West went to school the next day.
It was Friday.
He hadn’t stepped foot on campus all week, and in a place where gossip moved faster than the morning bell, that absence alone would’ve been enough to stir rumors. Unfortunately—or fortunately—the reason for his absence wasn’t just some mundane sickness or family issue.
It was a ruin.
A residential ruin.
One that had swallowed an entire neighborhood.
By the time West stepped through the school gates, the place was already buzzing.
The moment he walked in, conversations died mid-sentence. Heads turned. Phones came out. Whispers spread like wildfire.
And the fact that he wasn’t in uniform only made things worse.
He wore fitted black jeans, clean white sneakers, and a dark long-sleeved shirt rolled just slightly at the forearms. Nothing extravagant... but it clung to him in a way that highlighted his build. His posture was straighter. His steps carried a calm confidence he didn’t have before.
And there was something else... an unmistakable glow.
His skin looked healthier. His eyes clearer. Even the tiredness that should’ve clung to someone who survived two days in a ruin was gone. Instead, he looked... sharp.
Students froze for half a second and then the dam broke.
"Yo—West!"
"Bro, we heard about that thing with the ruins!"
"That was your neighborhood, right?"
"How the hell did you survive that?"
West barely made it five steps before people started crowding him.
Hands clapped his shoulders. Fists bumped his chest. Some students stared at him like he was a walking headline.
"Sick you survived that, man."
"No kidding. Thought everyone in that area was done for."
West smiled faintly. "Yeah. Guess I got lucky."
"Lucky?" a boy scoffed. "That whole place vanished, dude."
Girls hovered nearby, pretending not to stare while very obviously staring.
"How was it inside?" someone asked.
"Was it really underground?"
"Did you see monsters?"
One voice cut through the noise.
"We heard the Mafia heir saved everyone."
That one lingered.
West tilted his head slightly. "Did you?"
A few students nodded eagerly.
"Timothy, right? Mafia family kid."
"He was all over the news."
"People said he cleared the ruin by himself."
West hummed. "That’s what they said?"
Something unreadable flickered through his eyes.
"Crazy," he added lightly.
A group of girls giggled.
"Welcome back, West."
"Yeah, welcome back."
"Glad you didn’t die."
Then Nina appeared.
Without hesitation, she marched straight through the crowd and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, pressing her face into his chest like she’d been holding it in all week.
"I witnessed it happen," she voiced with a muffled tone. "From the next neighborhood. I was so scared."
West chuckled softly and patted her head. "I told you I was fine. We texted."
"That doesn’t count," she said before pulling back just enough to glare at him. "I needed to see you alive."
He smiled. "As you can see."
She looked him over, head to toe. "You look annoyingly okay."
"Good genes," he replied.
More girls gathered.
"Welcome back, West."
"You look different."
"Did you start modeling or something?"
West laughed. "You guys are exaggerating."
The bell rang before the attention could spiral any further.
Groans filled the hallway as students reluctantly dispersed, still throwing glances back at him as they headed for class.
Inside the classroom, the buzz followed.
West took a seat near the window, stretching casually as the teacher walked in.
Her eyes immediately locked onto him.
"West," she said sharply. "Why are you not in uniform?"
He leaned back slightly. "Ah... it’s underground."
The class went silent.
Then—
Laughter exploded.
It took half a second before everyone realized what he meant.
"Ohhh."
"He means the ruins."
"That’s messed up."
The teacher’s lips twitched despite herself. She cleared her throat. "I am aware of the incident."
Her gaze hardened. "But that doesn’t excuse—"
"By the way," West interrupted politely, "that shade of lipstick really suits you today."
The teacher froze instantly...
Then—color bloomed across her cheeks.
A few students gasped.
Someone whispered, "No way... he made her blush?"
She turned away sharply. "Sit down."
West grinned and did as told.
Classes passed in a blur.
Math... Literature... Science...
Teachers asked him if he was okay. Some gave him concerned looks. Others treated him like nothing happened, which somehow felt stranger.
By the time lunch break arrived, West didn’t head to the cafeteria.
Instead, he walked toward the sports center.
The place was quiet during lunch. Most students were eating, gossiping, or loitering around campus. The sports center, especially the spectator stands overlooking the track and football field, was empty.
West climbed the steps and sat down.
From here, he could see the track stretching in a perfect oval, the football field neatly lined and silent.
He leaned back and exhaled.
A translucent blue interface materialized before his eyes.
Four notifications appeared at once.
[ New Achievement Unlocked ]
[ New Achievement Unlocked ]
[ New Quest Unlocked ]
[ New Quest Completed ]
West blinked.
"...Uh?"
He tapped the first notification.
---
[ Achievement: First Step into the Unknown ]
Condition Met: First-time entry into a Ruin
Description: You survived your first encounter with a Ruin-class anomaly.
Rewards:
+5 Sub Stats Points (Free Allocation)
+30 Cuck Points
Minor Ruin Debuff ( Passive )
+1 Inventory Expansion Slot
---
West’s eyebrows lifted.
"That’s... actually generous."
If this was just the first set of rewards from one of the achievements, then what did the other hold?
He tapped the second achievement.
---
[ Achievement: Awakening Confirmed ]
Condition Met: Successfully awakened as a Tier 1 Awakened
Description: You have crossed the threshold from ordinary to extraordinary.
Rewards:
+3 to All Substats
+40 Cuck Points
Awakener’s Stability Boost (Passive)
Skill Unlock Token (Low Tier)
---
West leaned back against the bench.
"Alright... I see you."
The numbers were starting to stack up nicely now. Between everything he’d gone through, the system was clearly rewarding progression, not just survival.
Then came the quest.
He hesitated for half a second before opening it.
---
[ Quest: Borrowed Heat ]
Objective: Share a kiss with a girl who already has a romantic partner
Status: Completed
Completion Condition: Met unknowingly