Jacelord

The protagonist's world is dark, and then suddenly—bright light. He blinks, and for a brief moment, he wonders if he has died and if this is the afterlife. But no—he's not dead. He's... a baby?

Confusion floods his mind as he sees the face of a woman bending over him, her eyes filled with concern. “You’re awake,” she whispers softly, her voice like music. But why does she look like an angel?

Wait... what? Why does his body feel so small and frail? He was 25 years old just a moment ago, and now, he's... this?

His thoughts are interrupted by a strange buzzing in his head. "System initializing..."

A glowing interface appears in front of him, and despite being a newborn, he somehow understands it.

Name: [Thaddeus lore]

Level: 1

Class: [Bender]


But the most puzzling part? His ability to bend... He has no idea how or why it’s here, but he knows it’s something powerful.

This is my first novel please understand my mistake.

Bending

The sun had barely risen when Thaddeus sat cross-legged on the wooden floor of his small room, staring at the blue translucent screen floating in front of him.

[Quest Completed: Improve Bending Mastery!]

Reward: +2 Bending Mastery, New Skill Unlocked – Adaptive Bending (Lv. 1)

It had taken him almost an entire week to complete the quest. Bending three different materials in one day had been harder than expected. He had started with clay, which was easy, then wood, which required more effort, and lastly, metal, which almost made his fingers cramp.

But now, his hard work had paid off.

[New Skill Unlocked: Adaptive Bending (Lv. 1)]

Allows the user to subconsciously adjust bending technique based on material resistance. The stronger the skill, the faster the adaptation.

"Whoa…" Thaddeus muttered. "This could be useful."

Just as he was about to celebrate, the system threw another notification at him.

[New Quest: Strengthen Your Body!]

Run 5 kilometers without stopping.

Lift and carry heavy objects daily.

Reward: +5 Endurance, New Passive Skill

Thaddeus felt his soul leave his body for a second.

"Wait… five kilometers?!" he gasped. "I'm twelve!"

The system, of course, didn't respond. It never cared about his feelings.

The First Attempt – A Disastrous Failure

Determined not to lose, Thaddeus rushed outside to start the quest. His home was surrounded by vast open fields, making it a perfect training ground.

"Alright," he took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, and started running.

Not literally, but he sure felt like it. His legs burned, his lungs betrayed him, and he had barely covered half a kilometer before collapsing on the ground.

"I—can't—breathe—" he wheezed, rolling onto his back. "This… is worse than bending!"

As he lay there panting, an old farmer passed by with his donkey, giving him a weird look.

"Yeah… just… training…" Thaddeus groaned.

The farmer raised an eyebrow. "Training for what? A competition of who can pass out the fastest?"

The farmer laughed and walked away, leaving Thaddeus feeling humiliated.

A Smarter Approach – Training Like a Madman

The next day, Thaddeus changed his strategy. Instead of trying to run everything at once, he broke it down:

Morning: Run one kilometer before breakfast.

Afternoon: Do push-ups and lifting.

Evening: Another run, slowly increasing the distance.

At first, it was hell. His body ached every day, and he could barely move in the mornings.

But as the weeks passed, something changed.

He could run longer without gasping for air.

His arms no longer felt like jelly after push-ups.

He actually started enjoying the challenge.

One day, his mother Flora crossed her arms and looked at him suspiciously.

"Thaddeus," she said, "why are you getting so much exercise lately? You weren't this active before."

Thaddeus panicked. He couldn't say, "Oh, I have a system forcing me to train for future battles."

So he went with the safest answer.

His father Alexander suddenly appeared, patting his head. "That's good, son! A strong body makes a strong man."

Flora still seemed unconvinced, but she sighed and let it go.

After four weeks, Thaddeus finally completed the quest.

[Quest Completed: Strengthen Your Body!]

New Passive Skill: Bender's Physique (Lv. 1)

A passive trait that enhances physical endurance and muscle adaptation. The more the user trains, the stronger they get at a faster rate.

His eyes lit up. This meant he could train even harder without tiring as quickly.

He clenched his fists, feeling the subtle difference in his body.

"Alright," he grinned. "Time for the next challenge!"

And with that, the real journey was about to begin.

The Path to Strength Begins