Chapter 6: Training and new Mission

After finishing his training session, Josh found himself alone in the shower. With some free time on his hands, he decided to open his system and see what rewards awaited him. There was a mystery box containing a reward ranked at least as "Excellent" and ten [Draw Points]. 

"Now that's progress," he thought with a grin. Eager to see what he'd earned, Josh opened the mystery box. A large question mark filled his screen before fading away, revealing a single piece of candy.

[+ Physical Talent Candy (Epic)]

Josh's eyes widened. An Epic-tier reward! Even better than Excellent. The Mystery Box, he realised, was much more reliable than gambling on the lottery. He quickly read the description of the candy:

[This talent allows the user to learn and master physical movements and skills 500% faster than the average person.]

Nodding in satisfaction, Josh wasted no time popping the candy into his mouth. It dissolved quickly, leaving him feeling slightly more aware of his body.

"I'll learn how to run on walls, like in *Prince of Persia,*" Josh joked to himself, imagining the possibilities. His body, already capable of handling incredible weight, would only benefit further from this new talent.

He checked the system again, browsing through the *Skills and Abilities* section, and saw the talent listed under his abilities. "Mystery Boxes are way better than bananas and hair keratin," he mused, remembering an earlier odd reward.

Finishing up his shower, Josh moved to the barracks where he was stationed. His next shift hadn't started yet, so he had time to relax. His thoughts drifted to Mikita.

"Not like I miss her or anything..." he muttered to himself.

Without realising it, Josh found himself walking toward a nearby wall. He attempted to take a step up its vertical surface but struggled at first. It quickly became clear that he was just kicking at the wall incorrectly.

After adjusting his body posture—leaning his upper half forward and bending slightly toward the wall—Josh managed to take two steps upward. With a bit of trial and error, he gradually improved, and within hours, he was running up the wall effortlessly.

"I'm a genius!" he thought smugly, impressed with how fast he'd learned. Of course, the new talent helped, but Josh wasn't about to downplay his natural brilliance.

"Josh, your shift!" A voice snapped him out of his focus.

Josh took his position as one of the island guards. Another man was posted with him, but Josh's mind was on the system. He still had ten Draw Points, and curiosity was eating at him. 

His thoughts wandered to Mikita again. Was her attention luck? Shaking his head, he decided it was better not to dwell on it.

"Alright, time to gamble a little," Josh thought. The system's draw mechanism was a chance-based lottery, with better odds the more points he used. But nothing was guaranteed.

"I'll start with two points and see what happens." He activated the lottery.

The first reward was a Common Tier item. Disappointing, but not discouraging. He tried again, this time spending three points. His luck improved.

[+ Healing Drugs (Heal injuries by 60%)]

"Not bad. This could come in handy," Josh muttered, nodding in approval.

Now came the bigger decision. Should he risk the five remaining points in one go? The odds were better, but it was a gamble. Alternatively, he could draw one point at a time and possibly get multiple decent items. But then again, he could also end up with nothing.

"If you're going to gamble," Josh said, flipping a coin in the air, "you've got to do it right."

The coin landed, sealing his decision. "All or nothing," he whispered and put all five points into the next draw.

The lottery activated, and to his delight, the Common Tier rewards vanished from the available options.

[+ Beginner to Professional Kung-Fu Manual (Excellent)]

A book materialised in his hand. He skimmed through it, seeing detailed instructions on stances, postures, and various combat techniques. The manual contained a full style of Kung-Fu, and it even included weapon techniques.

"Finally, something I can use for actual combat," Josh thought, pleased with his haul. "This even has swordsmanship."

Feeling accomplished, Josh made a mental note to stockpile Draw Points in the future for better results. The rewards were worth the wait. 

He leaned back, still clutching the Kung-Fu manual, and muttered to himself, "This day just keeps getting better."

As he stood watch, the guard next to him stirred. "What's up, mate?" the guard asked sleepily.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Josh replied, turning his gaze toward the sea.

-x-X-x-

In the following days, Josh spent his time preparing for the next mission. He trained in Baroque Works' gym during the day, lifting weights, and practiced Kung Fu at night. His body responded well to martial arts training, and he noticed some techniques in the manual were especially advanced, such as the [Tiger's Claw Rips Steel]. However, Josh focused on perfecting his basic moves—punches, kicks, and sword techniques.

Occasionally, he ran into Mikita at the gym. She would flirt with him while they trained, teasing him if he tried to match her max weight. "You know, I can be too light sometimes. Strength can't lift everything," she quipped on her way out one day.

Josh just smiled and flirted back, determined to rise to her expectations.

-x-X-x-

Soon, Josh found himself on a ship with four other people. Besides him and Mikita, there was a blonde man with a sword, and a tall, black man who stood about 198cm and had his finger in his nose the entire time.

"Future Mister 5," Josh thought, recognizing him.

"You got something to look at, pale?" the tall man, Gem, asked, annoyed by Josh's stare.

"Nothing. Just thought you looked familiar."

"Weird. We've never met," Gem replied, still picking his nose.

"What's your name?" Josh asked, trying to break the awkwardness.

"Gem. Call me Gem."

Josh nodded and turned away. Gem had eaten the Bomb-Bomb devil fruit, making his body a walking bomb. Dangerous indeed.

Their mission was to assist two agents, Mister 10 and Ms. July. As Mister 10—a towering man with a long mustache—explained the mission details, Josh discreetly opened his system and checked the Quests Generator.

[Quests Generator has a new gamble for you. Gamble on your life. Do you accept?]

Josh smirked. "Let's see where this takes me."