Rei's alarm buzzed early.
He groaned and rolled over, burying his face into the pillow like it could protect him from reality. His body ached in every muscle, as if he'd wrestled a truck in his sleep. Arms sore, calves screaming, shoulders tight.
"…Why does it feel like I fought a tiger last night?"
Dragging himself to the bathroom, he splashed cold water on his face and looked in the mirror.
Somehow, despite the exhaustion, his reflection looked a little sharper. Not cooler or confident — just… more alive.
Before he could think too much—
[Chaos Crown System Activated]
New Daily Task: Run 5 laps around the university track.
Reward: +1 Endurance | +50 CC
Rei spat out his toothpaste.
"Five laps?! What happened to 'organize your hair' and 'smile at yourself'?!" he whispered in horror. "You used to be nice!"
The system didn't respond.
He pointed a wet toothbrush at the air. "You've changed. You're like everyone else now…"
The campus field was still wrapped in morning fog when Rei arrived. A few students were already stretching. Athletes. Sports department types.
He looked down at his running shoes.
"Alright. Just five laps. Not ten. Not fifty. Five. I can do five…"
Lap one — okay. Lap two — still okay. Lap three — legs burning. Lap four — lungs felt like glass. Lap five…
He dragged himself across the finish line like a dying soldier. Face pale. Breath was sharp and wheezy.
[Task Completed]
+1 Endurance | +50 CC
Note: Muscular Fatigue Detected – Moderate (Recovery Time: 4 Hours)
Rei flopped into the grass, arms wide, eyes closed.
"I regret everything," he whispered. "I could've just… stayed average."
Somewhere far behind the bleachers, a woman in a black jacket watched him. Her eyes are calm. Presence still.
She stared at him for a moment longer, then vanished into the mist.
After completing the task, he came to his room.
It's already time to attend his classes.
So, Rei didn't even bother changing his uniform. He dragged himself to class with half-dead steps, sat in his usual spot, and leaned against his desk like a wilted plant.
But this time, people noticed him.
A few classmates turned to look at him. One girl blinked, then whispered to her friend.
"Hey, that's Kurohara, right?"
"Yeah. Didn't he rank eighth on the last test?"
"I thought he was just a quiet background guy…"
Rei lifted his head, blinking. For a moment, he thought they were talking about someone else.
Then he saw his seatmate glance over and give him a faint smile.
"You look kinda cool today."
He froze. "Cool… me?"
She blushed. "I mean—clean. Neat. Y-You know what I mean!"
Even Kaito, the guy who never talked to anyone, leaned over and said, "Yo, you okay? You look like you ran from a bear."
"…Close enough."
Ding!
[Charm +1]
Increased influence on social interactions.
The day felt different. Students who never noticed him were asking him questions. A few girls waved when he looked their way.
He didn't know whether to feel proud… or scared.
Later that day, just as Rei was about to leave class, their PE teacher made an announcement.
"Reminder, students: tryouts for the relay team begin now. I've already registered some of you. Kurohara, you're in too."
Rei blinked. "Huh?"
He looked around, wondering if there was another Kurohara.
But the teacher looked right at him.
Whispers broke out across the classroom.
"Rei? Seriously?"
"He doesn't even look athletic…"
"He got top 8 in the test, though."
Rei stood slowly. "Why me?! I'm dying…" mumbling.
The teacher simply smiled.
[Side Quest: Beat Haru in the tryout]
Reward: +120 CC
"Now you're throwing me into races. What's next — 'Win a martial arts tournament'?!"
On the field, Rei lined up with the rest of the students.
Beside him stood Haru, tall, muscular, captain of the sports team. He looked at Rei and grinned.
"Didn't think you'd show up, Mr. Mysterious."
Rei groaned. "I didn't. I was dragged…"
The whistle blew.
Rei ran.
Each step pounded the soreness from this morning deeper into his bones. His lungs screamed. His legs trembled.
But he didn't stop.
He came in third. Not first. Not even second.
But third.
[Partial Quest Clear]
Reward: +60 CC | +0.3 Strength | +0.4 Agility
It was enough.
People stared.
"…Is that the quiet guy from Class 3?"
"He was fast…"
"I thought he'd fall flat."
Rei bent forward, panting, gripping his knees.
Haru walked over, clapped a hand on his shoulder, and smirked.
"You're on the team, Kurohara. I like underdogs."
The classroom buzzed more than usual that afternoon.
Students started casually talking to Rei, like it was normal. Like he'd always been one of them.
One girl offered him her extra juice. A guy asked about his running form.
And when their homeroom teacher returned with the printed test rankings, the whispers came again.
"Eighth again."
"He's scary smart."
"He changed, didn't he?"
A girl sitting not far from Rei glanced at him again. Her eyes lingered, soft with something unreadable—was it surprise? Or... relief?
"He's changed," she murmured under her breath, almost too quietly to hear. "He looks livelier."
A group of boys nearby caught her subtle smile again. One of them elbowed the other and whispered, "Dude, she never smiles like that. What's going on?"
"Is it because of him…?"
Rei noticed her gaze but said nothing. He just stood and quietly left for lunch.
That evening, he lay on his bed, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Recalling today's events.
He'd run five laps, joined the relay team, and somehow ranked in the top 10 in it.
Not a bad week for a "loser." He thought.
The system blinked to life.
[Current CC Balance: 1080]
Evolution Progress: 9.2%
Status Gains:
Strength +0.3
Agility +0.4
Endurance +1
Charm +1
He grinned slightly. "Alright… maybe you're not that bad."
The system pinged again.
[Random Box Unlocked]
You received: Recovery Patch (Use to remove fatigue instantly)
He took out the Recovery Patch from his inventory and used it by slapping it on his arm, and felt the pain dissolve like magic.
"…Okay, that's amazing."
Just as he was about to close his eyes—
The screen flickered.
Strange symbols blinked for a moment — glowing letters he didn't recognize but felt weirdly familiar.
Then a voice. Faint. Dreamlike.
Who are you…? Why… do you feel familiar?
His body tensed.
"…System?"
[No Response.]
"…Weird."
He tried to shake it off.
But in the back of his mind… something stirred.
Far away, a teacher closed her notebook slowly. A faint light glowed beneath her sleeve — a mark she hadn't seen shine in years.
She didn't know why.
But something was waking up.
End of Chapter 5