Chapter 6: Preparation Begins

The next morning, Eiji Mizuno stood in front of the mirror, studying himself.

Same dark hair, same lean frame, same intense, dark eyes. 

But something felt different. His body seemed lighter, more responsive.

 His reflexes sharper. 

The result of the Battle Instincts passive skill the System had gifted him after defeating Kaito and his goons.

And now, with the underground tournament looming on the horizon, he had no time to waste.

He tapped open the System Menu in his mind, focusing on the Training Missions tab.

[Daily Quests Available]

[Shadowboxing (30 min) , Reward: +1 Agility]

[Push-ups (100 reps) , Reward: +1 Strength]

[Footwork Drills (20 min) , Reward: +1 Agility]

[Meditation (15 min) , Reward: +1 Martial Knowledge]

[Punching Bag Practice (300 hits) , Reward: +1 Strength]

[Sparring Available]

[First Victory of the Week , Reward: +2 Strength, +2 Agility]

Alright, Eiji thought. 

Five daily quests and a spar. 

Let's get to work.

It was Sunday, and the gym was empty except for him,just the way he liked it.

 Dusty light filtered through the high windows, casting long shadows across the scuffed wooden floor.

He cracked his knuckles, took a deep breath, and dove into his training.

Shadowboxing - 30 minutes

Eiji closed his eyes and visualized an opponent in front of him. 

He moved through his combinations,jab, cross, hook, weave. 

His body danced across the mat, feet light, breathing steady.

The moves felt different now, sharper.

 It wasn't just muscle memory anymore.

 His mind and body seemed synced on a level he had never experienced before. Every shift in weight, every feint, every dodge felt intuitive.

He pushed hard, sweat dripping from his brow, feeling the improvement with every passing second.

[Quest Completed: +1 Agility]

Push-ups - 100 reps

He dropped down without pause, planting his palms firmly on the dusty floor.

The first twenty were easy.

 By forty, his arms burned.

 At seventy, he grit his teeth, forcing himself not to slow down. 

The System wasn't going to give him free power,he had to earn it.

Finally, with a final grunt, he hit the hundredth push-up, collapsing onto his stomach for a moment before rolling over and laughing breathlessly.

[Quest Completed: +1 Strength]

Footwork Drills - 20 minutes

Next, he placed two cones he had scavenged from the equipment closet, about ten feet apart, and began sprinting between them with rapid steps.

Side steps, back steps, diagonal cuts,keeping his feet moving without stopping, always ready to shift direction in an instant.

 It was tiring in a different way,mental as much as physical.

But Eiji kept moving, faster and faster, until he was little more than a blur between the cones.

[Quest Completed: +1 Agility]

Meditation - 15 minutes

He sat down on the center mat, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. His heartbeat thudded in his ears at first, wild and unsteady after the intense drills.

But slowly, through steady breathing, he reined it in.

He focused inward, calming his mind, letting distractions melt away. 

Instead of just emptying his thoughts, he imagined himself mastering every move, every fight. Visualizing victory. 

Visualizing strength.

By the time fifteen minutes passed, he felt a new clarity settle into his bones.

Quest Completed: +1 Martial Knowledge

Punching Bag Practice - 300 hits

Finally, Eiji faced the heavy bag.

He wrapped his knuckles in torn cloth, tightened them into fists, and let loose.

Each punch echoed in the gym like a gunshot,straight punches, body blows, hooks.

 He switched stance every fifty hits, forcing himself to stay versatile. 

Sweat poured down his body, but he refused to slow.

When he finally slammed the three-hundredth hit into the bag, it rocked wildly on its chains.

He stood there, chest heaving, a fierce grin on his face.

[Quest Completed: +1 Strength]

[System Notification]

[5 Daily Quests Completed]

[Bonus Reward: +2 Strength, +2 Agility, New Passive Skill: Minor Recovery (Stamina regenerates 10% faster)]

Eiji's fists clenched in satisfaction as he felt the System integrate the new power into his muscles. Every breath he took seemed to come a little easier.

 Every movement, a little faster.

But he wasn't done yet.

There was still the sparring match.

After a quick shower and change, Eiji sent a text to the only person he knew who could give him a good fight: Kenji Sato.

Kenji was a senior,tough, respected, and a known street fighter. 

Eiji knew he trained at a boxing gym on weekends.

 They weren't exactly friends, but there was mutual respect between them, especially after Eiji's fight with Kaito.

"Hey, Kenji. You free? Need a spar. Serious one."

Kenji replied almost instantly:

"Gym. One hour. Don't hold back."

The private gym Kenji trained at was small but well-equipped. Heavy bags, mats, even a makeshift ring.

When Eiji arrived, Kenji was already inside, wrapping his hands. He grinned when he saw Eiji.

"Didn't think you were serious," Kenji said, tossing him a pair of sparring gloves.

 "Guess I was wrong."

"I need real practice," Eiji said simply.

Kenji nodded approvingly. "Good. Let's see what you've got."

They touched gloves in respect, then backed off into their stances.

The first round began slow. Kenji circled him, probing with light jabs. Testing.

Eiji stayed patient, using his new footwork speed to avoid most of the hits.

 His instincts,enhanced by the Battle Instincts passive,kept him aware of every subtle movement.

Then Kenji lunged with a combination,jab, cross, hook.

Eiji weaved under the cross, slipped the hook, and countered with a rapid one-two to Kenji's ribs. 

The senior grunted but smiled.

"Not bad!"

Kenji picked up the pace. 

He was fast, and he hit harder than Eiji expected. 

One punch grazed his cheek, making his vision blur for a second.

But Eiji didn't back down.

They clashed again and again,feints, dodges, counters.

Kenji tried a sudden low kick to the shin, but Eiji jumped back in time, countering with a spinning backfist. 

Kenji blocked it barely, shaking out his arm from the force.

"You've been training," Kenji panted, impressed.

"You have no idea," Eiji said grimly.

The spar intensified. 

Both fighters pushed their limits, exchanging blows, testing endurance.

Eiji started noticing small openings,Kenji dropping his guard a fraction after a combo, overcommitting on his left jab.

Using his new Battle Instincts, Eiji exploited those weaknesses ruthlessly.

Finally, after nearly twenty minutes of hard sparring, Eiji saw his moment.

Kenji overextended on a right hook.

 Eiji ducked under, stepped inside, and launched a powerful Dragon Fang Strike into Kenji's chest,controlled, but powerful enough to stagger him back against the ropes.

Kenji raised his hands in surrender, laughing breathlessly.

"Alright, alright! You win!"

They bumped gloves again, both grinning despite their exhaustion.

[System Notification]

Sparring Match Won

Reward: +2 Strength, +2 Agility

Bonus: +1 Martial Knowledge for clean victory

As they sat on the edge of the ring, gulping water, Kenji nudged Eiji with his elbow.

"You're not just some schoolyard brawler anymore," he said.

 "You're something else. I don't know what you're aiming for, but... keep going."

Eiji looked down at his hands, still wrapped, still trembling slightly from the exertion.

He smiled quietly.

"I'm aiming for the top," he said.

Kenji chuckled. "Well, if anyone can do it, it's you."

Later that night, back in his room, Eiji opened the System menu once more.

[Status Screen]

[Strength: 20 → 28]

[Agility: 19 → 27]

[Martial Knowledge: 15 → 17]

[Skills]

-Basic Martial Arts (Passive)

-Dragon Fang Strike (Active)

-Battle Instincts (Passive)

-Minor Recovery (Passive)

He was growing.

Faster, stronger, sharper.

The tournament was coming closer every day.

And when it arrived, Eiji Mizuno would be ready.

Ready to show the world that even a "nobody" could become something greater.

Something unstoppable.