Hunter opened the door to his room and left, surprising the nearby nurses who were responsible for nursing him back to health. Unbeknownst to the gazes he was receiving, he continued walking down the hall while communicating telepathically with System Rosana.
'So, you're saying that the stronger I get physically, the less likely magical attacks will hurt me?' he inquired.
[That's right. You don't need to be built like Arnold Schwarzenegger. You just need to have a healthy body and a strong build. Once you lock that down, you'll be able to fight all sorts of monsters]
"Uh, sir..." a nurse called Hunter.
Unfortunately, he walked past her. He didn't do it on purpose. He just couldn't hear her since System Rosana practically drowned out her voice. And because of that, he continued walking until he reached the front desk.
Surprised to see his patient out of bed and walking, easy shaking off last night's injury, the doctor tilted his head and smiled gently. Quickly approaching him from the side, he greeted Hunter, and Hunter returned his greeting with an equal amount of enthusiasm.
"I see you're already out of bed, Mr Quinn," said the doctor.
"Yep. All my wounds have been healed, and I'm ready to be discharged. If you would -"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but we can't just let you leave," the doctor interrupted. "Not after your accident from last night. You still need to rest. And I'm certain that your arm isn't fully healed yet."
"You mean this arm?" Hunter responded as he pulled his sleeves back and showed the doctor his arm.
The doctor was in complete awe. He pushed his glasses back and closely inspected Hunter's left arm. There was no scar nor a single blemish on his skin. He was completely healed, and the doctor couldn't believe his eyes.
"... I'm still not sure if I should be releasing you. At least stay for a day or two until I can make sure you're fully healed," the doctor pleaded.
"I'm not even sure I can pay the hospital bill," said Hunter.
"Don't worry about that," the doctor smiled. "The Hunter Guild is taking full responsibility for your health. You can rest assured knowing that you are receiving the best healthcare services possible. On top of that, it's all been covered. "
Hunter was a bit skeptical about the Hunter Guild paying for his hospital bills. This was because of the incident that occurred with Ian. A tier 18 was forced into a tier 4 dungeon. If Hunter chose to do it, he could sue the Guild and possibly have it shut down.
[Well, that also means that once you return to the guild, they'll be more wary of you. This is good, Hunter Quinn]
'Yeah, it is,' Hunter responded. He turned to the doctor and queried, "Can I at least go outside? I feel suffocated being in that room."
"As long as you'll return here before visiting hours are over, you're more than welcome to come and go until the hospital officially discharges you," replied the doctor. "Be sure to refrain from straining your arm. If it starts to hurt, I'll put you on some weekly medication."
"Thanks, doc. I should be heading back now," said Hunter.
Hunter turned his back and returned to his room, where he wore his clothes and put on his sneakers. But, something was funny. His clothes felt slightly smaller, and his shoes were a bit tighter. Did they shrink?
The ground was also a bit higher than usual. Either everything shrunk or he grew taller. On his desk, there was his Hunter License. He picked it up and observed it. The information and picture had changed completely.
Instead of his height being labeled as 5'7", he was now 6'2", and he had apparently gained over 10 pounds, making him slightly bigger than he was before.
"Even my body's changed. Did this happen overnight?"
[You're welcome. Even those ugly freckles are gone]
"Hey, I happen to like my freckles... Whatever. Let's hit up the clothing store. I clearly need new clothes and I'm planning on using last night's money."
[Very well. Would you like me to project a training regimen for you while we make our way to the clothing store?]
"Very well."
[Accessing Black Magic Files...]
[Configurating...]
[Creating...]
[Black Magic Files Physical Training Regimen
- Run for 10km
- Do 50 pushups
- Do 100 squats
- Do 50 situps
Rewards For Completion:
- Black Magic Spell
- $1,000]
[Some time later...]
Hunter was now wearing brand new clothes along with brand new running shoes. He found himself at the park and began stretching. Once that was done, he decided to start running. As he did, a screen popped up, showing how many metres he's covered and how many he has left.
Once he reached 1km, he took a breather and drank from his water bottle. As he took his short break, System Rosana sent him a notification.
[You have leveled up!
Agility: 24>>>29]
"Hey, my agility went up," said Hunter as he smiled gently and took a deep breath. "Well, back to it!"
And so, he continued jogging until he completed his 10km run, where he had returned to his hospital room. When he got there, he began doing his sit-ups first, completing them faster than he normally would.
After the sit-ups, he went ahead and completed his squats even faster than he completed sit-ups. After 4 hours of nothing but working out, Hunter had completed his first training regimen. He collapsed on his bed and sighed heavily.
"Why is this harder than my normal workout?!" he whined.
[Perhaps because this is an actual workout? Have you ever thought about that?]
"You are so mean. I don't think you and I can get along," replied Hunter as he squinted his eyes.
[I am a servant of the Quinn Dynasty. I don't mind not being your friend]
"Shut up. Show me my Status Screen," said Hunter.
[Very well]
{Name: Hunter Quinn
Age:17
Occupation: Dungeon Explorer and Diver
Tier: 18
Strength: 24
Intelligence: 28
Agility: 35
Karma: 0
Active Skills:
- Black Flames
- Fast Break
- Healing
- Hellhound Chains
Passive Skills:
- Prey Gaze}
"Hellhound Chains?"
[Hellhound Chains:
- This spell allows the user to trap their enemies in an unbreakable chain. The chains can grow as large as the creator wishes them to be, and they can add certain characteristics to the chains.]
"Characteristics? What does that mean?" inquired Hunter as he turned to System Rosana.
[It'll be better to show you rather than to tell you. Get up. You're headed to a tier 16 dungeon]
"Tier 16?! I've never even cleared a tier 17 dungeon on my own! How am I supposed to do that without a party to assist me?!" exclaimed Hunter.
[Nag, nag, nag. I thought you were on the path to cleansing the world and creating equality. You should stop whining. You'll get more girls that way]
Hunter did not reply. Instead, he kept quiet and stood up. System Rosana knew what it said and did not say anything afterward. They sat in the room, completely silent, the wind from the window bringing in sound.
"... I'm going to see Catherine's family," said Hunter as he got up and left.
System Rosana simply dissipated, its subconscious bound to Hunter's body. Soon after, he left the hospital and made his way towards Catherine's home. She lived in a nice neighborhood, filled with friendly people with welcoming auras.
In contrast, the orphanage Hunter had to spend most of his life in was the complete opposite. Just like him and Catherine, the homes they lived in were completely different. And yet, she chose to be with someone like Hunter.
Someone who always showed up in rags when she was wrapped in fine clothing. Someone covered in freckles when her skin was damn near perfection. Someone who had no family when she was surrounded by loving parents and wonderful siblings.
'Even now, you're so far away from me, Catherine...' Hunter said to himself as he approached Catherine's front door.
He stepped onto the porch and was about to knock until the door opened before he could. It was as if he was seeing double. Hunter slightly backed away and opened his eyes widely. The person who stepped out of Catherine's door was none other than the man he killed the night before.
"... Ian Brown...?"