"It's a place where people like us learn to grow," Aaria said calmly.
"You'll become stronger there—far faster than you ever could on your own."
She paused for a moment, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"And no," she added lightly,
"it's not as terrifying as it sounds."
Sam exhaled slowly, only then realizing how tense his body had been.
"…Shadow Academy," he murmured under his breath.
Aaira nodded.
"If you want answers," she said softly,
her voice almost a whisper, "this is the best path forward."
Then—
She extended her hand.
From thin air, a card materialized—its surface shimmering in hues of deep blue and black, like a fragment of the night sky.
Tiny frost-like particles clung to its edges, glowing faintly.
She caught it effortlessly and slid it across to Sam.
"In two months, the new term begins,"
she explained.
"There will be an entrance ceremony… but before that, you must pass the entrance test. It takes place a week prior."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Ordinarily, you would have been directly enrolled… after all, you are the heir to the throne."
She paused.
"But for now, that truth must remain hidden—until you are strong enough. And we intend to keep it that way for as long as possible."
Sam swallowed hard.
The weight of her words pressed against his chest.
Aaira stood up gracefully.
"Now, I'll be taking my leave," she said.
"I'll see you at the Academy."
And just like that—
She vanished.
Only faint, shimmering particles of ice lingered in the air where she had stood.
Silence returned.
Sam picked up the card, staring at it for a long moment.
Then, without a word, he opened a drawer and carefully placed it inside.
His gaze shifted toward the glowing screen nearby.
A quest window hovered there, waiting.
"…It's still the middle of the day," he muttered. "I'll do it in the evening."
He stretched, letting out a tired yawn.
"First… I need to finish my sleep."
He lay back on the bed.
Within moments, darkness claimed him.
RRRING… RRRING… RRRING…
Sam's eyes snapped open at the sharp sound of his phone.
Half-asleep, he reached out and picked it up without even glancing at the screen.
"…Hello, Grandma."
"Hello, Sam. How was your day?"
"Nothing special," he replied.
"Just the usual lectures."
There was a brief pause.
"Sam… did something happen?"
He hesitated.
"A-ah… what? No. Nothing happened… why do you ask?"
"Your voice sounds heavier than usual."
He rubbed his eyes, forcing a small yawn.
"Oh… it's nothing, Grandma. I just woke up."
"…If you say so."
"Yeah… it's nothing."
"Alright. Take care of yourself, Sam."
"You too, Grandma. Take care."
The call ended.
Sam let out a quiet sigh and glanced at the clock.
6:00 PM.
"I should complete the quest…"
He sat up, stretching his stiff limbs.
Without wasting another moment, he changed into his sports clothes.
[ Trial Quest – 01 ]
• Run 2 km (Incomplete)
• Push-ups ×10 (Incomplete)
• Squats ×40 (Incomplete)
Sam arrived at the park just as the evening light began to fade, the sky painted in shades of orange and purple.
He took a deep breath.
"…Alright. Let's do this."
Without overthinking, he started running.
One step. Two steps.
By the time he reached a few dozen meters—
His breathing broke.
"Hah…! Haa…!"
His chest tightened as if something was squeezing his lungs. His legs felt unusually heavy, each step harder than the last.
He slowed down, then stopped completely.
"Already…?"
Leaning forward, hands on his knees, he gasped for air. Sweat formed almost instantly on his forehead.
He grabbed his water bottle, taking a quick sip before wiping his mouth.
"...Again."
He pushed himself forward.
Step after step.
But it didn't last long.
His pace faltered once more.
"Haa… damn it…"
He stopped again, breathing ragged, his heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears.
Break.
Run.
Stop.
Breathe.
Again.
And again.
The cycle repeated endlessly.
Time blurred.
What should have taken minutes… stretched into nearly an hour.
By the end—
Sam crossed the invisible mark of 2 kilometers.
And collapsed.
His body gave out as he fell onto the grass, staring blankly at the darkening sky.
"Haa… haa…"
His chest rose and fell violently, each breath burning his lungs.
His muscles twitched uncontrollably, sharp pain spreading through his legs like fire crawling beneath his skin.
"I… did it…"
Even lifting a finger felt like a struggle.
As Sam lay there, struggling to catch his breath, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
"…Noah," he muttered.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then, a translucent screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
At its center was the name NOAH, accompanied by a small, pulsing waveform icon.
A voice followed.
"Apologies, Boss," Noah replied calmly.
"I am designed not to interfere unless instructed. You did not request my advice."
Sam blinked.
Then—he laughed.
"Ohh… so that's how it works?"
He pushed himself up slightly, still breathing heavily.
"Alright then," he said with a grin.
"I order you to give me the best advice possible in every situation… and treat me like a friend."
There was a brief pause.
Order received.
The screen flickered.
A buffering symbol appeared, spinning rapidly as faint lines of data scrolled across the interface.
For a second—
Everything froze.
Then—
Complete.
The screen returned to normal.
At first glance, nothing seemed different.
But then Noah spoke again.
"Boss," the voice said, noticeably lighter,
"you should hurry. Two tasks are still remaining."
Sam froze for a second.
Then a slow smile spread across his face.
"…Yeah," he murmured.
The difference was subtle—but unmistakable.
Noah no longer sounded like a cold machine.
There was warmth now.
A trace of personality.
"Okay," Sam said, pushing himself up despite the soreness screaming through his body.
"That's more like it."
Sam planted his hands against the ground, arms trembling as he forced his body into position.
"…Push-ups,"
he muttered under his breath.
He lowered himself.
One.
His arms shook violently as he pushed back up.
Two.
"Hah…!"
He collapsed onto the ground, chest hitting the grass as his strength gave out.
"…That's all?"
His breathing was uneven, frustration creeping in.
"Boss," Noah's voice came calmly,
"maintain steady breathing. Don't rush. Efficiency matters more than speed."
Sam let out a tired laugh.
"Easy for you to say…"
He rolled onto his side, taking a short break before forcing himself back up again.
"Alright… again."
Down.
Up.
His arms screamed in protest.
He barely managed another one.
Then dropped again.
The pattern repeated—
Push.
Collapse.
Rest.
Push.
Collapse.
Rest.
Each repetition felt heavier than the last, as if gravity itself was increasing.
Sweat dripped onto the ground beneath him.
His muscles burned, his arms trembling uncontrollably.
But he didn't stop.
Not completely.
Piece by piece—
He kept going.
Until finally—
He completed the last push-up.
Ten.
Not in a row.
Not even close.
But done.
Sam dropped flat onto the ground, staring up at the sky, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Haa… haa…"
His arms felt completely numb now, as if they didn't belong to him anymore.
"…I did it," he whispered.
"Confirmed," Noah replied.
"Push-ups ×10 — Completed."
A faint smile appeared on Sam's face.
"Boss," Noah's voice sounded again, calm but firm, "only one task remains—Squats."
Sam lay there for a moment, staring at the sky.
Then—
He slowly pushed himself up.
His arms trembled.
His legs protested.
But this time—
There was a different look in his eyes.
"…Alright," he said quietly.
He stood up straight.
Took a deep breath.
And began.
One.
Two.
Three.
His movements were slow, controlled.
By the tenth, his legs had already started to burn.
By the fifteenth, his breathing grew heavier.
By the twentieth—
His thighs screamed in protest.
"Boss," Noah's voice cut in, softer now,
"you can take breaks—"
"No."
Sam's reply was immediate.
He went down again.
And pushed back up.
Twenty-five.
"Haa… haa…!"
His breath came out ragged, almost breaking. His vision blurred slightly, sweat dripping down his chin.
Every instinct in his body begged him to stop.
But he didn't.
Twenty-six.
Twenty-seven.
His legs trembled violently now.
Each squat felt like lifting a mountain.
Thirty.
A sharp pain shot through his muscles, but he gritted his teeth.
"…I'm not stopping."
Thirty-one.
Thirty-two.
His form started to falter, but his will held firm.
Thirty-five.
"Boss—"
"I said… I'm not stopping!"
Thirty-six.
Thirty-seven.
Thirty-eight.
His legs nearly gave out.
Thirty-nine—
Forty.
He completed it.
For a split second, he remained standing.
Then—
His legs collapsed beneath him.
He hit the ground hard, lying flat on his back, completely drained.
"Haa… haa…"
His entire body trembled.
His muscles throbbed with unbearable pain, especially his legs—they felt like they were on fire.
He couldn't move.
Not even a little.
"…I did it," he whispered faintly.
"Confirmed," Noah replied.
"Squats ×40 — Completed."
Silence followed.
The sky above him had already darkened, the evening fading into night.
Sam lay there for nearly half an hour, too exhausted to even sit up.
But deep inside—
There was a quiet satisfaction.
For the first time in a long time—
He had pushed past his limits.
Eventually, he forced himself to move.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Step by step—
He made his way back to his room.
A sharp chime echoed in his mind.
[ Quest Completed ]
A bright screen burst open before his eyes.
[ Trial Quest – 01 ]
• Run 2 km — Completed
• Push-ups ×10 — Completed
• Squats ×40 — Completed
For a brief second, everything went silent.
Then—
[ Calculating Rewards… ]
A soft hum filled the air as faint lines of light moved across the screen.
[ Reward Granted ]
• +1 Stamina
A sudden warmth spread through Sam's body.
"…What the—"
His muscles, which had been screaming in pain just moments ago, began to ease.
Not completely—
But noticeably.
His breathing stabilized.
The burning sensation dulled.
It felt as if something inside him had been… reinforced.
"Stamina increased," Noah's voice followed, now calm yet slightly approving.
"Your endurance and recovery efficiency have improved."
Sam stared at the floating screen, his expression slowly darkening.
"…What? Only stamina?"
His shoulders dropped slightly, disappointment creeping into his voice.
"What about strength…?"
He clenched his fist, feeling the slight improvement—but it wasn't enough.
"…At this rate," he muttered, eyes narrowing,
"it's going to take way too much time… and way too much effort to get stronger."
Silence lingered.
Then—
A thought struck him.
Aaria.
Her calm confidence.
Her overwhelming presence.
Sam's jaw tightened.
"…Like this," he whispered, frustration rising,
"I'll never be able to catch up to her."
His breathing grew heavier—not from exhaustion this time, but from urgency.
"No…"
Suddenly, he shot up from the bed.
"I can't do this the normal way!"
His eyes sharpened with determination.
"NOAH!"
"Yes, Boss."
"Find me something—anything!" Sam said quickly.
"A cheat skill… a shortcut… something to make me stronger faster!"
There was no hesitation.
"Understood."
The screen flickered violently.
[ Processing… ]
Lines of data streamed rapidly across the interface.
Symbols, codes, and unknown patterns flashed one after another.
Then—
DING!
The screen stabilized.
Sam leaned forward, eyes shining with anticipation.
"Well?! Tell me!"
Noah paused for a brief moment.
Then spoke.
"Boss… there is one system."
Sam's heart started pounding.
"A way… to accelerate growth beyond standard limits."
His lips curved into a grin.
"Finally…! Then tell me already!"
A short silence followed.
Then—
Noah replied:
"Pleasure System."