Reborn as a side character with a system

The First Step Forward

Chapter 6 –

“Nothing much, you guys… I just came here to exercise,” Nolan said casually as he removed his upper clothing, tossing it aside without much thought.

“Hold on, young master—did I just hear you say train?!” Ralph exclaimed, stepping back in visible shock. Beside him, Isabella stood frozen, her mouth slightly open, completely at a loss for words.

“Well, that’s what I said… is there a problem?” Nolan replied, stretching lightly as he bounced on his feet.

“Not really, young master…” Ralph scratched the back of his head, glancing around as if searching for the right words. “It’s just… how do I explain this…”

“The way it is, Ralph,” Nolan said coldly, his expression darkening slightly.

“For the three months I’ve been here,” Isabella cut in bluntly, “the only thing you’ve been good at… is causing trouble.”

“That’s exactly it,” Ralph added with a sigh. “All you used to do was stir chaos around the mansion. Hearing you say you want to train now… well… I’m not sure your body can handle the intensity of what we do.”

“Troublemaker, huh…” Nolan murmured, placing a hand under his chin in thought. If he was that much of a nuisance… why would someone go as far as to kill him? The question lingered briefly in his mind before he brushed it aside.

“Relax. I won’t be doing what you two are doing,” he said calmly. “Mine will be light training—for now. So just continue with yours.”

Without waiting for a reply, he walked off toward a quiet corner of the training ground.

Reaching it, Nolan dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups.

“One… two… three… four… five… six… seven…”

By the seventh, his arms trembled violently. His body refused to go lower. Muscles burned, joints strained—his strength already giving out.

Just as he was about to collapse, the familiar screen appeared.

[System activated]

[Host at 7 push-ups]

[Failure to complete task will reset progress to zero]

What?! he shouted internally. That’s unfair! This body is weak—pathetic! My old body could at least do twenty… what kind of useless vessel is this?

Across the field, Ralph and Isabella watched.

“Do you think he’s done for?” Isabella asked quietly.

“It looks like it…” Ralph replied, eyes fixed on Nolan. “But after these past two days… something tells me he won’t give up so easily.”

“I agree,” she said softly. Memories flashed through her mind—the reckless, childish boy from before… and the completely different person he had become in just two days. “He’s changed… a lot.”

Meanwhile, Nolan gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath.

Complaining won’t change anything, he thought, forcing himself downward again. If I stay like this, I’ll die for real next time.

He pushed.

“Eight… nine…”

His arms gave out completely on the tenth rep. His body froze halfway, refusing to move.

“No…!” Sweat dripped down his face, his vision blurring. This is the last one… get up… move… come on… move!

Just as his strength reached its limit, a firm hand pressed against his chest, helping him push upward.

Nolan’s eyes widened as he looked up.

“Ralph…” he whispered.

“Training alone won’t help when your body is this weak,” Isabella added, standing beside him.

[System activated]

[Task complete: +20 EXP]

[EXP: 20/10]

[Level Up]

[Level 2 reached]

A new screen unfolded before him.

[Name: Nolan Weldon]

[Age: 18]

[Level: 2]

[Health: 105/105]

[Mana: 55/55]

[Strength: 7 | Speed: 6 | Agility: 6 | Intelligence: 6]

[Free Tokens: 6]

I leveled up… Nolan’s eyes lit up. So this is how it works… if I keep following the system, I can grow stronger faster.

He stood up, catching his breath.

“Thanks… without your help, I would’ve failed,” he said with a small bow.

“No need for thanks,” Ralph replied. “It’s my duty.”

“So, what’s next?”

“This one’s stamina-based,” Nolan said. “Running. I should be fine alone.”

“Then I’ll join you,” Isabella said immediately. “Call it motivation.”

Before he could respond, Nolan had already taken off running.

The two followed.

They ran.

And ran.

Minutes turned into hours as they circled the vast training grounds.

“Impressive…” Isabella thought, sweat dripping from her chin. “We’ve been running for hours… and he hasn’t stopped.”

Ralph tossed them each a bottle of water mid-run. “Drink while moving!” he called out.

Nolan caught it—but didn’t drink.

He kept running.

At the final lap, he suddenly accelerated.

“Oh no you don’t,” Isabella muttered, instantly matching his speed.

The two dashed forward, pushing harder, turning the run into a silent competition.

In the end, Isabella crossed first—barely.

“Wow… you’re fast,” Nolan said, bent over, hands on his knees as he struggled to breathe. “How are you this incredible?”

Ralph crossed his arms, impressed. “Both of you are faster than I expected. Covering that distance without using mana… especially you, Nolan. Matching her speed is no small feat.”

Nolan chuckled lightly. “Guess being a troublemaker had its perks… running away, maybe.”

Then—

[System activated]

[Task complete: 10-mile run]

[EXP +30]

[EXP: 40/20]

[Level Up]

[Level 3 reached]

[Ability Zone Unlocked]

His status updated instantly.

[Name: Nolan Weldon]

[Level: 3]

Health: 120/120]

[Mana: 70/70]

[Strength: 8 | Speed: 8 | Agility: 7 | Intelligence: 7]

[Free Tokens: 7]

So it boosts stats based on training type… and sometimes more than once, he realized. That’s more than enough.

“Anything else for today, young master?” Ralph asked, glancing at the sun overhead. “We still have time.”

“No,” Nolan replied, picking up his clothes. “That was enough to show me how far behind I am.”

He walked off quietly.

Above, from a tall window overlooking the training grounds, a figure watched.

Hilda.

Her expression remained unreadable.

“It seems the troublemaker is gone…” she murmured softly. “Now the question is… how long will this version of you last?”