In this new world he couldn't hear very well and as he opened his eyes he could only detect some motion and light. Yet not at a very level, he could make out the face of a man who's quite plump which he figures to be his father.
Then he was placed into the arms of his mother who was very weak from the birth of her baby. Then the mother began speaking something in korean with a very warm tongue, which he doesn't quite make sense of.
Laying in the bed inside the nursery room Tony decided in his heart, 'In this world I'm Duke from now on. I'll never let anyone bully me like they did in that story. No one shall lay even a finger on me!'
*Now the MC will be referred as Duke
In this new world, Duke quickly grew fluent in understanding the korean language within two months of his parents teaching him the basics at home. And took his first step at 7 months and spoke his first audible syllables at 8 months.
Besides his grandma which Duke frequently sees on a regular basis, his parents are always busy at work. One day at age 5 his parents had a car crash which really impacted Duke's perspective on life despite being an adult and having undergone death.
Standing with his tiny body peering down at the two caskets, a sense of sadness still reached his heart. Even though they are not his true parents, there are still many feelings that are attached over the years.
Breathing a small sigh Duke's eyes looks slightly misty, 'When death commands, thy can only follow.' In the funeral gathering there was only his grandma and there were no other relatives that came to say goodbye.
Steering his eyes upwards Duke slightly scoffs at the commonalities in both worlds, 'Where there's wealth, there are friends. Where there's poverty, there are none.' His grandma was on her knees sobbing at how her child has left this world earlier than herself.
Duke still remembers how in the future her grandmother would still be working and selling rice cakes and udon in her tiny stall. He made a commitment, 'I will never allow anyone to treat my grandma like Vin Jin. I'll take care of this family from today forward.'
For the next year Duke did 100 pushups, 100 sit ups, 100 squats, and a 10km everyday. Although at the beginning it was very difficult for a 5 year old to do. However, the help of his high Soul Power increased his body's composition which allowed him to adjust to it after a few months.
So by the time he started first grade he had increased that number to 500 pushups, 500 sit ups, 500 squats, while maintaining the 10k. Today after finishing the 10km run and got home to take a shower, he clenched his fist to feel the newfound strength that is coursing through his body.
The amazing strength is almost unbelievable for a 6 years old. Not only is he much stronger than the original Duke he's also much more lean for his young age. Although there's not much muscle development at this stage.
After getting out of the shower, it is time to eat breakfast. In comparison to the original home in Lookism this home is much more comfortable. Instead of saving the money from the insurance in an account Duke convinced his grandmother to allow him to use the money for a desktop computer.
And from there Duke spent much of his time during this year to write a popular English book called "The Shining". Despite having an eidetic memory of every word in the book it was still quite difficult and took him 5 months to translate into Korean.
And at first he thought of commissioning the book to US publishing houses. But realize it is much less efficient in this period of time since the internet is still not largely popular. Hence it might be difficult to send the manuscript.
And after sending out the manuscript to a popular korean publishing housing under an anonymous name it was well received. Furthermore the popularity of The Shining spread like a wildfire across South Korea.
Now everybody wants to know who this mysterious author is. But Duke doesn't care about being an author and chose to focus on creating additional. After 3 months he also published the 2nd part of the series, and was able to gather enough money for his grandma to quit her stall business.
As Duke went into the kitchen he saw his grandma already prepared breakfast for him. Seeing her beloved grandson she smiled and said, "You must be hungry Duke. Have something to eat before going to school."
She's the last relative in this world and Duke feels eternally grateful to have her by his side, "Thanks Grand, I'll just walk to school today you don't have to walk me. I'll make sure to watch before crossing the street."
His grandma smiling at her now grown independent grandchild, "Ho ho, looks like Duke is all grown up now." She knows that her dear grandchild is very mature for his age and can do many unbelievable things. From an early age he is already a very responsible child.
As Duke walked to the elementary school and looked at all these children with their parents he cannot help but be a little reminiscent, 'If my parents were alive they would also be with me now.' Seeing all the smiling little faces he can't help but feel hopeful for this new beginning.