In the quiet backyard of a small cottage, nestled between wildflowers and shaded by a sturdy tree, a boy was drenched in sweat.
Weighted bracelets clung to his wrists and ankles. A black vest hugged his chest like a personal furnace. His hands were caked with dirt, and every movement of his body left imprints on the soil.
Push-ups. Pull-ups. Sit-ups. Crunches. Dumbbell curls. And running.
Non-stop.
This boy was none other than Lemonk and what he was doing wasn't training.
It was war.
Two hours earlier…
Lemonk had just opened the training trunk, marveling at the slick equipment inside. He was thinking of organizing it.
That's when his spine tingled.
His hair stood on end. An ominous presence stirred in the air.
Then, he heard it.
"Hehehehe~"
That familiar mischievous chuckle. The one that meant only one thing.
Pain was coming.
[Ding!]A new quest has been issued: "Let's Become a Stronger Ant!"
Lemonk froze.
His fingers hovered over the cancel command.
"Nope. Not again. I'm cancelling it."
"Awww, but I worked so hard on this one," his system whined. "You didn't even look at it! At least open it!"
"I don't need to open it to fear it," Lemonk said flatly.
Cluck! "Boring host. Fine, just read it, okay? You'll see the benefit. You want to become stronger than an ant, right?"
"I'm a 5'4 human being, thank you."
"In this world? Please. You're barely a cockroach in comparison to real power. And in the cosmos… you're not even a speck of dirt."
"…Rude."
"Not rude. Realistic. There are ants in this world whose bite could kill you several times. And ants the size of wagons who could squash you like a grape. So don't get cocky, little Lemonk."
Lemonk sighed. "Fine. I'll read it. But only if it's not against my morals."
"Oh, this one's clean. Just soul-crushing."
[Quest: Let's Become a Stronger Ant](Repeating Daily Quest – Duration: 31 Days)
• 100 Push-ups• 100 Pull-ups• 100 Sit-ups• 100 Crunches• 11km Run• 100 Dumbbell Curls• All exercises must be completed while wearing the full Training Suit.
Penalty: Failure to complete the daily quest will result in 100 electric shocks.
Reward: Stat increases over time.
Lemonk stared at the screen.
His face was blank. Like a pond in the dead of night.
"…Cancel."
"You won't get any new quests for 32 days."
"Please. Let me go. I just survived one hell quest."
"Suit yourself. But if your stats stay this low, you'll be crushed the moment danger appears."
Lemonk didn't reply.
Inside, his emotions battled, desperation vs. survival.
His body screamed no.
But his heart whispered yes.
He wanted to be strong. To be seen. To be something.
His pride wouldn't let him rot at the bottom.
He clicked Accept.
And he cried.
༎ຶ‿༎ຶ
Present moment…
Lemonk's arms shook as he pulled himself up again on the tree branch. His breathing was ragged. His vest clung to him like a weighted curse.
But his eyes were sharp.
His teeth clenched.
He pushed through the pain. Through the fatigue. Through the tears.
He wasn't just a weakling anymore.
He was a training maniac.
And this was only Day 1.