Part-39

  Ba his room, James colpsed onto his bed, the weight of the day pressing down on him. The upgraded skills were a wele boost, the stat increase an ued bonus, but the uping fight with Sourov loomed rge. Pung a pillow or pung bag just wouldn't cut it anymore. He needed proper training, a structured enviroo hone his skills and leareiques. The idea of joining a gym sparked in his mind.

  Just as he was about to voice this thought to his mother, a new notification flickered on the blue window, sending a jolt of surprise through him. It wasn't the usual skill upgrade message. Instead, bold letters spelled out:

  **Mission 7: Join a Gym.**

  **Reward: Loop Mission.**

  **Penalty: Risk a random sp from your sister.**

  James stared at the message, his jaw sck. So, the System was actively encing him to join a gym? It made sense, sidering the uping fight. But the reward – a Loop Mission – was a mystery. What did that even mean? And the penalty? A random sp from his sister? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Lily's pyful taps were ohing, but a full-on, System-powered sisterly sp? No thanks.

  He mulled over the options. Joining a gym was a good idea, regardless of the System's prompting. But the penalty… could he risk it? The answer came in a fsh – no. He couldn't expin the random sp, nor did he want to endure his sister's potential wrath.

  Deg to take matters into his own hands, James bypassed the whole "asking his parents fym membership" route. He knew most gyms wouldn't accept a minor like him. However, a memory sparked in his mind. His father occasionally mentioned an old friend, Riva, who had retired from the police ford opened a small, family-oriented gym. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

  After school, James walked with a determiride towards the address his father had mentioned years ago. The gym itself was unassuming, tucked away in a quiet er of the neighborhood. A worn sign above the door procimed it "Riva's Fitness Den." Taking a deep breath, James pushed open the door and stepped inside.

  The air buzzed with the muffled g of weights and the rhythmic grunts of people exerg. The gym wasn't huge, but it was well-equipped, with a mix of cardio maes and free weights. A woman with short, steely-gray hair and an aura of quiet authority stood behind the reception ter, wiping doair of dumbbells. She gnced up at James, her gaze sharp and assessing.

  " I help you?" she asked, her voice surprisingly gentle for someone who looked like she could bench-press James himself.

  James, suddenly feeling a touch self-scious, stammered, "Uh, hi. My name is James Khan. My dad, uh, he mentioned you might be able to help me?" He wasn't sure how much to reveal, but mentioning his father seemed like a safe bet.

  A flicker nition crossed the woman's fabsp; "James? You must be Samuel's son! He hasn't mentioned you in ages. What I do for you?"

  James expined his situation. He mentioned his desire to learn how to defend himself a ier shape. As he spoke, he noticed Riva studying him ily.