The world was peaceful. The birds were singing. The sun was shining.
And inside a cozy wooden cottage, a baby was screaming at a blue screen only he could see.
"WAAAAAH—!"
System notifications floated in front of his tiny face like pop-up ads from hell:
[Tutorial Initiated!]
[Welcome to the Pity System Basic Training Program!]
Step 1: Roll Over!
Description: Turn your body from back to belly.
Reward: +1 STR
Penalty for Failure: Embarrassment
Lee Min stared at it.
Or, well… sort of stared. His eyes couldn't focus well yet, so the words vibrated like they were being viewed through a fishbowl.
But he understood enough.
Roll over? That's it? Just roll?
He mentally activated the quest.
[Quest Accepted]
He braced himself for action.
And then—
He tried to roll.
His body tilted.
His legs kicked.
His arm flopped uselessly.
He managed to wobble halfway… then swung back like a pendulum returning to its starting point.
He lay there, stunned and offended.
"WAAAAAH!"
His mother rushed over, cooing.
"Aww, sweetie, you're trying so hard! Look at you!" She scooped him up and kissed his forehead. "So determined!"
His father peered over her shoulder skeptically.
"He… uh… is that normal? He looked like he was glitching."
His mother swatted him lightly.
"He's perfect!"
Lee Min internally screamed:
PLEASE STOP PRAISING ME FOR FAILURE—
But the System chimed:
[Failure detected!]
[But effort counts! Awarding pity experience…]
[STR +0.1]
OH COME ON.
**BABY TASK #2 – "Head Control"**
The next morning, while lying in a soft cradle, the System pinged again:
[Tutorial Step 2: Hold Your Head Up!]
Reward: +1 VIT
Warning: Don't overexert your neck. It is fragile. Very fragile.
He tried.
He truly did.
He concentrated all of his willpower into raising his head…
And for a glorious two seconds, the world lifted into view. He saw his mother knitting. His father sweeping. Sunlight shining through the window.
Then gravity hit him like a betrayal.
His head flopped forward.
He bonked himself on his mother's arm.
"Ah! He moved!" she gasped, delighted. "He's so strong!"
His father blinked.
"That didn't look strong… that looked like he lost consciousness."
Lee glared at him with newborn fury.
The System chimed proudly:
[Success!]
[You held your head up for 2.1 seconds!]
[VIT +1]
At least something went right.
**BUT THEN THE POWER BURST HAPPENED**
His mother gently lifted him up, kissing his cheeks and rocking him.
"There there, little one. Mama's here."
He relaxed into her arms… and that was a mistake.
Because the moment he let his guard down, his vast reserves of baby OP magic surged.
His eyes glowed faintly.
The air shimmered.
A wave of raw mana radiated from his tiny body like a magical hiccup.
WHOOM!
A gust of wind blasted through the house, knocking over furniture.
The fireplace roared to life.
The windows rattled.
The broom flew out of his father's hands.
His father screamed, "THE BABY IS CASTING AGAIN!"
His mother held Lee gently and cooed, "Ohhhh, he's excited! Look at his energy!"
His father pointed at the rocking chair vibrating violently across the floor.
"EXCITED?! He nearly sent me to the afterlife!"
The System chimed:
[Skill Activation Detected!]
[Raw Mana Burst (Passive)]
Damage: None (this time)
Effect: Creates dramatic wind and panic
[Hint: Emotional stability recommended.]
Lee mentally shouted at the System:
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? I'M THREE DAYS OLD!
**THE BABY WHO COULD BREAK A MAGIC TEST**
Later, a local mage came to check on the strange mana fluctuations.
His mother handed the baby over proudly.
"Look! Look how strong he is!"
The mage held a glowing orb above Lee's forehead.
It was supposed to measure magical potential by lighting up softly.
It did not light up softly.
It detonated into glittery dust.
The mage fell backward like he had been punched by an invisible titan.
He stared up at the ceiling, twitching.
"This… this child has more mana than the royal archmage…" he whispered. "Possibly more than the entire palace…"
His father covered his face.
"Why? Why is every day like this now?"
His mother beamed.
"He's perfect!"
Lee accidentally burped.
The ground shook.
The mage fainted.
**NIGHTTIME CHAOS – THE SYSTEM STRIKES AGAIN**
When night came, the house was dark and quiet. His mother slept peacefully with him cradled against her. His father slept cautiously on the opposite side of the room, eyes half-open like a man sharing a bed with a rabid tiger.
Then—
DING!
A glowing blue box appeared inches from Lee's face.
[Night Quest Activated!]
Crucial Task: Don't Cry for 5 Hours
Reward: +3 WIS
Failure: Wakes up parents and causes chaos
Lee stared.
The System stared back.
He blinked.
He lasted ten seconds.
His cry echoed through the night like a battle horn summoning an army.
"WAAAAAAAHHHH!"
The System chimed:
[Failure!]
[Chaos unleashed!]
The cottage trembled from the magical output. Tools fell off shelves. A lantern dropped. The cat fled through the window.
His father shot up screaming, "EARTHQUAKE!"
His mother sat up sleepily.
"No dear… it's just the baby."
His father grabbed his pillow like a shield.
"THE BABY IS THE EARTHQUAKE!"
Lee hiccuped and accidentally launched a small gust of wind that flipped his father's hair straight up like a terrified porcupine.
His mother giggled.
"He's so expressive!"
His father muttered, "He's so dangerous…"
The System chimed:
[New Title Earned: "Sleep Destroyer"]
[Parents' Sanity -5]
Lee sighed internally.
This was going to be a long childhood.