I was running.
And just a few minutes in, I realized—it was a completely impulsive decision.
I should've gone home.
Changed clothes.
Left my things behind.
Prepared properly.
The bag made sense for the library.
Running with it, in the same clothes, without stopping by home first…
Yeah. That part was a bad idea.
But it was too late.
I had already accepted the daily quest.
About a kilometer in, it became painfully obvious:
running with a bag slung over my shoulder was a terrible experience.
It kept slamming into my side.
The strap dug into my shoulder.
And the clothes I'd walked out of the library in were clearly not meant for running.
"Perfect," I muttered, trying to keep my breathing steady.
"Absolutely perfect planning."
Another kilometer passed.
That's when I realized something else.
Someone was running behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder.
A stray dog.
Medium-sized.
Dirty.
And very angry.
It was charging after me with an expression that suggested I was personally responsible for every bad thing that had ever happened in its life.
"No…" I breathed.
"Not this."
I picked up the pace.
So did the dog.
"Alright," I told myself.
"Steady pace. Just keep the rhythm."
The dog, apparently, had no interest in athletic discipline.
It suddenly lunged forward, snapping at my leg.
I jerked sideways—
—and at that exact moment, my shoe flew off.
I took another step, felt my bare foot hit the cold asphalt, and didn't even look back.
I couldn't stop.
If I stopped, the quest would fail.
Meanwhile, the dog grabbed my shoe.
Stopped.
Shook it.
Chewed it.
Tore into it like it was the greatest trophy of its life.
And then… started running again.
With my shoe in its mouth.
"You've got to be kidding me…" I groaned.
I kept running.
One shoe on.
One bare foot.
The asphalt was brutal.
Every step sent pain shooting up my leg.
My foot burned.
It felt like running on sandpaper.
People on the street turned to look.
Some laughed.
Some pulled out their phones.
Some just stared with expressions that said, I don't even want to know.
"Hey, young man!" someone shouted from the sidewalk.
"Why isn't your dog wearing a muzzle?!"
"THAT'S NOT MY DOG!" I yelled back, fighting to keep my breathing steady.
"I'm calling the police!"
"GREAT IDEA!" I panted.
"PLEASE CATCH IT!"
The dog snarled and sped up.
A few minutes later, a police car rolled up beside me at a slow pace.
"Hey, kid," one of the officers leaned out the window.
"Where are you running to like that?"
"I—" I sucked in air.
"I'm doing a quest!"
"A what?"
"A SYSTEM QUEST!"
The officer stared at me for a few seconds.
"…Right," he said at last.
"And how much farther do you have to go?"
I glanced at the system indicator.
"Seven kilometers," I gasped.
The officer whistled softly.
"Alright," he said.
"We'll stay next to you and try to keep the dog away."
The car moved alongside me, blocking the dog's approach.
It still ran after me, growling, but kept its distance.
That didn't make things much easier.
The foot slamming directly into the asphalt hurt more with every step.
Each stride became a conscious decision to keep going.
But I ran.
And at some point, I realized—
I was faster than last time.
When I finally finished the distance, I stopped.
Bent over.
Hands on my knees.
Gasping for air.
The dog stopped too.
Sat down.
Then trotted over…
and gently dropped my shoe at my feet.
Barked.
Its tail wagged.
"…Seriously?" I whispered.
At that moment, a familiar window appeared before my eyes.
####################
SYSTEM — DAILY QUEST COMPLETED
Reward:
• Endurance +1
• Artifact (placed in inventory)
Additional Bonus:
• Secret Artifact (placed in inventory)
Reason: Fast completion time
####################
I blinked.
Slowly straightened up.
The officers stepped out of the car.
"Is that your dog?" one of them asked.
I looked at the dog.
The dog looked at me.
"No," I said honestly.
The officer nodded.
"Then according to procedure, we'll have to take it to a clinic. Rabies check and all that."
"No need," I said.
"I don't have any complaints. Everything's fine."
"Then sign here," he said.
"Stating you have no claims against stray animals and are declining our assistance."
"Alright."
I signed the form.
The police left.
It was just the two of us now.
I looked at the dog.
The dog looked back.
"Well," I said with a small grin,
"thanks, buddy."
It tilted its head.
"If it weren't for you," I continued,
"I wouldn't have gotten that secret artifact."
The dog snorted happily.
"Want to grab something to eat?" I asked.
"Come with me. My treat."
The tail wagged even harder.
"Yeah," I sighed.
"Now I've got daily quests… and a dog."