TIME SKIP

Very early in the morning, the city streets were packed with people. Everyone was leaving their homes to head to their respective jobs.

Since it was early March in the new year, students were starting their first semester of school.

Whether walking or using transportation, students were moving in groups through almost every street in the cities, chatting amiably about various topics. Movies, comics, parties, studies... you could hear conversations on all sorts of subjects.

The dire comments about the terrible storm that everyone had experienced over half a year ago were long gone, although they had been on everyone's lips for several months. Now, it seemed that the interest in that terrible phenomenon had faded.

Amidst all these people and students moving and conversing, a bored Robert walked along, apparently listening to music. 'Well... high school... damn, never thought I'd attend school in my other life,' he thought to himself.

This thought crossed the boy's mind as he remembered everything that had happened in the six months since he had been in this world.

After that meeting with General Commander Kim Geun-joom, things had turned out much better than he expected.

Although he had spent half a year living in various Korean army barracks, he had not been confined to an experimentation cage. This was something that truly surprised our protagonist, as he himself did not know all the qualities his current body possessed.

Learning that his blood could cure all kinds of diseases and be resistant to different harmful agents, even making his skin so tough it couldn't be easily damaged.

And even that his entire body reacted as if it had a mind of its own and prevented further experimentation was truly astonishing!

However, Robert knew that this was due to one thing.

[Status]

Basic information: Name: Robert Jovanovich-Lee.

Age: 19 years.

Race: Human (95%) / Transcendent (5%)

HP: 80 MP: 70

Strength: 40 Agility: 35 Vitality: 400 Intelligence: 25 Perception: 25 Fatigue: 0 

Average human value: 10

Additional points: 0 Passive

skills:

[Unknown lvl max: no information available at the moment]

[World Traveler lvl 1: passive skill that allows travel between different realities only one way. Can be used once a month. To make a round trip, lvl 2 is required.]

[Indomitable Spirit lvl 1. Due to your resistance to death, whenever your HP is below 30%, all damage received is reduced by 50%.]

[Immaculate Body lvl 1. Due to your nature as Transcendent, contaminants of this world, whether biological or not, will have little effect on your body.]

[Advanced Combat Arts lvl 3. Due to your previous life and new training, you are versatile in the use of mixed martial arts in close combat.]

[Vitality Absorption (locked): Allows replenishment of your own vitality at the cost of life and fluids from surrounding living beings, for the purpose of rebuilding your own body. Only activates in critical moments.]

Active skills:

[Sprint lvl 1: due to your daily training, each activation of this skill increases your movement speed by 50%. Maintaining it active costs 5 MP per minute.]

[Body Resistance lvl 2: You can reduce fatigue by one point for every MP consumed, and also increase HP by one point simultaneously.]

In front of him, a holographic screen in blue, seemingly invisible to others, floated displaying all this information. This was his system screen, showing all the stats of our protagonist.

Compared to half a year ago, Robert had gained three new abilities—two passive and one active—besides significantly increasing his various stats.

Among these, the new passive ability 'Immaculate Body' was responsible for his body's eccentric condition.

That his body couldn't be contaminated by any harmful agent of this world, whether biological or not, was truly a cheat ability!

"But 'Transcendent'... I have no clue what the hell that means, I guess it must be related to that damn old man,"

Robert muttered, recalling the encounter he had with that individual right after dying in his first life. He knew that everything he was experiencing now was nothing more than the whim of a deity, so he didn't try to make much sense of the 'new' nature of himself.

As he thought about this, he glanced at the holographic screen in front of him and focused on his new stats.

Very different from half a year ago, where his body was almost identical to that of an average human, now he had strength and energy that were extremely high by human standards!

This would fill anyone with confidence, but for our protagonist, it didn't mean much. Not due to pride in having been one of the greatest assassins in his first life, as he had now surpassed his former self, but because during his time in the military, he had realized that there were many things in this world that surpassed human understanding.

It wasn't just fantastic things like the beasts he had fatally encountered half a year ago, but the humans he had met in this world.

The boy named Yu Ijin, the protagonist of the story 'Teenage Mercenary,' or General Kim's bodyguards—humans who were likely above his current level! He even knew there were people who were far superior in power and ability to him!

Yes, he was strong, but not to the point of being unbeatable in this world, which is why he had accepted the deal presented by the South Korean military. He had hoped to gain some benefits and additional points to increase his stats while being here.

However, things did not go as he wanted. Although he gained three skills, they were from training with special forces soldiers.

Also, since the mission to infiltrate the South Korean military, he hadn't received another mission! If it weren't for sporadically meeting characters from different stories over these nearly seven months, he wouldn't have gained additional points!

This frustrated our protagonist the most because his growth had stagnated for half a year! When his system informed him of a new mission, however, he was filled with great excitement. Yet, initially, this mission wasn't something that thrilled him.

"[New mission! As a form of societal reintegration, enroll in the same high school as Yu Ijin: 10 additional points]"

To say he was on the verge of rejecting this mission would not be a lie.

Robert, who in his first life had been raised in the midst of pain and death from a very young age, never had time to think about things like high school or college!

Sure, he had received a great education in sciences and arts, as his profession required him to impersonate various professionals, but he had never set foot in an educational institution.

However, after analyzing the situation, he realized this could benefit him in several ways.

Apart from earning additional points, he could venture into the outside world and interact with different people.

He might even meet other main characters from different stories, which would earn him more additional points! Not only that, but he could also benefit from these encounters in various ways.

Therefore, swallowing the pride of adulthood still residing in his mind, he asked Lieutenant Kang to speak with General Kim so that he could also reintegrate into society.

Though cumbersome, after making some promises to the head of the Korean armed forces, he was eventually allowed to enroll in the same high school as Yu Ijin.

Our protagonist even acquired his own housing since he had no family to return to, much like the teenage mercenary.

Today marked his first day at school, so he walked calmly while trying to adapt to what lay ahead.

"Kids talking and doing stupid things... I hope I find something interesting in that school,"

Robert murmured as he watched all the boys walking around him.

Ding, ding, ding

Suddenly, the system displayed a new mission! Robert paused for a moment, looking at his system screen.

"What the hell? For months it said nothing about whether I should eat or not, but now it's offering points for going to eat?" The boy resumed walking, his gaze sharpening.

While he hadn't had breakfast today, it wasn't because he lacked the means to prepare it; the army provided him with a good sum of money as a pension.

It was simply because he didn't feel the need to eat. With his enormous vitality, hunger vanished completely! However, he immediately noticed something after receiving this new mission.

The system wasn't playing tricks on him; it was guiding him towards something that might benefit him.

So, he began scanning both sides of the street to find a place to eat, one where he could gain an advantage.

"That place... it must be that one."

Suddenly, he noticed a shop that had something peculiar, something that set it apart from the rest of the establishments.

At the coffee bar entrance, a black car was parked, which was unusual compared to other places. But what was different about this?

Well, for starters, the polarized black car parked there was a Hyundai Equus, one of the most expensive models from the South Korean company, costing around a hundred thousand euros.

Additionally, two burly figures dressed in black, resembling bodyguards, could be seen inside the café, as if they were on guard duty. Everything was very suspicious, as if the owner of that car was someone very important.

"Well, hopefully I won't have trouble completing this mission."

With a sigh, Robert smirked ironically as he walked straight to the door of the café and opened it without hesitation.

"Sorry, we're closed at the moment."

Just as he was about to enter, the arm of one of those figures raised and stopped his advance.

"Hey, stop that, I want to enjoy a peaceful breakfast," suddenly a voice of a young man was heard from inside.

"But boss..."

"Stop that now, I'm at my mom's place, I don't want you to scare away the few customers she has left." "Understood."

Upon hearing the young man's words, the bodyguard lowered his arm and apologized to our protagonist, who simply nodded at the gesture and entered.

Ding, ding, ding

[Congratulations on meeting a protagonist: Kang Seth from 'Boss in School,' you've earned an additional point]

Just after entering, he saw the owner of the voice who had been talking to the bodyguard who stopped him.

He was a young man, no more than twenty years old, with blue hair and a good build, sitting calmly at the counter of the coffee bar.

"Wow, I guess if I was right, I ran into another protagonist," Robert thought to himself as he took a seat.

"I'm sorry about what happened, I hope it didn't bother you," the boy named Seth tried to apologize.

"Don't worry, it's nothing," Robert nodded calmly.

"Oh, we have a new customer!" Suddenly, a person emerged from the kitchen with some dishes. "Welcome, make yourself comfortable."

It was a middle-aged woman with a friendly smile. Despite appearing to be well past her forties, her figure was slim and slender, hidden beneath loose clothing she wore for work.

Ding, ding, ding

[Congratulations on meeting a main character: Jin Anna from 'Boss in School,' you've earned an additional point]

Robert smiled back at the woman's greeting, glancing at the new notice the system had shown. "Well, well, I guess this was worth it," he thought to himself.

In just one moment, he had not only met the protagonist of a story but also encountered a main character! And even though he had no idea what kind of story they came from, earning three points in a day was a lot considering he had been living frugally for almost half a year!

The woman placed the food in front of the young man with blue hair and then approached our protagonist's table.

"Here's the menu," the woman named Anna offered the menu. "Poached eggs are today's specialty."

Robert glanced at the menu briefly, not really focusing on what to choose since it didn't matter what he ate; he just had to complete the mission.

"Please, serve me an espresso, two tuna sandwiches, and a plate of poached eggs, please," he ordered his breakfast after pretending to give the menu a good look.

"I see you're a high school student," the woman remarked as she took note of the order. "Aren't you too young to be drinking strong coffee in the mornings?"

"Well, I may be young, but it's the only thing that can wake me up in the mornings," Robert smiled. "Plus, today is my first day going to school, so I need to be wide awake."

"Wow, what a coincidence, it's also my son's first day," the woman gestured and pointed to the young man with blue hair.

"Mom, stop saying things that aren't relevant," the young man, who had been paying attention to our protagonist since he entered, responded with a half-serious, half-embarrassed tone.

The woman smiled at the blue-haired youth's words and said no more, retreating to the kitchen to prepare the order.

Robert maintained his smile as he watched the woman leave, then looked around, paying no attention to the gaze of the young man or the bodyguards.

While the place seemed pleasant and cozy, it was unusually empty for a breakfast spot.

Now he understood the words of the boy named Seth when he told his bodyguard about scaring away the customers.

Were these men guarding the store or the boy?

"I didn't know it was your first day too. Are you also transferring?" our protagonist asked curiously.

"Yeah, well... it's something like that," the blue-haired boy named Seth replied tersely. "It seems like you're from somewhere else. Which school are you transferring to?"

The way the blue-haired boy evaded the question and how he noticed his foreign features gave our protagonist the impression that he didn't want to reveal much information.

"Yeah, I came from overseas, lived with my father, and now I'm living with my mother," Robert replied as he pretended to read something on his phone. "I haven't quite learned your name yet, but I'll be studying at Shinan High School."

"Wow, that's a very good school, it has a lot of good references," Seth's mother came out of the kitchen with Robert's order and placed it on the table. "My son is going to Youngjin High School, a high school specialized for athletes."

"Oh, I'm sorry, since I'm new to the city, I don't know much about the schools, I guess it must be a good school too," Robert responded with a friendly gesture to the woman's words, then began to eat his breakfast.

[Having breakfast in the nearest cafeteria is essential: 1 additional point earned]

"Well, this is the best," Robert thought to himself, "and the flavor of this food isn't half bad either."

Time passed with no one saying anything, and although this might seem awkward, none of those present spoke up as they all had their own thoughts.

"Mother, I'm leaving, thanks for the meal," after a moment, the boy named Seth stood up and thanked the middle-aged woman, gesturing farewell to our protagonist who responded in kind.

The woman nodded at the blue-haired boy's words and smiled before watching him depart. The two bodyguards bowed to the woman and left with the boy.

"Wow, so they were escorting the boy, huh... this is getting more interesting," our protagonist thought as he finished his breakfast. "I just wish this system would give me a bit of information about each person I meet, then things could be much easier."

Ding, ding, ding

[If the host wishes, you could obtain a system upgrade by investing an additional 10 points, to view basic information about the characters you encounter; invest 20 additional points to see detailed information and statistical levels]

Robert, who had been eating peacefully, almost choked upon reading the information the screen in front of him was currently showing!

"What the hell?!"

He had wished for this for a long time, ever since he met Yu Ijin, but no message had appeared, and now that he was finally earning points again, did they want to take them away from him already?

"Wait, wait... analyze the situation carefully," our protagonist told himself, trying to calm down.

While all of this seemed like the action of a crappy system, it could have a significant meaning.

If this upgrade had appeared in the past and he had acquired it, he wouldn't have earned the necessary points, and his strength would have stagnated, unable to progress.

Now, however, he had the chance to earn more points, so he could not only get the system upgrade but also boost his statistics.

Ring, ring, ring

Suddenly, the vibration of his cell phone snapped our protagonist out of his thoughts.

"Wow, looks like I'm running late," Robert said with irony as he checked who had messaged him.

He quickly finished eating, stood up, went to the café counter, and took out money to pay for his breakfast.

"I hope you enjoyed the food," the woman received the payment and courteously bid farewell to our protagonist.

"Thank you for the delicious meal, I'll be back soon," Robert said with a gentle smile and left the place, which remained unusually calm.

Inside the café, Anna's gentle gaze gradually faded, revealing a serious side that neither our protagonist nor even her son Seth had ever known.

Without saying a word, she took out her cell phone and made a call.

"Come immediately... we need to gather information about someone."

....................

"Seriously, with you... it's always the same."

"Sorry for being late, a black cat crossed my path."

In the middle of a street, Robert encountered two people.

One of them was Yu Ijin, the teenage mercenary, who had a blank expression in response to our protagonist's words.

"Um... my name is Yu Dayun, nice to meet you," the second person, a petite girl standing next to Ijin, greeted Robert with some nervousness.

She was a small girl with mushroom-shaped black hair that highlighted her beauty, and her school uniform emphasized her already noticeable innocence.

Ding, ding, ding

[Congratulations on meeting a main character: Yu Dayun from 'Teenage Mercenary', you've earned an additional point]

At that moment, the system displayed a new notification, though it didn't particularly catch our protagonist's attention.

"Pleased to meet you, Dayun. My name is Robert Lee."

"U-Um... yes, nice to meet you."

"Hey, remember what we told you, they're not used to being addressed by their names here," suddenly, Ijin spoke upon seeing his little sister blush at our protagonist's words.

"Oh, my bad, I sometimes forget," Robert apologized with a gentle smile.

It wasn't that he had actually made a mistake; he just didn't want to follow the Asian custom of addressing others.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's head to school," Ijin said, and the three of them began walking.