A month later...
.
.
"Forty-seven."
"Forty-eight."
"Forty-nine."
"Fifty."
With a sigh, Aurelian let go of the bar he had installed in his room, as sweat ran down his body as his muscles burned. The stunt he had just pulled, fifty pull-ups, would have been impossible in his previous life. He could only do this now because of the lean physical build he received as part of his reincarnation package.
Aurelian's physical strength bordered on the elite category. Being able to perform fifty pull-ups was something most people could never achieve. From what he knew in his previous life, beginners in the gym could barely manage zero to six pull-ups, intermediates around six to twelve, and even advanced trainees struggled to go beyond twenty-five. But fifty? That was far beyond the reach of most gym goers.
In all honesty, Aurelian felt a strong surge of dopamine when he completed the pull-ups. The feeling of pushing his body past its limits was deeply satisfying. His heart was pounding, his muscles pained, yet his mind felt clear and alive. There was a strange joy in the exhaustion, a sense of achievement that made every drop of sweat worth it.
[Ding! Daily quest completed!]
Seeing the notification in front of him, he materialized his system with a flick of his arm.
**************
[Reincarnator System]
Name: Aurelian Knox
Level: 3 (130/300)
Class: Legendary Paladin
Title: None
HP: 180/180
Aether: 120/120
Strength: 20↠22
Increases physical attack power
Stamina: 12↠16
Increases endurance and recovery
Agility: 11↠13
Increases attack speed and movement speed
Intelligence: 11↠12
Increases magical damage and aether capacity
Constitution: 14↠15
Increases HP, defense, and resistance
Charisma: 18
Affects leadership, persuasion, divine favor
Luck: 11
Affects encounters, and chance-based outcomes
Attribute Points Available: 5
[Class Skills]
• Silent Spell-casting [Grade: Mythical]
Allows the use of arcane arts directly without incantations, catalysts, or materials.
• Divine Touch [Grade: Mythical]
Upon activation, allows for the channeling of divine powers into any weapon touched. Would be of great advantage when facing divine monsters.
• Lay on Hands [Grade: Mythical]
Upon activation, the ability to restore greater injuries with a touch.
• Celestial Avatar [Grade: Mythical]
A once-per-day transformation into a being of pure Aether, granting unparalleled strength and radiant damage.
• Aura of Sovereignty [Grade: Mythical]
Upon activation, Allies within 30 feet gain a massive battle prowess boost and cannot be charmed or frightened.
• Assimilate (Locked. Reach LVL. 10 to unlock) [Grade: Cataclysmic]
Upon activation, allows for the assimilation of the aspect of anything touched.
[Traits]
• Pseudo-Celestial Physique
An immersive physique that grants total immunity to low-level corruption and significantly enhances vitality.
• Legendary-Grade Swordsmanship
Your skills with the sword are exceptional.
[Arcane Arts Learned]
• None
**************
Looking at his stats, Aurelian was impressed by how much he had improved over the past month. He had managed to reach Level 3, which already felt unreal to him. He could not properly gauge his leveling speed against anything else, but one thing was clear, that this wasn't fiction, and reality did not exaggerate growth the way novels did, and every gain he earned felt real.
Level 3 – Legendary Paladin.
His class was Paladin. According to the system, a Paladin was a warrior chosen by divine authority, one who walked between mortals and gods. Unlike normal humans, a Paladin possessed a natural affinity with divine aspect, something that should have been impossible without divine blood. Yet here he was. Because of this, he could wield arcane arts without undergoing long rituals, prayers, or incarnations that ordinary practitioners required, aether responded to him instinctively, and his strikes carried a form of sanctified force, his presence resisted corruption, and his body itself acted as a vessel for divine power. As he grew stronger, he would gain access to blessings, judgment-based attacks, divine reinforcement, resistance to curses, and the ability to invoke higher-order arts that could threaten monsters and gods alike.
Two of his class skills, however, made him excited every time he looked at them.
The first was Divine Touch. With this skill, he could turn ordinary weapons into divine-grade artifacts. A simple blade could be elevated to something capable of cutting through the flesh of divine beasts, something that should have been completely impossible in this world.
The second skill was Assimilation. Upon full activation, the system described it as his ultimate cheat, the ability that would give him an overwhelming edge in this world. Assimilation allowed him to absorb and integrate anything into himself. Anything. From a single strand of hay to concepts, powers, bloodlines, artifacts, and even beings of the highest order. The system even stated, without hesitation, that Zeus himself could be assimilated if the opportunity ever presented itself.
As he continued to think about his position in this world, and the potential placed in his hands, another notification chimed before him.
[Ding! New Daily Quest Available]
[Daily Quest:
• 60 Sit-ups (0/60)
• 60 Pull-ups (0/60)
• 60 Press-ups (0/60)
• Sprint 5 kilometers (0/5)]
Rewards: +150 EXP
[Note:
Failure to complete this quest will not result in punishment. However, it is in the reincantor's best interest to level up as quickly as possible in order to complete the reincarnation quest before death in this world.]
[Quest Locked – Available Tomorrow]
'Another one tomorrow, no time to relent!' Aurelian thought.
"Aurey!"
"Aurrrrey!!!!"
A young woman called out. Her voice was loud and cute at the same time.
"She must be done cooking," Aurelian muttered.
Putting on something more presentable, Aurelian wiped his sweaty body with a towel and headed for the dining room.
.....
Now in the dining room, the aroma of freshly baked melitoutta filled the air. Steam rose gently from the honey cake, and it put an easy smile on Aurelian's face. This meal had become the highlight of his mornings in this new life. Thaleia had baked it once in the evening, and after realizing how much Aurelian loved it, she began making it every morning without fail.
Liking it as much as he did, Aurelian had taken time to learn about melitoutta. He discovered it was a well-loved honey cake of this era, made mainly from grain and honey, often prepared for offerings, festivals, and quiet family meals. Knowing that only made him enjoy it more.
Thaleia pulled out a chair for him, and when he sat down, Aurelian gave her a wide smile, and she returned it before sitting beside him.
Her name was Thaleia, the young woman Hera had told Aurelian to seek after leaving the Temple of Athena.
At first, Thaleia saw Aurelian as nothing more than an ignorant outsider. He struggled to understand the customs, daily tools, and way of thinking of this era. Though he understood the language the moment he reincarnated, that alone was far from enough.
But as the days passed, Aurelian adapted. He learned quickly and realized that Ancient Greece was not as harsh as he first thought. Yes, it was deeply traditional compared to the world he came from, but there was beauty in that order. Little by little, he began to understand how such traditions gave rise to a powerful and enduring culture.
To ease Thaleia's burden, Aurelian took on many household chores. He fetched water from the public fountain at dawn, chopped firewood for the hearth, cleaned clay jars, repaired worn sandals, swept the courtyard, and helped grind grain with stone tools. Sometimes he even assisted her at the market, carrying goods and haggling with merchants. For a nineteen-year old woman living alone, his help truly mattered.
That was when Thaleia began to see him differently. Less ignorant, more hardworking, disciplined, considerate, and reliable.
And somewhere along the way, something akin to love began to grow. Living together for a month, seeing each other every day, sharing meals and quiet moments, feelings naturally took root. And there was even a time she saw him naked, and her mind was blown away by the sheer size of his woodwork. And let's not forget the face, the majestic features and build of Aurelian are enough to sway any girl into his admiration. But Thaleia didn't fall for his charm quickly, as she was the that personality first kind of girl.
And with that, Thaleia began to cut the melitoutta into neat slices and passed one to Aurelian. He took it with both hands, thanked her, and bit into it slowly. The honey was warm, the grain soft, and for a moment the world felt quiet, as he let out a small breath without realizing it.
"You always eat like it's your first time," Thaleia said, amused, resting her chin on her palm.
"It's that good," Aurelian replied honestly. "Back where I'm from, food like this was rare."
"It truly is a bad place," Thaleia said. She had noticed that Aurelian always spoke poorly of his homeland whenever he had the chance, yet he never told her where he was exactly from, or that he came from another world. She simply assumed he was from some remote backwater place.
"I wouldn't call it bad," Aurelian said. "It just didn't feel like home anymore."
"Anyways," he continued, "thanks for the meal, as always."
That made Thaleia's face turn as red as an apple. She hated how Aurelian's compliments always made her flustered, and she quickly tried to hide her embarrassed expression.
"Aurey! No need to thank me."
Aurelian chuckled. He knew exactly what he was doing. Appreciating Thaleia always made her flustered and blush, and that only made her look even cuter, so he kept doing it anyway.
They ate for a bit, the sound of birds outside filling the gaps. Thaleia talked about the market, about a potter who had raised his prices again, and about a festival rumored to be held near the harbor. Aurelian listened closely, asking small questions, learning names and places, storing them carefully. This world was still strange to him, but mornings like this made it feel closer.
With the melitoutta finished, Thaleia stood up and carried both plates to the kitchen. Aurelian watched her for a moment, feeling strangely content. This wasn't home yet, but with each passing day, it was starting to feel like it could become one.
Turning his gaze toward the front door, Aurelian slowly clenched his hands. Even in moments of comfort, he hadn't forgotten his quest. He had to become the greatest hero through merit and accomplishments.
Clenching his arm, he knew he couldn't falter in his mission to become the greatest.