Chapter 4 – Train or Die
1863 Words
The moon light sliced through the blinds of the hospital room.
Ryu Minho lay still, staring at the ceiling, half afraid that if he blinked, the blue screen floating over his bed would disappear.
It didn’t.
> [Daily Mission: Train or Die]
[Objective 1: 100 Push-ups]
[Objective 2: 100 Sit-ups]
[Objective 3: 10 km Run]
[Failure Penalty: Return to Penalty Zone]
[Reward: Random Box + Stat Increase]
[Timer: 23 Hours, 59 Minutes Remaining]
He exhaled slowly. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”
Yesterday, he fought a desert full of serpents the size of buses. Now the same system wanted him to work out? He stared at the text for a long moment, jaw clenched.
“Alright,” he muttered finally, pushing the sheets aside. “Let’s see what happens if I actually play along this time.”
He dropped to the floor, ignoring the sharp protest in his ribs. His palms hit the cold tiles. The faint hum of medical equipment filled the quiet room.
“One…” He pushed himself up, arms trembling. “Two… three…”
His body screamed in protest after ten.
By twenty, his vision blurred.
By thirty, his arms were shaking violently, sweat dripping from his hair onto the tile.
He forced himself to keep going, gasping between reps. The penalty zone had taught him one thing — the System did not bluff.
By the time he reached sixty, his chest was on fire.
At seventy-five, he collapsed face-first into the floor, breathing like he’d just sprinted a marathon.
> [Progress: 75% Complete – Objective 1]
“Damn… this thing really counts…”
He flipped onto his back, wiping sweat from his eyes. The sterile ceiling swam above him. The scent of antiseptic clung to his skin.
“Fine,” he panted. “Sit-ups next.”
He interlaced his fingers behind his head and started again.
Each crunch sent pain lancing through his ribs, but he didn’t stop. His muscles screamed, lungs burned, and the world narrowed to one thought: don’t fail.
> [Progress: 98% Complete – Objective 2]
[99%...]
[100% Complete – Objective 2]
The blue window blinked once.
> [Objective 3 Remaining: 10 km Run]
He groaned, rolling onto his side. “Run? Where the hell am I supposed to—”
The door slid open.
“Mr. Ryu? You shouldn’t be out of bed!”
A nurse stood at the entrance — tall, slender, wearing a white uniform and a look of panic. Her eyes widened at the sight of him sprawled on the floor, drenched in sweat.
Minho tried to push himself up but failed miserably. “I… dropped something.”
The nurse rushed forward, slipping an arm under his shoulders. “Dropped your lungs, maybe. You’re still recovering from Rift trauma! You’re going to tear your stitches.”
He managed a weak grin. “Guess I’m built tougher than I look.”
She frowned. “You look like you just came out of a war.”
She half-dragged, half-lifted him back into bed, checking his pulse and IV line. “Your heart rate’s all over the place. Try to rest, please.”
“I’ll… try,” he muttered, sinking into the pillow.
As she left, shaking her head, Minho glanced at the System window still floating above him.
The run would have to wait. But the clock kept ticking.
---
The next morning, before dawn, Minho woke to the same blue glow.
> [Daily Mission: Train or Die]
[Timer: 15 Hours, 59 Minutes Remaining]
No rest for the weak.
He stretched, gritting his teeth as his muscles protested. Then he started again.
Push-ups. Sit-ups. Stretching. Short jogs up and down the hospital hallway before nurses started their shifts. The first few days were torture — his entire body ached, his ribs felt like fire, and his arms trembled constantly.
But something strange began to happen.
Every morning after completing the quest, he’d feel… lighter. Stronger. The dull fatigue that had clung to him for years began to fade. Even the small wounds along his body healed faster than before.
On the third day, after collapsing back onto the bed, the blue text flashed again.
> [Daily Quest Completed]
[Reward: Random Box Received]
[Opening Random Box…]
[You Obtained: Stamina Elixir (Low-Grade)]
[Permanent Stat Increase: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Vitality]
Minho laughed breathlessly. “Now that’s more like it.”
He downed the small vial of shimmering blue liquid, grimacing at the metallic taste. A second later, warmth spread through his body — deep, invigorating warmth. His pulse steadied, and his fatigue vanished completely.
“Okay,” he muttered. “I can live with this kind of system.”
---
By the fifth day, the difference was visible.
He stood before the small hospital mirror, running a hand through his hair. His reflection was… unfamiliar.
His skin, once pale and dull, had regained a healthy tone. His shoulders were broader, his arms firmer. The faint outline of muscle traced down his torso. Even his face looked sharper — less boyish, more defined.
He leaned closer. “What the hell are you turning me into?”
The System didn’t answer, but the next notification did.
> [Health Stable. Discharge Recommended.]
[New Quest Unlocked: Prepare for Advancement]
[Objective: Visit Your Registered Residence]
[Reward: 500 Ether Credits + System Shop Access]
“Visit my… residence?”
He frowned, but the meaning was obvious. He was being told to go home.
Then a nurse with a folder came in, "Mr Minho, your vitals are stable and exceeds our expectations, please sign this you are free to go home now."
Minho sighed and signed the discharge form, "so much for bed rest."
The nurse smiled and left his room giving him the privacy needed to pack his things.
*
An hour later, he was walking through the crowded streets of Seoul, the city’s skyline glimmering above the smog. Holographic billboards projected breaking Rift alerts, while guild recruiters shouted from street corners, trying to lure new hunters into their ranks.
“Seoul — humanity’s fortress,” one sign read, flickering between advertisements for mana potions and combat drones.
Minho adjusted the strap of the small bag slung over his shoulder. The System’s notifications hovered faintly at the edge of his vision — translucent, visible only to him.
Every few steps, his eyes drifted to the people around him: armored hunters laughing over coffee, Sect drones scanning Rift fluctuations, civilians wearing Ether masks to filter the air.
Life went on, as if monsters weren’t devouring cities one Gate at a time.
He exhaled softly. “Home, huh…”
His apartment wasn’t far — a narrow complex tucked into the quieter part of the lower city. The walls were cracked, the elevator didn’t work, and the neighbors mostly kept to themselves.
He climbed the stairs, each creak echoing through the dim hallway.
At the door marked 402, he paused.
He could already hear music — faint, cheerful, pop-style — leaking through the door. Then came a voice he hadn’t heard in weeks.
“Oppa?”
The door opened, and Ryu Mina — his sixteen-year-old sister — stood there, school uniform slightly wrinkled, hair tied messily into a ponytail.
Her wide brown eyes blinked in surprise. “You’re back!”
Minho barely had time to speak before she threw her arms around him. “I thought— they said—! You were missing after that Gate collapsed!”
He hesitated for half a second, then hugged her back, gently. “Yeah… things got bad, but I made it out.”
She stepped back, studying him — and froze.
“Oppa…” Her eyes widened. “You look— different.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Different how?”
“You’re taller,” she said, eyes narrowing. “And… your face—your muscles—what the hell, did they feed you experimental drugs in there?”
He laughed. “No. Just a lot of hospital food.”
“Yeah, right,” she muttered, circling him suspiciously before sighing in relief. “At least you’re okay.”
He smiled faintly. “You’re going to be late for school.”
“Eh? Oh crap—!” She dashed around the small apartment, grabbing her bag, half-eaten toast, and digital ID. “You rest, okay? I’ll bring groceries later!”
“Go,” he said softly. “And be careful.”
She grinned, waving as she bolted down the stairs.
When the door shut behind her, silence returned — heavy and familiar.
The apartment was exactly as he’d left it: old sofa, flickering lights, and the faint smell of instant noodles. The framed photo of their mother sat on the shelf, her smile still gentle even through the haze of sickness.
Minho’s chest tightened. “Hang in there, Mom. I’m getting stronger. I promise.”
Then, the System chimed again.
> [Quest Completed: Prepare for Advancement]
[Reward: 500 Ether Credits Received]
[System Shop Unlocked]
[Accessing Shop Interface…]
The world blurred for a second, and then lines of glowing text filled his vision.
> [System Shop Categories]
[1. Potions / Recovery Items]
[2. Weapons & Equipment]
[3. Skill Tomes]
[4. Stat Boosters]
[5. Miscellaneous]
[Current Balance: 500 Ether Credits]
Minho scrolled through the categories, mouth slightly open.
There were items here worth millions on the hunter market — potions that could regenerate limbs, blades that glowed with mana, tomes promising new abilities. And all of it accessible to him.
He hovered over a low-tier section.
> [Item: Stamina Recovery Potion (Low-Grade) – 50 EC]
[Item: Strength Booster (Temporary) – 200 EC]
[Item: Iron Dagger (Grade D) – 300 EC]
He hesitated. “So that’s what this is… a self-contained system. No guilds, no Sects, no government oversight.”
For the first time, he realized the terrifying potential of what he’d stumbled into.
If the government knew about this System… they’d dissect him before they let him walk free.
> [Recommendation: Continue Daily Quests to Increase Stats]
[Hidden Mission Detected]
[Objective: Clear a Public Gate within 72 Hours]
[Reward: Title – The Awakened Survivor]
[Failure Penalty: Stat Reduction (-20%)]
Minho froze. “A Gate… already?”
He opened the window, staring out at the city skyline — distant sirens, red Rift beacons pulsing in the smog.
The world out there was still crawling with monsters.
He looked at his hands — stronger now, steadier. The black Obsidian Fang Blade shimmered faintly on his desk where he’d placed it, absorbing the morning light.
The corners of his lips curled slightly.
“Alright, System,” he murmured. “Let’s see what I can really do.”
The faint hum of the city faded into the background. The blue light reflected in his eyes as he gripped the blade.
> [New Quest Accepted: Clear a Public Gate (Difficulty: D-Rank)]
[Recommended Party: 4–6 Members]
[Status: Solo Entry Selected]
[Warning: Solo Entry Greatly Increases Death Probability.]
The notification blinked once and vanished.
Ryu Minho exhaled, the faintest trace of a smile touching his lips.
The first step of his new life had begun — and this time, he wouldn’t be the one left behind.
- Writer
