[Warning! Imminent End of the World]
Si-woo's eyes flew open, his pupils narrowing as a translucent system window suddenly ignited in crimson flames.
Those words—
He had heard them before. From the doctor. From the interface.
No… he knew they meant something terrible.
— What does that mean?! he demanded.
The voice was quiet. Heavy.
Almost… sad.
And there was not a trace of sarcasm.
One after another, blood-red windows appeared in front of him.
The color alone was enough to make his stomach churn.
[Your Player, Jeunk, has been demoted.
Rank: E]
[Violation of Master Regulations:
You failed to use the system to develop your Player's potential.
Penalty: Master powers revoked for 10 days.]
— What?! His voice cracked. And what about Il-seong?!
No answer came.
Then, pain—
A searing, molten spike of agony ripped straight through his chest. His breath caught as if someone had plunged a red-hot blade into his heart.
Si-woo dropped to his knees.
His stomach twisted violently, and he vomited—not bile, but a thick, shimmering blue liquid.
Every muscle convulsed as the burning spread—stomach, throat, mouth—until it felt like his entire insides were melting.
So this is what the end of the world feels like, he thought bitterly.
The end of my world.
The end of the Master's world.
And then everything went black.
He dreamed.
In his dreams, Jeunk was there—
Pathetic, desperate, begging for more and more money.
Do-Woo's mocking grin followed, his words dripping with venom: Thanks for the Master powers, kid.
And finally… Il-seong.
Looking down at him with contempt : You're useless to me now.
The voice echoed until it tore him apart.
Si-woo woke up choking on a sob.
It took him a second to realize he wasn't the only one crying.
— My poor boy…
He turned his head and froze.
His mother was leaning over him, her eyes red and swollen.
— Mom? he croaked.
She was supposed to be at work. She was never here during the day.
He glanced around. He was still in the infirmary—but lying in a bed now, the curtains drawn.
His uniform was gone.
And there was someone else in the room.
A young woman in a white coat stood at the foot of his bed, holding a notebook. She had an easy smile, the kind nurses wear when trying to calm their patients.
— How are you feeling? she asked gently.
— …Fine. Who are you?
The woman let out a short laugh, as if she'd expected the question.
His mother's eyes narrowed at him—her you'd better mind your manners look.
— Well, you don't waste any time, do you? she said playfully. I'm the new school nurse.
— What about Mr. Kim?
— He resigned three days ago.
— …Three days?
The words hit him harder than they should have.
That bastard.
He'd left before Si-woo could question him. Before Si-woo could demand answers.
It was planned. All of it.
Forcing a thin smile, Si-woo said :
— The school was lucky to find a replacement so fast.
The nurse tilted her head slightly, studying him. She placed a cool hand on his forehead.
— Three days is more than enough to find someone new, she said casually.
— But… he was here just earlier, Si-woo insisted.
The room went still.
The nurse frowned. His mother avoided his gaze.
Only now did Si-woo notice how pale they both looked. How drawn.
And… that strange heaviness in the air, like they'd been waiting for him to wake up for far too long.
His mother finally spoke.
— Si-woo… You've been unconscious for three days.
— And the rector? And Jeunk?
— He was expelled, the nurse replied bluntly. "The principal, too. A teacher is acting as interim. And Dr. Park resigned the same night.
Si-woo's throat tightened.
Three days. Gone.
He tried to call the interface, but nothing happened. Not even a countdown to show the penalty timer. Just silence.
A thought struck him.
— If I've been out for three days… why am I not in the hospital?
His mother's lips trembled before she looked away.
— They've had too many scandals already, she whispered. An hospitalized student would have destroyed the school's reputation. They offered me compensation to keep you here instead. I didn't want you to be alone at home, so Mrs. Beck stayed to watch over you.
Of course.
The bitterness hit him like acid in the back of his throat.
His mother… had left him in a stranger's care rather than be here herself.
He pulled his hand away from hers.
— Then why are you here now? Shouldn't you be at work?
— Si-woo—
— Go, he cut in coldly. I'm fine.
He forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
The weight pressing down on him was too heavy when she leave—the system, the penalty, his mother… and Il-seong, who wasn't here. And he couldn't do anything about it. Like a useless thing. Like before.
One thing sure, he hated this.
By the end of the week, he would learned that the interface's punishment wasn't just harsh : It was hell.