The days passed slowly, but Arin's mind was sharper than his tiny body showed. He was only a baby in this new life, but unlike before, he had the Restart System guiding him.
One morning, as he tried to crawl across the floor, he pushed harder than usual. His small arms trembled, and sweat dotted his forehead. Crawling looked easy for others, but for him, every inch forward was a battle.
Ding!
A faint sound echoed in his head. A glowing box appeared in front of him.
[New Skill Generated]Skill: Crawling
Proficiency: Basic (0%)
Description: The ability to move using your arms and legs. At higher proficiency, crawling becomes smoother, faster, and more efficient.
Arin froze. His eyes widened, and he almost forgot to breathe. A… a skill?
Just by moving forward, just by trying, he had earned something real. A smile tugged at his lips.
"Finally…" he whispered in his heart.
With renewed determination, he tried again. His small arms pressed against the floor, and he dragged himself another few inches. Pain, effort, struggle—it all felt worth it now.
Ding!
[Crawling proficiency increased: Basic 1%]
Arin's tiny chest heaved. His arms hurt, but his heart was light. The skill had grown. The effort had counted.
"Good," he thought, "again."
He crawled forward once more. Then again. Then again. The dull ache in his arms grew, his knees scraped against the floor, but the little sound in his mind kept rewarding him.
Ding!
[Crawling proficiency: Basic 5%]
Every inch, every push, every attempt was recorded. Slowly but surely, the number crept higher.
Arin's parents, watching from the side, clapped their hands in delight. "Look at him go!" his mother laughed. "Our little boy is strong!"
His father grinned proudly. "That's my son."
Arin's throat tightened. In his past life, no matter how hard he tried, no one ever said that. But here, in this small room, with his family's voices cheering him on and the system's voice rewarding his efforts, he felt something he hadn't felt in years—hope.
Hours passed, and his small body trembled from exhaustion. But finally, the system voice echoed louder than before, and the box reappeared.
[Skill Upgrade Achieved]Skill: Crawling
Proficiency: Intermediate (0%)
Description: Crawling is now smoother and faster. Movements are more stable, and less stamina is consumed.
Arin's eyes sparkled. He had done it. From nothing, he had created a skill. And through sheer effort, he had already upgraded it.
His body didn't feel stronger immediately, but somehow, crawling felt smoother. His movements were steadier, less clumsy. The system wasn't just showing progress—it was changing him.
Arin lay on the floor, panting softly. His parents rushed over, lifting him gently. His mother kissed his forehead. "You worked so hard today."
He smiled faintly. If only they knew how much those words meant.
"Hard work," he thought, "finally matters here. And if crawling can become a skill, then anything can."
For the first time in this new life, Arin wasn't just an average man trapped in limits. He was someone who could grow.
And this was only the beginning.