Questism : The Quest For Eternity

The Glowing Purple Notification

The faint hum of the glowing purple notification blinked in Yun Jo's vision, sharp and electric, stirring something deep within his chest:

**[Quest Activated: Defeat Kang Minwoo and Humiliate Him—Reward: Platinum Card]** Purple Notification Glowed.

Jin He—no, *Yun Jo*—didn't need to read it twice. A smirk curved his lips, his pulse quickening as the excitement bubbled up from his core. Fighting wasn't something he sought out—usually it felt pointless, dull, like everything else. But this? The system's hum in his ears, the thrill of the challenge, the promise of a reward?

It was new. It was intoxicating.

"A game," Yun Jo murmured to himself, his voice dripping with anticipation. "Fine. Let's play."

Across from him, Kang Minwoo was already fuming, his pride hanging by a thread after Yun Jo had effortlessly countered him earlier. His lackeys stood frozen behind him, unsure of what to do.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" Minwoo snarled, his fists trembling at his sides. "You're dead. I'm gonna make you pay for that."

Yun Jo tilted his head, his eyes narrowing, cold and calculating. "Pay for what?" His voice was calm, almost lazy, but sharp enough to cut through the tension like a blade. "You're the one who started this. I'm just helping you finish it."

Minwoo's pride couldn't handle the taunt. He lunged forward with a roar, his fist swinging in a wide arc, wild and angry.

**[Drawing Card...]**

The system's hum grew louder in Yun Jo's ears as a glowing card flickered into view in his mind:

**[Card Drawn: "Counterstrike" – Reflects an opponent's attack back at them with double the force.]**

Yun Jo's smirk widened, his body moving before his mind even fully processed the card.

As Minwoo's punch barreled toward him, Yun Jo didn't flinch. His hand shot out, effortlessly catching Minwoo's wrist mid-swing. The movement was fluid, precise, almost surgical. For a single, stretched-out moment, Yun Jo saw the flicker of panic in Minwoo's eyes before he twisted the boy's arm violently, a sickening *crack* echoing through the hallway.

Minwoo screamed, his knees buckling from the pain.

But Yun Jo wasn't done.

Using Minwoo's momentum, Yun Jo pulled him forward, his knee shooting up and slamming into the boy's stomach with brutal precision. The sound of the impact—a dull, hollow *thud*—sent shivers down the spines of everyone watching. Minwoo crumpled, gasping for air, clutching his ribs as he stumbled backward.

For most people, that would have been enough. For Yun Jo, it wasn't even close.

Minwoo's fall should've ended it, but Yun Jo's body thrummed with adrenaline, his heart pounding like a war drum. *This isn't boring. This is fun.*

He stepped forward, grabbing Minwoo by the collar and slamming him back against the wall. The sound of Minwoo's back hitting the concrete reverberated through the hallway, silencing the murmurs of the crowd.

"Lesson two," Yun Jo said, his voice calm but laced with venom as he leaned in close. "Don't swing unless you're prepared to bleed."

Minwoo coughed, bloody spittle dripping from his mouth. His eyes darted to his lackeys, but they didn't move. They couldn't. Their fear froze them in place.

"Stop standing there!" Minwoo barked desperately, his voice shaking. "Help me!"

Yun Jo chuckled darkly, his grip tightening on Minwoo's collar. "Even your friends don't believe in you, Minwoo. Isn't that pathetic?"

Minwoo growled, forcing himself to lunge forward again, his fists swinging wildly.

Perfect.

Yun Jo weaved around Minwoo's fists effortlessly, ducking under one punch and sidestepping the next. His movements were precise, almost lazy, like he wasn't even trying.

And then he struck.

Yun Jo's fist shot forward, slamming into Minwoo's jaw with enough force to send him spinning. The boy crashed to the ground, sliding several feet before coming to a stop. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth, pooling on the floor beneath him.

But Yun Jo didn't stop.

He walked toward Minwoo slowly, his footsteps echoing ominously in the silence. The crowd of onlookers held their breath.

Minwoo groaned, trying to push himself up, but Yun Jo kicked him back down, a sharp, brutal strike to the ribs that made Minwoo cry out in pain.

"Get up," Yun Jo ordered, his voice calm but commanding.

Minwoo shook his head weakly, his voice barely above a whisper. "P-please... stop..."

Yun Jo crouched down beside him, grabbing him by the hair and forcing him to look up. "Stop? You started this, remember? You wanted to fight. So fight."

He slammed Minwoo's head against the floor with a sickening *crack*.

The crowd winced. Someone gasped.

Minwoo whimpered, his hands trembling as he tried to push Yun Jo away. But Yun Jo didn't let up. He stood, dragging Minwoo to his knees, and delivered another sharp kick to his ribs.

"Beg," Yun Jo said, his voice cold and emotionless.

Minwoo froze, his bloodied face twisting in disbelief. "W-what...?"

"I said, beg," Yun Jo repeated, louder this time.

The hallway erupted into murmurs, the tension thick enough to suffocate.

"Is he serious?"

"That's… too far."

"But Minwoo started it, didn't he?"

Minwoo's lips trembled, his pride warring with his survival instincts. But as Yun Jo raised his foot again, ready to stomp down on his chest, the fear won out.

"I-I'm sorry!" Minwoo cried, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry, okay?! Please stop!"

Yun Jo stared down at him, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed like he might actually stop.

But then he smiled—a twisted, predatory grin.

"Louder."

Minwoo's eyes widened in horror. "W-what...?"

"I said louder," Yun Jo repeated, his voice sharp and cold. "Let everyone hear you."

"I'M SORRY!" Minwoo screamed, tears streaming down his face. "I'M SORRY! PLEASE, JUST STOP!"

The glowing box in Yun Jo's vision pulsed faintly:

**[Quest Completed: Defeat Kang Minwoo and Humiliate Him]**

**[Reward: Platinum Card Drawn]**

But Yun Jo wasn't done.

Yun Jo's smirk widened as he crouched down beside Minwoo again, his fingers gripping the boy's bloodied collar. His heart was pounding, his body trembling—not with exhaustion, but with exhilaration.

"This is… fun," he murmured, almost to himself.

Minwoo whimpered, his eyes wide with terror. "P-please... no more..."

Yun Jo ignored him, delivering another sharp punch to his face. Blood splattered across the floor as Minwoo's head snapped to the side.

"Get up," Yun Jo growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Minwoo didn't move.

"GET UP!" Yun Jo roared, grabbing Minwoo by the hair and yanking him to his feet.

He slammed a knee into Minwoo's stomach, then another, each blow more brutal than the last. Blood dripped from Minwoo's mouth, staining Yun Jo's shirt, but he didn't care.

The system's hum echoed in his ears, urging him on, feeding the fire burning in his chest.

*This is better than I thought. This is fun.*

---

When Yun Jo finally let Minwoo fall to the floor, the boy was barely conscious, his body trembling, his face unrecognizable beneath the blood and bruises.

Yun Jo stood over him, his chest heaving, his fists clenched. The hallway was silent, the crowd too stunned to speak.

The glowing purple box system flickered again:

**[New Card Added to Deck: "Adrenaline Surge" – Temporarily boosts strength, agility, and endurance by 100%. Duration: 30 seconds.]**

Yun Jo glanced at the card, his smirk returning. Then he turned to face the crowd.

"You all saw that, didn't you?" he said, his voice calm but cold. "Let this be a reminder. If anyone has a problem with me, you're welcome to try your luck."

He stepped over Minwoo's broken body and walked away without another word, the system's hum still buzzing in his ears.

**[New Main Quest Unlocked: Establish Dominance Over the Top 10 Students in North Gangnam High.]**

**[Reward: Random Card Pack.]**

Yun Jo chuckled to himself, his fingers flexing instinctively.

"This," he said softly, his voice filled with amusement, "is going to be fun This.. really fun.."