The sight brought back vivid memories of my past life.
Back then, I had always tried to stay on track — dragging myself to the gym, cutting back on greasy junk food, and forcing myself into the chair to write instead of procrastinating from dusk till dawn. I genuinely wanted to live a healthy, productive life like a proper adult.
But 99% of the time, I failed. Hard.
There were countless insomniac nights when I lay awake staring at the dark ceiling, my mind racing with all the plans I had abandoned halfway and all the stories swirling unfinished in my head like restless ghosts.
I knew exactly what I needed to do. I just… couldn't make myself do it.
"Self-discipline." "Time management."
Simple words. Easy to say.
Yet for me, they might as well have been divine laws written in a language I could not read.
Everything always started strong. I'd make detailed plans, set ambitious goals, and hype myself up with fresh motivation… only for it all to crumble sooner or later. I'd get bored, lose interest, or burn out completely from pushing too hard.
Then I'd waste my time on mindless distractions. Games, anime, social media… things that offered instant gratification.
I knew the problem. I had always known it.
But knowing was one thing. Actually fixing it… was something else entirely.
So, if only…
If only there had been some kind of magical force to keep me on track. Something that wouldn't let me drift off course. Something powerful enough to override my weak will and force me forward, no matter how tired, bored, or unmotivated I felt.
Some kind of absolute rule. A system. A punishment.
Then maybe, just maybe, I would have turned out better.
****
And so, after witnessing what the System could force Gopuro to do — ruthlessly pushing him far beyond his own physical limits — I came to realize just how much greatness I could achieve if I learned to use the System wisely in the future.
I could utilize it to train my citizens into powerful warriors. Give them training punishments that they simply could not achieve normally.
Of course, I would only do that if they first gave me their full consent.
(And yeah, let's never do anything that stupid ever again…)
Even though Gopuro had gained the powerful [Enraged] skill, that didn't erase the fact that my carelessness had put him in a genuinely dangerous spot.
I needed to create a proper safeguard — something that would prevent punishments from causing too much harm while still delivering their impressive, motivating results.
(Maybe add a line to the punishment description: "Automatically stop if there is a risk of severe or permanent harm to the body"…?)
However, before I could calm down and properly think things through, Gopuran stepped forward and boldly snatched the quest scroll. I couldn't react fast enough.
[Ding! Gopuran has accepted your "Strength Demonstration #5" quest!]
(NO WAY!)
I panicked at first.
But seeing the fierce, unyielding determination burning in her bright eyes, I immediately understood what was going through her mind.
(Yeah… you realized the true power of this quest system too, didn't you?)
She had been watching Gopuro closely the entire time. Now that he had gained the [Enraged] skill, this clever goblin girl wanted one for herself. Even after seeing how completely wrecked her brother looked afterward, she still decided the risk was worth the reward.
Soon, her arms began pumping furiously as she threw herself headfirst into the impossible push-up challenge.
And, of course, she failed.
The failure instantly triggered the quest punishment.
(Good luck, Puran… may the System be with you.)
…
For the next few minutes, even though I already knew what to expect, it was still terrifying to watch.
Gopuran pushed with everything she had. Her big chest slammed wildly against the ground at lightning speed as the System ruthlessly forced her through the grueling punishment push-ups. The sheer repetitive force actually cracked the hard earth beneath her with each impact!
Meanwhile, I kept a nervous eye on her status screen, Castle Points at the ready. If her HP dropped too low, I would intervene without hesitation.
But in the end, thankfully, I didn't need to.
After another intense, sweat-drenched burst of push-ups, she successfully unlocked the [Enraged] skill. Ten more grueling repetitions later, the punishment finally ended.
Now, both goblins lay sprawled on the ground, drenched in sweat, chests heaving as they gasped desperately for air — yet grinning madly from ear to ear like they had just won the greatest, most glorious battle of their lives.
I let them rest for another full hour before rewarding them with two extra Powerstones each. After everything they had endured, they more than deserved it.
The two immediately tossed the glowing stones into their mouths and chewed with obvious delight.
****
One hour later…
I had to admit, the [Carnivorism] skill was ridiculously overpowered!
[Carnivorism Lv.1]
Description: After consuming meat, grants a significant boost to Stamina Recovery and HP Regeneration. The duration depends on the type and amount of meat consumed.
As I fed them more thick cuts of steak, their stamina recovered in no time. The exhaustion melted away from their bodies, and soon both goblins were back to full health, energized, and ready for more action.
But even though their status showed they had recovered completely, I decided that they had already done enough intense physical activity for one day.
I still had several experiments I wanted to run. This time, however, they wouldn't require raw strength or serious effort. Instead, I had prepared something much more lighthearted and fun.
(Alright, you two… surely you can handle this one, right?)
The two goblins stared at the new quest paper I had materialized on the ground, their eyes widening in surprise.
[Quest: Let's Become Artists!]
Prerequisite: None
Quest Info: Your ruler wishes to evaluate your artistic capability! Dear followers, prove your worth with your best drawings!
Quest Type: One-Time
Objective: Using sticks or stones on the ground, draw your best versions of these objects: the sun, the moon, a tree, a flower, and three random animals from the forest.
Time Limit: 20 minutes
Reward: 1 chicken drumstick
Punishment: None