System (1)

Chapter 12

Elijah stirred awake late in the afternoon, his body stiff and bandaged from head to toe.

A dull, persistent ache spread through him, each movement reminding him of the previous day's ordeal.

Blinking against the soft daylight filtering through the curtains, he realized he was lying on Kai's bed.

The room was small but unmistakably Kai's.

Shelves lined one wall, cluttered with books, trinkets, and trophies from their younger days.

The faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, mingling with the smell of clean linens.

A door led to a narrow balcony where sunlight poured in, illuminating the faint scratches on the wooden floor.

On the far wall, a brightly colored poster of their childhood hero, clad in armor and wielding a glowing sword, stood proudly as if frozen in mid-action.

It was faded at the edges, worn from years of admiration, but still vibrant enough to catch Elijah's attention.

He let out a low chuckle, wincing as his ribs protested the effort.

"I thought I told him to take that down," he muttered.

Despite the pain, a small smile played on his lips, a fleeting memory of their shared obsession with the hero tugging at his thoughts.

The room, with all its imperfections and nostalgia, felt like a refuge. It was a place where the chaos of the outside world couldn't quite reach, at least for now.

Suddenly, a melodic voice echoed in his mind:

[Ding! Mission Complete.]

[The system is now fully online.]

[Welcome, Master.]

Elijah froze.

The voice was distinctly feminine and unsettlingly lifelike.

"Why does this always happen when I think about the system?" he wondered aloud, shivering slightly.

It felt far too real.

With a cautious thought, he activated the system interface.

[Status]

[Name: Elijah Havor]

[Cultivation: None]

[Level: 1]

{Stats}

Strength: 5

Agility: 4

Endurance: 4

Defense: 7

Senses: 2

[Free Stat Points: 10]

"What's going on, Alter Elijah?" he asked, his confusion mounting.

Before he could process the system, his mind was flooded with information.

A cultivation technique titled The Gardener, a legacy from the book his grandmother had given him, surfaced vividly in his thoughts. It was as if he had always known it.

Without conscious effort, the breathing technique described in the book replayed in his mind.

Elijah's confusion deepened.

He'd heard of such techniques before, but they were treasures reserved for the wealthy or powerful.

How did he have one?

And the book… where had it gone? It had vanished while he slept.

Why had his grandmother given it to him in the first place? And what was the deal with the female voice in his head?

"Alter Elijah, I get," he mumbled, "but this... this is too much."

He forced himself to calm down. "Okay, let's take this step by step," he said, exhaling deeply.

Turning his attention back to the system, Elijah decided to allocate his stat points.

[Free Stat Points Allocated:]

Strength: 5 → 8

Agility: 4 → 6

Endurance: 4 → 6

Defense: 7 → 8

Senses: 2 → 4

At first, he thought the changes would be negligible, but an intense, almost electric sensation coursed through his body.

It was as if he were being reborn.

The pain was sharp, like needles pricking his skin, but it quickly faded, leaving him feeling stronger.

The pain from his injuries lessened slightly, though it was still enough to keep him grounded.

"This is… incredible," Elijah whispered, excitement bubbling under the surface.

He wanted to explore these newfound abilities further but knew his injuries needed time—likely three days—to heal fully.

Shifting his focus to the view outside the window, Elijah gazed at the clear blue sky.

The words from The Gardener echoed in his mind:

"A farmer must grow before tending to his crops."

He decided to try the breathing technique described in the text.

Inhaling deeply, then exhaling slowly, Elijah felt his body heat up, his heart pounding loud enough for him to hear it.

Blood rushed through his veins, energizing him.

For thirty minutes, he persisted, but eventually, his body hit its limit. Exhausted, he collapsed into a deep sleep.

At the Fighting Club

The ring was alive with action as Lucas dodged his opponent's punches with ease, landing a precise blow to the stomach followed by an uppercut to the head.

The crowd roared in approval.

Kai watched from the sidelines, his expression unreadable.

'If we can recruit some of our classmates and find those with real talent, we can turn this into something big,' he thought.

He glanced around the room.

The old patrons who frequented the club were starting to tire of wasting money here.

Kai sighed. 'At least we're earning enough to renovate this place. Maybe we could host matches behind the building—it's a perfect spot. Add more alcohol sales for the old-timers, and this place could thrive.'

His phone buzzed, interrupting his train of thought.

The name "Mai" flashed on the screen.

Answering it, Kai said, "What's up?"

"Kai, help! I'm in the park near your house!" Mai's panicked voice cut through the noise.

Kai's face darkened. "Wait, I'm coming—"

A man's voice shouted in the background, followed by Mai's screams.

The line went dead.

Kai bolted upstairs, knowing it would take him at least twenty minutes to reach the park on foot. "Elijah's at my house," he muttered, dialing his number.

"Hello?" Elijah's groggy voice answered.

"Elijah, get to Samain Park now! Mai's in trouble!" Kai shouted, cutting the call before Elijah could respond.

"Please, Elijah, don't let anything happen to her," Kai whispered, running through the streets like a madman.

Vaulting over fences and cutting through alleys, his heart raced with dread.

'Elijah, please!'