The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was a white, almost pale ceiling fading into a cold light. The air was perated with the unmistakable scent of disinfectant, and a strange, uncomfortable feeling tightened on my back, keeping glued to the bed. The stabbing pain running through my head was acute, and for an instant I rembered the first day I ca into this world, and a faint smile appeared on my lips.
I couldn't help but feel disconcerted by the situation. As my eyes adjusted, I realized I wasn't just anywhere. It wasn't an ordinary hospital. The environnt was different, more specialized. A place of recovery, I thought, and instantly understood: I was in one of NOVA's facilities, one dedicated to caring for injuries.
But there was sothing else. In the midst of my disorientation, I noticed a translucent window in front of , a notification waiting to be seen.
● [You have unread ssages]
Without thinking, I responded with a slight command in my mind.
"Confirm."
A floating ssage appeared before my eyes, suspended in the air.
[Congratulations, you have left a deep impression on Sir Galahad. The system rewards you with a random talent ticket and 8000 points.]
My eyes imdiately fell on the ticket. A random... talent. The reward was impressive, and excitent imdiately ran through . Talents were not just skills; they were the very foundation of power, and in this world, they were directly tied to growth. A talent not only enhanced your capabilities, but unleashed your full potential, being able to transform an ordinary person into a superman.
To put it simply: an S-class talent was not only ant to form a warrior of at least that class, but depending on their characteristics and skills, they could aspire to an even higher level. That's how important it was to have, or not, a talent in this world.
[The system informs you that you have unlocked new tasks. Please proceed quickly to the "Quests" section.]
My eyes quickly moved to the next ssage
My eyes quickly moved to the next ssage. New tasks... What the heck? Uncertainty settled back into my chest, but curiosity got the better of . The quests weren't just a simple system requirent; they were opportunities, challenges, and probably, more rewards.
I quickly summoned the system in my mind.
●
The screen flashed for an instant, and a list of tasks was imdiately displayed.
-『 Do 10 push-ups (incomplete) ( 0/10 )』
-『 Do 10 sit-ups (incomplete) ( 0/10 )』
-『 Do 10 squats (incomplete) ( 0/10 )』
...
...
-『 Run 5 kiloters (incomplete) (0/10) 』
...
At first, everything seed reasonable. Small missions, maybe even easy to complete. But as I read on, the feeling of being about to be dragged into sothing much more sinister intensified. "What the...?!" I exclaid, stunned. The tasks that followed seed more and more absurd, even humiliating.
My mind, already tired, began to spin about what was to co. With the headache beginning to appear, I looked back at the missions.
...
...
-『Receive 10 declarations of love (incomplete) ( 0/10 )』
-『Get rejected by the ice queen (incomplete)』
-『Propose to the student council president (incomplete)』
...
...
-『Walk around NOVA facilities naked (incomplete)』
.
.
.
"Really?" I thought, letting out a slight nervous laugh. What kind of missions were these? Each one seed more ridiculous than the last. My head was spinning, and everything was getting more and more absurd. I can accept that you want to test my physique, my will, and even my sanity, but my dignity? That's too much. What the hell were you playing at, you fucking system? Answer !
[...]
Did I really have to do all this? No, I won't. I just can't.
[Warning: Failing the mission carries a system penalty]
Still, I couldn't do sothing so ridiculous.
Arggg!
An unbearable pain went through my head, as if an electric current was running through my entire body. It was so intense that I felt as if my body was about to fall apart.
Argh... a gasp ca out of my mouth as I struggled to breathe.
"S... stop... ha...e!" I said with a superhuman effort to get those words out. The pain in my head made tremble, and the pressure in my chest made it difficult for to breathe.
I wanted to scream for everything to stop, but my efforts were useless, and the words barely ford.
"Stop, I will!" I repeated again, but the words broke in my throat, and all that ca out was a desperate whisper. Every attempt to speak only intensified the pain, as if an invisible force was destroying everything in its path. Destroying every part of my soul. I felt more trapped, unable to breathe, as if the very air itself was being taken from .
But just when I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, sothing changed. The pain slowly began to lessen. The pressure in my chest, which had previously been as oppressive as an iron chain, began to loosen, and a soft whisper of fresh air ran through my lungs. The relief was so sudden that I almost didn't believe it. My body was finally able to relax. However, I knew that it had only been possible because I had committed myself.
If I didn't, who knows what would have happened? Fear gripped like a raging storm, my hands shook and anxiety symptoms began to invade , but before I could lose control, sothing strange happened.
The fear, anxiety and all the emotions I had experienced disappeared. My breathing beca calm, my body regained stability, and an inexplicable serenity took over my face. It was then that I realized: the feature had been activated, and with it, I managed to pull myself together.
But I was fed up. The system seed to be playing with and the worst of all was that I couldn't do anything to stop it.
"Haaah," I let out a sigh... and lay down for a while. After all, today is already lost.
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