The black limousine glided through the streets of Seoul like a shark through dark water. Inside, the leather seats were heated, the air was purified, and the silence was absolute.
Kai—now Kang Do-Hyun—stared at his reflection in the tinted window. The face staring back was objectively perfect: high cheekbones, pale porcelain skin, silver hair and vivd blue colored eyes resembling the vibrant shades of the ocean. It was a face made for magazine covers.
Pathetic, Kai thought, flexing his fingers. They felt heavy, unresponsive. I used to hold the weight of stars in these hands. Now I can barely make a fist.
[Ding!]
A neon pink text box popped up, obscuring his reflection.
[System Notification: The Host is brooding again. -10 Style Points.]
[Look at you, all moody in your luxury car. 'Oh, woe is me, I'm rich and handsome but weak.' Cry me a river, Host. Your Vitality is currently sitting at a solid 6%. That's lower than a malnourished pigeon. If you sneeze too hard, you might actually see the afterlife again.]
"Be silent," Do-Hyun whispered, his voice raspy.
The driver, an older man with grey hair, glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Did you say something, Young Master?"
"Turn up the heat," Do-Hyun said, ignoring the question. "It's freezing."
"It is set to 24 degrees, sir," the driver replied, confused. "But... I will raise it."
Do-Hyun looked out the window. It was supposedly mid-March, a time when spring should be gently waking the city. Instead, the pedestrians outside were bundled in thick coats, heads bowed against a biting wind that swirled debris through the streets. The sky wasn't blue; it was a bruised, heavy purple.
[System Note: That's not just wind, genius. That's atmospheric mana pressure. The 'Great Chill' is leaking in. Estimated time until total societal collapse: 4 Months, 12 Days. Better start knitting a sweater.]
The Shin-Hwa Estate sat on a hill overlooking the Han River, a sprawling fortress of modern architecture, glass, and arrogance.
As the car stopped, Do-Hyun stepped out. The cold hit him instantly, bypassing his expensive coat and settling deep in his bones. He suppressed a shiver. A God did not shiver.
A line of servants stood waiting, bowing precisely at ninety degrees. To them, he was the broken thing the family kept in the attic.
"Welcome home, Young Master," the Head Butler intoned. " The Chairman is waiting in the main hall."
Do-Hyun walked past them, his steps slow but deliberate. He focused on his breathing, forcing his weak lungs to expand fully. In. Out. Ignore the pain.
He pushed open the heavy oak doors of the main hall.
The warmth of the house hit him, smelling of expensive lilies and old money. In the center of the room, standing like a statue, was his father, Kang Dae-Ho.
He was staring at a large digital map on the wall, showing global shipping routes. Many of the routes near Russia and Canada were flashing red.
"You survived," Dae-Ho said without looking back.
"Disappointed?" Do-Hyun asked, stopping a few meters away.
Dae-Ho finally turned to face him. His eyes were cold, calculating—the eyes of a man who would sell his own soul for a 5% increase in market share.
"Inconvenienced," Dae-Ho corrected. "Your stunt dropped our stock by 2% yesterday. Your brother Jin-Hyuk is working overtime to spin the narrative that it was a 'medical emergency' due to your fragile constitution, rather than a suicide attempt."
He stepped closer, towering over his son. "You are nineteen, Do-Hyun. You have no business talent, no physical strength and no drive. The only thing you have is a face that your mother likes to parade around."
Do-Hyun met his father's gaze. In his past life, mere mortals would dissolve into madness if they looked him in the eye for too long. He dampened his aura, letting just a sliver of his ancient spirit leak out.
"And yet," Do-Hyun said softly, "you haven't disowned me. Which means I'm still useful for something. A marriage alliance, perhaps?"
Dae-Ho's eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't expected the boy to be this... sharp. Usually, Do-Hyun would be trembling by now.
Before Dae-Ho could answer, a heavy, mocking laugh echoed from the hallway.
"Marriage? Who would marry a cripple?"
Kang Tae-Soo, the second brother, walked in. He was wearing a tracksuit that cost more than a car, his chest broad and thick. He radiated heat—literally. Even before the Awakening was public, Tae-Soo had always run hot.
Tae-Soo stopped next to Do-Hyun, grinning. "Good to see you, Little Brother. I heard you tried to check out early. Too scared to face the real world?"
He reached out, his heavy hand clamping onto Do-Hyun's shoulder. He squeezed. It was a grip meant to bruise, to remind the runt of the litter who the alpha was.
"You look thinner," Tae-Soo sneered, squeezing harder. "Maybe I should snap you in half and save us all the trouble."
[System Alert: Physical assault detected. Host Vitality dropping. Warning: If he breaks your collarbone, I will laugh.]
[Quest Triggered: 'Know Your Place'.]
[Objective: Make the brute let go without throwing a punch.]
[Reward: +0.5% Vitality.]
Do-Hyun turned his head and looked at Tae-Soo's hand.
Then, he looked into Tae-Soo's eyes.
For a split second, Do-Hyun allowed the Shadow Domain to flicker in his irises. To Tae-Soo, the well-lit room seemed to plunge into darkness. He felt a sensation like ice-cold water being poured down his spine. He saw—or thought he saw—a massive, shapeless monstrosity rising behind Do-Hyun, its many eyes fixed on Tae-Soo's throat.
It was pure, primal killing intent. The intent of a being that had slaughtered armies.
"Let go," Do-Hyun whispered.
Tae-Soo snatched his hand back as if he'd been burned. He stumbled back a step, his face draining of color. "W-what...?"
The hallucination vanished. The room was bright again. Do-Hyun was just a sickly boy in a coat.
"Tae-Soo?" Dae-Ho asked, frowning at his second son's sudden clumsiness. "What is wrong with you?"
Tae-Soo blinked, shaking his head, trying to process the terror that had just gripped his heart. He looked at Do-Hyun, confused and angry. "Nothing. Just... static electricity."
Do-Hyun brushed his shoulder where the hand had been. "If we're done with the pleasantries, I'm tired. I'll be in my room."
He walked toward the stairs, leaving a confused brother and a suspicious father in his wake.
Do-Hyun's room was expansive, filled with expensive art and furniture he didn't care about. He closed the door and locked it.
He walked to the window. Outside, the wind was howling. He pressed his hand against the glass. It was freezing cold.
[Ding!]
[Quest Complete: 'Know Your Place'. Reward: +0.5% Vitality. Current Vitality: 6.5%. Wow, don't spend it all in one place, Superman.]
[New Mandatory Quest: The Hoarder.]
[Description: The world is ending, and you have nothing. While your family plays business tycoon, you need to prepare.]
[Objective: Stash the following items in your spatial inventory (Capacity: 1 cubic meter) before midnight:]
1. Five liters of high-grade alcohol (good for trade or forgetting your misery).
2. A survival knife.
3. Three heavy wool blankets.
4. Antibiotics.
[Failure Penalty: I will disable your sense of taste for 48 hours. Everything will taste like wet cardboard.]
Do-Hyun sighed, looking around the opulent, useless room. "You want me to steal from my own house?"
[I want you to survive, idiot. The frost doesn't care about your credit card limit. Start moving.]
Do-Hyun pushed off the window sill. His legs ached, and his head spun, but a small, twisted smile played on his lips.
The emptiness was still there. But now, he had a list. And for a man who had nothing to live for, a checklist was a dangerous start.