Chapter 7 — Status Window
Morning arrived quietly as sunlight slipped through the thin curtains of Aken's small apartment. For a moment everything was peaceful. Then the dream returned, dark clouds, a sky torn open like a wound, the sound of metal screaming, the airplane shaking violently. The hopeful prayers and cries of people, the blood and the horrifying sounds of monsters.
Aken held his parents tightly, he could still remember their warmth, still remember the smell of his mother's hair, still remember his father's voice trying to reassure him. "It's going to be okay."
The lie echoed in his memory. The plane fell, faster and faster. Screams filled the cabin, then the world turned into fire and metal.
Silence came, Aken's eyes snapped open. He sat upright in bed, his breathing was steady but his heart felt heavier. For several seconds he simply stared at the ceiling, the same unmistakable dream every night. The alarm clock beside his bed suddenly rang.
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
Aken reached over and turned it off. He slowly swung his legs off the bed and stood, then stretched slightly before speaking. "Status."
A faint blue light appeared in the air, his system window opened.
[STATUS WINDOW]
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Player Name: Aken Ezomo
Level: 1
Unique Trait: Level 1 Curse
HP: 320 / 320
Cursed Energy: 63
STR: 18
INT: 12
STA: 17
PER: 14
AGL: 13
LCK: 9
SKL: 11
Available Stat Points: +5
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Aken studied the screen quietly, stat points were extremely valuable. Most Players only gained them when leveling up but Aken couldn't level. Which meant quests were his only method of gaining them. He began considering his options. Strength increased his attack power, perception improved awareness and reaction, luck increased drop rates, stamina affected endurance and survivability.
All where important, after a few minutes of thought and consideration he made his decision. His finger tapped the air.
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STR +2
PER +1
LCK +1
STA +1
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The system confirmed it instantly.
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STR: 20
PER: 15
LCK: 10
STA: 18
[Stat Distribution Complete]
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Aken closed the window. He rolled his shoulders slightly, the improvement wasn't dramatic but he could feel the difference. His muscles felt tighter, sharper, more responsive. He walked toward the kitchen, morning routine came first. He washed the dishes left from yesterday, cleaned the counter and prepared breakfast—eggs and rice. Nothing to fancy unlike most homes.
After eating he rinsed the plate and placed it on the drying rack. Then he walked to the center of the room, meditation was last. He sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes and breathed slowly. Deep breaths, steady mind and a rather thoughtful silence. Time passed, then a faint vibration spread through his body.
The system appeared again.
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[Meditation Complete]
[Cursed Energy +1]
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Aken opened his eyes.
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Cursed Energy: 64
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Slow and yet, consistent. Meditation gave him one point, killing monsters could give more. Especially stronger ones, which meant both methods were necessary. Aken stood up, morning routine complete, he grabbed his towel and headed for the shower. Warm water washed away the last traces of sleep and fatigue. By the time he stepped out, his mind was clear. He dressed up quickly, black shirt, dark jacket, mixed with comfortable pants. Nothing that screamed the word "Player."
His katana rested against the wall, he had forgetting to take it with him yesterday but he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Aken picked it up and secured it to his belt, then grabbed his wallet and Player ID from the table. Time to work, Aken left the apartment. The morning streets of Seoul were already busy. Cars moved through trafficed roads, people hurried to work while Players where scattered among them. Even after decades, the sight still felt strange.
Before the Storm, none of this existed but now it was normal. Aken walked calmly through the crowd. His destination was obvious—The Korean Player Union. As Aken approached the entrance, he heard a familiar voice. "HEY AKEN!"
He didn't even need to turn around, Jae-Min ran toward him breathing heavily. "You walk way too fast!"
Aken raised an eyebrow. "You're late today."
Jae-Min placed his hands on his knees dramatically. "Running is hard you know."
"You're literally a Player in a game type word." Aken said.
"Emotionally I'm not." Jae-Min concluded
Aken sighed slightly, Jae-Min straightened up. "Anyway!" He grinned. "Ready to make money?"
Aken looked at the large Union building. "Of course, we got nothing better to do"
They walked inside together, the interior was exactly what Aken expected. Noise, and lots of it. The large quest board was surrounded by dozens of people, several guild representatives stood near the trading counters. A group of new Players nervously studied dungeon maps.
Jae-Min looked around happily. "Ah."
He stretched his arms. "The smell of opportunity."
Aken corrected him. "That's sweat."
"…Also opportunity."
They approached the quest board, several missions were posted, most were low rank. F-Rank dungeon clearing, E-Rank monster extermination and delivery quests, nothing unusual. Jae-Min scanned the board carefully, then he frowned. "…That's weird."
Aken glanced at him. "What is?"
Jae-Min pointed at one of the notices. "Look there."
Aken stepped closer, a red notice was pinned near the center.
[UNION NOTICE]
Several recent dungeon irregularities have been reported, players are advised to exercise caution when entering newly formed gates. Any unusual system behavior should be reported immediately.
Jae-Min scratched his head. "…Yeah."
"That's concerning."
Aken remembered the Silver Fang Player from last night, mutating gates, stronger monsters and system interference. Something was changing, Jae-Min suddenly looked excited.
"Wait."
He pointed to another quest.
"Look at this!"
Aken followed his finger.
[Dungeon Clearance Request
Rank: E
Location: District 4
Reward: ₩95,000
Party Size: 2–3 Players]
Jae-Min grinned. "Now that's what I call a salary"
Aken studied the details. An E-Rank dungeon was manageable, especially after yesterday's experience, but something still bothered him. Then his system suddenly flickered again, Aken slightly froze. The message appeared silently.
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[Curse Resonance Detected]
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His eyes narrowed, the same message from last night. Jae-Min noticed. "…What?"
Aken didn't answer immediately, the system expanded.
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[Resonance Source: Nearby]
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Distance: Unknown
Hidden Condition Progress: 18%
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Aken slowly looked around the Union hall, hundreds of Players, dozens of items and countless pieces of equipment. Somewhere inside this building…
Something was reacting to his curse. Jae-Min waved his hand in front of Aken's face. "Hello, earth to Aken?"
Aken blinked once. "…Sorry, just spaced out."
Jae-Min narrowed his eyes. "You said that suspiciously."
Aken turned back to the quest board. "Let's take the dungeon."
Jae-Min instantly brightened up. "YES MY BROTHER!."
He grabbed the quest ticket and ran toward the registration counter. "Let's hurry before someone else takes it!"
Aken followed calmly, but inside his mind…
The system message still lingered. Curse Resonance and Hidden Condition. something nearby that his curse could feel. Whatever it was…
It hadn't revealed itself yet, but Aken had this strange feeling…
That very soon It would.
END OF CHAPTER 7