Liam spent his day with rigorous practice and training. He was training himself harder than ever to build himself strong to tackle the challenges that were ahead of him. The morning meditation was followed by rigorous calisthenics and dynamic stretching. His muscles were sore, but he welcomed the soreness with the knowledge that this was a sign of improvement.
As the day wore on, Liam progressed to weighted punches and carries, his body protesting with each strike. He ran across vast areas of ground, gasping with effort, and ran up hillsides, his leg muscles shaking with the effort of the climb.
The afternoon bled into the evening, and Liam lost all sense of time. He was so focused on his training that he didn't notice the sun dipping below the horizon.
When he finally finished, it was already late. His stomach rumbled with hunger, and he realized he had missed the food distribution. He hurried to the dining area, hoping to find something left, but his hopes were dashed when he saw the hostages fighting over the remaining scraps. They were throwing punches and getting violent, both physically and mentally.
"Damn it," Liam muttered under his breath, cursing his luck. He considered using his XP to get some pills to stave off his hunger, but before he could make a decision, he heard someone calling his name.
He glanced around and saw Soo-Min waving at him, jumping up and down to catch his attention. Liam approached her, his curiosity piqued.
"Soo-Min, what's going on?" he asked with a concerned look on his face.
Soo-Min grabbed his hand and tugged him away from the chaos. "Come with me."
Liam followed her, asking, "Where are we going?" but Soo-Min only replied, "Be patient. You'll see."
After a while, they reached a quiet place away from all the noise—a cave carved into the mountain. It was clear that the cave was recently made, the walls still rough and unfinished.
Inside, Rin and the Joon brothers were waiting. They smiled as Liam entered, and Rin spoke up. "We knew you were busy training and cultivating, so we took your portion of food and saved it for you."
Liam's eyes widened in surprise. "You did that for me?"
Joon Ho nodded. "Of course. We're in this together, remember?"
They offered him the food, and although it was still the same shitty bun and soup, it was fresh and warm. Liam sat down with them, and they all ate together, the quiet comfort of their company easing the tension of the day.
That was something new for Liam. He wasn't treated the same in the real world and no one would care if he was alive or not, except William.
"Thanks, guys," Liam said, his voice filled with gratitude. "I really appreciate it."
Rin smiled. "No problem. We've got to look out for each other, right?"
Liam nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie he hadn't felt in a long time. As they finished their meal, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could all make it through this together.
Liam's mind raced as he sat with the others, his thoughts a whirlwind of possibilities and impossibilities. His main goal had always been to escape this place, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was an impossible task.
The guards and the commanders were too strong, and any attempt to escape would likely end in failure or worse.
After considering all the possibilities, he looked at the others and spoke up. "We won't be able to escape no matter how hard we try. To escape, we'd have to be stronger than the commanders, and that's impossible."
The others listened intently, their expressions a mix of disappointment and resignation. Liam continued, "Digging a cave is also a foolish move. Anyone can find it, and if we're chased inside, we won't have anywhere to go. We'd be trapped and killed."
He paused, his voice filled with the weight of experience. "I've escaped and run away from all kinds of places. I know the tactics one can use to escape and to catch. Trust me, escaping from here is not an option."
Liam stood up, his expression determined. "For now, the only way to survive is to train as hard as we can and fulfill whatever tasks the commanders give us. We need to become stronger, not just physically, but mentally as well."
Everyone nodded in response.
The next two days were a blur of intense training and cultivation for Liam. He woke up before dawn each day, and started with his morning meditation to strengthen his skin and bones.
He trained until late into the night, often missing the food distribution and relying on the kindness of Rin, Soo-Min, and the Joon brothers to save him a portion.
Late on the second day, as Liam finished his evening meditation, he received a notification from the system.
[Congratulations! You have reached the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm.]
[Rewards:]
[Strength increased by 20%]
[Endurance increased by 15%]
[Internal energy capacity increased by 10%]
[New skill unlocked: Iron Skin Technique - Rank A]
[Quest Completed: Reach the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm.]
[Rewards: 1 RP. 1 AP. 1000 XP]
Liam sighed in relief, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. 'Fina-fuckin-lly, some progress.'
[You are now at the level you were in the real world.]
Liam raised an eyebrow. "I trained for seven years in the real world, but I reached this level in the dream world in just four days."
[That was possible because of unlocking your dantian and cultivation. Now that the system is synchronized with your body, your body in the real world will grow too.]
Liam's eyes widened in realization. "Does that mean I can also use the system and cultivate in the real world?"
[You will have to try that in the real world and check for yourself. That is, If you survive and complete 10 quests.]
"Bro, I already completed 6 quests. Four more and I am outta here."
[Do you need a new quest?]
Liam pondered for a while. He didn't want quests that would take him days to complete.
'I should trigger a simple and easy quest.'
[New Quest Detected: Kill 15 guards.]
[Rewards: 1RP.]