Arcade Headquarters – General Supervision Department, Seoul, South Korea. 6:30 A.M.
The low hum of the fans, mixed with the constant blinking of monitors, marked the end of another overnight shift. Kim Sohoon was passed out cold, his head resting on one of the keyboards, with an empty energy drink cup still rolling slowly across the desk.
—"Oppa…"
A soft but firm voice pulled him out of dreamland.
—"Oppa… it's already morning."
A lazy swat at the air and a groan were his first responses.
—"Five more minutes…" he mumbled through gritted teeth.
—"It's 6:50, Kim Sohoon-ssi. You fell asleep at the monitor again," said Kim Hayeon, his coworker from the opposite shift, gently poking him with the tip of her finger.
Sohoon blinked several times, slowly sitting upright with a keyboard mark etched into his cheek.
—"What...? It's that late already?" He glanced at the time. "Damn internal clock… When did I even pass out?"
—"Same as always—right after your third energy drink," she replied, crossing her arms.
He rubbed his face and cracked his neck before turning back toward the monitors.
—"Tsk... what a mess. The Temporal Modulator started slowing time down a few hours ago," he said, still half-asleep. "But now… now comes the real pain in the ass."
—"Pain?" Hayeon lowered her voice a bit.
—"Yeah... acceleration. The system's about to simulate time at a faster rate to prepare the tutorial's preamble. And that's gonna eat up a shitload of resources and dev-side observation protocols."
Dragging his hand down his face, he added with a weary sigh,
—"Only seven days left 'til launch. Once we stabilize, maybe then we can breathe. But until then… no rest for the wicked."
—"Understood, Oppa. Thanks for the update… but there's something else." She gave him a tight-lipped smile.
—"What now?"
—"Programming, Support, General Supervision, AI Control… all departments have been summoned."
—"Summoned for what?"
—"General meeting. 9:00 A.M. in the main conference hall. Joint announcement from the President and VP."
Sohoon frowned, raising an eyebrow.
—"All shifts?"
—"All of them. Even the ones who've already clocked out were notified through internal messages."
He slumped back into his chair with an overly dramatic sigh.
—"Great... sounds like either a major update or a shitstorm. Or both."
Hayeon smiled calmly as she sat at her station.
—"Don't worry, Oppa. For now, just go wash your face. I've got to finish a last-minute task my Sunbae, Sung Kang-ssi, left me."
—"Task?"
—"Yeah, I have to wrap up a report on anomalous behavior involving Erling and Mob 858191. Gotta send it to Support and Programming before the meeting."
Grumbling, Sohoon stood and grabbed his empty cup.
—"Alright, fine… I'll splash some water on my face before I pass out for real. But if there's no free coffee at the 9 a.m. meeting… I swear I'm quitting."
Hayeon giggled softly, typing as she murmured,
—"Then there better be coffee… because this place wouldn't be the same without you, Oppa."
And with that, the hum of machines returned—marking the start of another day, under the looming shadow of an announcement that could change everything.
***
Raymond Family Cabin
When I finally got back to the cabin, my parents were already waiting. And not with smiles, exactly.
Both were clearly pissed. My mom stood with her arms crossed, brows furrowed, one foot tapping the floor in perfect rhythm. My dad, on the other hand, was smiling... that kind of smile that meant trouble.
—"What kind of hour is this to be coming home, Sam?!" Elisa scolded sharply.
I scratched my neck, trying to play it cool.
—"Ah, well... I lost track of time, hehe."
—"Is it true you were with a girl?" Richard said, arms folded, barely holding back a chuckle.
—"Yup. I don't see the problem."
Silence. The two exchanged very different glances.
My dad stepped closer, full of pride.
—"That's my boy!! You're gonna inherit your grandpa's legacy at this rate."
My mom frowned even harder.
—"Richard! How can you say that?! Sam, why did you go off with that girl?"
—"Relax. Nothing happened. We just talked."
Elisa sighed with relief.—"That's my son. Always respectful. Not like some others…"
Richard, with clear sarcasm. —"Right, right… just talked for hours."
He slid up beside me and whispered in my ear:
—"Your secret's safe with me, son."
I rolled my eyes. It all became a weird mix of awkward laughs, dad jokes, and passive-aggressive parenting.
But the playful vibe disappeared in a heartbeat when Mom brought up Jeremy.
—"Sam... do you know what happened? Why did I wake up outside, near that storage shed?"
I'd already prepped the lie. Showtime.
—"It was the goddess, Mom. She told me that while I was chasing my destiny, she'd protect my family."
—"And why didn't you tell us something that important?"
—"I'm a kid... I forgot."
(Truth is, I didn't think of it until I needed to.)
Elisa took my hand. "We owe that goddess everything, sweetheart."
—"Yes, honey…"
The air turned syrupy with sentimental fluff. I stood up immediately.
—"I'm going to bed before things get too romantic in here."
—"Sleep well, son."
—"Yeah, yeah…"
I headed toward the small room I shared with my brother. Just as I was about to shut the door, I heard:
Richard, in a hushed voice:—"Hey, what if we...?"
Elisa, flustered:—"Seriously? But… what about the kids?"
—"Don't worry, they won't hear a thing."
Elisa giggling softly:—"Alright, honey... let's go."
***
☀️ The Next Morning
My mom, in unusually high spirits, hummed a tune while setting the table. She came into our room to wake us up.
—"Rise and shine, my beautiful boys! The sun is up!"
Ryan woke first, stretching like a cat in the sun.
—"Wuaaah… I slept sooo well. How about you, bro?"
He turned toward me… and his expression instantly changed.
—"You didn't sleep well?"
What I wanted to say was:
No. It was torture. I heard every moan, every bed squeak, every breathy 'oh yes' from our parents. I'm a 26-year-old man stuck in a kid's body—of course I heard it all.
I looked at Ryan's peaceful innocence. The way he slept guilt-free.
I envied him. Deeply.
—"No, bro. I didn't sleep well."
—"Aww, that sucks... Well, let's eat!"
—"Sure. I'm coming…"
The breakfast table was practically glowing.
Dad spoke like the day was a festival. Mom kept smiling. Ryan laughed nonstop.
—"Such a beautiful day, right?" Ryan said as he waited for his soup.
—"Hohoho! Absolutely, son," Richard replied with a grin.
—"A lovely morning indeed…" Elisa chimed in while serving the food.
That's when I saw my opening.
—"Family... I've got something to say."
All eyes turned to me.
—"Go ahead, son."
—"Today... I'm leaving the estate."
Everyone: —"WHAT?!"
—"I made an agreement with Lady Patrice. I'm going to the city of Atris today."
Elisa, unsettled: —"Why so soon?"
—"I want freedom—for all of us. The sooner I start, the sooner it's done."
Elisa, concerned:— "But why today?"
—"I was supposed to leave yesterday. Got delayed. I can't waste any more time."
Ryan: —"What time are you leaving, bro?"
—"At noon, bro."
—"Let me pack for you, Sami."
—"No need, Mom. I'll be back soon."
Ryan:—"You're leaving already?"
—"Not yet… I still need to say goodbye to someone. And talk to Lady Patrice."
Richard, with a sideways smirk: —"It's that girl, huh?"
—"Yeah… I need to say goodbye to Karen."
After eating, I made my way to the Valentine mansion. Along the path, I overheard two slaves whispering that Jeremy was being treated by a priest specializing in healing magic.
(Tsk… what a trash world, I thought.)
Once at the gates, I told a random slave:
—"Go tell Lady Patrice I'm leaving."
He nodded and left.
But the one who showed up…
Was that bastard Count.
His face was pure rage.
And the moment he saw me, the slavery Stigma activated immediately.
—"You filthy wretch! Because you didn't tell me what the goddess said, now my son's half-paralyzed thanks to you!"
Pain shot through my chest like someone was gripping my heart. But then…
📢 [Basic Skill "Absolute Resistance" greatly reduces the Stigma's effect.]
I hunched slightly, faking the pain. Couldn't let that bastard know it didn't work anymore.
Then Patrice arrived, calm as ever, and stopped him.
—"Dear, you should've expected the goddess would protect her own. That was our mistake…"
Henry seemed to calm down, though his glare still dripped hatred.
—"I just hope the day comes when her protection ends… You'll be a dead man."
Sigh. Another one for the hit list.
—"Leave now... before my husband changes his mind."
—"Okay... hey, do you know where Karen is?"
Patrice, coldly: —"That brat? She was expelled last night. Didn't you know?"
—"...."
And that's when I knew.
Everything I'd read in the system window... had come true.
Her smile flashed in my mind.
That hollow smile—of someone who's already lost something they can never get back.
She reminded me… of me.
Things I'd lived through. Promises I'd already failed to keep.
And then… something inside me shattered.
Everyone inside the Valentine mansion suddenly felt a chill.
It wasn't bloodlust.
It wasn't magical energy or aura.
It was worse. Unexplainable.
A presence that screamed: destruction, chaos, death, and misery.
A one-way, crushing pressure...
as if the universe itself had just felt fear.
And no one knew where it came from.