I was gasping for air.
The last kilometer felt endless. My lungs burned as if they were filled with boiling water, my chest wheezed, and my legs had long stopped feeling like part of my body — just two pieces of pain moving forward by inertia.
I don't remember how I finished.
I only remember the world suddenly blurring as I collapsed to my knees right onto the asphalt. My palms hit the ground, my fingers trembled, and my breathing came in short, broken jerks.
I gulped air like a drowning man.
My vision darkened.
And at that moment, a window appeared in front of me.
####################
SYSTEM — DAILY TASK COMPLETED
Task completed.
Reward:
• Power +1
• Certificate "Luck +1" — placed in inventory
####################
I stared at the text, still unable to breathe properly.
"Power… that makes sense," I rasped. "Logical."
But luck?
I tried to open the certificate description.
The window opened, but there was almost no useful information. General wording. No clear explanation of how it actually worked.
I closed it.
My legs burned as if I hadn't run ten kilometers, but an entire lifetime.
"Later…" I whispered. "I'll deal with it later…"
I forced myself up and slowly made my way home.
Every step sent pain through my body. My feet throbbed, my calves cramped, my knees shook. I walked, counting my breaths, just trying not to collapse in the middle of the street.
When I got home, my mother was already there.
She was sitting at the kitchen table, holding a mug of long-cold tea.
"Where were you?" she asked quietly.
"Running," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm.
She looked at me in surprise.
"Running?.. Since when?"
I shrugged.
"Just… needed to clear my head."
She nodded, as if she accepted the answer, though something uneasy flickered in her eyes.
We talked a little about my father. Not much. Carefully. As if we were afraid to touch something fragile.
That evening, I fell asleep almost immediately.
***
I woke up the next morning with a single thought.
This couldn't continue.
I couldn't live in this poverty.
I couldn't keep enduring humiliation.
I couldn't pretend things would somehow fix themselves.
I was tired.
And if I didn't start climbing now, my mother and I would stay at the bottom forever.
"System," I said. "Show me today's daily task."
####################
SYSTEM — DAILY TASK
Run 10 kilometers (in a single run)
Reward:
• Endurance +1
• Artifact — placed in inventory
Failure penalty:
• Endurance -2
• Daily tasks blocked for 3 days
####################
I stared at the window.
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered. "I shredded my legs yesterday."
Losing two points of endurance right now was a luxury I couldn't afford. And a task block… no. That was too much.
I hid the window.
"Alright. Let's see."
I put on my old clothes — a stretched jacket, worn-out sneakers — and stepped outside.
"Let's test it," I told myself. "Just the first minute."
I started running.
And almost immediately realized — this was bad.
I couldn't breathe. My lungs burned, my legs cramped, my body screamed: stop.
A minute passed.
"No…" I exhaled. "I can't do this."
I turned around and slowly walked back home, feeling disappointment rise inside me.
Anger.
Helplessness.
"Okay," I said out loud as I closed the door. "Then we do it differently."
If daily tasks weren't an option — I'd start with money.
I turned on the computer and opened job listings.
It quickly became clear:
real money started at level five.
Level five was for students. People who studied.
I wasn't one of them.
I kept scrolling and found a courier job — bicycle delivery.
Minimal requirements.
Level three was enough.
I sent the application.
The response came almost instantly.
You're a good fit. Bring your documents tomorrow to the following address…
Three to four hours a day.
More if you wanted.
I closed the window and smiled for the first time in a long while.
"Great. First step done."
Then I called the system again.
"What do I need to reach level five?"
####################
SYSTEM — INFORMATION
Level advancement requirements:
• All primary attributes must reach the required level.
Conditions:
• All attributes ≥ 4 → Level 4
• All attributes ≥ 5 → Level 5
Primary attributes:
• Strength
• Intelligence
• Charisma
• Endurance
• Mana
• Other
####################
I frowned.
"Mana?.." I muttered. "What even is that…"
I closed the window.
At that moment, the door opened quietly.
"Kade?" my mother asked. "What are you doing?"
I turned around.