Lying on the cold court floor, the sound of my own heartbeat still pounding in my ears, I stared at the floating screen in front of me.
[5 status points available.]
The numbers blinked, inviting. I knew exactly where I wanted to invest them.
"Physical… dribbling…" I muttered, tasting the metallic dryness in my mouth.
I dragged the points with my finger.
+2 in Physical.
+3 in Dribbling.
The moment I confirmed it, an absurd pain exploded through my body.
"Aaaargh!"
I writhed, muscles contracting as if they were being crushed and rebuilt at the same time. My arms hardened, legs throbbed. It felt like my body was breaking and being reassembled piece by piece.
Sweat dripped, but this time… along with the pain came a strong heat, as if the fatigue from before was being forcibly ripped away.
Within seconds, the pain stopped.
I lay back again, taking deep breaths. My fingers trembled when I closed my hand and felt it. They were firmer. My legs, heavier — not from exhaustion, but from density.
I got up slowly. The muscles no longer hurt. The fatigue, gone. I felt… new.
"This… this is real," I murmured, clenching my fist.
The sky was already completely dark. The empty court looked different under the dim light of the posts.
I put the ball in my bag, grabbed my stuff, and headed home.
When I arrived, I took a hot shower, feeling the water run down my now firmer muscles. I looked at myself in the mirror. Almost no visible difference, but I knew. Inside, something had changed.
I ate whatever was on the table — can't even remember what. My mom had already gone to bed. I threw myself into bed.
Before I fell asleep, the screen popped up again.
[Status Updated]
Physical: 12
Dribbling: 13
A grin escaped me.
I closed my eyes and passed out.
---
[05:30 AM]
A shrill beep woke me up. I could swear I had set the alarm for 06:30, but the sound came from the same screen that appeared yesterday.
My eyes burned as I opened them. And there it was.
[New Mission Available!]
Career Mode
Mission: Run 20 laps around the public football field.
Difficulty: NIGHTMARE (adjusted to the user's physical level)
Rewards: +10 status points | + School team coach's favor
I sat up in bed, still dizzy.
"You gotta be kidding me…"
Twenty laps? On a full-sized field? That was over 8km… I could barely chase a bus.
But then I felt it. The body. The lightness. The muscles ready. The exhaustion from last night? Gone. I was renewed. And it wasn't just in my head.
I looked out the window. The street still empty, the sky dark blue, about to break dawn.
A crooked smile formed on my face.
"If it's to change my life… then so be it."
I put on a light T-shirt, any shorts, and my old worn-out cleats. Grabbed my water bottle and headed out.
The morning air hit my face cold. The city still asleep.
I reached the public field near the neighborhood. Fenced in, the grass a bit high, two rusty goalposts. The ground still damp with dew.
The screen appeared again as soon as I stepped in.
[Mission started]
[0/20 laps]
I sighed.
"Let's see what you've got, Jae-Hyun."
I started running.
The first lap was fine. My feet hit the damp grass more firmly than before. My body responded. The strides flowed better. Even so, by the second lap, the fatigue came.
But not like before.
The pain was controllable. Like my body could endure more before breaking.
With each lap, the screen updated.
[4/20]
[9/20]
Sweat already poured down my face. Shirt stuck to my chest. Muscles burning. But I didn't stop.
[14/20]
My vision started blurring, but my breathing held steady.
[19/20]
Almost there.
Legs heavy, but firm.
[20/20]
I crossed the imaginary finish line of the last lap and the sound echoed.
[DING!]
[Mission Complete!]
[Rewards earned: +10 status points | + School team coach's favor.]
I co
llapsed on the grass. Gasping for air. But laughing.
Laughing like a lunatic.
Because for the first time… I was winning.
[To be continued]