Aldoria: Am I a hero...or not?

{{Kael's Room – Morning}}

Ding!

A bright blue screen flashed before his eyes.

[ Welcome, New Player! ]

A robotic chuckle echoed in his mind, followed by a message:

[ First Quest: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run! —Failure to complete this quest will result in an immediate penalty. ]

Kael sat up so fast he nearly flipped off the bed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

His scream echoed through the manor.

{{Kael's Room – Moments Later}}

The door slammed open as Sylvia and several maids rushed in.

"What happened?!" Sylvia demanded, eyes scanning the room.

Kael, still catching his breath, pointed at the glowing blue screen. "Can you see this?!"

Sylvia and the maids exchanged glances. "See what?"

Kael stared at them. "The bright blue screen floating in front of me! It's right here!"

Sylvia crossed her arms. "Young Master… did you hit your head? You've been acting strange lately. Or is this another one of your pranks? Like the time you pretended to be cursed for an entire week?"

One of the maids sighed. "Or when you claimed a ghost was haunting your room just to skip training?"

Kael scowled. "That was different!"

Sylvia let out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever. If you're not hurt, we're leaving. Don't scream like that again."

As the maids exited, Kael waved them off. "Yeah, yeah…"

{{Kael's Room}}

He turned back to the glowing screen, his heart still racing.

Ding!

Another message appeared.

[ Just kidding! ]

Kael blinked. "What?"

A robotic voice echoed in his mind.

[ I am your system. My purpose is to aid in your recovery and growth, bringing you to your peak condition. I can help you learn, adapt, and unlock new abilities. ]

Kael's eyes widened. "A system…?"

This wasn't a prank. This was real.

[ However, I must inform you. I have scanned your body... and your body is currently poisoned. Or, more accurately, cursed. That is why you are so weak. ]

Kael felt his blood run cold. "Poisoned? Cursed? What do you mean?"

[ Your aura reserves have been sealed. Someone in this world has tampered with your body, preventing you from ever growing stronger. But I can help you remove it. ]

Kael clenched his fists.

This was his chance. His chance to change everything.

{{Library – Midday}}

Determined, Kael headed straight to the library. He scoured through books on magic, curses, and poisons, absorbing as much information as he could.

With the system's help, he found what he was looking for... records of people who had their aura reserves sealed through dark means.

[ I can remove the curse for you, but it will be painful. Do you wish to be awake or unconscious during the process? ]

Kael gritted his teeth. "I can handle it. Do it while I'm awake."

The moment he said those words, a searing pain struck his abdomen. It was as if molten lava was pouring into his veins, crushing him under an unbearable weight.

Kael gasped, his vision blurring. His body trembled, muscles locking up.

Then...

Everything went black.

{{Infirmary – Night}}

A knight found Kael collapsed in the library and immediately carried him to the infirmary.

His body was drenched in sweat, his breathing uneven.

No one knew what had happened to him.

But when he woke up… he look pale, but not weak.