[A/N_ To avoid confusion, I've updated how Elias communicates with the system.
From now on:
Messages that begin with [>] mean the system is speaking directly into Elias's mind—a form of thought-based communication.
Messages without [>] are shown through the system's screen interface.
I hope this clears things up.
Also, I'm open to suggestions if you think there's a better way to format or present this.]
# #
"47," Elias called out in a ragged voice, his breath heavy and muscles aching. But he couldn't stop. He had something to prove—not just to himself, but to the system that dared insult him.
'Fat loser?!'
'How DARE it?!'
Sure, in his past life, maybe he carried a few (hundred) extra pounds. But that wasn't really his fault. It was karma. A cosmic mistake. Well… maybe it had a little to do with all the snacks. Just a little.
But that was then.
This was a new life, in a new body—a strong, fit, heaven-blessed kind of body. Muscles you could actually see, flexibility that showed someone definitely worked out. Not quite a Greek god, but still impressive. Yet somehow, the system still dared to look at him—him!—and called him "Fat Loser"
Absolutely not.
He was going to crush this quest and shut that arrogant system up for good.
...Or so he thought.
That had been his mindset just a little while ago. That was the plan—crush the quest, prove the system wrong.
Fast forward thirty minutes...
He was dying.
He couldn't breathe.
After sprinting lap after lap to finish a brutal 3km run, knocking out squats like a machine, and powering through sit-ups with the desperate energy of a man trying to heal his bruised pride, Elias was now halfway through push-ups.
And he was on the verge of ascending to the afterlife.
His arms trembled.
His lungs wheezed.
His breath came out in ragged gasps.
"Okay," he panted, sweat dripping from his nose, "maybe… breezing through this… was a little too optimistic."
Honestly, it wasn't even his fault. It was the previous owner of the body.
How could a body that looked this fit not handle a proper workout?
It felt like the guy had never done a single real exercise in his life. Just coasted by on good genes and luck. Elias had clearly overestimated this body's actual condition. He'd have to do the real work himself.
Right on cue, the system screen lit up with a smug message.
[It's not the body, idiot. Even a goat in a lion's skin is still a goat.]
"…What kind of quote is that?" Elias muttered through heavy breaths.
[A profound one. Clearly too deep for your limited mammalian brain.]
Elias groaned, arms shaking as he pushed out another shaky push-up.
'Great. Now I've got a parasite living in my head.'
[How dare you?! I'm no parasite! And don't lump me in with that puny spirit whispering sweet nothings in your thoughts. I am a being beyond comprehension.]
Elias couldn't help but smirk.
'Minuscule, huh? Wonder what Alia would say to that.'
He could almost picture her sweet voice as she takes notes like always.
Now that he thought about it, Alia hadn't said anything since the system issued the quest. She was probably staying quiet to avoid distracting him during his workout.
Unlike someone.
Thankfully, the system didn't seem to have the ability to speak directly into his thoughts like Alia did. It only communicated through the screen.
He couldn't imagine hearing that voice in his head all the time.
Unfortunately, fate clearly had other plans.
Because at that exact moment, a voice echoed in his mind—not Alia's.
It was smug, arrogant, and unmistakably the system.
>[Who said I can't speak directly into your mind? I just don't. It costs energy, and I don't waste energy on useless things.]
Elias froze mid-push-up, eyes wide.
"Nope. Nope nope nope. This is hell. I've officially descended into the deepest part of hell."
He scowled, glaring at an empty tree in front of him like it might somehow rescue him.
"Hey, do you at least come with an off switch?"
>[Of course. But you wouldn't dare silence the great me! To deny yourself my insight is to—]
"Mute," Elias said flatly, the word rolling out of his mouth like a divine command.
Silence.
Glorious, satisfying silence.
The arrogant voice cut off instantly, and Elias sighed in relief.
Then suddenly, giant glowing letters exploded onto the system screen, burning in animated blue flames:
[FUCK YOU.]
Elias burst out laughing, sweat dripping from his brow as his body shook from laughter. "Ahhh… now we're talking."
With a simple command, he muted the system notifications entirely, cutting off the system from any way of communicating with him.
"Perfect," he muttered to himself, dragging his aching limbs back up for another push-up. "This is more like it."
The quest wasn't going to complete itself—but at least now, he could finish it in peace.
The next fifty or so push-ups were hell, but without the system constantly nagging him, it was way more bearable.
Once he finished, Elias collapsed to the ground like a starfish. His arms were jelly, his chest burned with every breath, but the sense of accomplishment—and the incoming reward—made it all worth it.
"Unmute notifications," Elias mumbled, bracing himself for a fiery, curse-filled rant from the system.
Instead...
> [Ding!]
Daily Quest: "Foundation of the Body" Completed ✅
Rewards:
+1 Endurance
+1 Strength
+1 Willpower
+20 EXP
Congratulations!
You have completed your First System Quest.
Calculating bonus rewards...
— First Quest Bonus Granted —
+10 Attribute Points
+20 EXP
+3 Gacha Pull Cards
+50 Karma Points
"Not bad... not bad at all," Elias grinned, sitting up with a groan as he scrolled through the list of new loot.
But then he paused, frowning at one specific reward.
"…Erm," Elias said slowly, glancing up at the screen, "System, you there?"
"…Soo, what's a Gacha Pull Card?"
[Consumable item. Used on Gacha pool to obtain rewards.]
"Rewards, huh?" Elias muttered, ignoring the system's clearly salty tone. "Like gear? Weapons? Skills?"
[Yes.]
Elias smirked at the short, curt response. "Still mad about the mute thing, huh?"
>[I don't know what you mean.]
He laughed. "Right. Of course not. Totally not sulking."
>[I am incapable of sulking. I am a highly advanced—]
"Mute," Elias said flatly, cutting the system off before it could dive into another long-winded rant.
"Ahh, finally. Peace." He sighed contentedly.
Then he paused.
Brows furrowed.
"…Wait."
He stared at the empty air where the screen used to be.
"…How do I get to the Gacha pool?"
---
Several moments later…
Elias stared blankly at the system screen, finally having navigated his way to the Gacha pool.
Of course, to even get there, he had to unmute the system—enduring a dramatic storm of insults and passive-aggressive comments in the process.
And after all that trouble... the steps turned out to be stupidly simple.
He let out a long sigh but quickly focused as the Gacha screen appeared before him. With no hesitation, he opened the Gacha interface.
Immediately, the screen filled with options:
→ [Skill Draw]
→ [Weapon Draw]
→ [Blueprint Draw]
→ ...and many more.
But what really caught Elias's attention was one specific option—[Summoning Card Pull].
His eyes lit up instantly.
He knew just how rare summoning cards were.
Back on Earth, among players, summoners were already a rare class. But even among them, getting your hands on a summoning card was no easy feat. Most had to learn how to craft one themselves—a long, complicated process that not everyone was willing to grind through. And even then, crafting high-level summoning cards wasn't guaranteed.
Yet here he was, with a chance to pull one from a Gacha pool.
Of course, he knew there was no guarantee. This was still a Gacha pull, after all. Whether he got a card—or what kind of card he'd even get—was completely up to luck.
Still, just having the chance was thrilling.
But then, one thing started to bother him.
His class was specifically tied to undead summoning, not normal summoning. Would a regular summoning card even work for him? Or was this one of those undead-specific cards, even though the screen didn't show any details?
He narrowed his eyes at the screen.
"Well... I guess there's only one way to find out," he muttered with a small grin.