▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +3 SU +30 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
Having met the XP required to level up, David once again began to burn up. He was sweating like a racehorse, and he succumbed to the overwhelming sensation, collapsing from his seat as his knees gave way and he fell to the ground.
The guard grabbed his arm to help him stand but immediately felt the intense heat radiating from his burning body. This discomfort was surprising, given the guard’s own resistance to high temperatures due to his fire power.
▪ ▪ ▪ LEVEL UP SUCCESSFUL ▪ ▪ ▪
As soon as the notification popped up, David was back to his senses, full of vitality.
“What is happening to you, David? Are you alright?” Rebecca inquired, her face reflecting an inability to articulate a definitive expression.
“It’s nothing of great concern; it’s simply that the burns on my skin are causing significant discomfort, along with the complete depletion of my mana during the healing process,” David made an excuse.
But soon after David said that, he realized he no longer felt the burns and his mana seemed to be completely restored.
"Does this mean that leveling up not only increases your stats but also fully recovers them?" he wondered, fascinated by the system's abilities.
Before the board departed, Rebecca instructed the guards to return him to the prison and permit him to rest, sensing that she might encounter him again someday.
David returned to his prison cell with the guards. Once he was alone, he commanded the system to open his information menu.
[ INFO ▾ QUEST ▸ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
PROFILE
NAME : David
LVL : 03 [ ▴ 0/100XP ] or [ ▴ 7 SU ]
TITLE : User
SYSTEM UNITS : 6
STATUS
HP : ▰▰▰▰▰ ⁴⁰
DEFENSE : ▰▰▰▰▰ ⁴⁰
MANA : ▰▰▰▰▰ ⁴⁰
STATS
STRENGTH : 10 ▴
AGILITY : 07 ▴
STAMINA : 09 ▴
INTELLIGENCE : 91 ▴
POWERS
LIGHT POWER : E Class [ ▴ 10 SU ]
DARKNESS POWER : D Class [ ▴ 30 SU ]
As I suspected, my stats have increased, my mana is full, and I now have 6 system units.
▪ ▪ ▪ YOU HAVE CREATED A NEW SKILL ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ WOULD YOU LIKE SAVE IT ▪ ▪ ▪
“Show me which skill I have created,” David commanded, feeling confused about it.
POWERS
LIGHT POWER : E Class [ ▴ 10 SU ]
▪ Healing Bursts
DARKNESS POWER : D Class [ ▴ 30 SU ]
“Oh, it’s the one I used to heal Rebecca. However, what advantages might I gain by saving it?” David inquired.
▪ ▪ ▪ SAVING A SKILL MAKES IT MORE STABLE AND YOU CAN UPGRADE IT LATER ON ▪ ▪ ▪
“In that case, it would be wise to save it,” David confirmed.
▪ ▪ ▪ SKILL SAVED ▪ ▪ ▪
POWERS
LIGHT POWER : E Class [ ▴ 10 SU ]
▪ Healing Bursts [ ▴ 1 SU ]
DARKNESS POWER : D Class [ ▴ 30 SU ]
So, upgrades for skills become available only after saving them. However, I should conserve my system units for now, as I only have 6.
Since David won his hearing, he would be permitted to clear his first Rift after 2 days. He still hadn't decided which rank to select, and he no longer had to perform Rift collection duties, so his days passed as usual.
The next day, David received several quests, which he was quite pleased about. After completing his daily protocols, he headed directly to the recreational yard.
"Open the quest menu," David instructed.
[ INFO ▸ QUEST ▾ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
MAIN QUEST
▫ Escape the prison
DAILY QUEST
▫ Complete 100 Pushups
[ Reward : 2 System Units ]
▫ Complete 100 Sit-ups
[ Reward : 2 System Units ]
▫ Complete 100 Squats
[ Reward : 2 System Units ]
“Today's daily quests are likely to be challenging, but they will be worthwhile, as I’ll need substantial strength for the hunting grounds,” he implied, referring to the Rifts.
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The yard was teeming with other prisoners, each competing for their own space to either work out or socialize. David finds a small patch of uneven ground littered with pebbles and debris, the only available spot to exercise.
As he dropped to the ground for push-ups, he immediately noticed the difference in his strength. He was exercising for the first time in a long while, and his muscles felt hollow, as if there was nothing fueling them. He also had to navigate the uneven surface, with his hands occasionally landing on sharp rocks that dug into his palms, causing sharp pains that disrupted his rhythm. He struggled to maintain a straight form as his body contorted to avoid the debris.
Moving on to sit-ups, David’s core felt weak and unstable. Without the energy from proper nutrition, each crunch seemed like a monumental effort. He struggled to maintain a steady pace, feeling lightheaded and dizzy as he pushed through the rocks pressing into his back with each rep. The constant irritation from the debris made it difficult to maintain a steady pace.
“Since the meals in prison are often insufficient in both quantity and quality, David felt weak and undernourished. By the time it was time for squats, his legs were already exhausted. Each squat felt like lifting an impossible weight, and his lack of energy made it difficult to maintain balance. By the time he reached the 50th squat, he was completely spent, both physically and mentally, having to dig deep just to complete all 100.”
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +3 SU +30 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +3 SU +30 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +3 SU +30 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
The next day, David received the same quests. At LVL : 03 [ ▴ 90/100XP ], he required just 10 XP to level up, which he earned by exhaustively completing his exercises. In total, he acquired 9 system units and 90 XP.”
But he also endured a far more intense burning sensation before he began to level up, as dictated by the system's routine.
[ INFO ▾ QUEST ▸ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
PROFILE
NAME : David
LVL : 04 [ ▴ 80/150XP ] or [ ▴ 10 SU ]
TITLE : User
SYSTEM UNITS : 15
STATUS
HP : ▰▰▰▰▰ ⁷⁰
DEFENSE : ▰▰▰▰▰ ⁷⁰
MANA : ▰▰▰▰▰ ⁷⁰
STATS
STRENGTH : 10 ▴
AGILITY : 07 ▴
STAMINA : 09 ▴
INTELLIGENCE : 91 ▴
POWERS
LIGHT POWER : E Class [ ▴ 10 SU ]
DARKNESS POWER : D Class [ ▴ 30 SU ]
“David sat on the bed the night before entering his first Rift. The allure of adventure appeared to positively affect him, as the previous nights of profound sorrow and isolation no longer weighed upon him. David was starting to evolve into a different individual, though he continued to cherish his periods of seclusion.”
He had no experience in real combat and was unsure which rank to choose for clearing Rifts. Moreover, he had no idea what to expect inside the Rifts or what kinds of beasts he might encounter.
If I choose to clear E Rank Rifts, it will take me nearly three years. So, I think my best option is to start with D Rank Rifts. As I progress and grow stronger, I should be able to manage even B or A Rank Rifts in the near future and save a significant amount of time.
His father once warned him that Rifts are perilous realms, far from the thrilling escapades depicted by the media. He had once ventured into a Rift with a group, only to witness the brutal annihilation of his companions by a single, relentless beast, leaving him as one of the scant survivors.
David's father was a distinguished RiftWalker, celebrated as one of the elite. Despite his expertise, he met a mysterious end within the Rifts later in life.
In fact, David's behavior only started to go downhill after his father's demise. He always wondered what kind of beast could have overpowered his father.
But he couldn't give up now; after all, he had resolved to change himself. At his core, it wasn’t the Rifts that frightened him, but rather the challenge of overcoming them, as he still felt weak.
The next day, David rose an hour prior to his headcount. Upon examining his daily quest menu, he discovered that he was assigned the same exercises once again. It appeared that this might have become a permanent arrangement.
He began his exercises in his prison cell to avoid exhaustion when venturing into the Rift. Exercising in the recreational yard was difficult and perpetually crowded with inmates, but in his cell, he felt at ease. Perhaps his body was also adapting to the workout routine.
Before the hour was complete, David had adeptly finished every one of his quests.
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +3 SU +30 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +3 SU +30 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +3 SU +30 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ LEVEL UP SUCCESSFUL ▪ ▪ ▪
Much to David's surprise, he felt significantly less pain while leveling up this time, thanks to the improved condition of his body.
"Since the level-up had restored his vitality, David had other things on his mind for the day. 'Open info menu,' he commanded."
[ INFO ▾ QUEST ▸ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
PROFILE
NAME : David
LVL : 05 [ ▴ 20/250XP ] or [ ▴ 20 SU ]
TITLE : User
SYSTEM UNITS : 24
STATUS
HP : ▰▰▰▰▰ ¹⁰⁰
DEFENSE : ▰▰▰▰▰ ¹⁰⁰
MANA : ▰▰▰▰▰ ¹⁰⁰
STATS
STRENGTH : 11 ▴
AGILITY : 07 ▴
STAMINA : 10 ▴
INTELLIGENCE : 91 ▴
POWERS
LIGHT POWER : E Class [ ▴ 10 SU ]
DARKNESS POWER : D Class [ ▴ 30 SU ]
My stats have improved significantly, increasing from 10 to 100 in just five levels. However, given that the XP required for each level is rising, I expect that advancing further will become considerably more challenging.
Additionally, since I began working out, both my strength and stamina have increased by one.
Now that I have 24 system units, he wondered whether he should upgrade something or save them for the future, feeling uncertain.
I wanted to upgrade my Darkness power, but I don't have enough system units. Additionally, since I'm entering D Rank Rifts, my powers need to be at least D Class to ensure successful survival.
"‘Upgrade my Light power,’ David instructed the system."
▪ ▪ ▪ UPGRADING LIGHT POWER ▪ ▪ ▪
A beam of light began to emerge from his eyes, eventually enveloping him entirely. His body felt exceptionally healthy and full of vitality, as if he would never succumb to illness or age. As the light gradually dimmed and faded away, so did those sensations.
▪ ▪ ▪ UPGRADE SUCCESSFUL ▪ ▪ ▪
“So, it’s similar to a normal level-up, where the element I upgrade imparts its characteristics to me temporarily until the upgrade is complete. If I had an Ice power and upgraded it, would my body freeze during the process?” David thought, with chills running down his spine.
"Well, none of that concerns me at the moment," he thought, distracting himself from the idea as he prepared for the day ahead.