After washing up, Ayo decided to take a stroll around the hospital, trying to familiarize himself with his surroundings.
He couldn't help but be amazed by the hospital's modern infrastructure, which was vastly different from what he had experienced in his previous world.
"Hmm, this seems like some kind of institutional infirmary where physicians are taught," he muttered to himself. He was careful not to draw unnecessary attention to himself, as he still felt out of place.
As he walked, he suddenly heard a series of heavy footsteps approaching rapidly.
~stomp~
~stomp~
~stomp~
~stomp~
A group of men in white coats and black inner shirts rushed into the hallway, creating a commotion as they shoved past everyone, including Ayo, to clear a path. They lined up on either side of the hallway, creating an aisle.
The sudden silence in the corridor made Ayo realize that something important was happening.
"Be careful," Phanes warned.
~step~
~step~
A man dressed like the others, in a long coat, was pushing a wheelchair with an elderly woman seated in it. His dreadlocked hair and sharp eyes caught Ayo's attention. The man's presence felt imposing, and Ayo couldn't help but be intrigued by him.
Ayo attempted to use his Appraisal skill to learn more about the man, but he received a message indicating that the man couldn't be appraised due to his low level.
"What just happened?" Ayo asked one of the patients nearby, a woman who had been gossiping with another.
The woman looked at him incredulously. "Don't you know? They're the Adebeshins."
"Adebeshins? Who are they?" Ayo asked, perplexed by the name.
"My God, they're the second most prominent martial artists in all of Nigeria and Africa. I hear the second son, Biyi Adebeshin, who is the man you just saw, is only seventeen years old but is already at the level of an expert martial artist. Although I'm not sure about his exact rank," she explained.
Ayo twirled a strand of his hair, deep in thought. It seemed that martial artists in this world had a ranking system similar to the one he had encountered in the Abyss.
[Phanes, can you provide more information on this ranking system?]
[F rank: third rate, E rank: second rate, D rank: first rate]
[C rank: Master, B rank: Grandmaster, A rank: Peakmaster]
[S rank: Transcendent realm, SS rank: Entity realm, SSS rank: Esoteric realm]
[R rank: Realm of comprehension of life and death, UR rank: Natural realm, URR rank: Realm of void, EXe rank: Realm of will]
'Sounds interesting... I guess I should be around the Superior level?'
[You currently are a third-rate martial artist]
'Oh, wow... but I have potential, right?'
[You sure do]
Ayo engaged in conversation with some of the hospital patients and learned more about the Adebeshin family and their martial prowess. However, he couldn't help but feel that there was more to the world of martial arts in this realm.
"Young man, don't think of being like them. The world they live in is very dangerous, and the law cannot control it. It's better for us regular humans to live in peace. Living in the martial arts world means one day you could live in luxury, and the next day your funeral is the one they're holding," one of the ladies advised him.
Ayo smiled, "Thank you, ma'am," and walked away, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity about the world of martial arts and rankings.
[Phanes, can you explain the meaning of "climbing the Tower"?]
[Affirmative. It refers to a path to true power beyond this world.]
"But I don't need that much power," Ayo argued.
[Yes, you do.]
"I don't..."
[You will.]
Ayo paused, suspecting that Phanes was hiding something from him.
"What is it?" he asked.
[What I'm hiding, I can't reveal to you until you climb the Tower to floor ten]
"But you said I didn't have to climb it!"
[You don't have to; it's not necessary.]
"Then why do I feel like you're trying to persuade me to do something by making me very comfortable?"
[I am doing nothing.]
"Fine, what's the next quest?"
[Quest Created]
> Sleep for twelve hours.
> Quest rewards: +1 skill (passive) card, +1 skill (status) card, +1 level.
> Quest failure: 20 minutes in the first floor of the abyss.
"Oh my, another time to sleep again," Ayo grinned as he stretched his body and walked back into his hospital ward room to lay on his bed. After a few minutes, he finally succumbed to sleep.