Ethan woke up feeling slightly sore, but compared to before, it was a huge improvement. His muscles still ached, but the intense exhaustion from yesterday's training had faded.
He stretched, rolling his shoulders. The Recovery Potion had worked, but it didn't fully heal him. Instead, it sped up his recovery, making his soreness manageable. More importantly, he could feel the effects of his training starting to take root.
His senses were sharper. His body felt stronger.
"Let's check my stats."
Ethan opened his system interface.
[Status]
Strength: +0.5
Agility: +0.3
Endurance: +0.4
Stamina: +0.2
He smirked. "Not bad for just a few days of training."
It was a small increase, but it proved that his effort was paying off.
Then another thought hit him. "Does this system have a shop?"
He searched through the system menus, but there was nothing—no store, no way to buy items, nothing remotely close to what most systems had in the stories he read.
"Damn. No shortcuts for me, huh?"
Ethan sighed. If he wanted to grow stronger, he'd have to earn everything through hard work.
But that was fine. He wasn't looking for an easy way out.
Morning Training
Without wasting time, Ethan dropped to the floor and started his push-ups.
His muscles protested, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through. The soreness was still there, but his body was adapting, making it easier than before.
Just as he was halfway through his set, the door opened.
Samantha walked in, holding a tray with his breakfast. She blinked when she saw him sweating and pushing himself through another set of push-ups.
"...Are you serious?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
Ethan finished his rep and sat up, breathing heavily but grinning. "Good morning, Nurse Commander."
Samantha sighed, shaking her head. "You're insane. You were just injured, and now you're acting like a soldier in boot camp."
Ethan shrugged. "Gotta stay active."
She placed his breakfast on the table and crossed her arms. "I don't know whether to call you determined or just plain reckless."
Ethan smirked. "A bit of both."
Samantha sighed again but then, surprisingly, she smiled a little. "Well… at least you're not slacking off."
Then, before she left, she glanced at his sweaty, toned body and quickly looked away with a slight blush. "Just don't overdo it, alright?"
Ethan noticed the blush but ignored it. He wasn't dense like those anime protagonists who couldn't recognize when a girl was interested.
"Still, not the time for that," he thought.
Once Samantha left, Ethan sat down and started eating his breakfast.
More Training
After finishing his meal, Ethan wasted no time diving back into training.
His body was getting stronger, and every push-up, squat, and sit-up reinforced that. The pain was still there, but he embraced it.
By the time lunch rolled around, Ethan had finished his push-ups and was almost done with his squats when his phone rang.
He grabbed it and saw the caller ID.
Alise.
He answered. "Hey, what's up?"
"Hey, Ethan," Alise's voice came through. "I just wanted to call and let you know that I won't be able to visit today. We're swamped with work."
Ethan wiped the sweat off his forehead. "That's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm doing great."
"You sure?" she asked, sounding concerned.
"Yeah, seriously. Focus on your work," Ethan reassured her.
Alise sighed. "Alright… but take care, okay? And don't overdo it."
Ethan chuckled. "I make no promises."
She groaned. "I swear, you're impossible."
"Yep."
"Just don't die, alright?"
"I'll try."
They said their goodbyes, and Ethan put his phone down.
A Much-Needed Break
By the time Ethan finished his sit-ups, his body was drenched in sweat.
He collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard.
"Alright… definitely need a break before the 10 km run."
His entire body was sore, but there was something satisfying about pushing himself this hard.
After catching his breath, Ethan decided to take a bath.
The warm water soothed his muscles, washing away the exhaustion.
As he stood in front of the mirror, he took a good look at himself.
"Damn… I really changed."
Before, he had been skinny, with a decent face but nothing special.
Now?
His muscles were lean and well-defined, his abs were slightly visible, and his overall physique had completely transformed. He wasn't bulky like a bodybuilder, but he looked athletic and powerful.
"Not bad at all."
He smirked at his reflection before finishing his bath and getting dressed.
A Moment of Thought
Ethan lay on his bed, thinking about everything so far.
This system…
It was helping him grow stronger.
But why?
"What's the purpose of all this?"
He already knew he was being sent to different fictional worlds. It was both exciting and terrifying.
But there was one thing that scared him the most.
"What if I get sent to a world like Berserk? Or SCP?"
Ethan shuddered. Those worlds had monsters beyond imagination. If he wasn't strong enough, he'd be completely screwed.
"Is the system really on my side?"
He had read too many fanfictions where the system had ulterior motives.
What if this was the same?
Ethan sighed, shaking his head.
"It doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting stronger."
If he wanted to unravel the truth, he needed power.
He closed his eyes.
"One step at a time"
He takes a break first then the 10km would continue.
And he would keep pushing forward.
---
P @t r e o n.com/DarkingKing099
For 20+ Advance Chapters
---
20 powerstones for extra chapter