Quests Above the Head

Jihan Han sat in the back of his classroom, lost in thought as his classmates buzzed around him. The sound of their chatter faded into the background as he contemplated the words he had heard so many times before.

How great would it be if life was a game!

The thought had crossed his mind more times than he could count. In a world where everything seemed predetermined and unchangeable, the idea of having control over one's destiny was tantalizing.

What if I have levels showing above, find out my own exp. points, and set my status as I want?

But, to tell you the truth, if you ask me if it is really good, I would answer,

like this--

"Nah, Not good at all," he murmured to himself, his thoughts swirling in a sea of uncertainty.

"Hey, why so serious?"

A voice broke through his reverie, and Jihan looked up to see his old friend Seonil Shin standing beside him. Seonil was the epitome of confidence, his posture straight and his expression relaxed. He was the kind of person who seemed to have everything figured out.

Seonil had always been talented, excelling in both Taekkyon and Taekwondo since they were kids. His skills had earned him a gold medal in the Junior Championship, securing his place in a prestigious college through special admission.

Jihan couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as he glanced at the words floating above Seonil's head:

Successor of Cheonbu Family

 LV 25 Seonil Shin

A sigh escaped Jihan's lips as he wondered what had gone wrong in his own life. Why had the world changed into something resembling a game, with people like Seonil effortlessly climbing the ranks while he remained stagnant?

My name is Jihan Han, A poor guy who got this weird power called The Gamer.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Jihan gathered his belongings and followed Seonil out of the classroom. The halls were bustling with students eager to start their weekend, but Jihan felt like he was moving through molasses.

At home,

As the afternoon sun cast a warm glow through the windows, Jihan sat at his desk, engrossed in his homework. The quiet hum of the house surrounded him, broken only by the rhythmic sound of his mother chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

Suddenly, a question mark materialized above his mother's head, accompanied by her voice calling out, "Jihan, go get some tofu from the market."

*beep*

Jihan glanced up from his books, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. But before he could respond, a familiar window appeared in front of him, accompanied by a soft beep.

{ ~ The Quest is Created. ~}

Jihan scratched his head, a bemused expression crossing his face. It was a sight he had grown accustomed to, yet it still managed to catch him off guard every time.

"A screen appeared in front of me while I was doing my homework," he mused to himself. "Yes. It's called the Quest Alert Screen. It usually pops out only in a game. But even though this is reality, I see this screen every day."

With a resigned sigh, Jihan pressed the green arrow button on the screen,

*beep*

Causing it to expand and reveal the details of the Quest.

{~ Quest Alert

 Task from Mom: Go get some [Tofu]!

 The Gamer's Mom wants [Tofu] for cooking.

 Let's be quick and get her some [Tofu]!

 Limit Time: 1 hour

 Reward: EXP. +500,

 increase of the Closeness with Mom.

 Fail Penalty: Nagging from Mom,

 decrease of Mom's Faith in you. ~}

Two buttons at the bottom of the screen beckoned to him: Accept (Y) and Deny (N).

Jihan hesitated for a moment, his mind weighing the pros and cons of accepting the quest. But ultimately, he knew there was no use in resisting.

"I can never get used to this," he muttered under his breath, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.

"Jihan!" His mother's voice broke through his thoughts, prompting him to jolt upright from his chair.

"I'm going," he replied hastily, pushing himself to his feet. "Is tofu all you need?"

"Yes, be quick," his mother replied, her tone gentle yet firm.

"Alright," Jihan said with a nod, already making his way towards the door. With a deep breath, he stepped outside.

As Jihan made his way to the market, a cascade of thoughts flooded his mind, swirling like leaves caught in a brisk autumn breeze. He couldn't shake the feeling of disbelief that had settled over him like a heavy fog.

"I wonder," he mused to himself, his footsteps echoing against the pavement. "How did this happen to me? A few days ago, my level went up by solving quests. I raised points for power, and I really did get strong."

What's all this? Why am I like a real game character?

The questions tumbled over one another, each one more perplexing than the last. Jihan had pondered the nature of his strange abilities countless times, but the answers remained elusive, slipping through his fingers like grains of sand.

"But one thing is for sure," he thought with a sigh. "I've got a weird power."

*beep*

A soft beep interrupted his thoughts, and Jihan glanced down to see a notification on the screen.

{~ You Acquired the Quest Item [Tofu]. ~}

With a resigned sigh, Jihan clicked on the cross in the upper right corner of the screen, dismissing the pop-up with a flick of his wrist.

"Pop up for everything," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief.

As he continued on his journey, doubts gnawed at the edges of his consciousness, casting shadows across his thoughts.

"I doubt now, in thinking that if I'm living in a normal world," he reflected. "Is this really reality? Well, I just feel like..."

Whatever.

Despite his uncertainty, Jihan couldn't help but find humor in the absurdity of his situation. The way he gained experience points was unlike anything he had ever encountered in a game.

"One funny thing is the way I get EXP. Points," he mused, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "In a game, you gain EXP. by killing monsters. But not here. It's odd, but I get EXP. by actions and quests."

His thoughts turned to his own leveling progress, and a sense of frustration washed over him like a tidal wave.

"It's been quite a time since I noticed this ability," he admitted to himself. "But I only gained 1 level. And with that level up, I increased POWER. But now I think of it, that was a bit stupid."

Jihan couldn't help but wonder if he had been focusing on the wrong attributes all along. In a society governed by intelligence and cunning, perhaps strength was not the most valuable asset.

"Frankly speaking, do you need strength in Modern Society?" he pondered aloud. "Wouldn't I get smarter if I increased INTELLIGENCE? I should've increased INT."

Lost in thought, with a sense of resignation, he made his way back home, his mind still reeling from the whirlwind of questions that swirled within.

"I'm back," he called out as he entered the house, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Give it to me," his mother replied, her tone brisk yet affectionate.

Jeongsook Han, She's my Mom.

She's About 40 now. But for some reason, her appearance is around mid 20s.

And I Don't know why, but everything is shown in Question Marks except her Name.

LV ?? Jeongsook H.

I wonder if my Mom is special too...

As the aroma of soybean paste stew filled the air, his stomach rumbling with anticipation.

"Mom, is it soybean paste stew today?" he asked eagerly, his mouth watering at the thought of his favorite dish.

"Yes. Is there something else that you want?" his mother replied, her voice warm and inviting.

"Nope," Jihan said with a smile, closing the door behind him as he took his seat at the table.

"I'm almost done. Wait there," his mother called out from the kitchen, the clatter of utensils and pans filling the room.

"What about Dad?" Jihan inquired, glancing around the empty kitchen.

"He said he'll have dinner on his own," his mother replied, her tone tinged with a hint of sadness.

"Thank you for the meal, Mom," Jihan said gratefully as his mother placed a steaming bowl of stew in front of him.

Sitting beside him, she glanced at him.

"Did you finish your homework?" she asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

"Not yet, but I'm about to finish it," Jihan reassured her, "I'm done."

As he made to leave the table, his mother's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait!" she exclaimed.

Jihan turned to face her, a quizzical expression on his face.

"What?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Do the dishes," his mother said firmly, her eyes locking with his.

*beep*

A soft beep sounded in the air, and Jihan felt a familiar sensation wash over him.

{~ A Quest is Created. ~}

At his room,

"If someone asks me what life is," Jihan thought to himself, his mind drifting as he scrubbed at the notebook in front of him. "I'll tell him it's about homework and tasks."

Why?

There are a lot of homework.

"sigh, Too much."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity,

"Yay! I'm done!" he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face as a notification popped up.

{~ +21 EXP. ~}

In truth, studying was not Jihan's strong suit. He often found himself struggling to keep up with the rigorous demands of his academic workload.

"I don't really know if I'll do well at the S.A.T. even if I study like this," he admitted to himself, his brow furrowing with worry.

But despite his doubts, Jihan knew that the quests he completed were instrumental in motivating him to finish his homework.

"If I hand this in to the math teacher, I'll get EXP," he reasoned, a sense of determination rising within him.

From now on, he resolved to focus on increasing his INT. With a higher INT stat, solving math problems would become infinitely easier.

As he turned away from the table, thoughts of relaxation and leisure danced through Jihan's mind.

"Anyway, now that the homework is done, I'll spend some time playing games..." he began, only to be interrupted by another beep.

*beep*

"Huh?" he muttered, his curiosity piqued as a notification appeared on his screen.

{~ Thanks to the continuous study, your INTELLIGENCE increased by 1. ~}

Jihan stared at the message in disbelief, his mind reeling with the implications of his newfound intelligence.

"Gosh," he whispered to himself, a mixture of awe and excitement swirling within him.