Jinwoo laid on the floor of an alley, looking at the translucent blue screen in front of him.
[You have 26 unassigned points. Don't hoard them]
"Ugh… this thing is so annoying!"
He pulled up the detailed window.
[Player Status Window]
Name: Park Jinwoo
Age: 25
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Title: [None]
Level: 12
EXP: 760 / 5000
Class: Mage
Job: Hunter
HP: 700 / 700
MP: 530 / 530
Strength: 6
Agility: 12
Stamina: 11
Intelligence: 18
Luck: 1
Charisma: 6
26 unallocated points.
"Six to agility and twenty to intelligence. That should do it," Jinwoo muttered, tapping the buttons.
[Points allocated.]
A surge of sharp clarity shot through his head. His vision sharpened, thoughts sped up, and he felt a strange lightness in his limbs.
[New Stats] Agility: 18 Intelligence: 38
"Whoa…" He stumbled to his feet, slightly dizzy from the sudden boost.
"It's a good thing I don't need to train my body anymore. Doing those exercises had me broken."
"Now then.... Skill upgrade scroll"
A soft but sharp chime again rattled jinwoo's head.
"This is so annoying."
[Item: Skill Upgrade Scroll] Rarity: Rare Description: A shimmering parchment infused with ancient runes. When used, it enhances one learned skill by one rank or greatly boosts its effectiveness. Compatible only with player-acquired skills, not innate abilities.
Effect:
Upgrades a chosen skill (e.g., Mana Sense or Mana Control) by 1 rank.
Increases precision, efficiency, and power.
Warning: Once used, the choice is permanent. Choose wisely.
"So, if I chose it on something it's rank increases? Well Mana control it is!"
He tapped the choose section and once again touched the Mana control on the screen. Another screen appeared infront of him.
---
[Skill: Mana Control] Rank: E Effect: Allows
---
[Skill Upgrade Confirmation] Are you sure you want to upgrade Mana Control? Once upgraded, this choice cannot be undone.
[YES] [NO]
---
Jinwoo stared at the glowing screen in front of him. The temptation was obvious. Mana Control could drastically improve his magical abilities, making him more efficient and less reliant on brute force. But it was a permanent decision.
"Whatever," he muttered to himself. "Not like I have anything better to do."
He tapped YES, confirming his choice.
---
[Skill: Mana Control] Rank: D Effect: Allows Advanced Mana control. The user can now manipulate mana with greater precision and finer detail. Reduces mana cost by 15%, and mana flow can be adjusted in real-time for more efficient spellcasting. The control radius is increased to 20x (200 meters)
---
"How come it's more descriptive. Control radius..?"
He closed his eyes, once again imagining his power. His remembered the time when he and his friends went hiking together, they found a beautiful river with crystal clear, pure and sweet water.
He opened his eyes to see a ball of water about the size of a tennis ball. He then controlled it to move forward.
"That's insane. Though it can't be used for fighting."
He then changed its shape to more free and thin and bringed it closer to his mouth and drank it.
"Sweet..."
He then laid on the floor staring at the starry sky.
"Man... I should have just went into a hotel..."
He got up, came out of the alley and walked towards the crowd. Jinwoo couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness as he walked through the crowded streets. It was February 14th, the day everyone celebrated love, and yet, he found himself walking alone, surrounded by couples. The bright lights of the city reflected off the wet pavement as the chill of winter lingered in the air, but Jinwoo barely noticed it. His mind wandered to his girlfriend.
Jiwoo…
She had always been the more outgoing one between them, and whenever he had time to spare, they'd hang out together, sharing laughter and stories, often finding places like cozy cafés or parks to spend time. She'd always tease him about his awkwardness in public, but he didn't mind. It was her warmth and energy that made him feel alive, that made even the busiest days worth enduring.
The thought of her brought a small, bittersweet smile to his face. The last time they'd spoken was a year ago when she had been busy with work. She had promised to meet up again soon, but with his new situation, things had changed. Even though they'd both been caught up in their separate worlds, he felt the distance growing. It wasn't that he didn't care—he missed her dearly—but with his new life, his newly acquired abilities, and the strange new world he found himself in, he wondered how things would change.
He paused by a park bench and sat down, sighing. His mind flickered back to the skill upgrade he'd just used. The ability to manipulate mana with more precision had already opened up new possibilities for him. He could control the elements with ease now, but the world around him seemed both distant and foreign. Every moment he spent immersed in this strange new existence, he felt the old life slipping further away. And now, it was Valentine's Day, a day that should have been full of excitement and happiness, yet all he felt was an unsettling emptiness.
"Maybe I'm overthinking things," he muttered, staring at the glowing screen on his wrist.
He checked his phone. No messages. His heart sank. It had been a while since Jiwoo had reached out.
"She's probably busy... yeah, she's got her own life to live."
He got up, shaking off the negative thoughts, trying to clear his head. He had to keep going. After all, there was no time to dwell on the past. The world was changing, and Jinwoo couldn't afford to stay stuck.
As he walked back through the bustling city, his gaze drifted over the crowds. Couples were still all around him, their laughter and conversations ringing in the air. His fingers clenched as a sudden surge of irritation flared up inside him.
It's not like I need anyone… He paused, catching himself before those thoughts could spiral.
He rubbed his forehead and continued his walk, a new resolve settling in.
"Life's boring as hell..."
He then remembered about his quest. About defeating the hunter.
"Wait, what if I just hunt hunters! I can steal mana. And also get rich by selling their equipments. Korea's a big country. There's no way they will find me easily."
His face drew a sinister smile.
Jinwoo's lips curled into a grin, sharp and hungry.
"Hunt the hunters, huh…?" he muttered under his breath.
He could feel the magic inside him pulsing, sharper now with the upgraded Mana Control. His mind raced through the possibilities—hunters always flaunted top-tier weapons, enchanted gear, potions, artifacts. Taking one down would be risky, sure, but if he played it smart, used ambush tactics and his magic precision, it was doable.
Besides, they wouldn't expect a level-2 nobody like him to strike first.
He glanced down at his palm, where faint streams of mana danced over his skin like threads of light. With a little practice, he could probably enhance spells to bypass defenses or disable targets before they even realized what hit them.
His stomach growled, loud and pathetic. Jinwoo winced.
"Ugh… maybe I should grab food first." He checked his wallet—three crumpled bills, barely enough for street snacks. His eye twitched. "Fine. Convenience store instant noodles it is."
But even as he walked, his mind stayed sharp, calculating.
If he targeted solo hunters—those flashy idiots who liked to hunt alone for fame—he could swoop in, strike when they were injured or tired, and clean up. No one would miss a couple of arrogant rankers if they just vanished, right? He could sell the loot on black-market boards; plenty of shady dealers worked out of Seoul's back alleys.
He stopped suddenly.
Wait.
Hadn't he selled mana stones earlier?
He quickly took out his phone and checked his bank balance.
[Current bank balance: 580,000 won.]
"Hehehe...."
He turned towards a building, a restaurant. An expensive restaurant he could never think about going. But not now.
Jinwoo stood outside the glowing entrance, the restaurant's golden sign shimmering under the streetlights. Couples in elegant outfits walked past him, laughing, clinking wine glasses inside — but Jinwoo didn't care about them. His grin widened.
"Not tonight, instant noodles," he muttered. "Tonight, I eat like a king."
He pushed the door open.
Inside, the air smelled of sizzling meat, rich sauces, freshly baked bread. A smartly dressed hostess blinked in surprise when she saw Jinwoo — messy hair, cheap hoodie, jeans that had seen better days — but when he flashed his bank card with a confident smirk, her professional smile snapped back into place.
"Welcome, sir! Table for one?"
"Yeah," Jinwoo said smoothly, slipping into the warm, luxurious atmosphere.
Seated by the window, he ordered without hesitation: wagyu steak, grilled salmon, buttery mashed potatoes, a fancy dessert he couldn't even pronounce. His mouth watered just imagining the taste.
His steak arrived, sizzling, perfectly medium-rare. He sliced into it, savoring the juicy, buttery bite.
"Ahh…" He leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "Money really does taste good."
The hostess was thinking that some idiot had came. She thought to herself.
'I couldn't care less about this ug-.. well he's not ugly. Now that I think about it, he does look kinda.. handsome. He got Long messy hair but it's not dirty. His hoodie is ragged but his face is topping it over."
She stole another glance his way, cheeks warming slightly as she quickly looked back down at her notepad.
Jinwoo, meanwhile, was completely unaware — too absorbed in the sheer bliss of eating food that didn't come from a microwave or instant pack. He devoured the meal with quiet satisfaction, each bite reminding him just how long it had been since he'd treated himself.
He reached for his water glass, the faint trace of mana still humming in his fingers. With his new control, he playfully shaped the water inside the glass, making it swirl and ripple without spilling.
"Heh… maybe magic's not so useless for everyday stuff after all," he murmured.
Across the room, the hostess found herself glancing again, only to catch sight of the faint glowing threads in his hand. Her eyes widened slightly.
Wait… was he an Awakened?
No way — he didn't look like one. Most Awakeners flaunted their strength with fancy armor, expensive suits, or enchanted accessories. But this guy was sitting here in a cheap hoodie and torn jeans, playing with water like it was nothing.
Jinwoo finished his dessert — a rich, creamy custard tart — and leaned back, sighing deeply. He pulled out his phone again, scrolling through the guild boards.
"Hunter with a bounty...."
Hunter with bounty. A hunter is also a human. They also has somekind of past, dirty or ever worse. There was a website for people who wanted those people taught a lesson. There were many about killing, but of course jinwoo picked just the beating ones.
Jinwoo smirked as he scrolled.
"Let's see… target, target…" His eyes flicked over the listings.
[Looking for someone to rough up Hunter Ryu Minjae. Location: Gangnam district. He's been extorting small businesses. Payment: 1,500,000 won.]
[Hunter Kwon Jisoo. Cheated on three guild contracts, left teammates behind in a dungeon. Location: Hongdae. Payment: 2,000,000 won.]
[Hunter Seo Daeho. Beat up a civilian in public. No one touched him because he's B-rank. Location: Itaewon. Payment: negotiable.]
Jinwoo grinned wider. "Bingo."
He tapped the screen, accepting the last request.
[Request accepted. Contacting client…]
Within seconds, a masked chat popped up.
[CLIENT]: Are you sure you can handle Seo Daeho? He's dangerous.
[JINWOO]: Don't worry. I'll manage.
[CLIENT]: You're not even in a guild, are you?
[JINWOO]: Just watch. You'll get your money's worth.
Jinwoo closed the app, slipped his phone back into his pocket, and finished the last sip of his drink.
"Alright… time to test how far this Mana Control can take me."
He stepped out of the restaurant, the cold winter air hitting his face. He tightened his hoodie and smirked at his reflection in a shop window.
A nobody? Sure. But a nobody with magic was a whole different beast.
He stretched his arms, letting mana surge through his veins, the D-rank control humming like electricity under his skin. He could almost see the threads of power around him now — streetlights, traffic, even the faint life force of people passing by.
"Seo Daeho, huh… wonder if you're ready for me."
With a flick of his hand, he summoned a faint ripple of mana at his feet — not enough to fly or dash, but enough to push his steps faster, lighter, smoother.
He shot down the sidewalk, slipping into the crowds like a shadow.
Tonight, was lovers night.
Tomorrow, was Daeho's nightmare.