THE SYSTEM OF THE FALLEN PRINCE CHAPTER 2: GRINDING BEGINS
Day one of my new life started with pain.
"Ninety-seven... ninety-eight... ninety-nine..."
My arms trembled. Sweat dripped onto the dusty floor of the courtyard. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to stop.
"One... hundred!"
I collapsed face-first onto the ground, gasping for air.
[Push-ups: 100/100 - COMPLETE]
[+5 EXP]
"Only... five... experience?" I panted.
[Physical conditioning provides minimal experience gains,] ARIA explained, her voice calm in my mind. [However, it permanently increases your base statistics. The real value is in the stat growth, not the experience points.]
I rolled onto my back, staring up at the pale morning sky. My arms felt like jelly. And I still had sit-ups, squats, and a ten-kilometer run to go.
"The old Cassian's body is pathetic," I muttered. "Eight strength? Really?"
[The previous inhabitant of this body engaged in minimal physical activity. Noble children in this world typically rely on magic for combat, not physical prowess. However, that creates an opportunity for you.]
"How so?"
[While others stagnate, relying solely on innate magical talent, you can improve through systematic training. Every point of strength you gain is permanent. Every skill you master is yours forever. They are born with power. You will earn it.]
I sat up, wincing at the soreness. "Motivational speech aside, I need to pace myself. If I injure myself on day one, I'll never complete the quest."
[Agreed. I recommend breaking the training into sessions throughout the day. Complete the sit-ups now, rest, then squats in the afternoon. Save the run for evening when it's cooler.]
Smart. I was thinking like this was a video game where stamina instantly regenerated. But this was real. My muscles needed actual rest.
"Alright. Let's do this."
By the time I finished the sit-ups, the sun had fully risen. I dragged myself back inside the Crescent Wing and discovered two things:
One: Someone had left a tray of food outside my door. Bread, cheese, water, and some kind of fruit that looked like a purple apple.
Two: I was starving.
I devoured the meal in minutes, then examined the tray more carefully. There was a small note written in neat handwriting:
"Welcome to your new residence, Prince Cassian. If you need anything, ring the bell by the door. - Elara"
So the palace hadn't completely forgotten about me. They'd assigned a servant to check on me. Probably to make sure I didn't do anything embarrassing like die of starvation.
Or jump out another window.
I pulled up my status screen while I ate:
╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ CASSIAN VALENHEART ║ ╠════════════════════════════════╣ ║ Level: 1 ║ ║ EXP: 10/100 ║ ║ ║ ║ HP: 100/100 ║ ║ MP: 0/0 (LOCKED) ║ ║ Stamina: 45/100 ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ ╔═══════ ATTRIBUTES ═══════╗ ║ STRENGTH: 9 ║ ║ AGILITY: 12 ║ ║ CONSTITUTION: 10 ║ ║ INTELLIGENCE: 18 ║ ║ WISDOM: 17 ║ ║ CHARISMA: 9 ║ ╚══════════════════════════╝
My stamina was at less than half. That explained why I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.
"ARIA, how do I recover stamina faster?"
[Rest, food, and sleep are the primary methods. However, once you unlock certain skills or potions, you can accelerate recovery. For now, rest is your best option.]
I laid back on the ancient couch in the sitting room. The furniture might be old, but it was surprisingly comfortable.
[I recommend reviewing your available skills while you rest.]
"I only have [Observe]."
[Correct. But you can learn new skills through practice or by meeting certain conditions. Would you like to see the skill tree?]
A massive, branching diagram appeared in my vision. It was like looking at a skill tree from an RPG—dozens of interconnected abilities, most of them grayed out and locked.
[BASIC SKILLS]
[Observe Lv.1] ✓ UNLOCKED [Meditation Lv.1] - Requirement: Sit still for 1 hour while focusing on mana [Sprint Lv.1] - Requirement: Run 5km without stopping [Basic Sword Mastery Lv.1] - Requirement: Swing a sword 1000 times [Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.1] - Requirement: Win an unarmed fight [Stealth Lv.1] - Requirement: Remain undetected for 30 minutes in hostile territory
[INTERMEDIATE SKILLS] (Mostly locked)
[Advanced Sword Mastery Lv.1] - Requires: Basic Sword Mastery Lv.5 [Tactical Analysis Lv.1] - Requires: INT 25, WIS 20 [Killing Intent Lv.1] - Requires: Kill 10 enemies
[ADVANCED SKILLS] (All locked - requirements hidden)
And that was just the combat tree. There were separate branches for crafting, social skills, magic (all locked due to the curse), and something called "Unique Skills" that was completely blacked out.
"This is... extensive."
[The system adapts to your actions. The more you do, the more options become available. I recommend focusing on foundational skills first. Physical conditioning, basic combat, observation, and survival skills.]
Made sense. I was level one. I needed to walk before I could run.
A thought occurred to me. "ARIA, can I learn skills from other people? Like if someone taught me sword fighting?"
[Yes. Learning from a teacher provides a significant boost to skill acquisition speed. However, finding a teacher willing to train you may be... challenging, given your current reputation.]
Right. I was the disgrace prince. Who would want to train me?
Still, it was worth keeping in mind.
I closed the skill tree and pulled up my quest log instead:
╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ║ ACTIVE QUESTS ║ ╠═══════════════════════════════╣ ║ [MAIN] SURVIVE ║ ║ Time Remaining: 28d 19h 23m ║ ║ Progress: 3.3% (1 day passed) ║ ║ ║ ║ [TUTORIAL] FIRST STEPS ║ ║ Push-ups: 100/100 ✓ ║ ║ Sit-ups: 100/100 ✓ ║ ║ Squats: 0/100 ║ ║ Run: 0/10km ║ ║ ║ ║ [HIDDEN] ??? ║ ║ (Conditions not met) ║ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
A hidden quest? Interesting.
"What's the hidden quest?"
[I cannot reveal that information. Hidden quests activate when specific conditions are met. You'll know when it triggers.]
Mysterious. But fine. I'd figure it out eventually.
My stamina had recovered to 68/100. Good enough for the next training session.
Squats were somehow worse than push-ups and sit-ups combined.
By the time I hit seventy, my legs were shaking so badly I thought I might fall over. But I pushed through, counting each repetition out loud.
"Ninety-seven... ninety-eight... ninety-nine... ONE HUNDRED!"
[Squats: 100/100 - COMPLETE]
[+5 EXP]
I collapsed onto the ground again, sprawled out like a starfish.
[Total EXP: 20/100. You're making progress.]
"I'm dying. This is what dying feels like."
[You are not dying. Your HP is at 100/100. You are simply experiencing muscular fatigue.]
"Thanks for the diagnosis, Dr. ARIA."
[You're welcome.]
I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or if AI couldn't do sarcasm. Either way, I appreciated the dry humor.
After another rest period, I changed into lighter clothes and prepared for the run. Ten kilometers. That was a little over six miles.
The old Cassian's memories didn't include much running. He'd mostly traveled by carriage or horse. This body was going to hate me.
[I've mapped an optimal route through the palace grounds that totals 10.3 kilometers. It avoids high-traffic areas where you might encounter other nobles.]
"Perfect. Let's get this over with."
I made it three kilometers before I had to stop and vomit.
Leaning against a tree in one of the palace's many gardens, I gasped for air while my stomach tried to turn itself inside out.
[Your body's physical condition is worse than anticipated,] ARIA noted. [However, this is normal for someone with a constitution of 10 and minimal cardiovascular training.]
"Gee, thanks," I wheezed.
[Would you like to abandon the quest and try again tomorrow?]
I spat to clear the taste from my mouth and straightened up. "No. I'm finishing this."
[Admirable. Foolish, but admirable.]
I started running again, slower this time. My legs felt like lead. My lungs burned. Every step was agony.
But I kept going.
Four kilometers. Five. Six.
The sun was setting now, painting the sky in brilliant oranges and purples. The palace grounds were mostly empty—nobles didn't tend to wander the gardens at dusk.
Seven kilometers. Eight.
My vision was starting to blur. My stamina bar had to be in the red. But I couldn't see it—I'd minimized the interface to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
Nine kilometers.
Come on, Cassian. Just one more.
The path ARIA had mapped took me through a section of the gardens I didn't recognize from Cassian's memories. Old stone benches surrounded by overgrown hedges. A fountain that had long since run dry.
And sitting on one of those benches was a girl.
She looked up as I staggered past, her ice-blue eyes widening in surprise.
Lyria. My twelve-year-old sister.
I raised a hand in weak greeting and kept running. No time to stop. Had to finish the quest.
"Cassian?" she called after me. "What are you doing?"
I didn't answer. Couldn't answer. Needed all my breath for running.
Ten kilometers.
[QUEST COMPLETE: FIRST STEPS]
[Rewards: +1 STR, +1 CON, +50 EXP]
[Total EXP: 70/100]
[New Skill Unlocked: Sprint Lv.1]
[Constitution has increased to 11!]
[Strength has increased to 10!]
I collapsed right there in the garden, too exhausted to make it back to the Crescent Wing.
The cool grass felt amazing against my overheated skin. I just laid there, staring up at the darkening sky, feeling my heart gradually slow to a normal rhythm.
"Cassian!"
Footsteps rushed toward me. Lyria's face appeared above mine, her expression worried.
"Are you hurt? Should I call a healer?"
"I'm fine," I managed to say. "Just... exercising."
She blinked. "Exercising? But you... you never exercise."
Right. The old Cassian wouldn't have. He'd given up on physical training since he couldn't use magic anyway.
"People change," I said.
Lyria sat down on the grass beside me, studying my face. [Observe] automatically activated, showing me her status:
[LYRIA VALENHEART] Level: 19 Class: Ice Prodigy HP: 380/380 MP: 520/520 Affinity: Ice/Light (Exceptional) Relationship: Concerned (35/100) Threat Level: Moderate
Level nineteen at twelve years old. No wonder they called her a prodigy.
"You've been different since the Awakening," she said quietly. "Everyone's talking about it."
"Different how?"
"You... don't seem broken anymore. After the ceremony, I thought you'd be devastated. But when Father summoned you this morning, you looked him in the eye. The old you would never have done that."
Smart kid. She'd noticed the change in personality.
I sat up slowly, my muscles protesting. "What can I say? Almost dying gives you perspective."
Her eyes widened. "Almost dying? What do you mean?"
Oops. Probably shouldn't have mentioned the suicide attempt.
"Just a figure of speech," I said quickly. "I meant... failing the Awakening felt like dying. But I survived it. And now I'm trying to figure out who I am without magic."
Lyria was quiet for a moment. Then: "Is that why you were running? To get stronger?"
"Something like that."
She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Mother said we shouldn't talk to you anymore. That you're an embarrassment to the family."
Of course she did.
"Are you going to listen to her?" I asked.
Lyria looked at me, those ice-blue eyes sharp and assessing. "No. I don't think I am."
I couldn't help but smile. "Good. Because I could use an ally."
"An ally? Against who?"
"Against everyone who thinks I'm worthless."
She studied me for another long moment, then stood and offered me her hand. "Then you should know something. Daemon is planning something. I don't know what, but I've heard him talking to Mother late at night. They mention your name."
My blood ran cold. "What do they say?"
"I can't hear the details through the door. But Mother laughed when Daemon suggested 'solving the problem permanently.'"
[Quest Alert: New Hidden Quest Revealed]
╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ║ [HIDDEN QUEST UNLOCKED] ║ ╠═══════════════════════════════╣ ║ FAMILY SECRETS ║ ║ ║ ║ Objective: Discover what ║ ║ Daemon and Seraphine are ║ ║ planning ║ ║ ║ ║ Reward: ??? ║ ║ Failure: Possible death ║ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
Perfect. Not only was I weak and powerless, but my own family was actively plotting against me.
I took Lyria's hand and let her help me up. "Thank you for telling me."
"Be careful, Cassian. Daemon is dangerous. He's not just strong—he's cruel. And Mother..." She hesitated. "I love her because she's my mother. But I don't trust her."
From a twelve-year-old, that was a damning statement.
"I'll be careful," I promised. "You should get back before someone notices you're gone."
Lyria nodded, but before leaving, she pulled something from her pocket—a small crystal vial filled with blue liquid.
"Here. It's a stamina potion. You look like you need it."
She pressed it into my hand and then hurried off toward the main palace, her white dress glowing in the twilight.
I looked down at the potion.
[Minor Stamina Potion - Restores 50 Stamina immediately]
I uncorked it and drank. The effect was instant—energy flooded through my body, washing away the exhaustion.
[Stamina restored to 100/100]
[Relationship with Lyria increased to: Friendly (45/100)]
"ARIA, I think I just made my first real ally in this world."
[Indeed. And not a moment too soon. If Daemon and the Queen are planning something, you'll need all the help you can get.]
I started walking back to the Crescent Wing, my mind racing. I needed to get stronger, faster. The thirty-day survival quest wasn't just about avoiding accidents—it was about surviving my own family's assassination attempts.
That night, I stood in my bedroom, looking at my updated status:
╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ CASSIAN VALENHEART ║ ╠════════════════════════════════╣ ║ Level: 1 ║ ║ EXP: 70/100 ║ ║ ║ ║ HP: 110/110 ║ ║ MP: 0/0 (LOCKED) ║ ║ Stamina: 100/100 ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ ╔═══════ ATTRIBUTES ═══════╗ ║ STRENGTH: 10 ║ ║ AGILITY: 12 ║ ║ CONSTITUTION: 11 ║ ║ INTELLIGENCE: 18 ║ ║ WISDOM: 17 ║ ║ CHARISMA: 9 ║ ╚══════════════════════════╝ ╔═══════ SKILLS ═══════╗ ║ [Observe Lv.1] ║ ║ [Sprint Lv.1] ║ ╚═══════════════════════╝ ╔═══════ TITLES ═══════╗ ║ [Royal Disgrace] ║ ║ [Defiant Will] ║ ╚═══════════════════════╝
One day of training, and I'd already gained two stat points and a new skill. At this rate, I'd be level two within a few days.
But was it fast enough?
"ARIA, what level would I need to be to fight someone like Daemon?"
[Prince Daemon is estimated to be level 28. You would need to be at least level 20 to have a chance of survival in direct combat. However, levels are not everything. Tactics, equipment, and environmental advantages can close significant gaps.]
Level twenty. I was level one.
"So I need to gain nineteen levels in... twenty-eight days?"
[That would require an average of 0.68 levels per day, which is mathematically possible but would require significantly more than basic training. You would need to complete quests, fight enemies, and gain experience through actual combat.]
"Where am I supposed to find enemies to fight? I'm locked in a palace."
[That is a challenge. However, I detect various creatures in the palace grounds. Pests in the old sections of the building. Rats, wild dogs, occasionally larger predators that wander in from the surrounding forest. They're weak, but they would provide combat experience.]
Rat hunting. My life had come to rat hunting.
Still, it was better than nothing.
"Tomorrow," I decided. "Tonight, I rest. Tomorrow, I start hunting."
[A sound strategy. Your body needs recovery time.]
I laid down in the ancient bed, every muscle in my body aching. But it was a good ache. The ache of progress.
As I drifted off to sleep, I thought about Lyria's warning. Daemon and Mother were planning something. Something that involved "solving the problem permanently."
They wanted me dead.
Fine.
Let them try.
Because I wasn't the old Cassian anymore. I was someone who'd died once already and refused to stay down.
And I had something they didn't: a system that let me grow stronger every single day.
[Rest well, Cassian. Tomorrow, the real grind begins.]
I woke to someone screaming.
It took a moment to orient myself—the room was dark, the scream had come from outside. I stumbled to the window and looked out into the courtyard.
A girl stood there, backing away from something in the shadows. One of the maids, based on her uniform.
And stalking toward her, eyes glowing red in the darkness, was something definitely not a rat.
[WARNING: Hostile creature detected]
[SHADOW HOUND] Level: 7 HP: 180/180 Type: Demon Beast Threat Level: EXTREME (for current user)
A demon beast. In the palace. About to kill that maid.
"Shit."
[I strongly advise against engagement. You are level one. That creature could kill you in seconds.]
"I can't just let it kill her!"
[You can. You should. Survival is your primary objective.]
But I was already moving, grabbing the only weapon-like thing in my room—a rusty fireplace poker.
[Cassian, this is inadvisable—]
"Noted."
I ran.
[END OF CHAPTER 2]