Ethan sighed, staring at the stats panel. "Okay… I guess I'll assign some points to Strength, Dexterity, Vitality… and Endurance."
The moment he said Endurance, his face turned bright red. He remembered the system's jokes about his "early genius."
[Hahaha… ohhh, little Tesla. Endurance, huh? Trying to last more than three seconds, right?]
"Shut up! I'm serious!" Ethan muttered, lightly hitting the table.
[Relax, Einstein. Just saying… be careful, or I might suggest exercises that test that special endurance of yours.]
Ethan looked away, teeth clenched. "Damn system! I don't know whether to laugh or cry…"
[Hehe… a mix of both is ideal, champ. Makes you more human… and more fun to watch.]
Ethan rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the teasing. The system's voice suddenly changed tone, like it was overly cheerful.
[Alright, Einstein… I'm going to give you the happiest tutorial of your life. Ready?]
Ethan raised an eyebrow, uneasy. "I feel like something's wrong… but… fine. Go ahead."
[Perfect. And by the way, I'm giving you a new mission. Straight to the point!]
A notification appeared, flashing red:
[Daily Mission:]
[Run 10 km
100 push-ups
100 sit-ups
100 squats
100 burpees]
Ethan nearly vomited, choking on the hot dog he was chewing. "What?! Are you insane?! I'm gonna die doing this!"
[Relax, Einstein. You've got 24 hours to finish it, right? Not like you have anything more exciting to do.]
"24 hours! That's medieval torture!" Ethan yelled, tossing half his hot dog aside. "I don't know if my heart, my lungs, or my dignity will survive this!"
[Hehe… your dignity always dies first. But look on the bright side: huge reward.]
Right then, the reward popped up:
[$5,000 and 1 daily Lux point.]
[Consider this your new job. I officially hire you, Mr. "Early Genius and Professional Athlete," now you don't have to waste your points on pointless stuff oh, and I forgot to mention…]
[Restriction: NO Lux points can be used on physical stats for 30 days]
"This is a f***ing joke…!!!"
[Nope, but I can read you like an open book, hehe. You really thought I wouldn't know what you were trying to do?]
Ethan sighed, resigned as the system mocked his attempt to cheat.
"Okay… this day has been complete madness. At least I can rest a little before… that."
He got up and started walking toward his apartment, dragging his feet, when a new notification appeared:
[Time Remaining: 4 hours 36 minutes]
Ethan nearly fainted, staggering. "What?! I still have a time limit?! This is… a nightmare!"
[You seriously thought it would be easy? No hope for you, champ. Welcome to real life.]
Ethan let out a long sigh, hitting his forehead with his palm.
"Damn it… and I thought today I'd just eat a hot dog and chill… can you stop giving me half-info? I feel like my heart's gonna explode."
[Ha… welcome to your personal training, Einstein. Now go and show me you can survive without passing out on the first try.]
Ethan finished the rest of his soda in one gulp, leaving the cup empty beside him. He tried stretching a little, moving his arms and legs, but looked more awkward than anyone attempting yoga for the first time. His muscles creaked, shoulders tensed, and a few clumsy steps made him wobble.
Some passersby laughed quietly at the park. An older man even shouted:
"Look, he was eating trash and now he wants to get strong!"
A woman walking her dog added, laughing:
"Come on, champ, don't hurt yourself before you start!"
Ethan gritted his teeth, feeling his face heat up, trying to keep composure.
[Ha… even they're laughing at you, champ. Come on, show them who's boss. Show the tiger inside.]
"Shut up!" Ethan growled, but couldn't hide a small sigh. He looked at his hands, took a deep breath, and muttered, "Okay… let's do this… even if it's pathetic."
The system let out a laugh, clearly enjoying the situation.
[That's it, Einstein. Every move counts. This is your first step toward glory… or at least toward not dying trying.]
Ethan started jogging slowly, feeling every muscle scream in protest. He barely went a few meters when he realized he had no idea how to pace himself. His breathing was more like panting than controlled, and each step felt like his legs were made of jelly.
A small, curious dog started following him. At first Ethan thought it just wanted company, but soon the animal began barking and jumping around him, confusing his run.
"Hey! Don't bite me!" Ethan shouted as the dog circled him. "I'm trying to… exercise!"
[Hehe… champ, looks like you've got canine fans. Come on, show who's the real alpha.]
"Alpha me! Don't chase me, damn dog!" Ethan yelled, accelerating and tripping over a branch, nearly face-planting into the grass.
As he tried to recover, a group of cyclists zoomed by, one of them giving him a mix of surprise and amusement:
"Hey, buddy! 10K run or marathon of shame?"
Ethan huffed, trying to ignore them, but tripped again over his own shoelace.
[Ohhh, yes, yes… look at those funny falls, Einstein. This is training… mental and physical.]
At the ten-minute mark, Ethan had to dodge a kid who let go of a red balloon right in front of him, accidentally stepping in a puddle that soaked him to the knees.
"This is a water nightmare!" he yelled, shaking off the water as onlookers laughed. "I don't even know if I'm running or doing a street performance!"
[Hahaha… performance, champ. That's spirit! Every step counts, even the ridiculous ones.]
Halfway through, a group of skateboarders zipped by and one nearly ran him over. Ethan jumped awkwardly, rolled, and ended up sitting, breathing like he'd run a full marathon even though he'd barely hit 5 km.
"This… this is worse than any video game!" he panted. "They're gonna kick me out of the park if I keep this up!"
[Relax, little Tesla. All part of your daily training. Remember, every kilometer is a point toward your greatness!]
Ethan sighed, wiping his forehead, and started running again, this time a bit more determined. Dogs, puddles, cyclists, and balloon-launchers weren't going to stop him. At least, not without turning him into the park's most ridiculous spectacle.