Orion's laughter echoed in my ears as he and his followers walked away, still mocking me.
"Bottom feeder."
"Pathetic Foundation Protocol trash."
"He'll break within the month."
I clenched my fists, my breath steady despite the rage simmering inside.
Lyra placed a hand on my shoulder, as though to comfort me.
"Don't let them get to you. Most Foundation users quit because of people like him."
I won't quit. I affirm in my head.
"Let them talk," I said quietly. "They'll see."
Foundation Grind - Week 1
The next few days passed in brutal repetition.
The 5 km runs became less agonizing.
My pushups grew smoother, deeper.
My sword swings sharper and more controlled.
Meditation no longer put me to sleep. I could finally feel my breathing align with my heart.
Each completed day added a sliver of progress to my arsenal.
[Daily Tasks Completed: 100%]
[Attribute Growth: Strength +0.4 | Endurance +0.3 | Vitality +0.3]
[Sword Basics: 18% Proficiency]
[Micro Adaptation: Passive Recovery Speed: +5% | Muscle Fiber Efficiency: +3%]
The usual monotonous system interface I have come to terms with flickered after completing my final task for the day.
And slowly, something strange happened.
My body began to feel different.
My stamina no longer vanished within minutes.
My limbs moved smoother.
My reactions sharpened.
Even Lyra noticed.
"Your form's improving fast," she said after one sparring session.
"Most Foundation users take months to adapt like this."
"I guess my system likes stubborn idiots," I joked.
She grinned.
"Good. You'll need that stubbornness."
The Truth About Orion
One evening, as we rested by a small campfire near the training grounds, Lyra finally explained more about Orion.
"He wasn't always that strong, you know." She said.
I raised an eyebrow not willing to believe her. Still I asked
"Really?"
She nodded affirmatively.
"Orion awakened about a year ago. But his Sovereign System is… special. Unlike ours, his system actively boosts his growth by fusing skills together. He gets stronger exponentially with every battle."
"So he's one of the 'chosen ones.'" I asked.
"Exactly," Lyra said bitterly.
"The world loves people like him. They climb fast, dominate others, and think power is their birthright."
So that's why he looks down on Foundation users. We're everything he hates, the ones who have to fight for every inch of strength.
The Pressure Increases
The next day, I noticed something strange on my system screen.
[Warning: Upcoming Performance Evaluation - 10 Days Remaining]
[Note: Failure to meet minimum progress will result in System Lockdown.]
System lockdown?
Lyra glanced over my shoulder and sighed.
"Yeah… that's one of the worst parts. Every 30 days, Foundation Protocol users are evaluated. If your growth isn't good enough, your system freezes you out completely. You lose your chance." She explained.
"So it's not just the grind," I muttered.
"It's also a race against time."
For a moment, fear gripped me. Thoughts of if I will be up to the performance gnaw at the back of my mind consistently.
Ten days.
I had ten days to prove myself or be permanently locked out, doomed to live powerless in a world where even basic survival depended on strength.
But then something inside me clicked.
No.
I didn't get a second chance to fail again.
Not this time.
I stood up, feeling my pulse steady.
"Then I grind harder."
The Supreme Pathway Awakens
That night, as I pushed through my final set of squats under the moonlight, something shifted.
A different interface flickered
[Micro Adaptation Threshold Reached.]
[Activating: Supreme Pathway - Stage 1 Awakening.]
[Neural Efficiency: +5%]
[Muscle Density: +3%]
[Recovery Acceleration: +7%]
For the first time, my system displayed a new message:
[Foundation Protocol Evolution: Supreme Pathway Initiated.]
I collapsed onto the ground, staring up at the stars, chest heaving but heart pounding with something new:
Hope.
This… is only the beginning.