By the next morning, Han was feeling much better.
Magic crystals really did the trick—no wonder they were expensive. He'd never had one used on him before, not even during school injuries. But the moment the healing energy had seeped into his ribs and organs, the pain had dulled to a faint echo. Now, only a bit of tightness lingered.
Still, there was the bill.
He rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped out of the hospital lobby, a small paper bag in one hand containing his discharge forms and a vitamin packet.
"Thanks for the save, old man," he muttered, glancing at his phone. The last message from his father was short and cold:
"Don't die. You owe me."
Typical.
Han exhaled, sliding the phone into his pocket.
The hospital wouldn't keep him. His father had stopped paying for an extended stay the moment Han was stabilized. And honestly? Han didn't want to be there anymore either.
He needed to understand the system.
He needed his books—he hadn't attended class in days—and if he moved fast, he might even make it in time for the last period.
As he stepped onto the sidewalk, morning sunlight poured down through the hazy clouds. The streets were eerily clean. No blood, no monster corpses. The clean-up teams had been efficient.
No signs that this city had looked like a warzone.
Han crossed the street, his bag swinging at his side. He glanced down at his phone, checking the time.
"You bastard," he muttered, seeing the cracked screen still lit up. "Still alive, huh?"
He shook his head, amused at the phone's stubbornness. It had survived an ogre beatdown and two totaled cars.
As he crossed the next street—screeeech!
Two black rovers blasted past, engines roaring, missing him by inches.
Han stumbled back in shock, heart hammering.
"The hell!?" he shouted after them. The vehicles didn't slow down. No plates. Windows tinted too dark to see inside.
His breath caught.
*Does the world want me dead these days?*
...
..
.
"Sup, bro," said Takke, throwing a lazy wave from his seat near the window.
Han grinned as he walked into the lecture hall. "Yo."
It was oddly refreshing to see Takke's familiar slouched posture and uncombed hair. This was another poor soul who hadn't awakened either, and also Han's best friend since middle school. A fellow reject of the world's magical lottery.
Han slipped into the seat beside him, bag hitting the floor with a soft thump.
No questions about the ogre incident. Takke hadn't heard. Of course not. It had happened over the weekend, and Han had already missed enough classes that people probably assumed he just bailed like always.
This was Cresswind Public College. Most of the students here were either non-awakened like Han, or struggling financially. Usually both.
Takke yawned loudly. "Man, I hope this guy doesn't go on about SWOT again."
The lecture started a few minutes later. Their instructor was a tired-looking middle-aged man who barely glanced up from his notes as he began mumbling about business risks."
Han tuned it out almost immediately.
His thoughts drifted.
*Now's as good a time as any...*
He'd been waiting for this. Planning it in his head since he left the hospital.
So, it was time for a little experiment.
He leaned toward Takke and casually placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Sleep," he said.
Takke gave him a weird look. "What?"
He kept his voice down, glancing toward the teacher who remained buried in notes.
Hmm. I guess there wasn't any context there. That was totally out of the blue. Maybe I need to build it up?
Han cleared his throat. "Hey, Takke. You look kinda rough these days. Staying up late?"
Takke rubbed his eyes. "Huh? Is it obvious? Yeah, actually. I've been up till like 3 AM most nights. Caught up in this new VR tower game. It's addictive, man."
Han nodded, holding back a grin.
"Well, if you're that sleepy then. Sleep."
As soon as he said it—ding!
A faint, translucent screen blinked into view in front of him:
『COMMAND ACCEPTED』
『24 CP USED』
Han's eyes widened. Then, right in front of him, Takke slumped over his desk.
His head hit the table with a soft thud, completely knocked out.
A second notification followed:
『YOUR AUTHORITY GROWS』
Han sat still, heart pounding, staring at the messages.
*It works… it really works.*
He knew it worked but it was a relief to see it actually work.
He turned slowly to glance at his sleeping friend. The guy was out cold. Breathing evenly, lips parted just slightly, completely unaware of what just happened.
And Han didn't even feel tired. He didn't feel drained or dizzy, despite using all the CP.
『YOUR AUTHORITY GROWS』
So the more commands he gave—successful ones—the stronger his authority became? Anyone who watched enough anime would know this was obviously leveling up.
Han leaned back in his seat, trying to process what he had just done.
Takke had said he was sleepy, so it wasn't like Han did something evil. It was just a convenient opportunity to test the system.
Still, it was… strange. To know that just by speaking, he could override someone's body.
Even if it was minor.
Han couldn't help but smile a little.
*Guess all those isekai series were good for something after all.*
The lecture continued on. No one noticed Takke sleeping—everyone else was either half-asleep themselves or glued to their phones. Even the instructor didn't care.
Han rested his chin on his palm, staring out the window.
Thirty minutes later, Takke suddenly jerked upright.
"Wh-what the—?" he blinked rapidly, wiping his face. "Did I just—?"
Han looked over. "Sleep through half the class? Yeah. You kinda faceplanted."
Takke groaned. "Damn it. I was out. Like, dreamless void sleep."
Han chuckled. "At least you look refreshed now."
"Weird, though," Takke muttered, rubbing his temples. "I don't remember even feeling sleepy."
Han played innocent. "Maybe you finally reached your limit. That game's messing you up."
Takke gave him a sidelong look. "If I find out you did something to me, I'm feeding your ramen to crows."
Although Han and Takke were best friends, Han didn't even consider telling Takke about this system. So, he's never finding out.
Takke snorted and returned to his notes, scribbling nonsense to pretend he was paying attention.
Han's mind, however, was spinning.
So I have a system. I can issue commands. I have points that get used when I do. And my authority increases the more I use it.
A small grin crept across his face.
Things were getting interesting.
Han looked around the classroom, then down at his half-scribbled notes.
*If I can level this up… I might not have to stay powerless forever. I won't be useless anymore. Yes! I won't just be useful, I'll become the strongest! And rise above the world that looked down on me!*