~wham!~
Ayo's battered body was thrown through the air and slammed against the wall, causing him to topple to the ground. His face and hair were drenched in blood, his golden eyes dim, and his strength had all but vanished.
'How long has it been since I felt this much pain?'
'How long...'
Another vicious kick sent him airborne again. Even the goblins seemed to grow tired of beating him.
'Damn... it wasn't this hard to die before...'
[Congratulations, you have survived five hours on the first floor of the abyss]
[You have gained 100,000 store points]
[You have gained 10 stat points]
[User will be transported back to the Earth plane]
~whish!~
Ayo crashed onto the ground and lost consciousness on the very street where he had been running before his ordeal.
***
***
***
(Cafe Chrysalis in Ibadan city, Nigeria)
"What is this? Why did you summon me after failing miserably at the task you were given?"
"Don't blame me, Mr. Man. You provided us with incorrect information," Donny retorted as he twirled pasta onto his fork and brought it to his mouth, glancing at the man seated across from him, dressed in an expensive tuxedo.
"What do you mean?" The dark-skinned man replied.
"He singlehandedly defeated all of my men, including an elite martial artist. That was based on misinformation, and I deserve compensation for it."
"What?! That's impossible..." Initially flaring up, the man attempted to lower his voice as curious onlookers glanced in their direction.
"What else can I say? I am not backing down on my demand for compensation. I may be an unaffiliated martial artist, but I can show you why they call me Rogue Disaster. Don't underestimate me."
"Is that so?" The man muttered, his eyes shifting back and forth in contemplation.
Seeing this, Donny took a gulp of cold water and sighed. "Alright, pay me more, and I'll personally go investigate. I might as well eliminate him while I'm at it."
"How much more?" The man asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Ten times more," Donny replied, using all his fingers to emphasize the figure.
"Such an outrageous sum for a sixteen-year-old boy who doesn't know martial arts?"
"Don't underestimate anyone, especially not kids. He could be a peak master level martial artist concealing his strength or even transcendent level."
"Are you delusional?" The man scoffed.
"What I'm saying is, I don't like to underestimate anyone, so I need that one hundred million Naira, or there's no deal."
The man scrutinized Donny's face for a moment before responding, "Fine, but I'll deposit only half now, with the rest upon completion of the job."
"Deal!" Donny exclaimed, grabbing the man's hand and shaking it vigorously.
***
***
***
Ayo slowly opened his eyes, the smell of the hospital room invading his senses. He became aware of the subtle pains coursing through his body.
"He's recovering rather quickly. I assure you, an ordinary person would have died from these injuries. It's a matter of luck."
He could hear the doctor's thick voice as if from a distance, even though the doctor was right beside him.
"Oh my God... was he really attacked?" Shola's voice trembled with concern as she gently inquired.
"The injuries are evidence of an attack, blade wounds, bruises, broken ribs and bones from a powerful blow. I'm certain this was the work of a martial artist," the doctor explained.
"Mom, he's waking up," Dara said, noticing his eyes slowly opening.
"Mother..." The first word that escaped his lips was a yearning call for his own mother, a powerful reaction brought about by the intensity of his near-death experience. It was a fleeting moment of vulnerability and need.
Shola took his outstretched hand, providing comfort as she replied, "That's right, Mother is here." Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to console him.
Seeing this, Dara lowered her gaze, slid her hands into her baggy jeans pants, and silently walked away.
'Shit, I survived...'
[New Alert!]
[Daily Quest]
> Complete 100 push-ups
> Complete 100 pull-ups
> Run 10km
> Quest reward: 10 stat points, 10 exp points, 100 points.
> Quest Failure: Survive ten hours on the first floor of the abyss.
~GASP!~
Ayo suddenly gasped for breath, his eyes wide with alarm.
"Oh my God! What happened?!" Shola exclaimed, nearly freaking out in response.
"Where am I?"
"The hospital. You were found on the street earlier this morning, severely injured. I won't forgive the people who did this to you," Shola declared, her voice laced with anger.
"Aunt, I need to leave this place."
"You can't leave now; you need to rest and recover."
"No, it's not okay. I can't stay idle like this..." '...I can't experience that a second time. I must, at all costs, complete that damn daily quest,' he thought as he hastily removed the various wires attached to his body, which had been monitoring his health.
"You can't do that, Ayo!" Shola's voice trembled with concern, almost on the brink of panic.
Ayo stood up and immediately collapsed to the floor.
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
"Four!"
"Five!"
"Six!!"
"Oh my God, Ayo! You can't do push-ups in this condition!" Shola protested, trying to intervene, but Ayo was relentless.
"Seven!"
'Uh... I reached eight...' Ayo marveled at his own accomplishment, surprised and proud.
"Nine!!"
"T-T-T-Ten!!!" He shouted as he pushed himself up with all his might.
"You're doing it wrong," Dara's voice chimed in. She had returned from her brief break.
"Is that what you're doing, Darasimi? Facilitating this instead of stopping him?" Shola asked with a hint of irritation.
"Isn't it more reasonable to help him get stronger? If those who tried to take his life find out he's still alive, they might come after him again, and we might not be there to protect him. I'm glad he sees the need to grow stronger," Dara replied, looking down at Ayo with a smirk.