I didn't sleep that night.
Not because I couldn't—
But because I didn't want to.
Every page I read stayed in my mind perfectly. Every concept made sense faster than it ever had before.
For the first time in my life—
Studying felt… easy.
Dangerously easy.
[New Notification]
I blinked.
"…There's more?"
[Daily Quest Generated][Study for 2 hours][Complete 20 practice questions]
[Reward: +1 Intelligence][Bonus Reward: Random Skill Fragment (Low Chance)]
[Penalty for Failure: Mild Headache]
I stared at it.
"…That's it?"
I couldn't help but laugh.
"This system is basically my mom."
[Reminder: Consistency builds strength.]
"…Yeah yeah."
Still, this was perfect.
No life-threatening nonsense. Just steady growth.
"I can do this."
I picked up my book again.
Two hours later.
"Done."
I stretched my arms, cracking my neck.
"That felt… way too fast."
Normally, two hours of studying felt like torture.
Now?
It felt like 30 minutes.
[Daily Quest Completed][Reward Issued: Intelligence +1]
A strange sensation passed through my mind.
Not painful.
Just… sharper.
Clearer.
"…I can actually feel that."
Before I could enjoy it fully—
Another notification appeared.
[Bonus Reward Triggered][Obtained: Skill Fragment — Focus Enhancement (1/5)]
"…Fragment?"
[Collect 5 fragments to form a complete skill.]
"Ohhh… that's interesting."
So even luck mattered.
I glanced at my stats again.
[Luck: 1]
"…Right. Never mind."
The next morning—
Reality hit.
"Wake up!"
My mother's voice echoed through the house.
"College!"
"…Yeah, coming!"
For a second, I wondered—
"Was last night even real?"
But then—
[Daily Quest Available]
"…Nope. Definitely real."
College felt the same.
Same classrooms.Same noise.Same boring lectures.
But I wasn't the same.
For the first time—
I understood everything.
Not just memorizing—
Actually understanding.
Even the teacher's messy explanations made sense.
"…This is broken."
I scribbled notes effortlessly.
Answered questions in my head before they were even completed.
It felt like I had skipped months of struggle overnight.
And that's when—
"Hey."
I looked up.
One of my classmates stood beside me.
"You've been… quiet lately."
"…Have I?"
"Yeah. And you're writing like a machine."
I smirked slightly.
"Just trying to pass this time."
He laughed.
"Good luck with that."
"…Yeah."
This time—
I don't need luck.
That evening—
I returned home and sat down again.
Another quest popped up.
[Daily Quest: Physical Activity][Run 1 km][Reward: +1 Endurance][Penalty: Body stiffness]
I stared at it.
"…Now that's new."
I sighed.
"Guess I can't become a genius and stay lazy."
30 minutes later—
I regretted everything.
"Why… is this… so hard…?!"
My lungs burned.
My legs felt like they were about to fall off.
"System… you betrayed me…"
[Host is weak. Improvement required.]
"…Shut up."
I finally stopped, gasping for air.
"…I hate this quest."
[Daily Quest Completed][Endurance +1]
A warm sensation spread through my body.
The fatigue didn't disappear—
But it became… manageable.
"…Okay."
I exhaled slowly.
"…maybe it's worth it."
That night—
As I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling—
A new notification appeared.
Different from the others.
Slower. Heavier.
[Notice][Continuous rapid growth may cause mental and physical strain.][Warning: Overuse of cognitive enhancement may lead to fatigue, headaches, or temporary instability.]
My smile faded slightly.
"…So there's a limit."
[Balance is recommended.]
I closed my eyes.
"…Makes sense."
For every advantage—
There's a cost.
But still—
A small grin returned to my face.
"…Even then."
I opened my eyes, staring into the darkness.
"This is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
[Hidden Condition Progressing…]
The screen flickered—
Just for a moment.
Gone before I could fully read it.
"…Huh?" I sat up.
"…What was that?"
Silence. For now.