CHAPTER 1 - THE KISS
[ CURRENT QUEST]
Quest 5: The Hegemon’s Boldness
Objective: Ask the School Goddess, San Gah, to go on a date with you.
Reward: 50 Attribute Points, Skill: [Basic Martial Arts]
Penalty for Failure: Immediate System Uninstallation.
“Wait, what?!” Gray’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “I have to ask the school goddess on a date? That’s ridiculous… I’m just a loser. She doesn’t even know I exist.” He looked at the floating blue text. The word "Uninstallation" flickered in a threatening red. This system was the only thing that had given him hope in years. He couldn't lose it.
“I have to do it.”
Gray took a deep breath, his heart hammering against his ribs. He approached the circle of students surrounding San Gah. She was as radiant as ever—perfect hair, perfect grades, and a presence that made everyone else seem like background noise.
"San Gah?" he stammered. The crowd went silent. "Would you... would you go on a date with me?"
The whispers started immediately. People were ready to laugh. But then, the unthinkable happened.
"Sure," San Gah said, a small, mysterious smile playing on her lips.
Gray froze. "Really?"
San Gah tilted her head, her eyes sparkling. "What? Did you want me to say no?"
A Few Hours Ago...
The day had started like any other miserable Monday. Gray was hiding in the most forgotten corner of the school library, trying to avoid the gaze of the bullies who ran the hallways. He was looking for a quiet place to eat his lunch when he rounded the corner of the 'Ancient History' stacks.
He didn't see her coming.
Thud!
He collided with someone soft. His balance—already terrible—gave way. As he fell, he grabbed the nearest thing to stabilize himself, but instead, he pulled the other person down with him.
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Their lips met for a fraction of a second. A soft, accidental spark.
Gray's eyes snapped open to see the shocked face of San Gah just inches from his own. Before he could even apologize, she scrambled to her feet, her face turning a deep shade of crimson, and bolted toward the exit.
Gray sat there, stunned. Then, a sharp ping echoed in his mind.
[ SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
Host Authenticated: Gray
Condition Met: Contact with high-level 'Aura' source.
Status: F-Rank (Loser)
Gray sat on the floor, his fingers touching his lips. The scent of jasmine—San Gah's perfume—still lingered in the air.
Did that... did that just happen? Gray thought, his brain feeling like it had short-circuited. I just kissed the Goddess. I’m dead. Her fans will kill me. Her brother... oh god, her brother will bury me.
Suddenly, the air in front of him flickered. A semi-transparent blue window appeared, floating steadily in the air.
[ SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
Welcome,
Host. Current Status: F-Rank (Loser)
Goal: Become the Supreme Hegemon of this School.
Gray rubbed his eyes, but the screen didn't vanish. He tried to stand up, but his legs felt like jelly.
[ NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]
Quest 1: The First Breath of Strength Objective: Perform 10 Push-ups in the next 5 minutes.
Reward: +1 Strength.
Failure: Intense muscle cramps for 1 hour.
"A quest?" Gray whispered, looking around to see if anyone was watching. The library was empty. "10 push-ups? I haven't done 10 push-ups since middle school."
He looked at the timer counting down on the screen. 04:52... 04:51...
If this is a hallucination, I’m crazy. If it’s real... I need to do this.
Gray dropped to the carpet. His first three reps were shaky. By the seventh, his arms were trembling. By the tenth, he collapsed, his chest hitting the floor with a soft thud.
[ QUEST 1 COMPLETE]
Reward Distributed: +1 Strength
Suddenly, a warm sensation flowed through his biceps. It wasn't much, but the constant fatigue he usually felt seemed to lift just a little bit. He stood up, feeling... sturdier.
[ NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]
Quest 2: Social Confidence
Objective: Compliment a female student.
Reward: +500 USD (Sent to your bank account).
Gray’s eyes widened. "Money? It gives me money too?"
[ PRESENT TIME - SCHOOL HALLWAY]
The hallway was still quiet. Gray stood in front of San Gah, his heart ready to leap out of his chest. He had spent the last few hours completing three more "Simple Quests" just to get here.
He had done his push-ups. He had complimented a girl in the hallway (and almost fainted from the stress). He had talked to a stranger. He had even done 20 squats in the bathroom.
Now, he was at Quest 5. The big one.
"Really?" Gray asked again, his voice cracking. "You... you'll actually go on a date with me?"
San Gah stepped closer. The students watching were whispering frantically, their phones already out. "Why do you look so surprised, Gray? You're the one who asked."
She leaned in, her voice dropping so only he could hear. "Besides, you owe me for what happened in the library, don't you?"
She winked and walked past him, her hair brushing against his shoulder.
[ QUEST 5 COMPLETE]
Reward: +50 Attribute Points.
Reward: New Skill Unlocked — [BASIC MARTIAL ARTS: LEVEL 1]
[ ATTENTION]
Host has achieved "Significant Progress."
Main Quest Line Unlocked: [THE GANG WARS]
First Objective: Survive the 'Welcome' from the Student Council's Enforcers.
Gray felt a sudden surge of power—massive, overwhelming power—flood his body as the 50 points integrated. But as he felt his muscles tighten and his senses sharpen, he saw three tall, muscular students blocking the end of the hallway.
One of them was Min-Ho, a known fighter for the Goddess’s brother.
"Hey, Loser," Min-Ho growled, cracking his knuckles. "We need to talk about why you were talking to San Gah."
[ STATUS WINDOW]
Strength: 35 (+25) ??
Agility: 25 (+15) ?
Stamina: 20 (+10) ???♂?
Skill: [Basic Martial Arts Lv. 1] — The body remembers what the mind hasn't learned yet.
Come on then, Gray thought, his eyes narrowing. Let's see what these points can actually do.
