Chapter 5: Price of Growth
The night was colder than usual.
Li Wei walked home under dim streetlights, hands in his pockets, mind replaying the number he had seen at the internet café.
Five percent.
That meant there was truth buried beneath the official report.
Truth required strength.
Strength required pain.
He reached his apartment building and climbed the stairs quietly. The hallway lights flickered like they always did. When he unlocked his door and stepped inside, the silence greeted him again.
He didn't turn the lights on immediately.
He stood there.
Breathing.
Thinking.
Then—
The darkness inside his mind stirred violently.
Stronger than before.
Clearer.
Structured.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[System Update Initiated…]
[Mission Module — Activated]
[Daily Task Module — Activated]
[Financial Reward Protocol — Activated]
Li Wei's heartbeat slowed.
Financial… reward?
The black void expanded.
A new interface unfolded before him.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Host: Li Wei]
[Strength: 9.9]
[Agility: 7.8]
[Endurance: 12.4]
[Mental Resistance: 16.3]
[Techniques:]
— Basic Tiger Fist (Perfected)
— Flowing Crane Palm (Perfected)
— Whirlwind Kick (Perfected)
[Abilities:]
— Burst Acceleration (Passive)
New sections blinked into existence.
[Daily Tasks]
Endure 100 Units of Pain
— Reward: Strength +0.2 / 5,000 RMB
Complete 5KM High-Intensity Run
— Reward: Endurance +0.3 / 3,000 RMB
Execute 500 Technique Repetitions
— Reward: Technique Mastery Boost / 2,000 RMB
Below that—
[Primary Mission]
Win Against a Top 150 Ranked Student Within 7 Days
— Reward: 50,000 RMB
— Bonus Reward: Random Ability Enhancement
His breath stopped for half a second.
Fifty thousand.
He had never held that much money at once.
That was months of rent.
School fees.
Food.
Better training equipment.
Medicine.
He swallowed slowly.
"This is real?" he murmured.
The system did not respond.
It didn't need to.
He walked to the small desk in his room and opened his banking app on his phone.
Balance: 312.47 RMB.
If this worked…
He closed his eyes.
Pain.
He needed pain.
He stepped back and slammed his fist into the wall.
Hard.
Crack.
Skin split.
Pain flared sharp and immediate.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Pain Absorbed: 18 Units]
Not enough.
He grabbed the edge of the desk and drove his thigh into it.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
[Pain Absorbed: 42 Units]
He clenched his teeth and dropped into push-ups.
Fast.
Explosive.
Arms shaking.
He didn't stop when his muscles screamed.
He didn't stop when sweat dripped into his eyes.
He pushed until his arms gave out and he collapsed onto the floor.
[Pain Absorbed: 63 Units]
A notification pulsed.
[Daily Task 1 Completed]
Endured 100 Units of Pain
Reward Granted:
— Strength +0.2
— 5,000 RMB Transferred
Li Wei froze.
Transferred?
He grabbed his phone immediately.
Opened the app.
Balance:
5,312.47 RMB.
His breathing became shallow.
It was real.
The money was real.
No delay.
No explanation.
Just there.
He laughed quietly.
Not loudly.
Not wildly.
Just disbelief.
He lay back on the floor and stared at the ceiling.
Five thousand.
For enduring pain.
He stood again.
5KM run.
He changed clothes and left the apartment without hesitation.
The streets were nearly empty.
He ran.
Fast.
Hard.
His ribs protested.
His legs burned.
His lungs felt like they were tearing open.
He didn't slow.
He imagined Rank 150.
He imagined Top 100.
He imagined his uncle's face when he saw him again.
Five kilometers passed.
He collapsed against a lamppost, breathing violently.
[Daily Task 2 Completed]
Reward:
— Endurance +0.3
— 3,000 RMB Transferred
He checked his balance again.
8,312.47 RMB.
Real.
Completely real.
Only one task left.
Five hundred repetitions.
He returned home.
Locked the door.
And began.
Basic Tiger Fist.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Every strike deliberate.
Every movement precise.
At repetition 200, his arms trembled.
At 350, his shoulders burned like fire.
At 500—
He could barely lift them.
[Daily Task 3 Completed]
Reward:
— Technique Mastery Boost Applied
— 2,000 RMB Transferred
Balance:
10,312.47 RMB.
Ten thousand in one night.
Li Wei sat down slowly.
This changed everything.
But it also meant something else.
He wasn't just growing randomly anymore.
He was being guided.
Directed.
Structured.
A new notification appeared.
[Warning:]
Daily Tasks Will Scale With Host Growth
Failure to Complete Consecutive Daily Tasks May Result in Penalty
Penalty?
His expression darkened slightly.
"What penalty?"
No response.
Of course.
Nothing was free.
Not even power.
He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes again.
[.Martial Abyss System.]
[Strength: 10.1]
[Agility: 7.8]
[Endurance: 12.7]
[Mental Resistance: 16.3]
Ten.
He had crossed ten in strength.
He stood and walked to the small mirror.
His shoulders looked slightly broader.
His posture straighter.
His eyes sharper.
But nothing unnatural.
Nothing that would expose him.
Tomorrow—
He needed to target Rank 150 territory.
Carefully.
Deliberately.
Fifty thousand was waiting.
Enough to start digging deeper into the accident.
Enough to upgrade his life.
Enough to stop worrying about rice and instant noodles.
He turned off the light and lay down.
But sleep didn't come immediately.
Because a thought lingered.
If money could appear in his bank account without a trace—
How powerful was this system really?
And what did it want in return?
Tell me
If you suddenly received 50,000 for winning one fight… would you risk it immediately or prepare carefully?
And do you think the system has a hidden cost?
If this chapter made things more intense, drop your comments below. Add it to your collection so you don't miss the next mission. Powerstones and reviews push Li Wei's climb higher.
Next chapter… someone notices the money.