Cyan's eyes snapped open, his pupils glowing with a blue hue of renewed energy. he quickly glanced at the clock on a small shelf beside he: it was five in the morning. There were still a couple of hours before class started.
Quickly, he got out of bed, grabbed her belongings, and left the room. In the hallway, the cold morning air enveloped her, but he didn't stop for a second. he walked briskly, avoiding crossing paths with the other students.
After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at a facility; it was a space as large as two football fields, vast and desolate at the moment, with metal walls that reflected the light that filtered in from above. It was the same place where he had taken the combat test the day before, but today its purpose was different.
he opened the system panel, looking at the pending missions. he quickly grouped them into two categories: those that required immediate physical effort and those that demanded more time. Without thinking too much, he focused on the ones he could complete the fastest.
● <Missions>
-『 Do 10 push-ups (incomplete) ( 0/10 )』
-『 Do 10 sit-ups (incomplete) ( 0/10 )』
-『 Do 10 squats (incomplete) ( 0/10 )』
-『 Run 5 kilometers (incomplete) (0/10) 』
Without wasting any time, he dropped to the ground and began the push-ups. He took a deep breath, and with a firm thought, he muttered to himself: "One." He lowered his chest, raised it, and repeated the movement almost automatically, as if his body was already used to this type of exercise.
"Five... six...", he repeated in his mind, moving without pause. He wanted to see what reward he would receive. Finally, upon completing the tenth push-up, he stopped, hearing the familiar sound.
Tring!
[System Notification]
-『 Do 10 push-ups (complete) ( 10/10 )』
[Compensation: Congratulations you have received 0.5 status points]
Why is that too much?
He looked at the screen in surprise. He had completed all 10 push-ups, but the result was so absurd. "0.5 status points" he exclaimed, almost in disbelief. He was sure that stats didn't go up that easily. After all, a 0.1 increase for something so simple was already considered a cheat skill.
He thought for a moment about the other to-do items on his list, quickly calculating what he would get for completing them: a total of 2 status points. His mind began to imagine the possibilities; perhaps quests could give him a bigger boost than he thought.
A brief feeling of complacency washed over him, the idea that he wouldn't have to try so hard, but he quickly dismissed it. He knew that the missions wouldn't always be so easy, and that he had to keep working hard if he wanted to survive.
***
"Pant, pant, pant."
Sweat was beginning to wet his forehead as his breathing became labored, and just then, the system told him that he had completed the mission. Without thinking, he dropped to the ground, exhaling heavily. Those had been the most intense 5 kilometers of his life. He was done, there were only a few more missions left, but he would leave those for later. He decided to save the points to distribute later, once he selected his talent. Who knows, maybe he would get lucky and get a particularly good one. With that hope, he pulled out the ticket he had obtained.
A small golden ticket glowed slightly above his hand. How did this work? he wondered, curious. He barely thought about it, the system responded immediately, displaying its information on the screen in front of him.
『[Random Talent Ticket.]
Type: Consumable
Destroying the item will take the user
to a special area and will have the
opportunity to choose a talent in
the great library s******』
A sigh escaped his lips. So that's how it works, instantly understanding the purpose of the ticket. But there was something he was more curious about. Why didn't the system display the complete information? A mistake? Or maybe something else. He wasn't sure, but maybe the answer could be there. He didn't hesitate any longer and tore the ticket in two.
As soon as he did, a blinding light, so intense that it was impossible for him to keep his eyes open, completely enveloped him. Energy flowed through his body, running from the tips of his toes to his head, suddenly shocking him with a strange sensation, as if he were being moved to another place. When his eyes finally began to adjust again, he realized that he was no longer in the training camp.
The air, thick with the scent of old books and incense, filled the room with a calm, orderly atmosphere. The place seemed to go on forever, with columns rising majestically toward a ceiling that faded into a distant mist. The floor, covered in marble slabs, echoed softly beneath his footsteps. Around him, endless shelves stretched out in all directions, forming hallways that lost themselves in the vastness of the place. Each shelf was packed with what looked like scrolls and bound tomes, though I couldn't be sure if they were ancient books or something else.
Where am I? I wondered, looking around at everything, still bewildered. I thought I knew all the settings in the novel, but this place… it's completely different. It was clear I was wrong.
In front of me, the room stretched on endlessly, filled with a strange, incomprehensible energy, something different than mana, perhaps purer. The very atmosphere seemed to vibrate with power. Suddenly, a voice rang out without warning, deep and clear, breaking the silence.
「Welcome to the Realm of the Wise.」
I looked around, but saw no one. What is this? I muttered, confused and somewhat uneasy.
The voice answered, as if waiting for my question:
「Let S******'s will speak. Close your eyes and it will answer you.」
Who are you? I asked, trying to remain calm, even as the confusion grew.
There was a pause, as if the voice was contemplating something, before it finally answered.
「... A guide.」
A guide? I repeated, not quite understanding. What is this place? Talent?
「Your mind is not yet ready to understand...」
After that, I stared into space, but no answer came no matter how many times I asked.