After barely escaping the Punishment Realm, Dave knew he could never afford to fail again. That place, with its bloodthirsty monsters and the never-ending chase, had been pure hell. He was lucky to have survived. Now, there was no way he would let himself fall behind on missions. The System had become both a blessing and a curse, and he knew it was time to take his stats seriously.
'I've got to get stronger, or next time I won't make it out,' Dave thought as he headed to the gym for a rigorous workout.
The System had told him what needed to be done: daily missions of 100 push-ups, 100 pull-ups, and 10 kilometers of running. That would earn him 5 ability points, which he could allocate to his stats. Every point mattered now. He had decided to put all his points into agility and strength for now, to boost his speed and power.
At the gym, Dave pushed himself harder than ever. His muscles ached as he powered through his exercises. He wasn't just working out for looks or fitness—he was training for survival. Each rep was a reminder of the monsters that had been chasing him. He couldn't get them out of his mind, and that fear pushed him beyond his limits.
After hours of intense training, Dave collapsed onto a bench, drenched in sweat. 'I have to make sure I'm ready. I can't let them catch me again.'
As he rested, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was his sister, Sarah. He hesitated for a moment before answering. He hadn't spoken to his family much lately, and he wasn't sure how much he should tell them.
"Hey, Sarah," Dave said, trying to sound normal.
"Dave! Finally, you answered!" her voice was filled with excitement. "Where have you been? We've been worried about you!"
"I've just been... busy," Dave replied. He wasn't ready to tell her about the System or the Punishment Realm. "How are things with you and Lisa?"
"Same old, same old," Sarah said, but there was a teasing tone in her voice. "You know, we miss you. Lisa's been saying how much she misses spending time with you."
Dave felt a slight awkwardness creep into the conversation. His sisters had always been close, maybe too close at times. Sarah and Lisa, both younger than him by a few years, had always doted on him, but recently, it felt a little more... intense.
"Yeah, I miss you guys too," Dave said, trying to brush it off lightly.
"Well, come visit us sometime!" Sarah said. "We'll cook for you, and we could hang out just like old times." There was a pause, then she added softly, "We really miss having you around."
Dave sighed, knowing that they truly meant it. Sarah and Lisa had always been protective of him, but lately, their affection had felt different. It wasn't just sibling love anymore—there was something else behind their words.
"I'll try to come by soon," Dave said. "I've just got a lot going on right now."
"Don't keep us waiting too long," Sarah replied, her voice soft but with a hint of longing.
After hanging up, Dave sat in silence for a moment, feeling a mix of emotions. His sisters were important to him, but their affection was starting to make him feel uneasy. He shook his head, trying to focus. Right now, he needed to survive and get stronger, not worry about anything else.