Awakening Begins
## **Chapter 2: Awakening Begins**
The moment Yanluo opened his eyes, he sensed it—the shift in reality, subtle but absolute.
Gone was the sterile scent of antiseptic. Gone were the tubes, the beeping monitors, and the dull ache of a broken body tethered to a hospital bed. Instead, he found himself lying in a cramped, one-room apartment. The ceiling sagged. The wallpaper peeled like sunburned skin. The floor creaked beneath even the slightest movement. Yet, to him, it was paradise.
For the first time in years, there was no pain.
He stretched, slowly, cautiously—and nothing hurt. No stiffness in his legs, no fire in his back. Just movement. Fluid, alive. A working body.
*I'm really here.*
He approached the dusty mirror perched atop a half-broken cabinet. The reflection staring back at him wasn't familiar. Black, unkempt hair. A sharper jawline. Broader shoulders. The body looked different—but the eyes... the eyes were unmistakable.
Cold. Watchful. Alone.
He stepped outside—and the world changed again.
Above him, people soared through the sky in streaks of light and shadows. Some wore radiant armor that shimmered like sunlight on water. Others moved cloaked in mist or cloaked entirely in darkness. Down a nearby alley, a fight erupted. One man's punch shattered concrete; another's scream became a sonic boom that sent debris flying.
Yanluo stood still, jaw tight.
*What kind of world is this...?*
A spike of pain slammed into his skull. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head as foreign memories—sharp and overwhelming—flooded his mind.
Kim Joo-hwan.
Age: 18.
Orphan.
Scholarship student.
Constantly mocked. Ridiculed. Bullied.
In this new world, people known as *Cyruxes* awakened powerful "systems" at age eighteen. These systems gave them ranks—F to SSR—and skill slots to wield supernatural abilities. Most people had one skill slot. Two was rare. Three? Revered.
And Kim Joo-hwan?
He had none.
Worse, he never even awakened.
Afraid of failure, crushed under years of torment, Joo-hwan had swallowed poison the night before the Awakening Test.
He died.
And now Yanluo stood in his place.
"...What a damn coincidence," he muttered. "The test is tomorrow."
That night, he didn't sleep. He lay on the stiff mattress, staring at the cracked ceiling, arms behind his head. In his past life, Yanluo would've cried. Cursed the heavens. But now?
Now, he saw opportunity.
---
**The Next Morning**
The sky was still dim when Yanluo stepped onto campus grounds. The moment he arrived, whispers crawled from every corner.
"Wait… that's Kim Joo-hwan?"
"He didn't die?"
"What a joke. Why even show up?"
He ignored them all. Their opinions meant nothing. Let them sneer. Let them laugh. One day, they'd all bow.
In the main courtyard, over a hundred students gathered. On the raised platform stood faculty members, including the headmaster—an imposing man with silver hair and a gaze like a blade.
A telepathic wave swept across the field.
> "All students, report to the main field immediately."
Some flinched. Others shivered.
Yanluo didn't move. He observed. Faces. Body language. He catalogued every nervous twitch, every boastful smirk. It was a habit from his old life—once a stalker, now a survivor.
The headmaster's voice boomed.
> "Only thirty percent of you will awaken. Most of you will leave today with nothing. But for a few… today is the beginning of destiny."
Then the Awakening Crystals emerged—glowing obelisks of radiant energy. One by one, students approached them, placing their hands on the surface.
Some were rejected instantly. Others awakened laughable skills like **Cooking**, **Soap Control**, and **Cartwheel Mastery**.
Then came the elite.
**Kwon Chen** swaggered forward. The son of an S-rank Cyrux, his every move oozed arrogance. The moment his hand touched the crystal, a surge of crimson light exploded skyward.
> **Rank: S**
> **Skill Slots: 2**
> - *Shadow Daggers*
> - *Phantom Blink*
Applause thundered through the courtyard.
Next came **Ryu Han**, the campus golden boy. Light gathered around him like a divine spotlight.
> **Rank: SS**
> **Skill Slots: 3**
> - *Steel Body*
> - *Flash Step*
> - *Dragon Strike*
Even the professors looked impressed.
And finally, **Nam Gung Seo-yeon**, the goddess. When she touched the crystal, silver-blue energy blanketed the entire field.
> **Rank: SS**
> **Skill Slots: 3**
> - *Ice Manipulation*
> - *Angelic Barrier*
> - *Mist Cloak*
Gasps. Awe. Adoration.
Then came silence.
Yanluo stepped forward.
Students whispered. Some snorted.
"He should've stayed dead."
"What's the point? He'll just embarrass himself."
He ignored them all. And placed his hand on the crystal.
*BOOM.*
The entire ground trembled. A towering column of **black and white light** surged into the sky, splitting the clouds in half.
The headmaster's brows furrowed. "Kim Joo-hwan," he said slowly, "show us your system window."
Yanluo didn't respond. Because what he saw inside his mind wasn't one system window…
But two.
---
**[SYSTEM 1: Base Window]**
**Name:** Kim Joo-hwan
**Rank:** D
**Skills (2 Slots):**
- *Shapeshift* [Unique | Level 0]
- *Evolve* [One-time Use | Max Level]
**Description:** Transform into another's form. *Evolve* pushes a skill to its maximum potential.
---
**[SYSTEM 2: Seeker System – SSR Rank]**
**Owner:** Yanluo
**Rank:** SSR
**Skill Slots:** ∞ Infinite
**Tabs:**
- **Store** – Trade SP for randomized skills/items. No guarantee of usefulness.
- **Wheel** – Spin for random boosts or skills using SP.
**Note:**
- SP (Seeker Points) earned through *evil actions*—mockery, humiliation, theft, manipulation.
- Public exposure of this system may provoke hostile response. Hidden by default.
Current SP: **0**
His heart pounded.
*Two systems... Infinite slots? An SSR rank?*
If this got out, he'd be hunted.
But he didn't even have a concealment skill.
Until...
> [You can earn SP through evil actions.]
He looked up. The crowd stared at him, waiting for something—anything.
Yanluo took a breath.
And then, with a cold smirk, he spoke.
"You all think you're special?" he said, voice sharp. "Especially you, Kwon Chen. You're just a muscle-brained brat living off daddy's reputation."
Gasps.
"Honestly, someone should teach you how to mop floors before calling yourself a warrior."
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
> [+1 SP earned.]
Current SP: **1422**
The Store tab blinked.
> **[STORE – SKILL ROTATION]**
- *Body Enhance* [Uncommon] – 800 SP
- *Knife Throw* [Uncommon] – 600 SP
- *Customizer* [Rare] – 1200 SP
> *Customizer: Create a false system window. Customizable skill display. Hides true identity.*
Perfect.
> [Purchased "Customizer." SP Remaining: 222]
> [Skill Activated.]
Yanluo turned calmly toward the headmaster.
"Apologies, sir. Here's my system."
---
**[System Window – Public Display (Fake)]**
**Rank:** F
**Skill Slots: 3**
- *Sweeping*
- *Dancing*
- *Cooking*
---
Laughter erupted.
Three skill slots… and *that's* what he had?
Even Kwon Chen chuckled. "Figures. Born trash, die trash."
But Yanluo said nothing.
Because beneath the sheep's wool, the monster had begun to stretch its limbs.
He had deceived them all.
And this was just the beginning.
*Let the game begin.*
---
End of Chapter 2: Awakening Begins