Morning came too fast.
Arin opened his eyes and immediately regretted it.
"…why does everything hurt?"
"Because your body is weak."
"…you said that already."
"It remains true."
"…I'm going to mute you someday."
"You cannot."
"…yeah, yeah."
He sat up slowly. No rushing this time. Yesterday's pain was still there, reminding him of his stupidity.
He stretched a little—carefully.
"…okay… new plan."
"Listening."
Arin narrowed his eyes. "First—no more jumping into impossible tasks."
"Correct."
"Second—I don't die doing push-ups."
"Highly recommended."
"…third…"
He paused.
"…I stop acting like an idiot."
Silence.
Then—
"Acknowledged."
"…you agreed too fast."
Outside – Early Morning
The village was quiet. Too early for most people.
Perfect.
Arin stepped outside, taking a deep breath. Cool air filled his lungs. His body still hurt—but less than yesterday.
"…okay. Let's test limits properly."
No running laps. No stupid plans.
Just walking.
Step by step.
After a while, his legs started to feel heavy.
"…so this is my real limit," he muttered.
"Correct. Previous attempt exceeded capacity by 300%."
"…300%?!"
"Approximate."
"…you tried to kill me."
"You tried to kill yourself."
"…fair."
New Attempt
Arin stopped near a small tree.
"…okay… push-ups."
He got into position. Hands slightly shaking.
"…just ten."
"One…"
His arms trembled.
"Two…"
Already harder than expected.
"Three…"
"…this is pathetic…"
"Accurate assessment."
"…shut up…"
"Four… five…"
His arms nearly gave out.
"Six…"
He dropped.
Flat on the ground.
"…okay… six it is."
No sharp pain this time. No blackout.
Just exhaustion.
"…this is better."
System Response
The panel flickered.
"Partial Completion Detected."
"Effort Recognized."
"Reward: Minor stamina increase."
Arin blinked.
"…wait… that counts?"
"Efficient effort is rewarded."
"…so I don't have to complete everything?"
"Correct."
A slow grin appeared on his face.
"…now that… changes things."
Understanding
He stood up slowly.
"…so you're not completely useless."
"Correction: I was never useless."
"…debatable."
But his mind was already racing.
So the system doesn't want perfection… it wants progress.
"…I can work with that."
Second Round
This time, he didn't rush.
Walk → rest → push-ups → rest → squats → rest
Slow. Controlled.
Each time pushing a little more.
Not enough to break.
Just enough to grow.
Sweat formed again—but no panic.
Pain returned—but manageable.
"…this feels… doable."
"Host learning efficiency increased."
"…finally something positive."
Small Progress
After a while, he sat under the tree, breathing heavily.
"…status."
The panel appeared.
"Stamina: Slightly Increased."
"Strength: Slightly Increased."
Arin stared.
"…that's it?"
"Progress is minimal but stable."
"…I worked for hours."
"You survived. That is success."
He exhaled slowly.
"…yeah… I guess it is."
Realization
He leaned back against the tree.
Yesterday, I failed because I rushed.
Today… I improved because I slowed down.
"…so this is how I survive…"
Not talent.
Not luck.
Just… persistence.
"…damn. That sounds boring."
"It is effective."
"…I hate that you're right."
Ending
Arin stood up again.
Still weak. Still tired.
But not the same as yesterday.
"…okay."
A small smirk formed.
"…maybe I won't die that easily."
"Survival probability: Slightly increased."
"…wow. Huge progress."
"Do not become overconfident."
"…relax."
He looked ahead.
"…this is just the beginning."
Arin wiped the sweat from his face, breathing heavily.
"…status."
The panel appeared.
"Stamina: Increased.""Strength: Increased."
"…that's it?"
He frowned.
"System, that's all I get after almost dying?"
There was a brief pause.
Then—
The screen flickered.
Different this time.
"Hidden Condition Achieved."
Arin blinked. "…hidden?"
"Wait—what hidden condition?"
"Consistent effort without exceeding fatal limits."
"…so not being stupid gives rewards?"
"Correct."
"…wow. Revolutionary."
Another line appeared.
"Reward Granted."
Arin leaned forward slightly.
"…what reward?"
A new text slowly formed.
"Skill Unlocked: Fragmented Dragon Breathing."
Silence.
Arin stared.
"…dragon?"
He blinked again.
"…as in actual dragons? Not like… game dragons?"
"Actual."
"…you're joking."
"No."
Arin rubbed his face.
"…okay… okay… explain."
A pause.
Then—
"Dragon Breathing is a primitive mana absorption technique used by ancient dragon species."
"…primitive?"
"For dragons."
"…right…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"…and why the hell do I have it?"
Silence.
Then—
"Host met conditions."
"That doesn't answer anything."
"Correct."
"…you're doing this on purpose."
"Yes."
"…I hate you."
Information Download
Suddenly—
A sharp pressure hit his chest.
Arin froze.
"…what—?!"
Fragments of knowledge flooded his mind.
Breathing patterns.Heat control.Energy flow through lungs… then spreading through the body.
Broken. Incomplete.
Like trying to read half a book with missing pages.
Arin gasped.
"…this is… weird…"
"Fragmented technique. Incomplete."
"…no kidding."
He steadied himself.
"…can I use it?"
"Yes."
"…safely?"
Pause.
"No."
"…great."
First Attempt (Small)
Arin closed his eyes.
"…fine… let's try."
Inhale.
Slow. Deep.
For a moment—nothing.
Then—
A faint warmth.
Deep inside his chest.
Like a tiny spark.
Arin's eyes snapped open.
"…I felt that."
"Confirmed. Mana detected."
"…so this is mana…"
His breathing got slightly heavier.
"…this is actually real…"
Final Exchange
He looked at the panel again.
"…system."
"Yes."
"…this isn't normal, is it?"
Pause.
"No."
"…figures."
A slow grin formed on his face.
"…then I guess…"
He clenched his fist slightly.
"…I got lucky for once."
"Luck is irrelevant."
"…let me enjoy this moment."
Arin took a slow breath.
"…okay… let's see properly."
"System, show me status."
The panel appeared instantly.
"Displaying Status…"
Name: Arin ValeAge: 10
Rank: F
Condition:
Stamina: Low → Improving Strength: Low Endurance: Very Low Mana: Trace Detected
Skills:
Fragmented Dragon Breathing (Lv. 1)
Arin stared at it.
"…ten years old… and already this bad?"
"Accurate."
"…and F rank?"
"Correct."
He sighed.
"…I really started from the bottom."
His eyes moved to the last line.
Fragmented Dragon Breathing.
A small grin appeared.
"…but at least I've got something."