Ch04. The drive to grow stronger
After we had breakfast, and Quintus bragged to father about my recent awakening, even though father kept silent about it, I readied myself to go to the Wielders Association.
It wouldn't take long to finish the test and get my results, so it seemed I would have most of the day to test the system's features.
When I was ready to leave, Quintus asked if I wanted a ride, since he was going to work anyway, but I politely refused, for two reasons.
First, I didn't want to be alone in the same car as my brother.
Second, I wanted to test out one of the daily quests.
If the system was planning on murdering me with that amount of exercise, it was best to see if the reward was worth it.
Way better than just waiting to see what kind of penalty I could receive.
It was ten kilometers from home to the association, so,if I could just finish running with, let's say, 2kg weights on my legs, it should do.
It was a shot in the dark, but the quest clearly said running ten kilometers with weights. It didn't specify how heavy the weights should be.
So I wore a pair of jogging pants, my shirt, a black hoodie, and went to the training room to get some weights.
After I was ready, I started walking my way out of there.
It was uncomfortable in the beginning, but after a few hundred meters, I was able to start running.
I didn't want to get anxious about the results, so I didn't open the quest window, and just focused on running, with as much of a steady pace as I could.
But when I was halfway from the association, I heard the beep in my head, followed by a notification in front of my eyes.
[Agility +1]
So it was already giving results?
I didn't think it would make any difference, but the more I ran, the steadier my pace and balance would become.
So I tried to push it a little harder, to test the extra point I just acquired.
And I was right.
I could run a bit faster than when I gave my first steps with the weights on my legs.
I went past a park, and slowed my pace as an idea came to mind.
I opened my status window and the quests window.
NAME: KURT BLAKE LVL: 01
AGE: 16 HP: 100/100
CLASS: ??? MP: 50/50
BASIC STATS
Strength: 15 Perception: 15
Dexterity: 20 Intelligence: 10
Agility: 21 Vigor: 25
[QUESTS]
[CHANGING THE TIDE]
[DAILY QUEST]
[UNIQUE QUEST]
I chose the daily quests and checked it.
[DAILY QUEST: THE STRONGER SELF]
[REQUIREMENTS: RUNNING WITH WEIGHTS 8/10KM
SIT-UPS 0/50
PUSH-UPS 0/50
SPARRING 0/10MIN]
[REWARD: ???]
[PENALTY: ???]
As I thought, I was almost done with the running, but I still had the other exercises to do.
I sopped in my tracks, catching my breath and looking at the park.
It was a beautifully wooded place, and it even had an area with some equipment I could use someday.
But for now, I was content with the plain ground by itself.
I approached the area, stretched a bit, and laid down on my chest.
"Okay, let's fucking go!" And I began doing the push-ups.
It was hard in the beginning, and it only got harder the more I pushed.
But slowly, I was able to finish the fifty push-ups.
Then I laid on my back and started the sit-ups, which were a bit easier than the push-ups, but also a bit painful.
When I checked the quest window, this time, it showed both push-ups and sit-ups completed, which gave a strange feeling of accomplishment, and as I smiled towards the window, I began running again.
There were just two kilometers left, and I still had to think about how I would have a spar with my older brother.
Arriving at the association, I went to the reception desk and scanned my holowatch.
"Okay, sir. Just go to the second floor and wait with the others." The receptionist said.
I took the elevator, and when I got to the second floor, fifteen people were already in the waiting room.
And I knew one of them...
"Nikolai?"
The young Russian looked at me, perplexed.
"Do I know you?"
Ah, of course, he didn't know me when he was young.
But we did study in the same school.
Before he received the results of the test, knowing he was just a regular, dropping off school right after that, and going to live in the streets.
Becoming the king of the black market, not long after.
"Kind of." I answered. "I know you from school, you're remarkable."
Nikolai stared at me, with those dark blue, curious eyes.
"I didn't realize we were the same age, you look older than me, somehow." He said, still looking at me. "Came for the test?"
We chatted a little, and then it was his time to enter the room.
"Semenov, Nikolai!" The voice echoed through the speakers in the waiting room.
"It was good meeting you, Kurt. See you at school?"
"Sure."
And he left.
Ten minutes later, I saw Nikolai leaving the testing room.
His eyes were glued to the floor, distant.
I knew what happened, because I already seen it happen before.
"Nikolai!" I called, getting up from where I was sitting.
He looked at me, still feeling distant.
I didn't know what drove me to do what I did, but I went towards him, held his hand in a reassuring way, as firmly as it could get, and said.
"It's not over, Nikolai. I know you might think it is, but if you need anything, call me. I got your back."
Nikolai looked at me like I was crazy or something, but I raised his hand, and touched his holowatch with mine.
The device beeped as I sent added him to my contact list.
"Blake, Kurt!" The examiner called.
"It's my turn now, wish me luck." I said, still gripping Nikolai's hand. "Don't forget it. If you need, call me!"
"You sure are an odd one..." Nikolai said, but this time, he had a smile on his face. "I will not forget."
'Neither will I... Friend. As long as I breathe, you won't die again.'
And I started walking towards the test room.
Hadiah
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