CHAPTER NINE !
───the system, part one.

JINWOO OPEN HIS EYES. A white ceiling and the distinct smell of disinfectant greeted him. He was lying on a hard mattress. He knew immediately where he was.

The hospital?

His visits to the hospital had decreased significantly since he'd met Joohee, a B-rank healer and also because of some of Hyeon's potions, but even so, hospitals were as familiar to him as his neighborhood convenience store. There was even a rumor that Jinwoo Sung had a designated room at the hospital affiliated with the Hunter's Association.

He sat up, then put his hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat. His heart was beating normally.

'I'm alive?'

Something else also seemed off. His body felt weirdly light. Usually, whenever he woke up in a hospital, Jinwoo was often dazed and had difficulty moving around.

But it was different this time. He felt refreshed, like after a good night's sleep at home.

What happened......? Considering the situation right before he'd lost consciousness, this didn't make any sense.

The sword had been coming down at him...wait

'Where is Hyeon!?' Jinwoo panicked. Considering the situation right before he'd lost consciousness, this didn't make any sense. A sword had been coming down at him and Hyeon. Even if by chance it had missed then, he'd been completely surrounded by some fearsome foes.

An A-rank or even an S-rank strike squad arriving on the scene would've been no match for them.

'If I survived then Hyeon too? Right!?' He felt relieved, It was like it had all been a dream. As luck would have it, there was one surefire way to verify everything.

Jinwoo lifted the blanket covering his body. If it was real, he would be missing a leg, and if it had been a dream......

"Are you awake?" Jinwoo jumped and turned toward the deep voice that had addressed him from a corner of the room.

"Apologies if I scared you."

"We couldn't wait any longer, you see." Two men in black suits approached the bed. Jinwoo blinked at them.

"Who...are you...?" He didn't recognize them at all.

The one with a short military haircut handed Jinwoo a business card. "This is what we do."

Jinwoo took the card.

'Jinchul Woo, Korean Hunter's Association Surveillance Team?'

Surveillance was the only team within the Hunter's Association composed solely of strong hunters. Their role was to supervise all the hunters in the association, so it made sense that such an elite corps would have the cream of the crop.

Jinwoo was still confused, though. "But what brings you here?"

Jinchul Woo pulled up a chair next to Jinwoo's bed and sat down. The other suit, who Jinwoo assumed was his subordinate, stood behind him. The threatening presence of these two well-built men so close to Jinwoo was intense.

What they told Jinwoo shocked him. "I was asleep for three days?"

"Do you remember what happened before you passed out?"

"Yes."

"Please tell us everything you remember."

"Before I do...... What about those three? Mr. Song, Joohee, and Hyeon, are they safe?" Jinwoo asked if he really wanted to go out and find Hyeon. He wants to check if he was truly okay like he was.

Jinchul met Jinwoo's earnest gaze and nodded. "Both Joohee and Mr. Song were in severe condition, but they are thankfully alive and well."

"W-What about Hyeon?" Jinchul looked directly into his eyes and spoke.

"We don't know, the hospital didn't tell us anything and say it is confidential. But I asked some patients here and said that some people took him away." Jinwoo's heart started beating fast.

'N-No..Hyeon...H-He..' Jinwoo looked at his hand and clenched.

"D-Do you think he is safe or okay like me." Jinchul patted his shoulder and nodded his head.

"I'm pretty sure he is, the other patient said that the people who took him don't look like bad guys." when Jinwoo hears that he felt relieved yet sad.

As Jinwoo let out a relieved sigh, Jinchul quietly asked, "Now, could you please tell us what you remember?"

He told them everything that had happened until he'd lost consciousness except for the strange hallucinations he couldn't understand.

"And then you lost consciousness...... Is that correct?"

"Yes, the next time I opened my eyes, I was here."

Jinchul and his subordinate exchanged glances. They seemed a bit troubled that their only potential witness didn't know anything. The truth was, Jinwoo was the one who most wanted to know what had really happened.

"If I may, how did I and Hyeon get here? Did a big guild get rid of them?"

"The thing is......"

The troubled Jinchul took his time answering. "Taking survivors' reports into account, the Surveillance Team brought along members of the White Tiger Guild, but when they arrived at the room, everything..."

The White Tiger Guild was a huge guild that ranked as one of the top five in Korea. Bringing White Tiger on board meant the association had recognized just how dangerous the situation was.

What exactly had happened over there? Jinwoo gulped. "Everything......?"

"Everything was gone. There was absolutely no trace of the giant statue or the other stone sentries. There was nothing except you and Hyeon lying there unconscious."

"Excuse me?" Jinwoo stared at him, incredulous.

"We couldn't believe it, either. If the survivors' stories weren't perfectly consistent or we hadn't found the remains of the other hunters, we would've thought differently."

Jinchul rubbed his chin. This was his sixth year working in the Surveillance Team after awakening as an A-rank hunter. He was confident he had experienced all sorts of adversity and enemies, so this was a first. He'd even sought the advice of guilds as well as associations of other countries, but they'd all been dead ends.

And so...

"Here's what we think......," Jinchul said cautiously.

"There was definitely something powerful in that room. And those things were defeated by someone or several someones. That's what we concluded, since nothing escaped into our world before the gate closed."

They had to be open to all kinds of possibilities. They had to consider all the scenarios, however unlikely or impossible. The association had contemplated the situation again and again and had ultimately come up with one theory.

Jinchul watched for Jinwoo's reaction as he continued.

"We believe......that you had a second awakening, Hunter Jinwoo Sung."

'A second awakening!' Jinwoo's eyes widened.

"We believe also Hunter Kim Hyeon had a second awakening, but we cannot confirm that since some people take him away. We are sorry about that but.. I will make sure to find him and report it to you."

Jinwoo listened to him but was still quite shocked that he and Hyeon had a second awakening. It was rare, but a person who had already awakened as a hunter could have a second awakening. This was also known as a "reawakening." Most of the hunters who experienced this process came out much stronger than they'd been previously.

Once a hunter's rank was set, there usually was no way to change it. A hunter's ability was established when they awoke as a hunter.

But reawakened hunters were different. They surpassed their limits, and a C-rank hunter could level up to an A rank, and a B-rank hunter could even level up to an S rank.

Jinchul swallowed nervously.

'Jinwoo Sung...... If he reawakened as an S ranker, or maybe even more powerful than that, it would've been possible for him to defeat all those beasts.'

'And for Kim Hyeon.... Tsk if I have tightened the security on these two.'

The survivors had specifically pointed out that the giant statue had vaporized C-rank hunters using only its eyes. How powerful would an individual have to be to defeat that kind of magic beast while unconscious?

The association had classified this case as top secret and made sure everyone involved kept it absolutely confidential. Those who'd come to visit Jinwoo in the hospital had been given only minimal information about his current state. For the same reason, Jinwoo had been assigned a private room and the best doctors in the hospital.

Jinchul's heart sped up.

'To think that we might finally have a national-rank hunter in Korea......'

There were fewer than ten national-rank hunters in the entire world. They were said to hold more power than a nuclear weapon, and if Korea could have one, too...!

Fortunately, it wouldn't be difficult to verify whether he'd had a second awakening. One must strike while the iron is hot, so to speak.

Jinchul gave an order to his subordinate. "Bring it here."

The subordinate took something from a bag in a corner of the room and brought it over.

"Is that......?"

Jinchul began explaining before Jinwoo could finish asking. "This is a mana meter."

He explained that the device was a smaller, though no less effective, version of the one found at the Hunter's Association Headquarters.

"All you have to do is place your hand on this essence stone."

A fist-size essence stone sat embedded in the middle of a round board. It was an ebony stone that looked like a black hole one could get sucked into. It was the highest-rank essence stone in existence, harvested from an A-rank or higher magic beast. An essence stone in good condition could go for more than 1,000,000,000 won.

Jinchul spoke up in a serious tone when Jinwoo continued to wordlessly stare at the essence stone.

"This is a necessary procedure for our investigation, so your cooperation would be greatly appreciated."

Jinwoo nodded.

If this really was the reawakening he'd often dreamed of, his life would take a complete one-eighty. They were offering to verify it at no cost, so he had no reason to refuse.

He placed his hand on the essence stone, and it started to emit a faint glow. Both Jinchul and his subordinate were sweating in anticipation.

Fshhhhh...

The light surrounding the stone faded. Jinchul hurriedly took off his sunglasses and checked the result.

He blinked in disbelief. "That can't be!"

He double-checked the number, but it remained the same.

What......?

How could someone with a hunter's license have only 10 mana? When one took into consideration that E-rank hunters averaged between 70 and 100 mana, Jinwoo's mana level was closer to a regular civilian.

However...

"So is it a reawakening? What's my new rank looking like?"

Jinwoo's palms were sweating. The result must have been extraordinary if the two surveillance agents were reacting this way.

Jinchul nodded after comparing Jinwoo's current result with his previous data.

The result from his initial test was 12. Now, four years later, the result is 10. Even though it went down by 2, that's within the margin of error.

The mana meter wasn't broken. Jinwoo's mana was simply unbelievably low. Frankly, it was a miracle he'd survived until now.

"There must have been a misunderstanding. I apologize." Jinchul decided staying any longer would be a waste of time and quickly stood up.

"Let's go."

"Yes sir."

They quickly packed their bags. "Uhhh, could you please tell me......?"

Jinchul turned slightly and merely responded, "Thank you for your cooperation. If you remember anything else, please contact us."

'Then the case for Kim Hyeon is just the same... no need to find him.'

The two men in black rushed out of the room like they had somewhere else they urgently needed to be. The space felt empty without them.

"......" Jinwoo rubbed the back of his neck.

'Guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.'

If he really thought about it, he didn't feel any different, other than that strange sense of refreshment. Plus, it would've been impossible to defeat all those things by himself even if he had experienced a second awakening.

'Maybe if it was the S-rank hunter Jongin Choi or Gunhee Go, who's considered an S rank among S ranks, they could've taken them on by themselves?'

Since he'd never seen either of them fight against magic beasts, his speculation was pointless.

Not much was known about S-rank hunters. They were like gods among men.

Lost in thought, he shifted his gaze up to the ceiling.

Huh?

As soon as he did, he saw letters floating in the air.

[You have unread messages.]

SIGNED. JINWOO SIGNED AND RUBBED HIS NECK. His sister Jinha come to visit him, and see him look like idiot who saying some words like,

"Check."

"Message."

"Check message."

"Read message."

"Look."

"I want to look."

"Let's take a look."

He sighed again and Jinah also cried from worry and asked about Hyeon. To Jinah, Hyeon is like his other brother. When Jinwoo said to her that someone took Hyeon away Jinah eyes widened but Jinwoo assured her that he will find him.

Jinah sniffed and stood up.

"Where're you going?"

"School. I only got permission to check on you briefly. I have to go back." He nodded in understanding. "Your university entrance exam is next year."

Jinah had never once had a private tutor or taken any extra classes after school, but she was always at the top of her grade. Jinwoo was fiercely proud of her.

Jinah's dream was to become a doctor. A few years back, she'd only loved hanging with her friends and playing video games. After their mother fell ill, though, she'd made up her mind to become a doctor and become glued to her desk.

Jinwoo wanted to make sure her dream came true.

'Wait a minute...... A video game?'

Jinwoo's eyes flashed. "Okay, I'll see you later."

He quickly called to her before she could leave the room.

"Jinah."

"What?"

"When you play a game......"

She grinned. "I don't really play these days. I'll be a senior soon."

"I know, I know—but I have a question."

"Really? About what? Have you started playing?"

Perhaps because this used to be her area of expertise, Jinah seemed eager to help. Jinwoo quickly glanced at the words still floating in the air.

"What do you do if you have an unread message that you want to check in a game?"

"Well, first, you'd open your inbox."

"Open your inbox?"

Ping!

As soon as he said "Open," the hidden messages were revealed with some kind of alert sound effect.

[You have 2 unread messages.]

[Congratulations on becoming a Player.] (Unread)

[Daily Quest: Strength Training has arrived.] (Unread)

Jinwoo's face lit up.

Yes!

Her brother's sudden giddiness made Jinah uneasy. "What? Which game is it? Should I help you?"

Jinwoo shook his head firmly. "No. I want to try it by myself."

How would his sister react if he told her what he was currently experiencing?

'I don't want her to think I'm crazy.'

Jinwoo swallowed the words he desperately wished he could say. Jinwoo made sure Jinah got in the elevator under the pretense of seeing her off, then hurried back to his hospital room.

'Can't make the same mistake again. Click.'

He even locked the door to make sure there would be no witnesses. Preparations complete, Jinwoo sat on the edge of his bed and started reading through the messages.

[Congratulations on becoming a Player.] (Unread)

[Daily Quest: Strength Training has arrived.] (Unread)

He felt like he'd seen the title of the first message somewhere.

'Where have I heard that before? It sounds familiar...' Jinwoo decided to start with the first message.

[Congratulations on becoming a Player.] (Unread)

Check.

Ping!

[This system is designed to assist the development of the Player.]

[Failure to comply with the system may result in a penalty.]

[The rewards have been delivered.]

"Ahhh."

He belatedly remembered where he'd heard those words. That had been the last thing the voice had said to him before he'd passed out.

It mentioned a Player or something back then, too.

He hadn't understood what that meant then, and he didn't fully understand it now.

System, development, penalty, rewards... They were just a bunch of vague terms to him.

How the heck is it going to help me develop, and what kinds of rewards are they planning to give me?

Because it was using video game terminology with no good explanation of what it all meant, Jinwoo couldn't help but be confused. He decided to move on and opened the next message.

[Daily Quest: Strength Training has arrived.] (Unread)

Gulp.

Jinwoo involuntarily reacted to the noteworthy subject line. His heart started racing.

Check.

Ping!

[DAILY QUEST: STRENGTH TRAINING]

Push-ups 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)

Sit-ups 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)

Squats 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)

Running 10 km: Incomplete (0/100)

Warning: Failure to complete the daily quest will result in an appropriate penalty.

After reading the message, Jinwoo laughed in spite of himself. "Ha-ha...... Seriously?" It was a big letdown, to say the least.

Despite having such a grandiose subject line like "Strength Training," the daily quest message had merely been an endurance training exercise regimen. Jinwoo couldn't argue that he'd definitely be in slightly better shape if he completed it. Were those the "development" and "rewards" mentioned?

Now that I think about it......

He'd once read in a book that "those going through an inner conflict should lend an ear to their inner voices."

Guess I'm just seeing what I want to see.

How badly did he want to get stronger that his mind was conjuring these unbelievable delusions?

He let out a bitter laugh. "......If I could've become a stronger hunter with this kind of thing, why would I have endured all those hardships? But with this... " after that a sight of Hyeon appeared in his mind.

He shook his head. He thought himself pathetic for trying to search for answers to his doubts in a message that might be a hallucination.

Whatever.

Jinwoo sprawled out on his bed and wordlessly stared at the ceiling. "......"

Time flew even though he wasn't doing anything. He started feeling the weight of the silence filling the hospital room.

He abruptly sat up.

What if......?

What if something really would happen? Half full of anticipation and half doubtful, Jinwoo's mind filled with the thought of trying it out.

I have nothing to lose anyway.

If he considered it some light exercise, there was no reason not to do it, right?

He finally made a call. He'd do it. Jinwoo got out of bed and, after a light warm-up, gripped the bed frame and started slowly doing push-ups.

"One, two, three......"

His count increased quickly. "......Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety- nine, one hundred."

He finished one hundred push-ups, but to his disappointment, nothing changed. Nothing except that his arms were now a little bit sore.

"What did I just do......?"

He snorted and straightened up.

[Congratulations on becoming a Player.] (Read)

[Daily Quest: Strength Training has arrived.] (Read)

The status of the messages had changed from unread to read. There were no more unread messages, and he wasn't in the mood to play along with the delusions any longer.

That was enough of that. Jinwoo closed the message screen without hesitation.

"Haaaah..."

He yawned hard and climbed back into bed. Perhaps it was because this was the most active he'd been in a while, but he was getting drowsy. The sky outside the window was being painted in the colors of a sunset.

Is it already this late?

The two agents from the Surveillance Team had told him the association was going to foot his hospital bills. Jinwoo planned to use the opportunity to get a full checkup and leave only after receiving a clean bill of health from the doctors. He also asked some doctors if they knew where they take Hyeon, but nobody knows it.

He sighed.

The hallucinations and visions should go away in due time...

These were Jinwoo's thoughts as he lay in bed. His eyes gradually slid shut. Jinwoo fell into a deep sleep.

Ticktock, ticktock.

The clock on the wall diligently moved its hands as Jinwoo slept. They went round and round and round, and eventually, the clock read 11:59:57.

Tick, tick, tick.

Fifty-eight seconds, fifty-nine seconds, sixty seconds. The hands of the clock stopped at exactly twelve o'clock.

Ping!

[You have not completed the daily quest. You will be transferred to the penalty zone for the allotted time.]