With a sledgehammer gripped firmly in his hand, Mathew stood panting above a large, weathered tire, its rubber surface cracked and battered by time. The cold air nipped at his skin, but he was encased in a tight black compression shirt that clung to his body, drenched in sweat and glistening under the muted light. His muscles, taut and swollen from an intense workout, twitched with energy as he prepared for another powerful swing, determination etched on his face.
[Your Strength has improved by 1 point!]
"Fuck yeah," Mathew said at his system notification. Tossing the sledgehammer aside, he used the towel that was wrapped around his neck to wipe the sweat from his face. "Status."
[STATUS]
[Name: Mathew Johnson | Age: 16]
[Strength: 38 | Speed: 42 | Agility: 41]
[Intelligence: 53 | Perception: 48 | Endurance: 43]
[SKILLS]
[Running/Jogging: 41 | Boxing: 50 | Cycling: 46 | Programming: 34 | Football: 27 | Soccer: 22 | Baseball: 13 | Dancing: 9 | Singing: 6 | Magic: 13 | Lock-picking/Safe-cracking: 94 | Observation: 83]
"I've grown a lot from when I first saw my stats." Mathew grinned as he looked around his backyard. The sky was a dark orange from the early morning hour. "Still… will it be enough?"
It had been four months since Mathew had unlocked his system, and he had worked tirelessly to grow his stats and skills.
At first, earning points had been a time-consuming challenge that took everything he had to earn. He had believed he was limited to earning one point a month for any of his attributes, but he had been wrong.
The reason for Mathew's slow point earnings had been due to the amount of effort he had initially invested. He had believed that by doing the same exercises he'd been doing his entire life, that would be enough to grow to the next level. It would just take time.
But he was wrong.
He needed to push himself to his limits every day.
And the results showed themselves immediately.
Mathew no longer did 150 repetitions of his calisthenics. Instead, he performed a total of 400 repetitions of each of his old and new exercises—200 in the morning and 200 at night. Initially, his muscles protested against the increased workload, but after a while, he began to notice something about himself, or more specifically, about his body.
Following a grueling workout session, an ordinary person would likely experience a deep, persistent soreness the following day. This discomfort arises from the tiny micro-tears that develop in the muscle fibers as they endure significant stress and exertion. Over time, the body embarks on a remarkable healing process, repairing these microscopic injuries. As a result, the muscles emerge not only restored but also fortified, becoming stronger and more resilient than before.
The process of Mathew's muscles repairing themselves was familiar. However, what wasn't expected was the speed at which his body was now healing. He attributed his accelerated healing to his system.
Although his body's new healing speed wasn't exceptionally impressive, it halved the usual healing time, which still provided a significant benefit for his growth. This improvement allowed him to push himself further than before.
"Still… will it be enough?" Mathew looked down at his arms with a conflicting gaze. "I may be a little physically stronger, but will that be enough to beat Jason?"
Ever since Natalia had challenged him to defeat Jason in a sparring match to demonstrate his commitment to boxing, Mathew had immersed himself in honing his skills, dedicating countless hours to training. He pushed his body to its limits, embracing each grueling workout with unwavering determination. Yet, despite his relentless efforts, he realized that true progress often requires guidance.
He yearned for the expertise of a seasoned coach, someone who could provide him with valuable insights and tailored training techniques to sharpen his performance. Mathew believed that with the right mentorship, he could unlock his full potential and emerge stronger.
He had debated asking Harrison for help, but he dismissed that idea.
If he was going to prove to Natalia that he was completely serious about becoming a boxer, Mathew knew he had to get over this first hurdle on his own.
With several days remaining until his upcoming spar, he couldn't help but worry about his chances of winning, especially with the event penalty imposed by the system for this fight.
[Event: Run it Back.]
[Task: Win your second spar against Jason.]
[Reward: (x2) Mystery Boxes]
[Failure: (-5) Point to the Skill: Boxing, (-5) Points to the Attributes: Strength, Speed, Agility.]
Despite the daunting event penalties, Mathew's determination to win against Jason was unwavering. Whether it was his ego or pride that fueled him, it didn't matter. Mathew was set on fighting Jason again.
It didn't hurt that he would receive two mystery boxes out of the event as well, should he win.
"Enough rest. Back to it." Mathew huffed and picked up his sledgehammer.
Raising it above his head with both arms, he slammed it down on the tire with as much force and control as possible to stop the tool from springing up.
His back, shoulder, and arm muscles flexed from the effort, prompting Mathew to grit his teeth in exertion. After taking a deep breath, he swung it once more.
The grueling workout pushed Mathew to his limits, with each rep causing his muscles to fatigue as he wielded the heavy hammer. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, and he could feel his upper body trembling, barely able to maintain its grip.
With a grunt, he set the hammer down and made his way to a nearby bench. There, a 20-pound weight rested accompanied by a cloth tied to its handle. Mathew paused for a moment, catching his breath, and prepared to tackle the next challenge.
Mathew sat against the bench, the weights attached cloth clenched between his teeth. Leaning his upper body toward the ground, he began to lift his neck up and down repeatedly.
This exercise was designed to strengthen his neck muscles, helping him better absorb any potential hits to his head from Jason.
With his limbs aching and his body drenched in sweat, Mathew stared ahead with fierce determination. No matter what, he was prepared to use every ounce of his strength to bring Jason down.