The Knock at the Door
Whoa... Cold sweat trickled down my back. What do I do? The frantic pounding of my heart echoed all the way to my ears.
My chest felt like it was shrinking, and the voice outside dragged the face of that rough-looking guy I'd run into at the recycling station straight into my mind.
Should I just stay quiet? Pretend I'm not here? What... should I do?
The joy and exhilaration from moments ago had already fled, abandoning me long ago. Now I had to face this situation alone.
Time stretched until a single minute felt like dozens. Eventually, I forced myself to stand.
Since when had the walk to the front door become this terrifying? My feet refused to move, but I dragged them forward until I finally stood before it.
Thud!
Just as I reached for the lock, a violent bang against the door made me swallow a gasp.
Right after came the furious roar from outside.
“If you heard me, you should come out! Hiding like a thief won’t make this end!!”
I don’t want to open it. I really don’t want to open it.
“Huuu...”
I took a deep breath and unlocked the door. Click. The sound of the lock disengaging—something I barely noticed on normal days—felt deafening. I turned the handle and pulled the door open.
“Eek...!”
“.....”
A man stood there, fist clenched and frozen mid-swing. The sight made me stumble backward in an awkward retreat. He slowly lowered his arm, revealing a face with a fierce, intimidating scowl.
He had that classic Ma Dong-seok build. The phrase “What the...? This is ridiculous! This crazy bastard” flashed through my head unbidden.
It was funny when you saw it in videos. Experiencing it firsthand, though, made me feel exactly like the poor sap on the receiving end.
His brows were deeply furrowed, eyes bloodshot with irritation and rage, jaw clenched so tight it looked painful. I swallowed dryly and moved.
“I’m sorry.”
The weight of his glare burned into the back of my head. I had to stand up and face that terrifying expression again.
For a split second I considered staying bowed. But he just waited in silence, so I straightened up.
His savage face made my body flinch involuntarily. He clicked his tongue and let out a long sigh. The murderous aura from earlier seemed to ease a little, yet my heart kept hammering.
“Look... I don’t know what’s going on, but...”
He took another deep breath, sounding drained.
“Be more careful. You don’t live alone, do you?”
Fear was still fear, but his words made sense. It was nearly dawn. Unless someone kept completely opposite hours, I’d woken him up. This time I apologized sincerely, without the earlier terror.
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
After the second apology, his expression softened—though it now carried a hint of discomfort. He scratched the back of his head.
“No... haa. I’m sorry too. It’s the first proper rest I’ve had in almost a week, so I was on edge. Still... never mind. Haa.”
With another weary sigh, he turned and headed downstairs. His heavy footsteps carried the weight of self-reproach, as if he regretted getting so worked up over nothing. An unpleasant, lingering discomfort settled in my chest. I let out a long breath and closed the door.
Click.
“Huuu. Calm down. I need to calm down.”
> [Answer. This is a normal reaction, comparable to someone who just won the lottery or discovered unknown Bitcoin holdings.]
“....”
Wow, thanks a lot.
I inwardly scoffed at the helper’s attempt at comfort and trudged back to my room, collapsing onto the mat.
After riding an emotional roller coaster that shot up only to plummet, exhaustion washed over me. I sighed.
“Agh... this is annoying.”
I sighed again at the situation my own actions had created—something I never would have done normally.
> [Answer. A sudden narrowing of perspective is perfectly natural.]
“Whatever. What’s done is done. Hup!”
What happened had happened. What mattered now was something else.
With a completely different mindset from a week ago—or even just a few minutes ago—I felt anticipation swell in my chest and muttered slowly.
“Status window. Haha! Ah. Ahem.”
I swallowed the laugh that almost escaped and looked at the window that appeared before me.
Kim Shin
Level: 1
Strength 3 | Stamina 2 | Agility 4 | Intelligence 6 | Vitality 3 | Mana 0
Available Points: 52
Aside from Intelligence, the rest of my stats were pathetic. Even though I hadn’t exercised since middle or high school and had lived like a hikikomori for the past two years, these numbers were still too low.
“Isn’t this way too low...?”
The helper answered immediately.
> [Answer. As you suspect, this is the natural result of a hikikomori lifestyle, irregular sleep, and imbalanced nutrition.]
“......”
I had nothing to say. The blunt facts stung. At the same time, seeing the numbers clearly quantified, I asked the helper,
“Then what’s the global average?”
> [Question confirmed. Calculating... Excluding Mana, the average for the other five stats worldwide under ‘normal’ standards is 8.]
“That’s the normal standard?”
> [Confirmed. Interpreting intent: under the standards of this world’s ‘normal’ Pioneers, the top-tier average is 17–18. Your current average of 3.6 is low, but this stems from long-term irregular living. Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Vitality have all declined. Additionally, Player Kim Shin’s Heavenly Punishment...]
I instinctively raised a hand to cut the helper off.
“Sorry to interrupt, but...”
> [Yes]
“Summarize it.”
> [.... Confirmed]
After an awkward, uncomfortable silence that lasted several seconds, the helper displayed a summarized window.
> [1. Global human average: 8.
2. 3.6 is not that low.
3. Current top-tier human average: 15–18.]
While staring at the window, the repeated use of “normal” kept bothering me—like a red stain on a white shirt. I wondered about it internally, but the helper, who always seemed to read my mind, offered no explanation. Suspicion crept back in.
I narrowed my eyes at the window for a moment, then looked at my points.
52 points.
“If they’re low, I’ll just raise them.”
Without hesitation, I dumped points into Strength, Agility, and Stamina until they reached 10. Then, just as I moved to Intelligence—
[Warning!! Raising stats abruptly in your current physical condition will cause severe side effects!!]
“Wait... what are you—”
“Kuh...!!!”
They say if your pain tolerance is high, you can’t even scream. It felt like a giant had grabbed my entire body. Or like someone was squeezing every single muscle that already ached, multiplied dozens of times over. The sensation of cramps seizing and releasing throughout my body was vivid.
Crack!! Crackle!!
“!!!”
The reinforcement of my Strength made even my bones feel like they were being realigned, crashing over me like a tidal wave.
[Warning..! Player Kim Shin’s current...!!]
The urgent voice reached my ears like muffled sound underwater. My senses grew distant, and I blacked out.
“Hah!!!”
I shot upright, eyes flying open. The sudden movement made my startled heart pound violently. I spent a while breathing deeply until it calmed.
> [Player Kim Shin. Are you all right?]
“Yeah... I’m fine.”
The memory of the pain before I passed out made me grimace. I almost yelled at the helper but bit down on my molars to stop myself.
I squeezed my eyes shut and took another deep breath. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. I couldn’t blame the product for an accident that happened because I didn’t read the manual.
> [Answer. It is not the player’s fault. I failed to explain—]
“No, that’s not it.”
I cut the helper off and continued.
“It’s my fault for rushing in without listening to the explanation.”
> [.... Confirmed. From now on, I will explain any actions that carry a cost in advance.]
I nodded and clenched and unclenched my fists several times. Still, I couldn’t really feel the difference.
> [Answer. At your current level, Player Kim Shin can perform a 200 kg deadlift for 12 reps across 3 sets as a main exercise. Additionally, your Agility and Stamina—]
After listening to the full explanation, a stunned curse slipped out.
“.... Holy crap?”
The explanation didn’t feel real, so I considered testing it but shook my head and decided to check the rest first.
I opened the inventory window in the Leisure Life interface. A single ticket was displayed in the game-like inventory slot. After a moment of hesitation, I clicked it.
The moment I did, a blue box roughly 50 cm by 50 cm appeared in midair. I reached in and pulled out the card inside.
Under the fluorescent light, the ticket shimmered with iridescent colors. I flipped it over, frowning, and read the text written on it.
“First-time 10-draw ticket?”
> [Answer. This is a draw for abilities and items to facilitate smooth play for first-time Leisure Life players.]
What is this, some subculture game?
I gave the helper a complicated look, then casually placed the ticket on the desk and checked the Traits window.
“[Toxic Aura]? [Adaptability]? And skills... excluding Fighting and Boxing, there are roughly eight more. Is it normal to have this many?”
After reading the trait descriptions, I asked about the abundance of skills. The helper replied,
> [Answer. These are skills you have acquired through your life experiences. Toxic Aura and Adaptability are your traits.]
At the helper’s words, I found myself staring at the traits again and muttering,
“Toxic Aura, huh... I thought it was all gone.”
[Deactivated]
A fierce and vicious aura unconsciously emanates from you. You may be regarded with caution due to this trait. You steel your resolve to achieve any goal. You do not give up. You do not waver. You resist.
I stared at the description for a while before forcibly stopping the flood of high-school memories that tried to surface. Shaking my head to clear it, I looked at the ticket on the desk and reached for it.
Just as I was about to tear it, my body froze. A chill ran down my spine. I asked the helper,
“Do I have to tear this to use it?”
> [That method also works. However, simply holding it and intending to use it is sufficient.]
Even after the explanation, I pressed for confirmation.
“It won’t hurt, right...?”
> [... Answer. It will not hurt.]
“....”
I could almost picture the helper’s expression. Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek, then thought about using the First-time 10-draw Ticket. A window appeared before my eyes.
Would you like to use the First-time 10-draw Ticket?
[YES / NO]
A small smile tugged at my lips. I pressed YES.
The surroundings turned dark.
Immediately after, bright particles of light appeared, illuminating the darkness. They gathered and swirled directly in front of me.
The particles gradually coalesced into a multicolored sphere that radiated brilliant light.
I frowned at the intensity and shielded my eyes with my hand.
The sphere grew even brighter before suddenly bursting. Startled, I quickly covered my eyes.
Flash!
Even with my eyes closed, the sensation of a powerful flash shining directly on them made me grimace as I blocked the light.
After some time passed and things seemed to settle, I slowly opened my eyes.
Floating in the air before me were cards and various items. Among them, one card shone the brightest, accompanied by three others emitting a softer glow.
I swallowed. Whether from tension or anticipation, I could feel my throat move as I approached the floating cards. The moment I took them in hand—
“Whoa....”
Staring at the window that appeared alongside the newly acquired skill, I could only gape in stunned silence for a long while.