NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: The Gains
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[Name: Idle Evolution System]
[Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 1]
[Title: Calorie Chaser (F)]
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[HP: 100] [MP: 100]
[FATIGUE: 0]. [AP: 0]
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[STRENGTH: 14] (Semi-Athletic)
[AGILITY: 16] (Could be the star of a Track and Field team)
[ENDURANCE: 13] (A woman might feel something with this level of endurance, but with what you're packing, good luck with that)
[INTELLIGENCE: 12] (You could pass as a nerd, but not a very smart one)
[PERCEPTION: 9] (You might be able to hear a whistling arrow before it hits you)
[CHARISMA: 10] (Average. Just average.)
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Cassius stared at the numbers, his face a mix of interest and annoyance. The words under each stat still managed to insult him, but at least they weren't as devastating as before.
"Better than when it called me a 'Potato Sack on Legs' that one time," he muttered. Still, his stats showed progress—a fact that filled him with a small, albeit cautious, sense of pride.
"Strength, agility, endurance…" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I guess all those hours of grinding are finally paying off. If only this garbage system would give me something useful like more of those stats instead of shoving snarky comments in my face all the time."
He started to feel a little full of himself until a rough-looking young man barreled into him on the sidewalk. Cassius staggered back, barely keeping himself upright.
"What the hell?" Cassius snapped, glaring at the offender.
"What are you doing standing in my way, you fool!?" the man shot back, spitting on the ground near Cassius's shoes before hurrying after a girl in the distance. "Wait up, Isabella! Don't you realize just how much I love you!?"
"Go away, you loser!" the girl shouted, not even glancing back. "I told you, I'm not dating an F-Rank Awakened!"
"Come on, don't be like that!"
Cassius rolled his eyes.
The hierarchy of Awakened and unawakened individuals was brutal. Only ten percent of the population had the privilege of awakening, and those who didn't might as well have been invisible. Even within the Awakened, rank mattered—high-rank Awakened were practically celebrities, while lower ranks were barely better than the unawakened.
Hoshito, with its middling population, was a perfect breeding ground for this kind of hierarchy. Unless you were wealthy or held an indispensable role in society, unawakened individuals were treated like trash.
Cassius brushed himself off, sighing as he stood back up. The hot pavement burned against his palms, a harsh reminder of where he stood in the world. "Senior year's coming up, and I'm still at the bottom of the barrel," he muttered.
But the weight of years of disdain and dismissal pressed down on him, igniting a flame deep in his chest. "Let's see how long everyone can keep looking down on me once I surpass them all."
His hands clenched into fists as he made a silent vow. He didn't know what his system's limits were, or what he'd become by the end of this journey, but one thing was certain: He would push himself until the world had no choice but to acknowledge him.
For the next week, Cassius trained relentlessly. The streets, parks, and even the small gym he managed to join bore witness to his iron determination. Sit-ups, push-ups, sprints—his body became a machine of ceaseless motion, driving itself to the edge of collapse.
By the seventh day, his system interface looked like this:
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[Name: Idle Evolution System]
[Host: Cassius] - [Lvl 1]
[Title: Gym Bro (E)]
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[HP: 100] [MP: 100]
[FATIGUE: 0]. [AP: 12]
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[STRENGTH: 22] (Athletic/Bodybuilder)
[AGILITY: 25] (Can outrun a fast Moped)
[ENDURANCE: 21] (You can overcome your SDS (Small Dick Syndrome) with this level of stamina)
[INTELLIGENCE: 20] (Could become a Tutor)
[PERCEPTION: 20] (Do your spidey senses tingle yet?)
[CHARISMA: 20] (Pretty handsome)
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Sweat dripped off Cassius's shirtless body as he powered through his final set of sit-ups for the day. Each rep brought him closer to his goal, and his body had begun to show the fruits of his labor. Defined muscles rippled with every movement, and his once-average frame now carried an undeniable aura of strength.
He let out a deep breath, the motion crisp and controlled. The system might've been annoying, but it worked.
Just as he wiped himself down with a towel, his stepsister Aya barged into the room.
"Hey, lend me ten bucks—" she began, stopping mid-sentence when her gaze landed on him.
Her words faltered as she took in the sight before her. Cassius, still catching his breath, looked up from his towel, his chiseled abs glistening faintly in the room's light. His medium-length jet-black hair clung slightly to his forehead, framing a face that had clearly shed its former mediocrity.
Aya stared, her mind reeling. Was he always… this hot?
"Hmm?" Cassius blinked, finally registering her presence.
Aya jolted, suddenly aware of how obvious her staring had become. "I-I… need ten dollars…" she stammered, her voice unusually timid.
Cassius raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"I, uh… my friends and I… We're going out." She averted her gaze, the slightest hint of pink coloring her cheeks.
Cassius considered her request for a moment before shaking his head. "No."
"No?" Aya repeated, taken aback by his bluntness.
"You heard me," he said, tossing his towel aside. "I'm not giving you my money."
Aya fidgeted, her earlier confidence eroding under his straightforward refusal. "I… understand…" she murmured, turning to leave.
But just as she reached the door, Cassius appeared behind her, moving so quietly and swiftly she didn't even hear him.
"Here," he said, placing a small wad of cash on her head. "There's a little over a hundred in there. Use it for something nice—for yourself. Not for those so-called friends. And Aya… We're family. If you need something, I'll do whatever I can to help."
Aya froze, her fingers curling around the money as she turned to look at him. But by the time she managed to find her voice, he was already gone, descending the stairs with a calm, confident stride.
She stared at the cash in her hands, warmth spreading through her chest. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as guilt swirled in her heart.
'Why did I say all those horrible things to him before? Why was I so cruel to someone who never deserved it?'
Aya clutched the money tightly, her earlier arrogance replaced by a deep, overwhelming sense of regret. "I don't deserve this…" she whispered, tears finally spilling over.