Chapter 3: A System of Consequences
Jin sat on the edge of his apartment's tiny twin-sized bed, a cracked phone in one hand and the glowing system screen hovering in front of him.
> [Daily Quest – Strengthen Your Vessel]
• 100 Push-ups
• 100 Sit-ups
• 100 Squats
• 10km Run
[Penalty for Incomplete Quest: Minor Chrono Decay]
Time Remaining: 23:58:12
He stared at it for a long minute.
"Push-ups. Sit-ups. A jog? What is this, military service?"
He dropped the phone on the bed and stood. His muscles still ached from the fight. His hoodie clung to him from sweat even hours later. But the glow of the system… it hadn't faded.
This wasn't a dream.
With a sigh, he dropped down and started doing push-ups.
"One… two… three…"
By the time he hit thirty-five, his arms trembled. At sixty, he collapsed.
> [Progress: 60/100 Push-ups]
"I'm gonna die doing crunches," he muttered.
Just then, his phone buzzed again. He picked it up with shaking fingers.
[Mom]: Don't forget my appointment is tomorrow morning. Be safe, Jin.
He stared at the message a few seconds longer than he needed to.
"…Yeah. No dying today."
He pushed himself back up.
---
Later That Morning – Hunter Association, Seoul Branch
"I'm telling you," Hyun said, slamming his hand on the desk. "He moved like an A-Rank. No, S-Rank. No one just dodges a statue's blade like that."
The woman behind the desk raised an eyebrow. "Jin Ryu is listed as E-Rank. Low-E. Failed the evaluation twice."
Taesik leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Well, he passed something in there, I'll tell you that."
"What're you suggesting?" the clerk asked. "That he faked his rank?"
"Not faked," Yura said quietly. "Awakened. Again."
Hyun turned to her. "Double Awakening? That's just a rumor."
Yura met his eyes. "So is surviving a Double Dungeon."
The room fell silent.
---
Elsewhere – Jin's Apartment
> [Quest Complete.]
[+2 Stat Points]
[Chrono Energy +1]
[New Skill Unlocked: Time Step Lv.1]
Blink forward in time by 0.3 seconds. Cooldown: 5 sec.
Jin stared at the skill window, breathing hard from the final stretch of his run.
"That's it? All that pain for a half-second blink?"
He collapsed onto the floor, shirt soaked through. His lungs burned.
Then he smiled.
"…Totally worth it."
The system pinged again.
> [Optional Quest Unlocked: First Hunt]
Defeat any dungeon monster solo.
Time Limit: 48 hours.
Reward: Skill Upgrade – Time Step Lv.2
"…Guess I'm not sleeping tonight."
---
Back at the Association
"Where is he now?" asked the Association Director, leaning back in his chair.
The woman at the desk scrolled through the tablet. "Jin Ryu checked out of the recovery center four hours ago. No active gate assignments."
The Director narrowed his eyes.
"Keep an eye on him. If he's awakened into something new… we need to know before the guilds find out."
---
Nightfall – Abandoned C-Rank Gate, Incheon Outskirts
Jin stood at the edge of the gate, alone. A dagger in one hand, a stolen C-Rank badge in his pocket.
"No team. No backup," he muttered. "Just me and a suicide mission."
The system blinked again.
> [Entering Temporal Zone]
All system functions active. Good luck.
He stepped through.
The air changed instantly—denser, colder.
A low growl echoed from the cave.
Jin grinned.
"One monster. One kill."
He slid into a stance.
"I can do this."
---
End of Chapter 3