Chapter 3 (Continued): The Awakening Spreads
The morning sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting soft golden lines across the room. Terry groggily opened his eyes, stretching his sore muscles. It had been two weeks since he started training under the system's guidance, and his body was beginning to change.
No longer did he feel the sluggishness of waking up. His mind was sharp, his muscles responsive, his breath controlled. He sat up, rolling his shoulders before calling out:
"System."
The glowing blue interface appeared before him. He quickly navigated to his status window.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Strength: 7 (+4)
Agility: 8 (+4)
Intelligence: 7
Power: ???
Constitution: 9 (+4)
"Not bad. My endurance has definitely improved, and my strikes feel sharper. But the 'Power' stat is still locked… What exactly does that mean?"
Shrugging off the thought, he got out of bed and began his morning training routine.
A Warrior's Routine
Each day, his exercises became more intense, pushing his limits further.
100 push-ups instead of 50. His arms barely trembled now.5 km run, pushing his agility and endurance. His breath remained steady.Meditation for two hours, feeling the flow of Ki more clearly each time.Shadowboxing. His movements had become fluid, instinctive, as if his body already knew what to do.
During meditation, he could now sense a faint warmth spreading from his core, circulating through his limbs like an invisible energy.
"If I can learn to control this… I might be able to do more than just fight."
After finishing his routine, he grabbed a cold shower, letting the icy water jolt his senses awake. A strange anticipation filled his chest—today felt… different.
A Viral Sensation
Sitting at his desk, he opened his laptop and clicked on YouTube, expecting maybe a few hundred views.
Instead, his eyes widened.
His "Secret Breathing Technique" video had over 100,000 views.
Even crazier—he had 1,200 subscribers.
"What the hell?!"
His hands flew to the mouse as he scrolled through the hundreds of comments.
@MindOverMatter: "This actually works. I feel more energy during workouts!"@BlackBeltJoe: "This breathing method reminds me of old martial arts techniques. Where did you learn it?"@HardcoreTrainer: "Dude, my reflexes improved after just a few days. What is this!?"@DarkReality: "This isn't normal. Are you sure this isn't some hidden knowledge?"
Then, one comment caught his eye.
@TheObserver: "This knowledge wasn't supposed to spread. You should be careful."
Terry frowned. What the hell does that mean?
He was about to respond when his laptop froze. The screen glitched, distorting into a mess of static before a new window popped up.
A video call request.
The caller ID was [U.S. Government - Restricted Line].
Terry's heart pounded.
"No way…"
His hands hovered over the touchpad. Every instinct screamed at him to close the laptop and run. But instead, he took a deep breath and clicked ACCEPT.
The Call from the Shadows
The screen went black for a few seconds before a voice spoke, deep and authoritative.
"Terry Carter. Age 21. University student. Creator of the 'Secret Breathing Technique' video. You have our attention."
A chill ran down his spine.
"Who are you?" he asked, keeping his voice steady.
"That's not important. What matters is what you've discovered. You might think you're just some kid playing around with breathing exercises, but you've unknowingly tapped into something far greater. Something that, until now, has been carefully hidden from the public."
Terry clenched his fists. So they knew…
"We have a few questions. And for your own safety, we strongly advise you to cooperate."
His mind raced. What should he do?
Before he could respond, another voice—this time from the system—whispered in his mind.
[WARNING: External Surveillance Detected]
[Host is being monitored by unknown entities]
Terry's pulse quickened. He was being watched.
But by who?