Surpass them all

I descended the stairs with slow, measured steps, my thoughts a tangled mess of unease. Even now, away from Jihyun Yoo's suffocating presence, I could still feel his words slithering through my mind.

The thought made my stomach twist.

I forced myself to shake it off as I stepped back into the main hall.

Jihan and his mother were still seated on the couch, their postures stiff, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. The moment Jihan saw me, his eyes sharpened slightly, his gaze flicking over me as if trying to assess whether or not I was still intact.

I wasn't sure I had the answer.

"You good?" he asked, voice low.

Not even are you okay? Just you good?

A simple, clipped question… one that wasn't really asking for the truth.

I exhaled. "Yeah."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't believe me.

But before he could say anything else, his mother shifted, standing up.

"Are you leaving?" she asked softly.

I nodded.

She studied me for a moment, as if she could see the weight of the conversation I'd just had with her husband written across my face. Then, gently, she smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

I blinked. "For what?"

"For taking care of Jihan," she murmured.

Jihan flinched beside me, like the words had physically hit him.

"I… " I hesitated. "I don't… "

She shook her head. "You do."

Her voice was quiet but firm. She wasn't just saying it to be polite.

I glanced at Jihan, but he was staring at the floor, his expression unreadable.

The silence stretched.

Then, hesitantly, I exhaled. "...I'll see you at school."

Jihan nodded stiffly.

I turned to leave, but just as I reached the door, his mother spoke one last time.

"Dowan."

I glanced back.

Her smile was small. Tired.

"Be careful."

I didn't ask what she meant.

I just nodded and stepped out into the night, my luggage in hand.

The air was cool, the streets quieter than usual. The Yoo estate loomed behind me, its sheer presence weighing on my back even as I walked further and further away from it.

Jihyun Yoo.

Jihyun Yoo had done something to himself. Something so extreme that even my Quest Window, a system granted to me by a literal god, couldn't quantify it.

That wasn't just power. That was bullshit incarnate.

I could still feel the weight of his presence pressing down on my chest, that suffocating moment when he'd stepped closer—like the very air bent to his will.

A human being shouldn't be able to do that.

And yet… he had.

My house finally came into view.

I barely registered stepping inside, my body moving on autopilot. The moment I reached my room, I collapsed onto my bed, phone already in hand.

My fingers hovered over the screen for a second.

Then, I typed it in.

Jihyun Yoo.

The results loaded instantly.

I clicked the first link—Wikipedia.

Jihyun Yoo (born April 3rd, 19XX)

Jihyun Yoo is a South Korean business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of Yoo National, a conglomerate with holdings in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, military development, and private security.

Recognized as one of the most influential figures in modern south Korean economics, Yoo's net worth is estimated in the trillions of won, though exact figures remain undisclosed.

A controversial yet powerful figure, Yoo has been credited with revolutionizing genetic engineering and AI-driven medical advancements, while also facing scrutiny for his company's deep involvement in national security contracts and allegations of unethical human experimentation—claims that have never been substantiated.

I stared at the screen.

The grip on my phone tightened.

I scrolled.

Nothing.

No wife. No children. No family records.

Not even an old article speculating about his past.

The man had been in countless interviews, shaped industries, rewrote global economic structures—and yet there wasn't a single trace of who he was before all of it.

It was as if Jihyun Yoo had never been a child to begin with.

My jaw clenched.

He hadn't been present in the manhwa.

How much of what I knew about this world could I actually trust?

I'd thought the biggest problems ahead were Gwanak, the Bully Council, and Choi Sunjae.

But this?

This surpassed them all.

A man who could rewrite his own history. A man who had altered his own body to the point where even my Quest Window, something given to me by a literal deity, couldn't quantify his stats. 

What the hell was an anomalous entity?

Another God?

I exhaled slowly.

I needed to stop thinking about this.

At least… for now.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus.

There was one last thing to deal with.

A reward.

A Master Card.

I took a slow breath, steadying my voice.

"Claim Master Card."

The world shattered.

This time, it was different.

Not like before… no simple rush of warmth or the distant chime of a system notification.

This was overwhelming.

The sheer presence of it crashed into me like a tidal wave, something so absurdly powerful that my entire body froze.

Then, as if the universe itself was bending to its arrival… 

A card materialized before me.

Deep purple.

The color of mastery. The color of authority. The color of the untouchable few.

The air hummed around it, vibrating with something just beyond my comprehension. Unlike the simpler Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Cards I had seen before… this one was alive.

It wasn't just power.

It was an invitation to something greater.

And yet…

It wasn't even the highest tier.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I swallowed hard and reached for the card. The moment my fingers brushed against it…

A new system notification burst to life in front of me.

[You Have Obtained a Master Card]

Master Cards contain abilities that defy conventional limits. There are only 10 in existence. Each Master Card grants an unparalleled ability. Each Master Card also holds a fragment of your lost memories.

I exhaled slowly. I already knew this.

[Master Card: ???]

This card's ability remains locked until activation.

Would you like to activate this card?

[ Yes ] / [ No ]

My hand clenched into a fist.

I didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

The moment I accepted, a tidal wave of power surged through me.

It wasn't like the other cards.

It wasn't a boost. It wasn't an incremental increase.

It was like a door had been cracked open, and for just a second, I saw what lay beyond it.

A memory.

Not a vision.

Not a vague impression.

A real memory… one that belonged to me.

And the moment it hit—

Everything else disappeared.

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It's a tad short... but I've been pumping out 2000+ words chapters for days now.

This is hard.

Gimme reviews please.

Patreon: Teddartic