Jiwon woke up the next morning feeling worse than ever. His body ached from the previous day's relentless exercises, and the faint pangs of hunger were still lingering in his stomach. He glanced at the clock, the digital numbers glowing ominously. 6:00 AM.
[Task Reminder: Daily Assessment]
He groaned. He had barely recovered from the 48-hour fasting period, and now the system was expecting him to perform? As he reluctantly got out of bed, he reminded himself of the stakes.
"Just get through this," he muttered, forcing himself to push the thoughts of failure from his mind.
After a quick shower, he stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection. His face was pale, dark circles under his eyes betraying the toll the system had taken on him. "You can do this," he whispered, trying to muster some semblance of confidence.
[Daily Assessment: Complete 100 Push-Ups in 30 Minutes]
The notification flashed, and Jiwon felt a wave of dread wash over him. 100 push-ups? He had barely managed 50 the previous day.
Without any time to dwell on his fears, the system initiated the countdown. He dropped to the floor, pushing himself up and down in a desperate attempt to reach the goal. With each rep, his muscles screamed, and sweat dripped down his forehead.
"Come on, come on!" he urged himself, but his body was betraying him. By the time he reached 50, he was panting, his arms shaking uncontrollably.
[Warning: Time Limit Approaching]
The system's voice echoed in his mind, and panic surged through him. He had to finish, but with each push-up, he felt his strength waning. He fought against the exhaustion, but the seconds ticked away.
[Task Failed: 100 Push-Ups Not Completed]
The screen glowed with the notification, and Jiwon's heart dropped. He had failed.
[Consequence: Engage in 24 Hours of Continuous Exercise.]
"What? No! That's impossible!" he shouted, frustration boiling over. The thought of exercising for a full day made his stomach turn.
[24-Hour Exercise Protocol Activated]
Before he could fully process what was happening, his body was thrust into motion. He had no choice but to comply, each movement dictated by the unforgiving system.
"Stop! This is insane!" Jiwon protested, but his legs were already carrying him toward the living room, where a workout mat lay waiting.
The next hour dragged on, filled with a relentless barrage of exercises—push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, and jumping jacks. Every muscle in his body protested, but the system drove him on, forcing him to keep moving.
"Just breathe," he told himself, but the words felt hollow. The fatigue and frustration piled up, making it hard to focus on anything else.
As the hours ticked by, Jiwon began to feel dizzy. Each exercise blurred into the next, and he found himself leaning against the wall, panting heavily.
[Reminder: You have 23 hours left.]
The system's voice was a cold reminder of his predicament, and he could hardly catch his breath. He stumbled to the kitchen, searching for something—anything—to quell the gnawing hunger in his stomach. But he couldn't bring himself to eat after the fasting period and the harsh consequences.
Instead, he filled a glass of water, desperately gulping it down as he felt the cool liquid soothe his dry throat.
"Just keep moving," he muttered, forcing himself back to the mat. The hours felt like an eternity, his body refusing to cooperate as he pushed through exercise after exercise.
He lost track of time, the exhaustion wrapping around him like a heavy blanket. With every passing hour, the thought of giving up crept into his mind, but he pushed it aside. He had to prove himself, even if it felt impossible.
As evening approached, he found himself collapsing on the floor, his limbs too heavy to move. He closed his eyes, wishing for a moment of respite, but the system wouldn't allow it.
[Warning: You have 15 hours left.]
The notification jolted him back to reality, and he groaned, rolling onto his side. "I can't do this..." he whispered, but the system didn't care about his pleas. It forced him back into motion, and he staggered to his feet, dreading what was to come.
Time continued to crawl, each minute stretching out like a lifetime. He focused on breathing, trying to block out the pain and fatigue, but it felt like a losing battle. His body was screaming at him to stop, but the system kept demanding more.
[12 hours remaining.]
[8 hours remaining.]
[4 hours remaining.]
As the countdown continued, Jiwon found himself in a haze, barely aware of the movements he was making. He could feel his muscles trembling, but there was no escape from the torment of the system.
Finally, as the last hour approached, he fell to the floor, gasping for air. "Please, just let it end," he pleaded, tears of frustration blurring his vision.
[1 hour remaining. Final push required.]
The voice was relentless, and he felt the final surge of energy rush through him. With a deep breath, he forced himself back up, determined to finish what the system had started.
As the final minutes counted down, he pushed himself harder than ever. He didn't care about the pain anymore; all he wanted was to be free of the system's grip.
At last, the countdown reached zero, and he collapsed onto the floor, utterly spent.
[24-Hour Exercise Complete. Congratulations!]
Jiwon lay there, panting heavily, feeling both relief and disbelief. He had survived, but at what cost? The hunger pangs returned with a vengeance, gnawing at him as he realized he still hadn't eaten anything.
The system's victory felt hollow as he struggled to catch his breath, the emptiness inside him growing more profound.
In that moment, Jiwon realized he couldn't keep doing this. He had to find a way to take back control, to break free from the system that had taken over his life.
But as he lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling, the question loomed large in his mind: how could he possibly escape the grip of the IDOL System?