Joon woke early. Not from an alarm—but from purpose.
The moment his eyes opened, he felt it. That quiet hum in his mind. The same feeling as opening a new volume of his favorite manhwa.
Only this time, the adventure was his own.
Quest Active: Build a Watchlist
Objective: Track five companies for 3 days and write detailed analyses on each.
Reward: +60 XP
Bonus: +20 XP if one company rises 30% within a month.
He sat at his desk and opened his new notebook. The page title—Watchlist Project – Day 1—was still fresh in bold ink. He sipped warm barley tea and cracked his fingers.
This wasn't a trading quest.
It was research training.
It was about discipline, market feel, and intuition—all without spending a single won.
He selected his first five companies based on different categories:
NaraBio – biotech, currently oversold after an FDA rejection
Jeongil Steel – low-margin industry but poised for a construction boom
MetaDream Studio – VR gaming company with rising buzz on niche forums
Dahye Retail Group – large department store chain with a new digital strategy
Gukha Logistics – overlooked freight mover with stable fundamentals and recent insider buying
Each had a story.
Each had potential.
He created five pages in his notebook—one per company—and began his analysis.
Company 1: NaraBio
Price: ₩1,560
52-week high: ₩3,040
Recent dip: -49% after FDA rejection
Joon noted:
Rejection was for only one product. Their Alzheimer's trial still ongoing.
Cash reserves remain strong.
Retail panic, but insiders haven't sold.
CEO scheduled for press event next week.
His note to self: Wait for dip stabilization. Don't enter yet.
Company 2: Jeongil Steel
Price: ₩4,120
News: Government announcing a ₩1.5 trillion infrastructure plan
Joon cross-referenced steel demand cycles with past infrastructure booms. Jeongil had always been a late mover—delayed but sharp spikes.
He added this line:
"Front-load research. Don't get distracted by noise."
The day blurred as he worked. Charts, archives, old earnings calls. He wasn't trading. But he was gathering weapons.
By sunset, he had completed Day 1 reports for all five.
The System responded.
Progress: Watchlist Project – 1/3 Days Completed
(No XP until quest completion)
The next two days passed similarly.
He skipped soccer with his classmates. Skipped gaming. Even anime.
He watched the market open. Tracked each company's price shifts hourly. Adjusted his notes—price movement patterns, sudden news, investor chatter.
On Day 3, something caught his eye.
MetaDream Studio, his VR stock, was showing a surge in Google Trends.
He dug into forums.
"MetaDream to announce AI-driven NPC engine for VR open world!"
The company hadn't confirmed it yet, but beta testers were leaking footage.
MetaDream Studio:
Entry Price on Watchlist: ₩3,080
Current Price: ₩3,430
3-day increase: +11.3%
Forum speculation suggests pre-release boom could push it higher over next month.
He underlined one note in red:
Potential bonus candidate. Watch closely.
Quest Completed: Build a Watchlist+60 XP
(Bonus pending – 30-day timer started for MetaDream Studio)
XP: 220 → 280 / 400
He updated his Status Window.
[Status Window]
Level: 5
XP: 280 / 400
Capital: ₩129,700
Stat Points Available: 0
Market Insight: 7
Negotiation: 2
Stamina: 2
Research: 2
Money Tracker:
Capital unchanged: ₩129,700
That evening, he showed his notes to no one.
Not because he was hiding—but because no one would understand.
He wasn't gambling.
He was building a library of instincts, learning to see patterns where others only saw price.
New Quest Available: Sector Rotation
Objective: Identify the next hot sector before it spikes. Invest in a company within it and hold for 3 days.
Reward: +80 XP
Bonus: +1 Stat Point if return exceeds 20% in 3 days.
Now this was different.
Sectors moved like tides—finance, green energy, biotech, entertainment. Big investors jumped from one to another in waves.
And if you caught the wave early... you didn't just surf it.
You soared.
He cracked his knuckles again and leaned forward.
Time to dive deep into macro trends.