As Si-Woo breathed out and immersed himself in meditation, the world around him began to shift. Minutes passed in silence, but then subtle tremors rippled through the ground. Princess Deane, standing just outside the translucent barriers, tensed as the vibrations intensified. The soft thrum of energy from the serein stones held by the guards around Si-Woo grew louder, almost deafening.

  The rumbling grew stronger, and suddenly, small rocks and debris around the field began to levitate into the air, caught in an unseen current.

  Princess Deane’s eyes widened in alarm, and she turned to King Morey, who was already fixated on Si-Woo with a calculating gaze.

  King Morey’s deep voice broke the growing tension. “The energies…” he muttered, his golden aura flickering faintly. His sharp eyes caught the chaotic movements of foreign energies rushing in and out of Si-Woo’s meditative form, colliding violently with the protective barriers around him. “The force fields are going to break.”

  With a swift movement, King Morey pulled Princess Deane behind him, his posture radiating authority and readiness. “Brace yourselves!” he bellowed, his voice carrying over the chaos as the soldiers gritted their teeth and pushed their limits to maintain the barriers.

  The first layer of the force field shattered with a resounding crack, sending shockwaves through the field. Then the second barrier broke, its collapse sending a burst of wind outward that made Princess Deane shield her face. The final barrier, shimmering and fragile, struggled to hold against the overwhelming force.

  Inside the last barrier, Si-Woo’s body was surrounded by a maelstrom of energy. The foreign currents twisted and spiraled around him, refusing to be contained. His figure seemed to glow faintly, the energies pressing against the barrier, testing its limits.

  With one final surge, the barrier quaked violently, the glowing lines around it flickering as if about to collapse. Then, just as suddenly as the chaos began, everything stilled. The floating rocks fell to the ground, the trembling stopped, and the air grew unnervingly quiet.

  Most of the military guards lost consciousness and the rest were drained from maintaining the barriers, slumped to the ground in exhaustion, their hands trembling as their serein stones dimmed. King Morey surveyed the scene, his sharp gaze darting back to the center of the field.

  Si-Woo, seemingly unfazed, slowly rose to his feet. His expression was blank, his movements deliberate as he began to walk toward Princess Deane and King Morey. The silence was almost suffocating as all eyes turned to him.

  Then, the ground beneath him shifted unnaturally, the sensation of movement overwhelming his senses. His vision blurred, and a strange dizziness took hold of him. Si-Woo reached out, as if trying to grasp something solid, but the world tilted beneath him. The last thing he saw was Princess Deane running toward him, her voice calling his name, before everything went black.

  When Si-Woo awoke, the first thing he noticed was the softness of his bed. The familiar scent of home surrounded him, and as his vision cleared, he realized he was back in his room.

  He turned his head slightly and saw Mai sitting in a chair beside his bed, her head resting on the edge of the mattress as she slept. Her breathing was soft and steady, her usual composure replaced by a rare vulnerability in her relaxed state.

  Si-Woo tried to sit up, but his body protested with a dull ache. "How did I get here?" he murmured to himself, his voice raspy.

  Si-Woo’s raspy question, “How did I get here?” lingered in the quiet room. Suddenly, a bronze-colored screen materialized in front of him, glowing faintly. Startled, Si-Woo instinctively swatted at it, but his hand passed through it harmlessly as if it were a hologram.

  “What…?” he muttered, turning his head to Mai, still asleep in the chair beside him. Her calm, steady breathing was unchanged, confirming she hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

  He cautiously looked back at the screen, his eyes scanning the glowing letters that formed across its surface:

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE AWAKENED THE 'WARRIOR' CLASS.

  Si-Woo blinked, his heart racing as he whispered hoarsely, “What?”

  The screen shifted as though responding to his confusion, the letters rearranging into a new message:

  SIMPLY THINK OF YOUR STATUS WINDOW TO VIEW YOUR STATS.

  Si-Woo stared at the screen, his brows furrowing deeply. “Are you serious?” he thought, unsure if this was real or some fever dream brought on by his exhaustion. He pinched his arm, wincing slightly at the sharp pain. "Not dreaming."

  Tentatively, he whispered in his mind: “Status.”

  The bronze screen dissolved and reformed, displaying a new window filled with detailed information:

  Si-Woo’s eyes widened as he processed the information. His mind raced, comparing this to the games he used to play when Earth was Earth. “This can’t be real…” he thought, his gaze fixed on the glowing screen in disbelief.

  The screen seemed to pulse slightly, and a message appeared:

  THIS IS VERY REAL.

  Si-Woo’s jaw dropped, and he nearly stumbled out of bed. “You… understand me?” he thought tentatively, unsure what else to say.

  The screen responded instantly:

  IF I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND YOU, WOULD I BE COMMUNICATING WITH YOU RIGHT NOW?

  Si-Woo frowned at the snarky response. “Oh, great, you have a personality,” he muttered under his breath, trying to wrap his head around this bizarre development.

  "I'M JUST ANSWERING YOUR REDUNDANT QUESTIONS, SI-WOO."

  “Whatever,” he thought, brushing off the screen’s tone. “Can you give me a tutorial or something?”

  The screen’s text shimmered before a new message appeared:

  OF COURSE. IN YOUR STATUS WINDOW, YOUR ABILITIES AND STATS WILL BE DISPLAYED FOR YOU TO VIEW AND ONLY YOU. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ABILITIES, SIMPLY THINK OF THE SKILL, AND A DESCRIPTION WILL BE DISPLAYED. YOU CAN LEVEL UP YOUR STATS AND GAIN NEW SKILLS BY OBTAINING STAT POINTS, WHICH YOU WILL EARN UPON LEVELING UP. TO LEVEL UP, YOU MUST EARN EXP FROM DAILY QUESTS AND MISSIONS.

  Si-Woo stared at the glowing words, his curiosity igniting. He tested the system by thinking about his abilities. First, he focused on "Master of Toeju (Divine Breathing)."

  The screen adjusted immediately, displaying:

  "MASTER OF TOEJU (DIVINE BREATHING): A BREATHING TECHNIQUE THAT ENHANCES PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL CAPACITIES. AS YOU PROGRESS, YOU WILL GAIN INCREASED CONTROL OVER YOUR BODY, HIGHER RESILIENCE, AND THE ABILITY TO UNLOCK ADVANCED COMBAT SKILLS. CURRENT PROGRESSION: 18%."

  His brows furrowed in thought. This... could actually be useful.

  Si-Woos mind a whirlwind of questions, thought “Quests and missions?, This really is like a game.”

  Before he could delve deeper, the screen displayed another message:

  QUEST LOG ACTIVATED.

  Another screen popped up alongside his status window, listing objectives and rewards. Si-Woo stared at the glowing text, still trying to comprehend what this all meant.

  Before Si-Woo could dive into the Daily Quests section, a soft groan broke his focus. He blinked as the glowing screen dissipated abruptly, leaving no trace of its existence.

  “Si-Woo?” Mai’s groggy voice pulled his attention. She stretched in her chair, her silver hair slightly tousled. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at him with her deep sea blue eyes in astonishment. “OH MY GOODNESS!, YOUR AWAKE!... How are you feeling?”

  Si-Woo hesitated, his mind still lingering on the surreal experience of the status window. “I’m... okay,” he said, his voice hoarse. “How long was I out?”

  “About three days,” Mai replied, standing to check his forehead for any lingering signs of fever. “You scared all of us, you know. Ha-Yoon was a mess, and Minho—” she paused, her voice catching slightly. “Minho brought you back after that whole... scene.”

  Si-Woo frowned, piecing together fragments of his last memory. “What happened after I... blacked out?”

  Mai crossed her arms, her brows furrowed. “The details are fuzzy. Princess Deane said you were fine, but... you were out cold when they brought you home.”Mai’s expression softened with relief, but then a teasing grin crept across her face. “You’re the talk of Yohen, you know. Minho told me you’ve awakened.”

  Si-Woo’s eyes widened. “What? He said that?”

  Mai nodded, leaning back in her chair. “Yep. And it’s not just Minho. The news is spreading fast. The fae are already gossiping about the ‘prodigy twin’ who’s awakened at eleven.”

  Si-Woo groaned, running a hand over his face. “Great. More pressure.”

  Mai chuckled, her silverish hair glinting faintly in the sunlight streaming through the window. “Its okay to bask in it for a little bit. You’ve done something incredible, Si-Woo.”

  He gave her a small smile, appreciating her words even as the weight of her statement settled in his chest.

  Her genuine concern made Si-Woo’s chest tighten slightly. He gave her a small smile and said, “Thanks for staying with me.”

  Mai smiled back, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Of course. Someone had to make sure you didn’t do anything reckless in your sleep.”

  Si-Woo chuckled softly, though his thoughts remained elsewhere, the lingering presence of the system in the back of his mind.