Again and again, William felt his muscles straining against each other as he went down, then up again, in a grueling cycle of push-ups. Every motion sent a ripple of pain through his body. Cold sweat trickled from his forehead, down his chest, arms, and onto the ground like a leaking faucet. His breathing had become erratic, harsh exhales misting in the air.
This hadn't been nearly as easy as he had expected. Training in this new, fragile body was nothing like what he was used to. It was as if he had taken a powerful engine and stuffed it into a rusted, crumbling frame. What should have been a simple exercise routine had turned into an exhausting trial.
The body he now inhabited, once feeble and without any real discipline, was like placing a single man beneath the crushing weight of an elephant and expecting him to hold steady. The same training that would have taken his previous body no more than an hour was now stretching past three hours—and that included short breaks where he simply collapsed and hoped the floor might swallow him whole.
After one final push-up—one last desperate push—William's arms gave out, and he fell flat on his face. He didn't even care about the impact. His entire being was numb. He couldn't move, not even a finger.
His breathing was ragged, the weight of his own chest felt unbearable. Drenched in sweat, his face glistened as he lay there, inhaling and exhaling like someone just pulled from underwater. Every intake of breath felt like hot iron being pushed into his lungs, and his heartbeat pounded so violently in his ears, he feared they'd burst.
Still, despite the agony, the frustration, and the exhaustion… the task was complete.
A sharp chime echoed in his mind. A notification.
{Quest has been completed}
{Reward: +1 to Physique}
William groaned. Not from the reward, but from how sarcastically cheerful the notification sounded. If it had a face, he would've punched it right then and there.
He lay still for a few moments before a smug voice echoed within him.
[You worked really well. Stand up and check your reflection.]
William's lips twisted into a scowl.
"Shut the hell up," he spat, breathless. "Your body is an old art piece that didn't even make the cut for display. It's dumb how you even managed it all these years."
The voice went silent—clearly hurt. If it had facial expressions, it probably would have looked stunned.
But William didn't care.
He groaned as he forced himself to rise, every joint protesting. His muscles twitched with pain, his legs trembled as if he were balancing on unstable stilts. Even his fingers shook with weakness.
"Like I said… old piece of artwork," he muttered under his breath.
Shuffling slowly, he made his way to the mirror. Standing before it, he paused. His reflection… it was not quite the same as it had been.
There was something different.
He raised his hands and examined them. His body—still lean, still fragile—now showed the faintest trace of muscle. Barely visible to a normal eye, but to him? It was improvement.
"I've… the body's changed," he murmured, voice caught between disbelief and amusement.
His previous self had been skinny, borderline malnourished. But now, even if it was just slightly, he looked better. Stronger. Not enough to boast about, but enough to notice. And that… that was something.
[The more you add to your physique by completing the daily quest, the stronger and better you'll become physically.]
A crooked smile formed at the edge of his lips. This was progress. This was hope.
"Seems the Luck Lotus actually followed me into this life," he muttered, his tone light, hopeful.
[What's the Luck Lotus?]
William gave a small shake of his head. "A plant I cultivated in my former life. But that doesn't matter right now."
[Uhmmm... alright.]
Excitement fluttered in his chest. He wanted more. If the system could help him grow stronger, faster—then he could carve a path for himself once again.
But first, he needed to rest.
Then—
"What about my martial ability?" he asked suddenly. "When do I get that?"
[Oh yes!]
[Sorry for not telling you. Your world is a bit different from mine. We aren't really martial artists in the traditional sense. Many here call themselves Transcendents. For that reason, I've placed a number of books at the end of the room. You can study them and start grasping how this world works.]
The excitement on William's face dimmed. Not because the answer was bad—but because it confirmed something he had already suspected.
'I knew it. It was just too good to be true. Nothing screams scam more than a string of good fortune without any downside.'
"When are you leaving?" His voice was colder now. Direct.
There was a pause.
If the voice had a face, it would have looked stunned again.
[How did you know?]
William's eyes narrowed. "I'd rather put my trust in a pack of wolves than in something—or someone—that makes me feel safe and secure. Because that feeling… that false security… it's how the strong get turned into fools."
He glanced toward the ceiling, his gaze hard, reflective.
The voice was quiet again, processing.
This man it had chosen—he wasn't normal. From the tone of his voice, from the weight of his words, it was clear he was someone powerful in his previous life. Yet now, there was an edge to him—mistrustful, bitter, perhaps even scarred.
[I don't have much time left. I must be fully gone for the full extent of the system to activate. I'm sorry for whatever chaos my life might bring.]
William didn't reply at first. His lips parted as if to speak, then pressed shut again.
Finally, he raised his hand a little and spoke, voice softer this time.
"I'm grateful for one thing at least—the opportunity at life you've given me. Shall I say… this is rather intriguing."
Silence followed. A strange, weighty silence. One that almost felt like mourning.
Then suddenly, the notification chimed once more.
{New Quest: Gain a Grade 5 Physique}
{Reward: An Ability}
William stood still for a moment, gazing at the notification.
'I take it… the sorcerer has perished.'
His eyes wandered to the far corner of the room. The voice had said that the books containing the world's knowledge were stacked there.
And if there was one thing William Alaric had always been terrifyingly good at, it was—
'Info gathering.'