Joon leaned closer to the monitor. The Market Archives window shimmered in blue-tinted panels, far more advanced than any app or financial website he'd ever seen.
New Quest Active: Dig Deeper
Objective: Use Market Archives to find a hidden undervalued company connected to recent subsidies.
Reward: +50 XP
Bonus: +₩5,000 System Grant if stock increases by 15% or more within 3 days.
This wasn't just guesswork now. With his Research stat finally active at 2, Joon had access to sector-wide correlations, archived press releases, and supply chain maps that overlapped like a spiderweb across South Korea's tech ecosystem.
"Let's see," he muttered, typing with fast precision:
Keyword Search: Semiconductor | Logistics | Government Subsidy | Untapped
One name repeatedly flashed in relation to warehouse bottlenecks and customs clearance: Taeyang Freight Corp.
Not a glamorous name. No online buzz. No flashy quarterly reports.
But inside the Market Archives, Joon found something the public hadn't.
An obscure government bulletin:
"Taeyang Freight granted special customs corridor authority near Busan Tech Port."
And beneath that—a small chart buried in the system.
Market Penetration: Rising
Valuation: Undervalued by 23.4%
Peer Comparison: Ranked lowest P/E in logistics-tech sector
He felt a chill run down his spine. This is it.
Taeyang Freight Corp: ₩1,380 per share
Capital: ₩89,400
He hesitated. This was the first time he'd be investing based purely on System-backed research, not hype, not news, not even instinct.
He took a breath and clicked.
Purchased 60 shares of Taeyang Freight at ₩1,380
Total cost: ₩82,800
Remaining capital: ₩6,600
The next two days were tense.
He checked forums. Nothing. No mentions of Taeyang. No interest from analysts.
But then, on the morning of day three, a headline broke.
"Tech Port Expansion Accelerates: Taeyang Freight Corp to Operate Core Clearance Zones."
Within the hour, the stock began to tick up.
₩1,380 → ₩1,450
₩1,520
₩1,610
₩1,640...
Joon's fingers were clenched on the mouse. He watched the final price stabilize at ₩1,660.
A 20.2% increase.
Quest Completed: Dig Deeper
+50 XP
Bonus Achieved! +₩5,000 System Grant
Current XP: 80 / 400
New Capital: ₩6,600 + ₩5,000 (Bonus) + ₩99,600 (Sale)
Total Capital: ₩111,200
He exhaled hard, grinning.
The System chimed again.
New Quest Available: Patterns of Power
Objective: Identify a company following a cyclical pattern and enter before the next upswing.
Reward: +60 XP
Bonus: +10 XP if stock returns 10% within the first 24 hours.
But Joon wasn't done studying Taeyang yet. He had learned something more important than profit:
Information itself had value. But interpretation? That was power.
He opened his Status Window.
[Status Window]
Level: 5
XP: 80 / 400
Capital: ₩111,200
Stat Points Available: 0
Market Insight: 7
Negotiation: 2
Stamina: 2
Research: 2
Money Update:
Starting capital: ₩89,400
–₩82,800 (Taeyang Freight)
+₩99,600 (Sale of 60 shares @ ₩1,660)
+₩5,000 (System Bonus)
Total: ₩111,200
The market wasn't just numbers and companies. It was a living thing. And thanks to the System, Joon was starting to understand its heartbeat.
He cracked his knuckles and turned back to the screen.
There were still 420 XP to go until the next level.
And he was just getting started.