Beautiful shades of orange, red, and yellow shone through the curtains as Jack started to wake up.
Jack stretched as he stared at the morning sun before a message appeared in front of his eyes.
[System Update]
[Daily Quest Update]
0/100 pushups
0/100 sit-ups
0/100 pull-ups
0/100 Squats
0/100 thrusts
0/100 spins
Reward: 10 EXP | 1 Stat Point | 10 Skill Points
Penalty: -1 to all stat points.
'More things to do for my daily quest now.'
Jack got out of bed and put on his trousers, boots, and a simple tunic.
The only ones up at this hour were servants, guards, and the few early risers.
Jack made his way from his room on the fourth floor to the training grounds behind the Kaiser Mansion.
A few servants and guards were out and about in the hallways and bowed deeply as Jack walked by.
With each person he passed, Jack bowed back to them and smiled at them.
At the training grounds, one man was already training. It was Adrian, the guard captain for the Kaiser estate.
"Young Master, what brings you here so early?"
"I was hoping you'd have a polearm I could practice with."
"Polearm, interesting. I'd assume you'd take up the sword like your father and sister Octavia."
"I had a dream last night. It called to me. The dream was so strong and lucid it felt like I was holding a weapon all night last night."
"There are a lot of options for polearms. We have two in stock currently. The spear is a well-rounded choice to start with, or we have the Halberd. Something a bit nastier, given your situation."
"A spear will do just fine. I wish to train and get my body stronger."
"It's a good place to start. Do you need instructions, my lord?"
"No, that won't be necessary, I'll have it figured out in no time."
Jack still had no idea why he had this system or who had given it to him. However, his instincts told him that following this system could help him get stronger.
Jack started his exercises by stabbing a training dummy with the spear. His technique was a little sloppy, but he did his best to complete the task.
He followed by doing his push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and squats. The exercises were slightly easier than the previous day.
But still, sweat began to bead on Jack's forehead.
--
A knock came at Jack's door. "Jack, we need to discuss yesterday. And where will we go from here?" Alaric asked.
He waited a few seconds and knocked again. Still no answer.
Right before he was about to enter the room, a servant spoke up.
"Master, Young Lord Jack is in the training grounds this morning."
"Already? I hope he's not pushing himself too hard." Alaric pondered.
--
Adrian looked at Jack in confusion. The exercises they usually did consisted of sparring with training weapons, running with weights, or harvesting mana.
Alaric approached quietly, not to disturb anyone's training. "How is my son doing, Adrian?"
Adrian and every other guard present immediately dropped to one knee. "My Grace, young master Jack is doing well. I didn't expect to see him so soon, or with his choice of weapon."
"Yes, it is quite peculiar. Did he give a reason why he chose that weapon? I trust you're teaching him?"
"He said it came to him in a dream, and that he didn't need my help. He just needed to train. He's fine with the basic exercises he's doing to strengthen his body, but he is having a hard time using the spear effectively." Adrian explained.
"I see, my son is quite unique. It's a shame he doesn't want to wield a sword. I could have trained him. And his mana training?"
"I have yet to see him harvest any mana."
By this point, Jack had noticed his father and Adrian talking to each other. With the increase in his stats, the daily routine became easier, with the exception of the new spear-related challenges.
'System, what does my Analyze allow me to see?'
[Anything. Just try it.]
'Analyze'
[Alaric Kaiser | Level 84.]
[Class: Dark Knight]
[Martial Talent: ??]
[Magic Talent: ??]
[Affinity: Dark, ??, ??]
[Description: Patriarch of the Kaiser family. ??. ??. ??.]
'Holy Cow! Level 84! And he has a triple affinity. It seems my father is crazy strong.'
[Analyze has leveled up.]
[Analyze (level 2)]
[The Kaiser family controls 1/3 of this nation. If he were weak, your family wouldn't have as much influence.]
Jack focused back on his training and, for the next hour, tried to finish up his quest. When he attempted his last challenge. He tried to spin the spear, but would only get it a few times in a row before dropping it.
Jack felt a little embarrassed by his lack of skill.
[Don't worry, keep practicing and one day you'll learn how to hold a spear.]
'Yeah, I know. I'm just trying to get this done.'
After 30 more minutes, Jack completed his last challenge.
[Daily Quest Update]
100/100 pushups ☑️
100/100 sit-ups ☑️
100/100 pull-ups ☑️
100/100 Squats ☑️
100/100 thrusts ☑️
100/100 spins ☑️
[Reward: 10 EXP | 1 Stat Point | 10 Skill Points]
[Status Update.]
Stats:
Strength: 9
Stamina: 9
Agility: 9
Vitality: 9
Endurance: 9
Magic: 9
Mana: 150
HP: 45
Skill Points: 20
Stat Points: 2
Reputation Points: 0
Class: Lightning Mage (Rank 1)
Magic Talent Rank: S
Martial Talent Rank: S
Affinity: Lightning
Blessings: Draven's Pendant
Skills: Scan (level 2), Polearm Mastery (level 1: 35%)
--
"My son, I didn't expect to see you out here so early in the morning."
"If I'm going to succeed in life, I can't sit still and wait for something to happen to me."
"Wise words. But we have important matters to discuss."
"And where do you want to start?"
"Let's start with the most important one. You're going to inherit my position one day, so it's essential to find people you can trust and rely on. And for that to happen, you must be strong and wise.
I do not doubt that you will make an excellent leader. However, you need to grow stronger so that you can have people who will watch your back, no matter what.
Furthermore, I've noticed that you're physically training yourself, which is a good thing. But you need to accept mana into your body. Without it, you'll have a hard time getting by in this world."
"Yes, figuring out mana was my next objective to do."
"I can help you do that much. But you are also an heir to the people here. You need to learn how to start and run a business, help those in need, and conquer a dungeon."
"And how long are you giving me?"
"A month. Someone tried to kill you; you need to be able to defend yourself from anything."
"Of course, Father."
"Your mother can help you with a business. Annabelle can provide you with guidance on how to assist someone in our territory.
Finish those two tasks while you train every day. Once you get to that point, we'll talk about dungeons."
"Of course, Father! I promise not to disappoint you. I'll even start a successful business that will make you proud of me."
"I have high hopes for you, Jack. You have almost as much raw potential as I did."