My Bugged System Made Me Too OP!-Chapter 23: Jogging again
Noah pushed the door open and stepped outside.
The cold morning air brushed against his cheeks, filling him with a faint sense of exhilaration. He paused for a moment, exhaling slowly.
"Today’s mission..." he murmured, his silver hair glinting faintly in the morning sun, "...jog all the way to the academy."
He knew the journey would be long.
The Magic Academy wasn’t exactly close to his home, and by the time he reached it normally, he would already be exhausted.
But today was different. His body felt lighter, stronger.
He flexed his fingers lightly, feeling the power surging beneath his skin, coiling around his bones like latent thunder waiting to be released.
The first steps were easy, the streets familiar beneath his shoes.
Time passed, and the scenery gradually shifted from the narrow, bushy lanes of his small settlement to the wider cobblestone roads that led toward the outskirts.
About an hour into his journey, his legs began to shake slightly from exertion, but the enhanced endurance and strength allowed him to push through without faltering.
Finally, after about an hour and thirty minutes of steady jogging, the towering silhouette of Eidbale Magic Academy appeared in the distance. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
The massive building rose proudly above the surrounding structures, its stone walls weathered yet dignified.
Atop the main building, the name "Eidbale Magic Academy" gleamed under the morning sun, accompanied by a flag fluttering gently in the wind, bearing the academy’s emblem.
Noah’s chest heaved as he slowed his pace, finally allowing himself to stop.
His hands dropped to his knees, fingers gripping the fabric of his uniform tightly as his legs trembled beneath him.
His entire body shook from exertion, a mixture of fatigue and adrenaline coursing through him in equal measure.
His throat was dry, each breath coming in harsh, ragged pulls as if he had been running for an eternity.
He pressed his forehead briefly against his forearms, closing his eyes for a moment to steady himself, the weight of his body pressing insistently against the ground.
He felt close to fainting, yet the thought of giving in never crossed his mind.
Noah slowly pushed his hands from his knees and stood upright.
His uniform clung slightly to his skin from the exertion, but the cool morning air helped dry the sweat almost immediately.
His legs were still trembling faintly, and a low ache had settled deep in his thighs and calves.
He pressed a hand to his chest, letting out a long exhale, and thought, ’I guess... my stamina’s still lacking.’
He hadn’t expected to feel this exhausted when he first set out from home.
The thought of stopping had crossed his mind more than once, but it was the fleeting promise of EXP, and the invisible pull of the system, that had kept him going despite his body screaming in protest.
Noah glanced around briefly as he walked down the cobblestone path leading deeper into the academy grounds.
Students milling about had started to notice him.
His heavy panting and the way his chest kept heaving drew attention, subtle at first, then more noticeable.
A few students shot quick glances his way before hissing softly and turning their heads away, whispering to each other.
This didn’t bother him. He was used to it. His focus was elsewhere.
[Daily Quest: Jog for 5 minutes (5/5)]
[Status: Completed]
[Reward Granted: 20EXP]
[Daily Quest: Jog for 5 minutes (5/5)]
[Status: Completed]
[Reward Granted: 20EXP]
[...]
[...]
The pour of notifications made his head spin faintly.
But Noah endured, steadying himself with a deep breath and a slow exhale.
’How many times...?’ he wondered, letting his mind track the flow of rewards.
’Twenty times... that means I jogged for about a hundred minutes in total...’ The thought alone made him feel a strange mix of exhaustion and triumph.
He had never jogged for such a long stretch in his life.
Every step had been a challenge, every breath a tiny victory, and yet now, looking at the rewards piling up in his mind, he knew it had been worth it.
He glanced once more at the students around him. Some were returning to their classes, some still staring, whispering, or pointing subtly, but Noah paid no mind.
’Spend Two hundred EXP on levelling up.’ he thought.
[Congratulations! You have levelled up!]
[You’re now level 5!]
[Rank: Adept Magus (low) >> Adept Magus (mid)]
A warm surge of power flowed through him almost instantly, stretching from the tips of his fingers to the soles of his feet.
The previous fatigue that had pressed so heavily against him seemed to evaporate, like it never even existed.
[Congratulations! You have levelled up!]
[You’re now level 6!]
[Rank: Adept Magus (mid) >> Adept Magus (high)]
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting the energy settle through his body.
’Well... this isn’t so bad,’ he thought, a small smirk forming on his lips.
As he moved, he noticed a few girls glancing at him. Their eyes lingered slightly, drawn to his handsomeness.
But then, they moment they fully recognised who it was, their expressions shifted almost instantly.
Soft hisses of disapproval escaped their lips, and they quickly turned their heads away, murmuring to each other as if acknowledging him were a mistake.
Noah noticed, but he didn’t react.
A group of five students appeared, moving past him with confidence.
Their uniforms were orange with black trim, marking them as first years in the academy.
They laughed among themselves, a sharp, careless sound that carried across the path as they passed.
"Isn’t that the senior who’s still a low apprentice magus after four years?" one of them sneered, pointing toward Noah with a mocking grin.
"Four years," another said, voice dripping with scorn. "Still nothing. At least we’re far better than him."
Noah’s gaze flickered briefly toward them, but he did not stop walking.
Then one of the five, shorter than the others but sharp-eyed, spoke, his voice cutting through the laughter.
"Look at that face," he said, his tone a mixture of envy and disbelief. "Why does the heavens have to bless trash with such beauty?"
