While Kaito was doing his workout — running, jumping, practicing techniques — suddenly the system popped up in front of him:
[Special Quest]
Kick: 0/100
Punch: 0/100
Running: 10km
Reward: 150k Yen + a Mysterious Otherworldly Technique Book
Kaito wiped his sweat and stared at the screen, blinking a few times.
"Huh... Special quest?" he muttered.
He tilted his head and asked, "System, what's this 'mysterious otherworldly book'?"
The system answered calmly:
"It's a rare technique book containing martial arts that exist only in other worlds. Techniques beyond normal human capabilities."
Kaito's eyes widened, his heart racing.
"That's awesome...!" he said, smiling widely with excitement.
He immediately accepted the quest.
Meanwhile, Aiko, who was watching him from the door, tilted her head and took a cautious step back.
"Brother... why are you smiling like that...?" she asked, looking creeped out.
Kaito quickly waved his hands.
"Ah, sorry, Aiko! I'm just really excited!"
"Excited for what?" Aiko asked suspiciously.
Kaito grinned and said,
"Secret."
Aiko puffed her cheeks. "Mouu... Brother is weird," she mumbled, walking away.
Kaito chuckled and then noticed a small button beside the quest screen labeled [Stats]. Curious, he clicked it.
[Status Window]
Name: Kaito Ishida
Age: 15
Height: 6'0
Weight: 60kg
Birthday: Feb 14, 2004
Zodiac: Aquarius
Money: 3M Yen
Potential: S+
Intelligence: S+
Durability: D-
Strength: C+
Speed: C-
Overall Rank: C+
Kaito stared at the screen, confused at first.
"Huh? Potential S+? What does that even mean...?"
Then his eyes moved lower.
When he saw Intelligence: S+, he froze.
"...Wait... I'm smart?"
He rubbed his eyes and checked again — it was still there.
"But... but I always got 99 on tests, never 100! I'm not some genius!" he said, clutching his head.
He kept reading and saw his strength and speed.
"C+ strength?! C- speed?! Since when?!"
He stretched his arms and looked at his body.
"I-I don't feel that strong though..." he said, punching the air lightly — but even that punch made a small gust of wind.
He took a step back, blinking rapidly.
"Okay... maybe I got a little stronger..." he admitted, confused but secretly excited.
Finally, he stared at his Overall Rank: C+.
"...C+ overall? I guess... that's pretty good, right?"
He chuckled nervously, still overwhelmed.
"I'm tall now, stronger, and apparently a secret genius...?" Kaito said, slumping onto the floor.
"This is too much for a high schooler..."
The system chimed in calmly:
"Congratulations. Hidden potential unlocked."
Kaito let out a weak laugh.
"...Thanks, I guess?"
After calming down from the shock of seeing his own crazy stats, Kaito stood up, cracked his neck, and looked determined.
"Alright... special quest... here I go!"
He clenched his fists and looked at the quest again:
[Special Quest]
Kick: 0/100
Punch: 0/100
Running: 10km
Reward: 150k Yen + Mysterious Otherworldly Technique Book
Kaito jogged in place, hyping himself up.
"Easy! Just some kicks, punches, and running. How hard can it be?"
Aiko peered from the door again, munching on a bag of chips.
"Brother... you're talking to yourself again... Are you okay?" she said, half-worried, half-amused.
"I'm fine!" Kaito said, pointing at her dramatically. "I'm doing SPECIAL training!"
Aiko blinked. "Special? What's so special about flailing around like a weirdo?"
Kaito pouted. "You'll see, just watch!"
He took a deep breath, got into a fighting stance he copied from webtoon, and then
"Hyaaa!"
He kicked the air...
...and immediately lost balance, falling flat on his butt.
THUD.
Aiko burst out laughing, almost choking on her chips.
"BAHAHA! Special training, you said?! You look like a baby giraffe learning to walk!"
She wiped her tears while laughing.
Kaito sat there on the ground, red-faced.
"That was... just a warm-up!" he said stubbornly.
He stood up again and started punching the air.
One, two, three... by the time he hit 15 punches, he was already panting hard.
"Haa...haa... Why is this so tiring...?" Kaito thought, his arms feeling like noodles.
The system chimed in:
[Punches: 15/100]
[Tip: Keep going. You're doing fine.]
Aiko clapped mockingly from the side.
"Yayyy brother! Only... 85 punches to go!" she teased.
Kaito glared weakly at her.
"You're supposed to be cheering me on seriously, not making fun of me!"
Aiko giggled. "But it's too funny~."
He grumbled but went back to it.
Every punch felt heavier, every kick clumsier, but he didn't stop.
Then it was time for the 10km run.
Kaito looked at the distance displayed on the system.
"...Ten kilometers...?"
He gulped.
"I barely survive running two laps at school!"
Still, he gritted his teeth and started running outside.
Aiko watched him from the window, shouting,
"Don't trip and die, brother!"
Kaito ran awkwardly at first, almost stumbling every few steps.
He passed a few old ladies walking their dogs, who gave him weird looks.
One old man even cheered him on:
"You can do it young one"
After about 2km, Kaito was already sweating buckets, hunched over, hands on his knees.
"Huff...huff... I'm dying..." he muttered.
The system chimed again:
[Running: 2km/10km]
[Status: Pathetic but acceptable. Keep going.]
"WHY ARE YOU ROASTING ME TOO?!" Kaito shouted at the floating window.
Nearby, a cat hissed at him and ran away.
Kaito sighed deeply, continuing to jog forward, mumbling,
"At least... the reward better be worth it..."
Back home, Aiko was drawing doodles of Kaito getting beat up by imaginary monsters while waiting for him.
After what felt like an eternity, Kaito stumbled back home, legs shaking like jelly.
[Quest Complete!]
100 Punches: ✔️
100 Kicks: ✔️
10km Run: ✔️
Rewards:
+150k Yen
+Mysterious Otherworldly Technique Book
The system congratulated him coldly:
[Status: Barely Alive, Good Job.]
"Huff...haa... Barely... alive..."
Kaito collapsed face-first onto the couch, arms hanging off the side like a dead fish.
Aiko came over, holding her nose.
"Ugh, brother! You smell like a dirty sock!"
She poked him with a stick she found somewhere.
Kaito groaned. "Don't bully the weak..."
He forced himself up, wiping his sweat, and the system floated another notification:
[Claim your reward?]
"Of course!" Kaito shouted, finally excited again.
In a flash of light, a thick, ancient-looking book appeared on his lap.
It looked super old — like it had been dragged through a swamp, dried in the sun, then forgotten in a dungeon for 500 years.
On the cover, in huge, messy letters, it said:
"Infinite Leaf"
Kaito's eyes sparkled.
"This... this looks AWESOME!"
Aiko peeked over his shoulder and made a face.
"It looks moldy. Are you sure you won't get cursed?"
Ignoring her, Kaito opened the book excitedly.
The moment he flipped the first page—
POOF!
A tiny cloud of dust exploded in his face.
"COUGH! COUGH!—AGHHH my lungs!!"
He coughed dramatically, falling backward.
The system popped up again:
[Tip: It's fine. Ancient books usually do that.]
Aiko laughed again, slapping the couch.
"Brother got beat up by a BOOK!"
Still coughing, Kaito looked at the first page seriously.
Inside, there were strange illustrations of fighting moves: spinning kicks, palm strikes, weird footwork — things that looked impossible for a normal person.
Under the drawings, there were even notes like:
"User can punch through boulders after training."
"Warning: Don't attempt unless you like broken bones."
"Side effect: Girls may scream (in fear or admiration)."
Kaito's hands trembled, not from fear, but pure excitement.
"This is it...! My first real step toward becoming strong!"
His eyes burned with determination.
The system added a cheeky comment:
[Side Quest Available: Learn 1 Technique from the Book]
Kaito grinned.
"I'll do it! I'll learn it no matter what!"
Aiko crossed her arms.
"Brother, are you sure you won't break your bones first?"
He nodded seriously.
"If I do... carry me to bed."
"...No thanks," Aiko said, backing away.
Kaito laughed weakly and turned back to the book, feeling a strange fire ignite inside him.