My Atomic System

Chapter 7: Burning Resolve

    Haruto could feel the soft sheet below him. Or was it the zooming vehicles outside and the soft motion sound of the fan somewhere around him. Or the chirping birds? Everything was relaxing…

His eyes shot open.

    Haruto grunted aloud and sat up, a soft head ache lashing against his sanity as he did so. He twitched his eyes brows involuntarily. 

How did I get here?

    He looked around, the whole place was just the way he left it—the table and chair on the left side, the shoe rack and hanger as well as a wardrobe on the left and a bookshelf in the right corner just beside his bed—He was in his room. Last thing he remembered, he was almost killed by the so-called Lord Khai.

Oh crap!

    Haruto stole a glance at the ticking wall clock ahead of him.

11:50 AM.

Hell no! 

I won't make that mistake again.

    The moment he remembered how he had gotten into the penalty zone and almost died, he shivered.

There's still time.

Haruto wearily called up the system's interface.

[ Daily Quests

Push ups: 0/100

Sit ups: 0/100

Squats: 0/100

Inclined Push ups: 0/100

Leaps: 0/100.

Jog laps: 0/10 km

Run laps: 0/10 km

Swim: 0/10km

Obtain drops of pure liquid hydrogen: 0/10 drops.

Obtain Coral reefs: 0/5

Note: Failure to complete these Quests before 24 hours will attract a penalty.

]

    He got down from his bed and got into a kneeling position.

100 push ups?

Haruto recounted wearily.

    He got into a lying position where both his arms where exactly 90° inclined to his chest. Then he moved just his waist down and up again.

He waited for a moment.

Nothing?

    He then went down fully and straight, making his arm bend into angle brackets and came up straight.

    Almost immediately, the familiar soft notification sound rang through the humid air.

Ting!

[ +1 push ups completed ]

Haruto's face turned sour.

Guess I have no choice now. 

He thought.

Haruto went down again.

[ +1 push ups completed ]

[ +1 push ups completed ]

[ +1 push ups completed ]

[ +1 push ups completed ]

[ +1 push ups completed ]

[ +1 push ups completed ]

    After a while of repeated and exhausting actions, Haruto was already finding it hard to continue . Haruto could feel his breath hitch, he could feel his dry throat, it felt like he took a long trip to the desert. He was sweating all over, his ragged breath forcing themselves out of his mouth like a smooth dry cough.

    All of a sudden, it felt all impossible, his arms were immensely sore.

Last one!

Haruto groaned as he steadily went back up.

    I can make it!. His whole veins seemed to concentrate on his face. And his head felt immensely heavy.

He groaned even more. 

And then.

Ting!

[+1 push ups completed]

    Haruto sighed in immense relief as he fell flat on the floor. His whole body was covered in waste liquid. He was both happy and angry, anger that came from licking his sweat unknowingly almost everytime. He called up the system interface.

[ Daily Quests

Push ups: 101/100

Sit ups: 0/100

Squats: 0/100

Inclined Push ups: 0/100

Leaps: 0/100.

Jog laps: 0/10 km

Run laps: 0/10 km

Swim: 0/10km

Obtain drops of pure liquid hydrogen: 0/10 drops.

Obtain Coral reefs: 0/5

Note: Failure to complete these Quests before 24 hours will attract a penalty.

]

    Seeing he had completed his push ups for the day , he started his inclined push ups, thankfully, he knew what that was. It was just like the push ups, only, this time his hands wasn't on the ground but on something higher giving him an angle lower than 90° to the ground.

    After a while, he had completed all the home workouts on the list.

    He checked the time, it was already 3:44 PM. He shot out of the door, intending to start his outdoor workouts. 

    Strangely, he could hear the soft sound of police sirens the moment he left his apartment. It wasn't just one car as Haruto could hear, there were more than two at least.

Hm? I thought they only patrolled on Weekends.

    He quickly shook the thought off, he had better things to do as it seemed. 

    He started to jog first. It didn't seem all that hard at first. But the tremor and vibration passing through his legs with each movement was disturbing. 

Ting!

[ +1 km of Jogging completed ]

    Haruto stopped in front of an old factory exactly a kilometer from his house, the building officials had measured it while constructing the road back then and that was how it got it's famous name — Kilometer Factory.

    He panted redundantly, constantly at loss for breath. 

 

    The surroundings reeked of urine. He wanted nothing more than to leave there. But somehow, he couldn't. He wasn't used to rigorous workouts as this and so he had to take a breather. He wondered why the government wouldn't fix the cause of the stench. Until the previous year, he had gotten a glimpse of how a sewage system looked like. It was a whole web of pipes and it turned out the factory had blocked their sewage system with chemicals causing waste products that were supposed to float into the canal to be stuck here.

Not that any of it is my problem.

Haruto thought.

    After taking some time catching his breath, Haruto took off again.

Ting!

[+1 km of jogging completed]

[ +1 km of jogging completed]

[+1 km of running completed]

[You have completed the Run laps — 10km]

    Haruto stopped, while letting out dry and desperate gasps. This time his sweat, he was sure, could fill a small bucket. He took his seat on a free bench under a pink tree. 

‘Curses’ 

‘If I do this everyday with no means of rest, I'll die in a few days’

Haruto panted.

    As if listening to his complaint, a familiar sound rang in his ear.

Ting!

[ Host has overtasked his body. Automatic regeneration activated ]

    All of a sudden, Haruto felt energy radiate about his whole body, his tense muscles relaxed, and his ragged breathing soon regulated. Though his body was still covered in sweat, he didn't feel like he did anything at all. Overall, he felt reborn.

‘Okay, this could work too’

He smiled.

‘This system is really something’

    Haruto thought as he gulped down a bottle of water. He called up the system interface.

[ Daily Quests

Push ups: 100/100

Sit ups: 100/100

Squats: 100/100

Inclined Push ups: 100/100

Leaps: 100/100.

Jog laps: 10/10 km

Run laps: 10/10 km

Swim: 0/10km

Obtain drops of pure liquid hydrogen: 0/10 drops.

Obtain Coral reefs: 0/5

Note: Failure to complete these Quests before 24 hours will attract a penalty.

]

Haruto sighed and stared at the screen keenly. 

I'm left with swimming and the marine biologist thing. 

He took a deep breath.

Where do I find a river to swim?.

    He could only think of a few rivers in Tokyo— Not even Lakes or oceans—, none of them could by any chance have coral reefs in them. In his former life, he had read in a chemistry textbook that they only appeared in large salt waters.

    Haruto suddenly paused, he squinted his eyes and peeked even more keenly into the space in front of him. Something was rapidly expanding there.

    Slowly, the space was being replaced by what was thought at first to be some dangerous entity. He subconsciously wanted to move away. However, the more it expanded, the more it looked like…

A breach!

    He had seen something like this at the cinema in his former life. Only experiencing it in real life was a bit too much for him at this moment. It was white — more like bright—in colour radiating an energy so intense Haruto thought it could swallow anything.

Haruto anxiously looked around.

    He gulped hard and expected a security officer to apprehend him claiming he was some villain. Surprisingly, nothing happened.

    He could still hear the newspaper vendor screaming aloud beside him.

    Large amounts of saliva, accompanying each word.

“Buy your newspapers!!!!!”

“It costs just a few yen!!!”

Haruto took a 360 turn.

Can they not see it?

Haruto was at loss for words.

    His eyes suddenly widened. A man was rapidly approaching the breach head on.

“No no no no” 

    Haruto sprinted at him to ensure he didn't get lost in it.

    Immediately the man passed through the breach, Haruto rammed into him.

“Hey what's your problem?”

The man complained.

He passed through?

What the hell is his thing?

Haruto quickly apologized.

“I'm sorry”

“Watch it” the man said as he went about his business again.

Haruto faced the breach again. He went closer to it. Reluctantly, he pushed his hand through.

It's different! I can pass through.

    Haruto staggered backwards. On the other side of the breach, the air felt very different from the air he was currently in. The air was cold and intense.

It's not like I even have a choice.

     If I don't complete the daily quests, I'll end up getting killed by that thing in the penalty zone for real this time. I'm not sure I would survive a second match.

    He sucked in a deep breath. And after a prolonged pause, plunged himself into the breach abruptly. A blinding light rendered his vision useless for a split second before restoring it. 

Huh?

    Haruto could see an endless blue. It was vast and seemed to never end.

What is this?

I can't feel my body, I'm weightless?.

Curiously, Haruto stole a glance below him.

What?!!

His eyes widened into round circles.

    He was on a free fall, and he was falling directly into the Middle of….

Ogasawara islands!!!!

How?!!!!

Isn't it about 1000 km from Tokyo?!!

    The air wouldn't let his face go scot free, it breezed against his face such that he couldn't breathe properly. His mouth was controlled by the breeze as he screamed desperately. He was starting to feel dizzy. And his vocal cords worked tirelessly on their own volition.

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!

    The feeling of weightlessness was so intense, he wanted nothing more than to throw up. It felt like all his intestines were about coming out through his mouth. What's more? He was falling at an insane speed right now!.

‘crap!’

‘Damn it damn it damn it damn it!!!’

“I'm…g…gon..gonna…d…die”

Almost an inch to landing.

Oh shit!

Ting!

[ Safe landing protocol initiated ]

Pa!!!

The water rose into the air as Haruto slammed into it.

    Submerged into the water, he could only see an endless dark, and muffled silence. He opened his mouth in desperation, receiving large amounts of salty water as a gift. Expectedly, he couldn't tell which side was down and which side was up. Thankfully, living a fearful life in his former life, he actually knew what to do, and struggling with the water wasn't an option.

    After some time, he was at the surface of the water. He sucked in air as much as he could and a few more before he finally calmed down.

“Thank the Lord I didn't break any bones, I only feel numb," mumbled Haruto.

    Normally, with such a force, he would break a few bones even if it was water. It was something he had learned from physics in his former life. And it also wasn't a coincidence that there was no rock since he was plunged directly to the bottom of the ocean before struggling up desperately. He was guessing the system had taken care of those too.

“This system must've been built by someone with an extraordinary background to be able to affect reality so perfectly and flawlessly,” said Haruto.

“Now, to the most important part….” 

    He was sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. Just a few seconds ago, he had seen a fin for a second before it disappeared. He stole a glance at his hands, there was a little cut emitting small amounts of blood on it.

Then it dawned.

‘curses’

He turned around in a flash and started to swim at insane speed. Afterall, his life was at stake.

There was a big fish! And it won't stop until it ate him!

****

‘Hell, that was close’ 

    Haruto stared outside from inside. He was currently in a long bus. The view never would get old according to him. He was shaking mildly even while wearing a thick hoodie and joggers as well as a pair of socks and white sneakers. Back in his former world, he didn't have superior looks. He was in fact an outcast with a massive scar on his face. But now…

“Who's that guy? He's so handsome”

“Hi”

“Hey, where do you live?”

    Haruto smiled in a way not at all visible to his admirers.

    He completely ignored all the comments. This, he believed he and the former owner of his body had in common — it was a complete waste of time!.

    Of course! He'd not have left home so less worriedly if he'd not completed his daily quests. He had almost died in the water and most of the times. He later discovered the what he was initially running from was mere dirt, he had exhausted himself, and soon after he either had a shark or any other dangerous water animal hunting him down throughout his time in the water. Strangely, he was always getting off. And finally, he managed to swim 10 km and get enough coral reefs. To get pure hydrogen, it wasn't that hard a feat for him. It seemed impossible at first but after sometime of thinking, he simply used logic. Right up till then, the system had always provided a way. He knew hydrogen was present in the air but not in pure state according to what he read in some Advanced chemistry in his former life. So all he needed to do was sense it. Then it clicked — meditate. He sat down cross legged and tried to meditate. Sure enough, after some while, he could bend the surrounding air, albeit slightly. And after sometime, he didn't know how, it started to condense and his quest started to fill itself up.

Ting!

[You have completed your daily quests, Rewards have arrived]

    He could remember his elation, he was so happy. But somehow, he wasn't safe and it wasn't yet time to be happy, and that was how he got on the road again, looking for the Tokyo Secret Combat Force. He could remember Kentaro's words before he left that day.

“Like I said, there's a lot of things you don't understand. But one thing you should know, as the only survivor on that train, you're targeted. Find us before it's too late”

    He was neither fearful nor confident. All he knew was everything that had happened lately, from reincarnation to the train crash and the system to the combat force, He couldn't fully understand. But one thing was sure, he had a purpose. And he promised himself.

I'm going to achieve it!!

    Haruto maintained a determined look. He knew things were going to get dangerous from now on. And strangely also, he knew he might stay out long so he left a note for his younger brother.

Wait a minute!

Do they pay their workers?