Lunch Break – Class 2-C
Aryl sat at his desk by the window, his hand resting flat on the surface, staring at it.
Nothing special. Just his hand.
But as he traced the lines, his mind began to wander.
He remembered those four days—grueling, relentless. His body had fought him at every step, but the numbers had shifted. The system had guided him, the same way it guided him now, but the struggle was his own.
The days had blurred together, but the effort was clear. The system's guidance, the endless hours of training, the relentless push—each move, each step had made him stronger. But none of it mattered without the system's reward.
"open"
[System Status: Active]
User: Aryl ░░░░░░░░
Classification: [Unclassified]
Player Level: 1
EXP: 70 / 100
▶ Strength ▌▌▌▌▌░░░░░ 2 → 4
▶ Dexterity ▌▌▌▌▌░░░░░ 2 → 4
▶ Perception ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌░░ 9
▶ Intelligence ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌░░░ 8
▶ Charisma ▌▌▌░░░░░░░░ 3
▶ Endurance ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌░░ 7
▶ Vitality ▌▌░░░░░░░░░ 2
"four upgrades in total... guess it really worked,"
His thoughts drifted back to later that night, after he had completed the grueling four days of training.
Aryl stared at the task notification that popped up before him, blinking at the words for a moment. He read them over and over, trying to make sense of it.
[SYSTEM TASK: Flame's Trial]
Place your hand in the fire for 30 seconds. If removed before the time is up, the task will restart.
[Reward]
→ Vitality increased by 2
→endurance increased by 2
→Injuries caused by system task will be healed
→ Hidden reward locked
He rubbed his eyes, his mind racing. 50 seconds? He felt his pulse quicken. This felt like something out of a nightmare. How am I supposed to— Place my hand in fire? Was this some kind of sick joke? There was no way this was normal.
But no matter how much he hesitated, the words on the screen wouldn't change. There was no way out.
Aryl took a deep breath and glanced around his apartment, searching for something to help. His eyes landed on the small, neglected candle on the counter. He grabbed it quickly, lighting it with a match. It's just fire, just a simple task. I can do this.
He set the candle on the floor, staring at the small flickering flame. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. The heat was already radiating toward him, the sharp warmth biting at his skin as he placed his hand over the flame.
The system's timer started ticking in his mind.
The first few seconds were bearable. The heat built up slowly, and Aryl gritted his teeth, determined to endure it. But as the seconds passed, the pain intensified. He could feel the skin on his palm starting to burn, blistering in real time.
His resolve faltered. The fire was too much. I can't do this. Without thinking, he jerked his hand away, gasping for breath.
[SYSTEM TASK FAILED]
The timer reset. The system was relentless.
"No… no, no…" Aryl panted, his breath shallow. I can't fail again.
His hand was shaking as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The skin on his palm was scorched, and the blistering burn throbbed like an open wound.
The heat was unbearable, but he set himself up again. I can do this. I have to do this.
He placed his hand over the flame once more. His breath was ragged, the pain already unbearable from just a few seconds. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to endure. But then it happened again—the searing heat, the pain. His hand jerked back of its own accord.
[SYSTEM TASK FAILED]
The timer reset again.
Aryl's vision blurred as he clenched his teeth, staring at the flame that taunted him. Just. One. More. Try.
He set his hand back down over the burner, forcing himself to stay still, to keep it there.
The seconds stretched on, each one dragging. He could feel the fire sinking into his bones, into his very soul. His palm was already too damaged, blistered beyond recognition.
He tried to ignore it, but the pain was too much. The agony in his muscles, in his nerves. He couldn't stand it. His hand jerked away for the third time.
[SYSTEM TASK FAILED]
The timer reset again.
This time, he didn't even need to look at his hand to know it was beyond repair. His right hand, the one he had used to complete all his tasks, was destroyed—raw, charred, and covered in blisters.
No more, Aryl thought, breathing heavily. His eyes burned from the tears he was fighting to hold back. He didn't want to cry. He refused to.
But his body betrayed him. His eyes stung as he wiped his face, and for a split second, he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face.
His left hand—still functional—trembled as he swapped it into position, placing it over the flame. He clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the pain. His eyes burned, but he forced himself to focus.
This time, there was no turning back.
The seconds crawled by. The pain intensified, but with every passing moment, Aryl gritted his teeth harder, his breath sharp and controlled. The heat burned through him, but he wasn't going to fail again. He couldn't.
Forty seconds. Forty-five. Then, at long last—
Fifty seconds.
[SYSTEM TASK COMPLETED]
The moment he pulled his hand away, he barely registered the fading burns on his skin. The heat in his body seemed to vanish almost instantly, replaced by an eerie calm.
Aryl stared at his hand, now completely healed, but the memory of the pain lingered.
His body was exhausted, but he stood there, a strange sense of accomplishment settling in. I did it.
He wiped his face, clearing away the last of the tears, before looking down at his palm, now smooth and unmarked.
[SYSTEM REWARD UNLOCKED]
→endurance increased by 2
→ Vitality increased by 2
→ Injuries caused by system task will be healed
→ Hidden Reward Unlocked: "Resonance of the Unyielding"
[Hidden Reward: Resonance of the Unyielding]
→ Additional Stat Upgrades Unlocked: 4 Points
→ Heat Resistance: Partial
(Grants partial resistance to high temperatures)
Aryl's hand trembled as he examined the new stats and the hidden reward. His breath caught as he realized the significance of this hidden perk. Heat resistance? That wasn't something he had expected, but it felt useful, almost necessary after what he'd just endured.
"Resonance of the Unyielding, huh… Heat resistance. Seems fitting," he murmured, almost as if speaking to the system itself.
He stared at the stats before him, considering where to allocate the four stat points he had earned. His Strength and Dexterity had both been boosted, but he was curious about the Charisma boost. He'd been dealing with Taesung and his lackeys for too long, and part of him wondered if this would finally give him a chance to make them back off.
Without much thought, he added 1 to Strength, and then 1 to Dexterity—both seemed like practical choices, considering the trials he'd faced. But when he got to Charisma, he hesitated for a moment. He had been tested, pushed to his limits, and in the end, it felt like the perfect time to experiment.
2 points to Charisma, he decided. He wanted to see if the boost in his Charisma could change how others viewed him, especially Taesung and his crew.
"If this doesn't get them to leave me alone....." he muttered, clicking the stat allocation button with a sense of finality.
[System Status: Active]
User: Aryl ░░░░░░░░
Classification: [Unclassified]
Player Level: 2
EXP: 33 / 100
▶ Strength ▌▌▌▌▌░░░░░ 4 → 5
▶ Dexterity ▌▌▌▌▌░░░░░ 4 → 5
▶ Perception ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌░ 9
▶ Intelligence ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌░░ 8
▶ Charisma ▌▌▌▌▌░░░░░ 3 → 5
▶ Endurance ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌░7→9
▶ Vitality ▌▌▌▌░░░░░░░ 2→ 4
As soon as he confirmed the changes, Aryl felt something subtle shift inside him. He cleared his throat and then spoke again, the sound of his voice catching him off guard. It was still his voice, but there was a slight change—his tone deeper, just enough to notice. Not enough to sound harsh, but enough to keep him from being called out for his usual soft-spoken nature.
He tried it again, this time speaking a little louder, testing the new depth in his voice. "Interesting…" He wasn't sure if it was the boost in Charisma, but the shift was there. A new confidence, however small, was beginning to settle within him.
The lunch bell rang, snapping Aryl back to the present. Aryl remained at his desk, his hand still resting on the smooth surface, reflecting on the quiet change that had settled within him. But that peace was short-lived
The door to the classroom slammed open. Taesung strutted in, flanked by his usual lackeys. They made no effort to keep their voices down as they approached Aryl, their footsteps loud and deliberate.
Taesung's eyes locked onto him, a smug grin creeping across his face. "Well, trash returns." He sneered, leaning against the desk with his usual air of superiority.
Aryl didn't flinch. He didn't even raise an eyebrow. His newfound calm, tempered by the grueling days of training and his stats now more formidable than before, made him almost unfazed by Taesung's presence.
One of the lackeys snickered, elbowing the other. "What's up with you, huh? You look different. Trying to play tough now?"
Aryl's eyes shifted toward Taesung, unblinking, unfazed. He knew they were expecting him to crack under the pressure, to give them the satisfaction of a reaction. But what did it matter? They could say whatever they wanted. Their words no longer had the sting they once did.
Even if he didn't care about their insults, there was a flicker of curiosity inside him. He wasn't just indifferent; he was eager to see if the effort he'd put in had truly made a difference. Could he really hold his ground now?
"You talk a lot"
he muttered under his breath, his tone almost dismissive. "But I'm not really in the mood for a circus."
He gave a slight, almost imperceptible shrug, as if inviting them to make a move—but not out of challenge. It was more like he was simply curious if they'd follow through.