Chapter 1: Just like those novels (1)

'Ah shit.'

A man silently cursed as he saw himself being run over by a white truck, and felt the instantaneous pain from the grounded bones due to the impact. Just earlier, as he was still happily celebrating his first 'god tier' item dropped from the 'god tier' boss, he saw a goddamn kid chasing his goddamn ball across the street, where a white 8-wheeler truck speedily drove.

Due to a spring of thought and a sudden burst of adrenaline, his body moved rapidly to push that snotty kid to safety, only finding himself to be hit from the truck's side bumper. As a result, of course, due to the momentum of the truck, and the resounding impact on his head, he died on the spot.

'Damn, I still haven't had my fun from the 'god tier' item though. Is it my time?' was his last thought as he breathed his last.

His consciousness slowly blacked out, until a blinding bright light cleared up the lingering darkness on his consciousness. What he saw was, still, the light enveloping him and his surroundings. He wondered when would this shit be over until he saw on front a small tunnel like hole, where he was dragged over until he entered, a sight of an amazement to his whole being.

Surrounded by glittering stars, galaxies, nebulae and other celestial bodies, just like a picture of a starry night sky underneath the aurora. Enough bullshit, though, it's like being out of space, the difference being him being there and saw these fantastical sight up close.

'Wow.' was only his uttered thought on his consciousness, as he was only a spiritual fragment without a corporeal body. 'Wait, how can I still think? Aren't I dead? Is this a dream?'

He began to panic, thought of pinching himself, but to no avail of course. Slowly, he gathered his thoughts and heard something that shook his core.

[Alex Kane, 27 year old shut in, socially deficient, wastrel, a trash of times..]

before the cold voice could continue, the man hastily roared, on his mind

'W-wait, who the hell are you, you fucker? You don't damn be dissing me now aren't ya. Show your fucking self, fag!'

[..indomitable litter, the junk of heavens..] with a slight pause, the cold voice continued for about 2 minutes, until it stopped.

The man, Alex, being the subject himself, first felt rage, then shame, and lastly numb from the blabbering of the cold voice. He could only listen silently as the voice uttered the last cuss, until it continued.

[You have become the chosen. As you have died a meritorious death, in exchange for the scum life you've lived until your demise, you have been given an opportunity of rebirth. In preparation for your departure, sets of exercises are to be executed, until the appointed time of a year.]

The surrounding celestial bodies then began to vanish like a puff of smoke, leaving an eery dark environment as Alex began to feel a chill, creeping into the depths of his soul. Luckily, the darkness receded and what followed on his sight was the surroundings changing to become like a white cubicle room. All he saw was tiles of white ground and walls, with corners that felt so close, yet so far. He thought he was like in those matrix movies(1) and such. His amazement abruptly stopped as a hologram appeared in front.

Like that, Alex's consciousness was shown what looks like a 'status screen' no different from those mangas, comics and novels he frequently read as being a shut in. He wondered, how the hell it appeared on his 'sight' as he didn't even have eyes to 'see'.

'Well, whatevs.' Alex began to read the instructions as he began then to ask.

'I have a year huh.. How can I do this without a body, though?' to which the cold voice abruptly interrupted him

[You can directly imagine your image to project your corporeal self. Note: As the body corporated is still a projection, it does not feel hunger or thirst, or any bodily functions aside from pain.]

'Alright.' Chuckling on his mind, he imagines himself to be a handsome, well built 6 feet tall guy with a strong aura of manliness. Nodding spiritually, he felt proud to his imaginative mind.

[Error.]

'Okay okay, I know.' with a disgruntled thought, he began switching the image on his mind as what he looked like himself. Pimple filled round face, juggling fat like stacked tire body. Features not so ugly but due to being uncaring about appearance, became a what you could call a 'sore to the sight'.

Magically, his body began to be molded at breakneck speed, like what you could see in a titan transforming(2). From the muscles, tissues, bones and organs, he was formed out of nowhere. He was astounded by the events as he began to look at his hands, felt his face and body.

[You have successfully created your avatar. The 1st set of exercises now begins.]

[Push-ups 0/10

Curl-ups 0/10

Side-hops 0/10

Squats 0/10

Jog 0/1km]

[Time limit: 2 hours]

[00:01:59:59]

"Well, that's too hard. I haven't even had a single complete curl up in my whole life, the heck is this.." Alex cursed silently as he tried to do a single push up.

'One.. two.. w-wait, am I this strong? How come it's so easy? I feel light as feather.. Is this my cheat?' Alex was amazed and glad from his discovery and began to complete the exercise wholeheartedly.

'Then next, curl ups...' Alex began to feel nervous as he looked at his flabby belly, slowly recalling the bad memory from his junior high school days. Laughters of mockery and disdain, all directed to his pathetic younger self which ran with tears and snot on his face as he hid in the corner out of the gym. From then on out, he became introverted, away from the society's judgemental standards until he dragged that personality on his adulthood.

He steeled his mind and began to do the exercise. Again, he felt shocked from his new profound strength as he then began to finish the set in the quarter of an hour energetically.

'I haven't felt tired at all.' Alex mused to himself.

Steadily, he completed all the exercises and began to scrutinize himself, looked at the remaining time and rested himself. He felt strengthened slightly, and grinned as he listened at the notification of the cold voice on his mind.

[Congratulations! You have finished the first set of basic exercises. Increased strength, agility, endurance and stamina by 1]

[Alex Kane - (?)

Str: 11

Agi: 11

End: 11

Sta: 11]

Seeing the numbers, he thought 'Just like those novels I've read, it's really game like, looking at those stats and shit.' Alex grinned happily as he heard another notification from the cold voice.

[The second set of basic exercises is unlocked. Please prepare.]

[Push-ups 0/100

Curl-ups 0/100

Side-hops 0/100

Squats 0/10

Jog 0/10 km]

[Time limit: 5 hours]

[00:04:59:59]

'W-what!? A tenfold increase? D-damn, it's just only the 'basic' set. I wonder if there's another levels of those sets. If there is, I doubt I'll last an hour. Fuck this shitty.. it ain't cheat at all. It's a death sentence.' Alex begrudgingly thought to himself.

Without knowing, he began the second set of basic exercises, and finished within an hour and a half. Checking the time, he has about 3 and a half hour of rest, therefore, took a quick nap feeling the light soreness all over his body.

As the countdown went zero, he heard a notification from the cold voice and slowly opened his eyes. He listened to it and looked at the new addition of numbers on his stat.

[Congratulations! You have finished the second set of basic exercises. Increased strength, agility, endurance and stamina by 10]

'So that's it, the greater the pain the greater the gain..' Alex slightly nodded and then felt a surging wave of heat from his body. He felt like taking a warm shower from the cold nights, grunting in bliss as goosebumps appeared on his skin. He felt all the soreness disappear from his body.

'Damn, that's one hell of a lift!' he shook his arms and clenched his hands. He slowly said "I bet with this strength I can already lift a 50kg sack of rocks effortlessly."

Looking from the panel, he has, of course, 21 points on all of his stats. Cupping his chin, he analyzed 'If a tenfold increase gives tenfold points, then.. hundredfold increase gives hundredfold points and so on..'

Readying himself, he then began to look at the new notification and the corresponding amount of the sets he needed to complete.

'Just what I've thought, a hundredfold increase.' Alex then began to prepare himself.

(1) Reference from the movie 'The Matrix', the scene where Neo(Keanu Reeves) was brought in by Morpheus(Laurence Fishburne) to the 'Construct'

(2) Attack on Titan Reference - Titan Transformation (AN: Tatakae! Tatakae!)