Reality Quest: Lookism

Reached 400 stones, here's the bonus chapter.

Next: 500

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That caught Dowan's attention. "A bounty?"

I laughed.

Yu, still in his robotic stretches, glanced at me. "What's so funny about that?" he asked.

I laughed, cracking my knuckles. "It means more people will come after me. More fights."

["Jin, this isn't a joke."] Siyeon said, her tone sharp. ["The bounty started at 1 million won, but it's climbing quickly. Every dong knows about it now. You're a walking payday."]

"Is that all?" I asked, ignoring her frustration.

Siyeon sighed audibly through the phone. ["There's more. In one week, there's another council meeting to address this situation. Executives from various dongs are going to be there."]

Dowan perked up. "I'll be there."

["Good."] Siyeon replied. ["And Dowan… there's someone I'll be introducing to you, soon."]

Before I could chime in, the call ended abruptly. I picked up the phone, tossing it back to Dowan with a smirk. "Well, looks like we've got a busy week ahead."

Dowan stood, his fists clenched, his expression more serious than usual. "We need to deal with Bongcheon-dong first. Those thugs are everywhere, and they've been causing too much trouble."

I grinned, cracking my neck. "Exactly my plan. It's time to lure out Seokyoung Jeong. I've been wanting to rob him blind."

Yu, who'd finally finished stretching, tilted his head. "Aren't we businessmen?"

I ruffled his messy black hair, laughing. "And robbing bullies is our business. You're catching on."

Dowan sighed, standing tall and looking me in the eye. "Then we wrap up Bongcheon-dong. Let's end this."

His newfound seriousness was a stark contrast to the timid, fidgety kid he used to be. I smiled, feeling a twinge of pride. "That's the spirit, Dowan."

....

The sun hung low as we parted ways, Dowan heading back to his place and Yu walking off in the opposite direction without so much as a goodbye. I stretched my arms behind my head, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Well, time for me to take care of a few things."

The streets were calm as I walked home, the breeze brushing against my face. But as I passed by a narrow alley, I spotted something that froze me in my tracks. A group of guys stood huddled together, their boisterous laughter echoing down the alley. At the center of it all was a face I hadn't seen in months: Cheolwoo Min.

The memories hit me like a freight train. The previous Jin, before I reincarnated, had spent countless days dreading this guy. Cheolwoo had been the kind of bully who didn't just beat you up; he broke you mentally. Seeing him now, laughing with his goons like nothing had changed, made my blood boil.

I stepped into the alley, my shadow stretching ahead of me. Cheolwoo glanced in my direction, probably expecting some random passerby. But the moment his eyes landed on me, his face went pale. "You..." he stammered, taking a step back.

I smirked, my voice dripping with sadistic glee. "Cheolwoo, buddy. Miss me?"

He started sweating bullets, his eyes darting around like a trapped animal. "Y-You're supposed to be hiding! The Bully Council is looking for you!"

I cracked my knuckles, the sound reverberating through the alley. "And you think I care? Let's talk about something more important. Did you have fun back then, bullying me?"

The other guys in his group looked confused, their laughter dying out. "Who's this guy, Cheol?" one of them asked.

Cheolwoo didn't answer. His fear was palpable. I could see it in the way his hands trembled. "L-Look, man, that was the past. I didn't mean anything by it-"

I didn't let him finish. My fist connected with his stomach, doubling him over. The other guys stepped back in shock as Cheolwoo fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"Guess what?" I said, crouching down to meet his eyes. "I don't care if it was the past."

One of his goons, a guy built like a linebacker, tried to step in. "Hey! You can't just-"

Before he could finish, my leg lashed out in a blur, sweeping his feet out from under him. He hit the ground hard, his head bouncing off the pavement. The others hesitated, clearly unsure if they should intervene or run.

"Who's next?" I asked, rising to my feet and glaring at the group.

They made the wrong choice. One by one, they charged at me, and one by one, they fell. My fists flew faster than they could react, and my kicks landed with enough force to send them sprawling. It was too easy.

Cheolwoo tried to crawl away during the chaos, but I caught him by the collar, hoisting him up like a ragdoll. "Going somewhere?" I asked, slamming him against the wall.

He whimpered, his face already bruising. "P-Please, Jin... I'm sorry!"

"Sorry?" I laughed, the sound cold and hollow. "Not yet, you're not."

By the time I was done, the alley was littered with bodies. They weren't dead, but they'd definitely need a few months to recover. Cheolwoo was sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. I crouched next to him, patting his cheek lightly. "That's for the old me." I said, standing up and dusting off my hands. "Try anything again, and we'll have another chat."

Feeling much lighter, I strolled out of the alley, hands in my pockets. Revenge was sweet, but it was time to move on.

When I got home, I plopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. My mind wandered to my next step. I had over 10,000 credits now, and I figured it was time to use them. Pulling up the system panel, I grinned at the glowing numbers.

---

[Credits: 10,720]

---

Taking those side quest was easy, especially when i just needed to beat up some bullies.

I navigated to the shop, scrolling through the available skills. The list has increased.

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Active Skills:

1. Multi-Strike Destruction – 500 Credits

2. Falcon Drop – 300 Credits

3. Stun Smash – 300 Credits

4. Booster – 500 Credits

5. Brazilian Kick – 500 Credits

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Passive Skills:

1. Critical Hit – 300 Credits

2. Weapon Mastery – 1000 Credits

---

"Not bad." I muttered, rubbing my chin. I clicked on one of the skills, and a notification popped up.

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Purchasing multiple skills at once will increase the difficulty of the associated quest.

---

I leaned back, tapping my fingers against the bedframe. "Figures. The system loves making me work for it."

Still, I wasn't about to waste time learning them one by one. I placed every skill into the cart, watching the total amount climb. Once everything was ready, I glanced at the martial section.

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Martial Arts:

1. Kyokushin Karate (Gun's style) – 20,000 Credits

Minimum stats required: 700

---

The price made me wince. "Twenty thousand? Seriously?" I grumbled, but it made sense. Something like that wasn't going to come cheap. And knowing the system, Gun himself would probably teach it.

I sighed, closing the martial section. "No use crying about it. I'll get there eventually."

Turning my attention back to the cart, I grinned. "Time to place the order."

I stared at the cart for a moment, savoring the thought of what was to come. My fingers hovered over the confirmation button, but there was no hesitation. I pressed it.

---

Total Credits Used: 3,400

Remaining Credits: 7,320

---

The panel vanished, and almost immediately, a familiar sensation swept over me. A blue aura enveloped my body, humming softly as it coursed through me. The room around me dissolved into darkness, and for a brief moment, I felt weightless, floating in a void.

The system chimed in my mind, its voice cold and detached.

---

Processing...

Skills purchased: Multi-Strike Destruction, Falcon Drop, Stun Smash, Booster, Brazilian Kick, Critical Hit, Weapon Mastery.

Quest difficulty adjusted. Synchronizing skills with user...

---

I felt the air shift, the blue energy tightening around me. My body burned, not painfully but with an intensity that was hard to describe. It felt like my muscles, bones, and nerves were being rewired, preparing me for what was to come.

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1300 words.

Patreon: Mr_Graythorn