Knox woke up feeling groggy. He got out of bed and changed into his school uniform. The fresh aroma of his mother's cooking filled the air. When Knox descended the stairs to the kitchen, his mother scolded him for waking up late.

"Knox, you know you have to wake up earlier, or you're going to be late for school," she said. Only then did he realize he had only twenty minutes left before school started.

"Sorry, Mom. I think my alarm didn't go off today," he nervously replied as he quickly ate his breakfast of eggs and bacon. He then ran out of the house, saying, "Bye, Mom!" before she could respond.

He was already on his way to school, only five minutes from his house. Today was the start of the new school year, and he was 15 years old. Matt was already waiting for him at the entrance.

“Yo, Knox,” said Matt.

“Hello Matt, how was your vacation?” Knox replied.

“It was fine,” said Matt, in his usual bland tone.

Knox was silently sitting in his usual seat at the back of the class. He was in ‘The System Class,’ a class that the Government integrated into every school after the System threw itself into the lives of everyone. All technology, like guns and modern technology, broke with its arrival. It’s been 150 years since it first appeared, and every country funded research finding out how to exploit and use the system to their advantage. All they could find was that it’s almost like a video game with levels, magic abilities, stats, and anything else you can think of.

He found the whole concept fascinating, but there was one downside—the System can only be used by people 16 or older, which he found very annoying. During the class, the teacher explained that monsters give experience points that help players level up. The monster's level determines the amount of experience points earned by killing it. If more than one person damages the monster, the experience points are divided based on the level of damage caused by each person.

That’s all he could explain when the bell started ringing, signaling the end of the school day. Knox met up with Matt and some other friends to attend martial arts practice. They were all born from different clans that specialized in martial arts.

Knox and his friends arrived at the class and started practicing. Knox enjoyed practicing. He found it satisfying to move his body in perfect harmony with the movements. Knox and his friends practiced various techniques, trying to perfect their form. They sparred with each other, exchanging blows and trying to outmaneuver each other. Despite the sweat and exhaustion, Knox felt invigorated after the practice and looked forward to the next one.

He went home after practice to his parents arguing about his future. They always argued about whether he should or should not continue the legacy of the clan or be his own man, which further intensified when he got a younger brother who was more talented than him in fighting—rushing towards his room to get away from his parent's arguments. They barely registered that he got back home. Knox was sitting in his bedroom when his brother came barging in.

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“Knox! Spar with me!” Elijah knew it was coming before his brother even said it. He always wanted to spar with Knox because he knew he could beat him.

“Why? You’ll just beat me like you do every other time.”

“Well, practice makes perfect!”

“Nice try.”

“Please, brother.” Elijah practically begged.

“Ugh, Fine, I'll be down in a minute.”

“Yay!” He ran out of the room towards the backyard. Knox went to the backyard, where Elijah was already waiting for him. They both got into their stances, and the spar began. Elijah was quick and agile, always one step ahead of Knox. Although Knox was trying his best, he couldn't seem to land a hit on his younger brother.

Elijah was taunting him now, "Come on, big brother! Is that all you've got? I thought you were supposed to be good!"

Knox was getting frustrated. He had been practicing for years but was no match for his brother, Elijah. Elijah was just too good. Suddenly, Elijah swiftly moved, and Knox was hit hard in the stomach. He fell to the ground, defeated.

Elijah laughed, "Looks like I win again!"

Knox smiled, "Well done, little brother. You're getting better every day."

Despite the loss, Knox was proud of his younger brother. He knew he would become a great martial artist and make their clan proud one day. Their parents were watching, but they were paying Knox no attention. They praised Elijah for his brilliant skill. Knox quietly returned to the house to shower; he felt filthy after a day of practice. He went to bed right after showering.

Knox's week after the start of the new school year was filled with classes, sword practice, and trying to keep up with his studies. He wanted to level up fast in The System but realized he had to wait until his 16th birthday. So, he spent most of his time practicing his self-defense.

During the week, he also had to deal with his parents' constant bickering about his future. It was getting worse every day, and Knox was starting to feel the weight of their expectations on his shoulders. He didn't know what to do with his life but knew he didn't want to disappoint his parents or clan.

On Wednesday, Knox had a surprise visit from his best friend, Sara. She was back from her summer vacation and wanted to catch up. They spent the afternoon discussing their summer adventures and what they hoped to achieve in the new school year. Sara was also in The System Class.

Thursday was a tough day for Knox. He had a big test in his math class, and he didn't do as well as he had hoped. He was disappointed in himself but knew he had to work harder. After school, he attended his practice, hoping to vent his frustration on his opponents. He sparred with Matt, one of his classmates, and was able to beat him for the first time. He felt a sense of accomplishment and knew he was improving.

Friday was Knox's best day of the week. He woke up early and went to the class he had secretly attended. He beat all his fellow members and even received a compliment from the instructor. Knox felt proud of himself and knew his hard work was paying off.

On Saturday, Knox convinced his parents to let him take a break from martial arts practice. He spent the day with his younger brother, Elijah, playing video games and watching movies. They had a great time together, and Knox felt grateful for his brother's companionship.

As the week came to an end, Knox was exhausted but satisfied. He had progressed in his self-defense, and he was excited to continue exploring The System. He knew he had a lot of work to do, but he was ready to face the challenges ahead.