Joon's eyes were bloodshot, and his body trembled with exhaustion. He had been awake for three days straight, binging novel after novel. His room was a mess, with empty ramen cups and energy drink cans scattered around him.

"This is the last one," he mumbled to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. The novel in his hands was Paradise Kingdom, a new release that had caught his eye. The story was about a world filled with heroes, monsters, and countless magical species a place where the weak could become strong, where adventure awaited around every corner.

"I wish… I could live in a world like that," he thought, his eyelids growing heavy. But the thought of sleep felt like defeat. He needed to finish the story, to see how it all ended.

Hours passed, and the words on the page blurred together. But still, he kept reading, even as his body screamed for rest. His vision darkened, and he collapsed to the ground, showing no signs of life.

Joon’s eyes snapped open, and he found himself lying on a park bench in the middle of a bustling town. "Wait… where the heck am I?" The last thing he remembered was reading that fantasy novel Paradise Kingdom for three days straight without a break.

He had dreamed of living in a world like that, full of adventure and magic. "Did I actually… die?"

The sounds of people chatting, horses trotting, and vendors shouting filled the air. Joon blinked, trying to process everything. "I’m in the Paradise Kingdom…? No way!"

He couldn’t help but grin. "This is the world from the novel! I’m actually here!"

Before he could fully enjoy the moment, a grumpy-looking shopkeeper nearby shouted at him. "Hey, kid! Quit loitering and move along. You’re blocking the view of my goods!"

Joon stood up awkwardly, brushing off his clothes. "Uh, sorry about that…"

[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]

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A voice echoed in his head, catching him off guard.

[Welcome to the Intimidation System. Your mission: become the strongest in this world within 5 years, or your soul will be destroyed.]

"Wait, what?" Joon’s excitement quickly turned to panic. "Destroyed? That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?"

[You must act tough to gain Intimidation Points (IP). These points will be used to improve your abilities.]

Strength: F  

Speed: F  

IQ: B  

Potential: ???  

Endurance: F  

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Joon felt his heart sink. "How am I supposed to survive with stats like these?"

Trying to gather his wits, he looked back at the shopkeeper and attempted to put on a brave face. "I wasn’t scared of you or anything, I was just… thinking about where to go next."

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say, kid."

[IP gained: 0]

Joon blinked. "Zero? I get nothing for that?"

[Congratulations,] the system’s voice dripped with sarcasm. [You’ve managed to achieve nothing. If this is how you plan to survive, I suggest finding a nice spot to wait for your inevitable soul destruction.]

"Great, even the system thinks I’m pathetic," Joon muttered under his breath. His attempt at acting tough had completely flopped.

[Newbie package received. Open it to obtain your initial items.]

Joon sighed. "Might as well see what’s in it."

He opened the package, and three items appeared in front of him: a card labeled "Special Effects," a scroll labeled "Home Generation," and a third card labeled "Mental Strength of a God."

[Special Effects Card: Create realistic illusions to aid in bluffing or intimidation.]

[Home Generation Card: Create a personalized living space anywhere.]

[Mental Strength of a God: Helps you stay calm and removes any bad status effects affecting you spiritually.]

Joon stared at the "Mental Strength of a God" card. "So, I’ve got the mental fortitude of a deity, huh? Maybe that’ll keep me from freaking out all the time…"

[Good thing you got that card. You’ll need it, considering your pathetic attempt at intimidation.]

Joon, already used to the system’s taunts, crushed the cards in his hands, activating them. Then he walked toward an empty bench and sat down to collect his thoughts. "What should I do next?" he muttered, stretching his limbs and focusing on what to do now.

"I think I should first join the hero’s academy, considering the main character of this novel would be there." Joon grinned, thinking about a devious plan. "Maybe I should stick to the main character. Then I would obviously get stronger. Hehehehe."

A few little kids saw Joon’s weird grin and got scared. One little girl tugged on her mom’s clothes and muttered in a frightened voice, "That man looks weird, Mama. He’s scaring me."

[IP Gained: 5]

After seeing the system notification, Joon looked around and saw the frightened kids. He immediately apologized to their parents before quickly running toward the forest.

[You are quite despicable. Is scaring kids fun for you?]

Joon grabbed the system window, shaking it repeatedly. "Stupid system! Do you think that was intentional? Also, you have no right to speak after threatening to destroy an innocent man’s soul!"

[I’m a system, not a creature, so your morality doesn’t work on me. Also, stop shaking me like that, or you’ll surely regret it later.]

Joon was angry and refused to let go of the system.

[Your choice.]

The system quickly transformed into a muscular bear and slapped Joon multiple times before calming down.

Joon lay unconscious on the floor, foam coming out of his mouth.