The morning air was brisk and carried the faint scent of pine from the mountains around Seongcheon. Joon leaned against the kitchen doorway, sipping his coffee, eyes fixed on the translucent blue window hovering in front of him.
System Notification: Quest Active – "Contrarian Play"
Objective:Identify a stock currently underperforming but fundamentally strong.Enter against current market sentiment.Hold through negative noise for 7 days.Exit after a confirmed reversal trend.
Reward:+100 XP
Unlocks: New Attribute – Risk Appetite
Warning: High volatility expected. Stay rational.
"Fundamentally strong but hated by the market…" Joon muttered. "This one's going to test my guts."
The system wasn't asking him to follow trends anymore. It wanted him to go against them.
He opened his Trade Journal and wrote in the scratchpad section:
Look for bad earnings but good long-term news
Ignore short-term sentiment
Focus on cash flow, debt ratio, future contracts
It took him nearly the whole day. Between his research stat and growing Market Insight, he now had access to richer data—earnings summaries, balance sheets, analyst comments.
One name came up over and over again: Haesong Steelworks.
A major steel producer that had reported a weak quarter due to temporary factory shutdowns. But beneath the headlines were buried facts: they'd just won a multi-year government contract, and their debt was down significantly over the last three quarters.
Yet the stock had dropped for six consecutive days.
"This is it," Joon whispered. "Everyone's bailing. I'm going in."
Purchase: Haesong Steelworks – 130 shares @ ₩1,950 = ₩253,500
Remaining Capital: ₩3,600
System Notification: Entry Confirmed – Contrarian Position Initiated
Step 1 Complete: Entered against sentiment
Day 1–3: The stock slid further. ₩1,910. Then ₩1,880.
Online forums were mocking anyone who still held it. Analysts downgraded.
Joon closed the noise.
Instead, he checked steel prices. They were rising globally. Infrastructure plans in China and the U.S. were underway. Demand was coming.
Day 4–5: The stock flatlined at ₩1,880. Volume dried up. Boring.
Joon journaled every day:
"People sell out of fear, not data. I'm holding."
Day 6: A minor uptick. ₩1,910.
Then a press release hit: Haesong's factories back to full operation. Orders up 12% from last quarter.
Joon didn't celebrate. Not yet.
Day 7: The chart broke out. A classic reversal candle, confirmed by volume.
₩2,020.
System Notification: 7-Day Hold Complete – Reversal Confirmed
Final Objective: Exit at your discretion within next 3 trading days
He waited till the next day. The price surged again—₩2,100.
Joon sold.
Sell: Haesong Steelworks – 130 shares @ ₩2,100 = ₩273,000
Capital: ₩3,600 → ₩276,600
System Notification: Quest Complete – Contrarian Play
+100 XP
New Attribute Unlocked: Risk Appetite
XP: 365 → 465 / 500
[Status Window]
Level: 6
XP: 465 / 500
Capital: ₩276,600
Attributes:
Market Insight: 10
Negotiation: 2
Stamina: 2
Research: 3
Risk Appetite: 1 (NEW)
Titles:
Beginner Trader
Pattern Seeker
Value Seeker
Contrarian Initiate (NEW)
Skills:
Long-Term Perspective (Passive I)
Momentum Read (Active I)
Features:
Trade Journal
Later that evening, Joon sat in the yard with his journal, under the warm glow of the garden bulb his grandfather had fixed.
Trade Summary:Haesong Steelworks – 7-day contrarian hold
Entry Reason: Market panic despite strong fundamentals
Exit Reason: Breakout confirmed after press release
Emotional Note: Most stressful week. Constant doubt. But data > emotion.
Lesson: When you're right but early, you'll feel wrong. Hold your frame.
System Notification: Reflection Bonus – +5 XP
XP: 465 → 470 / 500
The edge of another level shimmered in the back of Joon's mind.
One more trade. One more insight. One more proof to the system—and to himself—that he could survive not by copying others…
…but by thinking.