The rain finally eased by dawn.
Kieran woke to the ache in his legs.
Not soreness — proof.
His first stat point hadn't made him instantly powerful, but it changed something within him. A shift he could feel whenever he tightened his fists or flexed his arms.
He stared at the translucent screen hovering in the morning air.
───────────────
STATUS
STR: 2
AGI: 1
VIT: 1
INT: 1
WIS: 1
LCK: 1
Unallocated Stat Points: 0
───────────────
Two strength.
Still weaker than anyone else.
Still below average.
But for the first time in his life, his growth was his.
Not a teacher's decision. Not a test result. Not luck.
He whispered, "Open System Guide."
Nothing happened.
Then a notification blinked:
System does not guide the unproven.
Grow. Learn. Earn.
So that was it.
No tutorials.
No shortcuts.
Just him — and effort.
Kieran pushed himself off the cold concrete and walked out of the alley, heading toward the Market District. Shopkeepers were opening stalls, yelling over each other, carts rolling loudly over uneven stone paths.
"Hey!" a sharp voice snapped.
Kieran turned.
An older man with a stained apron glared at him.
"You're the kid who begged for leftovers yesterday, right?"
Kieran hesitated. "I… helped unload crates."
The man snorted. "Sure. Take out the trash and I might give you something."
Kieran swallowed the bitterness.
He needed calories. Hunger was a limiter — one he couldn't afford.
He nodded.
The man pointed at a stack of wooden crates filled with soggy discarded vegetables.
"Move them behind the stall."
Kieran braced himself.
He grabbed a crate and lifted.
He nearly gasped.
Yesterday, this same weight had felt like trying to lift a boulder.
Today?
It was still heavy. His arms trembled. But he could lift it.
He carried the crate around the stall and set it down. A soft chime followed.
───────────────
Strength Proficiency +0.2%
───────────────
He froze.
He got proficiency not from killing monsters…
…but from working.
He grabbed another crate.
───────────────
Strength Proficiency +0.3%
───────────────
Another.
───────────────
Strength Proficiency +0.4%
───────────────
The work was filthy, uncomfortable, humiliating —
But every notification was another drop of fuel.
Kieran finished the task faster than the man expected.
The vendor tossed him a piece of stale bread.
"Don't come back tomorrow. I don't run a charity."
Kieran caught it, ignoring the insult.
He walked away, biting into the bread. His jaw hurt from how tough it was, but food was food.
He sat on the edge of a fountain, chewing slowly.
A group of teens his age passed by, wearing sleek hunter trainee jackets.
Their voices were loud.
"So, how many stat points did you start with?"
"Twenty-six."
"Ha! I got thirty-two."
Kieran stared at his bread.
They didn't even appreciate what they had.
One of them noticed him.
"Hey, isn't that the kid who failed Awakening?"
Another laughed.
"No system. No stats. He's basically a civilian forever."
If only they knew.
Kieran tightened his hold on the bread until crumbs fell between his fingers.
The System responded.
───────────────
Emotion detected: Resolve
───────────────
A new notification appeared.
───────────────
Hidden Quest: Defy Expectations
Objective: Gain a measurable stat before anyone notices.
Reward: Str +1
───────────────
Kieran exhaled slowly.
The System was acknowledging him.
Piece by piece.
Drop by drop.
It didn't want him strong.
It wanted him to deserve strength.
He stood.
If strength grew from labor…
Then endurance would grow from pain.
He tightened his hoodie and set off toward the western outskirts of the city — toward the forest trail used for hunter training runs.
His feet hurt.
His lungs burned.
His legs shook with each step.
But every time he wanted to stop—
───────────────
Running Proficiency +0.5%
───────────────
He kept going.
And when his vision blurred—
───────────────
Running Proficiency +1.0%
───────────────
He pushed harder.
He ran until the sun began to set, until his socks were soaked with sweat and his shirt clung to him like a second skin.
Only then—
───────────────
Running Proficiency 100%
Skill Upgraded → RUNNING (E)
───────────────
Another message immediately followed.
───────────────
Endurance +1
Hidden Quest completed:Defy Expectations
Objective: Gain a measurable stat before anyone notices.
Reward: Str +1
───────────────
Kieran collapsed onto the dirt path, chest heaving.
He had done it.
Not through luck.
Not through talent.
Through effort.
He pulled up his status screen.
───────────────
STATUS
STR: 3
AGI: 1
VIT: 2
INT: 1
WIS: 1
LCK: 1
───────────────
He smiled.
Sweaty. Hungry. Exhausted.
But proud.
Two days ago, he had nothing.
Now?
He was growing.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Relentlessly.
And somewhere deep inside the system…
something began to stir.
───────────────
System remark:
"You are finally beginning."
───────────────
Kieran stared at those words.
The world had no idea what was coming.