Survival Diary Of Transmigrator

The Moment Darkness Bloomed...

After emerging from the dense forest, Jiho spent a considerable amount of time searching for a suitable host—someone surrounded by dark auras. He had come across three people in total, but the young man currently sleeping before him, around 25 years old, seemed to be the most fitting choice.

Observing him throughout the night, Jiho confirmed that the man was a gang member tasked with collecting protection fees. The dark auras clinging to his body weren't too different from those Jiho had seen on the Hunter he had encountered before. Moreover, with no apparent obstacles in his way, taking over his body seemed easy enough.

Yet, despite the opportunity, Jiho found himself hesitating. A lingering fragment of his humanity resisted the idea. Wouldn't possessing this body mean destroying the young man's soul entirely?

"It'll be fine... This guy isn't a good person anyway. At the very least, I can use his body to do something good," Jiho muttered to himself, trying to suppress his guilt.

But deep down, he knew the truth—his current situation left him no room for moral dilemmas. It was a simple matter of survival: kill or be killed.

If given the choice, Jiho would rather take over an empty vessel—a lifeless body devoid of a soul. He didn't want someone else to suffer because of him. However, bodies without living souls were nothing more than empty husks. The moment life leaves a person, their bodily functions cease, making possession meaningless. All he'd be left with was a decaying shell.

Suppressing his emotions, Jiho steeled himself and merged into the sleeping young man's body.

This was his third time doing it, and by now, the process had become easier. Unlike before, Jiho didn't rush to take control of the physical body. Instead, he focused on the young man's inner self, diving deep into the recesses of his subconscious. His soul reached into the deepest layers of the young man's mind, where lingering memories floated like fragments of a shattered mirror.

Slowly, he began to merge with the young man's essence, his own soul intertwining with what remained of the original occupant's spirit.

Jiho prepared himself for the resistance he would face from the young man's spirit. The moment he initiated the merging, a wave of memories and emotions surged into him, like a violent torrent that could not be stopped. He saw fragmented scenes—harsh childhood memories, moments of rebellion, and the deep bitterness of a life lived on the fringes of society. Each recollection carried the young man's emotions—anger, regret, fleeting moments of joy—and they pushed back violently, fighting Jiho's presence with all their strength.

The resistance was far stronger than he had anticipated. He felt the young man's will clawing at him, attempting to expel the foreign force invading his soul. It wasn't just resistance; it was survival instinct, raw and primal. For a moment, Jiho faltered, almost overwhelmed by the force of the young man's emotions. But then the Dark Energy within him flared, seeping into every corner of the young man's consciousness. It smothered the resistance like a thick fog, pressing down until the struggling soul's movements became weaker and weaker.

"It's not your fault," Jiho muttered under his breath, though the words were more for himself than for the fading soul. "This is just the way things have to be."

Gradually, the young man's resistance crumbled. His soul, though tenacious, was no match for the Dark Energy coursing through Jiho. Piece by piece, the fragmented memories and emotions retreated into silence, leaving behind an eerie stillness. Jiho could feel his essence settling deeper into the body, filling the void left by the subdued spirit. He took a cautious breath, testing the connection. For the first time, he could move the young man's fingers. They twitched slightly, the movement sluggish and awkward, like a marionette controlled by an unskilled puppeteer.

"Not bad," Jiho thought to himself, though he could feel the strain. Every movement required intense focus, as though he were trying to operate a machine with unfamiliar controls. He clenched the young man's fists, then opened them, the movements becoming smoother with each attempt. Yet, walking or performing more complex actions still felt out of reach.

Over the next several hours, he worked tirelessly, repeatedly attempting to synchronize with the body. Each small victory—curling a finger, lifting an arm—brought him closer to full control. But progress was slow, and his frustration grew. The young man's body, though subdued, still seemed to resist fully bending to his will.

Finally, after what felt like countless painstaking attempts, something shifted. His connection to the body deepened, as if the last barrier had finally been breached. He stood up unsteadily, his movements clumsy but functional. He stretched out his arms and flexed his fingers, marveling at the sensation of control.

"Got it," Jiho said with a satisfied grin, his voice now resonating through the young man's vocal cords. The sound was rougher, deeper than his original voice, but it felt right. It was his voice now.

For a moment, Jiho simply stood there, adjusting to the sensation of inhabiting a new body. The young man's memories lingered faintly, like echoes at the back of his mind. Jiho pushed them aside. There would be time to sort through them later. For now, he had a body, and it was his to command.

"Let's see what you can do," Jiho muttered, taking his first confident step forward. The world around him felt sharper, more vivid, as though the young man's body was still adjusting to the presence of his dark, foreign soul. A faint smile played on Jiho's lips.

After struggling tirelessly through the night, Jiho finally gained full control of the body when the first light of dawn touched the sky. However, having solved the most critical problem, he felt an unexpected lightness in his mind. After all, wasn't this his second chance at life?

"Ah..." The headache that suddenly overwhelmed him was so intense that Jiho lost his grip on control and collapsed to the ground, his knees buckling. The joy he had felt from regaining life had completely faded. This was the third time he had gone through this. In fact, the moment he had entered the Soul Realm, the headache had started. The pain had intensified each time, growing more unbearable with every passing moment.

This time, the headache lasted nearly two minutes—longer than the previous instances. When the pain finally subsided, Jiho was left reeling from the torment. It took him a while to regain his strength.

As he rested, trying to recover, his gaze unconsciously shifted to his right hand. There, on his right index finger, was a dark ring, a symbol that had been absent when he was in the Soul Realm. Wasn't this the same mark that had disappeared when the ring was lost?

Why had this mark reappeared now, after it had vanished during his travels as a spirit?

Jiho's heart rate quickened. The ring—was it related to his death? The headaches he had been experiencing so frequently were surely linked to that ring in some way.

Though he hadn't had the opportunity to study it before, things were different now. As the woman had said, the first trial of the system was set to begin tonight. With the red hues of dawn still lingering in the sky, Jiho knew he had a full day ahead of him.

Thus, he began to study the dark ring. His first attempt was to touch it with his hand.

Nothing unusual happened…

Next, he tried to connect with it through his mind, but the result was the same—nothing.

What was he supposed to do with this ring? He tried many methods, but every attempt seemed to lead nowhere.

It seemed that striving to control the Dark Energy would be far more meaningful. As for the ring, it would be best to wait until he encountered the woman again to ask her about it.

With this thought, Jiho closed his eyes and focused all his attention on the Dark Energy.

Dark Energy…

At first, Jiho didn't fully understand what it was. All he knew was what Ji-Hoon had mentioned in the Soul Realm, which he had taken at face value. But now, through the memories shown to him by the woman, he had learned a great deal more.

This power, as it turned out, wasn't like Light and Dark, or Yin and Yang, balanced opposites coexisting together. Instead, it was a force that had been seeping into the cosmos from beyond for countless years. Over such a long period of time, it had spread across the entire cosmos.

Although the origins of Dark Energy remain unknown, this power can merge with everything and possesses the ability to erode. Over the long course of time, many have attempted to control and use this energy. However, as time passed, most of them lost their ability to maintain control over themselves due to spiritual corruption, and their minds were overtaken by thoughts of destruction.

That's why, in later years, the Fate-bearers—those who stood at the peak of the cosmos—classified it as a forbidden power and prohibited its use. In simple terms, places like the Soul Realms were created to seal the Dark Energy and prevent it from posing a threat to the living world.

Each Realm had its corresponding Soul Realm, designed specifically to keep Dark Energy contained. The names of these realms might differ, but the goal was the same: to seal Dark Energy.

Though Dark Energy corrupts the soul of most, Jiho was different. During his time in the Soul Realm, he encountered numerous Dark Energies swirling around him, all because of the mysterious black ring he wore.

Other spirits would have been overwhelmed by this much energy, losing control of themselves, but for Jiho, it fueled him. It gave him clarity, making him more focused than before. His vision sharpened, and his strength grew.

This is why, even knowing the dangers and restrictions placed upon it, he continued trying to control and utilize it.

After about 15 minutes of intense concentration, Jiho felt something new—a powerful energy flowing through his body. The unexpected and satisfying result caused him to become fully absorbed in it, and he continued to experiment further.

"Dark Energy…"

As if in response to his thoughts, the Dark Energy surged violently. The result was satisfying for him, and his mind seemed to melt into it, overwhelmed by its presence.

A few hours later, Jiho began to understand how to utilize the Dark Energy. The only method he discovered was enhancing his physical strength. He could feel the energy reinforcing his muscles, making his movements quicker and more precise.

Excited by his newfound ability, Jiho thought…

With this power, surely I'll have a better chance of surviving the first trial of the system starting tonight, right?

The only remaining important task was to study the world he was currently in before the trial began. It wasn't a difficult task. With his young body's residual memories, he only needed to review and adjust what was necessary, and he would be ready.

"Guuuu…"

Lost in thought, a sudden growl from his stomach brought a smile to Jiho's face.

The hunger... That feeling was a symbol of life itself. Having never experienced such hunger while existing as a spirit, after coming back to life, he had completely forgotten about the need to eat.

How could he live without feeding his stomach? Looking at the clock on the table, it was already noon (12:37 PM). In his attempt to control the Dark Energy, the whole morning had passed without him realizing it.

Opening the fridge, he pulled out some eggs and vegetables, preparing to eat. After eating, he refreshed himself with a shower. Then, through the young man's memories, he studied things related to this world, preparing himself for the first test of the system that would begin when night fell.

End - 10