A New Version of Reality
"Uh..." Bukjin was still in a state of utter bewilderment. Who am I? Where am I? What was I even doing?
He couldn't wrap his head around how things had escalated to this point—how everything had been resolved so effortlessly without him even lifting a finger. To top it off, he somehow ended up with a girlfriend who looked like a literal celestial maiden. Just moments ago, this "celestial maiden" had been exuding the overwhelming aura of a cold-blooded conglomerate chairman from a K-drama, but now that he had come to his senses, she had transformed into a cute, clingy young girl.
Does she have a split personality? Is there something wrong with her head too? Wait, why did I say 'too'?
A flurry of question marks continued to pop up in Bukjin's mind.
"Brother Im? Why aren't you saying anything? Are you mad?" Im Jin asked, shaking his arm with a beaming smile. "Or should I go drag that Do Manseong guy back here and beat him to a pulp in front of you? Would that make you feel better?"
"N-no, it's fine... I'm not mad. It's just..." Bukjin felt like his brain had short-circuited.
"Hehe, you're just so surprised and happy to see me, aren't you?"
"U-uh, yeah..." Bukjin rubbed his chin and stared off into the distant sky. He tried to scour every corner of his memory, but he found nothing. He had no idea when he had acquired such a monstrously powerful girlfriend. Did the original Bukjin have some kind of relationship with Im Jin before transferring to the 3rd Academy?
His memories were incomplete, making the current situation incredibly awkward.
"Listen, Student Im Jin. As you might know, I... well, I have a bit of a problem with my head," Bukjin said, trying to organize his thoughts. "The truth is, sometimes I can't remember things from the past very well. My memories are hazy... so... uh... did we know each other before?"
"You lost your memory?" Im Jin gasped, looking genuinely shocked.
Yes! Amnesia! What a perfect excuse!
"Yeah. Since I went to the 3rd Academy, I've had a few seizures, and I've forgotten everything from before. Maybe it's the heavens' way of telling me to leave the pain behind and be born again as a new person... So, uh... let's do this. Forget the old me. Let's just act like whatever connection we had never happened."
You're breathtakingly beautiful, but... I'm a man you can't have. Because I have to go back to Earth.
Im Jin stood frozen for a long moment, her expression blank. Then, her face suddenly crumpled as if she were about to burst into tears.
"Brother Im... are you pushing me away? Do you... do you hate me now?"
When the peerless beauty made such a heartbroken, sorrowful face, Bukjin felt a sharp pang in his chest, as if someone were squeezing his heart.
She's a temptress... How can someone be this pretty? I shouldn't have said that...
A wave of guilt washed over him involuntarily. Bukjin quickly added, "I mean, you can take it as me pushing you away if you want."
Women are too difficult. Games are definitely better. But I've already hurt her feelings, might as well commit to it. Bukjin steeled his resolve.
Im Jin stared at him without a word. Soon, the light in her eyes began to sink into a heavy, serious depth. It felt as if she were shifting back into that "Conglomerate Chairman" persona she had used to dismiss the crowd earlier. For reasons he couldn't explain, Bukjin felt his legs start to tremble. He hurriedly spoke up again.
"Wait, let's put it this way. I really have lost my memory. Student Im, how about we wait a while? Once I've recovered my memories, I'll come find you. How does that sound?"
Even as he spoke, Bukjin told himself he wasn't scared—he was just being kind to avoid hurting her further.
"Deal!" Im Jin's face brightened instantly, a smile returning to her lips. "I'm a very understanding person, after all!"
While Bukjin was pondering how to navigate the rest of this situation, a beautiful middle-aged woman—the chaperone for the National Imperial Junior Academy—rushed over. She shot Bukjin a sharp, predatory glare before whisking Im Jin away.
Only then did Bukjin let out a massive sigh of relief. Meanwhile, a massive stir was brewing within the training grounds.
"What did he say?"
"Im Jin is Im Bukjin's girlfriend?"
"What? Im Jin was the one clinging to him?"
"What?! Unmong City is going to fall?!"
Many students looked as if they felt the world was coming to an end. A short distance away from the bonfire festivities stood Yeo Nak-yeon, an official from the Unmong City government. As he listened to the students' commotion, a look of surprise and complexity crossed his face.
Suddenly, Jeong Sam-seok, who had been invisible until now, popped out of nowhere. Without a word, he grabbed Bukjin by the collar and dragged him into the tent that served as the 3rd Academy's quarters.
"Speak plainly. What in the world is going on?" Jeong Sam-seok began shaking Bukjin back and forth by his collar.
"Cough! Cough!" Bukjin struggled. He tried to pry Jeong Sam-seok's hands off him. "Master! Calm down! Cough! Please, lower your excitement first... Rest assured, I am a man with a goal. I know what's important. I'm not the type to abandon the path of the sword for personal feelings. I will definitely strive for the glory of the 3rd Academy!"
"Don't give me that nonsense!" Jeong Sam-seok barked angrily. "Forget the glory of the academy! What matters is that you must never betray the heart of someone who truly loves you!"
Huh? Bukjin was taken aback. Wait a minute. Something's wrong here. You're supposed to be a chaperone teacher, not a lead in a teen romance drama!
Bukjin looked at Jeong Sam-seok with a bizarre expression. Realizing he had overstepped, Jeong Sam-seok cleared his throat and returned to his usual stoic face. He slowly released Bukjin's collar. Then, he suddenly adopted a lonely, distant expression—the kind only a martial arts master with a tragic past could pull off.
Jeong Sam-seok turned slightly to gaze at the moon hanging in the sky. He let out a long sigh and spoke in a calm, measured tone.
"Sigh... Bukjin. You're still young, so you don't understand. When you first hear a song, you often let the meaning slip by, only to realize the performance has ended by the time you try to listen again. Young Bukjin... there are things in this world that you must never let go of, even if it means losing everything else."
"..." Bukjin never imagined Jeong Sam-seok had such a sentimental side.
"Master, it sounds like you have a story I don't know about. Why don't you tell me?" Bukjin began to smirk.
"Hoho," Jeong Sam-seok laughed awkwardly.
"Thank you," Bukjin said.
"Hmm?"
"Master, didn't you just drag me into the tent to save me from that awkward situation where everyone was staring at me?"
"You're overthinking things."
With that, Jeong Sam-seok left the tent without another word and returned to his own room. Bukjin felt that the more he got to know Jeong Sam-seok, the more he felt like an NPC in a game with many hidden, entertaining layers.
Now, Bukjin was left alone in the tent. The cries of magical beasts echoed from the surrounding wilderness. The atmosphere was thick with the scent of the wild. It might have been his imagination, but as the night deepened, he felt an ominous energy creeping in.
The wilderness at night was like a forbidden zone that humanity dared not enter. The ferocity of the magical beasts increased after dark, and their strength grew nearly twofold compared to the day. Atop the walls surrounding the camp, the elite soldiers of the Unmong Guard were on high alert, even more tense than they had been during the day. The roars of beasts from outside the camp were so chilling it felt as if they might charge in at any moment. However, the camp's Mystic Gate Array soon activated, forming a protective barrier that shielded everyone inside.
Perhaps because his stomach was full, drowsiness began to wash over Bukjin. He soon fell into a deep sleep. As the night grew even darker, the sound of footsteps approached the tent. Ak Hong-hyang had returned to the quarters. In his sleep, Bukjin thought he heard the faint sound of sobbing, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.
The next day arrived, but Mok Simwol and Oh Sobang still hadn't returned to the quarters. Bukjin, who was in the middle of a sweet slumber, was suddenly jolted awake by a familiar sound ringing in his ear.
A new update is available. Would you like to update now?
The moment he heard that sound, Bukjin sat bolt upright. He whipped out his smartphone. A new notification window was glowing on the screen.
A system update?
Bukjin was now fully awake. He stared at the new information, lost in thought. Why is there a system update all of a sudden?
It felt as if he had met some specific criteria that unlocked a new feature. Is it because I took first place in the competition? Or did I gain new permissions because I unknowingly won the heart of the absolute beauty, Im Jin? Does this mean I'll get more updates every time I achieve a certain goal?
It was a strong possibility. But that wasn't what mattered right now. What mattered was what kind of changes the update would bring to his phone.
Will the training functions via the apps still be there after the update? Or will a way to return to Earth finally appear?
Countless questions swirled in his head. After deliberating for about fifteen minutes, Bukjin made his choice. He decided to proceed with the update. In his experience, software updates generally didn't change existing functions drastically. Apps weren't usually deleted; rather, various features were improved. Therefore, he judged that the apps he had already downloaded would remain functional.
Moreover, Bukjin was currently obsessed with the idea of returning to his original home on Earth. Even if there was only a one-in-a-hundred chance that the update would provide a way back, he was willing to take the risk. Bukjin reached out and tapped 'Yes.'
This update will take 3 hours. 1GB of data will be consumed. Please ensure the host has sufficient data and power.
Bukjin checked his status; he had plenty of data and power. He tapped 'Next.' Immediately, the Mystic Energy within his body began to be rapidly absorbed into the smartphone.
Innate Mystic Energy is being converted into digital data. 1GB of energy is being consumed for the system overhaul.
The Mystic Energy was the data. Bukjin's current reserves were more than enough to cover the 1GB requirement, but he couldn't help the hollow feeling as the energy drained from his body. As the energy flowed out, a green progress bar appeared on the smartphone screen. All Bukjin could do now was wait. The three hours the smartphone had specified passed quickly. Finally, the system update was complete.