Kazuki made it back to his apartment by seven-thirty in the evening. His legs ached from the train ride, and every muscle in his body screamed for rest. But the System's timer continued its relentless countdown in the corner of his vision.
[TIME REMAINING: 4 HOURS, 28 MINUTES]
Four and a half hours to complete one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and run ten kilometers. It was going to be brutal, but the penalty for failure was worse. Losing five points from all his stats would set him back days of progress.
"No shortcuts," Kazuki muttered, pulling off his ruined shirt. "If I want to get stronger, I need to earn it."
He changed into the only workout clothes he owned a faded pair of shorts and a tank top that had seen better days. His apartment was too small to exercise properly, so he would need to use the building's rooftop and the nearby park.
First, the push-ups. Kazuki dropped to the floor and positioned himself. With his improved stats, the first twenty came easily. His arms felt stronger than they ever had, and his form was better. By thirty, he started to feel the burn. By fifty, his arms trembled with each rep.
"Come on," he grunted, pushing through sixty. "You fought twenty goblins today. You can do one hundred push-ups."
[PUSH-UPS: 62/100]
The System's counter appeared, tracking his progress. Somehow, seeing the number increase with each rep motivated him to keep going. Seventy. Eighty. His arms felt like they would fall off, but he didn't stop.
Ninety-five. Ninety-six. Ninety-seven.
His arms gave out on ninety-eight, and he collapsed face-first onto the floor. His chest heaved as he gasped for air. So close. Just two more.
"Get up," Kazuki told himself. "Two more. That's nothing."
He forced himself back into position. His arms shook violently as he lowered himself down and pushed back up. Ninety-nine. One more. Just one more.
The final push-up took everything he had. His arms nearly buckled halfway through, but he locked his elbows and completed the rep.
[PUSH-UPS: 100/100] ✓
Kazuki rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling while catching his breath. His arms felt like jelly, but he had done it. One part down, three to go.
After a five-minute rest, he started the sit-ups. These were easier than the push-ups, probably because his Vitality stat had increased his core strength. He completed all one hundred in about fifteen minutes, though his abs burned by the end.
[SIT-UPS: 100/100] ✓
[TIME REMAINING: 3 HOURS, 52 MINUTES]
The squats were next. Kazuki's legs were already tired from the day's events, but he pushed through. Down and up, down and up, keeping his form as clean as possible. By seventy squats, his thighs burned like they were on fire. By ninety, he could barely stand.
He completed the last ten squats by sheer force of will, his legs threatening to give out with each rep.
[SQUATS: 100/100] ✓
[TIME REMAINING: 3 HOURS, 18 MINUTES]
Three hours to run ten kilometers. That was roughly six miles. Kazuki grabbed a water bottle and headed out, his legs protesting every step down the stairs.
The park near his apartment had a running path that made a loop of approximately one kilometer. He would need to do ten laps. At night, the park was mostly empty except for a few other joggers and people walking their dogs.
Kazuki started running, his pace steady. Thanks to his increased Agility stat, his stride was longer and more efficient than it used to be. His breathing fell into a rhythm in through the nose, out through the mouth.
The first lap felt good. His body had recovered enough from the exercises, and running actually felt easier than it had before the System. The second lap was still comfortable. By the third lap, he found his groove, and the world narrowed to just the sound of his footsteps and his breathing.
[RUNNING: 3/10 KILOMETERS]
A group of Hunters jogged past him going the opposite direction, their guild emblems visible on their expensive athletic gear. One of them, a young woman with her hair in a ponytail, glanced at Kazuki as they passed.
"Hey, isn't that the guy from Iron Fang?" she said to her companion. "The weak one?"
"Yeah, I heard he got kicked out today," another voice replied. "Sad, really. Some people just aren't cut out for this life."
Their voices faded as they continued their run, but the words stung. Kazuki gritted his teeth and pushed harder, his legs pumping faster. He would show them. He would show all of them.
[RUNNING: 5/10 KILOMETERS]
His legs were really starting to burn now. Sweat poured down his face and soaked through his tank top. His lungs heaved with each breath. But he didn't slow down. He couldn't. The timer continued its countdown, and he needed to finish.
[TIME REMAINING: 1 HOUR, 43 MINUTES]
Lap seven. His calves cramped, sending sharp pain shooting up his legs. Kazuki stumbled but caught himself, forcing his legs to keep moving. Mind over matter. Pain was temporary. Quitting was permanent.
[RUNNING: 7/10 KILOMETERS]
Lap eight. Everything hurt. His legs, his lungs, his feet. Each step felt like he was running through mud. His vision swam slightly, and he realized he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. His body was running on empty.
But he was so close. Just two more laps.
[RUNNING: 8/10 KILOMETERS]
[TIME REMAINING: 57 MINUTES]
Lap nine. Kazuki's pace had slowed to barely faster than a walk, but he kept moving. One foot in front of the other. Don't stop. Don't quit. Just finish.
[RUNNING: 9/10 KILOMETERS]
[TIME REMAINING: 38 MINUTES]
The final lap. Kazuki's entire body screamed at him to stop, to rest, to give up. His legs felt like they might actually fall off. But the finish line was in sight literally. He could see the park entrance where he had started.
Two hundred meters. One hundred. Fifty.
Kazuki crossed the threshold where he had begun his first lap and immediately collapsed onto a nearby bench.
[RUNNING: 10/10 KILOMETERS] ✓
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETE!]
[CALCULATING REWARDS...]
[+50 EXP]
[+1 TO ALL STATS]
[BONUS: PERFECT COMPLETION - NO PENALTIES INCURRED]
[ADDITIONAL REWARD: +10 HP RECOVERY]
The warm sensation of stat increases flowed through Kazuki's exhausted body. It wasn't as dramatic as the emergency heal or absorbing the boss stone, but he felt his muscles relax slightly and some of his energy return.
[CURRENT LEVEL: 4]
[EXP: 250/400]
Kazuki lay back on the bench, staring up at the night sky. Tokyo's light pollution made it hard to see stars, but he could make out a few. His whole body ached, but it was a good ache. The ache of progress. Of growth.
"That was insane," he said to himself. "And I have to do it again tomorrow?"
[CORRECT. THE DAILY QUEST WILL RESET AT MIDNIGHT. FAILURE TO COMPLETE IT WILL RESULT IN STAT PENALTIES.]
"You're going to work me to death."
[INCORRECT. THE DAILY QUEST IS DESIGNED TO PUSH YOUR LIMITS WITHOUT CAUSING PERMANENT HARM. YOUR INCREASED STATS MAKE IT MANAGEABLE. TOMORROW WILL BE EASIER.]
"I'll hold you to that," Kazuki muttered.
He forced himself to sit up and take a long drink from his water bottle. The park was almost empty now, just a few stragglers walking home. Kazuki checked his phone it was nearly midnight. He had been exercising for over four hours.
His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn't eaten. The convenience store on the way home was still open. He could grab some instant ramen and maybe a rice ball.
[RECOMMENDATION: PROPER NUTRITION IS ESSENTIAL FOR GROWTH. YOUR CURRENT DIET IS INSUFFICIENT FOR A PLAYER'S NEEDS.]
"Well, maybe if the System came with unlimited money, I could afford better food," Kazuki said dryly.
[EARN MORE MONEY THROUGH DUNGEON RAIDS. HIGHER LEVEL = HIGHER RANK DUNGEONS = BETTER REWARDS.]
"Thanks for that incredibly helpful advice," Kazuki said, pulling himself to his feet.
The walk home took twice as long as usual because his legs barely functioned. Every step was agony. He must have looked ridiculous, shuffling along like an old man, but he didn't care. He had completed his first daily quest.
The convenience store's fluorescent lights were harsh after the darkness of the park. Kazuki grabbed two cups of instant ramen, three rice balls, a bottle of sports drink, and a protein bar. It wasn't much, but it was all he could afford until he cleared another dungeon.
The clerk, a bored-looking teenager, didn't even glance up from his phone as he rang up the purchase. Kazuki paid with exact change and shuffled back out into the night.
Back in his tiny apartment, Kazuki collapsed onto his bed without bothering to prepare the food. He would eat in a minute. He just needed to close his eyes for a moment...
[WARNING: NEW NOTIFICATION]
Kazuki groaned. "What now?"
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIRST DAILY QUEST COMPLETED]
[REWARD: SKILL - PHYSICAL ENDURANCE (PASSIVE)]
[DESCRIPTION: Reduces stamina consumption by 10%. Your body adapts more efficiently to physical exertion.]
Kazuki smiled despite his exhaustion. A passive skill that would make everything easier? That was exactly what he needed.
"Okay, System. You get a pass this time. That's actually useful."
[ALL SYSTEM REWARDS ARE USEFUL. YOU SIMPLY NEED TO RECOGNIZE THEIR VALUE.]
Another notification appeared.
[DAILY QUEST WILL RESET IN: 5 MINUTES]
[TOMORROW'S QUEST AVAILABLE AT MIDNIGHT]
Kazuki sat up with a groan. "Wait, it resets at midnight? So I'll have to do it all over again tomorrow?"
[CORRECT. THIS IS THE PATH TO STRENGTH. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS.]
"Right. No shortcuts." Kazuki rubbed his face. "Just endless suffering until I'm strong enough to not die horribly."
He prepared his instant ramen while he still had the energy, eating mechanically while staring at the System screen. His stats had increased again from the daily quest completion. Every number was slightly higher than it had been this morning.
This morning, he had been the weakest Hunter in Tokyo. Tonight, he was still weak, but he was stronger than he had been. And tomorrow, he would be stronger still.
The clock struck midnight.
[DAILY QUEST AVAILABLE]
[DAILY QUEST: BASIC TRAINING]
[OBJECTIVES:]
- PUSH-UPS: 0/100
- SIT-UPS: 0/100
- SQUATS: 0/100
- RUNNING: 0/10 KILOMETERS
[REWARD: +50 EXP, +1 ALL STATS]
[FAILURE PENALTY: -5 TO ALL STATS FOR 24 HOURS]
[TIME LIMIT: MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE MIDNIGHT]
The requirements were exactly the same as before. Kazuki stared at the screen, then at his exhausted body, then back at the screen.
"You know what?" he said to the empty apartment. "Bring it on. If this is what it takes to become strong, I'll do it. Every single day. No complaints."
[COMMENDABLE ATTITUDE. REST NOW. YOU WILL NEED YOUR STRENGTH.]
Kazuki finished his ramen and collapsed back onto his bed. Despite his aching muscles and exhausted body, he felt something he hadn't experienced in years: satisfaction. Pride in his accomplishment.
He had survived an impossible dungeon. He had completed his first daily quest. He had taken the first real steps toward becoming strong.
As sleep claimed him, Kazuki's last thought was of the blue System screen and all the possibilities it represented.
Tomorrow, he would get up and do it all over again. Until he became the strongest Hunter in the world.
[End of Chapter 7]
Please sign in to leave a comment.