Jinwoo woke to an unfamiliar emptiness.
He reached out instinctively—
But the space beside him was cold.
"…Jin-ah?"
He sat up, blinking away the remnants of sleep. The room was quiet, sunlight filtering softly through the curtains. No sound of breathing. No movement.
A small knot formed in his chest.
He stood and stepped into the living room.
That was when he noticed it.
The dining table was set.
A simple breakfast—rice, eggs, and soup—still warm. Steam rose faintly from the bowl. Beside it lay a neatly folded napkin and a small note, placed with careful precision, as if she'd taken her time.
He picked it up.
Oppa,
I made breakfast.
I'm going to school.
Don't skip your meal.
— Jin-ah
Jinwoo stared at the note for a long moment, memories of last night surfacing in his mind.
Then he smiled.
"She really did grow up," he murmured softly.
He sat down and ate slowly, tasting more than just food. There was care in every detail—the slightly overcooked eggs, the soup seasoned exactly the way he liked it.
As he finished, his gaze drifted toward the door.
She had already gone to school.
I should level up today, he thought.
The System window flickered briefly at the edge of his vision, as if reminding him of something.
Jinwoo closed it without looking.
For now, he folded the note carefully and slipped it into his pocket.
Outside, the city moved on as usual.
Inside the small apartment, Sung Jinwoo lay back down on his bed, allowing himself a short rest before heading out.
A sharp chime suddenly echoed in his mind.
His eyes snapped open.
"…System?"
Blue light flared into existence before his eyes.
[Daily Quest – Incomplete]
Quest Failure Detected
Remaining Time Until Penalty:
01:57
Jinwoo's breath caught.
"What…?"
His eyes scanned the panel rapidly.
Then it hit him.
Yesterday—
he had spent the entire day with Jin-ah.
He had forgotten.
A cold sensation crawled up his spine.
"…Damn it."
The timer kept ticking.
01:42
01:41
He clenched his teeth.
"There's no stopping it…"
The penalty zone.
He had barely survived it last time.
This time—
He wouldn't make the same mistake.
Jinwoo's eyes hardened.
"Store."
The panel burst open instantly.
He ignored everything else and scrolled straight to consumables.
[Low-Grade Health Potion — 500 Points]
[Mid-Grade Health Potion — 2,000 Points]
"Buy. Buy. Buy."
His points plummeted as potion after potion filled his inventory—ten, twenty, more—until only a small remainder was left.
[Inventory Updated]
Jinwoo exhaled sharply.
Now I'm ready.
The countdown burned into his vision.
00:10
00:09
He stood in the center of the living room, fists clenched.
Jin-ah's note pressed lightly against his chest.
I'll come back, he promised silently.
00:03
00:02
The world distorted.
00:01
[Penalty Commencing]
The apartment vanished.
Gravity twisted violently, tearing reality apart. Jinwoo felt himself pulled, crushed, and reassembled in an instant.
Then—
He slammed into sand.
Hot, coarse grains scraped against his palms as he sucked in a sharp breath.
"…This place again."
An endless desert stretched in every direction. The air was heavy, oppressive.
The punishment zone.
Movement rippled beneath the sand.
Low growls followed.
Jinwoo didn't hesitate.
Steel-Fang flashed into his grip, gleaming faintly under the harsh light.
"Come on," he muttered. "I'm ready this time."
From beneath the sand, red eyes opened.
Then another.
And another.
Jinwoo lowered his stance.
No fear.
Because this time—
He wasn't fighting just to survive.
He was fighting to grow stronger.
The first monster burst from the sand.
Jinwoo moved.
His body reacted faster than thought—Agility surging as he twisted aside. Claws tore through empty air.
Steel-Fang flashed.
A clean arc.
The monster's head separated from its body, dissolving into black mist.
[Monster Defeated]
EXP Acquired
He didn't slow down.
Two more attacked.
He ducked beneath the first, drove his dagger upward through its jaw, then spun and kicked the second away. Bone cracked.
Slash.
Stab.
Both vanished.
This place is meant to punish me, he realized.
Then I'll use it.
More monsters came.
Five.
Ten.
Hundreds.
Jinwoo fought relentlessly, every movement sharper than the last. His strikes grew faster, cleaner.
When claws tore into his side, pain flared—
He drank a potion without hesitation.
Warmth flooded his veins as flesh knitted together.
"Keep coming."
Minutes blurred into hours.
Blood soaked the sand.
At some point, he stopped counting.
Sense Enhancement pulsed on and off, warning him moments before each attack.
Then—
The ground exploded.
A massive creature emerged, arms jagged like broken stone.
It roared.
Jinwoo charged.
The monster slammed its fist down, shattering the ground. Jinwoo leapt onto its arm, sprinted upward, and plunged Steel-Fang into its neck.
"Die."
The creature dissolved violently.
[Monster Defeated]
EXP Acquired – Large Amount
Chimes rang endlessly.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
"This isn't punishment anymore," Jinwoo laughed breathlessly.
"This is a hunting ground."
He adapted.
When exhausted, he changed tactics.
When wounded, he drank.
When shaking, he forced himself forward.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Near the end, a tensile blade tore through his thigh.
He crashed into the sand.
Pain exploded.
Darkness crept in—
Then Jin-ah's smile flashed in his mind.
The warm breakfast.
The promise.
Jinwoo crushed two potions at once and surged to his feet.
"No," he growled. "I'm not done yet."
The final wave came like a storm.
When the last monster fell, silence followed.
00:00:00
[Penalty Time Completed]
Jinwoo dropped to one knee, gasping.
Blue light enveloped him.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Level 12 → 20
"…Worth it."
The world twisted.
Light.
Jinwoo collapsed onto his apartment floor, chest heaving, the familiar ceiling spinning above him.
Morning sunlight streamed through the window.
He was home.