"That’s it?"
He had expected something more complicated, especially after the system had mentioned combat training. For a moment, he even felt a little disappointed.
Then he remembered that he could barely run for a few minutes without getting tired.
"Actually, that’s probably enough."
Before starting, he made sure Noah was settled safely with Sera. He then cleared a small space in the living room, checking that there were no toys or other objects in his way. Once he was satisfied, he stood with his feet apart and prepared to begin.
"Twenty squats," he said to himself. "How hard can it be?"
He found out soon enough.
The first five were easy, and he completed them without much trouble. By the tenth, however, his thighs had started to complain. He tried to keep his movements steady, but the exercise was already becoming more tiring than he had expected.
By the fifteenth repetition, he was beginning to question his decision.
When he finally reached twenty, he straightened up and took several deep breaths.
Sera looked over from the sofa.
"Are you all right?" asked Sera
Kael nodded, doing his best not to look as though he had just climbed a mountain.
"I’m fine." Replied Kael
"You look like you’re fighting the floor." Said Sera Jokingly
"I’m winning."
"Are you sure?"
"Mostly."
Sera laughed before returning her attention to Noah.
Kael shook his head and moved toward the wall for the next exercise. He wasn’t about to let a few squats defeat him, especially with Sera watching.
Wall push-ups sounded easy enough. He placed his palms against the wall, stepped back slightly, and began lowering himself toward it. The first few repetitions went smoothly, but his arms started getting tired sooner than he expected.
By the tenth repetition, he was already struggling to keep the same pace.
He finished all fifteen before stepping away from the wall and shaking out his arms.
’This is embarrassing.’
Kael had never considered himself particularly strong, but he hadn’t realized how much work he needed to do just to improve his basic fitness. He wasn’t trying to become a professional athlete. He only wanted to get stronger, yet even these simple exercises were making him work for it.
The final exercise was marching in place for three minutes.
That one should have been simple.
Unfortunately, the system apparently considered three minutes a perfectly reasonable amount of time for a man to question every decision that had led him there.
Kael kept marching, watching the time as he tried not to give up before the session was complete. It wasn’t difficult in the same way the squats and push-ups had been, but his legs were already tired, and every second seemed to take longer than the last.
By the time he finished, he was sweating.
He wiped his forehead with his shirt and looked toward the sofa.
Noah was awake again.
Sera had just finished feeding him and was holding him upright against her shoulder.
"Your timing is perfect," Kael told his son.
Noah made a small noise.
"Don’t encourage me. I’m already suffering."
Sera glanced at him. "You chose to exercise."
"That’s the problem. Nobody forced me to make good decisions."
She laughed again, and Kael couldn’t help shaking his head.
He sat down for a moment and drank some water, waiting for his breathing to return to normal. He hadn’t expected such a short session to tire him out so much. If this was what the first day felt like, he wondered how long it would take before he could handle more difficult exercises.
Still, as he sat there, he noticed that he felt a little different.
His body was warm, his heart was beating faster, and there was a pleasant feeling that came from having finished something he had found difficult. He wasn’t suddenly fit, but he had done something useful for himself instead of putting it off until another day.
Then the system chimed.
[Ding!]
[Family Training: Session One Complete.]
[Results:]
[Strength: E- → E.]
[Endurance: E → E+]
[Basic Combat Mastery (F Rank): 5% → 10%.]
[Family Bond: Increased slightly.]
[Bonus Reward: Physical fatigue recovery improved.]
Kael sat very still.
He read the results again, making sure he hadn’t misunderstood anything.
His strength had increased.
Not by some unbelievable amount, but the change was real. He could feel that his body was recovering more quickly than he had expected, and the notification confirmed that his training had produced an improvement.
He clenched his fist and examined it as though he might notice something different.
There was no dramatic flash of light. He didn’t suddenly grow muscles or feel as though he could punch through a wall. His arms still felt tired, and his legs certainly weren’t ready for another round of squats.
But he was stronger than he had been before the session.
That was enough to make him grin.
’So this is how it starts.’
He had spent years living an ordinary life without any way to measure his progress beyond the usual things people did every day. Now, for the first time, he had a clear way to track his improvement and a reason to keep going.
He could train tomorrow, then the day after that. He could work on his weaknesses, improve his physical condition, and slowly learn how to defend himself.
He could get better.
And if taking care of his family continued to help him grow stronger, then he intended to make the most of it.
By lunchtime, Kael had discovered two things.
First, his legs were still sore.
Second, Sera had absolutely no intention of letting him forget what had happened that morning.
"You should have seen your face when you finished those squats," she said as they sat at the dining table.
Kael looked up from his plate.
"I thought we agreed not to discuss that."
"You said you were winning against the floor."
"And I was."
"You were sweating."
"That happens when people exercise."
"You were breathing like you had run all the way here from another city."
Kael put down his fork and looked at her.
"Are you enjoying this?"
"A little."
He shook his head. "I’m glad my suffering brings you happiness."
"It doesn’t. But watching you try to pretend it wasn’t difficult was funny."
Kael couldn’t help smiling. He had walked straight into that one, and there wasn’t much he could say to defend himself.
He had prepared a simple lunch of rice, vegetables, and eggs. It wasn’t anything special, but it was edible, which he considered an achievement worth celebrating. At least he hadn’t managed to ruin it this time.
Sera seemed to agree.
"Your cooking is improving," she said after taking a few bites.
Kael straightened slightly. "Really?"
"Yes."
"That’s the nicest thing you’ve said about my cooking."
"Don’t get too excited. The rice is still a little dry."
His shoulders dropped.
"I knew there was a catch."
Sera laughed, and Kael returned his attention to his plate.
For a while, they ate and talked about ordinary things. The conversation eventually turned to his job, and Sera asked whether he had decided what he wanted to do. Kael explained that he still planned to speak with Old Man Harrick before making a final decision.
He didn’t want to abandon his old job without a plan. Even with the system’s rewards, he knew he needed to build a stable life for his family. The money he had received was useful, but he couldn’t assume that every problem would be solved by another reward appearing at the right moment.
He needed to think about what would happen months or even years from now.
Sera listened carefully before offering her suggestion.
"You could look for something with more regular hours," she said. "That way, you wouldn’t have to choose between working and spending time with Noah."
"I’ve thought about it. I’ll see what options are available."
"And you don’t have to figure it all out today."
Kael gave her a knowing look.
"You’re going to keep saying that until I listen, aren’t you?"
"Probably."
"Fine. I’ll try."
After lunch, Sera took care of the dishes while Kael settled Noah down for a nap. He checked the baby’s diaper, made sure he was comfortable, and placed him on his back in the crib with the fitted mattress and no loose bedding.
He stayed beside the crib for a moment to make sure Noah had settled before returning to the living room.
Kael had planned to do another training session, but his legs reminded him that he had already done enough for one day. He didn’t want to overdo it and end up too sore to handle his responsibilities.
Instead, he stretched gently and took out his notebook.
He decided to write down a basic schedule so he would have something to follow rather than trying to fit everything into the day as it came.
Training plan:
Morning — basic physical exercises.
Afternoon — family responsibilities and rest.
Evening — review progress and prepare for tomorrow.
Kael looked over the list, then paused before adding one more line.
Never let training interfere with Noah’s care.
That was important.
He wasn’t going to neglect his son in the name of becoming stronger. If Noah needed him, training could wait. If Sera needed help, he would help her. He wasn’t going to become so focused on improving his stats that he forgot why he had started in the first place.
If the system had taught him anything so far, it was that caring for his family mattered just as much as the rewards he received.
Kael closed the notebook and placed it on the table.
A few minutes later, his phone buzzed.
It was a message from Old Man Harrick.
You still sorting out your family situation? Let me know what you’re doing about your shifts before the end of the week.
Kael read the message twice before replying. He didn’t want his boss to think he was ignoring him, but he also didn’t want to promise something he might not be able to manage.
Yes, sir. I’ll speak with you soon. I’m trying to work out a schedule that will let me take care of my son properly.
Harrick responded a few minutes later.
Fair enough. Call me when you’ve made up your mind.
Kael placed the phone on the table and leaned back in his chair.
He still didn’t know what the right decision was, but at least he had a few days to consider his options. He could speak with Harrick, see whether his working hours could be adjusted, and look into other jobs if necessary.
For now, he would focus on the things he could control.
He would take care of Noah, help Sera settle into their new life, continue training, and find a way to earn money without sacrificing his responsibilities at home.
It wasn’t going to be easy. He knew that much.
But he was beginning to understand that being a father wasn’t about knowing everything from the start. It was about showing up every day, learning from his mistakes, and doing his best for the people who depended on him.
A soft cry came from the bedroom.
Kael stood up immediately.
"Coming, little man."
He walked toward the bedroom, already wondering whether Noah needed a feeding, a diaper change, or simply some comfort. Whatever it was, Kael would handle it.
And tomorrow morning, after making sure his family was taken care of, he would train again.
This time, he planned to finish his squats without looking like he was about to lose a fight with the floor.