Morning sunlight streamed through the hospital window, brushing Jinwoo's face with a gentle warmth.
He opened his eyes slowly. Every muscle in his body throbbed with a dull, heavy ache—the undeniable proof that last night's grueling exercise was real.
He exhaled shakily, rubbing his sore shoulders. *'So… it really wasn't a dream.'*
*Ding!*
A soft, bell-like chime echoed in his mind. The familiar blue holographic window materialized in front of him.
[ DAILY QUEST: PREPARATION TO BECOME STRONG ]
Push-ups: [ 0 / 100 ]
Sit-ups:[ 0 / 100 ]
Squats: [ 0 / 100 ]
Running: [ 0 / 10 km ]
[ WARNING: Failure to complete the Daily Quest within the time limit will result in a Penalty Quest. ]
Jinwoo sat up on the edge of the bed, grimacing as his core protested. "I guess you're serious about this, huh?"
The faint blue light reflected in his dark eyes as he clenched his fists. "Fine. I'll play by your rules."
With a thought, he summoned his status screen.
[ STATUS ]
Name:Sung Jinwoo
Level: 1
Class: None
HP: 100
MP: 10
[ STATS ]
Strength: 11 (+1)
Agility:10
Vitality:10
Intelligence:10
Sense:10
(Available Stat Points: 0)
That single point in Strength felt insignificant on paper, but physically? He could feel it. It was a faint, microscopic difference, but his body felt just a fraction sturdier than the fragile frame he had woken up in yesterday.
He smiled faintly. "Even one point makes a difference… that means this is real."
He rolled out of bed and stretched. Pain shot through his back and arms, but he didn't stop. The nurses had already commented that his recovery was "miraculous," though they had no idea why.
Now, Jinwoo knew the reason. *'If this System can make me stronger… then it's worth every ounce of pain.'*
He began immediately. Slowly, methodically. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Squats.
At first, his body screamed in resistance. But unlike his past life, he didn't stop. He had faced the God Statue. He had felt the crushing weight of utter helplessness. Muscle soreness was nothing compared to that.
"Twenty…" he gasped, his arms trembling violently against the floorboards. "Thirty…"
He collapsed, caught his breath for ten seconds, and forced himself back up. Sweat dripped down his chin, pooling on the cold tile floor.
After finishing the indoor routines, he threw on a loose hospital tracksuit and sneaked outside to the hospital's private park. Lap after lap, he pushed his legs until they felt like lead.
By the time he completed the final kilometer, his entire body felt like it was going to shut down. He collapsed onto a park bench, chest heaving.
Ding!
[ QUEST COMPLETE! ]**
Rewards:
1. Full Recovery
2. Stat Points (+3)
3. Random Box (1)
Instantly, a cool, refreshing blue light enveloped his body. The agonizing fatigue and muscle tears vanished, leaving him feeling lighter and more energized than ever.
He leaned back on the bench, panting heavily but smiling for the first time in days. "I actually did it…"
He opened his inventory interface.
[ You have received: Random Box (1) ]
[ Open Random Box? (Y/N) ]
"Yeah. Why not?"
A small, wrapped box materialized in the air, shimmered, and then burst into golden light.
[ You have obtained: Item - Recovery Potion (Low) ]
A small glass vial dropped perfectly into his palm, filled with a viscous blue liquid that glowed faintly in the morning sunlight.
Jinwoo stared at it, reading the item description floating above it. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It wasn't a legendary sword or a million won, but one thing was absolutely certain: this System was going to give him the tools he needed to survive.
He took a deep breath, sending the vial into his digital inventory with a flick of his wrist.
His gaze hardened, filled with unyielding resolve.
.......
Days passed quietly in the hospital.
Every morning, without fail, Jinwoo completed the System's daily quest. One hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and squats, followed by a ten-kilometer run. He had to improvise for the latter, jogging laps around the hospital's private gardens and corridors before the morning shift fully started.
At first, the nurses assumed he was just an overeager patient trying to speed up his physical therapy. But by the third day, the whispers began.
"Did you see him this morning?" one nurse murmured just outside his door.
"Yeah… wasn't he the guy who got brought in half-dead?"
Even Jinwoo noticed the lingering stares. The frail, perpetually bruised body of the world's weakest E-rank was gone. In its place was a firm, toned physique. Pronounced veins traced the lines of his forearms, and the sharp definition of his abs showed whenever his hospital gown shifted.
He didn't pay much attention to the gossip, but he couldn't deny the results. His body had become lean and athletic, perfectly balanced for both strength and agility. Every movement felt incredibly light, sharp, and alive.
Standing before the small mirror beside his bed, Jinwoo flexed his hand, watching how his reflection responded.
"This… is really me?" he muttered, a deeply satisfied smirk touching his lips.
With a thought, he pulled up his status screen.
**[ STATUS ]**
**Name:** Sung Jinwoo
**Level:** 7
**[ STATS ]**
* **Strength:** 20
* **Agility:** 18
* **Stamina:** 19
* **Intelligence:** 10
* **Sense:** 12
*(Available Stat Points: 0)*
Each number told a story—every drop of sweat, every second of exhaustion, every moment of unwavering resolve.
The door clicked open, and a young nurse entered carrying his lunch tray. She froze the moment she caught sight of him stretching his newly muscled arms.
"M-Mr. Sung…" she stammered, her eyes darting away as a deep flush crept up her neck. She set the tray down on the bedside table a bit too quickly. "You, uh… seem to be recovering very well."
Jinwoo gave a small, polite smile. "You could say that."
She smiled nervously, bowed quickly, and practically fled the room. Jinwoo just sighed softly, running a hand through his hair before sitting down to eat.
He wasn't training to turn heads. He was training for survival. For power. For the day he would inevitably face a nightmare like the Cartenon Temple again—and this time, he wouldn't just survive. He would dominate.
Staring at his hands, Jinwoo slowly clenched them into tight fists.
*'It's only been a few days… and I can already feel the difference.'*
Tomorrow, he would officially be discharged from the hospital. The real test was about to begin.