His first task was the < Rock Dash >. Joon-woo gathered a handful of rocks from the river and scattered them in the ground. He already thought of a way to do the sprints. He scattered the rocks on the ground and spaced them out just enough so that he would be able to sprint between them, zigzagging through the clearing.
He took a deep breath and began, his first sprint was awkward, even though the system revitalized his body, it still had no muscles to speak off, so his legs were still a little bit underwhelmed. But there is one thing he was confident in, even though he was not someone with muscles, he still had in it him, the will to not give up.
He dashed from one rock to the next, his feet pounding into the grass as he was moving through the cleaning. At first, he tripped and stumbled over his own legs due to the sudden direction changes, but he was quick to adapt, since this wasn’t something too different than what he was doing to survive in Ironwood. He didn’t stop, he kept going, each dash better than the last. Even though the System didn’t speak, Joon-woo could feel it in the back of his mind, he didn’t knew 100% it was the system or his subconscious, but there was someone cheering him on, to push harder and faster
Before long, his sprinting became better and better, he was able to adapt and sprint between the boulders with ease, with fluid and controlled movement. His heart throbbed in his chest, bur rather than from exhaustion, it was from exhilaration.
“This is fun”
System Notification
Objective Progress: Rock Dash (Completed)
Joon-woo stopped, panting heavily but smiling. The first quest was complete, he felt invigorated. There was something deeply satisfying about physical exertion, especially now with his new revitalized body, he was not hurting from running anymore, rather, he was beginning to feel good.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and began thinking of the next task, the < Tree Climb >
Near the cottage, there were two large oak trees, people sometimes used them to plant a hammock and relax after fishing. They had thick branches that reached high into the sky, Joon-woo had climbed trees before, but he didn’t do so with the intent of training. This would be something different. He approached the tree and looked at it. He couldn’t reach the lowest brunch, meaning he had to use the trunk to propel himself. He placed his hand on the rough bark of the tree and jumped at the branch, grabbing it with both hands
His muscles were already strained just from that little stunt, as he climbed up, his feet were frantically locking into the trunk. The first pull-up was difficult, as his arms felt like noodles. But that subtle voice, behind his mind, was still there, encouraging him.
He instinctually looked for the best angles so he can output most of his strength and pushed on.
Moving on into the higher branches, they grew thinner, thus he was forced to rely more on precise movement and control of grip strength. He carefully tested each branch before putting his weight in it. His noodle arms were now burning with staring. There was something good in the challenge, something thrilling, a sense of doing something meaningful with each new branch climbed
When he finally reached the top of the tree, Joon-woo took some time to catch his breath, he positioned himself into a sturdy branch, and looked at Ironwood. From that position, the city actually looked majestic, as the sun’s warm glow covered the rooftops. For the first time, he felt alive.
System Notification
Objective Progress: Tree Climb (Completed)
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Joon-woo prepared his descend, even though it was easier than climbing up, the climb down was still challenging, he needed to be careful of his balance to avoid slipping. Eventually, he reached the ground with a sense of pride in what he accomplished.
The third Objective was the < River Balance >, Joon-woo just approached the close by river. The water was clear and cold. He took a narrow log that was sitting beside the cottage, and threw it in the water. He straight jumped on it, stretching his arms for balance. The log wobbled beneath his feet, but was slowly going with the flow of the river. He quickly realized this feat would be more difficult than it looked. The current was strong, it was difficult for him to keep his balance, but he thugged it out, because otherwise, he would soon be met with cold water.
He took slow, small breaths, and moved with the flow of the log, trying not to do any sudden movements. Strangely enough, he instinctually knew how to hold his balance. Each meter, he become more confident, but beginner's luck could only get you so far, because at around the 500m landmark, he was far too arrogant and made a wrong movement, that resulted in him bathing with the fish. He quickly jumped back on the log, and continued the task, now more determined than never. As time passed, he curled his lips into a smile, because he heard that familiar dear sound.
System Notification
Objective Progress: River Balance (Completed)
Now what remained, was the < Qi meditation >, but strangely enough, Joon-woo thought of it as the hardest task, since he knew nothing of Qi or of meditation. The physical part of the training was exhilarating, so he was hesitant at this more mental side of training. But in the end, he knew it was something he needed to do, because this is what would truly set him on the path to becoming more powerful as a “cultivator”.
He placed himself near the river, having the sound of the rapid current as a soothing background noise, he positioned himself in a cross-legged stance on the grass. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. He asked the System on how would one meditate, it was simple actually, he would need to focus on his breath, visualize the flow of the Qi inside his body, and redirect it towards the dantian.
It was difficult, his mind constantly wandered off, distracted by the surrounding sounds and even by his own fatigued body. But, the voice behind his back kept him straight, always guiding him back to focus each time he wandered off and broke concentration.
Slowly but surely, he began to feel a warmth deep within him, a flow of gentle energy that he didn’t notice before. It was very faint, but it was there, a small flicker of light in the darkness. Joon-woo focused on it, allowing it to steadily grow as he continued to meditate
Time passed, for Joon-woo, it felt like a blur as he sank deeper into meditation. The world around him faded away. He could only feel the steady rhythm of his breath, and the Qi within hi. It was a strange feeling, it felt otherworldly, but it filled him with a serene sense of power and calmness.
Eventually, he opened his eyes. The sun preparing to take it leave, but strangely enough, the world seemed brighter, more vivid than before. The physical strain that he felt before was gone, it was replaced by a newfound energy.
System Notification
Objective Progress: Basic Qi Meditation (Completed)
Congratulations!
You have finished the Quest!
Reward: +10 EXP, +1 [Strength], +1 [Stamina], +1 [Agility]
Joon-woo got up, feeling stronger and at the same time, more alive than before. The System made this happen, but he also felt a sense of pride in himself, the training was challenging, but it was rather fun. For him, it was a realization that strength could be found even in basic and simple methods, you don't need to do flashy things, you just need to be determined.
He made his way back towards the cottage. The changes in his body were subtle, but they were still there. He was becoming stronger.