Chapter 9 : First Steps
911 Words
The countdown continued.
23:59:59
Ethan stared at the blue screen floating in front of him.
The Daily Quest.
A challenge that looked simple.
Almost too simple.
But Ethan knew better.
The system was not giving him a normal workout.
It was rebuilding him from the foundation.
After everything he experienced in the shrine, Ethan understood one thing.
Power was not something that appeared overnight.
It was earned.
Through pain.
Through effort.
Through countless moments where a person wanted to give up but continued anyway.
Ethan slowly moved the hospital blanket away.
His body still felt weak after being unconscious for eight days.
The doctors had told him he needed more time to recover.
But Ethan had never been good at waiting.
Especially not anymore.
He looked at the first objective.
100 Push-ups.
"Let's begin."
The first push-up was difficult.
His arms trembled immediately.
His muscles had weakened from being unconscious.
A normal person recovering from such an injury would have struggled to even stand.
But Ethan continued.
One.
Two.
Three.
Every movement reminded him of the shrine.
The ancient knights.
The overwhelming power.
The moment where he realized how powerless he truly was.
But instead of discouraging him...
Those memories pushed him forward.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
By the time he reached fifty, sweat covered his forehead.
His breathing became heavier.
His arms felt like they were carrying a mountain.
But he continued.
Because he remembered his promise.
Never again.
Never again would he stand helpless while others fought.
Finally...
100/100 Completed
A notification appeared.
[Push-up objective completed.]
Ethan rested for only a few seconds.
Then he continued.
The nurses passing by the hospital room noticed something unusual.
"Ethan is awake?"
One of the nurses looked through the small window.
She expected to see a recovering patient resting.
Instead, she saw him training.
She immediately frowned.
"Should he really be doing that?"
Another nurse looked surprised.
"He was unconscious for eight days, yet he already started exercising?"
They weren't impressed because of appearance.
They were surprised by his determination.
Most patients complained about discomfort.
Most people wanted to rest as long as possible.
But Ethan was different.
He had survived something nobody understood.
And now he was working to recover instead of giving in.
"He has incredible discipline," one nurse said quietly.
The next task began.
100 Sit-ups.
Then:
Run 10 kilometers.
Inside the hospital corridor, Ethan moved carefully.
The doctors had warned him not to push himself too far.
But the system was monitoring him.
Every time his body reached its limit...
A strange energy flowed through him.
Not enough to remove the difficulty.
Enough to help him continue.
As the hours passed, Ethan noticed something.
His breathing became steadier.
His movements became smoother.
His body felt different.
Not like he had suddenly become invincible.
But like he was finally unlocking the potential that had always been hidden.
The weakness that followed him for years slowly began disappearing.
His stamina improved.
His control improved.
His body became more prepared for battle.
The E-rank hunter everyone ignored was slowly becoming someone different.
The final objective.
Combat Training: 1 Hour
Ethan stood in the hospital's empty training room.
The Hunter Association had provided basic equipment for recovering hunters.
He picked up a training weapon.
Then he began.
Every movement was repeated.
Every mistake corrected.
Every weakness analyzed.
The system observed silently.
[Combat experience increasing.]
[Movement efficiency improving.]
[Physical adaptation occurring.]
Ethan didn't notice how much time passed.
He only focused.
One hour.
One goal.
One step forward.
Finally...
The final notification appeared.
[Daily Quest Completed.]
Ethan stopped.
He looked at the screen.
Daily Quest Completed
Rewards Granted:
+100 System Points
Beginner Enhancement Package
Recovery Boost
Ethan opened the rewards.
A new screen appeared.
[Beginner Enhancement Package received.]
Contents:
Beginner Strength Enhancement
Beginner Stamina Enhancement
Beginner Recovery Enhancement
Would you like to use the package?
Ethan selected:
YES
A warm energy spread through his body.
It wasn't painful.
It felt like his body was repairing and improving itself.
The exhaustion from training slowly faded.
His muscles recovered faster.
His senses became sharper.
His movements felt lighter.
For the first time in years...
Ethan felt like his body was actually keeping up with his determination.
A new notification appeared.
[Current Status Updated.]
Hunter Rank: E-Rank
Ability: Energy Reinforcement
Physical Condition: Improved
System Evaluation: Beginning Stage
Ethan looked at the status.
Still E-rank.
Still considered weak by the world.
But he smiled.
Because he knew something they didn't.
Ranks measured what a person currently had.
Not what they could become.
The next morning, several nurses noticed the difference.
Ethan looked healthier.
His posture had changed.
The tiredness that usually followed him was gone.
He moved with confidence.
Some of the nurses who had heard about his dungeon incident looked at him with respect.
"That's the hunter who survived Redfall?"
"I heard he stayed behind so his team could escape."
"He doesn't seem like someone who gave up."
Ethan heard their conversations but ignored them.
For years, people had talked about him.
Some with insults.
Some with pity.
Now, for the first time...
Some people looked at him with respect.
But respect was not what he was chasing.
Power was.
Because next time he entered a dungeon...
He didn't want to be the person everyone protected.
He wanted to be the person who protected everyone else.
A new notification appeared.
[New Quest Available.]
Ethan looked at the screen.
A small smile appeared.
The journey had only begun.
- Writer
