Morning felt normal.
Too normal.
The faint noise of utensils clinking in the kitchen, the smell of chai drifting through the air, and the distant sound of traffic outside—it was the same routine Raj had known his entire life.
And yet…
Nothing felt the same anymore.
Raj sat on his bed, staring blankly at the wall.
The panel was still there.
Floating.
Silent.
Watching.
[Divine Broadcast is ACTIVE]
He didn't react this time.
Didn't panic.
Didn't question.
Not because he understood it…
But because he had realized something.
It wasn't going away.
A knock came from the door.
"Raj, wake up." his mother's voice called from outside.
He glanced at the door.
Then at his bandaged hands.
"…Yeah," he replied quietly. "Coming."
The small house felt tighter than usual.
Two bedrooms.
One kitchen.
One bathroom.
And three people trying to make everything work.
His mother was already dressed for work, her uniform neat but slightly worn.
She worked at a bank.
Long hours.
Constant pressure.
Still… she never complained.
"You should rest more," she said as she handed him a cup of chai. "Doctor said your hands need time."
Raj nodded slightly.
His sister sat nearby, eating quietly, occasionally glancing at him like she still didn't fully believe he was okay.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
Except—
[Constellation 'Watcher of Silent Skies' is observing your daily life]
Raj's grip tightened slightly around the cup.
"…Right," he muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something?" his mother asked.
"Nothing."
Silence settled again.
But inside him—
Something was different.
His eyes drifted toward the corner of the room.
Old books.
Dusty notes.
Entrance exam guides he hadn't touched in weeks.
He had gotten into college.
But he wasn't going.
Couldn't.
Didn't want to.
"What are you planning to do now?" his mother asked suddenly, her tone gentle but heavy.
Not pressure.
Not anger.
Just… concern.
Raj didn't answer immediately.
Because he didn't have a simple answer.
"I'll figure it out," he said finally.
His sister looked at him.
"You always say that."
He gave a faint smile.
"Yeah… and I usually do."
But this time…
It wasn't that simple.
After they left, the house fell silent.
Raj sat alone.
The panel appeared again.
[Daily Missions Available]
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So now you're giving tasks."
[Basic Physical Development Required]
Before he could respond—
A new panel opened.
[Host Profile]
[Name: Raj Singh]
[Age: 20]
[Strength: 3]
[Agility: 2]
[Stamina: 3]
[Flexibility: 1]
[Intelligence: 4]
[Charm: 5]
[Stat point: 0]
[Karma point : 38]
[Overall Condition: Below Average]
[Needs Improvement]
Raj stared at it.
"…Wow," he muttered. "Didn't need a system to tell me that."
Another window appeared.
[Daily Missions]
• 20 Push-ups → +Stamina
• 2 km Run → +Agility
• 30 Squats → +Strength
• 10 min Stretching → +Flexibility
Raj blinked.
Then blinked again.
"…That's it?"
No response.
He stared at the list.
Simple.
Too simple.
But something about it…
Didn't feel optional.
[Failure to complete daily missions may affect evaluation]
"…Yeah, there it is," he sighed.
Raj leaned back slightly, running a hand through his hair.
"This is insane…"
His gaze drifted toward the window.
Outside, life continued as usual.
People going to work.
Kids heading to school.
And him?
"…I just wanted to earn money," he said quietly.
"Help her a little… make things easier.
His voice dropped.
"…I don't want her working like that forever."
Silence.
Then—
[Constellation 'Silent Judge of Ruin' is observing your intent]
Raj's jaw tightened.
"And yeah," he added, glancing at his sketches.
"I wanted to make something too."
Anime.
Stories.
Something of his own.
Not just survive.
Something more.
The panel flickered slightly.
[Desire acknowledged]
Raj stared at it for a long moment.
"…Fine," he muttered.
He slowly stood up, ignoring the slight pain in his arms.
His body felt weak.
Heavy.
Untrained.
"…20 push-ups, huh?"
"Let's see what this system actually does."
Outside—
The city of moved on like nothing had changed.
But inside that small house—
Something had already begun.
[ Divine Broadcast is observing]
And the gods were watching closely.
...
Raj stood there for a moment, staring at the empty air in front of him.
The silence in the room felt heavier now, like something unseen was still present, still watching. Even without the panel visible, he could feel it lingering.
"…Alright," he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "So this is real."
He turned toward the mirror slowly, his reflection staring back at him like nothing had changed.
He stepped closer, observing himself more carefully this time.
Tall—around 5'11. Skinny. No real muscle. Just a body that had never been pushed far enough. But his face… sharp enough, clean features.
"…Could be worse," he said quietly. "At least I'm not ugly."
His gaze dropped to his arms.
Wrapped in bandages. Stiff. Weak.
He tried to move them slightly, but a sharp pain shot through instantly, forcing him to stop.
"…Yeah, that's not happening," he muttered.
For a few seconds, he just stood there, staring at his own hands.
Then he let out a slow breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward slightly.
His thoughts weren't racing anymore.
They were settling.
If this thing was real…
Then everything had just changed.
The panel flickered back into existence.
[Healing Serum Available]
[Cost: 20 Karma Points]
Raj froze.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the words.
"…Of course," he whispered.
So this was how it worked.
Not just missions.
Not just rewards.
Everything had a cost.
His gaze shifted slightly, as if trying to see beyond the panel.
"…And if I don't?" he asked quietly.
No answer came.
Just the option, waiting.
Then his eyes slowly moved toward the desk.
A small photo frame rested there.
His father.
A faint smile frozen in time.
A man who used to laugh loudly… who used to say everything would be fine.
Gone.
Just like that.
An accident.
Raj's expression changed.
Not visibly.
But something inside him tightened.
After that day, everything had shifted.
His mother started working longer hours.
His sister stopped asking for things she wanted.
And Raj…
He stopped believing things would just "work out."
"…I'm tired of this," he said quietly.
"Tired of watching her struggle like that."
His voice hardened slightly.
"I don't want to stay stuck here."
The panel flickered faintly.
[Constellation 'Silent Judge of Ruin' is observing your intent]
---
Raj didn't look away this time.
"…Fine," he said.
His gaze dropped to his arms again.
Then back to the panel.
"Buy it."
[20 Karma Points Deducted]
[Healing Serum Applied]
A strange warmth spread through his arms.
Not sharp. Not painful.
Just steady.
Raj stiffened slightly, his fingers twitching as the sensation spread deeper.
"…What the hell…"
The tightness began to fade.
The dull ache loosened.
Slowly.
He flexed his fingers.
Once.
Twice.
No pain.
Raj stared at his hands for a long moment.
Then slowly clenched them into fists.
"…It actually worked."
His breathing steadied.
But his thoughts didn't.
Because now—
There was no doubt left.
This wasn't an illusion.
This wasn't stress.
This was real.
And whatever this system was…
It had just changed everything.
It had just changed everything.
Raj stood there for a few seconds, staring at his hands as if expecting the pain to return.
It didn't.
The faint warmth had faded, but the stiffness was gone. His fingers moved freely now, his grip firm.
"…So this is how it starts," he murmured.
His gaze shifted slowly.
Back to the empty space in front of him.
The panel appeared again.
[Daily Missions Pending]
Raj let out a slow breath.
"…Right."
For a moment, he considered ignoring it.
Sitting down. Resting. Thinking.
But that thought didn't last long.
"…No," he said quietly.
"If this is real… then I don't get to sit around anymore."
He stepped forward.
Then dropped to the floor.
"Let's see how hard this actually is."
The first push-up felt easy.
Too easy.
The second followed smoothly.
Then the third.
"…Yeah, I thought so," he muttered.
By the eighth—
His arms started to shake slightly.
By the tenth—
His breathing changed.
"…Wait…"
He pushed again.
But this time, his form broke slightly.
His arms trembled under his own weight.
"…What the hell…"
Sweat formed on his forehead.
His chest tightened as he pushed again, forcing himself upward.
"…This shouldn't be this hard…"
But it was.
By fifteen—
His arms felt heavy.
By eighteen—
They burned.
And at twenty—
He collapsed flat onto the floor.
"…Damn…"
His breathing turned uneven, chest rising and falling rapidly.
For a few seconds, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling.
"…So I'm really this weak, huh…"
No answer came.
Only—
[Constellation 'Laughing Abyss' finds your struggle entertaining]
"…Yeah, yeah… enjoy the show," he muttered.
He forced himself up again.
Next—
Squats.
The first few were manageable.
Then the strain kicked in.
His legs trembled.
His balance wavered.
"…Seriously…"
By the end—
His thighs burned like fire.
Then came stretching.
Which, somehow—
Felt worse.
"…How am I this stiff…
And finally—
The run.
Raj stepped outside.
The afternoon sun hit his face as he stood still for a moment.
"…2 kilometers," he muttered.
It didn't sound like much.
Until he started running.
The first few minutes were fine.
Then his breathing grew heavier.
Then his legs slowed.
"…No… not stopping…"
He pushed forward.
Step by step.
Every breath felt heavier than the last.
Every step dragged.
"…Just finish it…"
By the end—
He was barely running.
More like forcing himself forward.
When he finally stopped—
He bent over, gasping for air.
"…Two hours…"
His entire body ached.
But—
He had finished it.
The panel appeared instantly.
[Daily Missions Completed]
[+25 Karma Points]
[+2 Stat Points Allocated to All Attributes]
Raj blinked.
"…That's it?"
Then another panel appeared.
[Host Profile Updated]
[Name: Raj Singh]
[Age: 20]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 4]
[Stamina: 5]
[Flexibility: 3]
[Intelligence: 6]
[Charm: 7]
[Stat Points: 0]
[Karma Points: 43]
Raj stared at it.
"…Wait… that's actually a big jump…"
His breathing slowly steadied.
But something else felt different too.
Lighter.
Stronger.
Not by much.
But noticeable.
"…So it works like that…"
The panel flickered again.
[Certain Constellations are impressed by your perseverance]
Raj narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…What now…"
A new message appeared.
[Constellation 'Watcher of Silent Skies' grants you a skill]
[Skill Acquired: Calm Mind]
Raj froze for a moment.
"…A skill?"
A strange sensation passed through his mind.
Not painful.
Not overwhelming.
Just… clarity.
His thoughts slowed.
His breathing steadied.
The exhaustion was still there.
But it didn't feel suffocating anymore.
"…What is this…"
[Calm Mind: Enhances mental stability and focus]
Raj let out a slow breath.
"…That's… actually useful…"
For the first time—
He wasn't panicking.
He wasn't overwhelmed.
He was thinking.
Clearly.
His gaze lifted slightly.
"…Alright," he said quietly.
"If this is how the game works…"
A faint, tired smile appeared on his face.
"…then I'll play it properly."
And somewhere beyond his world—
The gods continued to watch.