- #1
By this point in the story I'm very pleased with this webnovel. While the translation could use some work, the author tends to use a lot of Korean pop culture references and internet slang which understandably makes translating it difficult.The general world setting depicted in the story is a mixture of the common "gate", "dungeon", "tower", and "apocalypse" tropes we've seen countless times by now in mainstream Korean webnovels. How the author uses the setting honestly isn't that new or unique but they do nicely show the reader bits and pieces of their world building in entertaining ways. Here the author has added a chat-like feature where awakened individuals can communicate with those of similar rank both domestically and globally. It gives the reader a neat little look into the world around the main character, reactions to events in the story, and a small community around the main character so that they aren't totally isolated. While it's not unique I particularly liked how they handled that aspect of the story.The MC is the real draw of this story. Normally I hate stories where a character is granted OP power and then sits there doing nothing with it. You see a lot of those types of stories in the isekai genre and they generally aren't enjoyable to read without strong character-building. Thankfully there are plenty of strongly defined characters in this story, not just the MC. The MC, Zio, is funny and endearing in how cat-like she is and by the end of the first arc you might (like me) have the startling realization that she's wormed her way into your heart.Zio, or Jo as her alias is known, is a character who is set on being unnoticed and living a normal life despite her great power and kingly disposition. Unlike characters who have this type of trope however she isn't a pushover and strongly follows her own desires. She is lazy, gluttonous, a bit of a troll, and capricious but also a dutiful daughter who cares deeply for her family and those she has a responsibility for. By the end of the first arc you'll have an understanding of why she is trying to live a normal life. She is a character suffering from great trauma and chained down by a promise to her mother she is trying to keep no matter what.Despite all of this Jo is a seriously cool character and it's really interesting to read about her struggles and how everyone around her reacts to her antics.
