Anirban groaned as he rolled out of bed the next morning. His arms felt like jelly, and his legs weren't doing much better. Every part of his body throbbed, especially his shoulders and thighs.
"Ugh... I feel like I've been beaten with an iron rod."
He glanced at the mirror. There was no visible bruise, but he could tell the toll had been internal. He pulled up the system window, his heart sinking again when he saw the reminder.
---
[System Status – Anirban Roy]
Health: 49/100
Strength: 3
Endurance: 1
Intelligence: 4
Charisma: 5
Luck: 2
---
"Wow. I went from weak to extra weak," he muttered, trying to shake the sleep from his eyes.
But he didn't regret trying. If anything, it proved he had a long way to go. He just needed to plan better. Maybe warm up next time. Or stretch. Or both.
He limped through his morning, every motion slower than usual. He didn't talk to anyone at school. Not that he usually did, but today he was especially quiet. In class, he laid his head on his arms, pretending to be tired — which wasn't pretending at all, really.
But in the middle of math class, something unexpected happened.
---
[System Notification]
New Quest Available
Quest 2: Strength Recovery Training
Objective: Begin recovery through light workouts.
Tasks:
10 light squats
10 arm stretches
Drink 2 liters of water
Reward: 5 XP, +1 Endurance
Penalty for failure: -1 Endurance (Permanent)
---
He blinked at the window.
"They really want me to keep going even when I'm dying?" he whispered under his breath.
Still, this quest was gentler. The system wasn't pushing him to lift a mountain just yet — just a gentle nudge forward. And he needed that stat back.
---
When the final bell rang, Anirban stayed behind for a bit, watching the girl he liked pack her bag. As always, he admired her from a distance, the same way someone admires the moon — beautiful, untouchable. She walked out with her friends, chatting and laughing, unaware of his quiet gaze.
Anirban sighed. "One day, I'll be someone she'll look at."
He walked home slowly, arms still sore but a plan forming in his mind.
Once home, he gulped down a full bottle of water — halfway to that hydration goal. Then, despite the soreness, he stood in the middle of his room.
"Let's do this."
He bent his knees and started squatting. They weren't deep, but they were slow and steady. He counted aloud.
"One... two... three..."
By the time he hit ten, his thighs burned again, but it was bearable.
He followed that with gentle arm stretches, wincing with every motion but refusing to quit. Pain was just part of the process now.
When he finished, a soft chime rang in his ears.
---
[System Notification]
Quest Complete!
+5 XP
+1 Endurance
---
Anirban grinned.
"Nice. Got it back."
He glanced again at his status.
---
Endurance: 2
---
Still low. Still not enough. But it was progress. And for Anirban Roy, progress — even tiny — felt like the beginning of something far bigger.
He wasn't strong yet. But he wasn't ordinary anymore either.
And tomorrow, he'd do more.
---
To be continued...