Li Wei woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and a lingering soreness that reminded him martial arts was not a joke. The dull ache in his muscles was accompanied by an odd sensation buzzing in the back of his mind—an invisible reminder that something had changed.
He reached over to his phone, the screen lighting up with a new notification:
System Initialization: Daily Quests Ready
The blue glowing interface flickered in his vision again, hovering just above his palm like some sci-fi hologram. It felt surreal—half a nightmare, half a promise.
New Questline Unlocked: Path of the Loser's Ascendancy
Li blinked, rubbing his eyes. "What the hell…?"
Mission 1: Find your first sparring partner outside the dojo. Reward: +15 Strength, +10 Social Points.
Outside? Like, on the street? He wasn't sure if he wanted to be the guy asking strangers to fight him. He wasn't exactly popular or intimidating. If anything, he was the guy people ignored.
But the system didn't leave room for hesitation.
Failure is not an option.
"Fine," Li muttered, throwing on his jacket. The streets of the city buzzed with the usual chaos: traffic honked, vendors shouted, and pedestrians hurried by. Li wandered near a small park, scanning for anyone who looked like they'd be willing to trade punches.
His eyes landed on a skinny kid wobbling on a skateboard, almost losing balance and crashing face-first into the pavement. The kid laughed nervously, trying to regain control.
"Hey!" Li called out. "You wanna spar?"
The kid stopped, blinking like he'd been pulled out of a daydream.
"Spar? You mean fight?"
"Yeah. Martial arts. Something like that."
The kid shrugged. "I'm no fighter. Just trying to stay on this stupid board."
"Come on. Just one round. For... strength."
The kid hesitated, then shrugged again. "Why not?"
The two squared off on the cracked concrete. Li's knees shook slightly as he assumed a fighting stance, trying to mimic moves he'd seen on TV but never really mastered.
The kid threw a clumsy punch. Li barely dodged, stumbling backward.
He countered with a half-hearted jab. The kid ducked, almost falling off the skateboard again.
The fight was awkward, uncoordinated, and messy. Neither landed a solid blow, but both exchanged enough contact to satisfy the system.
"DING!"
Quest complete!
+15 Strength. +10 Social Points.
Li looked down at his hands, amazed. Was that real? Did he really feel a little stronger?
The kid grinned. "Not bad for a loser. You've got guts."
Li smiled back, feeling something he hadn't in a long time: hope.
Later that evening, back at the cramped apartment he called home, Li sat cross-legged on the floor, system hovering in front of him.
New Quest: Complete 50 push-ups in 3 minutes. Reward: Passive Skill - Beginner's Muscle Memory.
He groaned. "Seriously? That again?"
But the digital voice was smug.
Push-up 1... 2... 3... You call that form?
Li dropped to the floor and pushed up, counting desperately. Sweat dripped down his forehead as his arms trembled violently.
Push-up 20... 30... 45...
At push-up 50, he collapsed on his back, chest heaving, but a grin stretched across his face.
Reward Acquired: Passive Skill - Beginner's Muscle Memory. Strength +2. Stamina +4.
He rolled over, staring at the ceiling.
"This is just... ridiculous. But maybe... just maybe…"
The system blinked.
New Quest Unlocked: Leave dojo dramatically. Reward: +1 Charisma.
Li snorted. "Are you kidding me how many time do i need to do this?"
He stood up, dusted off his shirt, and slowly walked to the door. Then, taking a deep breath, he swung it open with all the drama he could muster.
The street noise hit him like a wave. The wind caught his hair, making him look—well, ridiculous. But he didn't care.
Across the street, an old man selling steamed buns raised a brow and blinked slowly.
Quest complete! +1 Charisma.
Li chuckled, shoulders relaxing for the first time in weeks.
"Alright, system," he said, grinning. "Let's see what you've got."