A month had passed since Arin first began crawling. Every day, from morning until he grew tired, he pushed himself to move faster, longer, and smoother. His knees were often red, his little arms ached, but he never gave up.
At first, he could barely move a few steps before falling over. Then, slowly, his movements became stable. His parents laughed when they saw him crawling around the small house, calling him their "little explorer." But for Arin, this was training. This was effort.
Day after day, he crawled everywhere—across the floor, under the table, around the bed. He treated it like a mission. Unlike in his past life, where his efforts often went unnoticed, here he could see the results. The system recorded his every attempt, rewarding him with small increases in skill.
Ding!
[Skill Proficiency Increased]
Skill: Crawling
Proficiency: Advanced (72%)
Ding!
[Skill Proficiency Increased]
Skill: Crawling
Proficiency: Expert (91%)
And finally, after weeks of hard work, it happened.
Ding!
[Skill Mastery Achieved]
Skill: Crawling – Mastery (100%)
Effect: Perfect balance and movement while crawling. Maximum efficiency reached.
Arin froze. Mastery… his first skill had reached the top. His little heart thumped hard. He had never "mastered" anything in his past life, no matter how much effort he put in. But now, the system itself recognized his growth.
He clenched his tiny fists. This is proof. Hard work is not wasted anymore.
But then another notification appeared:
Ding!
[Skill Upgrade Available]
Crawling → Walking
Would you like to evolve your skill?
Arin's eyes shone. "Walking…" he whispered softly in his heart. This was the next step.
He placed his small hands on the floor and pushed himself up. His legs shook immediately, unused to holding his full weight. He wobbled, lost balance, and fell. But he only gritted his teeth and tried again.
His parents watched with wide eyes. His father chuckled warmly. "Look at him! He's already trying to stand."
His mother's hands hovered nervously in the air. "Careful, Arin… don't hurt yourself."
But Arin wasn't afraid. Failure was nothing new to him. He had failed countless times before, but this time was different—because every effort counted.
Again and again, he stood, fell, and stood once more. His legs burned, his tiny palms pressed the floor for support, but he refused to quit.
And then, finally, the system responded.
Ding!
[New Skill Generated]
Skill: Walking (Basic, 0%)
Description: The ability to stand upright and move with two legs. Requires balance and repeated practice.
Arin's lips curled into a small smile. Crawling had been mastered. Now, Walking had begun.
His father cheered. "One more step, son! You can do it!"
His mother's eyes softened, tears forming as she clapped. "That's it, Arin… go slowly, don't rush."
Arin took his first shaky step forward, then another, before collapsing into their arms.
Ding!
[Skill Proficiency Increased]
Walking – Basic (5%)
His parents hugged him tightly, laughing and crying at the same time.
Arin closed his eyes, feeling their warmth. In his past life, he had given them so little. But here, even his smallest effort made them proud.
And so, after a month of endless crawling, he finally stood tall—ready to walk toward his new life.