In the early stage of the story you might think this is a reincarnation plot where the MC makes use of his future knowledge to become op and the main character has the exact same misconception.

In fact it wouldn't matter how many chances he had, he wouldn't magically become a different person just because he had a second chance. And this is where the core of the story comes into play, despite being a mix of fantasy settings where the MC is a cultivator, it's actually be a long time... more>> before he even touches the realm of fantasy capability. This is a story about a young boy overcoming his past self, his inferiority complex and his fate through self reflecting to improve as a person, though persistent effort to reach his goals and constantly moving forward to make something out of his second life.

The story is at its strongest when the MC falters in his path, those human moments where the empty talk shatters as it rightly should and the MC grows a little as a person as he redefines the vague ideals for ideals with real direction.

The experiences MC has highlight how human he is, that he isn't perfect and makes mistakes. The fact that he has both constructive and destructive thoughts makes him shine when many other mc's seem to either be moral Jesus or outright evil for no reason.

In the later parts of the story it becomes more battle and romance (don't worry, no harem) oriented, it is weak to strong after all. While the battles are good, the outcomes don't usually leave the realm of expectation and people tend to enter combat in a rather direct manner without much care for preparation or location.

Overall it's a good read and I highly recommend it. <<less

• I can see why people like it, but I can also see why people hate it. It is an interesting fusion of several genres. The one that most people would be caught up on is probably xianxia. There are many ways people can get stronger in this world. There's magic, martial arts, mercenaries, litches, etc. The cultivation part was very unobtrusive at first, even though the main character is a cultivator. However, as time goes on you arrive in a nation that is literally right out of a Chinese novel, young masters and all. I can't say I'm a huge fan.
  There was a chapter where the MC had an enlightenment moment that made me cringe so hard that I physically got itchy.
  These new developments make me wary of the future of the story. There was a decent enough mystery as well as a definite goal the MC was striving for. However, in the past ten chapters my opinion of the story has dropped from a strong 5 to a weak 4. With how fast it changed, I'm not confident in it just yet.
  Read at your own risk. Also, though I won't name names, this translation had been dropped and picked up more times than any other story I know. One of these websites has terrible translation quality.

Can I just say, I consider myself a veteran when it comes to second chance novels. And it's always the same. Man goes back to the past and immediately becomes OP in some way or the other. Usually, he knows high level techniques or has some kind of divine artifact with him. Of course he always has some kind of highly specific knowledge that can make him filthy rich.

This is different. Period. The MC is basically a talentless hack with a severe inferiority complex. Initially, he doesn't have much ambition... more>> and just wants a slightly better life.

When he gets high level techniques, he can't master them easily because well... he is a talentless hack.

But he meets people who change him and he struggles to overcome his past mentality. He takes the hard path because he doesn't have convenient plot armour.

This is slowly becoming one of my favourite novels.

5 stars <<less

Japanese beta MC on a korean novel. All he does is complain about his lack of talent. Author, show me these things, don't tell me.

This is the most dim witted protagonist I've come across in a while. He keeps whining about how untalented he is every other chapter, believes the future is set in stone, and acts like his physical age. He doesn't really have any redeeming quality, I'm not sure if he gets better later on in the story but at this point he really is an annoying MC.

One of the best setting of the time travel theme novel

If you like a talented/genius/very smart/easy going/positive/cheat/dense MC dont read this

Read this if you want growing personalty/logical/hardship story/normal MC (no BS kind of weak to strong)

The MC is not a genius and dont have a cheat, he just a normal people who got so many experience in his previous life and using it to become better. No high goal, just be better than his previous life. In his past life he got so many bad experience like a lackey.... more>> This time by remembering all those experience he using it to become better.

For people who badmouthing the MC cause he think like a pessimist, you all cant feel the story, can you imagine got into a different world where everybody stronger and you just a tr*sh, and do all thing just to become better tr*sh but die in the middle? I bet you cannot, the MC way of thinking is very logical and not annoying at all, he still face enemy normally, he still kill people and monster normally, and not a coward. He just think he cant be as good as a genius, and that is VERY LOGICAL. He also doesnt think everything negatively, he sometimes hope to become a genius by getting a great skill, but still his talent is lacking. No its not a story about some BS talent/genius people but a story of hardship and unshakable will of a person. He isnt some kind of crazy murderer, crazy money seeking or any crazy something person who become good because they have an insane mind. He just want to become better as a normal person, and he did it step by step.

Spoiler

At first he just want to be better than his previous life, but in the way he meet a genius (friend) who challenge him to become more than that. The MC is so humiliated by the genius words and promise he will beat the genius. In that way, the MC way of life change, and he has a new goal. On the way he doing the unthinkable training and face so much hardship and got help by so many people. Then his story as a real magnate begin. His personality as an individual grow more and more as the story goes. No he dont do it himself, he got help by other individual stronger that himself and by their advice, he grows.

[collapse]

<<less

Great novel about a guy struggling to fix his past mistakes - and unlike other novels (Rebirth of the Thief That Roamed the World comes to mind) he isn't an OP genius right off the bat. So many novels push the idea that the MC was super mediocre and normal in their past life, then they reincarnate and become godly geniuses for some reason (I Am the Monarch is another offender). In this novel, the MC makes relationships that didn't exist before, puts in real effort instead of the typical... more>> "Okay, I know where this OP broken artifact/treasure/weapon is and I'll take it easily and become super OP". There's still a little bit of that, but to a very small degree (I think in 62 chapters it's happened twice? And the first one basically didn't even do anything).

Another plus is that there is very little filler. Other novels may spend dozens of chapters in each little area and waste a bunch of time with extraneous dialogue and shitty slapstick comedy. Not in this novel. Prepare for timeskips that are placed accordingly. <<less

This jack-ss MC is annoying as hell. He keeps on whining every dmn chapter about how untalented he is. It honestly comes off as bad writing, ffs the guy reincarnated -- he was reborn with a golden spoon (in terms of advantages compared to other people) in his mouth but feels inferior because it isnt a diamond spoon like the rest of the 0.000000000001% of the world. He's jealous but he doesnt even deserve the talent/opportunity to pursue anything since he doesnt even have a concrete goal lmao.. Oh lets... more>> not forget to mention that of those rare world shaking geniuses, 2 of those suddenly become his teachers and impart first class/apex techniques in the first 30 chapters. I mean cmon.. Instead of a 9999 yr old man its instead 13 yr old geniuses, its the same formula as most other novels -- just with a different wrapping. <<less

I'm tired of cliches so I rumage though a lot of novels here to find hidden gems, and boy was this a great find.

The MC is not OP, feels like a human-being we can relate with as if we're there. And there's real feels to it. There's no plot armor to protect him as he has to train hard and plow through the insecurity and inferiority of being talent-less amidst the jeers of others.

Please read this! It's really worth it.

This is a great second chance novel.

Pro

• The MC is believable : sufficiently mature, not unkind or a psycho, while not being overly genius to pass as a normal dude getting a second chance.
• All characters are kinda unique and well developed. The MC is really the underdog here, with many incredible geniuses around.
• Plot twists! There is a sense of mystery in the story, really interesting.

Con

• No romance (as of now), but maybe there will be later.
• The translation is good, but it needs an editor. Edit: the later chapters suffer from many groups translating a few chapters, with varying quality of translation, and of course each deciding on new terms compared to the first chapters for skills and levels. Very very annoying, this kills the pace of the story unfortunately. Edit 2 : I give up.

Still at 7 chapters but the premise is quite interesting. Will rate when more are out. Nothing extremely original but the world and characters are well written.

Unlike most second chances or regular Isekai novels, our MC is not overpowered. Weak but determined to survive with what he has; pragmatic and sensible. Usually having past memories is extremely advantageous, but since his past life was relatively unremarkable, the benefits it brings are toned down. Enough to give him an edge, but not a god.

Translation is done well and the world it's... more>> in is rather interesting. The few side characters aren't complete card board cutouts from the little interactions we see. I am looking forward to more chapters!

Edit: it has been a good ride! I always look forward to reading more about Sungmin. He is still very flawed as a character, but his strengths are really coming out now. He's a character you can't help but root for. In the span of 33 chapters you can actually see character growth in not just his strength but his perspective, his mind and his attitude towards things.

Other characters in the story are also interesting to read which gives this story that full experience. I highly recommend anyone give this a try! <<less

It addicting the novel, it too bad I don't understand Korean. It like a bottom of a pit & he trying to climb out. He believe his future in set from no class, but he slowly realizes it not. It to due to helps he recieves & prob luck or not.

This is a story about a useless guy having a second chance returning to the past but it seems to be a waste on him, he is so naive and childish (even a lil girl can see through him completely), his plan seems to be shitty to get stronger (he doesn't even know why he wants to be stronger except for his ego?) as it was low quality goals he was working for, all the better things he got were by people taking pity on him then teaching him their... more>> super skills which makes no sense, he isn't even soaciable or likeable as a person, the author hints that it has to do with his soul returning to the past?

Ah I almost forgot his only redeeming feature is hardwork, but it just make the story bitter since he got no talent and his average IQ. <<less

Well, i'll never update this review, so just consider that, if unchanged, this novel never disappointed me. Not going to go into details, others did that, but just know that it's one of those novel that you want to read. May be a different style for many, since there is no harem, yet (Cause yeah there will be one), and the MC is not strong at all, well before chapter 40. He learns quickly that others his age are unfathomably stronger than him. He learns that luck is the only... more>> think that he has. He experiences both sides of the world, one of the weak and poor, the other of the powerful and rich/famous. BUT, He is different of any common guy, as opposed to many other reviewers belief, he is second to none in perseverance. Well just read it, you'll like it. <<less

Possesing Nothing.. simple, catchy title. I read this novel with a simple hope of it not being a generic one, like the general novels that are flooding the community now and well, I was rewarded with this.

I'm sick of geniuses, I'm sick of cripples who are only geniuses in disguise, I'm fed up of the so called average but gained the lazy plot device 'cheats' or whatever you call em. A crippled MC will only become a genius, we all know it but what of an ordinary? Let me rephrase... more>> it, an above average not a genius who towers others but a true, bonafide above average. This is, Possesing Nothing.

In a sense the MC does possess something, of course. But if we look at the bigger picture and how he started this journey, he truly is... hollow, and when you come back to see the title of the novel after reading a certain amount of chapter you might also feel it's.. hollowness too. Yes the MC came back to time and he can reap rewards using his future knowledge but he simply possess nothing, even he come back in time, so what? He might be able to improve his life compared to his previous one but in the end, he is still 'nothing'.

What changed him is the people he met, he grew out of his shell, the 'shell' I'm talking about here is the mindset of averages. He challenged his limits and when I say challenged it's not just one line where the author mentions " he work harder than normal people, normal people would collapse at 10 tries but he did 100 " no, not some tr*sh lines like that but we actually get to see, feel and experience his hardships at least that's how I felt. Anyone can just write ' he worked like a madman bla bla bla ' but to get the people reading feel the hardships, that's something different altogether.

I saw someone saying him as the most dim witted MC he had ever seen, whining about his future and all. Well, I beg to differ. In fact I don't think this 'someone' understands the MC well enough, I don't think he understands the meaning of 'averages', I will not elaborate on that cuz there's no meaning cuz this review is not aimed at him. In fact, if the MC can change to a bright, optimistic person in 10 chapters then I'll be the one cursing the author instead. The world doesn't work that way. This is a novel, true but people always aim for realism in novels like this and I have to say it is one of the better ones I have seen.

Hmm.. in the end this feels less of a review and more of an impression. I won't put a TLDR even tho a lot of people would want that cuz they are lazy to read (even though this is a novel community) because a tldr simply can't capture what I said about this novel. It has it's flaws yes, but it's something I personally enjoy nonetheless. After swimming through countless of web novels my taste have more or less improved, it'll be harder to get an 8 out of me now but for this I'll place an 8.1 <<less

I normally drop second chance novels once the MC is sufficiently powerful because any problem just means doing his secret move bigger and better than the last time but for this LN the MC cant become some prodigy just because he's seen the future. When the MC does get something to help him it doesnt suddenly become a move he masters, the MC trains hard and toils to make himself stronger and will still be left behind. Obviously the MC will get strong at some point and even now hes... more>> at a level that would be considered skilled the world he is in, the key difference for this novel is it still feels like he could be easily overpowered by anyone with enough talent so there will always be grind towards being stronger. <<less

This is one of the few cultivation novels I like.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse with cultivation, but most cultivation novels is just get stronger with new names for things and get even stronger for no reason other than let's get stronger. It gets boring, but this novel has a character who wants to get stronger to change, to catch up to someone. There are also hints of the world building throughout the story.

I want to continue to support this novel. Unfortunately we lost Chamber, Asian hobbyist seemed to... more>> have dropped it then picked it up again. Honestly, I want to wait and see. I dislike Asian hobbyist's monthly release since 12 chapters a year will get us nowhere fast. They were doing pretty good with the two chapters every few days thing.

More notes about Asian Hobbyist, it's a for profit thing since the translators are paid, but still, stick to a novel. You don't get profit in the beginning because people like to stock up chapters before going into it. People keep dropping novels because you pick them up, do monthly releases and drop it because people leave because you do monthly releases! Monthly goes nowhere, please remember that. <<less

Though set in a fantasy world with game elements, many unpleasant cliches are avoided. MC is thinking and reacting in very realistic and relateable ways and goes through character growth in a refreshing way. That sense torture forest is definitely one of the best things in any LN around here.

I changed my rating from 5 to 4 because MC's inferiority complex is INFURIATING. It never stops, even as he becomes countless times stronger than in his previous life. After the shaolin episode he's stronger than most people, except top geniuses... more>> and old masters, yet he STILL WHINES about being "weak" and "talentless" and "unworthy" and "small" and almost cries in self-pity...

Too bad ChamberCleanup seems to have abandoned it, and to make things worse, one of the worst translating websites ever picked it up. I'll have to forever forget Possessing Nothing because "asian hobbyist" will butcher it with unreadable barely edited machine translations that make one puke, empty promises of higher quality in the future for money and deleting all comments which aren't filled with praise, ignoring any criticism, even constructive one. Insted of "translating website", "translating scam" is more appropriate... <<less

This novel is really well done so far. This novel actually has a plot to it instead of being one of those plot armor, insert basic tropes and harem novels.

This novel has a lot of character development, especially considering its up 56 chapters only. What I got from reading the novel was the premise around the MC is about an ordinary guy (for their world, kinda meek if anything) who dies and comes back to life. From coming back to life, he doesn't want to live the same way again... more>> and wants to strive to be better. This is where the progression of the character comes in, as he grows stronger his personality changes for the better. This makes the MC relatable and really likeable because we get to see his changes through his struggles. On top of that, there's a fleshed out plot and world.

Overall probably one of the best novels for this genre and I highly recommend reading it. <<less

This story has superior MC.

He is not pervert, or twisted, or just endlessly craving for power, etc.
Yet he also has bad qualities, like feeling inferior or being a coward to some extent.
He is somehow kind, yet not foolish or dumb.

For me this is one of the few novels where the MC is portrayed as a real person.
Which adds depth to the story for me - I read a lot of novels and when I dropped something
it was usually because the MC wanted just to be endlessly... more>> stronger, without any other goals
... which may seem alright, but I don't think that's how a realistic person should be.

The whole premise of "going back in time" is handled here very well.
Usually this kind of novels has MC who is constantly taking advantage of knowing the future,
yet here it is balanced very well and the MC !proactively! does things outside of the scope of what he knows.

If you like this you may also like Max Level Newbie I think.
Or recently I came across Revolution of 8th class mage which is also kind of similar. <<less

I've read dozens and dozens of light novels that have a wide variety of genres (fantasy worlds, rebirth plots, martial arts, adventure, romance, horror, mystery, etc.).

This is one of the only light novels that I've read that gives me that intense feeling of inspiration or excitement when I'm reading it. Its the same feeling as when you're reading a really well polished manga or watching some of the few extremely well done anime. The beginning chapters are good although a bit slow, although the parts I really enjoy come later... more>> in the story, and it is INCREDIBLE. I don't want to take away from the story you're about to read, so please READ THIS LIGHT NOVEL if its the last one you read, it is in my top 3 light novels read to date.

Possessing Nothing should have many more readers and better reviews, its a shame that many people review it after the first few chapters complaining that the main character isn't an op bad ass within the first 5 minutes of reading the story -.- (not saying that he becomes op or even a badass, read to see for yourself).

If I haven't said it enough read this freaking LN, you won't regret it and you'll probably be waiting on the edge of your seat for that next chapter. <<less

Edit: Adding a tldr.

tldr: An otherwise great novel with multi-dimensional side characters and deep world building, ruined by an MC whose premise of "I'm untalented with no special blessings but gain emotional and physical strength through hard work" rapidly devolves into "plot armor couldn't remove my inferiority complex, so don't expect me to."

It's an average novel at best, hiding behind the veneer of a decent premise. The plot is straightforward - the MC, a transmigrator who reincarnated as well, is trying to change from his past life of being a... more>> failure, in his new one. The world is sufficiently rich and interesting, being a kind of 'melting pot' of all the different fantasy worlds. The characters are properly fleshed out, their actions / plotlines appropriately match their ambitions, and they accrue emotional baggage like people truly do. In all honesty, the reason why I'm not rating this lower is because the author did a pretty splendid job on the side cast and the world-building. The issue, though, is with the MC.

The M.O. of the MC is that he was once a pathetic loser with a massive inferiority complex, and that he is struggling on all fronts to get past it. It's an admirable goal. While it is annoying to read about the MC vacillating between throes of diffidence and inferiority and bouts of optimism and confidence, it's nice to see how he takes realistic steps forward in casting off those chains. It's a phase that many of us who have struggled to even be on the same level of the geniuses at school and at work have felt, and so this setting is nice - at first. Only at first. Here's why it gets bad:

• • Plot Armor. It does quite a bit of heavy lifting in this novel, and is getting out of hand. It gives him powerful connections, skills, and actual armor early on, and it prevents him for truly ever losing via a combination of enlightenment and friends showing up when necessary. It's standard across all novels, yes, but its presence here really diminishes the realistic setting.

• • The MC is a loser, through and through. I'm no longer talking about his past, I'm talking about his current state. The margin between an inferiority complex breakdown and self-pity is thin, for sure, but halfway through the novel our MC just dive-bombs right into the latter area. It makes everything so much more annoying. He rarely cares about the struggles of others, and even when he does notice, he makes it about himself. He's ridiculously selfish - he expects others to provide him with skills and information, while he is reluctant to ever pay a consequence in return. He thinks poorly of those who have their own selfish desires, though he himself is a ball of greed. And so on...

All of this is not to say that the novel's setting is poor, or that it isn't readable. In the end, this is a story about a loser with an inferiority complex, and it does get at that. It's just, for all of its merits, the actions of the MC scream "I'm a piece of sh*t" so loud, I can't really appreciate anything in it. I came here for character growth, and all I got was stagnant sewage. If, in the future, the MC actually grows a brain and uses it, I'll consider restarting this, but for now, it's dr****d. <<less