The morning sun filtered through the curtains of Eiji Mizuno's room, casting warm stripes of light across the floor.
He sat on the edge of his bed, hands resting on his knees, breathing deeply.
His body still ached slightly from yesterday's intense training, but it was a good ache,a sign of progress.
The System's presence lingered in his mind like a constant pulse of energy, ready to guide him again.
[System Notification]
Daily Quests Available:
[Shadowboxing (30 min) , Reward: +1 Agility]
[Sit-ups (150 reps) , Reward: +1 Strength]
[Footwork Ladder Drills (20 min) , Reward: +1 Agility]
[Punch Accuracy Practice (100 punches to small target) , Reward: +1 Martial Knowledge]
[Endurance Running (3km) , Reward: +1 Stamina]
[Bonus: 5 quests completed = Additional Attribute Points]
[Sparring Bonus Available: First Weekly Sparring Chain (2/5 Wins)]
Eiji stretched slowly, rolling his shoulders.
No slowing down, he thought.
The tournament is getting closer every day.
He finished his light breakfast, packed some supplies, and made his way out to the old abandoned gym,the only place he trusted to focus without interruption.
It was time to train.
[Daily Quests]Shadowboxing (30 Minutes)
Standing alone on the center mat, Eiji imagined an opponent in front of him.
This time, he didn't move mindlessly.
Every jab, every cross, every pivot was intentional.
He visualized different enemy types,fast, slow, aggressive, defensive,and adapted to each imaginary threat.
The training wasn't just physical now,it was strategic.
Sweat poured down his forehead as he moved faster, sharper, weaving in combinations and footwork drills naturally.
Quest Completed: +1 Agility
Sit-ups (150 reps)
He dropped to the mat and began the sit-ups.
Each upward motion forced his abs to tighten like steel cables.
His breathing was steady, in through the nose, out through the mouth.
After the first 100, the burn in his core grew intense.
But he pushed past the fatigue, gritting his teeth.
Done.
He rolled onto his side, panting slightly, the ceiling spinning above him.
But he could already feel the gains building within him.
[Quest Completed: +1 Strength]
Footwork Ladder Drills (20 Minutes)
Pulling out a cheap rope ladder he'd found in storage, Eiji set it down and began working through the drills.
Quick feet in and out, diagonals, forward sprints, backward hops,keeping his center of gravity low and balanced.
His heart raced as he increased his pace, sweat dripping onto the worn floor.
But he refused to slow down.
If he was going to face real martial artists in the tournament, he needed to be faster than ever.
[Quest Completed: +1 Agility]
Punch Accuracy Practice (100 punches to small target)
Next, he taped a small square paper target to the center of an old heavy bag.
He needed precision, not just strength.
Setting his stance carefully, he began punching, aiming only for the target,no wild swings, no wasted movement.
His first few strikes missed by a fraction.
He adjusted his shoulder position, centered his balance, and tried again.
Gradually, he began hitting dead center every time.
[Quest Completed: +1 Martial Knowledge]
Endurance Running (3 km)
Last was the endurance run.
Eiji left the gym and hit the pavement, sprinting through the empty suburban streets, pushing himself hard.
His breathing turned ragged after the first kilometer, but the Minor Recovery passive skill kept him from fatiguing completely.
His body was adapting.
One step stronger. One step closer.
He crossed the three-kilometer mark at full speed, stopping only when he reached the edge of the abandoned park near the gym.
Bent over, hands on his knees, he smiled through the pain.
[Quest Completed: +1 Stamina]
[System Notification]
[5 Daily Quests Completed]
[Bonus Reward: +2 Strength, +2 Agility]
[Temporary Buff Unlocked: Slight Boost to Reflexes (+5% for 24 hours)]
Eiji straightened up, rolling his neck.
He felt incredible,lighter on his feet, muscles tighter, reflexes sharper.
But the day wasn't over yet.
He had another spar waiting.
As he made his way back to the gym, he was surprised to find a familiar figure standing by the punching bags.
Riku Tanaka,the same senior he had sparred with earlier,was waiting, gloves in hand, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Yo, Mizuno," Riku called.
"Heard you're prepping for the underground tournament."
Eiji nodded cautiously. "Yeah."
Riku smirked. "Well, coach said you needed more real practice. So, here I am."
Eiji tightened his gloves wordlessly.
They moved to the center mat, bumped gloves, and without needing any more words, the spar began.
Riku came out aggressive this time, testing Eiji's defense immediately with rapid jabs and sweeping low kicks.
But Eiji's new agility and reflex boosts kicked in.
He dodged the first punch, swayed under the second, and countered with a quick jab to Riku's shoulder.
Light, controlled,but enough to sting.
Riku grunted and stepped up the pressure.
Their footwork was fast, almost a blur to any outside observer.
Eiji pivoted, evading a right hook, countering with a sharp body blow that forced Riku back.
The match continued with neither giving ground easily.
Halfway through, Riku tried a feint,pretending a high kick before sweeping low.
But thanks to Battle Instincts, Eiji saw the trick instantly.
He stepped over the low sweep, pivoted, and unleashed the Dragon Fang Strike at Riku's exposed side.
The hit connected cleanly,controlled, not full force,but enough to knock Riku off balance.
Riku stumbled, caught himself, then raised a hand.
"Alright," he panted, grinning. "You win again."
They bumped gloves, mutual respect in their eyes.
[System Notification]
[Sparring Victory Achieved]
[Reward: +2 Strength, +2 Agility]
[Sparring Chain Progress: 3/5 Wins]
Eiji wiped the sweat from his forehead, chest heaving.
He could feel it,he was getting closer to the version of himself he had always dreamed of becoming.
And there was still one more thing to do today.
As he packed up to leave, the System chimed again.
[Daily Spin Available: Wheel of Fortune]
Eiji closed his eyes briefly, then accepted.
The colorful wheel appeared, spinning rapidly,sections labeled:
[+2 Strength]
[+2 Agility]
[+2 Martial Knowledge]
[Minor Skill Unlock]
[Random Martial Art Move]
[Temporary Stat Boost]
[Mystery Box]
The pointer slowed... slowed...
Click!
[Reward: Minor Skill Unlock - "Quickstep"]
[Skill Unlocked: Quickstep (Active)]
[Instantly dash 1 meter in any direction.]
[Cooldown: 10 seconds.]
Eiji's eyes widened as the knowledge settled into his muscles.
Movement skill. Short, fast dashes to reposition or dodge attacks.
A tool that could easily turn the tide of a real fight.
He took a few experimental steps in the gym, focusing on activating the Quickstep.
In a blur, he zipped one meter to the left, appearing almost instantly in the new position.
Incredible.
Walking home that evening under the setting sun, Eiji opened his System Status once again.
[Status Screen]
[Strength: 28 → 36]
[Agility: 27 → 36]
[Martial Knowledge: 17 → 19]
[Stamina: 12 → 13]
[Skills]
[Basic Martial Arts (Passive)]
[Dragon Fang Strike (Active)]
[Battle Instincts (Passive)]
[Minor Recovery (Passive)]
[Quickstep (Active)]
The tournament was drawing closer.
And Eiji Mizuno was becoming a weapon.
A weapon ready to carve his name into the martial world.