The reboot
634 Words
The fluorescent lights of the Neo-Seoul Medical Center flickered with a rhythmic, buzzing hum that grated against Jin-Woo’s heightened senses. He laid motionless, staring at the ceiling, the sterile smell of antiseptic thick in the air.
Three days had passed since the incident in the Rank-D Rift. The official report claimed a "statistical anomaly"—a Culling Unit that had malfunctioned and gone rogue, wiping out a six-man scavenger squad. Jin-Woo was the "miracle survivor," though the doctors couldn't explain how a Rank-E with a punctured lung and a shattered spine was now sitting up without a single scar.
But Jin-Woo knew. Hovering exactly twenty centimeters in front of his face was a semi-transparent, obsidian-colored interface that no one else could see.
> [DAILY QUEST: PREPARING TO SURVIVE]
> * Push-ups: 0/100
> * Sit-ups: 0/100
> * Squats: 0/100
> * Running: 0/10km
> [WARNING: Failure to complete the Daily Quest will result in a Penalty Mission.]
> [Time Remaining: 02:14:55]
>
"A penalty?" he whispered, his voice raspy.
He had spent his life as a 'bottom-feeder' in the Hunter hierarchy. In this world, your Rank was your destiny. If you were born an E-Rank, you stayed an E-Rank until the day a stray goblin cracked your skull. The idea of "growth" was a fairy tale told to children. Yet, as he dropped to the hospital floor and began his first push-up, he felt a strange, electric heat coursing through his veins.
By the time he reached the ninetieth push-up, his hospital gown was translucent with sweat. His muscles screamed, a familiar ache he’d felt a thousand times while hauling mana-crystals. But this time, it was different. Every repetition felt like he was hammering out the impurities in his own soul.
98... 99... 100.
As he finished the final squat, a chime echoed in his mind—sharp and digital.
> [DAILY QUEST COMPLETED]
> [Rewards have arrived.]
> * Full Body Recovery
> * Stat Points: +3
> * Random Loot Box (Low-Grade)
>
A surge of cooling energy washed over him, instantly erasing the fatigue. He pulled up his Status Window, his heart hammering against his ribs.
> Name: Jin-Woo Sato
> Level: 1
> Class: None
> Title: None
> HP: 100/100
> MP: 10/10
> Strength: 10 (+3)
> Agility: 10
> Intelligence: 10
> Sense: 10
> (Available Points: 0)
>
He had dumped all three points into Strength. Immediately, he felt his grip tighten. He looked at the heavy steel bedframe of the hospital cot. With one hand, he gripped the railing and squeezed. The reinforced steel groaned and began to deform under his palm like soft clay.
His eyes widened. In a world governed by the rigid laws of the Grid, he was the only one breaking the rules. He wasn't just surviving anymore; he was evolving.
He reached out to tap the "Random Loot Box" icon on his screen. A small, rusted iron key materialized in a shower of digital pixels, falling into his hand with a heavy clink.
> [ITEM: KEY TO THE INSTANCE DUNGEON]
> [Rank: E]
> [Location: Subway Line 4, Guro Station.]
> Description: This key allows the user to create a private hunting ground. Monsters within will not affect the outside world.
>
Jin-Woo stood up, throwing off the hospital gown and reaching for his tattered civilian clothes. The sun was setting over the neon skyline of Neo-Seoul. Most people saw a city of glass and light; he saw a world that had tried to delete him.
"You want me to survive?" Jin-Woo muttered to the empty room, his shadow stretching long and dark across the floor. "Fine. I'll play your game."
He headed for the door, the rusted key gripped tight. It was time for his first real hunt.
- Writer
