Re-Life Leveling Up-Chapter 8: Wild Morning

Adan was sleeping soundly, the rhythm of his slow, even breaths blending with the faint hum of the city outside. His room was a quiet haven, illuminated only by the soft glow of the streetlights filtering through the sheer curtains. Posters of video game characters adorned the walls, and the gentle whir of a fan kept the air cool and refreshing. The bed creaked slightly as Adan shifted, burying himself deeper into the cozy cocoon of his blanket. It was the perfect setting for a dreamless, uninterrupted sleep.

---

Ding!

[Quest Reminder!]

---

The system notification chimed faintly, but Adan barely stirred. His room was bathed in the soft glow of early dawn, the silence so profound it felt almost dramatic. The only sounds were the occasional hum of the refrigerator and the faint ticking of a clock somewhere in the room.

His bed creaked softly as he shifted, cocooned in a nest of blankets that seemed determined to keep him tethered to the comfort of sleep. A faint breeze stirred the curtains, the gentle rustling adding to the tranquil atmosphere.

Adan groaned faintly; his face burrowed deep into the pillow as if defying the waking world. Outside, the city remained a distant murmur, its usual chaos muted in these precious early hours. It was a perfect setting for uninterrupted slumber, the kind that seemed to beg the universe for just "five more minutes."

The glowing window hovered in midair, unnoticed, as Adan instinctively groaned, his face buried deep into the pillow. Each movement he made seemed to take an immense effort, as if even gravity conspired to keep him in bed.

He let out a low hum of contentment, cocooning himself further into his blanket as if warding off the persistent light of the notification. Minutes ticked by in serene silence, save for his soft snores, until the system, clearly unimpressed with his indifference, decided it had waited long enough.

BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!

The abrupt blaring was like a drill to his eardrums. Adan let out a dramatic groan, a sound somewhere between a growl and a whimper. He twisted under the blanket, kicking it off his legs with exaggerated frustration.

"Mmm... Who is it?" he mumbled, his voice muffled against the pillow. Even as the alarm persisted, he stubbornly turned over, letting out a resigned huff. Unaware that the sound originated from the system, Adan instinctively buried his face deeper into the pillow, hoping to stifle the persistent noise.

He wrapped the blanket tightly around his head, creating a muffled cocoon of silence. For a moment, it seemed as if he had succeeded; the world outside his blanket fortress felt distant and irrelevant. But the noise continued, faintly audible through the layers, like an itch he couldn't quite get.

He groaned softly, his mind refusing to fully register the source, determined to remain in his sanctuary of half-sleep. Adan groaned, cracking one eye open. "What is this?" he muttered again groggily.

The words on the floating window swam into focus, but he dismissed them with a lazy wave of his hand. "I will check it later," saying so, he turned over to bury his face in the pillow.

The system window flickered faintly before a calm notification came again, "Warning: Wake-up protocol initiated. Failure to respond will result in corrective action."

Adan let out an annoyed grunt, pulling the blanket over his head and pressing his ears tightly against the pillow, determined to ignore the notification sound.

The seconds ticked by, and just as he began to drift back into the warmth of sleep, the time for warnings ran out.

BZZZT!

A sharp jolt coursed through his body, snapping him out of his slumber. "Ow! What the—?!" Adan yelped, sitting bolt upright, his hair sticking up in every direction. The pain was brief but effective, leaving him wide awake and glaring at the glowing screen.

"Seriously? What the hell is wrong with it!?" he grumbled, rubbing his arm as the system flashed another line of text, unbothered by his indignation. "Why are you waking me up so early?" he asked groggily, squinting at the glowing text.

As he rubbed his temples, his gaze shifted toward the window, where the system's notification hovered faintly in the dim light. He found himself momentarily unable to breathe as realization dawned upon him.

Adan sat up straight and stared at the window as the system screen refused to go away. Blinking blearily, he saw the quest details emerge in glowing text.

---

[Alert: Daily Quests Generated!]

• 0/5 Km Running

• 0/50 Pushups

• 0/50 Pullups

• 0/50 Squats

• 0/1-Minute Plank (x3)

• 0/100 Jumping Jacks

• 0/30 Burpees

Reward: 100 Exp, 1 Stat Point

Warning:

Failure to complete the quest will result in a 1-point reduction in Agility.

---

Adan stared at the list, his brain still sluggish from sleep. "What the heck?! Since when did I get such a quest?" He squinted at the screen, trying to make sense of it all.

He was feeling betrayed as the system was giving him a quest without telling him, but as his mind cleared, he remembered. "Wait... that sound earlier," he murmured, "when I was drifting off... it must've been the system."

The memory of the faint chime surfaced, a distant echo from the depths of his fading consciousness. He groaned again, burying his face briefly in his hands before turning his attention fully to the screen.

His gaze darted to the bottom of the window, where a timer ticked ominously: 05:00. "Five minutes? Seriously?" Panic set in as he scrambled out of bed. He changed into his workout clothes in record time, throwing on a hoodie to shield himself from the chilly morning air.

When he stepped outside, the cold hit him like a slap to the face. His breath puffed out in white clouds, and he instantly regretted his life choices. "Why is it so cold? Did winter come early?" he muttered, hopping from foot to foot to keep warm.

It was his first time waking up this early in years, and his body was protesting every second of it. The streets were quiet, the faint glow of streetlights reflecting off damp pavement.

Adan jogged to the nearby park, his breath visible in the crisp air. The sensation of the freezing morning air in his lungs made him feel like he was inhaling tiny icicles. The park was alive with activity, even at this hour.

Elderly folks walked briskly in pairs, their laughter mingling with the rustle of leaves. A group of teenagers played basketball under the floodlights, their shouts punctuating the stillness.

Adan's gaze landed on a lone jogger, effortlessly gliding down the path, and he sighed. "Alright, let's get this over with," he muttered, stepping onto the grass. He started with the running, his feet pounding the gravel trail.

After just a kilometer, his legs felt like lead. "Why does five kilometers feel like fifty?" he wheezed, clutching his side. By the third kilometer, he had to stop and catch his breath, leaning on a tree for support.

The system flashed his progress:

[Daily Quest]

• 3/5 Km Running

• 0/50 Pushups

• 0/50 Pullups

• 0/50 Squats

• 0/1-Minute Plank (x3)

• 0/100 Jumping Jacks

• 0/30 Burpees

Reward: 100 Exp, 1 Stat Point

Warning:

Failure to complete the quest will result in a 1-point reduction in Agility.

---

He stared at the screen and it looked like the system was mocking him, showing his uncompleted tasks and below he was seeing what he feared - losing his stat point for agility which he earned after so much trouble, only he knew how he escaped from Jason.

"You win, system," he muttered, forcing himself to continue. Each step felt heavier than the last, but he finished the run, collapsing onto a park bench in exhaustion.

---

[Daily Quest]

• 5/5 Km Running (completed)

• 0/50 Pushups

• 0/50 Pullups

• 0/50 Squats

• 0/1-Minute Plank (x3)

• 0/100 Jumping Jacks

• 0/30 Burpees

Reward: 100 Exp, 1 Stat Point

Warning:

Failure to complete the quest will result in a 1-point reduction in Agility.

---

He saw the screen and felt somewhat relieved, thinking at least one task was complete but still others were left; he felt he ran the distance he might have run in a year in one day. But seeing the window and penalty, he got up again.

The pushups came next. He managed twenty before collapsing face-first onto the ground. "Who needs upper body strength anyway?" he grumbled, rolling over to catch his breath. But the thought of losing agility spurred him back up. "Nope, not today, system."

By the time he reached the pullups, his arms felt like wet noodles. He dangled from the bar, glaring at the system window that floated mockingly nearby. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" The failing condition flashed in bold red letters: Failure to complete the quest will result in a 1-point reduction in Agility.

Adan groaned. "Alright, alright, I'll do it!" He gritted his teeth, pulling himself up with every ounce of strength he had. The squat count seemed endless but still he managed to complete somehow. Now he felt like dying.

---

[Daily Quest]

• 5/5 Km Running(completed)

• 50/50 Pushups (completed)

• 50/50 Pullups (completed)

• 50/50 Squats (completed)

• 0/1-Minute Plank (x3)

• 0/100 Jumping Jacks

• 0/30 Burpees

Reward: 100 Exp, 1 Stat Point

Warning:

Failure to complete the quest will result in a 1-point reduction in Agility.

---

He couldn't do anymore even if he wanted to; it was too much for him. So he decided to go back and do the rest later.

The journey back felt like a marathon of its own. His hoodie clung to his sweat-drenched body, and his legs wobbled with every step. The sight of his house was like a beacon of salvation.

When Adan opened the door, he was greeted by his mother, who stood in the kitchen, a spatula in hand.

She raised an eyebrow at the sight of him, his hair disheveled and his face flushed. "Adan? Up this early? Did the sun rise from the west today?".

He forced a weak smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just thought I'd get some fresh air and, you know, work out a little."

His mother's eyes widened in mock surprise. "You? Working out?" She placed a hand on her forehead dramatically. "I must be dreaming."

Adan groaned.

"Alright, Mom, don't make it a big deal." But she wasn't done. "Let me guess," she said with a teasing grin. "There's a girl you're trying to impress, hmm?"

"She started again. I don't know why she loves to talk about my love interest," he thought to himself, and his face turned beet red. "Wha—no! That's not it at all!"

She laughed, the sound warm and full of mischief. "Relax, Adan. I'm just teasing. But seriously, this is a nice surprise. You're giving me something new to talk about every day lately."

Adan grumbled under his breath as he slipped past her to grab a glass of water. He couldn't help but think, "Is she really my mother, or just someone sent here to roast me at every opportunity?"

"Go freshen up," she called after him. "Breakfast is almost ready." After a quick shower, Adan joined his mother at the dining table, where a spread of Korean breakfast dishes awaited him: kimchi, rice, steamed eggs, and some crispy jeon. His stomach growled loudly.

"You worked up an appetite, I see," his mother teased, passing him a plate. "More like the system worked up an appetite for me," Adan muttered, digging in.

The food was a balm to his sore body, and he savored every bite. The rice was perfectly fluffy, the kimchi tangy with just the right amount of spice, and the jeon crispy yet tender inside.

Each bite renewed his energy, if only a little.

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As they finished eating, his mom grabbed her bag. "Alright, I'm off to work. Don't burn the house down while I'm gone."

"I make no promises," Adan replied with a cheeky grin. She rolled her eyes, ruffling his hair before leaving.

The house fell silent as the door closed behind her. Adan stretched, groaning at the stiffness in his limbs. He trudged back to his room, his footsteps echoing in the empty space. Once inside, he checked the clock: 9:00 AM.

Collapsing onto his chair, he pulled up the system interface. The unfinished daily quest was shown to him, their bright text taunting him.