Isagi's point of view.
[Would you like to view your status?] [Yes/No]
"Alright… I want to see my status," I said as I tapped the 'Yes' button.
Immediately, a semi-transparent screen appeared in front of me, floating in the air.
---
[Status]
Name: Isagi Fushiguro
Title: The Player
Level: 0 (0/350 EXP)
Health: 250 / 250
Cursed Energy: 700 / 700
Strength: 12
Speed: 12
Agility: 8
Endurance: 14
Luck: 15
Skills:
Player's Body (Max Level)
Player's Mind (Max Level)
---
A sweat drop slid down my temple, pure anime style, as I stared at my stats.
"…I'm at rock bottom," I said resignedly. "And the worst part is that I don't have a single skill!"
I crossed my arms, frowning.
"Looks like I only got Potential Man's appearance, but none of his powers," I sighed. "This is bad. I'm in a world full of dangerous, powerful demons… and I'm basically just an average human."
I stayed silent for a moment, staring at the floating screen with a bit of nervousness.
"Well… at least I've got Player's Body and Player's Mind. And cursed energy, too… that's something, right?" I tried to convince myself. Then something caught my attention. "Wait… level 0?" I widened my eyes in disbelief. "LEVEL 0?! Even NPCs don't start that low!"
"Now that I think about it… I'm inside a house," I murmured as I looked at the door to my room. "Does that mean I have a family in this life?"
Before I could keep speculating, a familiar sound echoed in my head.
[Ding]
[The host will now receive the memories of this life]
[Progress: 1%... 10%... 30%... 60%... 100%]
In an instant, my mind was flooded with memories that weren't mine… though now, they were. Images, emotions, and sensations mixed with my own until they formed a coherent story.
It turned out that, in this life, my so-called parents had been killed by a demon. Since then, I'd been living alone—but fortunately, they'd left behind a decent amount of savings, enough to support me without too much trouble.
"Damn… well, it is what it is," I said with a sigh as I scratched the back of my head. "It's not like I really care whether I have a family or not." My tone was indifferent; honestly, I didn't feel like getting emotionally involved with this body's sentimental memories.
I stood up and left the room. The sound of my footsteps echoed softly through the hallway as I went downstairs. The house was… normal. Not big or small, not fancy or poor—just ordinary, like something straight out of an average neighborhood.
Lazily, I walked into the kitchen, opening drawers and the fridge in search of something edible. My body was already demanding food, and my stomach made that very clear with a not-so-subtle growl.
"Well, first things first: survival," I said while rummaging through the shelves. "This isn't like Bleach, where Hollows only go after people with high spiritual pressure. Or Kimetsu, where demons only come out at night. Here, a demon can literally fall out of the sky and split you in half without warning."
I found something that looked edible—I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it didn't smell bad—so I took a bite.
"Mmm… I don't know what the hell this is, but it tastes good," I said with my mouth full, shrugging.
"Alright, alright… so what am I supposed to do now?" I asked out loud as I crossed my arms. Truthfully, I had no idea what to do with my life in this world. "Well, I guess the smartest thing for now would be to exercise. Maybe I can raise my physical stats that way."
Just as I finished saying that, a familiar sound rang in my head.
[Ding]
---
[Basic Mission: Complete 200 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 200 squats, and run 20 km]
[Reward: Enhanced Physique Box]
[This reward will grant you a superior physique, either through better genetics or increased potential in an area such as strength, speed, endurance, etc.]
[Failure will result in punishment. You have 24 hours to complete the mission.]
---
My eyes went wide.
"WHAT?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" I shouted, nearly choking on the food in my mouth. I coughed a couple of times, pounding my chest as I tried to process what I'd just read. "Two hundred push-ups, two hundred sit-ups, two hundred squats, and a twenty-kilometer run?! ARE YOU INSANE?!" I snarled, slamming my fork onto the table. "I've never exercised a day in my life!" I raised my right arm and pointed at it in resignation. "Look at this—it's a noodle. There's not even half a muscle here."
The system, of course, responded with the coldness and sadism typical of any heartless AI.
[I do not care. Time is running.]
"Shitty systems…" I muttered under my breath, frowning as a timer appeared floating in front of me.
I had two options: suffer or die. And honestly, neither sounded very appealing.
I let out a tired sigh.
"Man… what if the punishment is something like testicular torture or something?" I swallowed hard, horrified by my own thought. "No, no, no—better start exercising." I told myself firmly, though with a mix of fear and resignation.
I tied my shoelaces, stretched a bit, and let out a long breath.
"Well then… time to put this Player's Body to the test… or die trying."
.
.
.
.
.
"Everything hurts… even my thoughts…" I murmured, sprawled on the floor, completely drenched in sweat.
Every muscle in my body screamed in pain, as if I'd been thrown into a human blender. My breathing was heavy and uneven, and my shirt was so soaked I could wring it out and fill a bucket. The infernal heat of the room only made things worse; it felt like the air was sticking to my skin like a wet blanket.
"Never… again…" I gasped, my face pressed against the wooden floor as a bead of sweat dripped into my eye.
Suddenly, a series of notifications appeared in front of me, floating with a bluish glow.
[Basic Mission Completed]
---
[Reward: Enhanced Physique Box]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the physique of Yuji Itadori]
[Yuji Itadori possesses incredible strength even without using cursed energy. He is capable of destroying walls with ease, throwing a solid lead ball with enough force to bend a goalpost, and boasts astonishing speed—able to run 50 meters in just 3 seconds.]
---
For a moment, I stared at the screen with half-lidded eyes, unable to fully process what I'd just read. Then, a tired smile formed on my lips.
"Totally worth it…" I said, letting out a weak but satisfied laugh.
I could feel a new energy flowing through my muscles, as if every fiber in my body was being reborn. The fatigue slowly faded, replaced by a warm, powerful sensation.
My arms, once thin and shapeless, were now more defined; my legs felt solid in a way they never had before. Even my breathing became lighter, more controlled.
"Incredible…" I whispered, clenching my fist and feeling the air compress slightly around it.
"I can feel it… strength, endurance, speed… and a completely new potential."
It was official: I now possessed Yuji Itadori's physical abilities.
And with that, the real training was only just beginning.
[Ding]
---
[The world the host resides in is extremely dangerous. The support system will grant a second reward: Beginner's Special Box, which may contain a skill, item, power, fighting style, etc.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Beginner's Box]
[Open?] [Yes/No]
---
"A second reward? What is this, Christmas?" I said, raising an eyebrow as I stared at the floating screen. "Hmm… it says here I can use my luck to increase the chances of getting something good…"
A slow smile spread across my face.
"Perfect… then let's bet everything."
With the confidence of someone who would probably regret it later, I chose to use all my luck and pressed the 'Open' button.
[Using all available luck…]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Nichirin Katana and Wind Breathing]
"Huh?" I fell silent for a few seconds, blinking slowly as I processed the information. "Well… that was unexpected." I crossed my arms, reading the item description. "Kind of contradictory, isn't it? I thought I'd get something related to hand-to-hand combat—something that would complement the new physique I just got."
After all, Itadori was known for his raw strength and fist-based combat, not exactly for wielding swords. I sighed, letting my shoulders drop.
"Eh, I won't complain. I got a breathing style, at least—and that's already something. In a messed-up world like this, any advantage is welcome."
As I spoke, the screen lit up again with a brief message:
[Nichirin Katana added to inventory]
"Well, at least I didn't get some useless skill like 'Fisherman's Luck' or something…" I said with a resigned smile as the katana's glow appeared in front of me, floating briefly before materializing in my hand.
The metal had a bluish tint that reflected the sunlight, and as I held it, a gentle current of air swept through the room, brushing against my skin.
"Wind Breathing, huh?" I whispered, a small excited smile forming on my face. Well… maybe this isn't so bad after all.
---
End of Chapter.