I woke up the next day, my mind still racing with excitement from the previous day's events. But as I lay in bed, I realized that my current strength wouldn't be enough to survive the upcoming apocalypse. After all, it has been a while since I did a proper workout. All the jam packed schedules in my job make me have less time to myself, let alone working out.
For now, my first small goal is to get stronger, so I could face the challenge ahead with confidence.
I threw off my blanket and got out of bed. I looked around my small apartment, taking stock of what I had. There wasn't much - a few days' worth of non-perishable food, a bottle of water, and a small first-aid kit. Seems like I have to think properly about food later, but for now, training my body comes first.
For starters, I began with a dynamic warm-up, stretching my muscles and getting my heart rate up. I did a series of jumping jacks, my legs pumping and my arms swinging. I moved on to some light cardio, jogging in place and jumping up and down, doing basic warm-up movement.
Next, I started on my upper body. I did a set of push-ups, with my chest touching the ground with each rep. I focused on my form, keeping my back straight and my core engaged. I did three sets of ten reps, resting for a minute between each set.
After push-ups, I moved on to dumbbell rows. I used light weights, focusing on proper form and technique. I rowed the dumbbells up to my chest, squeezing my shoulder blades together and holding for a count of two. I did three sets of twelve reps, resting for a minute between each set.
I continued with a series of exercises, each one targeting a different muscle group. I did bicycle crunches to target my abs, tricep dips to target my arms, and calf raises to target my legs. I worked out until I was drenched in sweat, my muscles aching and my body trembling with exhaustion, but with determination, I kept pushing myself within my limit, keeping myself out from the possible injury.
But I didn't stop there. I knew I needed to focus on flexibility and mobility, aside from my strength. I started with some static stretches, holding each pose for a count of thirty. I stretched my hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles, feeling my muscles lengthen and relax.
As I lay on the floor, catching my breath and trying to recover from my intense workout, I couldn't help but think about the purpose of my training. I was doing it to prepare myself for the approaching apocalypse, to make sure I was combat-ready and able to defend myself against whatever dangers lay ahead.
After seeing the vision that Sariel showed me, I knew that what happened in the current world is no joke. So proper preparation is necessary for my own survival.
I had started with push-ups to build my chest and shoulder muscles, these muscles are essential for hand-to-hand combat and defending myself against attackers. The dumbbell rows had targeted my back and arm muscles, crucial for lifting and carrying heavy objects, as well as defending myself against multiple opponents.
The bicycle crunches had worked my abdominal muscles, vital for stability and balance in combat situations. The tricep dips had targeted my arm muscles, essential for punching and defending myself against attacks. And the calf raises had worked my leg muscles, crucial for kicking and evading attacks.
But it wasn't just about building strength and muscle mass. I had also focused on flexibility and mobility, knowing that in a combat situation, I would need to be able to move quickly and freely. The yoga poses had helped to increase my flexibility and balance, allowing me to dodge and weave around attacks later.
All these things are currently the best things I can do in regard to my limited knowledge about self defense.
As I caught my breath and rested my body, I knew that this was only the beginning. I still had a lot of work to do to reach my goal of being combat-ready. Next, I planned to focus on calisthenic exercises to increase my core strength even more. I would do planks, squats, and lunges to build my endurance and stability. Core strength is essential to support all the fancy movements that I might learn later in the future, probably.
Anyway, it doesn't hurt to try.
After resting my body from the intense exercise, I knew it was time to strategize my next step. I sat down at my kitchen table, grabbed a pen and paper, and began to make a list of all the things I needed to do to prepare for the upcoming apocalypse.
First and foremost, I needed to stockpile food. I wrote down "canned food" at the top of my list, knowing that it would be a crucial long term source of sustenance in the coming days. I also added "salt", "sugar", and "spices" to my list, knowing that they would be very important later for preserving and flavoring my food.
Next, I knew I needed to stockpile drinking water. I had no idea how long the water supply would last, and I didn't want to be caught off guard. I added "drinking water" to my list.
As I sat at my table, I suddenly realized that the electricity wasn't working. I looked around my dark apartment, feeling a sense of unease. Now that I think of it, the internet and television have been dead since yesterday.
Not only that but also my phone, I think I still have my battery left but I don't know why I can't turn it on again since yesterday. It was as if the city had just been hit by an EMP, knocking out all of the power. Is this also what those gods are doing? For what reason?, shaking my head, I try to clear my head from the unnecessary thought.
Moving on to the next thing I should do, I checked to see if the water was still working. To my surprise, it was still flowing, albeit weakly. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that I wouldn't have to worry about finding a source of clean water just yet. After all, unlike the drinking water, the tap water is still passable to be used to shower and clean myself.
Next, I knew I needed to stockpile medicine. I had no idea what kind of injuries I might sustain in the coming days, and I didn't want to be caught without any medical supplies to tend any possible wounds that I got later. Thus, I added "medicine" to my list, making a mental note to raid the local pharmacies and hospitals.
'Speaking about raids, raiding some convenience stores and supermarkets might be a very good option to gather and stockpile foods, anyway since all humans disappear in this world, I don't think taking the food and supplies without paying for my survival is considered a crime right??'
Finally, for my last list, I knew I needed to find a weapon. I had seen the mutated animals within Sariel vision, and I knew that I needed something that could take them down. I thought about my options, considering the best course of action. An axe or lance would be ideal, something big and heavy that could deliver a crushing blow and open some wound to the thick leather of the mutated animals.
'But still, engaging them in close combat might be dangerous, I prefer ranged weapons if possible. If I could find a javelin somewhere, it would be perfect.
Anyway, if by chance I can't find any, I can just make one by myself. Salvaging it from an item and trinkets might do the job.'
While I was still mulling over my own thoughts about survival, a beeping noise suddenly rang inside my head.
Red number that wrote 120 appeared in the same translucent box-like menu that had appeared yesterday. It was akin to a countdown, ticking slowly once in a minute.
Feeling the sudden changing situation, I was dumbfounded, my mind racing with questions. What did this number mean? Was that a counting down? Did it have something to do with the system?
As I stared at the box, a red alarming text appeared above the number. It spelled out one word: "Quest".
Reading the word Quest, I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized the implications. This was no ordinary countdown. This was a quest, a mission, a challenge that was given by the system.
'seems like my first trial are coming soon than I expected'
Staring at the notification box silently, I felt my heart start racing with anticipation.
'Sariel, I wonder what kind of game you force me to get involved with...'
Quest Notification: The Great Food Heist
Quest Description: The streets are empty, and the once-thriving supermarket nearby has been overrun by a group of mutant dogs. Led by a mysterious creature, these beasts have claimed the market as their lair, hoarding the precious food and supplies that the survivors so desperately need.
Your Mission: Infiltrate the supermarket, defeat the mutant dogs and their leader, and reclaim the food and supplies that you urgently need.
Time Limit: You have 3 days to complete this quest.
Rewards:
1000 EXP1 Free Random Familiar Roll Ticket1 Beginner Job Change Scroll1 Mysterious Gift Pack Box
Danger Rating: D [the lowest Danger rating are F while the highest are S]
Warning: Beware, the mutant dogs are ferocious and aggressive animals who are just beginning to transform into new species of chaos. You will need to be cunning and resourceful if you hope to succeed.
Accept or Decline: Will you take on the challenge and accept this quest? Declining it might give you a future similar quest with a higher danger rating