Today was supposed to be just another regular day work, go home, sleep, repeat. But what happened? I ended up getting caught in the middle of a monster attack. Again.
The Seoul train was packed that morning, like usual. People were busy with their own affairs, and me? Well, in my head, I still couldn't believe how quickly the world had changed. Everything happened so suddenly awakenings, monsters, guilds. And the most shocking part? I, an ordinary office worker, now had powers that defied all logic.
But the most bothersome thing? I had to keep it all a secret.
"Come on, author... You think this is funny?" I muttered under my breath, but of course, there was no answer. Once again, I was stuck in the world you created.
Ding!
Ah, that annoying sound that interrupts my days. A notification appeared before my eyes. Whenever this thing pops up, I know it's not going to end well.
[Quest Unlocked]
Side Quest: Defeat the Rogue Awakener
Location: Seoul Central District
Time Limit: 1 Hour
Reward: Random Legendary Item
"Seriously? It's only eight in the morning, I haven't even had breakfast yet, and now you want me to take down a rogue awakener?" I sighed, closing the quest window. But the sound of sirens and commotion started outside. People were running away from the city center.
I spotted it from a distance: a monster nearly twice the size of an average human, with a body full of muscle and dark skin. Around it, several awakeners were trying to hold the creature back. They seemed to be from the Association. One tank with a large shield had his defense shattered by a single blow from the monster.
"There's no way they can win..." I mumbled as I quickened my pace to get away. But before I could escape, someone collapsed in front of me an awakener, badly injured. "Please… We need help…"
The necklace around my neck vibrated, warning me to stay low-key. No one could know who I was. If my identity was exposed, things would get chaotic.
I took a deep breath. "Really, author? You're trapping me in this kind of situation again?" Despite my complaints, I opened my Inventory.
The Heavenly Sword of Ragnarok, Armor of the Immortal King all my overpowered equipment was ready. With one access, all my stats from the MMORPG were synced here. But I had to be careful. I couldn't show too much of my strength.
I stepped forward, drawing my legendary sword hidden beneath an ordinary cloak. No one knew who I was, and that's how it should stay. The monster turned to face me, roaring in rage. I could feel the hopeful gazes of the nearby awakeners, but I ignored them. To me, this was just another quest, like in a game.
"All right, let's get this over with."
Boom!
With a single slash, the monster was split in two. The explosive sound echoed down the street. I quickly sheathed my sword, making sure no one saw the details of my powers. The monster's body collapsed, and the crowd started cheering.
But I turned away immediately and walked off. This wasn't the time to be in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, at the Association's headquarters, a man in a black suit was watching the CCTV footage of the incident. His eyes narrowed as he saw the mysterious figure who appeared out of nowhere, easily defeating the monster and disappearing just as quickly.
"Who is he?" he muttered. "There's no record of this person… He's not from any guild."
The mysterious figure started to spread among the awakeners and the Association. Most believed him to be some kind of new legend, while others began searching for information on who he really was.
As for me, I was already back at the office, sitting comfortably at my desk. "Seriously, author? I just took down a giant monster, and now you're making me deal with these reports?"
I grumbled again, knowing no one could hear me. I, Kim Tae-min, level 9999, equipped with the most overpowered gear in the world, and here I was… sitting in front of a computer, typing up reports.
"If I'm the protagonist, why isn't my life as exciting as in the movies?"
Sitting in front of the computer and typing reports felt way more exhausting than fighting a giant monster. My fingers even felt stiff, and I started wondering, which was more tiring—facing a game boss or a boss at work?
"Taemin, have you finished the report yet?" asked a coworker from the desk next to mine. I glanced at him briefly and gave a forced smile. Honestly, I was more focused on monitoring the development of this 'new world,' which kept changing so fast.
"Almost done," I replied, forcing another smile.
But behind the screen of my laptop, a status window kept blinking. The System Window that only I could see displayed all kinds of data that made my head spin. Status, skills, items they were all synced from the MMORPG I used to play. And the worst part? All of it was real now.
Status
Name: Kim Tae-min
Level: 9999
HP: 10,000,000
MP: 8,500,000
Strength: 750,000
Agility: 720,000
Intelligence: 800,000
Dexterity: 695,000
"Well, author, this doesn't look like normal human stats, does it?" I muttered, rolling my eyes. I knew I was too overpowered for this world. All my stats were way too high, and I hadn't even used all the skills I had.
Skills
Ragnarok Slash: Unleashes an energy strike capable of destroying anything.
Divine Shield: Summons a divine barrier that blocks all types of attacks for 10 seconds.
Heavenly Judgment: Summons a rain of swords from the sky to annihilate enemies.
Shadow Step: Teleports with lightning speed to any location within 100 meters.
I stared at the skill list and let out a long sigh. This world isn't ready for someone like me. But unfortunately, there's no option to lower my stats. The necklace I'm wearing is the only thing keeping my status hidden from others.
"If they ever find out about my power, it's game over. There's no way I'd have a peaceful life anymore," I thought, continuing to type up the report that was halfway done. For now, keeping my peaceful office life was still a priority.
Across the city, awakeners were starting to talk about the mysterious figure who defeated the giant monster in the city center. They were trying to track him down, but there were no traces, no clues about who he was.
"Hey, have you heard about that mysterious guy?" asked a young awakener to his friend at a guild bar. "They say he took down the monster with one strike. Crazy, right?"
"Yeah, but it's strange. Who has that kind of power? Even elite guilds need a few people to bring down a monster that big."
"I don't know, but I'm curious about who this guy is. We need to find out."
Back at the office, something didn't feel right. My status-hiding necklace usually worked perfectly, but this time there was a slight disturbance. Ding! A new notification appeared in front of me.
Warning!
Necklace Detection System Disrupted. Someone is attempting to scan your status.
My eyes narrowed, and I quickly scanned the area. Nothing seemed suspicious at the office, but the necklace's system doesn't lie. "Who would dare try to scan my status?"
I tried to stay calm, but my mind was racing. Maybe it was just a technical issue, or maybe there was more to it. I needed to find a solution, and if someone was really trying to scan me, I had to be ready for the consequences.
"Calm down, Taemin," I told myself, trying to steady my racing heart. "It's probably just a small glitch… or maybe the author's just messing with me."
However, deep down, I had a gut feeling something bigger was waiting. I knew it was only a matter of time before my identity could be exposed. And if that happens… well, I can only hope I'm ready for the chaos that's coming.
Elsewhere, in a dark room not far away, a man with advanced equipment stared intently at his computer screen. Data spun across the monitors, and his expression grew darker.
"This guy… who is he really? His stats... they don't make any sense!" the man murmured before a thin smile crept across his face. "Interesting… very interesting."
After finishing most of the report, I glanced at the system window still open. The quest to defeat the rogue awakener was already completed, but I hadn't checked the reward yet. Ah, this is one of the most exciting parts. In games, the rewards were usually decent. In real life? I just hoped it wouldn't turn out to be something weird.
Ding!
[Quest Completed]
Side Quest: Defeat the Rogue Awakener
Reward: Random Legendary Item
Okay, let's see what the prize is this time. I opened the inventory window and saw a new item appear. A small, golden box shimmered.
"A legendary item, huh? Let's see if it's any good this time." I clicked the box, and a bright light flashed before my eyes. A few seconds later, a new item appeared in the inventory list.
[Phantom Cloak of Shadow]
Type: Armor
Effect: Conceals the user from all forms of detection, including status scanners, aura detectors, and other sensory abilities. Duration: 24 hours after activation, cooldown: 48 hours.
"Hah, author! This time you've really given me something useful." I chuckled softly as I gazed at the new cloak that appeared in my inventory. This would be incredibly helpful for me to stay low profile. Although my status concealment necklace was already working well, this cloak could serve as an additional layer of defense in case someone truly tried to trace my identity further.
"With this, I can act more freely without fear of being detected."
I closed the inventory window and glanced back at the reports I needed to finish. However, my mind was already wandering. I could still feel the strange vibration in my necklace, a sign that the earlier disturbance was not trivial.
On the other hand, the person who attempted to scan my status might be feeling frustrated right now. My necklace could still conceal most of my status, although there were a few gaps. With the Phantom Cloak, I was confident I could evade all types of scanners for the time being.
"Alright, it seems like this is the perfect time to test this cloak," I murmured as I stood up from my chair.
A few elite awakeners in a secret dungeon were busy monitoring their screens, searching for traces of the rogue awakener who had just been defeated.
"It's impossible. The data shows there's someone with power far beyond normal human limits," one of them said, staring at the screen. "But every time we try to scan, the system always fails."
"Whoever they are, they're unlike any other awakener," said their leader, a serious-looking man in a black suit. "We need to find out more. This mysterious figure could be a threat... or perhaps a powerful ally."
Back at the office, I was already wearing my new cloak and preparing to disappear from the radar of anyone trying to detect my presence. Before that, I sat back down and stared at the computer screen.
"Author, if you keep creating problems like this, I can resign at any time, you know. But unfortunately, this world needs me more than I need you."
I let out a long sigh and slowly snuck out of the office. The Phantom Cloak began to activate. Now I was truly invisible, even to the keenest of eyes. I could move without worrying about anyone realizing who I really was.
"Alright, let's see who dares to scan my status earlier."
With the Phantom Cloak active, I headed toward the location where I felt the detection disturbance. The people around me were unaware that I was walking among them. To them, I was probably just a passing breeze.
After a few minutes of walking, I arrived at a building that looked ordinary from the outside. But something about this building gave me a bad feeling. My instincts told me the person who tried to scan my status was here.
"Ah, author, you really are making my life complicated. But hey, this is way more exciting than sitting at a desk in the office," I muttered as I stared at the building in front of me. This was just the beginning. And it seemed I would soon find out who was hunting me.