(Ichiro POV)
"Yes, mother," I said while resting my phone, close to my ear.
"Love you, son, do your best tomorrow." My mother said with a happy voice.
I had a small talk with my mother and father before I went to bed.
They congratulated me and wishing luck for tomorrow.
They seemed very excited, which did bring a smile to my face.
After talking for a few moments longer, they went to sleep so I hang up the phone call.
I lay in my bed while thinking about tomorrow.
*Clank* Suddenly the door to my hotel door opened and I sat up to look who came.
I saw the club advisor and Lucas walk inside.
"Ichiro." Club advisor looked at me and asked. "Lucas said that you guys were on some kind of mission, which he didn't say anything about, but said that it was a reason he was there, is that true?"
I was about to say something, until I saw Lucas' face, which told, that if I bullshit now, then he probably would throw me out of the window.
"Yes, he wasn't there to record those old men," I told, club advisor, sighed in relief.
"Good, now I don't have to inform the principal, which would cause quite of a shitshow." Club advisor said and was slightly angry at me for pranking them, but let it go and left our hotel room.
Now I was sitting at the bed, while angry Lucas was standing in front of me.
"Hello!" I waved happily towards Lucas.
Lucas looked coldly towards me and I was waiting for his words.
Lucas then curved his mouth to smile a little and said. "I told everyone back home that you are into furries, tomorrow in the school those gossipers got very juicy topic"
"GRRR." I gritted my teeth and almost spat mouthfuls of blood.
"Good night!" Lucas said with a happy smile and put the lights off and went blissfully to sleep.
I took the last hateful glance towards Lucas and I laid in the bed while looking at the ceiling
'Status.' I decided to check my status before I sleep, which is my daily thing now.
[Name: Kurogami Ichiro]
[Martial Rank: Unranked]
[Age: 15]
[Level: 3]
[SP: 0]
[Coins: 0]
[50/400 EXP]
[HP 55/55]
[Strength: 25]
[Agility: 40]
[Stamina: 32]
[Vitality: 35]
[Quests]
[Shop]
[Lottery: Unlocked at Level 5]
[Martial Arts: Taekwondo, Iron Style, Karate, Muay Thai, Boxing]
Not much has changed because for some reason I haven't received any quests.
'Ah, I am an idiot!' I thought to myself while slapping my head.'I can ask from the system!'
I still forgot that the system sometimes feels like a person, if you don't count the system's mechanical voice.
'System, why I don't receive quests?'
[System only offers Quests, which improves your Martial Arts.]
'What?' I thought strangely.
'Can you explain more?'
[First Quest = Improving your body, it was Quest to improve your physique to be more suitable for your current Martial Arts.]
[Second Quest = Defeating Irkum lets you feel Life and Death battle, it was Quest to improve your survival skills in battle, where a single mistake can cost your life.]
[Third Quest = Escaping from Harbor, it was Quest to improve your thinking ability in dire situations.]
'I see..' I thought to myself deeply.
'So it is like a test..'
'System, is it like a test?'
"…" I waited for a moment longer and didn't get an answer, which seems suspicious.
Then I started thinking more about what I lacked.
'No wonder that I was stuck at my current level, I was preparing for this tournament, but I was only doing sparring matches, but fighting with Irkum was way more effective..' I sighed.
'Most of the Martial Arts Practitioners go to one of the islands where mutated beasts reside, there they can grow huge lengths, but that also means to put your life on the line and some Martial Arts Practitioners don't have guts to do it, but I already know that I will go there someday – I am still at Middle School and I really don't have any rush to get stronger, my goal is to reach Martial Captain before I turn 18, which is almost peak what you can reach before age of 18.'
Once you turn 18. Age of Growth begins, you can already feel the difference overnight once it starts, once the Age of Growth begins, you get smarter, stronger. It all starts from cells, no one has yet discovered what is the cause of it.
Might be because Cellular aging is working differently in this world, because the air is way purer than in my previous world, but it is only a guess.
There is a theory that Cellular aging will start strengthening your body once you turn 18, it will keep strengthening your body till you reach the age of 40, after that, it will completely end and after that people start growing older fast, it is very hard to find people over 90 years, it is all because that Age of Growing which lasts 22 Years.
After Age of 40, the so-called Age of Deterioration begins, after it begins – the human body keeps getting weaker each day and once you reach the age of 60, you will be as strong as Martial Novice, that would be the case with Martial God too.
Many people got depressed after feeling their power weakening, first, you spent your entire life to get Martial God, then after that, you feel your power leaving you like your entire life was meaningless when you were in pursuit of power.
Scientists have been trying to fix that, well at least tried to slow the deterioration, but with no success.
'I wonder if my future will be like that..' I stopped thinking about it, my age of growth hasn't even started yet, so I have a long time before that and who knows, maybe there will be a cure by then.
'System, what is the limit to the questions? If I am chased by someone and if I ask you to guide me to safety, would you?' I asked for fun and I was waiting expectantly.
[No. The system is only made to help the Host improve his/her Martial Arts and if I gave every answer to you, then you would be a slave to the system and never be independent.]
'I see..' I sighed, I am not completely familiar with having a system with me and I kind of forget it sometimes.
It's true without the system I wouldn't have improved this quickly, but I would have probably reached Martial Leader without system a few days before the tournament, but I reached my level in a few days with help of the system, so it is incredibly useful, but last 3 weeks; I was all alone to improve, so this system is obviously not always there to help to me – I guess whoever made this system, wanted for the host be more independent and not a slave to the system.
'Maybe that's why these Quests can be classified as some kind of test for me..'
'If I fail the tests, then I wouldn't be worth of system – Maybe whoever made this system, had given the system to someone else before – Maybe previous host failed horribly, this is why the maker of this system gave these tests and whoever passes them is worthy.'
I also had another thought that when you add vitality to the stats, your HP will increase, I have thought that maybe it's some kind of safety mechanism, like for beginners, but I can't be completely sure, it can also be a bug, but very unlikely.
This system is in no way simple and who knows, maybe I am not the only one with the system in this world.
Questions, questions.
But there is no answer.
I took the last glance towards the system, well more precisely I took a glance towards Lottery, which will be unlocked at level 5.
I have been wondering, why in level 5? Will it be some kind of milestone, since I have been stuck at level 3 for 3 weeks, it will probably take way more time to reach level 5.
I am quite excited to reach level 5 and get the lottery because it seems quite special.
But getting EXP is very difficult without Quests and I can't get EXP from defeating any opponents anymore.
I closed the system and sighed to myself while looking at the dark ceiling.
I opened the phone and looked at the footage of Ledorman and Hiena members plotting against me, which they will try to fulfill tomorrow.
I am very tempted to just spread the footage on the web.
But that would be idiotic, I am far too weak to go against Ramu's government and they will find out that it was me who leaked the video and if they don't find out, they will still think of me as a primary suspect, maybe they order to get me killed just to be sure.
Well… I am not planning to remove this footage from my phone – I will keep it as a memory and once I am stronger and time is right – I will leak it – not just a revenge toward Ledorman, because they only rigged my match, but it really didn't have an impact to me, but there is of course that crippling thing, but they won't succeed in it and Slych said that he will handle so I won't get disqualified either, so I will be safe and I will get my revenge for those things before I go back to Irio, but more of physical revenge and if leak the footage, I would destroy many innocent lives, who had no part of Ledorman's rigging.
But…
Those "innocent" people would still kill me without blinking an eye if that would keep their jobs, so there are truly no innocent people.
Humans are very greedy and it won't change.
I closed my eyes and thought .'Maybe I can fix that.. but that would be far in future and it would be a lot of work..'
I kept getting sleepier and sleepier until I finally fell asleep.
Because of that.. I didn't hear certain system beeping…
*Ding* *Ding*
[First Step Towards High Human Completed!]
[High Human Secret Quest 1/10]
[First Destiny Revealed!]
[First Destiny: Remove the Greed from Humanity!]
[Reward: ???]
And without leaving any traces, those messages disappeared.
Ichiro was still sleeping blissfully, without being aware of his first step towards the peak of humanity had already been completed.
