Just as Leo was about to walk past his mother, she noticed something odd. "Leo, your wound! How did it heal so quickly?"
Leo instinctively touched his throat and found there was no wound left. 'Did the instant heal fix even this?' Leo wondered.
"There isn't even a scar left — as if you were never injured in the first place. Only someone with at least B-class healing ability can accomplish something like that." She said with a stunned expression.
Leo didn't know what to say. 'I am not going to tell her I have a system with me.'
"Are you going to say something? I am still waiting, you know?"
"Well, mother. I had a healing pill. One of my best friends from school gave it to me. His sister is an A-class healer. She is from a hunter's guild, and pills like these are nothing to her." Leo said that with an awkward smile.
'Sorry, Dylan. I am using your sister's name.'
Leo couldn't say he had a system. So he lied about how it was healed. From Leo's memory, he knew about all his friends and their details. At least with those he had good relationships with, if not all of them.
"Wow, that's great. You know such people! Good. But even if you are fully healed, you should take a few more days to rest. So don't sneak outside. Okay?"
"Yes, mother," Leo said obediently.
Both of them got inside.
Leo went back to his room while his mother went to the kitchen. She soon went to Leo's room with a tray that held a bowl of chicken soup, fruits, white bread, and butter.
"Breakfast is here, Leo. Now, be a good boy and finish it quickly. I don't want to see even a small portion left."
"This much food at once? I am not sure how long it will take to recover, but I will end up with a tummy soon for sure."
"You didn't eat anything last night. Also, growing boys need more nutrition. Now, no more excuses. Finish it up." She said as she placed the tray of food over a table and rolled it toward Leo's bed.
Leo had no other choice but to finish it quickly. And the whole time he was eating, she sat there like a guard keeping an eye on a prisoner. But the moment he finished the food, her lips curved up with satisfaction. "Good boy. Take a rest now. I have some chores to take care of, but I will come back soon." She placed a kiss on Leo's forehead after saying that and then left the room.
Leo was again alone in the room. "I can't go outside now, or she won't stop nagging me. I need to do it at night for the next week. After that, I believe she won't stop me from going outside anymore." Leo whispered.
Leo didn't initiate any more tasks for the day. All day long, he used the phone to learn more about this new world and started planning his next moves.
His mother visited him more than ten times. Once the night fell, and everybody finally fell asleep after dinner, Leo sprang into action. He changed his clothes and came outside.
He started stretching and spoke. "System, initiate task. Workout session, tier one."
The panel shimmered before him right away.
[Task: workout session
Tier: 1
Reward: Instant heal and Instant recovery
.....
Initiated]
[Progress: 00%
Time remained: 30 minutes]
Leo didn't waste time and started sprinting. It didn't take him long to finish the 2 km run. After the boost from today's penalty task, his physical condition had improved. Not much, but it was enough to make the tier 1 task easy for him.
After the 2 km run, he walked confidently toward the pull-up bar. He was exhausted but brimming with confidence. Once under the bar, he jumped and grabbed the bar confidently.
One.
Two.
Three.
His hands trembled slightly, but he completed the second set as well.
[Progress:
Run: 2 km
Chin up: 03
Push up: 00
Squat: 00
Sit-ups: 00
Time remaining: 11 minutes]
Next came push-ups. His palms pressed against the ground, core tight. Then started doing push-ups.
One.
Two.
Three.
....
.....
.....
Thirty.
Soon, he was done with 50 squats and 30 sit-ups.
The moment he finished his last rep of sit-ups, the panel clicked.
[Congratulations, host.
You have completed the tier one workout session task.
Reward: Instant Heal and Instant recovery delivered.]
Those translucent greenish bubbles surrounded him again, drifting upward.
Though it was very little, Leo still felt it, that slight improvement. His body more lighter, his body fat slightly reduced.
Leo's morale soared. He again asked the system for the task. And repeated it five times before finally returning to his room again.
This continued for three days. During the day, he rested and enjoyed the food and care his mother provided. And at night, he would complete the tier one workout task five times.
In these three days, there was no movement from Sonia or his three half-siblings.
On the fourth day, Leo felt he was ready for tier two now. After completing the tier one workout task almost twenty times, all his physical attributes — strength, endurance, and stamina had increased.
"I think I am ready for the tier 2 today, system. Initiate it."
[Sure, host.
Task: workout sessions
Tier: 2
Initiated.]
[Progress: 00%
Time remaining:
"I am going to snatch that meridian restoration pill today for sure." As he said that, his legs pushed forward. Seconds passed. Then minutes. His legs didn't tremble anymore. It wasn't effortless, but the 10 km run didn't feel like an impossible milestone today.
In less than 60 minutes, he completed the 10 km run. Sweat rolled down his whole body as if he had just taken a bath. But a satisfied smile spread across his face.
He doubled over from exhaustion.
After resting for five minutes, he walked toward the pull-up bar. His breathing was even now.
He jumped and grabbed the bar.
One.
Two.
....
....
The ninth chin-up was hard. In the tenth, his jaw clenched, and his limbs trembled as he pulled himself up.
[Progress:
Run: 10 km
Chin-up: 10
Time remaining: 48 minutes]
After finishing the last chin-up, his palms slipped, and he fell to the ground. But there was no pain. Only satisfaction.
Next came 80 push-ups. Followed by 100 squats and 80 sit-ups.
He struggled, but at last, today, he completed the tier two workout session task.
The moment he completed the last sit-up, the panel shimmered.
[Congratulations, host. You have completed the workout session, tier two task.
Reward: Instant heal and Instant recovery delivered.]
Leo felt his tiredness fade instantly.
The writings that he had been waiting for finally popped out.
[Reward: Earth grade meridian restoration pill/ Normal grade qi boosting pill
Select the pill you want, host.]
Leo's lips curved up into a smile.
"The meridian restoration pill, of course."