The next morning, dawn spread a pale orange glow across the city. Ares barely slept. Not because he wasn't tired—his body was screaming after Rowan's brutal training—but because his mind replayed the same question over and over.
How do I survive the next 29 days?
He stood in front of the cracked mirror of his small apartment bathroom. His hair was still wet from a rushed shower, and dark circles sat under his eyes. The Rising Star Trials felt impossibly far and terrifyingly close at the same time.
He splashed cold water on his face.
"No excuses," he whispered. "If I want this… I can't back down."
DING!
A panel appeared.
⸻
[Reader Sentiment Update]
Emotion detected: Determination.
Small boost to stamina recovery rate for 12 hours.
⸻
He exhaled shakily.
"Thanks… whoever is out there."
He didn't know where these "readers" were. The future? Another world? A different timeline?
None of it mattered.
Someone—somewhere—believed he could keep going.
That was enough.
At the training ground
The abandoned district stadium looked less miserable in the morning light, but it was still soaked from last night's storm. Rowan was already there, leaning on the railings, sipping coffee like he hadn't slept either.
"You're late," Rowan said flatly.
Ares checked his phone. "It's 5:59."
"I said six. A real player arrives early."
Ares swallowed the retort. "Sorry."
Rowan tossed a football at him. Hard. "Warm up. Today is evaluation day."
Ares blinked. "Evaluation?"
"Your current level. Your strengths. Your weaknesses. And whether you're even remotely ready to compete with the other kids at the Trials."
The weight of that sentence hit him like a punch.
Rowan's expression hardened. "I'm going to be blunt. Nothing you did yesterday proves you can handle real pressure. A skill is useless if the player collapses mentally."
Ares stiffened. "I don't collapse."
"No?" Rowan stepped closer. "Then we'll test that today."
DING.
The system chimed in.
⸻
New Quest: Withstand the Pressure
Objective: Complete Rowan's evaluation without mental breakdown.
Reward: +5 Willpower
Failure: -10% Reader Expectation
⸻
Ares clenched his fists.
He couldn't afford to fail this.
Drill One: The Gauntlet
Rowan set up ten cones across the field.
"You're going to dribble through these lines," Rowan said. "But I'm not measuring speed."
He pulled out a whistle.
"When I blow this, you have exactly one second to decide whether to change direction or continue your path."
Ares frowned. "What—"
"Football isn't chaos. It's controlled chaos. Show me you can think under pressure."
The whistle shrieked.
Ares jumped into motion. He dribbled forward—
WHISTLE.
He jerked to the right instantly.
WHISTLE.
Left.
WHISTLE.
Stop.
WHISTLE.
Spin.
The patterns were random. Impossible to predict. And Rowan gave no warning.
Within minutes, Ares felt his lungs burning, his calves tightening, and sweat dripping into his eyes.
WHISTLE-WHISTLE-WHISTLE—
Three rapid blows.
Rowan was escalating.
Ares twisted, nearly losing the ball, barely catching it before it slipped past him.
He forced himself to keep going—
Then the panel flickered.
⸻
[Skill Activated: Limitless Vision – Micro-Trajectory Window]
Duration: 1 second
⸻
His perception sharpened.
Rowan lifted the whistle—
Ares already saw the angle Rowan would blow.
He reacted before the sound even reached him.
Rowan's eyes widened.
Ares pushed harder. His breath tore at his throat, but something inside him kept him moving. Kept him upright.
At last, Rowan raised his hand.
"That's enough."
Ares collapsed to the ground, chest heaving.
Rowan didn't look impressed. "Better than yesterday. Still sloppy. Again tomorrow. Move."
Ares groaned. Again?
But he forced himself to stand.
Drill Two: The Wall of Failure
Rowan placed a goal board with 20 small numbered targets arranged across the net.
"You get thirty shots," Rowan said. "Hit at least ten targets or today ends here."
Ares nodded shakily. "Okay."
Rowan's eyes narrowed.
"No. Not okay. You have no idea how difficult this is."
The first shot flew too low.
The second was too wide.
The third hit the crossbar.
Ares forced himself to breathe slowly. "Come on… come on…"
But shot after shot refused to land where he aimed.
After the fifteenth attempt—still only two targets hit—frustration crept in.
His hands trembled. His head buzzed.
Rowan didn't say a word. He didn't need to. His silence was louder than criticism.
Ares lifted the next ball—
Miss.
Another.
Miss.
Another.
Miss.
Dark thoughts slithered into his mind.
I'm still not good enough.
System or not… maybe I'm just—
DING.
⸻
Reader Emotion Detected: Frustration
Power surge: Unyielding Spark (Lv. 1) triggered.
Mental stability restored.
Small accuracy boost for 5 minutes.
⸻
Ares inhaled sharply.
A warmth spread through his chest.
Someone out there—someone watching—was frustrated for him.
Not disappointed in him.
But with him.
"Thanks," he whispered.
Then he returned to the ball.
And something changed.
The next shot cut through the air like a razor and smacked target #11.
Then #4.
Then #7.
Rowan straightened. "Huh."
Ares continued—eyes sharp, mind steady, heart burning.
He missed some, hit more.
After the final shot:
"Thirteen targets," Rowan murmured. "Not terrible."
Ares nearly collapsed again.
Drill Three: The Breaking Point
The final drill involved sprint intervals. Twenty laps. No breaks.
Ares felt pain by lap five.
His legs felt like stone by lap ten.
By lap fifteen, his vision blurred.
Rowan checked his watch lazily. "Giving up?"
"No," Ares gasped.
But his legs buckled. He fell to one knee.
Rowan didn't look surprised. "This is where most kids quit. Your body shuts down. Your mind follows. And you learn you're not cut out for this."
Ares struggled to stand.
Rowan's voice sharpened.
"You want to pass the Rising Star Trials? Show me you can rise even when everything inside you is begging you to stop."
Ares pressed a hand to the grass.
His thoughts were drowning.
I can't… I—
DING.
⸻
Reader Emotion Detected: Concern
Temporary bonus: +10% pain tolerance
Duration: 3 minutes
⸻
Ares pushed himself upright.
His muscles screamed.
His bones rattled.
His lungs felt like fire.
But he ran.
And with every step…
…he felt like he wasn't alone.
Invisible footsteps matched his own.
Someone believed he could keep going.
Someone wanted him to finish.
And with that—
He completed the final lap.
He collapsed across the finish line.
Rowan walked over, crouched beside him… and for the first time…
He smiled.
"You pass today."
Ares exhaled, trembling.
"What… what's next?"
Rowan stood. "Tomorrow? Harder."
Ares laughed breathlessly. "Of course it is."
DING.
⸻
Quest Completed: Withstand the Pressure
Reward Gained: +5 Willpower
New Stat Unlocked: Willpower (Base: 10 → 15)
⸻
Ares stared at the glowing panel, chest rising and falling.
He was exhausted.
He was sore.
He was barely standing.
But he wasn't broken.
Not anymore.