I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing.
*DING*
*[Your disciple has achieved a breakthrough!]*
*[Your disciple has learned a new technique!]*
*[You have received: 500 Sect Points]*
With a groan, I reached for my phone.
It was that idle game again — "Murim Sect Master."
I had downloaded it two weeks ago out of sheer boredom.
It's one of those games where you manage a martial arts sect while you're off doing other things.
You recruit disciples, send them on missions, and gather resources.
All of it happens automatically.
Honestly, it's the perfect game for someone like me. No effort needed.
I checked the notifications.
My main disciple, "Nameless Sword Saint," had just hit the Core Formation stage.
"Nice."
I collected my rewards and drifted back to sleep.
-
My name is Han Junho.
I'm twenty-five, unemployed, and still living with my parents.
A professional disappointment, really.
I graduated with a business degree two years ago.
Since then, I haven't found a job.
These days, I mostly play mobile games and try to dodge my parents' disappointed glares.
"Junho! Are you awake?" My mom called from downstairs.
"Yeah!"
"Breakfast is ready!"
I reluctantly pulled myself out of bed.
-
At breakfast, my dad didn't even glance my way.
He just buried himself in his newspaper and sipped his coffee.
My mom was trying to keep the mood light.
"Did you apply to any jobs yesterday?"
"Not yet. I'll do it today."
Total lie.
She sighed heavily.
"Junho, you're twenty-five. You can't just play games forever."
"I know, Mom."
"Your cousin got promoted again. He's now a team leader."
Of course he did.
Perfect cousin with his perfect job.
"That's great for him."
Finally, my dad chimed in.
"When I was your age, I was already supporting a family."
Here we go again.
"Times were different—"
"Excuses. You need to grow up."
He got up and left the table.
-
Back in my room, I opened the idle game.
At least in this world, I was a success.
My sect, "Heavenly Phoenix Sect," was ranked 47th on the server.
Not too shabby for a free-to-play player.
The game was pretty straightforward.
My disciples trained on their own. I just assigned them tasks and collected the rewards.
There wasn't much gameplay involved—just a lot of management.
Perfect for someone who wasn't feeling particularly motivated.
-
I was just about to dive into my daily tasks when something strange happened.
The screen flickered.
Colors flipped, and the text became a jumbled mess.
"What the—"
-
[SYSTEM ERROR]
[REALITY SYNCHRONIZATION IN PROGRESS]
[PLEASE WAIT...]
-
"Reality synchronization?"
Suddenly, the screen went black.
Then, a new message popped up.
-
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[Your sect has been selected for REALITY MODE]
[All game progress will now manifest in the real world]
[Your disciples are now real]
[Your buildings are now real]
[Your resources are now real]
[Good luck, Sect Master]
-
I just stared at my phone.
"This has to be a joke, right?"
Then my room started to glow.
A golden light streamed from my phone.
I dropped it in a panic.
The light spread, enveloping everything around me.
I couldn't see anything.
I couldn't move.
-
When the light finally faded, I found myself standing.
But I wasn't in my room anymore.
I was on a mountain peak.
The sky was a brilliant blue, and the wind tousled my hair.
In front of me stood fifteen people dressed in martial arts robes.
They all bowed together.
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
-
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What?"
One person stepped forward.
A young man, probably around twenty, with sharp eyes and a sword at his side.
"Sect Master, it's an honor to finally meet you in person."
That voice.
I recognized it.
"You're... Nameless Sword Saint?"
He smiled.
"That's the name you gave me, yes. But you can call me Kang Mujin."
Kang Mujin.
My main disciple from the game.
The one I'd been training for two weeks.
He was real.
Standing right in front of me.
"This can't be happening."
"And yet, here we are."
A girl with twin braids stepped forward. She looked about sixteen.
"Sect Master! Do you remember me? I'm Yeon Hwa! You recruited me from the Spirit Beast Forest mission!"
I remember it all.
It cost me 500 gems.
She's my second-best disciple.
An old man with a gray beard bowed before me.
"I am Elder Baek Cheon. You assigned me to oversee the Alchemy Hall."
All of them.
Every disciple I brought into the game.
Standing right here.
In the flesh.
-
[Welcome to Reality Mode, Sect Master Han Junho]
[Your Murim Sect Master save file has been transferred to reality]
[All disciples, buildings, and resources are now tangible]
[Location: Heavenly Phoenix Mountain (your sect headquarters)]
-
A translucent screen popped up in the air.
Just like in the game.
-
[Sect Status]
Sect Name: Heavenly Phoenix Sect
Sect Master: Han Junho
Sect Rank: 47
Disciples: 15
Buildings: 5
Resources: 12,450 Spirit Stones
Reputation: 340
-
"This is unbelievable."
Kang Mujin looked worried.
"Sect Master, are you feeling alright?"
"I'm... I'm okay. Just a bit bewildered."
"That makes sense. You've been sending us divine messages for weeks. Now you're here in person."
Divine messages?
Oh, right. The game interface.
To them, my tapping on my phone must have seemed like divine commands.
"Yes, divine messages. That's me."
-
I took a look around.
We were on a huge stone platform.
Behind us stood five buildings made of wood and stone.
Main Hall. Training Grounds. Alchemy Hall. Library. Dormitory.
Exactly like in the game.
Beyond the platform, a vast forest spread out, with mountains in the distance.
"Where exactly are we?"
Yeon Hwa chimed in, her excitement palpable.
"Heavenly Phoenix Mountain! Our sect's sacred ground! You chose this spot yourself two weeks ago!"
Did I?
Oh right. When starting the game, you pick a location.
I just picked one at random.
"Of course. I remember now."
-
An elderly woman approached us, dressed in elegant robes and holding a ledger.
"Sect Master, I am Administrator Hong. I oversee the sect's resources and finances."
"Pleasure to meet you."
She bowed respectfully.
"I must inform you that our current status is stable, but we are facing some challenges."
"What kind of challenges?"
"Three main issues. First, our sect rank is low. Larger sects do not take us seriously."
Rank 47 out of hundreds isn't great.
"Second, our disciples really need better gear and techniques."
I was already aware of that. In the game, I could never afford the top-tier items.
"Third, and this is the most pressing issue. The Blood Wolf Sect has marked us as their next target."
"Blood Wolf Sect?"
Kang Mujin's face turned serious.
"They're a demonic sect. They've been on a rampage, taking over territory. Three smaller sects have already been wiped out."
"And we're next on their list?"
"Exactly. Their scouts were seen near our borders just yesterday."
-
[Emergency Quest Generated]
[Survive the Blood Wolf Sect]
[Difficulty: Hard]
[Time Limit: 7 days]
[Reward: 5,000 Sect Points, Random Legendary Item]
[Failure: Sect Destruction]
-
Seven days to figure this out.
"How powerful is the Blood Wolf Sect?"
Administrator Hong flipped through her ledger.
"They have around eighty disciples. Twenty of them are at the Core Formation stage, five at Foundation Establishment, and their sect master is rumored to be at the Golden Core stage."
I glanced at my disciples.
Fifteen of us.
Against eighty.
"What's our strength looking like?"
Kang Mujin replied, "I just reached Core Formation yesterday, thanks to your guidance. Yeon Hwa and three others are at Foundation Establishment, while the rest are still at Qi Gathering stage."
So, we're seriously outmatched.
"This is not good."
"Sect Master, what are your orders?"
Everyone turned to me, eyes full of expectation.
I'm not a leader.
I'm not a strategist.
I'm just a guy who plays idle games.
But now, I'm responsible for the lives of fifteen people.
"Give me a moment to think. I'll have instructions for you soon."
They all bowed.
"As you command, Sect Master."
-
I stepped to the edge of the platform.
Trying to wrap my head around everything.
My idle game has turned into reality.
My disciples are real people.
And we're about to face a demonic sect.
"This can't be happening."
I pulled out my phone.
Maybe I can access the game menu.
The screen lit up.
-
[Murim Sect Master - Reality Mode]
[Main Menu]
- Sect Management
- Disciple Training
- Mission Board
- Shop
- Gacha Recruitment
- Settings
-
The game interface is still here.
"Shop."
-
[Sect Shop]
[Spirit Stones: 12,450]
[Techniques]
- Advanced Sword Manual (5,000 stones)
- Flame Palm Technique (3,000 stones)
- Iron Body Manual (4,000 stones)
[Equipment]
- Spirit Sword (2,000 stones)
- Defensive Talisman (1,500 stones)
[Buildings]
- Weapon Forge (10,000 stones)
- Formation Array (8,000 stones)
[Special Items]
- Recruitment Ticket (3,000 stones)
- Breakthrough Pill (2,500 stones)
-
I can still buy things.
And with 12,450 spirit stones...
I decided to grab the Advanced Sword Manual and two Spirit Swords.
Total: 9,000 stones.
Remaining: 3,450.
-
[Purchase Complete]
[Items will materialize in your storage building]
-
"Sect Master!"
I turned around to see Kang Mujin rushing over.
"Three items just appeared in the storage hall! Advanced manuals and spirit swords!"
"I know. I sent them."
His eyes lit up.
"Divine providence! Thank you, Sect Master!"
He bowed deeply.
Right. My game purchases are like miracles to them.
-
Over the next few hours, I wandered around the sect.
Everything from the game was right here.
The Training Grounds where disciples sparred.
The Alchemy Hall where Elder Baek Cheon brewed pills.
The Library filled with technique manuals.
It felt surreal.
NPCs from an idle game, now alive and breathing.
-
That evening, Yeon Hwa approached me.
"Sect Master, may I speak freely?"
"Of course."
"You seem... different than I expected."
"Different how?"
"Your divine messages were always wise and strategic. But in person, you seem uncertain."
Smart kid.
"I'm just getting used to this physical form. It's a whole different ball game from divine communication."
She nodded, accepting my explanation.
"I get it. But Sect Master, everyone's counting on you for guidance. The Blood Wolf Sect is set to strike in just seven days. What's your plan?"
Good question.
What's my plan?
In that idle game, battles just happened automatically.
The disciples fought on their own while I sat back and watched the numbers fluctuate.
But this is the real deal now.
Real people. Real stakes.
"I need to make us stronger in seven days."
"And how do you plan to do that?"
I pulled out my phone.
Opened the Mission Board.
-
[Available Missions]
[Hunt Spirit Beast - Reward: 500 Sect Points]
[Clear Bandit Camp - Reward: 300 Sect Points]
[Gather Rare Herbs - Reward: 200 Sect Points]
[Explore Ancient Ruins - Reward: 1,000 Sect Points (High Risk)]
-
"We'll take on missions. Gather resources. Upgrade our gear and skills."
"All of us?"
"Nope. Teams. I'll assign tasks based on everyone's strengths."
Just like in the game.
Except this time, if they fail, it's not just a game over.
-
That night, sleep eluded me.
I lay in the Sect Master's quarters, a private space I didn't even know existed.
It felt luxurious compared to my room back home.
But I was feeling nauseous.
Tomorrow, I'd be sending disciples on perilous missions.
Real people. Real stakes.
"I'm not cut out for this."
-
[Sect Master Quest Available]
[Prove Your Worth]
[Objective: Successfully lead your sect for 30 days]
[Reward: Unlock Sect Master Skills]
[Failure: Disciples lose faith, sect crumbles]
-
Thirty days.
I have to pretend to be a capable leader for thirty days.
"I'm going to get everyone killed."
-
The next morning, I called for a meeting.
All fifteen disciples gathered in the Main Hall.
I stood at the front, trying to project confidence.
"I'm assigning missions. We have seven days to gear up for the Blood Wolf Sect. We need resources, levels, and better equipment."
I pulled up the mission assignments I had mapped out the night before.
"Kang Mujin. Yeon Hwa. Disciple Jang. You three will explore the Ancient Ruins. It's high risk, but the reward is worth it."
Kang Mujin nodded.
"As you command."
"Elder Baek Cheon, let's focus on making those Breakthrough Pills. I'll handle the resources."
I picked up some rare herbs from the shop for 2,000 spirit stones.
They appeared in the storage hall.
The disciples were in awe.
"More divine providence!"
I kept delegating tasks.
Hunting teams, gathering teams, training schedules.
It felt just like managing an idle game.
But this time, I could see their faces.
Their trust.
"One more thing. If any mission gets too risky, pull back. Your lives are worth more than sect points."
They looked taken aback.
Kang Mujin spoke up.
"Sect Master, most leaders wouldn't say that."
"I'm not like most leaders."
-
For the next six days, I ran the sect as if it were a game.
But I quickly realized that reality had its own rules.
Disciples got hurt. They were exhausted. They were scared.
The numbers on a screen didn't capture that.
Kang Mujin's team came back from the Ancient Ruins with a win.
But Disciple Jang had lost an arm.
"It's okay, Sect Master," Jang said, pale yet smiling. "We finished the mission."
I felt a wave of nausea.
In the game, injuries were just minor setbacks.
But here, a young man lost his arm because of my decisions.
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. You gave us a chance to grow stronger."
-
[Mission Complete: Ancient Ruins]
[Reward: 1,000 Sect Points, Ancient Technique Manual]
[Disciple Jang: Loyalty +50]
-
I bought a Regeneration Pill from the shop.
5,000 spirit stones. My last bit of savings.
I gave it to Jang.
His arm grew back over three days.
Everyone called it a miracle.
-
On the seventh day, scouts reported movement.
"The Blood Wolf Sect is approaching! Eighty disciples!"
Everyone gathered on the platform.
There were just fifteen of us.
I had used every resource, every strategy.
My disciples were stronger now, better equipped.
But we were still outnumbered.
"Sect Master, what are your orders?" Kang Mujin asked.
I opened my phone one last time.
Checked the shop.
There was one item I had been saving for.
-
[Legendary Summon Ticket]
[Cost: 10,000 Sect Points]
[Current Points: 9,800]
-
Not enough.
I started looking into emergency options.
-
]Emergency Currency Exchange]
]Convert real money to Sect Points]
[Rate: $1 = 10 Sect Points]
-
I glanced at my bank account.
Three hundred dollars. My last bit of savings.
"Screw it."
I converted it all.
-
[+3,000 Sect Points]
[Total: 12,800]
-
I purchased the Legendary Summon Ticket.
-
[Legendary Summon Activated]
[Summoning...]
-
A burst of golden light erupted from the sky.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
When the light dimmed, a figure appeared before us.
An old man in flowing white robes. A long beard. Eyes that sparkled like stars.
He had an overwhelming presence.
-
Legendary Hero Summoned
Sword Saint Geom Woo
Cultivation: Nascent Soul Stage
Duration: 1 hour
-
The old man turned to me.
"You summoned me, young Sect Master?"
"Yes. We need your help."
He smiled warmly.
"Very well."
-
The Blood Wolf Sect arrived.
Eighty disciples clad in red and black robes.
Their sect master led the charge, a man with a scarred face.
"Heavenly Phoenix Sect! Surrender or die!"
Sword Saint Geom Woo stepped forward, his voice steady.
"You dare threaten my descendants?"
The Blood Wolf Sect Master's face went pale.
"S-Sword Saint Geom Woo?! But you were supposed to be dead!"
"I was. This child brought me back."
He unsheathed his sword.
"Leave. Now. Or face extinction."
-
The Blood Wolf Sect turned tail.
All eighty of them.
Running like frightened children.
-
[Quest Complete: Survive the Blood Wolf Sect]
[Reward: 5,000 Sect Points, Legendary Item - Phoenix Heart Jade]
[Achievement Unlocked: Crisis Averted]
[Sect Reputation +500]
[New Sect Rank: 32]
-
Sword Saint Geom Woo faded away after an hour.
But before he vanished, he said to me,
"You have potential, young Sect Master. But you're afraid."
"I'm not a true leader."
"Leaders aren't born. They're forged. Keep protecting your disciples. You'll become what they need."
And then he was gone.
-
That night, all fifteen disciples came together to celebrate.
They drank, laughed, and reveled in their survival.
Kang Mujin walked up to me.
"Sect Master, you saved us all."
"I just played a game," I replied.
"No, you gave us hope. A purpose. A place to call home."
He bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
-
I glanced at my phone.
At the idle game that had turned into my life.
Maybe being a sect master isn't so bad after all.
-
[Achievement: First Crisis Survived]
[Title Earned: True Sect Master]
[New Features Unlocked]
[Your journey has only begun]
-
Yeah.
This is going to be quite the adventure.