Izuku woke before dawn, as always. The cold bit into his skin, but he ignored it. Pain had become his closest companion.
The first thing he did was curse the heavens, the system, and its damn curses.
He had been in this world for two years.
Two years of agony. Two years of scraping by. Two years of relentless training.
And where had it gotten him?
Despite all his efforts, he had barely reached the stats of an eight-year-old child.
Heaven's Curse.90% growth reduction.
It was suffocating. A cage. A mockery.
The only reason his body had even reached a normal state was thanks to the excessive food he had devoured in Lord Varyn's mansion. Free meals had kept him from starvation, but food alone wasn't enough to break his limits.
Izuku glanced at the moonstone shard resting near his bedside.
His mana sensitivity had increased ever so slightly from his nightly training. But it was still nothing compared to what true mages possessed.
And Qi?
Sealed.For an unknown period.
He clenched his fists. If his Qi wasn't sealed, he would have been far beyond this pathetic state.
A year remained until academy admissions.
And right now, with his crippled growth, he would die on the first day.
Those nobles—well-fed, well-trained, golden-spoon bastards—would tear him apart.
He exhaled, pushing away his frustration. Complaining wouldn't help. Training would.
Status Window
Lying on his creaky straw mattress, he muttered:
"System, open my status window."
The reply came instantly—mocking, condescending, and infuriating.
[What's the point of looking at these miserable stats?]
[Just beg Heaven for forgiveness. Bow. Submit. They might reduce your curse. Heaven has a big heart.]
Izuku cursed the heavens and the system.
The status window flickered open.
[Izuku Arashi – Status Window]Strength: 3.85 (Normal for your age: 4) Agility: 4.1 (Your only above-average stat) Endurance: 3.9 (God knows how you're still walking with this curse and training) Luck: 00 (How are you even alive? Lightning should have struck you by now) Mana Sensitivity: 2.08 (Thanks to moonstone training) [Curses]Pain Sensitivity Increased: 300% → 293.95% (Reduced slightly due to Pain Resistance 6.05%) 90% Growth ReductionQi Sealed (For an Unknown Period)
Izuku let out a slow breath. Half satisfied, half ashamed.
If it weren't for these damn curses, he would have already reached the stats of a half-grown adult with his brutal training.
The system's golden text flickered again.
[Core Training Time]
Task: Plank – 20 Minutes
Reward: +0.1 Endurance
Optional: Plank – 40 Minutes
Reward: +0.2 Endurance
Failure: You just die out of shame.
Izuku sighed.This damned system loved to insult him.
Afternoon: Core of Steel
Izuku gritted his teeth and held the plank position.
His entire body shook, but he refused to drop.
Ten minutes.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
The system alert flashed, signaling his reward.
[Core Training Complete – Endurance +0.1]
But Izuku wasn't done.
He kept going.
His elbows dug into the dirt, sweat dripping onto the cold stone floor. His muscles screamed, his breath ragged. Pain burned through every fiber of his being.
Thirty minutes.
His vision blurred. He was nearing his limit.
Thirty-five.
His body trembled violently.
Thirty-nine.
And finally…
Forty minutes.
[Optional Core Training Complete – Endurance +0.2]
Izuku collapsed onto his back, panting. His body felt like it was on fire.
But he had done it.
His endurance was growing. Slowly. Painfully. But growing nonetheless.
Evening: Training Grounds Await
Despite his exhaustion, he stood. He had no time to waste.
Evening training awaited.
He wasn't strong enough yet.
But one day, he would be.
And on that day…
Heaven would regret cursing him.
To Be Continued in Chapter 18 – The Geometry of Blades