Chapter 1: System? Might as well use it

If there are enough restrooms, you'll discover a fact: restroom faucets are divided into three grades.

The worst kind requires hands to both turn on and off, so washing is as good as not washing.

The better kind dispenses water when pressed; you need a hand to turn it on, but not to turn it off.

The best kind is sensor-activated and requires no hands.

Aoyama Satoru's lifelong dream was to become a sensor-activated faucet.

Until one day on his way home, he collapsed from overwork and hit his head on the curb.

"Brother, we're off to school. The curry is in the pot; remember to eat it." His younger sister, who just started high school today, reminded him seriously.

Aoyama Satoru, absent-minded, heard she was leaving and subconsciously said, "Be careful on the way."

"Don't worry, we're leaving now."

After the sisters left, Aoyama Satoru continued to sort through the memories of his previous life.

The memories were like a stubborn stone; excavating them was like carving or cutting a rough gem, and the only tool in his hand was a pair of nail clippers.

From waking up in the hospital until this week after his discharge, his head kept twitching in spasms.

This also caused him, despite not bleeding in the car accident, to have a very pale complexion.

Feeling something strange at the tip of his nose, he reached up and wiped it, and his hand was stained red with blood.

Skillfully wiping it away with the tissue at hand, Aoyama Satoru sighed.

"Forget it."

He gave up.

His previous life already had a rough outline; the memories were basically complete, but his personality could not be fully restored.

He didn't insist on it; keeping some of a high school student's personality might not be a bad thing.

As the saying goes, mindset affects appearance; a young and cheerful personality would definitely seem younger than his personality from the previous life.

"But I can't just take it easy, can I?" Aoyama Satoru muttered to himself.

This life is very poor.

Extremely poor.

One thing alone proves how poor they are: one pot of curry lasts three days, guaranteeing daily food expenses stay under one thousand yen.

These past years, they've survived entirely on government relief funds and the part-time jobs of his sister and Aoyama Satoru.

Aoyama Satoru collapsed also because he secretly worked late-night part-time jobs without the school knowing.

Now that it's been discovered, not only has the part-time job been completely stopped, but after his body recovers, he'll also have to accept special guidance from the school.

But!

It doesn't matter!

The memories of his previous life have returned, so it actually doesn't matter either.

What matters is...

—What should I do?

【Activate Life Guidance?】

Accompanying the return of memories, and perhaps also because his head was hit, whenever he voiced a doubt in his heart—"What should I do?"—a voice would respond.

These past two days his head has been foggy, and while excavating memories, plus his sister looking after him 24 hours a day, out of caution he hadn't 'activated' it.

Today, after going to the hospital for a re-examination and confirming Aoyama Satoru was fine, and that he could return to school tomorrow, his sister finally felt relieved to let him stay alone.

The opportunity had come.

—Activate

【Activating Life Guidance. Activated.】

The voice disappeared, and a transparent panel floated into Aoyama Satoru's vision.

It contained some simple information.

【Name: Aoyama Satoru】

【Age: 16】

【Gender: Male】

【Strength: D】

【Speed: D】

【Stamina: C】

【Intelligence: B】

【Beauty: A】

【Special: None】

【Begin Guidance】

Aoyama Satoru focused slightly and gained more information.

Strength is divided into five ranks: A, B, C, D, and E.

C is the level of an ordinary person;

B ranges from general elites to the top three at the Olympics;

The minimum standard to enter A is winning first place in three consecutive Olympics; as for the upper limit of A, it is the limit of humanity, and humanity itself does not know what that limit is.

Also, to go from B to A, one cannot receive 'full guidance,' only 'half guidance'; the system only gives direction, and one must work hard oneself.

"In other words, I might not be the most handsome person in human history?" Aoyama Satoru focused on this point.

But looks don't matter anyway.

He is a typical male chauvinist; besides water, the only thing he uses to wash his face is the shampoo that occasionally flows onto his face.

"Strength is only D!"

Isn't a man's basic duty to bend steel?

What kind of fighting chicken is D?

While secretly resolving to train his body hard, Qingshan Li focused all his attention on the last column of the Panel.

【Start Guidance】

This should be the Panel's most important function.

——Start Guidance.

【Please select specific Item——Strength, Speed, Intelligence, Beauty, Special】

——【Strength】

The Panel responded immediately, beginning to load, and promotional slogans kept flashing on the Progress Bar.

The speed was too fast; Qingshan Li only managed to make out a few lines of text.

【Correct Use of the Brain】

【The Simplest Way to Solve Problems】

【Enjoy an Unrestricted Life】

【Can't Get Up Off Life's Floor? The System Pulls You Up】

Loading ended in the blink of an eye, just like summer and winter vacations.

【Start 【Strength】 Guidance】

"Oh oh, I can feel it, I can feel it!"

"It's moving, it's moving on its own!"

"Huh? Moving on its own?"

Feet shoulder-width apart, hips back, squatting until thighs were parallel to the Ground, Qingshan Li began Shenhuo.

He was entrusted.

Once, twice, three times. Fifteen reps per set.

"Real man!"

Did 15 sets in one go.

"Ab·so·lute·ly·Not·Shout·Tired!"

Then came Fuwowo, fifteen reps per set.

"Help!"

Fifteen sets in one go.

Next was the plank.

"No more, no more, I don't want this anymore!"

Qingshan Li lost consciousness, was woken by pain, and continued to enjoy the hardship of Lianhuo.

Sweat was so abundant it was as if he had just been caught in the rain.

Couldn't resist, couldn't enjoy it, could only transfer his attention.

He let his thoughts wander, and in the end, just like in his Past Life when he went to the Toilet and tapped on his Mobile Phone, he tapped open the Panel.

In the basic information, 【Strength: D】 became 【Strength: D↑】, 【Constitution: C】 became 【Constitution: C↑】.

【Oh?】

It's really increasing, and visibly so?

Qingshan Li wasn't sure, but that didn't stop him from hypnotizing himself into believing he was improving at a visible speed; this would make him feel a bit better.

But until when does this training go on?

He's already fainted twice!

The end came when Qingshan Li fainted a third time; when he was woken by pain again, he discovered his Arms were patting all over his body.

Intense pain spread through his whole body, muscles twitching.

Qingshan Li endured the pain and discovered that as the muscles twitched, they squeezed out a trace of heat.

Under the warmth of the heat, the muscles seemed to obtain repair and relaxation.

This wasn't patting, but Massage, like the difference between 'self-harm' and 'cutting open a wound to dig out a bullet'!

Only after his whole body had been patted did the true end arrive.

【Completed one 【Strength】 Guidance, 【Strength】 obtained a slight increase, 【Constitution】 obtained a slight increase】

"Did it really increase?" Qingshan Li tried to lift the old Low Table in front of him.

Tested the weight, hmm. Should have lifted it once before training; with a Comparison, he could confirm whether he truly improved.

But it doesn't matter, a real man never cares about such details.

While waiting for the pain to Disappear, he continued studying the Panel.

"Being able to train means Wisdom isn't just innate, but also includes acquired learning?" Qingshan Li pondered.

He almost never studied, his mind entirely on part-time work, so his Grades were average, neither up nor down.

Innate intelligence shouldn't be Weak; what's lacking is acquired Effort.

As for 【Beauty】, how does appearance improve? Skincare? Or improving temperament? It can't be Plastic Surgery, right?

Qingshan Li didn't choose a single one, attempting to converse directly with the Panel.

——Give me money

The Panel had no reaction.

What Trash!

——Guidance "Strength"

The benefit of having a Panel is that he only needs to be responsible for enduring the pain; everything else is completely handed over to the system.

He wants to be a true man with double A in Strength and Speed!

【Body Cultivation in progress, unable to Guide "Strength"】

——Guidance "Speed"

【Body Cultivation in progress, unable to Guide "Speed"】

"This system can only be made do with." Qingshan Li reached a Conclusion.

(Chapter End)