, contrary to what most people in the family hoped, the past didn't repeat itself.

'Where is this?'

Unlike his mother, Geochin miraculously woke up from his coma like a tenacious seed that managed to spring from under hard rocks. As one would expect, no one welcomed this unexpected reversal.

'Why?'

If he was slightly oppressed at first, the Geochin whose death streak had increased was even more bullied and hated! The Namgung Family's strength fell with the death of the former Family Head that acted as a great deterrent to their enemies, and everyone blamed the one who took away his chance to escape.

'Why did it happen…'

However, unknown to the family members who found joy in tormenting the boy and taking their anger out on him, this wasn't even the same person.

'Why did it happen if this was all I was going to get?'

The only reason that Geochin had managed to wake up was the fact that a transmigrator had taken his place. As a natural 'transmigration benefit', he managed to escape life-threatening danger.

'Wouldn't have been better if that was the end?'

Geochin hated it! He hated the fact that he transmigrated from the modern society into the hierarchical society of murim! Although his past life was eventless like that of a bug, he at least managed to get by till he died from his chronic disease at the age of 17. He didn't have to get tormented for things that he didn't cause or a lack of talent that he had no say in!

Without much to expect, the boy barely held back from ending his own life. The new memories that didn't belong to him bestowed him with some hope for the future…

As soon as he reached the age where he could rely on himself, Geochin was to be expelled from the family, something that he was unaffected by. Although it would be hard to survive on his own, wouldn't the constant bullying finally come to an end?

"You won't even let me go?!"

Reality turned out to be crueler when the descendants of his generation chased him with the intent to kill him on the day of his departure, destroying the last drop of hope that he had! It was only when he almost fell to his death that he experienced what it was like to be lucky for the first time…

<Pitiful Descendant, I will help you>

'This…'

Other than that moment of surprise, this was the second time that Geochin's heart beat this fast, the gray life that he had to go through suddenly turned colorful at the sight of the pale face outlined by the flowing ink-like hair, the tinge of rid hidden in her eyes instantly stole all of his focus.

'There you are.'

Seeing the absentminded gray-robed youth, Leo's eyes squinted into focus. Without a doubt, this haggard-looking youth was none other than the top figure on his kill list… The world-rejecting protagonist, Namgung Geochin.