Questism : The Quest For Eternity

The hallway was dead silent.

The crowd, once filled with murmurs, gasps, and whispers, stood frozen in place, their faces a mix of terror and disbelief. Kang Minwoo, the so-called king of the classroom, lay crumpled in a growing pool of his own blood. His body twitched weakly, a pathetic attempt to move, but he was going nowhere. His once-proud face, so used to sneering down at others, was swollen beyond recognition, his mouth slack, and his eyes brimming with despair.

Yun Jo stood over him, a figure of calm malice. His crisp uniform was immaculate, not a drop of blood staining his sleeves or his shoes. He gazed down at Minwoo, his lips curling into a slow, cruel smile. The scene before him was art—painfully raw, beautifully broken.

The system's electric-purple notification appeared before his eyes, glowing with a triumphant hum:

**[Quest Completed: Defeat Kang Minwoo and Humiliate Him]**

**[Reward: Platinum Card]**

Yun Jo chuckled softly, the sound low and mocking. He didn't care about the reward itself. That wasn't what thrilled him. No, the real reward lay in the faces of the crowd—fearful, pale, and utterly silent. The way their wide eyes darted between their fallen leader and the one who had replaced him.

Fear. Awe. Submission.

That was the reward.

*This… this is why I was reborn,* Yun Jo thought, his smirk widening. *Not for some stupid second chance at life. Not for redemption. I'm here to dominate. To break people. To see them kneel.*

His gaze shifted to Minwoo's lackeys, a pitiful band of five boys standing stiffly nearby. They looked as though the floor might swallow them whole at any moment. Their leader, the one they'd so proudly followed, was nothing more than a heap of broken flesh now. And they… they couldn't even muster the courage to help him.

"Pathetic," Yun Jo said, his voice cold and cutting. He stepped toward them, each of his measured footsteps echoing loudly in the stillness of the hallway. The lackeys flinched, their bodies trembling as his shadow fell over them.

"Your leader lies there, drowning in his own blood, and this is what you do? Just stand there?" He tilted his head, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. "Is this what loyalty means to you?"

One of the boys, a wiry kid with glasses and a trembling frame, opened his mouth, but no words came out. His lips quivered, and his knees wobbled as he tried to summon what little courage he had left.

"Y-you don't understand," the boy finally stammered. "W-we—"

"Silence."

Yun Jo's voice didn't rise. It didn't need to. The single word struck with the weight of an executioner's axe. The boy flinched, his mouth snapping shut as tears welled up in his eyes.

Yun Jo's gaze swept over the group, his sharp eyes piercing them one by one.

"Not one of you has the guts to fight me. Not one of you has the spine to defend him," he said, gesturing lazily toward Minwoo's crumpled body. His tone was calm, almost bored, but the mockery in it was unmistakable. "And yet you call yourselves his friends? His followers? You're just a pack of dogs, loyal only when things are easy."

The wiry boy fell to his knees, his face crumpling as tears streamed down his cheeks. "P-please," he begged, his voice barely above a whisper. "We didn't mean for this to happen. W-we didn't know—"

"Didn't know what?" Yun Jo interrupted, his smirk twisting into something darker. He leaned forward, looming over the trembling boy. "Didn't know that your leader was weak? That he was nothing more than a loudmouth with no real strength? Or didn't you know that *I'm* the one you should have been kneeling to all along?"

The boy sobbed, unable to respond.

The system's hum echoed faintly in Yun Jo's mind, and another notification blinked into view:

**[Sub Quest: Subjugate Kang Minwoo's Followers – Reward: Random Card ]** A glowing purple notification appears in front of him.

**[Sub Quest: Do you want to start the quest? ]**

Yun Jo chuckled again, the sound low and dangerous. *It's almost too easy, I-understand how to trigger this system* he thought.

**[Yes]**

He straightened, turning his attention back to Minwoo. The boy was still conscious, though barely. His swollen eyes flickered open, and he let out a weak groan as Yun Jo crouched beside him.

"You were supposed to be strong, Minwoo," Yun Jo murmured, his voice soft and mocking. He grabbed Minwoo by the collar, lifting him just enough so their faces were inches apart. "You were supposed to lead. To dominate. But look at you now. You're nothing."

Minwoo's lips trembled, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a raspy, choked sound.

Yun Jo sighed, as though disappointed. Then he released Minwoo's collar, letting him fall back onto the cold tile floor with a dull thud. He rose to his full height, towering over the broken boy, and turned his attention back to the lackeys.

"This is your chance," Yun Jo said, his voice carrying through the hallway. "You can pick him up and walk away. Or…" He let the word hang in the air, his smirk widening into something truly menacing. "You can kneel."

The lackeys froze, their fear palpable. Their pride and terror clashed visibly on their faces, but it was clear that terror was winning.

"You've got five seconds," Yun Jo said, his tone eerily calm. "Five seconds before I remind you why your leader is lying there like a broken doll." He began counting down.

"Five."

The wiry boy was the first to fall. He dropped to his knees with a muffled sob, his head bowed so low it nearly touched the floor.

"Four."

One by one, the others followed. A stocky boy with a trembling jaw held out for a moment longer than the rest, his fists clenching as if he might resist. But the weight of Yun Jo's stare broke him, and he sank to the floor with a defeated growl.

"Three."

By the time Yun Jo reached "two," all five boys were kneeling, their heads bowed, their bodies trembling.

Yun Jo chuckled darkly, stepping closer until he stood directly in front of them.

"Good dogs," he said mockingly, his voice dripping with condescension. "But kneeling isn't enough. From now on, you belong to me. You'll do what I say, when I say it. No questions. No hesitation. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes," one of them whimpered, his voice barely audible.

"What was that?" Yun Jo asked, leaning closer. His smile was sharp, predatory. "I didn't quite hear you."

"Yes!" the boy cried out, his voice cracking. "We understand! We'll do whatever you say! Please, just don't hurt us!"

The others echoed his plea, their voices desperate and shaky.

The system chimed again, its purple glow almost celebratory:

**[Sub Quest Completed: Subjugate Kang Minwoo's Followers]**

**[Reward: Golden Card]**

Yun Jo's smirk widened. *The system really knows how to keep things entertaining.*

He turned to the crowd, his voice rising to address them directly.

"Let this be a warning," he said, his tone calm but deadly. "Anyone who thinks they can challenge me will end up just like him." He gestured toward Minwoo's broken form without even sparing him a glance.

The crowd remained silent, their faces pale and stricken. No one dared to move.

Yun Jo began walking away, his footsteps echoing ominously. But just before he disappeared around the corner, he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.

"And one more thing," he said, his voice cold and final. "If I catch anyone talking about what happened here without my permission…" His smirk returned, sharper than a blade. "You'll wish you were in Minwoo's place."

The weight of his words hung in the air long after he was gone.

As Yun Jo walked away, the system's hum echoed faintly in his mind, a reminder of his growing power.

**[Platinum Card Obtained: "Peek at You!" – You can take peek at another person stats ]** Platinum Card appeared infront of him.

He couldn't help but grin. This wasn't just about fighting anymore. It was about domination. Control. *Fun... Really fun...*

And he was just getting started.

*enjoy.see you in the next chapter friend*