Dogju didn't like attention. He used to blend in. A background NPC.
Now?
"Is he a transfer student?"
"No way he goes here."
"Did someone hire a model for a study on social anxiety?"
He kept his hoodie up like armor, hunched low, eyes locked on the floor tiles. Didn't matter. Giggles followed him. Someone waved. A group of girls whispered loudly like it was their job to be overheard.
He ducked under the tree near the library, pulled out his phone, and stared at his reflection.
Sharp jawline. Clear skin. Storm-grey eyes with built-in emotional depth. Hair like it came with a wind filter.
"...This can't be me."
[CHARISMA: 7]
[NOTE: You are terrifyingly attractive. Please wield this power responsibly.]
"Responsibly?" Dogju muttered. "I almost tripped on my own feet walking up the stairs."
The Supreme System didn't just improve him. It patched him. Like some dev team saw his face and said Oops.
Even his voice changed—lower, smoother. Like he could narrate a perfume commercial in slow motion. He hated it.
He swiped through notifications.
[Congratulations! You are now a walking visual thirst trap.]
"What does that even mean?"
Around him, other students bragged about their Systems.
"Bro, I got Enhanced Memory—I read an entire textbook in six minutes."
"My Cooking Skill leveled up. My noodles complimented me."
"I maxed my Hydration App. My pee glows."
Dogju resisted the urge to scream into the dirt.
He opened his interface instead.
[SUPREME SYSTEM: ACTIVE]
[CORE FUNCTIONS: REWRITE | OVERRIDE | CONSUME | REGRESSION ]
[Also: You're hot now. Congrats.]
It felt like cheating. Like someone handed him the debug menu for existence and said, "Go nuts."
Then—ping. Not in his ears. Somewhere behind his eyes. Like his brain got a direct message.
[ANOMALY DETECTED]
[CONTACT REQUEST: SYSTEM 'ORACLE']
A voice followed. Soft. Smooth. Not spoken—just there.
"You don't belong here, do you?"
On screen, three options blinked at him:
[ACCEPT] | [IGNORE] | [BLOCK & REPORT AS CRINGE]
Dogju sighed. "God, I hate this."
He hit ACCEPT.
A chat window opened like a cheap dating sim.
ORACLE: Took you long enough.
DOGJU: You should get a hobby.
ORACLE: You are my hobby.
DOGJU: That's worse.
ORACLE: You're walking around with an unregistered, wildly illegal Overpowered System. Not subtle.
DOGJU: I have a hoodie.
ORACLE: You have a hoodie and +7 Charisma. Pick a struggle.
He frowned. "Okay, you're weird. What do you want?"
ORACLE: To talk. Before the others notice. Before they make a move.
ORACLE: Meet me. Rooftop. Come alone. Time's ticking.
[NEW QUEST: MEET ORACLE]
[OBJECTIVE: Rooftop]
[REWARD: 1+ TO ATTRIBUTE]
Dogju locked his screen and looked up, overwhelmed by the changes in his life; it was moving too fast, but deep inside, he was intrigued.
He stood, tossed his unopened energy drink in the trash, and started walking. No plan. Just instinct.
As he passed, someone whispered:
"Wait... is that Dogju Syu?"
"No way. Dogju had depression socks and ramen scars."
"Didn't he microwave tinfoil once and black out the third floor?"
He gave them a tired thumbs-up. "Still do."