Morning sunlight crept through Tae-jun's blinds.He stretched, feeling… different.Stronger. Faster. Lighter.
Then — DING!
The system popped up again, brighter than usual.
[Bonus Reward Granted!]For completing all seven days without skipping and exceeding the daily quota:🟡 Additional Gold Skill Card: "Maximum Charge."— Temporarily doubles body weight and multiplies strength to match. Ideal for high-impact takedowns.
Tae-jun's jaw dropped."Wait… so I got two gold skills?!"He started laughing, half in disbelief, half in triumph.
"Alright… let's see what I got!"
He swiped open his [Skill Menu].A glowing grid appeared, listing everything.
[Skill Menu – Active Skills]🟡 Card Master — Merge duplicate cards to upgrade skill rarity and power.🟡 Maximum Charge — Temporarily double body mass and boost striking force for short bursts. (Cooldown: 3 min.)
🟤 Counter Step — Instantly reposition backward to open a counterattack window.🟤 Sweep Kick — Low, fast kick meant to trip or destabilize opponent.🟤 Strong Jab — Slower than Fast Jab, but heavier and stuns on direct hit.🟤 Straight Kick — Quick, linear kick for close or cornered targets. Easily blocked if predicted.🟤 Grab — Basic grappling hold. Most effective when chained with another attack.
He blinked. "...Holy crap."He scrolled through the list again, eyes wide.It all looked so real.
His body tingled faintly, like the data was syncing with his muscles.Instinctively, he clenched his fists.He felt the moves. Not like learning — like remembering.
He stepped into stance."Alright… let's test this."
First Test – Counter StepHe jabbed at the air, then imagined an incoming punch.His body moved on its own — one clean step back.Smooth. Efficient.He stared down at his feet in shock. "That was… automatic?"
Second Test – Sweep KickHe spun, sweeping his leg low.The motion cut through the air fast — faster than he thought possible.He lost balance and fell on his butt immediately.
"Okay… maybe needs practice," he muttered, rubbing his hip.
Third Test – Maximum Charge
He hesitated. "Alright, big move time."He whispered, "Activate: Maximum Charge."
A red aura flared around him.Suddenly — BOOM.The floorboards under him creaked. His weight doubled, and his strength surged like adrenaline on steroids.
He punched forward — crack! — and his old punching bag split at the seam, sand spilling everywhere.
He stumbled back, panting, laughing."OH MY GOD—That was—"He flexed his arm, shaking. "That was insane."
He collapsed on the bed, grinning ear to ear.The room was a mess, his arms were sore, and the air smelled like sweat and victory.
He looked at the floating panel again.Every skill card now felt like a promise.
He whispered,"Card Master… Maximum Charge… Counter Step…"Then smirked."When I go back to school…"His grin sharpened.
"Min-jun's gonna be my first combo test dummy."
Two weeks later.
Tae-jun stood outside the school gates, hoodie up, headphones dangling around his neck.It felt weird walking back through those doors after everything.People were whispering already."Yo, that's the guy who fought Min-jun.""Didn't he break his nose?""Nah, I heard he got suspended."He smirked slightly. At least they remember me this time.
He walked into the classroom, keeping his head down. For a moment, everything was normal.Then the door slid open.
Min-jun stepped in — a bandage across his nose, eyes cold and sharp.Behind him was someone new — taller, broader, the kind of guy who looked like he'd been lifting since birth.The room instantly fell silent.
Min-jun pointed at Tae-jun's desk."There he is. The freak who broke my nose."
The big guy looked at Tae-jun, then back at Min-jun, and let out a low laugh."Haha, wow… him? You let a nerd do that to you?"
A few people snickered. Min-jun's face twitched."Shut up and just beat him up already," he snapped.
The big guy sighed and started walking toward Tae-jun.Every step made the floor creak.
Tae-jun stood up slowly. His hands were trembling a little — but his heart was steady.He clenched his fists, took a crooked boxing stance, and said quietly,"I can beat both of you."
The class froze.Min-jun blinked, then burst out laughing."Bro… you serious?"
The big guy stopped too — then tilted his head, staring at Tae-jun's stance."…Wait."
He stepped closer, lowering his fists slightly."You box too?" he said, sounding… impressed.
Tae-jun hesitated, confused. "…Huh?"
The big guy grinned, walking right up to him.He placed a hand on Tae-jun's shoulder."Man, that's crazy. Not a lotta people in this school know boxing.Name's Yoon Park. Let's be allies."
The room went dead quiet.Even Min-jun froze. "Wait—what?"
Yoon-park just shrugged."Bro's got guts. Anyone who can throw a stance like that after fighting this idiot," —he jabbed a thumb at Min-jun— "ain't someone I'm beating up."
Tae-jun stood there, still processing.Did I just… make a friend?
Min-jun's face turned red."Are you kidding me, Yoon-park?! You're taking his side?!"
Yoon just grinned wider. "Nah, man. I'm just picking the side that can actually fight."
Tae-jun couldn't help it—he cracked a tiny smile.For the first time, the class wasn't laughing at him. They were staring at him.