Li Wei was many things: 19 years old, jobless, socially invisible, and currently face-first on the dojo floor. The sound of laughter echoed around him as his rival, Zhang Kai, towered above, flexing his muscles like a low-budget action hero.
"Again, Li Wei? You fall faster than a dropped dumpling!" Zhang sneered.
Li groaned. His back hurt. His ego hurt more. He'd been training martial arts for three years and had nothing to show for it but bruises and humiliation. His sensei watched from the corner, expression unreadable. Probably wondering why he let Li stay.
"Next!" Sensei called. Li rolled off the mat, clutching his ribs. A small, sarcastic round of applause followed him as he limped to the bench.
His phone buzzed. A message from his part-time job: You're late again. Don't bother coming back.
"Cool," he muttered, deleting the message. That was his third job this year.
As the dojo emptied, Li sat alone, stewing in failure. His martial path was more like a martial pothole. The sunset leaked through the windows, casting an orange glow over the floor.
He stared at the punching bag in the corner. Once, he'd imagined becoming a grandmaster. Now he was barely a gym mascot.
He sighed. "Maybe martial arts just isn't for me."
The moment he said it, everything froze.
Literally.
The lights flickered. A soft chime rang out. Then...
DING!
System Initialization: 999-Level Martial Arts System Detected.
Li blinked. A glowing blue screen hovered in front of him. He rubbed his eyes. Nope. Still there.
Welcome, Host! You have been selected to receive the Legendary 999-Level Martial Arts System! Do you accept?
Li looked around. "Is this a prank? Did Zhang put VR goggles on me or something?"
Warning: Declining the system will result in immediate lifetime regret.
"Wow, guilt-tripping software. Alright. I accept, I guess?"
System Bound. Congratulations! You are now officially a Loser with Potential.
"Gee, thanks."
First Quest: Get punched in the face again. Reward: +10 Strength, +5 Handsome Points.
"Wait, what?"
Just then, Zhang Kai passed by, saw him sitting, and smirked. "You still here, Wei? Want another lesson?"
Li stood up. "Sure. Punch me."
Zhang didn't hesitate.
SMACK.
Li flew back, rolled twice, and groaned.
DING!Quest complete!
+10 Strength. +5 Handsome Points.
"Wait... I do feel... less pathetic."
He flexed his arm. There was a slight bulge that wasn't there before.
"Was that always there?" He twisted his arm to check from another angle.
It wasn't massive, but it was definitely more definition than he'd had yesterday.
New Quest: Do 50 push-ups within 3 minutes. Reward: Passive Skill - Beginner's Muscle Memory.
"Alright, system. Let's do this."
He dropped to the floor and started. The system counted down in his ear with a digital voice that sounded suspiciously smug.
Push-up 1... 2... 3... You call that form?
He grunted and kept pushing. Sweat pooled at his temples, but he kept going.
By 48 his arms were shaking.
Push-up 49... Push-up 50... Quest complete!
Reward Acquired: Passive Skill - Beginner's Muscle Memory. Strength +2. Stamina +4.
He collapsed onto the mat, breathing hard but with a grin.
This was real. This was happening.
For the first time in years, Li Wei felt hope.
Not from effort.
But from the ridiculous gameified cheat now living in his brain.
"System, give me my next quest."
New Quest Unlocked: Leave dojo dramatically. Reward: +1 Charisma.
He snorted. "Seriously?"
But he stood, rolled his shoulders, and slowly walked to the doors. He paused, let out a deep breath, and burst them open like he was in an action movie.
The wind caught his hair. He looked ridiculous. But he didn't care.
Across the street, an old man selling steamed buns stared blankly.
Quest complete! +1 Charisma.
He chuckled. "Alright. Let's ruin some people."
And just like that, his journey began.