Daniel Maxim opened his eyes.
For a brief moment, the luxurious canopy above his bed came into focus—the crimson silk curtains, the faint scent of incense, the quiet breathing of servants outside the room. Everything was familiar.
And then—
Letters floated before his vision.
They did not glow dramatically.
They did not distort reality.
They simply existed, as if they had always been there and his eyes had only just learned how to see them.
[ Host Name: Daniel Maxim
Age: 15
Status:
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 20
Mentality: 20
Mana: 0 ]
Daniel froze.
His breathing slowed, not out of fear—but instinct.
In his previous life, Tao Han had witnessed divine phenomena, ancient inheritances, and the fall of sects that ruled for ten thousand years. Yet this… this was different. This was not carved in stone nor spoken by spirits.
It was responding to him.
“…What is this?” he muttered under his breath.
The letters did not vanish.
Instead, another window slid into existence beneath the first.
[ Quest: Beginning Training
Condition:
? Strength ≥ 10
? Agility ≥ 10
Reward:
? Mana Refining Pill
? Title
Failure Penalty:
? Loss of sense of taste for 5 hours ]
Daniel stared.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
A quest.
A reward.
A penalty.
His fingers slowly curled into the bedsheet.
“This isn’t an illusion,” he realized calmly. Too calmly.
If it were a hallucination born of stress, it wouldn’t present structure. Conditions. Consequences.
He turned his head slightly. “Can you see this?” he asked.
The maid standing nearby stiffened. “S-see what, Young Master?”
Her eyes held nothing but confusion.
Daniel held his gaze on her for a second longer, then shook his head lightly. “Nothing. Forget it.”
An awkward smile crossed his face—carefully practiced, harmless.
The maid bowed and retreated, though unease lingered in her steps.
So… only I can see it.
That alone answered many questions.
As if in response to his thoughts, another line of text appeared.
[ This is a special system designed to assist the host in becoming the strongest Demon Martial Master. ]
Daniel’s pupils constricted.
“…You can hear my thoughts,” he said softly.
No response.
But the message remained.
So this thing wasn’t alive in the traditional sense. It didn’t converse—it reacted.
He exhaled slowly and forced himself to calm down.
Reincarnation. A poisoned body. A demonic household. A system.
If his mind had shattered already, he would have noticed.
Daniel shifted his focus back to the status window.
“Strength five… agility five…” he murmured. “So this body truly is that weak.”
Then his eyes moved.
“Intelligence twenty. Mentality twenty.”
A faint, bitter smile appeared.
So Tao Han didn’t come here empty-handed.
Another window surfaced, almost casually.
[ Requirement Unlocked:
To advance to Beginner Swordsman, all base attributes must reach 25. ]
Daniel blinked once.
“Beginner… at twenty-five?” he muttered.
In the Central Plains of his past life, those numbers would already be considered above average for a youth. This world clearly measured things differently.
His gaze returned to the quest.
Strength ten. Agility ten.
With this body?
He frowned—then paused.
“…Mana Refining Pill?”
That phrase did not exist in this world’s martial lexicon. There were force-enhancing medicines, bone-strengthening elixirs—but mana?
“So the system uses its own terminology,” Daniel concluded. “Interesting.”
He read the failure penalty again.
Loss of taste for five hours.
That alone wouldn’t deter him.
But as if offended by his confidence, another message appeared.
[ Caution:
Repeated quest failures may result in permanent sensory loss. ]
“…Of course,” Daniel sighed.
A system that rewarded recklessness without consequence would be useless.
“There’s no turning back anyway,” he said quietly.
Three months.
The First Form of the Yama Art.
A body everyone believed was already ruined.
Daniel sat up.
“Let’s see how far you can push me.”
The next morning, the Crimson House training grounds stirred with rare commotion.
“Is that… the Sixth Young Master?”
“No way. He hasn’t stepped onto the field in two years.”
“I heard his heart can’t circulate force anymore.”
Whispers followed Daniel as he walked past rows of disciples and servants. He ignored them all.
He began to run.
Not gracefully.
Not efficiently.
But relentlessly.
His breathing grew ragged. Sweat soaked his robes. Pain screamed through muscles long unused.
Yet the numbers changed.
Strength: 6 → 7
Agility: 6 → 8
Daniel did not stop.
Pain is familiar, Tao Han thought. Weakness is not.
By midday, his legs trembled.
That was when a shadow fell over him.
“Well, well,” a mocking voice drawled. “I thought I was seeing things.”
Daniel looked up.
The Fifth Brother.
A sword hung casually at his waist. His expression carried the lazy cruelty of someone who had never been denied anything.
“Running like a servant,” the Fifth Brother sneered. “Do you really think this will save you?”
Daniel wiped sweat from his brow and met his gaze.
“I don’t need to think,” he said evenly. “I’ll prove it.”
The Fifth Brother froze.
That single sentence—spoken without fear, without hesitation—angered him more than any insult.
“…You’ve gotten bold,” he said coldly.
Daniel didn’t reply.
He turned away and continued training.
Again.
And again.
When the system window finally chimed—
[ Quest Complete.
Title Acquired: Beginner’s Power
? All attributes +1
? Fatigue consumption reduced by 50% ]
Daniel felt it instantly.
His breathing steadied. His limbs felt lighter.
So this is how it helps…
He exhaled.
And then—
A wooden sword scraped against the ground behind him.
Daniel turned.
The Fifth Brother stood there, holding it loosely, smiling.
“Let’s see,” he said softly, “how far that confidence of yours really goes.”
