After finishing the last sip of the lukewarm noodle broth, James stared at the empty cup in silence.
It wasn't much, but it filled his stomach. For now.
His body ached—more than it ever had—but deep down, that pain was satisfying. It reminded him he was doing something that mattered. That this wasn't just another lazy day, wasted behind his screen. For once, the pain meant something.
He pulled out his phone and checked the time.
12:04 PM.
Time flies when you're grinding, he thought.
And then, like clockwork, the screen flickered again.
[Notification: Daily Quest Reminder]
Sprint – 0/2 Hours
Push-Ups – 9/50
Sit-Ups – 20/50
Time Remaining: 11 hours, 56 minutes
James let out a breath.
"I need to do the sprinting next," he whispered. "Two hours though?"
That was insane. He hadn't even run for ten minutes straight before. His legs were barely holding up from the jumping jacks. But the reminder ticked like a ticking clock—taunting him, daring him.
Outside, the sun had reached its peak. It wasn't a good time to be running, but James didn't care. He grabbed his worn-out sneakers from under the bed. They still had dried mud from a month ago when he walked home in the rain.
He slipped them on, tied the laces tight, and grabbed a small towel to wipe his sweat.
There wasn't any special gear. No energy drink, no motivational playlist, no cheering crowd.
Just him and the streets of San Pedro.
[New Objective Activated: Sprint – Timer Begins Upon Movement]
James stepped out of his house and felt the heat press against his skin like a warm blanket. The streets were quiet—just the occasional dog barking and tricycles passing by.
He stood there for a second, breathing in the humid air, then broke into a slow jog.
It wasn't pretty.
It wasn't fast.
But it was forward.
After the first 10 minutes, James was already gasping.
He had to slow to a walk, hands on his hips, sweat pouring down his neck. The sun was merciless. His body screamed at him to go back home, to give up.
But the screen hovered in his vision.
[Sprint – 0.2/2 Hours]
That was… only 12 minutes?
He groaned.
This is going to kill me.
He jogged again. Slower this time, pacing himself.
As he ran past the basketball court near the barangay hall, he saw a few kids playing. They looked at him, confused. He didn't care. He looked forward.
Clint and his crew weren't here.
Good.
For now.
The rhythm of his steps eventually dulled his mind. Left foot. Right foot. Breath in. Breath out.
He imagined himself months from now—leaner, stronger, faster. He imagined standing in front of Clint and watching the fear in his eyes. That was the fuel that kept him going.
Time passed.
His legs moved like they were filled with sand.
Every few minutes he stopped, bent over, dry-heaving or sipping water from the bottle he brought. Then he pushed again.
Another round.
[Sprint – 1.3/2 Hours]
He was nearly there.
James stumbled into a shaded alley, collapsed onto a low wall, and let his body relax.
Sweat drenched his entire shirt.
He closed his eyes and let the wind hit his face.
"Almost there…" he whispered.
He imagined hearing his future self clapping for him.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Yo, James?"
His eyes opened.
Oh no.
He knew that voice.
It belonged to one of Clint's friends—Gerald.
Tall. Skinny. Wore tank tops like he had muscles.
James stood up quickly, wiping his face, heart pounding—not from the run, but from nerves.
"What the hell you doing, jogging?" Gerald chuckled. "You trying to lose weight or something?"
James said nothing.
Gerald squinted. "Clint's gonna laugh his ass off when I tell him this. You sweating like a pig out here, man."
James clenched his jaw.
Not now. Not today.
He turned without saying a word and jogged away.
Gerald laughed behind him. "Keep running, tubby!"
James didn't stop running.
He ran until his legs threatened to give out again. He didn't even check the system this time. He just moved.
And finally
[Quest Progress: Sprint – 2.0/2.0 Hours (✓)]
[+2 Strength | +1.5 Agility]
The moment the notification popped, a strange wave rushed through his body.
Like a pulse of power.
His legs felt—lighter?
No, not lighter. Stronger.
The same burn was still there, but something had changed. The system wasn't lying.
James smiled weakly as he limped back toward home.
Every drop of sweat was worth it.
2:33 PM
He returned to his room, dropped the towel on the floor, and flopped onto the bed.
He stared at the ceiling.
This is real, he thought again.
The system was real. The pain was real. The progress was real.
His limbs trembled with every movement, but there was something else beneath the soreness.
A flicker.
Hope.
He opened his status
[Status]
• Name: James Gun
• Age: 18
• Weight: 101kg
• Charisma: 0.5
• Strength: 2.5
• Agility: 2.5
• Wisdom: 2
• Luck: 5
Compared to before, it was like night and day.
From 0.5 to 2.5.
That wasn't just change—it was evolution.
But he wasn't done yet.
[Daily Quest: Dream Physique – Progress]
• Sprint – ✓
• Jumping Jacks – ✓
• Push-Ups – 9/50
• Sit-Ups – 20/50
Time Left: 9 hours, 22 minutes
James sat up again.
His muscles screamed.
But his mind whispered, Keep going.
He rolled onto the floor, breathed in, and got back into position.
"Let's finish this."