Every muscle, every joint, every fiber of my being screamed. It wasn't a sharp pain, but rather a burning sensation that spread from my shoulders to my feet. The low level of my stamina stat was showing. I felt a bit embarrassed. While the other students continued their exercises, I was on the ground, completely exhausted.
Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of me.
[MAIN QUEST: TRAINING!]
Complete your first day of training at Kaze Dojo and learn the fundamentals of martial arts.
[COMPLETED][REWARD: 100 EXP, 100 SHOP POINTS]
A surge of energy ran through me—not enough to take away the pain, but enough to give me deep satisfaction. Despite the pain, I had achieved my goal.
Master Tanaka approached me, his face serious. I thought he would scold me for being the only one unable to keep up, but his expression shifted into a smile.
"Good job, kid," he said, offering me a bottle of water. "I knew it wouldn't be easy for you."
"Thank you, sensei," I said, accepting the bottle. The cool water was a relief for my dry throat.
"Don't worry. Stamina is something you build. You've got willpower, and that's the most important thing," he said with a smile, with the kindness of a grandfather but the firmness of a soldier.
"Don't pressure yourself. One step at a time."
"Now, go home. Rest. Tomorrow will be another day of training."
I left the dojo, my body a bundle of pain, but my mind was at peace. I had found a purpose. I walked home, and along the way I opened the menu.
[Stats:]
Strength: 20Agility: 24Stamina: 19Intelligence: 22Charisma: 32Luck: 22
[Skills: None]
[Gacha: 1 draw available]
[Templates: Bruce Lee (2%)]
[Inventory]
[Shop: 200 points available]
My stats had improved. My stamina had gone up by one point, and my Bruce Lee template had risen from 1% to 2%. The sense of progress was intoxicating. Not just the system, but also my body was feeling the changes.
I got home, and my mother was in the living room, watching TV.
"How was your first day of training?" she asked with a smile.
"Good, mom," I replied with a smile.
"I'm glad, son. By the way, I met a very kind lady at the hospital. Her name is May Parker, and she's a nurse like me. We happen to live nearby, so I invited her, her husband, and her nephew to dinner tomorrow."
My heart raced. May Parker? I felt a little excited. I'd get the chance to see Peter again.
"Yes, mom. Sounds great."
"Good. Now, go take a shower. You smell like sweat," she said, laughing.
I took a quick shower, put on comfortable clothes, and sat on the bed. I opened the system's shop screen, intrigued by the 200 points I had.
[SHOP]
1. Bob Ross's Drawing Skill (100 points)
2. Gordon Ramsay's Cooking Manual (100 points)
3. Adele's Singing Skill (100 points)
4. Cat Mask (100 points)
"A cat mask?" I muttered with a laugh. "This is so random."
The system shop seemed to have everything, from skill manuals to strange objects. The singing skill caught my eye, but I wasn't sure I needed it. I already had Bruno Mars's.
I looked at the manuals. Cooking manual? No, not my thing. I scrolled for a few minutes, and my eyes immediately landed on some weights.
45. Adjustable Wrist Weights (2–5 kg) (50 points)
46. Adjustable Ankle Weights (3–6 kg) (50 points)
They were perfect. The Bruce Lee template was based on speed, stamina, and strength, and weights were the ideal tool to improve my stats."System, I want to buy the wrist and ankle weights," I ordered softly. A message appeared on the screen, and my points balance was updated.
[PURCHASE SUCCESSFUL]
Remaining points: 10
Two pairs of wrist and ankle weights materialized on my bed. They were black, with adjustable weight. I strapped on the ankle weights, setting them to the minimum. Instantly, I felt the difference. My movements felt a little heavier, but I was sure this would help me improve my stamina and speed in the long run.
The alarm rang, and the pain in my muscles reminded me that the life I was living wasn't a dream, nor a role-playing game. It was real, and so was the pain. I got up with a groan, strapped the weights to my ankles and wrists, and got ready for a new day at school. The extra weight made me feel slow, but the sense of challenge filled me with an energy I had never felt before.
I arrived at school and ran into Peter and Harry in the hallway.
"Hey, Damon! How's your second day? Have you gotten used to it already?" Harry asked me with a smile.
"Still working on it," I replied with a grin. "But I like Queens."
"Are you okay? You look a little tired," Peter asked, his tone full of concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's because of training," I said, flexing my arm even though I didn't really have muscles to show off.
"Training? What training?" Harry asked, intrigued.
"I joined a dojo. It's called Kaze Dojo. I want to learn martial arts," I said, feeling a strange sense of pride as I shared that part of my new life.
Peter's eyes lit up. "That's awesome! Does it hurt a lot?"
"My whole body hurts, but it's a good kind of pain," I answered oddly. "Like… growing pain?"
"That's my boy! No pain, no gain. Peter, you should learn from him—maybe Flash will think twice before messing with you."
Just then, a blonde girl walked up to us. She had bright green eyes, a charming smile, and short shoulder-length blonde hair. It was Gwen Stacy.
"Hi, I'm Gwen Stacy. I don't know if you remember me, but we had Algebra together," she said with a smile.
Peter was about to speak, but he couldn't get a single word out. Harry laughed and stepped in.
"Nice to meet you, Gwen. I'm Harry Osborn, and these are Peter Parker and Damon Blake."
Gwen smiled at us, her eyes landing on Peter for a second, and then on me.
"I wanted to ask if you knew where room 201 is. Honestly, with so many classrooms, it's easy to get lost." She chuckled a bit, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Of course, Gwen. It's the science room, just down the hall," Harry said.
Peter still hadn't reacted. He was completely smitten. Harry and I laughed and gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder.
Gwen smiled again, her eyes briefly returning to Peter before finally turning to Harry and me.
"Nice to meet you. Thanks, Harry," she said before walking away.
"Peter, are you okay?" I asked, laughing.
"Absolutely," he replied, his eyes still fixed on where the blonde had gone.
Harry and I burst out laughing even harder after that. The rest of the classes went by normally until lunchtime.
"Hey, Peter, so who are you going to take on a date now, MJ or Gwen? No, wait—what did you call it? A study session?" Harry teased with a grin.
Peter blushed and glared at both of us.
"It wasn't a date," he said defensively.
At that moment, I remembered the dinner. "Hey, Peter, my mom told me your aunt and uncle are coming over for dinner tonight."
Peter's face lit up. "My Aunt May was really excited. She said your mom is really nice."
"That's what my mom said too. Why don't you and your dad come as well, Harry? My mom's a great cook."
Harry hesitated for a moment. "I don't know. My father is very busy. But… I'll ask him. No promises." His usual smile faded for a few seconds, but quickly returned.
The afternoon flew by. Harry left in his limousine after saying goodbye, while Peter and I walked home together. We parted ways at the same corner as yesterday. I kept walking until I reached the dojo.
The dojo door was open, and Master Tanaka smiled when he saw me. "You came back quickly, boy. Most don't return for the second class."
"I need to train, sensei," I replied, with a mix of determination and exhaustion.
Master Tanaka nodded, his smile growing wider, and for some reason, a shiver ran down my spine.
I spent the next hour and a half practicing the forms I had learned the day before. Every punch, every kick, every movement reminded me of yesterday's pain. It was a pain that pushed me forward, a pain that reminded me I was improving. Master Tanaka observed me, correcting my posture and breathing.
After an hour, I was exhausted. My body was at its limit, and my muscles were screaming. Then, a blue screen appeared in front of me.
[DAILY QUEST: TRAINING!]
Complete your second training session at Kaze Dojo and practice the fundamental martial arts forms.
[COMPLETED]
[REWARD: 50 EXP, 50 SHOP POINTS]
"Good job, boy. See you tomorrow," he said with a smile.
I left the dojo, my body a bundle of pain, but my mind at peace. I had found a purpose. On my way home, I opened the menu.
[Stats:]Strength: 20Agility: 24Endurance: 20Intelligence: 22Charisma: 32Luck: 22
**[Skills:
Musical Talent of Bruno Mars]**
[Gacha: 1 spin available]
[Templates: Bruce Lee (2%)] (EXP: 50/100)
[Inventory]
[Shop: 150 points available]
My stats had improved. My endurance had gone up by one point, and my Bruce Lee template had reached 2%. The experience bar showed 50/100 EXP. The feeling of progress was intoxicating. Not only the system, but my body itself was changing.
When I got home, my mom was already in the kitchen preparing dinner. The smell of lasagna filled the house. I took off the weights, and my arms and legs felt strangely light. I showered and put on clean clothes.
"Son, can you help me with the salad?" my mom asked with a smile.
"Of course, Mom."
I chopped the vegetables quickly and tossed them into a big bowl.
The doorbell rang, and my mom looked at me with a smile.
"They're here," she said with excitement in her voice.
I opened the door, and there they were—May Parker and Ben Parker, smiling. Behind them was Peter.
"Eleanor! It's so good to see you," May said, hugging my mom.
"Same here, May. Come in, come in. Dinner is almost ready," my mom replied with a smile.
The conversation flowed naturally. Uncle Ben asked me about my first day at school, and Aunt May talked to my mom about her work.
Just then, the doorbell rang again. My mom opened it, and there stood Norman Osborn and Harry.
Dinner was a mix of laughter and conversation. Uncle Ben kept asking me questions about the dojo, while my mom shared funny childhood stories about me with May. Norman stayed quiet, watching everyone. Sometimes he asked Harry or Peter a question, but most of the time he just observed.
Harry and I couldn't resist teasing Peter.
"Hey, Peter, who's your next study partner? MJ or Gwen?" Harry said with a laugh.
Peter blushed and glared at us.
"It wasn't a date," he said defensively.
Aunt May and my mom laughed, and Uncle Ben gave Peter a pat on the back.
"You should go for it, Peter. MJ's a really nice girl," Uncle Ben said.
"You're not helping, Uncle Ben," Peter muttered, exasperated, which made most of us laugh at the table.
After dinner, Peter, Harry, and I climbed onto my house's rooftop. The stars shone brightly above, and the sound of crickets filled the air.
"This is a good place to watch the stars," Harry said with a sigh.
"Yeah," Peter said. "You know… I want to be a scientist. I want to work at Stark Industries or Oscorp and create inventions that change the world."
Harry chuckled.
"I don't know. My father wants me to be like him, but I don't know. I just don't want to disappoint him." I was a bit surprised that Harry was opening up like this.
"You won't. It's obvious he cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cleared his schedule for a simple dinner, right?" I said, looking at him, before turning my gaze to the stars. I couldn't tell them I wanted to be a hero; they wouldn't believe me anyway—not when the future held people who could shrink to the size of an ant. I sighed and decided to tell them half the truth.
"I want to be a musician. I want to travel the world, give concerts, and help people," I said with a smile.
Peter and Harry looked at me.
"Of all things, I didn't expect you to say singing," Harry laughed.
"What? And what did you think I wanted to be?" I asked, confused.
"I don't know. You seemed very focused in literature class, so I thought maybe you wanted to be a writer or something," Peter spoke this time.
"We're not saying it's bad—just totally unexpected," Harry said, looking back at the stars. "But you'll make it, Damon."
"Yeah, you will," Peter added with a smile.
"Wrong! We all will. In fact, Peter, forget those companies. Why don't you start your own? You've got the brains for it. Harry, you're the most outgoing person I've ever met—and that's after only two days. I wouldn't be surprised if your father left you the company. You've got the talent. And me? I'll definitely become a musical legend." I sat down as I said it.
"Let's make a pact. Every year, we'll meet up like this, watching the stars. And when we've achieved our goals, we'll look back and be proud of what we've done." My eyes never left the night sky.
"Wow, that was surprisingly mature," Peter said with a smile.
I laughed. Maybe dying once made me more afraid of standing still—especially in this world.
"I thought those kinds of speeches were Peter's thing," Harry joked. "But I'm in, no doubt."
"Yeah, count me in too. I want to make my aunt and uncle proud."
We fell silent, staring at the stars. Despite our differences, we were friends. What I didn't know was how long this friendship would last.