The run was a symphony of new and terrifying sensations.
For the first kilometer, Ren jogged at a pace so slow it was almost a walk, casting worried glances back at her every few seconds. He was a sentinel watching over a fragile piece of glass, waiting for it to shatter.
Samantha, meanwhile, was at war with herself. Every pump of her arms, every jarring impact of her feet on the pavement, was an alien feeling. Her lungs, accustomed to shallow, careful breaths, burned as they greedily sucked in the cool evening air. A stitch was forming in her side, a fiery dagger twisting under her ribs.
This is it. This is where I collapse, she thought, her vision starting to swim. I can't do this. Ten kilometers? It's impossible.
"Pain is just weakness leaving the body!" Mochi chirped, doing a jaunty little flip next to her head. "Or in your case, seventeen years of accumulated lethargy! Push through it, contractor!"
Gritting her teeth, Samantha focused on the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of her sneakers. She pushed past the initial wave of agony, and something incredible happened.
Her body… adapted.
The burning in her lungs eased into a deep, powerful rhythm. The stitch in her side dissolved. Her legs, which had felt like lead weights, found a steady, driving cadence. This wasn't the frantic burst of energy she'd used for the squats; this was something else. This was endurance. A deep well of stamina she never knew she possessed.
By the fifth kilometer, she had pulled up alongside her brother. He was breathing heavily now, a sheen of sweat on his brow, his pace no longer patronizingly slow but genuinely athletic. He glanced at her, and the worry in his eyes was slowly being replaced by sheer, unadulterated astonishment.
By the eighth kilometer, he was the one struggling to keep up.
His breaths were ragged, his confident stride shortening. Samantha, on the other hand, felt like a machine. She was exhausted, yes. Her muscles screamed with a fire that was both excruciating and exhilarating. But she wasn't stopping. She couldn't stop. The image of that muscle-bound monstrosity was seared into her mind, a more potent fuel than any energy drink.
When they finally staggered back to their front gate, the sky was ablaze with the deep oranges and purples of sunset. Samantha bent over, hands on her knees, panting like she'd just run for her life. Which, in a way, she had.
Ren leaned against the gatepost, looking at her as if she'd just grown a second head.
"Seriously," he managed to say between heaving gasps. "What… in the actual hell… was that?"
Samantha straightened up, wiping sweat from her brow with the collar of her shirt. "Uh… a growth spurt?" she offered, her voice raspy.
"A growth spurt doesn't do that," he shot back, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Sam, you didn't just keep up. You set the pace for the last three kilometers. I was a hair's breadth from you lapping me. You used to get winded walking from the living room to the kitchen."
"Hey, my stamina was terrible, I'll admit it," she said, trying for a casual tone and failing miserably. "But maybe I was just, you know… a late bloomer?"
Ren didn't buy it. Not for a second. The hope from earlier had vanished, replaced by a much deeper, more complex worry. This wasn't just remission. This was something else. Something unnatural.
"Fine," he said, pushing himself off the gate. "Don't tell me. But don't think for a second I'm letting this go. I'm keeping my eye on you."
"Aww, the tsundere big bro is worried~," Mochi whispered gleefully in her ear.
Samantha subtly swatted at the air by her head. "Shut up."
Just as she took a step toward the front door, a familiar blue light flickered in the corner of her vision, accompanied by a triumphant chime that only she could hear.
[Sub-Mission: 'Foundational Physical Conditioning' – COMPLETE!]
[Calculating Rewards…]
Ren caught her sudden pause. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" she yelped, a little too quickly.
The screen expanded, flooding her vision with glowing text.
[Rewards Distributed!]
[Strength: E → D-]
[Endurance: F → C]
[Agility: E → E+]
[Vitality: Boost Applied!]
[Bonus Reward: Charisma +1]
[Bonus Reward: Muscle Definition ++]
Samantha blinked. Ranks? I have ranks? And what the hell is 'Muscle Definition ++'?
As if reading her mind, a smaller, mirror-like screen popped up, showing her own reflection. She looked exhausted and sweaty, but otherwise the same. Then, prompted by a sudden, insane curiosity, she lifted her arm and flexed.
And froze.
There, on her previously stick-thin arm, was the faint but unmistakable curve of a bicep. It was small, elegant even, but it was undeniably muscle. Real, solid muscle that hadn't been there that morning.
A small, choked gasp escaped her lips.
"Sam?" Ren's voice was sharp with concern now.
She dropped her arm instantly, forcing a cough. "Nothing! Just swallowed a bug! Totally fine!"
He gave her one last, long, suspicious look before sighing in defeat. "Whatever. Get inside and shower. And don't you dare do this again tomorrow without telling me."
"Got it," she nodded quickly, waiting until the front door clicked shut behind him.
The moment he was gone, she whirled on Mochi, her voice a frantic whisper. "WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?!"
The little ghost puffed out its chest smugly. "It's simple! You completed the quest, so you got the rewards! You've leveled up, contractor! You're officially stronger, more durable, and—as a little bonus—slightly more charming!"
Samantha's eye twitched. "I'm a seventeen-year-old shut-in! What do I need charisma for?!"
Mochi did a little wiggle. "For the main quest, silly! The romance one! How else are you going to make someone fall in love with you?"
Oh. Right. That.
The exhilaration from the run vanished, replaced by a cold, familiar dread. She dragged a hand down her face, the motion feeling strangely powerful.
She wanted to argue. To scream that this was ridiculous. But… she slowly lifted her arm again, flexing in the twilight. She watched the faint outline of the muscle appear under her skin.
"Huh," she muttered, a tiny, incredulous smile creeping onto her lips. "So… I'm getting ripped thanks to a magical floating mochi. This is my life now."
Mochi zipped around her head, practically glowing with pride. "You bet it is! And it's only going to get more awesome from here!"
Samantha sighed, but the smile remained, a complicated mix of fear and fascination. "Fine. But if I wake up with a six-pack tomorrow, I am holding you personally responsible.