I returned home late, the cold air of the Gangbuk backstreets still clinging to my jacket. After a quick shower and a silent dinner, I collapsed into bed. I didn't set an alarm; my internal clock was already tuned to the rhythm of this world.
I woke at 4:00 AM.
The morning routine was the same: running, martial arts practice. I'm still trying to mix my previous world martial arts with Fa Jin .
Yesterday, I had acquired several Silver Taekwondo cards and the Gold card I had been waiting for the most.
[GOLD CARD: NORMAL CARD - CARD MASTER]
Effect: Allows the user to combine or disassemble cards in order to receive cards of a higher or lower rank.
I used it on my miscellaneous cards—skills like basketball and dancing—totaling 20 Bronze cards and 8 Silver cards. I assembled the 20 Bronze cards to get 10 Silver cards, bringing my total to 18. I then combined those into 9 Gold cards.
One Gold card was for increasing height; the remaining 8 were combined into 4 Platinum cards, which I then merged into 2 Diamond cards. I stopped there, shocked by the power of what I had pulled.
[DIAMOND CARD: SUMMON CARD - MASTER COPY CLOUD]
Effect: Allows the user to summon 5 clouds that can be copied and pasted.
And...
[DIAMOND CARD: TRIGGER CARD - CARD FESTIVAL]
Effect: With this card in possession, all other cards owned by the user are upgraded.
'Finally. I have the Copy Cloud, and Card Festival will push my entire deck to the next level.'
Now let's combine all the taekwondo cards
[PLATINUM CARD. ATTACK CARD - TAEKWONDO]
Rank : F
Effect : You are able to perform every Basic taekwondo move except special moves
Rank F ? So now I need to upgrade it's rank to make my skill more powerfull .
I then used the height-increasing card, endured the sharp pain of shifting bones, and showered. By the time I pulled on my school uniform, the sun was beginning to crest over the city. I stood before the mirror, adjusting my tie. My old clothes no longer fit, but I had already purchased a new set.
While adjusting my hair, I whispered, "Sneak Peak."
A purple window materialized in the air, reflecting over my image.
[STATS]
Strength: B
Speed: B
Potential: Unmeasurable
Intelligence: SS
I stared at the 'Unmeasurable' tag. Perhaps the System couldn't quantify a soul from another reality. As for the SS Intelligence—the original Choyun was already a genius, and my own experiences had pushed that stat beyond human limits.
I headed downstairs for breakfast. Mom was already at the table, a cup of coffee in her hand. She looked up as I entered. Since she had already noticed my growth over the weekend, she didn't comment on it again, simply offering a warm smile as she slid a plate of food toward me.
"Did you Sleep well, Choyun?" she asked.
"Ya Mom," I said, sitting down. " I Just came late so I didn't disturb you ."
"Don't push yourself too hard," she said gently. "You've been so focused lately on your friends and ..." with a frown on her face " you shady work for your grandfather"
"I'm just catching up mom , and don't worry about that I'm just helping him so he can help me later " I replied, keeping the conversation grounded.
We talked about small things—the garden and the house renovations—before I finished my meal. Alfred was waiting by the door.
"The car is ready, Master Choyun," he said,
nodding as I passed.
I sat in the car and asked Alfred,
"Alfred, do we have any supercars or bikes available?"
Alfred replied,"No, young master. Previously, you didn't have much interest in them. But if you want one now, I can arrange whatever vehicle you need—just tell me the name."
"How about the Kawasaki Ninja H2 or the Ducati 1299 Panigale?"
"They're excellent bikes and have been newly launched," Alfred said. "If you want I'll order them for you as soon as possible, young master."
"How much time will it take for them to arrive?"
Alfred replied,"Well, young master, the Kawasaki usually takes about a week if it's available. As for the Ducati, it generally takes 6–8 weeks. However, if we pay for air freight, it can arrive in 10–14 days, though that will cost several million won extra."
"Alright then. Go ahead and handle the registration and all the paperwork, and place the order as soon as possible."
Soon, we arrived at school, and I headed inside.
School was silent today . As I walked through the hallways, I kept the [PEEK AT YOU] keyword ready, my eyes scanning the students I passed.
It was a sea of mediocrity. E-ranks. F-ranks. They were background noise. I understood the rules of this world now: while things like Strength, Speed, and Endurance could be increased through the grind of hard work and training, Potential and Intelligence were absolute. They were the only stats that were fixed, the ceiling that defined who could truly become a king.
I reached school just as the first bell rang. A boy stood directly in front of my classroom door, his eyes fixed on me.
"Mr. Choyun, Leader Sechan is inviting you," he said humbly.
I followed him to a room in a quiet corner of the building. When I entered, the atmosphere was heavy. Sechan sat in the center, calm and commanding. Haru sat before him, while Daniel leaned against the window along with the high-ranking members of the Central 5.
"Sneak Peak," I muttered.
Windows flickered over their heads.
[SECHAN KANG]
Strength: SS+
Speed: SS
Potential: S
Intelligence: B
Endurance: SS
[DANIEL]
Strength: S
Speed: S+
Potential: A
Intelligence: S+
Endurance: A
[HARU SEONG]
Strength: C
Speed: B+
Potential: A+
Intelligence: B
Endurance: C
I shifted my focus to the Central 5. Uijin Gyeong sat with his arms crossed, his potential capped at B.
Baekgi Hong was leaning back, looking bored, his potential also an A.
Taeho Cheon looked like a wall of muscle, his intelligence is E, but his potential is capped at A.
The only ones who caught my eye for the business side were Eunhyeong Ji and Seonwoo Ha .
[EUNHYEONG JI]
Potential: A
Intelligence: S
[SEONWOO HA]
Potential: C
Intelligence: S
Only Sechan and Haru had exceptional potential. Haru's was an A+—due to his unique and rare bloodline the same Johan Seong held the "Copy ability" that would eventually allow him to replicate any martial art. Sechan, however, was on a different level. His potential was S-rank, the highest in the series.
Then, I looked at their Intelligence. Daniel was at an S+, and two others possessed S-level intelligence.
These three were exactly what I needed. Their intellect rivaled Jin Jang's from Lookism. While my grandfather handled the politics, these three would manage the business empire I intended to build.