The Start

"Where the hell am I?"

An angry shout echoed through what seemed to be a pitch-black void. The voice came from a seemingly translucent figure who was floating.

"I was beating these losers up, so what the hell happened?" The figure shouted again, his voice echoing with frustration. He was just having his fun beating up his personal ATM machines when suddenly, he ended up here, where everything was pitch black. He could barely feel his body, questioning if he was hallucinating or something.

"Huh?" The figure was startled as a screen suddenly popped out in front of him, but his confusion grew as he read what appeared on it.

[Random world selected] 

[Reality Quest]

"What?" The figure exclaimed, seeing the text. He couldn't understand what was going on, but there was something he was quite familiar with.

'Reality Quest.' He looked at the text that felt familiar to him in some way. He could've sworn that name was from a manhwa he stopped reading midway. It was about a student named Dowan Ha getting a system. Basically, a world all about fighting and stuff. But he still couldn't understand what was happening. What Random World Selected? What kind of bullshit was this? Was he going there or something?

But he didn't get to think further as the text changed into something else.

[Full-level James Lee template integrated] 

[Full-level Gitae Kim template integrated]

[Full-level Goo Kim template integrated]

[Full-level Gun Park template integrated]

'What in the world?' The figure was shocked, not because of the sudden change of text but because of the names, which he fully recognized. Those were the names of the top tiers in the Lookism verse. A peaceful slice-of-life manhwa, or so it seemed at first. But knowing that Lookism was considered abnormal due to what these guys were capable of doing, the damage, the attacks, and other superhuman feats, he started piecing it together. If what these texts implied were real, then...

[Transmigration commencing]

The figure didn't get to finish his thoughts as his consciousness darkened.

[Transmigration completed.]

[Enjoy your journey]

'Huh?' The figure suddenly regained consciousness. 'Was it a dream?' He thought, feeling he was back in his body. He opened his eyes only to find himself in a classroom at the back of the class, which was nearly empty. Looking ahead, he noticed a student sitting with a bunch of phones held by stands on his desk. The student was fiddling with every single one of them like his life depended on it.

'Where the fuck am I?' The figure thought, seeing this unfamiliar place. Considering where he was moments ago, this was completely different. He looked down to see himself dressed in an open white dress shirt, a blue T-shirt underneath, and black pants and shoes.

'Huh?' His eyes widened as he turned to his left, looking at the window. There, he saw his reflection. 'That's me?' He looked at his reflection in shock, seeing his unfamiliar self, gray-silver hair and eyes, neither of which were his. But there was something about this face, it felt too familiar.

'I look like that guy.' He assessed his face, realizing it was the same as Chulwoo Min, a student from the manhwa Reality Quest.

'So it wasn't a dream.' Now, looking at everything and feeling the reality around him, he could confirm this wasn't some kind of dream or hallucination. There was even more proof to that, the student in front of him had to be Dowan Ha, the "game shuttle," thanks to him and himself. It was now obvious, he was in the Reality Quest world.

'Heh.' Chulwoo chuckled internally. And he remembered that, according to the earlier text, he now had access to the same exact attacks and techniques as four people. James Lee, Gitae Kim, Goo Kim, and Gun Park, the four lunatics of Lookism. Not just that…

Chulwoo looked down at his body, which was extremely muscular, combining all four physiques into one. His rolled-up sleeves revealed his thick forearms, tattooed like Gun Park's. And last but not least, his eyes, he could control the UI of Gun, activating and deactivating it at will.

'I guess this isn't gonna be boring at all.' Chulwoo smiled wildly. He was going to make sure to enjoy his time in this world.

'Hmm?' He suddenly saw Dowan stop fiddling with the phones in front of him.

'And I guess he received the system.' Chulwoo thought, letting out a small chuckle as he stood up from his seat and made his way toward Dowan, who was sitting in a daze.

"Dowan Ha, you fucker." Chulwoo said as he stood behind Dowan, grabbing the back of his head and slamming his face onto the desk. A groan escaped from Dowan, who scrunched his face in pain as he looked up at him.

"Didn't I say to not take your eyes off the phones, right?" Chulwoo smiled as he glared at Dowan, tightly holding him down.

'Chulwoo Min?' Dowan thought, looking up at the grinning face above him. It was all because of Chulwoo that his life became a living hell, turning him into a game shuttle. Dowan resented him deeply.

'Interesting.' Chulwoo thought, noticing Dowan wasn't confused by his appearance. That confirmed to Chulwoo that, in this world, he was already set up as in the appearance of this Chulwoo Min and not the original in everyone's memories.

'But first.' He thought, glancing down at Dowan, who glared at him hatefully. 'Someone needs to learn a lesson.'

"Oi, Dowan." Chulwoo muttered, his smiling expression turning cold. "What are you looking at me with those eyes for, you bitch?" His voice was calm but deadly as he stared at Dowan, whose glare quickly turned into one of panic.

"Tell me, what's with that glare?" Chulwoo continued, letting go of Dowan's head only to grab him by the neck, lifting him off the ground so they were face-to-face, showing the height that Chulwoo stood at.

"Ch-Chulwoo, i-it's not like... that." Dowan stammered, struggling to form words as he felt the steel grip around his neck. He now realized back, this guy was the class monster.

"Not like that?" Chulwoo's face was stoic as he stared at Dowan struggling in his grip. "Do you want me to gouge your eyes out?"

Dowan's eyes widened in horror as Chulwoo's left hand shot up in front of his face, two fingers aimed directly at his eyes.

"I guess you won't be needing these anymore, right?" Chulwoo muttered, his fingers slowly but surely drawing closer to Dowan's eyes. Dowan thrashed and kicked wildly, trying to free himself, but he couldn't match Chulwoo's vice-like grip.

"Dowan, I'll just take my phone back-"

A voice suddenly cut through as the classroom door slid open. A girl with long black hair tied back, blue eyes, and a school uniform with a tight skirt stepped inside. She froze, staring at the scene before her, Dowan held in the air, Chulwoo's fingers poised mere inches from his eyes clearly showing his intented act.

"Huh?" Chulwoo stopped in his tracks as he heard the voice and turned to look at the person who had entered the classroom. His eyes lit up when he saw her, it was unmistakably Ahrin Joo, the so-called goddess of Class 7.

"Well, look who we have here." Chulwoo smiled as he released Dowan, who collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air while clutching his neck where Chulwoo's grip had been.

"If it isn't Ahrin Joo." Chulwoo walked toward her, hands casually tucked into his pockets. He stopped right in front of her, towering over her as he looked down into her eyes. "Why don't we go somewhere else together and have some fun?" Chulwoo grinned deviously, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he observed her obvious nervousness.

'Chulwoo Min?' Ahrin gulped as she stared up at him, trying to mask her unease. His devilish smile and imposing, extremely muscular frame and height made her feel small and intimidated. She had heard rumors from other classes to stay away from Class 6 because of someone labeled a "monster" and that was Chulwoo Min.

"So, what's your answer?" Chulwoo pressed, his gaze never leaving hers. "And besides, I heard you and your friends are betting on who'll get a high score on some game. I wouldn't mind helping you with that." His grin widened, though the truth was he didn't care about the game. He was more interested in whatever entertainment Ahrin could provide in other areas.

"N-No."

A hesitant voice broke through the tension. Chulwoo turned his head, his smile instantly vanishing as he spotted Dowan standing shakily, glaring at him with a mix of fear and determination.

"Oi, Dowan." Chulwoo's tone grew icy, and Ahrin instinctively shivered at the change in atmosphere. He locked eyes with Dowan. "Have you lost your fucking mind?" He began walking toward him, each step deliberate. "Do you have a death wish?" His voice rose, his anger evident. How dare this game shuttle interrupt him? He'd already decided to make Dowan's life a living hell, but now he felt the need to ensure Dowan never forgot his place.

"First that glare, and now this? You clearly think this is a joke-" Chulwoo's rant was cut short as Dowan suddenly lunged forward.

'Crushing Blow.'

Dowan struck Chulwoo's face with rapid, consecutive punches, utilizing a skill granted by the strange system that had appeared before him earlier. His heart raced with a mix of adrenaline and disbelief. He had been terrified, but something inside him had snapped at the sight of Chulwoo confidently chatting with Ahrin. For once, he wanted to fight back.

'It's really strong,' Dowan thought as he continued his attack, astonished by the power and precision of his strikes. For a fleeting moment, he felt hopeful. But as the barrage of punches ended, his blood ran cold.

'W-What the…' Dowan froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. Chulwoo remained completely unfazed, standing motionless as if nothing had happened. There wasn't a single scratch or bruise on his face. It was as though Dowan's punches had landed on an immovable boulder. To make matters worse, Dowan's fists ached from the impact, feeling as if he just struck something rough and solid.

Ahrin, still standing near the doorway, was equally stunned. She hadn't expected Dowan to fight back, but what shocked her more was Chulwoo's lack of reaction. His face remained stoic, betraying no sign of injury. 'How is he unharmed?' She wondered.

"You fucking bitch." Chulwoo's cold, venomous words sent a chill down Dowan's spine. His glare was suffocating. "I was going to let you off with a simple beating, but I changed my mind." Chulwoo's expression grew darker, and his voice was laced with deadly intent. "I'm gonna tear you apart."

Panicking, Dowan stumbled back as Chulwoo took a step forward, but before he could act, a hand suddenly grasped Chulwoo's arm.

"Wait." Ahrin said, forcing a calm tone into her trembling voice. She tightened her grip on Chulwoo's arm, drawing his attention to her.

"You know, it's better if you help me get the highest score now." Ahrin continued, smiling nervously. "There isn't much time left, right?" She hoped her words would defuse the situation. Judging by Chulwoo's demeanor, he wasn't joking, and she didn't want to see what would happen if he carried out his threat. Perhaps appealing to his mood would save Dowan.

"Heh, okay then." Chulwoo chuckled, his anger dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. He let go of whatever grudge he held against Dowan and turned back to Ahrin with a wide grin. "Let's go." He said cheerfully, gesturing for Ahrin to walk with him. Together, they exited the classroom, leaving Dowan behind.

"Damn it, it's not fair." Dowan muttered, staring up at the ceiling as an imaginary tear slid down his cheek. He couldn't accept the sight of Chulwoo leaving with Ahrin, but at the same time, he felt relieved. If Ahrin hadn't intervened, he was certain Chulwoo would have probably killed him. All he could do now was hope that Chulwoo might forget about him in the future, though deep down, he knew that was unlikely.