Solo Leveling (Only I Level Up): The Red Player

The morning sunlight filtered through the hospital windows as Xavier's doctor entered Room 217, clipboard in hand. He glanced around the room and froze. The bed was neatly made, but the patient was nowhere to be found.

Frowning, the doctor stepped out into the hallway and flagged down a passing nurse. "Where's Xavier Mercer? He's supposed to be in his room."

The nurse exchanged a confused glance with her colleague before answering, "He's… working out, sir."

The doctor blinked, repeating the words slowly. "Working out? Mr. Mercer?"

"Yes, sir. He's been running for quite a while now. Some of the staff saw him leave the building earlier, but he looked… determined. No one wanted to stop him."

Still perplexed, the doctor nodded and walked off, muttering to himself about how odd the situation was.

…..

Xavier's footsteps echoed faintly in the quiet morning air as he jogged through the local park. His hospital gown flapped against his legs, now covered in sweat and dirt. He'd been running for what felt like hours, his lungs burning and his muscles screaming in protest.

Finally, he slowed to a halt, collapsing onto a bench. His chest heaved as he gulped down air, his sweat-drenched hair clinging to his forehead. Wiping his face with a trembling hand, his gaze shifted to the floating system screen in front of him.

Daily Quest Completed

• Push-ups: 100/100

• Sit-ups: 100/100

• Squats: 100/100

• 10km Run: 10km/10km

Xavier let out a weak laugh, leaning back against the bench. "Finally," he muttered. His body felt like it was on the verge of collapsing, but the sense of accomplishment eased the pain.

The system chimed, and a new screen appeared:

Daily Quest Rewards:

1. Status Recovery

2. Random Item Box

3. 10 Experience Points

Out of curiosity, Xavier selected the first reward, Status Recovery.

A warm, golden light enveloped his body, and he gasped as the soreness in his muscles melted away. The burning in his lungs vanished, his exhaustion dissipated, and he felt invigorated—better than he had in years.

"This is incredible…" he said, flexing his fingers and rotating his shoulders. It was as if his body had been completely reset.

A dry chuckle escaped him. "This really is like a game."

He quickly regretted speaking aloud when he noticed a few early-morning joggers giving him odd looks. He offered them a sheepish smile and made a mental note to stop talking to himself in public.

Turning his attention back to the screen, he eyed the second reward, the Random Item Box.

"Let's see what this is about," he said under his breath as he selected it.

A small, glowing box materialized in midair before gently floating into his palm. It opened with a soft click, revealing a slender, ornate key.

Xavier raised an eyebrow, examining the key. It was golden with intricate carvings running along its length, and it felt surprisingly heavy in his hand.

The system screen updated with new information:

Item: Personal Dungeon Key

Rank: D

Description: A key used to enter a personal dungeon.

Xavier's eyes widened as he read the description. "A dungeon key?" he murmured, flipping the key over in his hands. His heart raced at the thought of what this could mean. A dungeon he could enter at will?

But the rank—D—gave him pause. Memories of the C-rank dungeon incident flashed through his mind: the heat, his screams, the sight of molten centipedes devouring him alive. His grip on the key tightened, and his eyes darkened.

"Not yet," he said quietly, opening his inventory and placing the key inside. The inventory screen vanished as the key disappeared, and he let out a small sigh. The convenience of the system's features wasn't lost on him, but he wasn't ready to face another dungeon just yet.

He sat in silence for a while, staring at the rising sun through the park's trees. "I need more time," he told himself.

With that, he stood, stretching his revitalized limbs. His thoughts were still swirling as he made his way back to the hospital. But this time, he walked with purpose, his mind racing with plans for what lay ahead.

...

As Xavier re-entered the hospital, a nurse spotted him and nearly dropped her clipboard. "Mr. Mercer! Where have you been?!"

Xavier scratched the back of his head, offering a sheepish grin. "Just… getting some fresh air."

The nurse frowned but didn't press further, simply ushering him back to his room. Xavier followed, his thoughts still on the glowing key now safely tucked away in his inventory.

For the first time in years, he felt something he hadn't dared to feel: hope.