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The Cost of Knowledge

  The streets were quieter now. The thrill of the Awakening Ceremony had faded, leaving only whispers behind. Yanluo walked in silence, hands in his pockets, face blank. The crowd's stares from earlier still echoed in his mind—their shock, their disbelief, the fear in their eyes when he insulted everyone, especially Kwon Chen, right in front of the entire auditorium.

  He unlocked the door to the dormitory room that once belonged to Kim Joo-Hwan—the original owner of this body. An orphan's life, small and sterile. The kind of place you could disappear in without anyone asking questions.

  The door shut behind him with a quiet click.

  "Let's begin."

  With a wave of his hand, the familiar translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes—the System Window.

  Suddenly, as if triggered by an unseen force, a new option appeared in the Seeker System interface. It was subtle, just a faint glowing tab labeled Journal. The system flickered, almost as if it were calling to him.

  With a hesitant but curious tap, Yanluo opened it.

  [Journal - Auto Entry Logs]

  * Kwon Chen – Shadow Assassin

  Skills: > - *Shadow Daggers*

  > - *Phantom Blink*

  * Ryu Han – Martial King

  Skills: > - *Steel Body*

  > - *Flash Step*

  > - *Dragon Strike*

  * Nam Gung Seo Yoon – Celestial Sorceress

  Skills: > - *Ice Manipulation*

  > - *Angelic Barrier*

  > - *Mist Cloak*

  No descriptions. Just names and categories. The Journal had transformed into a Passive Seeker Skill: [Passive: Journal (Lv.1)]. It automatically recorded system information during major events or emotional surges. It couldn't be edited manually. Its accuracy depended on the user's focus.

  A secondary tab popped open: Cube & Artifact Access.

  * Cubes – Unique Dimensional Dungeons

  [ Entered alone. Higher risk, but more rewarding drops.

  enters with team members. Safer, but lower-tier drops. ]

  ** Virtual Cubes

  -->Artificially Created Dungeons: No rewards or artifacts.

  -->>Main Benefit: Earn Seeker Points (SP) by committing evil acts.

  -->>Entry: Can be entered solo and with team members, with no risk of failure.

  ** Real Cubes

  -->> Active Dungeons: Provide access to artifacts and high-tier rewards.

  -->> Entry: Suggestion teamwork (3+ members) for successful completion or by doing solo greater benefits .

  -->> Risk: Failure results in no rewards or sometimes death, but successful completion grants powerful artifacts.

  Artifacts – Special items obtained from clearing Cubes. They could be equipped, offering passive or active effects. Ranks range from F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SSR, UR, to EX.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Yanluo had none of these, but the simple fact that the system had unlocked this category meant a pathway had begun to open.

  "I need more power. Artifacts are next." He cast a glance at his Seeker Points: 222 SP remaining. Earlier, he had taunted the arrogant student, Kwon Chen, in public, triggering a surge of points and purchasing: [Skill: Customizer (Lv.1)]. This skill allowed him to mask and modify system visibility, presenting a false system to others. Now, both systems were cloaked behind a F-rank illusion. It felt safe, for the time being.

  Then—

  Knock. Knock.

  Slow and heavy. The sound echoed through the room, unsettling in its deliberate rhythm. He stood still, his pulse quickening. No footsteps. No alert from the system. Only that persistent knock.

  "Who's there?" he called out, but silence answered him. His hand hovered near the door, poised for whatever might come next.

  End of Chapter 3.

  ?? SYSTEM WORLD OVERVIEW

  ?? System Ranks (rarity & potential)

  F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSR → UR → EX

  Determines the number of skills, growth potential, artifact compatibility, and more.

  F to A Rank Systems: Start with 1 core skill.

  S and above: May unlock passives or possess unique evolutions.

  ?? Skills and Levels

  Each skill begins at Level 1 unless upgraded through:

  Usage

  SP feeding

  Artifacts or rare items

  Some skills (e.g., Info Seeker) start at Level 0 if they are locked or incomplete.

  ??? Classes

  Granted upon Awakening (RPG-style roles)

  Determines base stat growth, Cube compatibility, and skill type.

  Examples: Shadow Assassin, Celestial Sorceress, Adaptive Shapeshifter , etc

  ?? Cubes = Dungeons

  [ With team members , offering low rewards.

  enter solo for higher-tier loot plus artifacts.]

  they can be virtual and real .

  ?? Artifacts (Drops inside Real Cubes)

  Equipable items providing passive/active bonuses.

  Ranks: F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SSR → UR → EX

  Cannot be crafted (yet). Only obtained through Cube clearances.

  ?? MAIN CHARACTER: YANLUO

  Past Life: Bullied, crippled, betrayed

  Current Identity: Kim Joo-hwan (Orphan, reborn)

  Age: 18

  Status: Awakened

  Traits: Ruthless, observant, manipulative

  ?? System 1 – [D-Rank] Adaptive Shapeshifter

  Class: Adaptive Shapeshifter (Rare)

  Skill: ?? shapeshift – Level 1

  Can morph into objects, animals, or human faces.

  Limitations:

  Voice remains unchanged.

  Size can't increase.

  Can't fly even if the form has wings.

  Transformed weapons are blunt, still flesh.

  "The more I utilize it, the more I understand… a faceless killer is the hardest to catch."

  ?? System 2 – [SSR-Rank] Seeker

  Class: Seeker (Unique)

  Skill 1: ?? Customizer – Level 1 > Hides or edits system details visible to others.

  Skill 2: ?? Data Journal – Level 1 > Automatically records observed classes/skills during major events.

  Contains:

  Kwon Chen (Shadow Assassin)

  Ryu Han (Martial King)

  Nam Gung Seo Yoon (Celestial Sorceress)

  Skill 3: ?? Info Seeker – Level 0 > Allows peeking into F-Rank systems without alerting them.

  Incomplete data or glitched windows are possible.

  SP (Seeker Points): 222

  Store Reset: Every 24 hours

  Store Preview: A random selection of 10 skills — with high-tier options priced between 10,000 to over 20,000 SP

  ?? Rival Students – Recorded in Journal

  Kwon Chen (Class Bully)

  Class: Shadow Assassin

  Rank: S

  Skills: *Phantom Blink* – Level 1, *Shadow Daggers* – Level 1

  Ryu Han (Popular School Star)

  Class: Martial King

  Rank: SS

  Skills: Iron Body – Level 1, *Flash Step* – Level 1, *Dragon spear Strike* – Level 1

  Nam Gung Seo Yoon (Perfect Goddess)

  Class: Celestial Sorceress

  Rank: SS

  Skills: > - *Ice Manipulation* lv - 1

  > - *Angelic Barrier*lv - 1

  > - *Mist Cloak* lv -, 1

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