Reality Quest: Beyond Strength

Kang Chan, who was unconscious, slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor of his room.

"I fainted, huh?" he muttered, slowly standing up. His body felt back to normal. It seemed he had pushed himself beyond his limits.

"Stats." He called out as he sat on his bed.

============= 

(Level 1: Kang Chan)

Strength: 5 

Speed: 8 

Endurance: 5 

Intelligence: 15 

Luck: 5

Thresholds: None 

Techniques: Low and High Kick (2.7%) 

Passive Skills: Flexible Joints, Accelerated Cell Repair

=============

Titles: "Unyielding Machine" 

Title Effects: Training Progress +20%, Pain Tolerance +20%

=============

Points Available: 10

=============

He glanced at the panel, now updated with new terms. He had started to grow familiar with them, but one term caught his attention.

The titles..' Kang Chan thought, staring at the unfamiliar addition. He recalled receiving it just before losing consciousness.

"Unyielding Machine... could it be...?" He didn't fully understand what the title referred to, but he had an idea. Perhaps it was because he had been persistent, refusing to give up when his body screamed at him to do so.

"A twenty percent boost in training progress." He muttered, rubbing his chin. Though it wasn't a huge boost, it was still something, and better than nothing.

'As for proficiency increase.' He thought. 'It seems random, based on how I perform.'

"And for the pain tolerance..." Kang Chan paused. He wasn't sure how useful it would be yet. Maybe it would help his body withstand blows that would normally make him faint.

"I don't quite like how this is going though." He thought. The progress felt slow and minimal. While he knew he would improve over time, he didn't want to wait.

"It's decided." He said to himself, his face stoic. "Tomorrow, I need to find a place to train."

He resolved to get stronger as quickly as possible.

"I need to shower first." He muttered.

With that, he headed to the bathroom, ready to call it a day.

-----

The next morning.

Kang Chan walked through the streets toward a destination. He wore a simple sports outfit: a black jacket over a T-shirt, black pants, and sports shoes.

"Phew, phew."

He exhaled steadily, his face dotted with sweat. He seemed tired, but it wasn't from walking.

On his back, he carried a heavy backpack, filled with items. As he walked, notifications appeared before him.

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (5 → 6)] 

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (6 → 7)]

His calm face glanced at the prompts. He had discovered something.

"All about control." He said. Despite the sweat, his breathing remained steady and calm.

Yesterday, Kang Chan had searched online for a place to train. He found one that was twenty minutes away from his place, a secluded and likely abandoned spot he could use for the weekend.

As he prepared to leave early in the morning, he packed necessities into his backpack, adding significant weight. Along the way, he noticed a pattern.

His endurance stat seemed to increase with every set number of steps he took, though the exact number varied. Additionally, as his stamina depleted, his healing effect activated. But instead of fully tiring out, his controlled pacing and rhythmical breathing, combined with the passive healing skill, stabilized his body and prevented rapid fatigue, keeping him in a stable condition.

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (7 → 8)]

"Feels good." Kang Chan commented, pleased with his progress. Though small, it was still progress.

"Finally arrived." He muttered, stopping before a secluded area. He wasn't on the streets anymore. In front of him stood a thin large, metal-walled, around the place, as the entrance was carved out.

'Let's see.' He thought, stepping inside.

The place was littered with metal scraps, junk, and compacted piles of items. Some were scattered on the floor, while others formed small mountains.

This was an abandoned junkyard that seemed perfect for his training. Reaching the center, Kang Chan set his backpack down on a broken fridge lying on the ground.

"Phew."

He exhaled sharply, relieved of the weight on his back. He took off his jacket and T-shirt, revealing his skinny frame.

"Let's start grinding." He muttered.

He moved to an area not far away and stopped, deciding it would be his starting point. His face remained stoic as he surveyed the rusted scraps and scattered debris.

He spotted a small, rusted car tire lying on its side.

"This is where I start." He muttered, crouching down and gripping the edge of the tire.

He took a deep breath and pulled. The tire barely moved. His arms trembled, and his teeth clenched slightly. Adjusting his grip, he tried again, this time lifting it a few inches off the ground before letting it drop.

"Not enough." He murmured, shaking his arms. His breathing was slow and steady.

He tried again, holding the tire at chest level for a few seconds before his arms gave out and the tire hit the ground with a loud thud.

[Stat Increase: Strength +1 (5 → 6)]

"Woah, is it that easy now?" Kang Chan muttered, surprised. Just a few seconds of holding the tire had increased his strength. He began to reevaluate the 20% boost to training progress.

He wiped his hands on his pants and bent down again, lifting the tire repeatedly. By the tenth lift, his arms trembled violently, and his breathing grew heavier. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through, holding the tire longer each time.

[Stat Increase: Strength +1 (6 → 7)]

By the fifteenth lift, the burning in his arms intensified. His body begged for rest, but his expression remained calm. Finally, he dropped the tire and sat on the ground, his arms limp.

[Stat Increase: Strength +1 (7 → 8)]

"This is just the beginning." He muttered to himself, staring at the tire, deep in thought.

After a brief rest, Kang Chan lowered himself onto the ground for push-ups. His skinny arms wobbled as he descended slowly. With great effort, he pushed himself back up, his breath steady but heavy.

"One… two…"

By the time he reached five, his arms felt like they were on fire. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

[Stat Increase: Strength +1 (7 → 8)]

He didn't allow himself much rest. After a minute, he got back into position. This time, he aimed for ten. His arms trembled violently, sweat dripping onto the dirt beneath him as he pushed through each rep.

"Nine… ten…" He whispered, his voice barely audible. His arms gave out, and he collapsed again, breathing hard as sweat trickled down his face, and body.

[Stat Increase: Strength +1 (8 → 9)]

Despite his exhaustion, Kang Chan pushed himself onward, searching for other ways to train.

His eyes landed on an old chain among the debris. He tied one end around his waist and attached the other to a large, rusted metal sheet about half his height. The weight was significant, and his legs buckled slightly as he took the first step.

Every movement was a challenge. The chain dug into his waist, and his legs burned with every step. His breathing grew labored, but he pressed on with a steady rhythm.

"Just… keep moving." He muttered under his breath, his body soaked in sweat.

By the time he finished one lap around the junkyard, his legs felt ready to give out.

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (8 → 9)]

Kang Chan wiped the sweat from his forehead, pausing only briefly before starting another lap. This time, his pace was slower, his steps heavier. He stumbled but quickly caught himself, refusing to stop.

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (9 → 10)]

[Stat Increase: Speed +1 (8 → 9)]

With every stat increase, Kang Chan could feel his body adapting to the strain. Though the changes was subtle it didn't much affect his progress.

After dragging the metal sheet for three minutes, Kang Chan returned to the tire, his breath shallow.

He placed the tire on his back and assumed a plank position. His arms and core trembled instantly, but he held firm.

"Ten seconds… fifteen…" He counted. At thirty seconds, his arms nearly gave out, but he forced himself to hold on. By forty seconds, his entire body shook violently, and he collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (12 → 13)]

[Stat Increase: Strength +1 (9 → 10)]

Without hesitation, he piled more weight onto his back, a stack of smaller metal scraps, and resumed the plank position.

Minutes passed, and the faint sound of crackling echoed in the air.

Kang Chan's joints creaked as he strained to maintain the plank. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't flinch, enduring the pain.

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (15 → 16)]

[Stat Increase: Strength +1 (12 → 13)]

Kang Chan moved on to the next exercise. He tied a tire to each leg with chains and began dragging them across the junkyard. Each step was grueling; his legs burned, and his breathing grew heavier with every movement.

He remembered how he'd once carried a heavy backpack through the streets and tried to mimic that effort. However, this was far more challenging. His cells hadn't yet adapted to recover quickly from such intense exercises and fatigue.

[Stat Increase: Speed +1 (9 → 10)]

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (16 → 17)]

By the third lap, his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground, chest heaving. After a brief moment of rest, he stood and continued moving.

When his training session finally ended, Kang Chan collapsed, his body trembling uncontrollably. Lying on his back, he stared at the sky. Though exhausted, there was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

[Stat Increase: Speed +1 (12 → 13)]

[Stat Increase: Endurance +1 (18 → 19)]

"Stats"

==========

(Level 1: Kang Chan)

Strength: 13

Speed: 13

Endurance: 19

Intelligence: 15

Luck: 5

Thresholds: None

Techniques: Low and High Kick (2.7%)

Passive Skills: Flexible Joints, Accelerated Cell Repair

==========

Titles: Unyielding Machine

Title Effect: Training Progress +20%, Pain Tolerance +20%

==========

Points Available: 10

=========

"Still not enough…" Kang Chan muttered, glancing at his improved stats. He had made significant progress, but it still didn't feel like enough. However, he couldn't deny that things were going well overall.

"The title's effect is working." He concluded. He noticed the subtle advantage of increased pain tolerance, though it wasn't much yet. As for the 20% training progress boost, he had initially assumed it would enhance the increase per stat point, but it didn't at first which confused him. However, it seemed more related to faster improvement with slightly less effort for each exercise.

"Continue."

He muttered this to himself, rising to his feet and resuming his training. The less rest he allowed and the more strain he endured, the better.

With that, the sun turned into the moon and the moon into the sun, signaling the next day. 

At noon....

Kang Chan was seen seated on a steel barrel.

His shirt and jacket were worn, and a campfire crackled in front of him as he was munching on snacks while he studied his stats.

==========

(Level 1: Kang Chan)

Strength: 24

Speed: 38

Endurance: 26

Intelligence: 15

Luck: 5

Thresholds: None

Techniques: Low and High Kick (17.3%)

Passive Skills: Flexible Joints, Accelerated Cell Repair (3% increase)

===========

Titles: Unyielding Machine

Title Effect: Training Progress +20%, Pain Tolerance +20%

===========

Points Available: 10

===========

To an outsider, his progress might seem underwhelming. Even Kang Chan had thought the same at first. But now, he knew better.

'I was wrong.' He thought, studying the numbers again.

Even with seemingly low stats, he was already at the lower scale of this world's power. His strength allowed him to leave knuckle imprints on solid ground, and his kicks could shatter the floor, sending small debris flying.

It became clear to him that even a single-point difference in stats was massive. For example, his endurance at 21 points meant he rarely felt fatigued, a significant improvement from when it was at 20.

His low and high kick techniques, while not at high proficiency, had also improved noticeably.

'The low numbers mean only one thing…' Kang Chan thought as he took another bite of his snacks.

'The power scaling of this world is just too high.'

Kang Chan reached this conclusion after some reflection, and he found it impressive that he had achieved this level of progress in just two days. It even made him wonder, if he were to receive proper training from a skilled instructor, just how far could he go?

The exercises he had been doing were fairly basic, rooted in general knowledge, and didn't seem to bring a balanced improvement to his stats or traits. This made him think, with the right training, how much more could he improve beyond his current progress? It should be Quite a lot, some proper training could unlock his true potential and refine his abilities exponentially.

Leaving that thought alone for now, he focused on another thing that caught his attention. His passive healing skill, the Accelerated Cell Repair.

'It increased...' He thought.

Previously, his cells healed at a 2% rate. The relentless physical exertion he had subjected himself to from yesterday to today had caused his cells to improve. They now healed at 3% with a slight enhancement, enough for him to notice.

Kang Chan wondered if, one day, he could achieve the same healing factor as the Perfect Body.

That would be overpowered.

"I was wondering why there was a fireplace set here, in the middle of this kind of place." Kang Chan suddenly spoke, breaking his train of thought. "And by the looks of it, it doesn't seem old." His voice echoed as if he were speaking to himself.

He hopped down from the barrel, placing his snacks aside and turned around, walking ahead.

"So, someone must come here quite often." He continued, his footsteps slow and deliberate. Eventually, he stopped, his gaze fixed on a point infront of him.

"It must be you, right?" Kang Chan said, addressing a figure standing a short distance away. "The owner."

The person in question was towering, exceptionally tall. He had neatly slicked-back black hair and dark shades covering his eyes. A long-sleeved white sweater with bold leopard print patterns adorned his upper body, while deep brown pants with blue side lines and polished shoes completed the outfit.

Despite the clothes, it was clear his physique was lean and muscular.

[Task Initiated:]

[Force The Lunatic To Take A Step Back]