From that moment on, for an entire week, Ji-Kai devoted himself to daily training. It exhausted him to the point where, at times, he collapsed onto his bed as though every bone in his body had been ground to dust. Yet his will to continue kept him from stopping, and so the week passed—though it felt more like a month.
« It's Monday…» he muttered, marking the calendar with his pen while wiping his damp hair with a towel.
« A full week of training without a single rest day. Logically, training should be accompanied by recovery days, but in the end, I completed my first training cycle without injury or strain. I'm lucky.» He set the pen aside, draped the towel around his neck, and sat on the bed, reaching for his phone.
« The latest news… A newly awakened has become an S-rank adventurer, joining Moscow's guild. Hm. That makes eight S-rank awakeneds in the world now. Reaching that rank isn't impossible, but it's insanely difficult. Even I, with all my abilities in the past, never surpassed rank A. I wanted to climb higher, but no matter. What's done is done, and here I stand at a new beginning. »
Beyond the news, the system had become clearer to me than before. The training it prescribed seemed simple on the surface, but in truth, it concealed more. I had to uncover the hidden clause of the first mission, which stated: "These exercises must be performed for one week, beginning on the day they are assigned." Of course, this never appeared on the system's screen—it was my deduction, and it proved correct. My system has always been this way: obscure, complex, incomplete in its data. It nudges me toward discovery rather than spelling things out. While that builds my confidence, it could become a problem if its ambiguity strikes at a critical moment in the future.
« Well then, let's see how the system evaluates my performance. System, display the final assessment. »
[ Analyzing data… ]
[ Running: 21 km – Complete ]
[ Push-ups (Chest): 350/350 – Complete ]
[ Squats (Legs): 350/350 – Complete ]
[ Sit-ups: 350/350 – Complete ]
[ Plank: 14 minutes – Complete ]
[ Mission One complete. You have gained +1 Strength, +2 Constitution. Points may be allocated from the Status Window. ]
Ji-Kai studied the glowing screen with calm focus, smiling briefly at his success. But the smile faded as soon as he saw the reward—merely three points.
« One point in Strength, two in Constitution… I'll need more. Side missions, perhaps. At least three more points: two for Strength, one for Constitution, before I can attempt the second mission. » He exhaled deeply. « This system is brutal, no matter how much I complain. Brutal! » He threw himself back onto the bed, staring silently at the ceiling.
This world is madness. While running through deserted streets to complete my training, I witnessed strange phenomena—illogical, yet familiar. I had seen them before, but seeing them again unsettled me. Adventurers are hailed as national heroes, the only ones capable of confronting the monsters that emerge from the gates. How did these creatures first appear? By chance, at a construction site—now the headquarters of one of Seoul's international guild teams. That was the first monster sighting. As for the gates themselves, no one has ever determined why they appear, or how, or even when. They simply manifest, unobserved. Scientists have been searching for answers for over thirty years—forty, if I count the twelve wasted years of my former life.
As for me, I lived that life for money, as I've said before. Simply put, adventurers stand above even heads of state—especially S-rankers, who earn fortunes for their services. Humanity's salvation became a business, a profit-driven enterprise. I won't deny I lived by that creed before, and I won't deny I'll live by it again. But this time, I'll use the wealth strategically, not squander it in taverns and nightclubs.
« Should I go to the guild for an evaluation? I already know I'm at E-rank now, but… no. I shouldn't rush. Unexpected variables could arise. I should at least complete the fifth or sixth mission before presenting myself. For now, I must raise my stats. »
He rose to his feet, dressed in neat, simple clothes, and left his apartment. Before stepping out of the building, he pulled a casual cap over his head and blended into the crowd, the system's translucent screen still hovering before him. Eventually, he reached a public park, where he sat cross-legged in quiet meditation, feigning calm while studying the system's display.
The system instructed me to perform acts that benefit the public. That would earn me extra points. But between the lines, the truth was different: it wasn't about helping people—it was about saving someone. That complicates things. At times, I feel the system is toying with me, throwing absurd side missions my way.
… I had never attempted side missions before—only main ones, and I always completed them with someone else's help. But now, things are different. I must remain vigilant. At any moment, something could happen—something big, something that demands my intervention, and…
Ji-Kai, lost in thought, was startled by the soft, trembling voice of a little girl, on the verge of tears. He turned to her in surprise, then drew a deep breath, ready to hear what she had to say.
« What is it, little one? » Ji-Kai asked gently.
« Oppa… Katy… Katy is stuck, » the girl replied between shaky breaths.
Ji-Kai assumed this was his chance—the mission that would grant him the points he needed. Perhaps her friend had gotten her foot caught in a bush, or climbed onto a playground structure and couldn't get down. That was what he expected. But the girl tugged him toward a tree, and there, "Katy" turned out to be… a cat.
« That… is Katy? » Ji-Kai asked, pointing upward, glancing at the small girl beside him.
« Yes! Katy climbed up and won't come down no matter how much I call her. Please, oppa, help Katy down! » The girl's eyes brimmed with tears.
It was absurd. He had been bracing himself to save someone in peril, and instead, a child had come to him asking for help with her cat stuck in a tree. Still, Ji-Kai climbed, retrieved the cat, and handed it back to the girl. She thanked him with a bright, beaming smile and even offered him a small piece of pink candy before skipping away.
The real shock came when the system chimed: the side mission was complete, and he had earned points.
"…That's it?" Ji-Kai muttered, staring at the glowing screen as though expecting someone to leap out and shout that it was all a prank. But no one came—not after ten minutes, not at all.
In the end, Ji-Kai returned to his apartment, sitting on the floor beside his bed, reflecting on the absurdity of it all. After all his focus and anticipation, the mission had been fulfilled by saving nothing more than a cat.
"System, allocate the points: Strength to eight, Constitution to ten."
[ Executing… ]
[ Strength upgraded: 5 → 8 ]
[ Constitution upgraded: 7 → 10 ]
[ Bonus for completing Mission One in record time: +1 Strength ]
[ Strength upgraded: 8 → 9 ]
"What? An extra point as a bonus? The system must be malfunctioning," Ji-Kai scoffed, swiping his finger through the intangible blue screen.
"Well, whatever. System, display the Status Window."
[ Status Window – Kim Ji-Kai ]
[ Strength: 9/100 ]
[ Speed: 6/100 ]
[ Intelligence: 50/100 ]
[ Constitution: 10/100 ]
[ Mana: No data available ]
[ Overall Level: 13/100 ]
Interesting. The system now displayed my name alongside the words Status Window. Oddly enough, it was comforting—it made the stats feel truly mine. In any case, I'll need to keep working on Strength and Constitution in the coming days. Only then can I shift focus to Speed. For now, I'm not an adventurer, which means I don't need speed yet. But everyone knows speed is crucial—especially if you're not a defensive tank. And I am certainly no tank. Which means I must avoid guild raids and official expeditions until I've raised my stats enough. Instead, I'll join unofficial raids—the kind we used to try to control in the past. And since I need them now, they'll be "legal," simply because I've decided so. The thought brought a smug confidence to his face, one that made him look a little foolish.
« Good thing I don't say my thoughts out loud, or I'd be in prison by now. Anyway, let's see if there are any illegal raids posted online. » He picked up his phone and began browsing. After nearly an hour, he found what he was looking for.
« Busan, the old districts. In the basement of an abandoned house, there's an E-rank gate. The raid begins in two days. Perfect. I'll sign up. » A few taps later, he sighed in relief and lay back on his bed.
Finding illegal raids online was easier than it seemed. They used reversed English text to spread their recruitment messages, disguised as ads for moisturizers or similar products. A link would follow, where you entered your name and phone number. Then a coded message would be sent to you, disguised as "product unavailable" or "awaiting stock." Once the raid ended, the page vanished without a trace. I had dealt with such people often before, but I never imagined I'd one day join one of their raids. Still, it doesn't matter. I've already chosen to live differently now—far from the false ideals those so-called adventurers cling to.
"For now, I'll focus on what dinner I should make tonight. To the fridge!"