Chapter 2: System
Akira's POV
"AHHHHHHH!" I screamed, jumping up from the bed, heart pounding wildly and breathing fast. Sweat drenched my forehead as I looked around, terrified.
"Eh? I'm… in my room?" I asked, stunned but relieved to see a familiar place. "Phew, for a second I dreamed a Hollow was eating me alive."
I laughed nervously, trying to calm myself, though the fear still lingered deep inside.
"Man, what a hell of a dream… it felt so damn real. For a moment, I really thought I was gonna die."
My hands trembled as I scanned my body, looking for any signs of injury. But there was nothing. I shut my eyes tightly and took a deep breath to steady myself. It was just a dream, I told myself. Just a dream…
Even so, my body was still shaking; the terror clung to my bones.
When I finally opened my eyes, my brow furrowed slightly as I noticed something floating in front of me—a blue holographic screen glowing brightly.
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[Notification]
[The System is designed to assist the player's growth and make them stronger]
[Failure to comply with the System may result in punishment]
[Daily reward delivered]
[Daily Mission: "Beginning of Strength Training"]
---
My eyes widened in disbelief.
This… this was real.
A system? Seriously? Was it finally my turn?
There it was—my golden ticket, my goose that lays the golden eggs… or maybe, my curse.
The System!
A wave of anxiety washed over me as I tried to process what I was seeing. This was the kind of twist in life I couldn't have imagined even in my worst nightmares. And though I didn't know whether to be happy or terrified, one thing was certain—everything was about to change.
I reread everything carefully, eyes widening as I realized what this meant. There it was—finally—my golden ticket, my miracle… or my doom. A system.
A System—one of the most overpowered things anyone could ever get.
"This is…" I muttered, my fingers brushing across the floating windows, watching the messages flicker before me. "Alright, I've seen Solo Leveling, so I kinda know how this works." I said to myself, searching for something familiar in the flood of information. "Open mission," I commanded, and the System responded instantly, displaying the task.
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[Mission Info: "Beginning of Strength Training"]
[Objective:]
Push-ups: 0 / 100
Sit-ups: 0 / 100
Squats: 0 / 100
Running: 0 / 10 km
[Warning: Failure to complete the mission may result in punishment]
---
My throat went dry as I read the mission. I swallowed hard. This was serious.
I wasn't stupid—I knew the System wasn't joking around. If I didn't finish it, I'd be punished. And honestly, I had no intention of finding out what kind of punishment it had in mind.
I looked again at the screen. Three hours… Three hours to finish all that. And with this weak-ass body? That was basically a death sentence.
"This is going to be hell…" I thought, my hands trembling slightly. But there was no turning back now.
I jumped off the couch and dropped to the floor, determination mixing with a pit of fear in my stomach. This wasn't going to be easy.
I placed my hands on the ground, took a deep breath, and started doing push-ups.
"One… two… three… four…"
I counted under my breath, already feeling my body protest. The muscles in my arms burned like hell, as if they'd never been used for anything other than lifting a spoon or writing in class.
"This isn't normal," I thought, feeling pressure building in my chest as I tried to keep pace.
My stamina was pathetic, and each rep felt harder than the last. But at least I had three hours. A small window of hope—barely enough—but it was something.
"Come on… you can do it, you can do it…" I chanted to myself over and over like a mantra, forcing my body to keep moving as sweat began to drip down my forehead.
---
Hours later…
"I can't anymore. Even my thoughts hurt," I groaned, sprawled out on a park bench after somehow finishing the 10 km run. I was dying. This training was literal hell. "Water… I need fluids…" I mumbled weakly, barely able to move, my body begging for mercy as my clothes were drenched in sweat.
---
[Notification]
[Daily Mission Complete:]
Push-ups: 100 / 100
Sit-ups: 100 / 100
Squats: 100 / 100
Running: 10 km / 10 km
[Reward: Full Recovery, +3 Player Stat Points]
[Info: These points can be used to upgrade any specific attribute at the player's discretion.]
---
A slight shock ran through my chest as "Full Recovery" activated.
It felt like all the exhaustion in my body just dissolved instantly. My muscles relaxed, my breathing steadied, and in a heartbeat, I felt completely renewed.
I looked up, still dazed, as another screen appeared in front of me—this time showing my stats.
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Name: Akira ???
Job: None
Title: None
HP: 200 / 200
MP: 30
Strength: 10 Speed: 10
Agility: 9 Endurance: 10
Perception: 10 Recovery: 10
Intelligence: 10
Fatigue: 0%
---
"Well… that's complete garbage," I muttered under my breath, eyeing my stats with a mix of frustration and disbelief. Not surprising, but still depressing. If I wanted to survive whatever was coming, I had a lot of grinding to do.
"Well, I've got three points to spend…" I said thoughtfully, scrolling through the list of attributes. My finger hovered over the options as I hesitated.
"Normally, I'd dump them all into Strength…" I murmured, then shook my head. "No… Strength isn't the same as Endurance. If I boost my endurance, I'll last longer, recover faster, and survive tougher training. Plus, it'll help in fights too."
Decision made, I allocated all three points into Endurance. Instantly, I felt a subtle surge ripple through my body, like an electric current running through my muscles. My stamina noticeably increased. I couldn't see the difference—but I could feel it.
"Yeah… this is starting to make sense now," I thought, letting out a relieved sigh. At least now, I had a solid base to build on.
---
[Daily Reward: Random Loot Box]
Suddenly, a small gift box materialized in my hand. I raised an eyebrow as it opened on its own, glowing faintly. A tiny orb of light floated out from inside, morphing into an object right before my eyes. I caught it instinctively before it hit the ground.
It was a katana—simple, but well-crafted. The quality seemed decent—better than I expected, actually. Not bad at all. I didn't have any kind of weapon until now, so this was a pleasant surprise. Its design was clean and elegant in its simplicity.
"A katana, huh? Well, at least it's something useful. Finally got myself a weapon," I said with a small smile, admiring the blade in my hands.
I had no idea how to use it, but honestly, that didn't matter. I was in another world now—and any tool for survival was welcome.
With a grin, I stored the katana in my inventory and began walking back home. The day's training was over, and though I was still a bit worn out, I had no more obligations for now. There was still a day left before classes started again, so I could relax a bit and enjoy the break.
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End of Chapter