It took nearly an hour for Damon to reach his place—a small room located in the poorest and most overlooked area of the city, practically a slum.
He was currently living in this small, old room, which he had stumbled upon a few years ago. He was homeless then, with no place to go, and finally found this empty, abandoned room—a place he once considered a gift from the heavens to rest his head.
Shutting the wooden door, Damon's eyes landed on the interior, where a mattress covered with an unkempt blanket lay on the floor.
Living alone in poverty, this was the condition of his existence. The comfort of a proper bed was something he hadn't felt for years now, and the fake life where he had once spent his time lying on a real bed was something he dearly missed. Even though that life was an illusion, it was far better than his current reality.
"Just a week... just a week."
Yes, just one more week. Damon only had to endure this life for one more week because he knew that after this week, his life as a hunter would officially begin, pulling him out of his misery and giving him also a chance to enjoy the luxury he only dreamt of.
Removing the old shirt he wore, Damon looked into the large mirror leaning against the wall. Standing tall at 5'10", his figure was exceptionally skinny, with visible bones, various scars all around his bodies showcasing the history of his struggles.
His arms were thin, much like the rest of his body, and his cheeks were a bit hollow. His disorganized black hair covered his forehead, and beneath it, his dark eyes were filled with complicated emotions that he couldn't put into words.
"Hufff."
Taking a deep breath, Damon knelt down, his palms touching the floor as he took the position for a push-up.
His elbows protruded outward as he slowly lowered himself, his arms doing all the work to resist gravity.
With shaky hands, he went down before applying force to the ground with the intention of rising up.
His muscles ached as he did so, his strength so lacking that his body couldn't even perform a single push-up.
Reaching back up to the starting position, he took another deep breath, feeling an uncomfortable itch spreading through his chest and arms.
The itch disappeared, as did the strain he felt on his body while performing the push-up. Once again, he repeated the process, this time with more ease than before. His body shook a little again, though less than before, as he struggled to rise.
Repeating the process once more, he felt little resistance this time, and by the fourth attempt, all his struggle had vanished.
As time went by, his struggle disappeared along with the uncomfortable feelings. With each push-up, instead of feeling tired, he felt refreshed, continuing to exercise to test his limits.
"5... 6... 7... 8... 100!"
"The fuck!"
After completing a hundred push-ups, something he would have only dreamt of doing before awakening, Damon shot up from the ground. There was no sign of fatigue in him as he looked at his arms in amazement. They had gained a slight outline of muscle.
He looked into the mirror, noticing a similar change in his chest, which seemed broader than before.
"This is amazing!"
Damon knew this would be the result, but experiencing it firsthand gave him a sense of awe. Where he once couldn't even perform a single push-up properly, he had now done a hundred in one go, and on his first try!
"System, you are the best!"
Damon was ecstatic with the results, causing him to jump in excitement. As he looked at the wall of his room, a thought crossed his mind.
"How much has my strength increased?"
Without hesitation, he took a boxing stance before leaning forward and delivering a punch to the wall.
~Creak
"Oh fuck!"
A loud shout echoed through the small room as Damon clutched his injured hand tightly. His eyes shut in pain as he glanced up to see a large dent in the wall and traces of blood at the point of impact.
Looking down at his now injured hand, which was burning with pain, Damon saw blood near his knuckles, but the skin was completely intact.
The pain began to fade within seconds as a robotic voice, similar to a notification tone, rang in his head.
***
[Gained Pain Resistance (F)]
[Gained Rough Skin (F)]
[Gained Dense Bones (F)]
***
Pain Resistance
Grade: F
Grants minor resistance to physical pain.
***
Rough Skin
Grade: F
Grants a rough texture to the skin, increasing the bearer's defense.
***
Dense Bones
Grade: F
Increases the density of bones, making them stronger and sturdier.
***
[Name: Damon Aldridge]
[Talent: Adaptive Evolution (Ex)]
[Skills: 3/10]
[Pain Resistance (F), Rough Skin (F), Dense Bones (F)]