Fai's gaze lingered on the system, his mind slowly analyzing the information displayed before him.
He quickly grasped the function of each tab, from "Name" all the way down to the final one, "Skill."
The Name tab, displayed his name ,
That was certain , but The Race tab, was still a mystery, something he didnt understand.
Then came the Stage tab, which indicated his current fairy development. This suggested a progression system: as he leveled up and reached specific milestones, his stage would undoubtedly evolve.
The EXP tab clearly showed the experience needed to advance, while the Attribute tab listed all his core stats: Strength, Stamina, Speed, Agility, Endurance, and Perception.
Each attribute was accompanied by a brief explanation of its meaning. Finally, the HP tab, as in most games, represented his Health Points.
"But if my health point is 20, doesn't that mean I'm incredibly weak?" Fai mused , a sudden realization dawning on him.
"And if someone with a strength point of 20 hit me, I could die from a single blow!"
A shivers ran down his spine as the implications of the system began to sink in.
As for the Skill tab, he instinctively knew its purpose. "I assume this is where all my skills will be," he murmured, his eyes scanning the empty space.
"Well, for the moment, I only have one skill: Storage, and it's quite low,grade "
Fai observed, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Still, I guess it could come in handy. Perhaps if I level up, the system will grant me more skills or even enhance this current one."
A flicker of excitement ignited within him at the thought. "Speaking of which, I guess it's time I checked the Quest tab."
Taking another deep breath, Fai mentally navigated back to the main menu and selected [QUESTS].
The screen instantly changed, revealing a single, glowing entry:
[DAILY QUEST: MORNING GRIND]
[DESCRIPTION: Engage in your daily training regimen. Push your body to its limits. Focus on enhancing your Agility, Endurance, and Strength.]
* [REQUIREMENTS:]
* [COMPLETE 100 PUSH-UPS.]
[REWARD: 25 EXP]
* [RUN 5 KILOMETERS.]
[REWARD: 25 EXP]
* [TOTAL: 50 EXP]
* [QUEST STATUS: PENDING]
Fai's eyes widened in disbelief, and a surge of exhilaration coursed through his body.
The quest was like his regular, brutal training .
He felt an almost overwhelming urge to laugh aloud.
This was it. This was his chance to break free from the cycle of vulnerability that had plagued him.
With this system, he wouldn't just be hoping to get stronger; he would have a clear, measurable path.
He could truly become a Muted Hunter, not just a desperate orphan clinging to a wooden sword.
The upcoming assessment, looming just days away, no longer felt like an insurmountable wall but a vital stepping stone.
With renewed vigor, Fai sprang off his mattress, the lingering stiffness from yesterday's beating entirely absent.
He was no longer going to train merely to survive; he was going to train to excel. His movements were infused with a new, almost frantic energy.
He quickly devoured his meager breakfast , stale bread and cold milk, provided by the city heads to all orphans and the poor in this part of the city. Surprisingly, it tasted exceptionally good in his newfound vigor.
He then carefully packed his worn training clothes, a small waterskin, and his trusty wooden sword into his battered bag.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and gold, yet Fai was already moving with a quiet urgency, his mind alight with possibilities.
He burst out of his room, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway, startling a sleeping scavenger in the building's common area.
He ignored it , his focus solely on the day ahead. Fai returned to the familiar embrace of the forest, his mind buzzing with the excitement of the quests.
The previous day's humiliation, instead of breaking him, had ignited a fierce determination, now amplified by the promise of the Fairy System. EXPS
He pushed himself harder than ever before, forcing his body through push-ups until his arms trembled, running until his lungs burned, and practicing his sword forms until his vision swam.
He concentrated on his evasion, his footwork, the quick, darting movements that had momentarily surprised Kael's group.
He knew he couldn't beat them in a direct fight, not yet. But now, he had the tools to close that gap, to become faster, more elusive, and more unpredictable.
After the vigorous push-ups and running, he finally heard the reward he was waiting for: the satisfying "cling" sound of a notification from the system.
[DAILY QUEST: MORNING GRIND]
[DESCRIPTION: Engage in your daily training regimen. Push your body to its limits. Focus on enhancing your Agility, Endurance, and Strength.]
* [REQUIREMENTS:]
* [COMPLETE 100 PUSH-UPS.]
[REWARD: 25 EXP]
* [RUN 5 KILOMETERS.]
[REWARD: 25 EXP]
* [TOTAL: 50 EXP]
* [QUEST STATUS: COMPLETE]
[+50 EXP]
[+25 EXP BONUS ]
Seeing this, Fai couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. This notification and the screen he could see once again proved that the system was real and not just his mind playing tricks or some sort of hallucination. Unfortunately, though, there were no other quests for him to complete. He was intensely curious about the type of reward he might receive if he leveled up to the next stage.
If he could get more quests and EXP, he might even level up to the next stage and gain more rewards, and who knew, maybe he might even have wings! Fai smiled, contemplating the incredible impossibilities and how life-changing this could be.
Pushing all other thoughts aside, Fai decided to continue training and practice his swordsmanship with the wooden sword.
He struck the sword against the air, envisioning imaginary targets in his mind, mostly Kael's group, as he practiced and imagined himself delivering the beating they deserved for all the torture and trouble they had caused him.
However, Fai knew virtually nothing about swords or swordsmanship since he had no one to actually or directly teach him.
He wasn't as fortunate as other kids whose parents paid fortunes for tutors and private lessons to give them an advantage during the assessment next week.
Yet, he had observed some of the mutated hunters who walked past the city during their training; some of them used swords.
Due to their incredible speed and agility as mutated hunters, it was difficult for him to keep track of their movements.
Fortunately, though, he was able to clearly observe one particular move, and that was what he was now diligently trying to perform.
He held the hilt of his sword and slashed against the air, practicing the move repeatedly.
After a couple more hours, Fai was drenched in sweat, but he had mastered the movement and could perform it fluidly without feeling awkward.
Feeling tired, he decided to go freshen up.
He moved through the thick forest with its huge trees, searching for a stream. Fortunately, it wasn't too far from where he trained; perhaps that was even the reason he chose to train there in the first place.
Kneeling close to the river, Fai could see his reflection, but it wasn't one he was quite used to.
"What the... what happened to my face?" Fai exclaimed, leaning closer to the reflection on the river's surface.
His face had changed. The scars that used to mar his skin were gone, replaced by a smooth complexion.
The color of his eyes remained the same, but the same could not be said for his hair; it was no longer brown and spiky but black and curly. Fai was a completely different person now, and it was only at this moment that he had truly realized it.
But that wasn't all. Since that morning, he had felt some discomfort on the side of his face where he typically wore an eye patch, almost like something that wasn't supposed to be there was present.
Moving his hand reluctantly, Fai slowly removed the eye patch.
"Oh my God , is thus real ? ... i must be dreamimg "
To his astonishment, the normal dark, lightless void that used to be in that spot was gone, and he could finally see with both of his eyes again.
Tears of joy slowly ran down his cheeks, without even his permission.
Unlike what most might think , Fai wasnt born with a single eye , his second eye was taken away from him by bullies.
But somehow here he waa , his two eyes completely funtional .
He didn't need to be a scientist or someone profound with knowledge to know that all these changes were due to the system.
And he wasn't wrong. When the system activated, due to his previous condition, it had also activated an Auto Restoration skill, which regenerated every part of his body that had been hurt, and it turned out that his eyes were among those parts.
Fai was now completely different; literally speaking, the Fai now was not the same as the Fai from before. Black, curly hair, a perfectly smooth, scarless face, and two functioning eyes — a total contrast to the previous Fai.
"I guess this really is a new start," Fai said to himself, feeling the breeze of a new air caress his transformed face.