The Anomaly Beyond The System

Chapter 9: Stubborn steps

It has been two days since Lucian's nightmare—and the completion of his first quest.

Yesterday, Akasha had given him another one.

[Quest: Baby Steps]

Main Objective:

– Walk for 10 minutes without stopping.

Reward: +1 AP

Bonus Objective:

– Walk for 20 minutes without stopping.

Bonus Reward: +1 AP

Difficulty: F

Time Limit: 2 Days

Failure Penalty: None

— — —

So now, he was trying to walk.

He had wanted to complete it yesterday—but failed miserably.

So he had to finish the quest by today.

Lia had nearly dropped the tray in her hands when she first saw him standing on his own, trembling, unsteady, but still upright.

But when he'd asked to walk outside, she immediately refused.

"No. You can only walk when I'm home," She'd said, arms crossed, her tone final.

"But—"

Before Lucian could try to say anything, she interrupted him.

"No buts! If you fall again, I'm not carrying you back from the road."

After enough pleading and promises, she reluctantly agreed—on the condition that he'd only walk in the hall, and only when she was present.

And Lucian, like a good brother…

Didn't listen.

Now he was here, trying and failing—again and again.

She had gone to her part-time job again, and he was here, in the hallway, barefoot, brushing against the cool floor.

"Ha.. ha… ha.."

Each step felt heavy. His breath came unevenly, his legs trembling with effort.

[1 minute left.]

Akasha's calm voice rang inside his mind.

He was drenched in sweat, his hair sticking to his forehead. Every part of his body screamed at him to stop.

But he clenched his jaw.

'Not yet. Just a bit… more.'

Nine minutes had passed—just one more minute to complete the main objective.

But he wasn't satisfied with that.

He wanted the bonus reward.

Not just for the points—but to prove that he wasn't weak anymore.

Finally—

[Ding!~]

A blue screen flickered before him.

[You have completed the main objective.]

[You have acquired 1 Attribute Point.]

He had completed the main objective of the quest.

[10 more minutes if you want the bonus reward.]

There was a faint teasing lilt in Akasha's voice.

Lucian smiled weakly.

"Ten ha… more minutes, hu… ha… fine."

Six minutes passed.

His legs felt like jelly, his breath shallow—but he kept going, kept moving.

Until—

Thud!

He collapsed to the floor.

[Bonus Objective Failed!]

"Fuck!!"

Lucian slammed his fist against the floor, frustration surging through him.

"How can I protect anyone if I can't even complete a damn F-rank quest?" He muttered bitterly.

He sat there for a long time, his chest rising and falling, before he whispered,

"Can't I… do it again?"

There was silence for a few seconds. Then–

[You sure?]

Akasha's voice was soft but teasing, almost warning him.

"Yeah. Damn sure."

Lucian didn't think much and accepted without hesitation.

[Don't cry about it later.]

Before he could understand her words, a new screen appeared.

[Ding!~]

[New Quest Generated!]

[Quest: Do or Die.]

Main Objective:

– Walk for 20 minutes without stopping.

Reward: +1 AP

Difficulty: E

Time Limit: 12 hours

Failure Penalty: Loss of body control for 6 months

— — —

Lucian read the objective and reward—and smiled.

But…

When he saw the failure penalty, his jaw dropped.

"WHAT!? Six months!? Why is there such a heavy penalty!?"

He even thought he had read it wrong, but no.

Even after rereading it, the penalty remained the same.

[Fufufu~ Its motivation. Now you won't stop until you finish it.]

Akasha giggled, clearly amused by his expression.

"Motivation, my ass. Why did I even bother to ask you?"

He cursed under his breath and slumped onto a chair to recover.

Yes, they didn't even have a couch in their home.

After around forty minutes, when his legs finally stopped trembling, he stood up again.

This time, he focused on his breathing, keeping it slow, deep, and measured.

Step by step.

Minutes ticked by.

[4 minutes left.]

His calves screamed in pain.

[2 minutes left.]

Sweat rolled down his temples.

[30 seconds left.]

His vision blurred, but he didn't stop.

Until finally—

[You have completed the Quest: Do or Die.]

[You have completed the main objective.]

[You have acquired 1 Attribute Point.]

"Haaah!"

He collapsed onto the floor.

His legs trembled violently, and his body refused to move anymore.

He didn't even have time to celebrate the completion of his quest because…

Lia had come home.

"Brother?!" Her voice trembled.

"What are you doing here?!"

Lucian turned his head weakly toward her.

"I… just wanted to—"

"Shut up!" She snapped, her voice trembling.

She was already kneeling beside him, checking his pulse and breathing. Her hands trembled as she touched his face.

"Why are you like this? Why can't you just rest for one day?!"

Guilt stabbed into Lucian's chest.

Her eyes were glistening, and she was on the verge of tears.

He hated that look.

He hated seeing her like this.

His gaze darkened, turning lifeless.

But he quickly regained his composure.

"I'm… sorry," he whispered, looking down, trying to hide his expression.

Before he could say anything else, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"You idiot," She mumbled into his shoulder, voice muffled by the sobs she was trying to suppress.

"You scared me…"

For a moment, Lucian froze.

Then, hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her trembling back.

After a while, Lia pulled back, sniffling—but her expression was firm.

"You're resting today. And tomorrow, we're going to the hospital."

He opened his mouth to argue—

But one look at her face stopped him.

Her usually warm brown eyes had turned dark now.

There was no room for negotiation there.

"…Fine."

He sighed, defeated.

At night, during his bath, Lucian caught sight of himself in the mirror.

His black hair clung to his face with sweat.

He might have looked handsome—if his eyes weren't dull and tired, with faint dark circles forming beneath them.

His frame was thin. Not skeletal—but clearly looked undernourished and lacked any activity.

'No wonder my charm is low.'

He sighed and turned away from the mirror.

Lia kept checking on him from time to time that evening, hovering in the doorway to make sure he wasn't doing anything reckless again.

He didn't.

Not that day.

The next morning, they went to the hospital.

The doctor ran a few tests, tapping on his chart with a furrowed brow.

"Frankly, your recovery is… abnormal." He said.

"Paralysis like yours doesn't just vanish without treatment."

Lia tensed, worried—but the doctor only shrugged.

"Still, your vitals look fine. Just take it easy and avoid overexertion."

He scribbled something on the prescription pad and handed it over.

"Some supplements and pain relief meds. That's all."

Lia thanked him and helped Lucian back to the taxi.

He watched the city blur past through the window, his reflection faintly visible in the glass.

He hadn't used his stat points lately.

He could have.

But he didn't.

He wanted to let his mind settle first.