Part-87

  Curled up in his bed, James drifted off to sleep, exhaustion finally g him. Dinner had been a blur, the food barely registering on his taste buds. Every muscle in his body ached, a testament to the grueling fight he'd just finished.

  The culprit? Not just the physical exertion, but the hidden cost of "Crazy Mode," as he now realized the System's enhanced performance mode could be called. It had pushed him to his absolute limit, granting him superhuman strength and reflexes at the expense of his stamina.

  Despite the bone-deep weariness, a flicker of satisfa warmed his chest. He'd won. Against all odds, he'd defeated a seasoned Judo athlete, albeit with the help of the System. Yet, there was a fual differeween this victory and the one against Sourov. This time, he'd used more than just brute force. Auto bat, with its ever-calg mind, had guided him, exploiting Ryan's weaknesses and adapting to his strategies. It was a strategi, a glimpse into the true potential of the System.

  "Stronger," James murmured into the darkness, the word eg in the quiet room. He loo be stronger, not just for himself, but to live up to the legacy of his father, a figure shrouded in mystery yet radiating an aura of power. Tonight, however, dreams of cryptic messages and hidden abilities would have to wait. Sleep, the most powerful and necessary tool in any warrior's arsenal, cimed him pletely.

  The m, James woke to the gentle caress of sunlight filtering through the window. Though his body still ached, a newfound sense of purpose coursed through him. The System, on enigma, was slowly revealing its secrets. He uood its limitations – the dependen stamina, the otional trol in Auto bat mode – but he also glimpsed its immeential. With training, with a deeper uanding of his own body and the System's ws, he could beore than just a fighter. He could bee a force to be reed with.

  Rising from his bed, James stretched, the familiar twinges in his muscles a wele reminder of yesterday's victory.

  He, a plete novice, had triumphed against a seasoned Judo fighter, and it was all thanks to the System. However, sihe system was ultimately his own power, he didn't feel any guilt about using it.

  The power it offered, the ability to push his body beyond its perceived limits, filled him with a thrilling sense of potential. He envisioned himself, honed and sharpened by the System, one day reag the level of his father – a legendary figure in this hidden world. Images of himself, strong and capable, proteg those he cared about, flickered in his mind's eye.

  A notifiaterialized in the air before James' eyes, jolting him out of his m reverie. It pulsed with a faint blue light, the same shade as the ones he'd entered before. This one, however, held a new message:

  Mission 14: Join the Judo Club at school. Reward: All stats will increase by +3. Penalty for failure: Food Poisoning.