8.Desert And The Devil's Playground
Sung Jinwoo lay back on the hospital bed, his body relaxed and unmoving. His limbs were still in their recovery state, but the fatigue of the battle felt distant, almost irrelevant. The stone statues were gone, his trial completed, and now he had time to rest and collect his thoughts.
A faint flicker of blue appeared in his vision.
A message.
No, the System.
The old one.
---
[System Message: Notification - Unread Messages Available.]
---
"Took you long enough," Jinwoo muttered, his voice calm but with an edge of dry amusement.
He swiped at the notification with a finger, and two messages materialized before him, the text as rigid and formal as always.
---
[Message 1: Calibration Complete.]
Abnormal stat fluctuations detected.
Stabilization protocol initialized.
Core functions rebooted successfully.
[Message 2: Irregularity Detected.]
Subject's stat growth exceeds standard Hunter parameters.
Monitoring sequence failed.
Deviation deemed high risk.
Containment remains a viable contingency.
---
Jinwoo couldn't help but smirk.
"You crash from one little Garp template, and now you want to throw your weight around?"
He leaned back against his pillow, eyes narrowing slightly, voice laced with sarcasm.
"Containment, huh? What are you going to do, throw me back in some dungeon for a little tutorial? Please."
The System remained cold and silent. No response.
"Figures," Jinwoo muttered, "All code and no substance. Just a bunch of rules and restrictions. No wonder I needed to fix you up with something more... practical."
Just then, a red shimmer appeared in his vision, brash and loud, full of energy.
---
[Gacha System: Wow, someone's grumpy. Don't tell me Robo-System gave you the 'you're a danger to the timeline' talk. Classic.]
---
Jinwoo chuckled lightly. "I traded a malfunctioning AI for a noisy one. Guess it's still an upgrade."
He closed the blue messages with a dismissive flick of his hand.
"One of you's a malfunctioning robot. The other's a gacha addict with delusions of grandeur."
A smirk tugged at his lips as he stared at the ceiling.
This new life? It was shaping up to be a lot more interesting than he expected.
---
[System: Welcome, Player. The System is here to support your growth.]
[Daily Quest: Preparations to become stronger] Press-up, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100) Sit-up, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100) Squat, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100) Running, 10 km: Incomplete (0/10)
Warning: Incompletion of Daily Quests will result in appropriate levels of punishment.
---
Sung Jinwoo scoffed as he read through the list.
"Oh, I remember this part."
In the original story, this was the moment he desperately tried the exercises, hoping for a miracle. He didn't get one.
But now?
He had no need to try. He knew exactly what was coming next.
Jinwoo folded his hands behind his head and stretched out on the bed, completely ignoring the prompt.
"Let's see how many of those worms I can squash tonight."
---
Tick, tock.
Even as Jinwoo rested, the needles of the wall clock spun forward.
11:59:57 PM.
Tick, tock, tick.
58, 59, 60.
The needles stopped moving precisely as they touched 12:00:00.
---
[You've failed to complete the Daily Quest. You'll be transferred to the Penalty Zone for a set period of time.]
---
A violent tremor shook the room. The hospital walls groaned.
Jinwoo sat up, then stood in place. He threw out a few basic punches, testing his range and adjusting to his enhanced physique.
"Still sharp."
As the room crumbled into particles of sand, Jinwoo waited.
The world collapsed.
And he fell.
---
Penalty Zone — The Devil's Playground
With a loud, confident superhero landing, Sung Jinwoo crashed into the desert ground, crouched low with one hand pressed into the soft, sun-baked sand. His hospital gown fluttered from the impact, but even that couldn't strip the imposing aura he carried.
He slowly stood up, eyes scanning the familiar hellscape of the Penalty Zone — an endless desert under a crimson sky, wind howling like a hungry beast.
---
[Penalty Zone Activated: Duration – 4 Hours] [Objective: Survive until the timer ends.]
---
Before the usual silence could settle, another ping cut through the air — this one far more energetic, annoyingly chipper.
---
[Gacha System: Ding ding! Bonus round, baby!]
[New Quest: "Desert Buffet"] Objective: Kill as many sandworms as possible.
Reward:
10 Sandworm Kills = 1 Gacha Ticket
20+ Kills = Random Skill (Rarity depends on performance!)
Optional Style Points Bonus: If you kill them with flair, maybe I'll throw in something extra. Maybe.]
---
Jinwoo cracked his neck, a slow smile forming on his lips. "So the penalty zone's now a playground, huh?"
He lifted his fists and threw out a couple of clean jabs into the air. The wind cracked with each motion.
"Let's see how far this old man's power goes."
From the dunes around him, shifting mounds of sand stirred. One. Two. Three. Then dozens.
The sandworms had sensed their prey.
---
[Gacha System: Oooh! Look at them go! They're so hungry. Jinwoo, are you sure you're not the one getting hunted?]
Jinwoo didn't respond. He simply brought his fists up, planting his foot back in a boxer's stance, grin widening.
"Let them come."
The first sandworm lunged from beneath the ground, teeth wide, and the Devil moved to meet it — grinning, wild, and completely in control.
[Tip: Running away is for cowards. Fighting is for legends.]
---
Jinwoo's lips curved into a calm smile. "Then let's get legendary."
The first worm lunged.
With zero hesitation, Jinwoo vanished.
His feet exploded off the sand, a burst of Soru speed launching him like a bullet. He reappeared mid-air, above the worm's head, and slammed a haki-coated iron fist down like a meteor.
BOOM.
The sand below cratered. The worm's body rippled like a ruptured hose, then fell limp, twitching.
---
[Gacha System: Okay, damn. That's one.]
---
Another two worms shot from behind—Jinwoo didn't even look.
His body turned with a dancer's grace, fists blackened with haki, and he swung—raw power and precision combined.
Two clean hits. Two exploding heads.
Three down.
Ten to go.
But Jinwoo wasn't stopping at ten.
A swarm of worms rose together, trying to overwhelm him from all sides.
Jinwoo grinned.
He bent low, hospital gown whipping in the air—and launched forward with a blinding Geppo-assisted leap, kicking up a whirlwind of sand. Mid-air, he spun, fists cocked back, and unleashed a storm of haki-infused strikes.
"Iron Fist Barrage—Garp Style."
A rain of blackened fists fell from the sky.
Worms shattered. Sand exploded. The entire desert trembled under the weight of pure, brute-force martial artistry.
---
[Gacha System: …Okay. What the hell. This is starting to feel personal.]
[Jinwoo: 18… 19… 20…]
---
One last worm tried to run—wrong move.
Jinwoo blinked beside it, raised one hand, and backhanded it into orbit.
He watched it disappear into the distance.
"…Yeah. That should do."
The battlefield fell silent.
Only the wind remained.
Jinwoo exhaled slowly, letting his fists fall to his sides. The sand beneath his feet was littered with steaming worm corpses.
---
[Gacha System: So… you want your ticket now or after you traumatize the desert some more?]
---
Jinwoo smirked and cracked his knuckles. "How many was that?"
---
[Gacha System: 37. And a half, if you count the one you vaporized so hard it disintegrated.]
Jinwoo remained, standing amidst the twitching corpses, steam rising from the scorched sands beneath his feet.
The wind whispered like a dying breath. Then—
[Gacha System: Ding ding ding!]
[You have leveled up!]
[Level 12 reached.]
[You have leveled up!]
[Level 13 reached.]
[You have leveled up!]
[Level 14 reached.]
[Skill Soru has leveled up!]
[Skill Tempest Kick has leveled up!]
[Marine Six Styles – Skill Proficiency Increased!]
[You have obtained a Gacha Ticket.]
[You have earned a Bonus Reward: "Title:Wormslayer " (Effect: +30%Attack And Status effect:Fear applied when facing arthropods and subterranean crustaceans .)]
Jinwoo tilted his head with a grin.
"Guess I'm on a roll."
He stretched out his arms and rolled his neck as the system finalized the updates.
Then came the familiar interface—sharp, clean, and glowing in crimson.
[Status Screen]
Name: Sung Jinwoo
Title: The Devil (formerly) | Garp's Heir (currently)
Race: Human
Class: Assassin (Former) | Garp's Heir (Current)
Level: 14 (Template Level: 9%)
EXP: 020/2100
[Stats]
Strength: 166
Agility: 161
Stamina: 151
Intelligence: 101
Mana: 230
Luck: Unholy
Allotable stat points :9
[Skills]
Galaxy Impact [Locked]
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
This one's gonna pack a punch. Just… try not to destroy the city, okay?
Observation Haki
Level 1 | Progress: 27%
Sense others' emotions and intentions. Predict moves and read lies.
Armament Haki
Level 1 | Progress:23%
Form hardened armor and strike with Haki-infused blows.
Conqueror's Haki [Locked]
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
You've got potential. Unlock it with effort and control.
Garp's Fist
Level 1 | Progress: 8%
The power of Garp's fists is yours. Let it grow.
Haki Infusion [Locked]
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
Still locked. Master Haki further to unlock.
Iron Fist of Justice
Level 1 | Progress: 2%
Power to send armies flying. Handle with care.
Fist of the Sea King
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
Feel the ocean's fury in every punch.
[Marine Six Styles]
Soru (Shave)
Level 2 | Progress: 2%
Move faster than the eye can see. Blinding mobility at your fingertips.
Tekkai (Iron Body)
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
Become as hard as iron to shrug off damage.
Kami-e (Paper Art)
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
Bend like paper. Dodge like a ghost.
Rankyaku (Tempest Kick)
Level 2 | Progress: 4%
Kick with slicing force. Now sharper and deadlier.
Shigan (Finger Gun)
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
Bullet-like finger strikes with ruthless precision.
Seiken (Sacred Fist)
Level 1 | Progress: 0%
A holy punch backed by justice and raw force.
[Current Active Buffs]
Will of the Undying: Resilience to injuries, willpower enhancement.
Tenacity: Increased resistance to fatigue and pain.
Longevity: Extended lifespan, enhanced healing.
-------
The desert was quiet now. Too quiet.
Jinwoo stood amidst the sea of steaming corpses, his breath calm but sharp. Around him, 37 sandworm bodies stretched out like felled giants—jaws shattered, carapaces split, blood soaking into the cracked earth.
---
[Gacha System: Ding ding! Thirty-seven glorious corpses just waiting to be fondled. Look at all that loot potential. Smells like profit, baby.]
---
He rolled his eyes. "You're enjoying this way too much."
---
[Gacha System: Look, I don't make the rules. Oh wait—I do! And the rule is: grind like your future wife depends on it.]
---
A new quest window popped up:
---
[Special System Order: Full Salvage]
Salvage all 37 Sandworm Corpses
— Progress: 0/37
Rewards:
1000 Gold Coins
+1 Random Item from [Desert Elite Drops]
+1 Gacha Pull Ticket
Store Preview Menu (Extended to 2 hours)
Title:Corpse Collector :+10% Harvesting Rate.
Bonus: Title – [Desert Reaper] (+15% effectiveness when harvesting materials)
---
Jinwoo clicked his tongue, but his lips curled into a grin. "Alright. Let's get to work."
He cracked his knuckles. The next hour was a blur of punching through bone, tearing through sinew, and fishing out glowing stones that thrummed with power. Some were small, some pulsed like dying stars. Others... made strange noises when he touched them.
---
[Gacha System: That one just giggled. You might wanna keep it separate.]
---
By the 20th core, Jinwoo was moving faster, more precise. He sliced open hides with a hardened Haki edge on his palm, avoiding the acidic sacs he learned to dodge after the first few burped at him.
He worked like a machine—an efficient, horrifyingly calm one.
Thirty-two.
Thirty-three.
Thirty-four...
The thirty-fifth worm had a strange sigil carved into its inner flesh. Jinwoo hesitated, then reached inside. His fingers brushed something cold.
It wasn't a mana core.
It was a jagged black fang.
---
[Gacha System: Whoa whoa whoa… pause. That ain't standard loot.]
---
The fang vanished into his inventory with a flash of red light, marked only as:
> [??? Item Acquired – Sealed Monarch's Fang]
"The residue of a power that does not belong in this world."
---
Jinwoo narrowed his eyes. "We'll deal with that later."
The last two corpses yielded two elite mana stones—brighter than the others, larger too. He collected them with a flick of his wrist and a tired exhale.
Then came the final notification:
---
[Special System Order Complete – 37/37 Corpses Salvaged]
Rewards Unlocked:
+1000 Gold Coins
+1 Gacha Pull Ticket
[Item: Mirage Cloak] added to inventory
Store Preview Menu (2-Hour Access)
New Title:[Corpse Collector]
New Title: [Desert Reaper] – "You don't just kill. You clean up."
— Effects: +15% harvest efficiency | +10% resistance to environmental debuffs
---
[Gacha System: Look at you, Mr. Responsible! Next time you butcher a desert ecosystem, I'll throw in a loyalty card.]
---
Jinwoo cracked his neck and stood tall. Sweat clung to his brow, but his eyes gleamed.
"…That fang. We're not done, are we?"
---
[Gacha System: Not even close. But hey—you've earned yourself a break. Wanna hit the Store and window-shop like a broke high roller.
Lets open the shop...