CHAPTER TEN !
───the system, part two.

JINWOO AWOKE TO THE VIOLENT SHAKING of an earthquake, but the hospital room transformed into a surreal desert landscape. Everything, including the furniture, crumbled into sand. As he tried to make sense of the bizarre situation, a colossal centipede, labeled "Poison-Toothed Giant Desert Centipede," emerged, initiating a penalty quest for survival.

Despite the relentless pursuit of the centipede and the unexpected challenges, Jinwoo managed to survive the four-hour ordeal. He found himself back in his hospital room, battered and exhausted.

The experience wasn't a hallucination or a dream; it was a real, life-threatening event triggered by a penalty quest. Jinwoo felt a growing sense of foreboding, realizing that this might not be the last time he faces such challenges. 

Another notification confirmed his completion of the penalty quest, leaving him questioning the fairness of the system that had thrown him into the jaws of death.

Ping!

He jumped, but thankfully, it wasn't another quest.

[Your rewards for completing the penalty quest have been delivered.]

[Would you like to check your rewards?]

"'Rewards'......?"

The word rewards caught Jinwoo's eye. The problem was that he didn't have the energy to check. The situation just didn't allow for it.

Forget about rewards...... Let's get some rest first...... His vision slowly blurred. Soon, he fell into a deep sleep.

Jinwoo, waking up to a daily quest, discovers it involves strength training: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and running 10 km.

The consequence for failure is a looming penalty. Determined to avoid a perilous situation like the previous night, Jinwoo diligently completes the tasks, paying attention to proper form for the push-ups. 

Despite the physical strain, he perseveres, eventually finishing the quest with a final, grueling run around the hospital.

Exhausted but curious, Jinwoo checks his rewards. The list includes a full recovery, +3 Ability Points, and a mysterious Mystery Box. 

Opting to accept them all, he experiences a rejuvenating surge of pale-blue energy reminiscent of Joohee's magical healing. The recovery leaves him feeling remarkably refreshed, dispelling any traces of fatigue.

'This is awesome.'

Jinwoo, amazed by the mysterious events happening to him, discovers a box and a stat screen in his hospital room. The stat screen shows his basic stats like in a video game, and he notices he has three ability points to distribute.

His skills, Dash and Willpower, were gained during a life-threatening situation in the penalty zone. 

Jinwoo is excited about the potential of learning skills through persistent actions, a unique advantage compared to other hunters who often spend a lot of money or face danger to acquire skills.

He decides to invest his ability points in strength, hoping to become physically stronger. After allocating the points, he feels a noticeable change in his strength. Jinwoo is overjoyed and starts lifting things in his room to test his newfound power, attracting the attention of the head nurse.

Jinwoo then receives rewards for completing the penalty quest, including more ability points. He enthusiastically adds these points to his strength, further increasing his physical prowess.

Excited about the prospect of daily quests and rewards, Jinwoo dreams of living a completely different life, focusing on getting stronger every day. 

The idea of leveling up seems distant, but he is content with the continuous improvement provided by the ability points and quests.

Jinwoo, curious about the nature of his newfound abilities, tries to research similar cases but finds no comparable experiences. Frustrated, he makes an anonymous post on a hunter forum, but the responses are dismissive and mocking.

Undeterred, Jinwoo reflects that he might be the only one with this unique power, which could be an advantage.

Realizing it's late, he stretches and discovers two mystery boxes that fell to the floor. Opening them, he finds ordinary items - a bandage and a ballpoint pen. However, this leads him to discover the existence of an inventory feature. 

Jinwoo decides to test it by summoning his old friend, Kim Sangshik's steel sword, which he thought he had left behind.

The weapon appears in his inventory, bringing a sense of familiarity and joy. He also learns about the value of hunter-grade weapons, understanding their significance in battling magic beasts.

Didn't Mr. Kim say he paid 3,000,000 won for this?

Hunter-grade weapons look ordinary but aren't. A magic beast can't be hurt unless the weapon is imbued with mana. Because of this, weapons made for battling magic beasts are naturally expensive.

I should use this guy for now.

Jinwoo had fought against magic beasts with his bare hands until now because he couldn't afford a weapon. Even if it was a used sword, he was grateful to have it.

This is mine now.

If Kim saw it in Jinwoo's possession, he'd probably be frothing at the mouth trying to get it back. He was selfish to the point where he'd run away and abandon the one who'd saved his life.

Jinwoo had both this sword and this new opportunity because he'd risked his life. He had no intention of giving up the weapon that easily.

His eyes narrowed.

He'd learned two things in that underground temple.

First, he needed to get stronger. He'd almost died a number of times simply because he was weak.

But that wasn't the only thing.

He hadn't stopped the young choir man even though he'd known what the result would be, and he hadn't stood up for Song even though he knew Kim had been in the wrong. He'd turned a blind eye even though he'd known what needed to happen in order to survive.

If he didn't want to feel ashamed, he had to become stronger. And the other lesson—

No good deed goes unpunished.

Jinwoo's good deeds had been met with betrayal. Three of his colleagues had abandoned him even though he'd needed their help just to stand. He'd begged them to come back, but none of them had. They couldn't remember who had saved their lives.

Give-and-take.

Jinwoo clenched his fist, his eyes focused on the holographic stats in front of him. His determination burned bright as he whispered to himself.

"I need to get stronger, not just for myself, but for the ones I care about. I won't let anyone I love suffer or be in danger. No more."

His mind lingered on Hyeon, the one he held close to his heart. A soft smile played on his lips as he envisioned a future where he could protect and spend time with him.

"I'll become stronger, strong enough to shield Hyeon from any harm. No more running away or feeling helpless."

With newfound resolve, Jinwoo continued to invest his ability points in strength, feeling the power coursing through him. He imagined the day when he would find Hyeon, and they could share moments together, free from the threats that haunted them.

"After I become strong, Hyeon will be the only one I want to spend my time with. I'll find you Hyeon.."