IGOS 01

Chapter: 01

 Do Hyeon

When he was young, Do-hyun often thought to himself:

“Wouldn’t it be nice if reality worked like a game?”

If studying gave you experience points, or exercising gave you exercise points, wouldn’t that be great?

You’d know exactly how much effort was needed to increase your abilities, so nothing would feel frustrating.

It might even be fun.

Why doesn’t reality work like that?

If it did, he would have tried harder.

Though he thought this as a child, he still sometimes thought the same way now.

But such thoughts were nothing more than imagination.

By now, he had reached an age where he had to confront reality. He had graduated from college, and it was time to find a job.

Reluctantly, Do-hyun had entered the job market.

Employment. Finding a job.

Still difficult, still frustrating words.

For twenty-six-year-old Do-hyun, fresh out of college, it felt especially so.

『[Web Message]
Hello. This is ◆□ Electronics HR team.
We are contacting you regarding the results of the second interview.
Thank you sincerely for your interest and application.
After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that you were not selected for this position.
We hope to meet again under better circumstances.』

Though they wrote a long message, it simply meant he didn’t get the job.

Do-hyun exhaled sharply as he read the suffocating message.

“Ugh…”

Another failed recruitment.

At least he passed the document screening, he thought, but what good was that? He still failed.

‘Why is finding a job just as hard even though the world has gone crazy?’

Even though Black Gates had appeared, employment was still a struggle. If the world had changed so drastically, shouldn’t this have changed too? But reality was reality.

When had it become time to worry about employment? He still felt like a college student, laughing at YouTube videos or anime, watching dozens of Shorts before bed.

Time felt cruel.

From an older perspective, it might seem like a trivial complaint, but for Do-hyun, it was a serious concern. At his age, it was only natural.

‘Ah, what can you do…’

Still, he had never taken a leave of absence during college except for the military, and he was trying to get a job immediately after graduation—something worthy of praise for someone of his generation.

Today, he closed the failed interview results and opened another screen.

‘Let’s take a break today.’

Feeling low after seeing the results, and with no part-time job today, he tore open a triangular rice ball from the convenience store and opened YouTube on his phone.

Even in his shabby one-room apartment without a TV, nothing felt as comfortable as eating a rice ball on the bed while watching YouTube.

“Yeah, this is the best way to rest.”

Time passed unnoticed, and it temporarily made him forget about the interview results.

As he scrolled through thumbnails, trying to decide what to watch, one caught his eye:

[Phoenix Guild enters B-Rank territory]

“Oh? Phoenix Guild is already moving into B-rank?”

It was now common knowledge that entering a Black Gate allowed one to access another world. Within the gate, zones varied by rank, and after reaching a certain level, you could be promoted to the next rank. Starting at F-rank, reaching B-rank was quite impressive.

The highest-ranked guild in Korea, the Taebaek Guild, was A-rank.

B-rank zones were no joke either. For Phoenix Guild, which had existed for less than five years, reaching B-rank was incredible.

He couldn’t resist clicking on the thumbnail. The video of Phoenix Guild started playing.

‘Wow, B-rank already? That’s insane.’

Hunters battling monsters in entangled combat. Though it was now consumed as content, the threat of Black Gates to humanity remained.

To stop monsters from overflowing through the gates, hunters had to enter the Black Gates and earn points by defeating them. Points were tallied monthly, and insufficient points could cause a Black Gate-like portal to spawn in a random location, releasing monsters.

Fifteen years later, this system was familiar. Hunters still fought desperately for points, not just to protect the world, but because points could be exchanged for money or used to acquire nearly godlike abilities.

If enough points were used to close the Black Gates, remaining points went to hunters, making it the most lucrative occupation in this era.

Of course, one had to awaken first. Do-hyun, even if he awakened, had no interest.

‘Ugh, how much training do they have to go through for this?’

This wasn’t like a game where pressing a button unleashed an attack. Magic in the video also required purchasing spellbooks with points, training mana, and practicing—like something out of a fantasy novel.

Even if you became a hunter, you weren’t automatically strong. Why bother?

Do-hyun was too lazy to go to the gym; why would he undergo training harder than professional athletes?

He just wanted a simple life: get a job, earn a steady salary, live comfortably.

Perhaps in response to his unspoken wish, suddenly, sparkles of light began to swirl around his body.

“W-what?”

A sign of awakening.

Awakening while watching hunter videos and snickering?

As confusion and embarrassment swirled, an unusual phenomenon appeared before his eyes.

Crackle—

His vision distorted as if static covered a screen.

If space itself warped, would it look like this?

Suddenly, his surroundings twisted, then became blurry, and something appeared.

[Awakened Ex-class Trait: ‘Analysis’.]

“…?”

What is this?

Floating letters hovered in front of him. He couldn’t believe he had awakened, and now words were literally floating in the air.

It looked like a system message. Do-hyun blinked in disbelief.

A dream?

But he was holding his phone and could feel the bed beneath him vividly. This didn’t feel like a dream.

So it was reality.

‘This is a system, isn’t it?’

He focused on the floating letters. The text didn’t disappear. It was as if he were wearing VR goggles.

‘There’s no system… right?’

He thought foolishly, but then focused again. Perhaps it was because of this “trait”?

The unusual grade, the unique trait name. Having read many novels and watched many anime, Do-hyun immediately recognized it.

He understood that what he saw was due to his trait.

‘Insane.’

A game-like ability?

He couldn’t resist saying the phrase he always wanted to:

“St-status window?”

Despite his hesitation, the floating text responded. A new window appeared:

『Do Hyeon』
『Trait: Analysis [Ex]』
『Skills』
▶「×」
『Stats』
▶「Strength: 3」
▶「Agility: 4」
▶「Stamina: 3」
▶「Mana: 1」

‘Insane!’

It really worked.

How could this be happening?

He had been sulking at home, eating a rice ball after failing an interview, watching YouTube—and now he awakens? With such a high-grade trait?

‘But wait… why are my stats like this?’

Pitifully low stats. But considering he never exercised, perhaps it was realistic.

Then he remembered the annual tutorial video about awakening:

When one awakens mana and acquires a trait, certain phenomena appear.

“Do I get pulled into a tutorial now?”

The moment he spoke, letters appeared again:

[Tutorial starting.]
[Entering Black Gate.]
[Moving to tutorial zone.]

“Huh?!”

The tutorial featured goblins, as he remembered. But with these weak stats, was there any chance of survival?

Many had died in tutorials because they were unprepared. The annual video warning wasn’t for nothing.

‘You expect me to fight goblins?’

His face paled as he shouted:

“C-crazy!? Cancel! Cancel awakening!”

He had never exercised or been a hunter, just marveled at YouTube videos—but now he was awakened.

But his wish went unheeded. Still lying on the bed, he was suddenly transported elsewhere.

Landing awkwardly, he tumbled backward.

Thud—rustle.

Crushing leaves and uneven grass, his surroundings tickled him.

He stood up cautiously:

“Guh!”

Before him was a green-skinned dwarf-like creature he recognized from videos: a goblin.

But to Do-hyun, it looked like a grim reaper.

“A-ah…”

His legs trembled involuntarily. He tried to stand, but his legs wouldn’t obey.

Then:

[Analyzing Goblin.]
[Weak points analyzed.]

Red target markers appeared on the goblin’s body.

‘What am I supposed to do with that?’

Though he grumbled internally, he had no choice. The ferocious goblin charged at him.

Looking around, all he saw was rocks. Conveniently, the system analyzed them:

『Rock』
▶「A common rock.」

Disregarding the useless info, Do-hyun jumped to dodge the goblin’s attack.

“Ahhh!”

But was the goblin faster than him?

Just as it raised a crude dagger toward him:

[Analyzing Goblin’s attack trajectory.]

A path appeared before him. Seeing it, as if in a game, he instinctively moved and the dagger slashed empty air.

Swish!

“Gah?”

A sound of disbelief.

Another message appeared:

[Analyzed Goblin’s skill ‘Dagger Technique [F]’.]
[Skill below threshold.]
[Skill acquired without using AP (Analysis Points).]
[Skill ‘Dagger Technique [F]’ acquired.]
[Agility permanently increased by +1.]

“Huh?”

Suddenly, the world seemed to slow down.

The goblin attacked again, but its trajectory was visible, and Do-hyun dodged instinctively.

Fwoosh!

The dagger slashed the air.

‘Faster than before.’

His agility had increased. He dodged even more quickly.

Another attack, but now he saw the goblin’s opening clearly.

‘I think I can do this.’

He grabbed a rock and swung at the goblin’s head, marked with weak points.

Smash!

“Kekek!”

The rock hit the side of its head, blood sprayed, and it collapsed.

Do-hyun swallowed and muttered:

“I did it…”

For the first time, he had won a fight—against a monster trying to kill him.

Adrenaline surged.

‘This trait is insane!’

It allowed him to predict movements, copy skills, and gain stats. Any one of these would be overpowered; he had all three.

‘I could actually be a hunter.’

He had tried to get a job, but instead, he had awakened an incredible ability.