Gray stared at the holographic screen, his breath catching. The numbers weren't just a gap; they were a mountain.
- Gray Strength: 39 | Kang-Dae Strength: 85
"Whatt theee...?" Gray whispered, looking at San Gah. " What exactly is this thing? I don’t get anything."
The cold, regal mask San Gah had been wearing since the library finally cracked. Her shoulders dropped, and she stepped toward him, her hands reaching out to clasp his. They were warm, trembling slightly. But her face suddenly turned pale.
"Sorry….." said San Gah in a bit of guilt.
“But why?”
“Because it was me who choose you”
“Whattt!!!”
She looked up at him, her eyes soft and filled with a long-hidden light. "I-I’ve had a crush on you since the first day of freshman year.” Gray was shocked “When everyone else was faking about themselves, you were just... you. I wanted to tell you so many times, but my family—the Blood Moon—is a curse. To love someone is to put a target on their back."
She squeezed his hands. "The System is a part of my soul. It’s a fragment of the 'Lunar Heritage.' It wouldn't activate for anyone else because it requires a soul-bond. That kiss... Ahhhh… it makes me feel so embarrassed, it wasn't just a catalyst for the system. It was me finally accepting the fact. The System responded to it."
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[ RELATIONSHIP STATUS: SOUL-BOUND (TRUE LOVE)]
[ HIDDEN CLASS POTENTIAL UNLOCKED]
Gray felt a surge of warmth and also disbelief that he was her choice. He looked at the 2 Skill Points sitting in his menu. He didn't need anything else but time.
"San Gah," he said, focusing his mind on the system. "If he's coming tonight, we need more time. I’m using these points."
[ SKILL POINTS EXPENDED: 2]
[ NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: LUNAR TRAINING SPACE (LV. 1)]
- Effect: Creates a pocket dimension where time flows a lot slower than the outside world.
- Access: Only the User and the Bonded Partner.
Inside the Training Space
The world around them blanked out. The school alleyway vanished, replaced by a vast, endless floor of white marble under a shiny silver moon. The air was cool and smelled like San Gah’s perfume.
"We have ten hours in here," Gray said, feeling the weight of the space. "But only one hour will pass outside."
San Gah walked beside him, explaining the mechanics of the world he’d been thrust into. She taught him how to "flow" his stamina, how to read the mana veins in an opponent, and most importantly, how the Lunar Vanguard class worked.
They sparred, they talked, and for the first time, they weren't "Target" and "Protector." They were just Gray and San Gah.
[ TRAINING COMPLETE: +11 STR, +10 AGI, +8 STA, +6 INT]
Current Class: [Lunar Vanguard]
Active Skill: [Moonlight Dash] (Unlocked during training)
The marble floor began to ripple. The ten hours were up. Gray stood taller, his muscles dense and his mind sharp. He looked at the comparison one last time. He was still weaker than Kang-Dae (85 Strength), but with his new 20 Intelligence, he could now see something he couldn't before: Kang-Dae’s Weakness.
As they faded back into the real-world alleyway it was all silent but soon enough, the sound of a heavy helicopter blade thundered overhead. A spotlight cut through the dark, landing right on Gray and San Gah.
Gray has just exited the Lunar Training Space. He’s spent 10 hours (1 hour real-time) refining his body and bonding with San Gah. He feels stronger, but as he steps back into the alleyway, Kang Dae is already descending.
The heavy thud-thud-thud of helicopter blades rattled the windows of the surrounding buildings. A blinding spotlight cut through the darkness of the alley, pinning Gray and San Gah like moths to a wall.
"So," Kang-Dae rumbled, his voice vibrating in Gray’s chest. He was a mountain of a man, eyes glowing with a dark, predatory crimson. "This is the 'King' my sister chose? A boy who smells like cheap school lunch and desperation."
Gray stepped in front of San Gah, his heart hammering against his ribs. He looked at the holographic comparison one last time.
- Gray Strength: 50
- Kang-Dae Strength: 85
The fight began not with a word, but with a blur. Kang-Dae moved with a violence that defied his size. His first punch caught Gray in the guard, and even with 50 Strength, Gray was sent flying backward, his boots smoking as they skidded across the asphalt.
"Impressive. You blocked this one…." Kang-Dae laughed, closing the distance in a single bound. “What about this one”.
Gray used [Moonlight Dash] to slip behind him, landing a kick that would have decapitated a normal man. Kang-Dae didn't even flinch. He caught Gray’s leg mid-air and slammed him into the brick wall.
Cough. Gray spat out blood. He looked at San Gah—she was trying to reach him, but Kang-Dae’s men didn’t allow her to.
"Hahaha…. Die already, you pity creature" Kang-Dae growled. He raised his fist, and drove it straight through Gray’s chest.
[ SYSTEM ALERT: CRITICAL DAMAGE]
[ HP: 0][ STATUS: DECEASED]
Gray’s world went black. He felt the coldness of the ground, heard San Gah’s agonizing scream... Her voice was cracking,”G-Gr-ayy!!”
Gray found himself in an endlessly dark void. “Is this it?” Gray asked to himself. “Maybe”. He was on the verge of giving up. But suddenly he saw a ray of light and heard San Gah’s cries.
[ HIDDEN CONDITION MET: SACRIFICE OF THE CHOSEN]
[ CONVERTING EMOTIONAL RESONANCE INTO DATA...]
[ NEW HIDDEN CLASS UNLOCKED: ECLIPSE MONARCH]
Gray’s body didn't heal but he stood up. His aura changed completely, catching Kang-Dae off-guard. Gray stood up, his hair shimmering like moonlight and his eyes glowing with the silver glow like that of the moon.
[ GODDESS'S PROTECTION LEVELED UP: LV. 2]
[ BUFF INCREASED: 10% -> 20%]
[ NEW AWAKENED STATUS: GRAY]
Kang-Dae’s eyes widened. “You really are something else!"
Gray didn't answer. He moved like a blow of wind faster than Kang-Dae’s eyes could track. He appeared in Kang-Dae’s shadow. Boom. A punch to the kidneys. Crack. Then a hook on the jaw.
Kang-Dae roared, swinging wildly with his monstrous Strength, but Gray’s Intelligence saw the moves before they even started. Gray was a ghost, a storm of silver.
The two titans collided in the centre of the alley. Gray took a heavy blow to the ribs to land a final, desperate strike. He focused every ounce of his Strength into his right leg, and using the momentum of Kang Dae’s punch.
[ SKILL: ECLIPSE BURST]
His leg connected with Kang-Dae’s temple. The monsters body collapsed.
Gray stood there, his silver glow fading, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He had no more energy left. He had barely, barely won.
San Gah broke free and sprinted to him, catching him as his knees finally gave out.
The helicopter overhead veered away, its pilot unwilling to face the monster that had just brought down the Kang Dae.
Gray stood in the center of the wreckage, his silver hair slowly fading back to black. He felt San Gah’s arms wrap around him from behind, her forehead resting against his back.
"Thank goodness," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You are okay."
[ SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
[ HIDDEN CONDITION CLEARED: DEFEAT THE UNBEATABLE]
[ SECRET QUEST COMPLETED: 'THE TUTORIAL']
"You have died and returned. You have protected the Goddess with your soul. You have transcended the limits of a human vessel. The training wheels are now removed."
[ REWARDS CALCULATING...]
- Title Awarded: [The One Who Walked Through Death]
- Bonus: +20 to all base attributes.
- Function Unlocked: [World Rankings & Global Chat]
[ FINAL STATUS MENU: GRAY]
Class: Eclipse Monarch (Hidden / Unique) Title: The One Who Walked Through Death
Current Buffs:
- Goddess's Protection (Lv. 2): +20% Physical Stats (Active).
- Monarch's Presence: Lower-level enemies (below Lv. 10) are automatically paralyzed by fear.
[ SKILL LOG]
- Basic Martial Arts (Lv. 1)
- Basic Appraisal (Lv. 1)
- Lunar Training Space (Lv. 1)
- Moonlight Dash (Class Skill)
- Eclipse Burst (Class Skill)
Gray watched the numbers tick up, feeling a strength so immense it felt like he could split the earth. But as the "Tutorial Completed" message faded, a new one appeared in blood-red text:
[ ATTENTION]
[ WORLD INITIALIZATION COMMENCING...]
[ REMAINING 'KINGS' AWAKENED: 6]
Gray looked at San Gah. The world wasn't just his high school anymore. It was a battlefield for seven Monarchs, and he had just officially joined the war.