His name was Nozu Kibou.
He lived where the paved road ended and gravel began.
The house was small. The roof leaked during heavy rain. Winter always found a way inside.
They were not starving.
But they were not comfortable either.
Nozu never complained.
He woke up before sunrise like he always did.
Not because of the system.
Because his grandfather’s knees hurt in the mornings.
“Morning,” Nozu said as he stepped into the kitchen.
“You’re loud,” his grandfather replied.
“That’s just your old ears.”
“I’m not old.”
“Sure.”
His grandmother laughed softly from the stove.
Breakfast was simple. Rice. Soup. Whatever they could stretch.
Nozu ate like it was a feast.
“Up early again?” his grandmother asked.
“Training arc,” he said seriously.
His grandfather blinked. “For what?”
“To defeat the final boss.”
His grandfather stared at him.
“…Eat your rice.”
“Yes, sir.”
He barely slept the night before.
Not from fear.
From anticipation.
The system had said:
Training begins at dawn.
And he knew what the Blue Demon was.
Everyone did.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The one who once carried Doom.
The name people used when they talked about something unstoppable.
If something like that returned…
Nozu didn’t feel heroic.
He just felt responsible.
Eventually, faint light crept through the window.
Dawn.
The system activated instantly.
Daily Quest Initialized.
Run 3 kilometers.
100 push-ups.
100 sit-ups.
Reward: Attribute increase.
Nozu blinked.
“…That’s normal.”
He stepped outside quietly.
Cold morning air hit his lungs.
He started running.
He hadn’t even finished the first kilometer when a familiar voice called out.
“Nozu? Since when do you run?”
It was Mr. Tanaka, sweeping outside his small shop.
“Trying to impress someone,” Nozu replied between breaths.
“At six in the morning?”
“That’s when dedication is most attractive.”
Mr. Tanaka snorted. “You’ll scare them away looking like that.”
Nozu laughed, even as his lungs burned.
“Then I’ll just run faster!”
He jogged on.
The second kilometer hurt.
By the third, his legs felt heavy.
Near the end of the route, he passed Mrs. Hoshino watering her plants.
“You’re up early,” she said.
“New hobby,” he answered.
“You don’t have hobbies.”
“That’s why I needed one.”
She smiled. “Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I’ll try not to collapse dramatically in front of your house.”
“No promises?”
“No promises.”
He kept running.
Quest Progress: 1/3 completed.
He dropped onto the grass for push-ups near the empty field.
Thirty in, his arms trembled.
Fifty in, he collapsed face-first.
He lay there breathing hard.
“This is how heroes die,” he muttered.
He rolled onto his back and stared at the brightening sky.
The Blue Demon.
If someone like that returned…
He imagined his grandparents’ house.
The town.
The people who just told him not to overdo it.
His expression shifted.
“…No.”
He rolled over again.
Sixty.
Seventy.
Eighty.
He stopped when he saw his classmate Yuta walking past.
Yuta blinked. “Are you… exercising?”
Nozu froze mid push-up.
“This is my villain backstory,” he said seriously.
“You’re building muscles for revenge?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“For when the vending machine eats my money again.”
Yuta laughed. “You’re weird.”
“You say that like it’s new.”
Yuta shook his head but smiled before walking off.
Nozu waited until he was out of sight.
Then continued.
Ninety.
Ninety-five.
He fell again.
He lay still.
Breathing hard.
He could quit.
No one would know.
No one was watching.
Except the system.
Except himself.
He pushed up again.
One hundred.
Quest Completed.
Minor Strength Increase.
Minor Endurance Increase.
Warmth spread through his body.
Subtle.
Real.
“…Oh.”
The soreness dulled slightly.
He flexed his fingers.
“That’s actually kind of amazing.”
He finished the sit-ups slower, focused.
When the final notification appeared:
Level Up.
Level 2 Achieved.
He froze.
“That fast?”
Early progression bonus active.
He stood there alone in the morning light.
Slightly stronger.
Slightly better.
Still the same person.
He checked the time.
“…I’m going to be late.”
He ran home.
Halfway there, Mrs. Hoshino called out again.
“Already done?”
“Temporary retirement!” he yelled back.
She laughed.
When he reached the house, his grandmother looked at him suspiciously.
“You’re sweating.”
“Character development.”
She stared at him.
“…Wash up before school.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The system entered standby.
Growth trajectory: Stable.
Psychological resolve: High.
Nozu Kibou was not chosen because he was powerful.
He was chosen because he was consistent.
Because he laughed while struggling.
Because he stopped to talk even when tired.
Because he would try again even if no one was watching.
And dawn was only the beginning.
