Ares couldn't sleep.
Even though the system interface had vanished from his vision, its lingering presence clung to him like static electricity in the air. Every time he blinked, he saw flashes of the messages from earlier—WILLPOWER SYSTEM… HOST SELECTED… POTENTIAL UNLOCKED…
He lay in the dark, eyes open, staring at the ceiling of his small room. Outside, a streetlamp buzzed faintly, leaking its pale light through the curtains. Shadows stretched across the room like silent spectators.
Ares finally sat up.
He wasn't sure if he was excited, confused, or simply overwhelmed. His heart felt like it was trying to sprint out of his chest.
"System," he whispered tentatively, testing if it would respond.
Nothing.
He cleared his throat. "System… open?"
A faint pulse rippled through the air.
Then—
DING!
A translucent panel materialized in front of him, illuminating his face with cold blue light.
[WILLPOWER SYSTEM — STATUS]
HOST: Ares
AGE: 17
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 42/100
PHYSICAL TALENT: 38/100
WILLPOWER POTENTIAL: 95/100
CURRENT TITLE: "The Unyielding Seed"
SYSTEM LEVEL: 1
AVAILABLE MISSIONS: 1
SKILL TREE: Locked
STORE: Locked
SPECIAL TRAIT: Will Ignition (Dormant)
Ares inhaled sharply as he scanned the stats.
"So… my willpower is the strongest part of me," he murmured.
It was both surprising and not surprising. All his life, people had underestimated him—not because he was weak, but because he refused to break. No matter how many games he sat on the bench, no matter how many coaches overlooked him, he kept training. Alone. Relentless. Stubborn.
But this—
This was the first time anything acknowledged his spirit as strength.
Then his eyes drifted to the "Available Mission."
"Open mission."
The panel shifted.
[MAIN MISSION – FIRST TRIAL]
Name: Break Your Limits
Description: Humans anchor themselves with fear. You must prove you are worthy of awakening the skill tree.
Objective:
Complete a 12 km run before sunrise with an average pace below 5:00/km.
Reward:
• Unlock Skill Tree
• +5 Mental Resilience
• +3 Physical Talent
• Special Chance (Hidden)
Failure Penalty:
• System cooldown for 3 days
• Willpower Potential —10
Ares felt his chest tighten.
"Twelve kilometers? Before sunrise?"
He checked the clock.
2:08 AM.
Sunrise was at 6:52 AM.
He had less than five hours.
He swung his legs off the bed, adrenaline replacing sleep instantly.
No time to think.
No time to doubt.
He threw on his running shoes, grabbed a hoodie, and quietly slipped out of the house. The cold air slapped against his skin the moment he stepped outside, but it only sharpened his focus.
Tonight wasn't just about completing a mission.
It was about proving he deserved this chance.
THE RUN
The street was silent, only disturbed by the rhythmic echo of his footsteps. His breath turned into clouds of white vapor as he pushed forward, muscles still tight from sleep.
The system chimed:
[RUNNING TRACKED — START]
Pace Requirement: 5:00/km or faster. Do not slow down.
Ares forced himself to maintain speed. His legs burned, but it was a familiar burn. The kind he felt during lonely late-night trainings when no one was watching.
Three kilometers in, sweat was already dripping down his temples. His breathing grew harsher.
But he didn't stop.
At the fifth kilometer, his lungs felt like knives. The cold air stabbed deeper into his chest. His feet slapped the pavement harder with every stride.
"Come on… come on…" he gasped between breaths.
He pushed harder.
The system spoke again, its voice steady and emotionless:
[MENTAL RESILIENCE +1]
[WILLPOWER DETECTED]
Ares grinned through the pain.
Eight kilometers.
Nine.
His vision blurred. His legs screamed. He tripped once, falling to his knees on the concrete. Skin scraped. Blood surfaced.
The system emitted a soft warning:
[PACE DROPPING — RISK OF FAILURE]
He slammed his fist on the ground.
"No," he growled.
He forced himself up and continued running.
Every step felt like dragging chains. His hoodie was soaked. His heart pounded so fiercely he thought it might tear itself apart.
But he did not stop.
He would not stop.
THE FINAL KILOMETER
At 11.2 km, Ares couldn't feel his legs anymore. His body moved on sheer instinct, driven entirely by his burning willpower.
The system voice was quieter now, almost… watching him.
[WILL IGNITION: 6%… 7%…]
A faint heat flickered inside his chest. Not physical—mental. Like a flame fed by desperation.
He pushed into the final kilometer with a roar that tore through the night.
The moment he crossed 12 km, the system exploded with light.
MISSION COMPLETE
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST!]
You refused to yield.
You defied physical exhaustion.
You demonstrated absolute mental dominance.
Reward Granted:
• Skill Tree — Unlocked
• Mental Resilience +5
• Physical Talent +3
• Hidden Reward — Activated
A smaller panel slid open beneath:
[Hidden Reward: Passive Skill — Pain Suppression Lv.1]
Your body adapts to suffering. Fatigue and pain effects reduced by 10%.
Ares fell onto the ground, panting, laughing, overwhelmed.
He did it.
He really did it.
The system's final message floated before him like a crown placed on his head:
[Welcome, Ares. Your path begins now.]
THE NEXT MORNING
By the time Ares stumbled back home, dawn was already breaking. He showered, changed into his school uniform, and left just as his parents started waking up—without telling them where he'd been.
His muscles ached, but somehow, he felt more alive than ever.
At school, he walked through the hallway with renewed energy. Conversations buzzed around him, but Ares was inside his own world—still processing everything from last night.
He reached his locker just in time to hear two boys discussing the upcoming youth trial for a semi-pro academy.
"It's pointless. They only pick players from big clubs."
"Yeah. No way someone like Ares gets in."
Ares paused.
The old him would've lowered his head and pretended not to hear.
But today?
Today he looked them straight in the eye.
"Watch me," he said simply, then walked away.
His confidence stunned them into silence.
He didn't need their validation.
He had something infinitely stronger:
A system that believed he could rise—if he was willing to fight.
And Ares had never been more ready.