The ceiling fan rotated lazily above Lucas's head.
Its faint mechanical hum blended with the distant noise on the street outside, bicycles passing, someone calling out, the sound of summer insects and more.
Lucas lay on his bed, eyes half-open.
His body felt stable.
No sore.
No heavy.
A translucent blue screen hovered in his vision.
Available System Points: 18
Lucas stared at the number.
These weren't just rewards.
They were decisions.
In his previous life, life had decided everything for him when to work, when to give up, when to endure. Now, for the first time, the direction was in his hands.
"Show my current status," Lucas said.
The system responded immediately.
[Status Window]
Name: Lucas Cole
Age: 17
Core Stats:
Brain Capacity: 6
Physical Capacity: 5
Mental Resilience: 7
Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly.
His thoughts felt sharper than before cleaner. He could focus without drifting, process information without that familiar fog pressing down on him.
But more than that…
His emotions were under control.
No panic.
No self-hatred.
No constant fear of falling behind.
"This alone would've saved my old life,
" he thought.
But he didn't let the thought linger.
Understanding the Limits
Lucas tapped the air instinctively.
"Can I increase everything equally?"
The screen flickered once.
Notice:
Equal stat increase initiated.
Brain Capacity: 6+3→ (9)
Physical capacity:5+5→(10)
Mental resilience:7+2--(9)
Further enhancement requires:
→ Knowledge acquisition
→ Skill mastery
→ Experience-based growth
Lucas let out a quiet breath.
"So I can't cheat intelligence."
That didn't disappoint him.
If anything, it reassured him.
Real strength was built, not handed over.
Lucas sat up on the bed.
Remaining Points: 8
The moment the confirmation appeared, Lucas felt it.
A deep sensation not pain, not heat but something like alignment.
His breathing slowed naturally.
His chest felt lighter.
The constant background pressure he hadn't even realized was still there… vanished.
Lucas closed his eyes.
For the first time in years, his mind was quiet.
A Body That Responds
That evening, Lucas went out for his daily training.
No more breaking exercises into sets.
His body didn't need that anymore.
He moved through the routine steadily:
Push-ups, controlled and clean
Sit-ups without strain
Squats that no longer made his legs tremble
A long run through familiar streets
His breathing stayed even.
His heartbeat strong, not frantic.
When he finished, sweat clung to his skin but his muscles didn't scream in protest.
Instead, they felt… ready.
[Training Complete]
Rewards:
• Minor Strength Boost
• Accelerated Recovery
• Physical Adaptation Enhanced
Lucas wiped his face with his sleeve and looked at his hands.
They were the same hands.
But they didn't feel helpless anymore.
Quiet Gains
Days passed quietly after that.
Lucas followed his routine without fail.
Morning runs.
Bodyweight training.
Occasional visits to the computer shop to check on his investments.
The numbers weren't explosive.
But they were growing.
Steady.
Reliable.
A small notification appeared one night while he was lying in bed.
[Life Deviation Logged]
• Early financial investment confirmed
• Future trajectory altered
Reward:
+5 System Points
Lucas blinked.
"So I've been earning points without realizing…"
He scrolled down instinctively.
There it was.
A small option at the bottom of the interface.
[See More]
Lucas didn't tap it.
Not yet.
Some things, he felt, were better faced when he was fully ready.
Before Sleeping that night, Lucas lay still, listening to the sounds of his home.
His mother moving quietly in the kitchen.
His brother laughing softly in the next room.
The same house.
The same struggles.
But the future no longer felt like a wall closing in.
"I'm not strong yet," Lucas thought calmly.
"But I won't be weak again.