That same night, Noah was lying in his room, staring at the ceiling. He was thinking about what happened with his date with Yana and her strange behavior. He lay on his side, gripping the bed sheets tightly.
"What the hell happened?... Does she love me?... But that's wrong... Should I tell Adonis when he comes back? No, he might not believe me and might even get angry at Yana. What about Mira? No, she probably won't care... What should I do? I'm confused..." Noah thought to himself, feeling anxious and a little afraid. He felt lost, lonely, and somewhat depressed. There was no one he could turn to for help.
"It's my fault. I must have done something that made her feel this way... I really am scum!" Noah thought to himself, disgusted with himself. He covered himself with the blanket, trying to sleep and forget what happened, sinking into depression and loneliness. Just then, a message from the system appeared before him.
[The system requests the host to complete the daily task before the time runs out.]
[Time remaining: 11:34 minutes.]
Noah looked at the message in front of him but ignored it and turned to the other side.
"I forgot to do the task today. 11 minutes left before the time's up. I can't do it that fast, anyway," Noah thought to himself as he covered himself entirely with the blanket and placed the pillow over his head, trying to sleep. A few minutes later, the time approached its end and the countdown began.
[...3]
[...2]
[...1]
Time was up, and another message appeared.
[The deadline for completing the daily task has passed.]
[The host will be punished for not completing the task.]
Noah looked at the message, and once he read it, he was shocked and quickly sat up from his comfortable position.
"P-punishment? What does that mean?!" Noah asked, shocked and anxious. The shocks he had faced today were enough, and now the system was punishing him for not completing a task. Can't it read the situation?
[The host's stats will be reduced by 50% for 3 days.]
Noah was surprised and almost lost his mind to the point that he smiled.
"You're joking, right?" Noah said, unable to believe what his eyes had read. On the positive side, his biggest fear—losing the system and it disappearing—hadn't come true. But reducing his stats by half while going to Nova University tomorrow was a bit harsh. Noah was fully aware that, without the system, he would still be scum, even though he still was. Therefore, he couldn't complain and remained silent.
"Well... three days isn't that long. It could be a good opportunity to train..." Noah thought, trying to lighten the situation and look at the bright side. He then lay back on his cold bed, covered himself with the blanket, and closed his eyes.
[Does the host want to start special training?]
"Yes..." Noah murmured in silence, confirming his answer.
At that moment, Noah found himself floating in a dense black space. He could move his hands in the air this time, and they felt thick, like ink. Then, it disappeared, and a vast green plain appeared, stretching far beyond the eye, under a clear blue sky. Nearby, there was a lone, large green tree, its leaves falling to the ground, some of them drifting with the gentle breeze.
"It's been a while since I was last here, maybe at least two days," Noah said, trying to remember the last time he was in this place. Then, a screen appeared before him.
[Name: Noah Grace, Age: 18, Gender: Male, Level: 9
Strength: 20 (50%), Speed: 22 (50%), Agility: 20 (50%), Intelligence: 28 (50%), Luck: 14 (50%)
Skills: "Influence Field" (S-Rank), "Foresight" (C-Rank)]
"You didn't really need to remind me of the punishment... Cheap system," Noah said, annoyed by the system as it insulted his dignity and pride.
[Mission: Kill Orcs 100/0 (Incomplete)]
"Orcs? The number has doubled as well. With these stats, this will be a bit tough," Noah thought to himself, silently worried about the difficulty of the task.
[Rewards: Physical Therapy, 100 Gacha Coins, S-Rank Skill "Thermokinesis."]
"Another S-Rank skill. Looks like the system is still being a little considerate," Noah thought to himself, feeling a little excited and happy but also a bit scared.
At that moment, a red orc appeared, standing tall at over three meters, with dark red skin stretched over massive, rock-like muscles. Its glowing eyes burned with anger, and every movement of its body exuded immense power. Its mouth was filled with sharp fangs, and its massive hand gripped an enormous axe that seemed to weigh half its body. Its movement was slow, but each step shook the ground, as if it could swallow everything in its path. The air around it was thick with an overwhelming aura of menace.
"It looks terrifying from here," Noah thought, gazing at the orc, which stood a few meters away from him. Then, in a surprising moment, the orc charged at Noah, swinging its massive axe. Noah managed to dodge, jumping backward. He couldn't catch his breath before the orc lunged again, letting out a ferocious roar that froze Noah in fear. The orc swung its axe again, but before it could hit, Noah regained his senses and, instinctively, jumped above the orc, landing behind it. He got a brief moment to rest and took a deep breath, his rapid heartbeat pounding in his chest.
"I almost died there! If I die, I won't be revived, right? That mission just ends... I don't want to die again! What should I do? My stats are too low, and it's so fast! I need to find a strategy!" Noah's thoughts raced, and chaos filled his mind, making it hard to think rationally. He tried to calm himself by taking deep breaths, but his heartbeat only quickened, and he felt tightness in his chest. He was afraid of death. The suicidal mission left memories he couldn't forget, and death had become terrifying. But the orc didn't care about Noah's mental state. It slammed its feet on the ground, causing a small tremor, and veins bulged across its massive muscles, showing how angry it was. It then charged at Noah with incredible speed, leaving him no chance to react or predict the future. The orc appeared before him, grabbed his head, and smashed it into the ground with terrifying force. The impact was devastating, and Noah felt sharp pain explode in every part of his body as he was dragged across the earth with ease. His body left a trail of blood behind. With each movement, his bones felt like they were being crushed. The ground was rough under him, and his blood spilled onto the dirt. Each time the orc dragged him, the pain was indescribable. It felt like his ribs had shattered, and his spine was about to collapse under the shock. The taste of blood in his mouth made him think for a moment that he might die there. The world spun around him, and as the orc adjusted its grip, it threw Noah toward the giant tree, causing it to crash and fall. Upon impact, Noah felt his bones shatter completely, and the ground and tree were soaked in his blood. He lifted his head to see the orc walking toward him. With each step it took, the ground shook, and terror filled Noah's heart. His eyes teared up as he realized he couldn't defeat the monster before him. His mouth filled with blood as the orc raised its axe, aiming it at Noah's neck, preparing to swing it.
"...Log out..." Noah murmured weakly, feeling life slip away from his body. The orc swung its axe at him, but Noah logged out just in time and woke up in the real world, terrified. He felt disgust, fear, and dread surge through him as he broke out into a cold sweat. He rushed to the bathroom and started vomiting, feeling repulsed, afraid, and horrified. When he finished, he turned on the faucet and washed his face while staring at himself in the mirror. He couldn't even look himself in the eye.
"I... I'm pathetic..." Noah said to himself as he looked down. He understood why he was bullied now—because he was pathetic. He hated himself for that. He hated his weakness, hated himself, and hated everything around him. If only he hadn't been born, if only he never existed from the beginning... That's what Noah thought. He washed his face again, the cold water waking him from his daze, then left the bathroom and returned to his room. He lay down on his bed, covered himself with the blanket, and fell asleep without activating the special training again.
The next day, Noah woke up to a knock on his room door. He got out of his warm, comfortable bed and opened the door. It was Yana, still in her pajamas, her hair messy, and her eyes shining as they lit up when she saw Noah. Noah hesitated for a moment, feeling uneasy as yesterday's events replayed in his mind.
"You're leaving for the university today, right? You should prepare early," Yana said in a soft, gentle voice before turning around, giving him her back as she returned to her room, a faint smile on her face.
Noah sighed in relief once Yana left. He closed the door, went back to his room, and stood in front of his wardrobe, carefully choosing his outfit for the day. He picked out a white button-up shirt, the soft fabric against his skin as he fastened the top button. The shirt fit him like it was designed to highlight his slim physique, and his simplicity reflects his growing confidence. He wears dark black pants, slightly tight at the ankles, completing his elegant look. He adds a black leather jacket to his outfit, its material cold and durable, giving him a sharp and modern appearance. His black hair is a bit messy, reflecting a state of casual indifference, while his eyes shine slightly, and he prepares himself for a new step in his life. Everything in his movements reflects this transformation.
As he gets ready to head to university, Noah packs his things into a black leather bag. He places some essentials inside: his phone, a notebook, a pen, along with some other items like his clothes.
Noah leaves his room and goes down to the living room, where he finds Yana sitting on the couch, wearing her pajamas. She notices Noah and stands up to approach him.
"Are you leaving now?" Yana asked, her voice carrying a tone of sadness and loneliness due to Noah's departure.
"Y-Yeah," Noah said, stammering with tension and anxiety. Though he felt a bit sad leaving his sister, he also felt some relief because he wouldn't have to worry about her strange behavior. Then, Yana hugged Noah, which surprised him a little. She lifted her head to look at Noah's face.
"Take care of yourself, and be careful," Yana said in a soft, almost whispered voice. Noah's eyes widened slightly because he expected her to say something strange again. Then, Yana pulled back from the hug and stood behind him, gently pushing him toward the door.
"Do your best," Yana said, giving a small smile. But behind her smile, there was the sadness of parting, loneliness, and solitude. Yet, she kept smiling and waved her hand as a farewell to Noah.
Noah then walked toward the door, placed his hand on the handle, and just before turning it to open, Yana said, "Also, don't forget our promise~" Her words made Noah feel more anxious and confused. He opened the door and left. As the sunlight shone down on him, Noah looked up at the clear blue sky and at the flocks of birds flying freely in the sky, the freedom he never enjoyed. He knew this was just the first step in his new journey.