Arjun Malhotra stepped out of the shower, the warm water washing away the exhaustion and grime of his first day inside the Tower of Trials. He toweled off quickly and slipped into comfortable clothes, plopping down on his couch. The television flickered to life, but his mind wandered back to the tower, replaying the adrenaline-filled moments of his battle with the Goblin Boss.
Suddenly, the familiar voice of the system interrupted his thoughts. "Arjun, you have stat points to allocate. Will you not use them?"
Arjun blinked, momentarily confused. "Stat points? I didn't realize I leveled up.
The system chuckled softly. "You forget, Arjun. Defeating the Goblin Boss and the other goblins earned you experience. You went from level zero to level five. You currently have five stat points to distribute.
Arjun rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit sheepish. "I guess I was too tired to notice. Alright, let's put two points in Strength, two in Defense, and one in Agility.
"Understood," the system responded as a warm sensation spread through Arjun's body, signifying the adjustment of his stats. His status screen appeared before him, displaying the updated attributes:
Arjun Malhotra
• Level: 5
• Strength: 7
• Defense: 7
• Agility: 6
• Health: 100/100
• mana : 50/50
The system continued, "Since this was your first level-up, I'm granting you a bonus reward.
Arjun's curiosity piqued. "What do I get
First," the system revealed, "you have unlocked a new ability called Silver Slice.
Arjun's eyes lit up. "Silver Slice? What's that?"
Silver Slice
• Type: Active Skill
• Description: A powerful slash imbued with silver energy that deals additional damage to enemies. Highly effective against both physical and ethereal opponents.
• Mana Cost: 20
Arjun grinned. "That sounds awesome. What else did I get?"
You've also received two healing potions and a ring that boosts your defense," the system added.
A small inventory screen popped up, showing the items. Arjun focused on the ring, a simple yet intricately engraved band that shimmered slightly.
Ring of Fortitude
• Type: Accessory
• Effect: Increases Defense by 5
Arjun slipped the ring onto his finger, immediately feeling a subtle increase in his physical resilience. "Anything else?"
"That's all for now," the system replied. "Prepare yourself for tomorrow's daily quests."
Arjun nodded. "Alright, what are my daily quests again?"
The system displayed the quest list:
Daily Quest - Train to Become a Formidable Combatant
• Push-ups: 100
• Sit-ups: 100
• Squats: 100
• Run: 10 km
• Reading and Writing: 8 hours
Caution! - Failure to complete the daily quest will result in penalties.
Arjun sighed but steeled himself. "That's a lot, but I'll do my best. What about the system upgrade? How many points do I need?"
"You currently need 820 System Upgrade Points (SUP) to upgrade the system," the system informed him.
"Got it," Arjun replied, determination hardening his resolve. "I'll focus on completing the daily quests and missions to earn those points."
The next morning, Arjun woke up early, feeling a newfound sense of purpose. After a quick breakfast, he dove straight into his daily training. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats—each rep brought him closer to his goal. The run through the bustling streets of Mumbai was grueling, but the thought of leveling up and earning more rewards kept him going.
By the time he finished, he was drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted, yet a sense of accomplishment washed over him. He showered and ate, then settled down to complete the reading and writing portion of his quest. Immersing himself in books about monster hunting, strategy, and ancient martial arts, he found his excitement growing with every page.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Arjun finally completed his daily quest. A notification appeared before him, listing his rewards:
• System Points 110
• System Upgrade Points 121
• Epic Reward : Shadow Cloak
• Type: Armor
• Effect: Increases Agility by 10, Provides Invisibility for 5 seconds when activated.
Arjun admired the sleek, dark cloak that materialized in his inventory. He tried it on, feeling the fabric's strange energy as it melded with his body. The cloak was lightweight yet sturdy, and he could sense the agility boost it provided Tomorrow, the real training begins.