Reality Quest: The Monarch

"Is it true what they're saying?" Jaemin finally spoke, his voice filled with sarcasm. "You played the hero and defeated Cheolwoo and his gang? What a joke. Don't you think you're getting a little too full of yourself, Sung-Woo?"

Jun remained silent, analyzing the situation. Jaemin was slim, and his relaxed posture suggested he wasn't prepared for anything physical. He relied on words and his surroundings to dominate others. Jun realized that completing the mission would be easy. He just needed to disarm him.

"Why do you think it's any of your business, Jaemin?" Jun finally responded, his voice calm but carrying a confidence that unsettled the other for a moment.

Jaemin narrowed his eyes. "I'm saying you should be careful. Not everyone is going to buy into this new attitude of yours."

Jun took a step forward, getting closer to Jaemin, who instinctively took a step back. "And why do you think you can threaten me? Do you think you can do something that Cheolwoo couldn't?"

Jaemin swallowed hard but tried to maintain his composure. "I'm not like Cheolwoo. You're going to realize that in the worst way."

Jun tilted his head slightly, an ironic smile forming on his lips. "You know, Jaemin, you talk a lot, but I don't see you doing anything but that. So tell me, what exactly can you do that would make me worried?"

Jaemin fell silent, his words fading away as curious glances began to form around them. The small crowd that had gathered seemed eager for the scene to unfold. Jun knew it was the perfect moment.

He took another step forward, his presence now completely dominating the space. "The truth, Jaemin, is that you're nothing but a coward. A parasite feeding off the weakness of others. But guess what? I'm not weak."

The silence in the hallway was deafening. Jaemin tried to respond, but the words seemed to fail him. He was visibly uncomfortable, feeling humiliated in front of everyone.

[Mission completed!]

[Reward: 200 Points, 500 Credits]

Jun turned around, completely ignoring Jaemin's stunned gaze, and continued on his way as if nothing had happened. 'Too easy,' he thought, hiding a small, satisfied smile as he walked toward his next class.

After the final bell rang, Jun stood up from his chair and, as always, walked calmly to the exit. The hallway was emptier, with people still chatting and grouping together.

When Jun finally arrived home, he stood still for a few seconds, staring at the building in front of him with a completely neutral expression. But inside, his mind was in turmoil. The place was not the modest or average home he had expected. No, he was standing in front of a luxurious building, with a sleek glass façade, a marble-tiled entrance hall, and a uniformed doorman who gave him a respectful nod.

'What's this? This family has money...' he thought, trying to hide the shock behind his poker face.

Riding up the elevator, which was spacious and even had ambient music, Jun began to recall the fragments of memories his body seemed to offer. 'Executive father, stylist mother, and me... just a normal student? Strange. Doesn't seem like we'd fit in a place like this.'

When the elevator doors opened on the right floor, he was greeted by a long, well-lit corridor. The apartment door was made of dark wood with minimalist metal details. He unlocked the door with a key from his pants pocket and stepped inside.

The interior of the apartment was as impressive as the exterior. A spacious area with modern furniture and a neutral color palette awaited him. Large panoramic windows revealed a stunning view of the illuminated city. The floor was covered with light wood planks, and the space was impeccably organized, almost as if no one actually lived there.

"So, this is where I live now..." Jun murmured, slowly walking through the living room, his eyes wandering around every corner. There was an open kitchen with appliances that looked like they came straight out of a showroom, a glass dining table surrounded by upholstered chairs, and a spacious sofa in front of a huge TV. Everything screamed sophistication.

Jun dropped his backpack on the floor next to the sofa and collapsed into it, sinking into the comfortable upholstery. "Yeah, definitely not what I expected." He sighed, trying to process everything.

'If my family has this much money, why don't I remember more details? Why do I feel like there's something strange about all this?' he wondered, staring at the ceiling.

After a few minutes, he got up and began exploring the apartment. A spacious bedroom with a queen-sized bed that seemed too soft, a well-organized walk-in closet filled with brands he had only heard of from a distance, and even a bathroom with a huge bathtub and a high-tech shower. Everything suggested that Jun Sung-Woo was no ordinary student. But why didn't he have clear memories about it?

"If this is a gift, I'll take advantage of it while I can," Jun thought, opening the fridge and noticing that even the food seemed to have been carefully selected. He grabbed a bottle of water, took a long drink, and then returned to the couch, where he pulled up the system interface once again.

"Status," he whispered, and the familiar blue screen appeared before his eyes. He looked at his stats and the points he had accumulated throughout the day. A small smile formed on his lips. "Now it's time to study this system."

First up were the perishable items of the System, or rather, the Credits.

Like any other system, Credits were used in the [Shop], and upon opening the system tab, he saw several things ranging from Skills, Items, and Consumables.

Jun didn't waste any time. With curiosity taking over, he accessed the [Shop] tab of the system and began exploring. The interface was simple but functional, with categories organized into Skills, Items, and Consumables. He clicked on "Skills," and a new window opened, displaying an impressive list of options.

"Oho~ interesting, very interesting," Jun murmured as he examined the catalog.

The skills were organized by type and cost. Some were highlighted in bold, likely because they were rare or powerful. There was everything: from physical skills that increased strength, speed, or endurance, to mental and even magical skills, which made Jun raise his eyebrows in interest.

Among the highlights, he found:

[Impulse] - 2,000 Credits

"Increases your speed by 60% for 10 minutes. Cooldown time: 15 minutes. MP cost: 400."

[Regeneration] - 3,000 Credits

"Heals 10% of lost HP every 30 seconds. Passive."

[Triple Strike] - 1,000 Credits

"Perform three consecutive high-speed attacks. MP cost: 75."

He scratched his chin while analyzing each skill, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Basic Regeneration seems quite useful in the long run... but these offensive skills are tempting."

He then scrolled down further and found a section called "Special Promotions," where the skills were available for fewer credits for a limited time.

[Combat Instinct] - 500 Credits (50% off!)

"Enhances reflexes and decision-making in combat. Ideal for beginners. Passive."

[Invisible Cut] - 750 Credits (40% off!)

"Performs an invisible straight-line attack, also useful for interrupting any attack. MP cost: 30."

Jun almost laughed. "These promotions are just like those in online games. They throw something cheap and useful in my face to make me spend quickly... But I have to admit, [Basic Combat Instinct] is a bargain."

After a few minutes of reflection, he decided he would start with more affordable skills. "Let's take it slow, I still don't know how the system will test me tomorrow."

Clicking on [Combat Instinct], he confirmed the purchase. The interface flickered, and a notification appeared:

[Congratulations! You have acquired: Combat Instinct. The skill has been successfully integrated.]

Jun felt a slight dizziness for a second, as if information was being loaded directly into his mind. When everything stabilized, he felt that something had changed, though he couldn't quite define what.

"Interesting... Let's see this in action later."

With 10,500 Credits left, Jun decided to save for now but left [Invisible Slash] on his wishlist. "You never know when a skill like that might come in handy."

Finally, he closed the [Store] tab and sighed, staring at the blue screen. "If this keeps up, I'll need to think carefully before spending. But so far, it's been fun."

The system seemed to be much more complex than he had initially imagined.

Jun scratched his chin as he analyzed the [Master of Weapons] ability.

"This is interesting... Improving my mastery with weapons could be quite useful, especially if I find myself in more complicated combat situations." He reflected, pondering whether he should spend the 2,000 Credits.

As he continued browsing through the passive skills tab, he found other abilities that also caught his attention:

[Advanced Resistance] - 1,500 Credits

"Reduces damage taken from physical attacks by 10%. Passive."

[Lethal Precision] - 1,800 Credits

"Increases the accuracy of ranged attacks by 30%. Ideal for projectile combat. Passive."

[Mental Resilience] - 2,000 Credits

"Increases resistance to mental attacks and confusion effects by 20%. Passive."

Jun scanned each of them, considering the possible combinations. He knew that [Master of Weapons] was a solid choice, but the other abilities also had their appeal.

"If I take the weapon passive, I'll need to spend more to buy a decent weapon later. But in the end, it covers more ground than the others."

After a few seconds of analysis, Jun sighed and decided: "I'll take the risk. Passives are long-term investments."

Clicking on [Lord of Weapons], he confirmed the purchase.

[Congratulations! You have acquired: Lord of Weapons. The skill has been successfully integrated.]

Immediately after, he felt a strange sensation pass through his body, as if a dormant instinct was awakening. It was almost as if he already knew how to wield a sword, a staff, or even firearms, despite never having used one.

"This is crazy... it feels like my mind adjusted automatically." He flexed his fingers, wondering what it would be like to hold a weapon now.

With 8,500 Credits remaining, Jun still had room to acquire more skills, but he decided to save a little for now.

Jun opened the Status menu and looked at the points he still had available. After humiliating Jaemin and completing the mission, he had received an additional 200 points. Without much hesitation, he began to distribute them.

____________________________________________________

CHARACTER INFORMATION:

Name: Jun Sung-Woo

Class: Normal Student

CURRENT STATS:

HP: 10,000/10,000

MP: 600/600 → 700/700

Attack Power: 101 → 201

Defense: 101

Agility: 101

Mentality: 101

PERISHABLES:

Attribute Points: 0

Credits: 8,500

____________________________________________________

"Attack power and MP... Can't go wrong with this." Jun thought, quickly closing the menu with a swift gesture.

With more MP, he could use [Invisible Attack] more frequently, something that was already becoming one of his main abilities. Increasing Attack Power also meant that even regular strikes would deal significant damage, reducing the need to rely solely on skills.

'If I combine this with [Master of Weapons], I think I can take down anything the system throws my way. Better safe than sorry.'

Jun shrugged and closed the Status tab. He knew that, little by little, he was becoming stronger, but he couldn't afford to get complacent. His mind was already on the next challenge.

"Now, what's missing? A weapon... or maybe another mission," he muttered to himself, getting up from the chair in his room.

As he thought, a sudden notification appeared in the corner of his vision.

[New Mission Available]

Jun blinked a few times, surprised by the system's timing.

"This system is kind of creepy sometimes... but also pretty convenient."

However, before anything else, Jun turned his attention to his [Invisible Attack] skill.

[Invisible Attack]

Execute an invisible attack at certain points that are imperceptible to human sight at high speed.

Mastery: 1.3%

MP Cost: 100

Jun touched the Mastery section, and a description appeared.

[Mastery: The higher the mastery, the more damage the ability deals, and the MP cost gradually decreases. If the ability is passive, the damage increases drastically with mastery.]

Jun narrowed his eyes as he read the mastery description. The MP cost had been bothering him from the start, considering that each use of the ability consumed a considerable amount of his energy. He knew he would need to improve this mastery to make it more efficient.

"So, the higher the mastery, the less MP I spend... and the damage increases as well. It seems obvious, but now it makes more sense why the system focuses so much on this." He murmured, crossing his arms while staring at the screen.

He began to reflect on how he could increase the mastery. Repeatedly using the ability seemed like the most obvious answer, but with the cost of 100 MP per use, he knew he could only use it a few times before running out of energy.

"If I use it now, I'd still have enough MP left to defend myself, but if I increase it just 0.1% at a time, it will take too long..." he thought, frustrated.

Jun then tapped another part of the menu, trying to find tips or methods to increase mastery more quickly. A small notification appeared.

[System Tip: Mastery increases depend on the consistent use of the skill in real situations. The more challenging the use, the greater the progress. Combat training or fighting against moving targets can speed up the process.]

"I see. So I need more dynamic training, something that really challenges me." He leaned back in the chair, trying to come up with a plan. "Maybe I can use some of the goons left at school or... create a training method with fast-moving objects."

For a moment, he thought about the mission to get a weapon. Maybe with the right weapon, he could combine normal physical attacks with [Invisible Strike], which would not only help him level up his mastery but also make his blows even deadlier.

"For now, I'll keep that in mind. Once I sort out the weapon issue, I'll find a way to train this skill... and speed up this progress."

Jun closed the skill menu.

...

"Strange mission." Jun thought as he walked down the street at night, seeing the mission on the floating blue screen in front of him.

[Main Mission: Become a member of Boramea-Dong. Conditions: Find Siyeon and be recommended to the Bullies' Council. Reward: 300 Points, 5,000 Credits, and 1 Random Item.]

"'Become a member of Boramea-Dong'... Doesn't seem like the kind of thing a 'normal student' should be doing. Bullies' Council? What a complicated thing." He scoffed, but couldn't ignore the generous reward.

300 Points, 5,000 Credits, and a Random Item. That last item piqued his curiosity. It could be anything – from something useless to an amazing skill or equipment.

'Find Siyeon...' He thought aloud, looking around the dimly lit streets. It was late, and the city was beginning to grow empty. The feeling that something big was coming made his skin crawl, but he didn't know exactly what to expect.

As he walked, a sudden notification popped up.

[Mission Update: Siyeon located. Proceed to Boramea Park.]

"Finally, a direction." He adjusted his pace, now walking faster. Boramea Park was known for being very quiet at night, with almost no one around.

When he arrived, the place was empty and silent; there was no one in the entire park. Jun sighed as he walked through the area.

"Jun Sung-Woo."

A feminine voice broke the silence, catching his attention. He turned his head to the right and saw a young woman leaning against a tree. She had short, messy black hair, wore a hoodie, and loose pants. Her eyes, however, were sharp like a predator's, watching his every move.

"Are you Siyeon?" He asked, keeping his voice firm, but without showing hostility.

"You don't seem like much." She replied in a disinterested tone, walking towards Jun with her arms crossed. "The Bullies' Council doesn't just accept anyone. Why do you think you should be a part of it?"

Jun smirked. "Maybe you need more than just eyes to judge."

Her bold reply made Siyeon raise an eyebrow, surprised, but a brief smile appeared on her lips.

"Interesting. Let's see what you've got." She turned and began walking, signaling for him to follow. "I hope you're not all talk, Sung-Woo."

Jun took a deep breath and followed her.