After Jinah finally left, the room fell quiet again.
Only the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the faint hum of the air conditioner filled the silence.
Jinwoo stared at the ceiling for a long moment, his thoughts drifting between exhaustion and curiosity.
That voice… those messages… was it real?
He remembered the cold temple, the colossal statues, the endless blood. But most of all — he remembered the glowing blue screens that appeared before his eyes at the edge of death.
Suddenly—
> [Welcome, Player.]
A faint ding echoed in his ears. Jinwoo froze, eyes widening.
A blue window appeared above his bed — bright, translucent, and filled with strange text.
> [System Activation Complete.]
You have met the conditions to become a Player.
From now on, you can grow stronger through the System.]
His breath caught in his throat.
It wasn't a dream. It was real.
He slowly sat up despite the soreness, eyes locked on the glowing window. "System… open Status."
> [Status Window]
Name: Sung Jinwoo
Level: 1
Class: None
HP: 100
MP: 10
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Stamina: 10
Intelligence: 10
Sense: 10
Unspent Points: 0
Everything looked so… ordinary. Too low. Yet somehow, he felt a thrill rush through him.
He clenched his fist — it still felt weak, but responsive.
"...So this is where it starts," he muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Then another message appeared.
> [New Quest: Daily Training for the Weak.]
Objective: Complete the following exercises every day.**
– 100 Push-ups
– 100 Sit-ups
– 100 Squats
– 10 km Run
Reward: +1 Stat Point
Penalty for Failure: Assigned Dungeon**
Jinwoo blinked, staring blankly at the window. "You've got to be kidding me…"
Even in a hospital gown, he couldn't help but laugh softly. "You want me to train now?"
But deep down, beneath the exhaustion and disbelief, something in him stirred — a spark of will he hadn't felt in years.
If this thing can really make me stronger… then I'll do whatever it takes.
He slowly swung his legs over the bed, ignoring the dull pain shooting up his body. His wounds ached, but his resolve burned brighter.
> [Quest Accepted.]
[Daily Quest: Training for the Weak]
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats
10 km Run
He sighed, rubbing his neck. "A hospital patient doing a 10 km run… this System must be insane."
But even as he muttered those words, he knew deep down — he couldn't ignore it. The last line of the quest still burned in his mind.
Penalty for Failure: Assigned Dungeon.
He didn't know what that meant. But the tone of it… felt dangerous.
"Alright," he exhaled, forcing a bitter smile. "Let's see what happens if I try."
He started with push-ups on the cold tile floor.
One… two… three…
By the fifth, his arms trembled violently. His muscles screamed in protest.
"Damn… this body is worse than I thought."
He gritted his teeth and pushed again. Seven… eight… nine… ten…
Then, his arms gave out completely, and he collapsed onto the floor with a gasp. Sweat ran down his face as pain flared through his limbs.
He tried sit-ups next, forcing himself to move despite the throbbing ache. But after only a handful, his body refused to move. His vision spun. His lungs burned.
Finally, panting hard, he fell back against the cold wall, chest heaving.
"I… can't… do it," he whispered. "Not like this…"
And then—
[Warning: Daily Quest Incomplete.]
[Penalty Zone will now be assigned.]
A chill ran through him.
The lights flickered.
"What—?"
Before he could react, the world around him shattered.
The sterile white of the hospital vanished, replaced by a blinding wasteland of sand and sky. A burning sun loomed overhead, and a dry, merciless wind struck his face.
And then — he heard it.
Thump… thump… thump…
The ground trembled. Giant centipede-like monsters slithered out of the sand, their mandibles clacking, eyes glowing with hunger.
Jinwoo's heart pounded violently. "You've gotta be kidding me…!"
[Penalty Quest: Survive for 4 Hours.]
"No way…"
He turned and ran. His bare feet tore against the scorching sand, lungs screaming for air as the monstrous centipedes chased him. Their screeches echoed behind him, slicing through his panic.
Every second felt like a lifetime. His vision blurred from heat and terror.
He stumbled, rolled, and pushed himself up again.
"I… can't die here…" he gasped. "Not again… not like this!"
A centipede lunged from behind, its shadow swallowing him whole. Jinwoo dove forward, the creature's jaws snapping inches from his leg.
He kept running — fueled not by strength, but by pure survival instinct.
Time had no meaning. Pain became everything. But then—
[Penalty Quest Complete.]
[Returning to Safe Zone.]
Light swallowed his vision.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the hospital — drenched in sweat, chest heaving, every muscle screaming in agony.
He stared at the ceiling, trembling, realization dawning on him like a nightmare.
"So this… this is what it feels like," he whispered hoarsely. "To live in fear of dying every day…"
His fingers curled tightly into the bedsheet.
Now he truly understood — what the original Jinwoo must have felt. The fear, the struggle, the desperate hunger to survive and grow stronger.
No one would ever understand this kind of pain unless they lived it. And now… he had.
He closed his eyes, breathing heavily. Then a faint smile crossed his lips — half pain, half defiance.
"Alright, System… I get it now," he muttered.
"If I don't want to die… I'll have to get stronger."
The blue window reappeared in front of him, flickering faintly.
[Daily Quest Completed (Partial)]
Reward: +1 Stat Point]
Jinwoo let out a rough laugh. "One point, huh? Fine. I'll take it."
And deep inside, for the first time, Sung Jinwoo — the man once known as the weakest hunter — felt something awaken in his soul.
Not fear.
Not weakness.
But the burning will to survive.