Awakening The System

Min-joon pressed his ear against the apartment door, listening for any sign of movement. Silence. He glanced at Ji-woo, whose face was pale and drawn.

"Think it's safe?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Min-joon shrugged. "Hard to say. But sitting here won't get us anywhere."

He took a deep breath, the stale air filling his lungs. he grabbed a bat from a corner and with a nod, he grasped the doorknob and twisted it slowly. The door creaked open a sliver. He peeked through the gap, his heart hammering in his chest.

The hallway was empty, bathed in the strange red glow of the moon. Min-joon slowly pushed the door open wider, his grip tightening on the doorknob.

"Alright," he whispered, waving his hand for Ji-woo to follow. "Let's move."

They crept out of the apartment, moving silently down the hallway. Min-joon's eyes darted back and forth, scanning for any sign of danger. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the sound of their own footsteps.

They reached the fire escape at the end of the hall. Min-joon hesitated. Climbing up to the roof meant exposing themselves in the open, vulnerable to whatever might be lurking in the night.

"You sure about this?" Ji-woo asked, her voice filled with fear.

Min-joon chewed on his lip. 'No,' he thought, 'but we don't have many other options.' He forced a smile. "Just follow me, okay?"

He gripped the bat tightly as he stepped onto the fire escape, the metal groaning under his weight. Ji-woo followed close behind, her grip tight on the railing. They climbed slowly, their movements jerky and tense.

Reaching the top landing, Min-joon cautiously peeked over the railing. The rooftop was a barren wasteland of tar and gravel, with a few ventilation shafts and a lone water tank jutting up into the crimson night sky.

There was no sign of any "Watchers" or the creature from before. Relief washed over Min-joon, momentarily easing the tightness in his chest.

"See?" Ji-woo said, a small sigh escaping her lips. "Probably a stupid prank."

Just then, a booming voice echoed through the stillness, vibrating down to his very bones.

["Initiating User Activation Sequence."]

Min-joon and Ji-woo exchanged wide-eyed glances. Where was that voice coming from?

["Welcome, User Min-joon. Scanning biological signature…"]

The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. A shiver ran down Min-joon's spine.

["Scan complete. User identified. Awakening System…"]

Min-joon's world tilted on its axis. System? What system? His mind raced, frantically searching for an explanation.

["Warning: Unforeseen anomaly detected. Initializing emergency protocol…"]

Ji-woo grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with terror. "Min-joon, what's happening?"

He looked at her, but couldn't speak. His throat felt dry, his tongue thick. A strange tingling sensation spread through his body, starting at his fingertips and crawling upwards. It felt like a million tiny needles pricking his skin.

["Emergency protocol initiated. Granting User Min-joon – Infinite Leveling Privilege."]

The tingling intensified, turning into a sharp burning sensation. Min-joon cried out, collapsing onto the rooftop floor. His vision swam, the red moon above him blurring into a swirling mass of color.

Ji-woo knelt beside him, her voice filled with panic. "Min-joon! Don't you dare pass out on me!"

He tried to respond, to tell her he was okay, but the words wouldn't come. The pain was overwhelming, consuming his entire body.

Then, just as suddenly as it began, the burning sensation subsided. Min-joon lay there, gasping for breath, his body bathed in sweat. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

The world seemed different, sharper somehow. Colors were more vibrant, sounds clearer. He felt… different.

He looked at his hands, expecting to see some kind of physical change, but they looked the same – slender and pale, with a few callouses from years spent gripping a controller.

["User Min-joon. Awakening complete. System online."]

The booming voice returned, but this time it sounded calmer, almost… friendly?

Min-joon stared at the empty night sky, a million questions swirling in his head. What was this system? Why him? Where did this message about the Watchers come in?

"Min-joon? You okay?" Ji-woo's voice sounded closer, with a touch of concern. Min-joon sat up, wiping the sweat from his brow.

The rooftop was still bathed in the red moonlight, but the world did indeed seem different. He felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins, a sharper awareness of his surroundings.

"What was all that?" Ji-woo asked, her voice shaky but her dark eyes wide with curiosity. "Did you hear that voice too?"

Min-joon nodded, still trying to process the events of the last few minutes. "Yeah," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. "It said something about a system and… infinite leveling?"

Ji-woo raised an eyebrow. "Infinite leveling? Sounds like something out of one of your crazy video games."

Min-joon scoffed, though a part of him couldn't help but agree. Infinite leveling was a staple of fantasy RPGs, a system where characters could theoretically grow stronger forever. But this was real life, not some digital fantasy land.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The message from the unknown number was still there.

"What about those Watchers?" Ji-woo asked, peering at the screen. "Do you think they have something to do with the voice?"

Min-joon frowned. Maybe. It was all too coincidental. A cryptic message, a voice in his head, and now this… system.

"I don't know," he admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. "This whole thing is crazy."

He stared at the red moon, a strange sense of unease settling in his stomach. The world had been thrown into chaos overnight, and he was somehow caught in the middle of it. But now, with this system, he felt… different. Stronger.

"Maybe it's the system, but I f*e different," he said, his voice regaining confidence. "Maybe it's how I can survive in this mess."

Ji-woo gave him a skeptical look. "Survive with a voice in your head? What, are you gonna 'level up' by killing those things?"

Min-joon shrugged, a look of curiosity in his eyes. Honestly, he didn't know. But the thought of becoming stronger, of having some kind of control in this chaotic world, was undeniably appealing.

Suddenly, a blue light flickered in his vision, superimposed on the rooftop scene. It was a rectangular box with various tabs and options. It looked strangely familiar, like a user interface from one of his games.

The way he turned his head to look made Ji-woo turn to look as well, but she saw nothing.

"What is it?" Ji-woo asked, sounding a bit worried.

Min-joon blinked, trying to make sense of it. The blue box shimmered, a small message appearing in its center:

[Welcome, User Min-joon. Access Granted. Main Menu.]

His heart pounded in his chest. Was this… the system?

Hesitantly, he reached out a hand, as if to touch the screen. The moment his fingertips brushed the blue light, a wave of information flooded his mind. It was a torrent of data, statistics, and explanations about the system.

He absorbed it all in a rush – his current level (1), his stats (strength, agility, health, etc.), the concept of gaining experience points (XP) by defeating enemies, and the ever-elusive infinite leveling system.

Ji-woo stared at him, she wore a look of curiosity and fear. "Min-joon? What happened? What did you see?"

Min-joon lowered his hand, a dazed look in his eyes. He looked at her, a slow smile creeping across his face. "Ji-woo," he said, his voice filled with newfound determination, "I think I just got a major upgrade."

He glanced back at the red moon, a fire burning in his eyes. "This world might be ending, but for me, it's just the beginning."