Leonard left the inn and found himself walking to the street. The sun was descending lower in the sky now, coloring the sky with hues of orange and purple. Because of it, the air was also a little cooler than in the morning.
Leonard rubbed his hands together and glanced at the floating panel still hovering in front of him.
[Daily Training – Day 1]
- Run 2 miles.
- 50 push-ups.
- 50 sit-ups.
- 50 squats.
- Stretching routine for recovery.
"Two miles…" Leonard muttered under his breath. "That doesn't sound too bad."
He looked at his left and right before jogging a few steps to warm up. His body felt light at first… until he actually started running.
Within five minutes, his chest was already heaving as if he were dying.
"Fuck… me…" Leonard clutched his side, gasping for air.
"What is this… why does my stomach feel like it's stabbing itself?!"
It didn't help that a pair of kids ran past him. They were playing and laughing, as if mocking his misery. An old man appeared on the other side, carrying a sack of vegetables. He was walking faster than Leonard, who was running.
Leonard groaned and forced himself to keep going, sweat dripping down his forehead.
By the time he reached what must've been two miles, he collapsed against a tree, sliding down until he was sitting on the dirt. His legs were trembling, and his chest was desperately gasping for air.
[Ding!]
[2 miles have been accomplished.]
"Okay… that's one down. Four more to go," he muttered bitterly. He sat in silence for what felt like an eternity before he stood up to do the next one.
After resting for a bit, Leonard dropped to the ground for push-ups.
"One… two… three…"
By ten, his arms were already shaking. By thirty, his forehead was kissing the ground. By fifty, he rolled onto his back, spread his arms and legs, and stared up at the sky as if he was rethinking his choices in life.
[50 push-ups have been accomplished.]
"Why did I agree to this? Why didn't I just take the -1 Luck penalty and live like a crippled gambler? That sounds way easier."
Still, he wasn't one to give up.
He will complain but not give up.
That was his life motto aside from gambling till he drop.
With sheer stubbornness fueling him, Leonard forced himself to sit up.
"Fine. If I collapse, I collapse with an extra gold coin in my pocket. Let's go."
Sit-ups were next on the line.
His stomach protested every time he curled upward while each time he curled downward, he just wanted to rest and lie down.
"Fuck… fuck… fuck you…"
Leonard cursed loudly with each one. By the time he finished the fiftieth, his stomach growled again. Not in hunger this time, but like it was about to eject all the food he ate today.
[50 sit-ups have been accomplished.]
"Urghh… if I puke, system, I'm charging you for that meal."
Still, he was not done.
Squats were even worse. He didn't know if it was because he already did a lot, but this exercise was hellish for him. His thighs burned with every bend, and his knees wobbled like jelly halfway through.
It took him half an hour just to finish the 50 squats.
[50 squats have been accomplished.]
By the end, he fell onto his butt, groaning.
The last step, stretching, was almost a heaven to the hell he experienced. Leonard pulled his arms, twisted his torso in rotations, and stretched his legs while groaning like an old man.
Finally, when it was done, the translucent panel appeared in front of him again.
[Ding!]
[Daily Training – Day 1 Completed.]
[+1 Gold Coin Gained.]
A single golden coin appeared in his palms.
"…"
"All this… for one measly coin?" he muttered in disbelief. He laughed weakly and sighed.
"God… I'm such an idiot."
Leonard, who was drenched in sweat, lay on the dirt after. Even as he complained, his grin slowly spread. His body ached everywhere, but the sight of that shiny gold coin made his suffering sting a little less.
"One day down. Twenty-nine more to go."
That thought made him miserable again.
Leonard groaned and forced himself up from the dirt. Every part of his body screamed at him to just stay there and die, but he dragged himself.
"Damn it… two miles away from the inn… and now I gotta walk back? Whose stupid idea was this again?" He sighed, then glared at the floating screen.
, right. Yours."
He patted his side out of habit and felt the cold weight of the dagger pressing against his pocket. His face twisted into a scowl.
"This thing again… I just realized that it's heavy as hell. It just slows me down. I don't even know how to use it properly. Tomorrow, I'm leaving this behind. It's just a waste."
Still, he kept it tucked in his pocket as he walked along the road. His steps were uneven. He was dragging himself like an old beggar, every joint aching with each movement.
Sweat had dried sticky on his skin, making him itchy, and his stomach felt like it had been punched a hundred times.
"I should've done the sit-ups first," Leonard muttered, limping forward. "Running after all those workouts would've been easier… probably."
The sun was gone now. It was already night. Leonard just spent hours on that routine. That's when he realized how badly shaped he was.
'I guess I really need this workout,' He sighed and continued walking while looking around.
The road stretched empty on his eyes. There was not a single cart or even a person in sight. .
"Of course. Now, when I actually need a cart, nobody's here. I guess I really don't have a choice but to walk…" He dragged his feet further, muttering curses at the stones on the uneven road that tripped him along the way.
Just as he was rambling about how his bones might snap in half at any moment—
"Hhhkkk—please! No! Let me go!"
"Ahh! Someone save me!"
"Helpppp!"
Leonard froze as he heard continuous shouts from the same voice.
It wasn't just any voice. It was a desperate shout. Loud sobs and panicked screams soon followed, carried through the trees lining the side of the road.
Leonard's heart skipped a beat as his steps halted midway.
Slowly, he turned his head around, squinting past the trunks.
There, just a few meters away from him, was a woman. Her clothes were torn, her face blotched with small bruises, and tears were streaking down her cheeks as she stumbled back.
Surrounding her were three men, their postures were loose and swaying like they had drowned themselves in liquor.
Leonard's body stiffened, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes locked with one of the men in the group. The thug's bleary gaze sharpened as he saw an unknown man looking at them.
"Shit…" Leonard muttered under his breath.
The man tilted his head to the side before elbowing his companion to inform them of what he saw. Soon, all three turned to look directly at him. Their lips curled into a playful and dangerous smile.
'Run? Should I run now?' Leonard's mind raced, panic clawing at his ribs. He tried to disregard them and walk faster to save himself, but every step he took was like death itself.
Soon, he stopped and glanced down at his trembling legs. Every muscle of him was crying from the training earlier.
'Who am I kidding? I can barely walk straight… If I run, I'll just collapse face-first into the dirt and they'll drag me back anyway.'
He swallowed hard, his pulse hammering in his ears.
'I guess it's better to save my remaining strength.'
Just then…
[Ding!]
A translucent panel burst into his view.
[Urgent Mission Triggered!]
[Mission: Protect the Victim!]
[Details: Save the woman from her attackers.]
[Reward: 1x Mystery Box, improved Stamina]
Another line flashed across the screen, almost mocking him.
[Host, you better man up.]
Leonard stared at the glowing words, his jaw dropping to the ground.
"You've got to be kidding me," he whispered, his hands balling into fists.
Just then, he heard the steps of the three men as they began walking to him.
"Shit. I don't want to die again!" Leonard instinctively held onto the dagger in his pocket that he had kept hidden all along.