You Have No Idea

After seeing that his attempt had successfully lifted their spirits, Elder Abraham decided to strike while the iron was hot and explain the next task.

"Alright, give me your attention. The purpose of this task was only to give us a glimpse of your fitness level and to be frank, it's horrible. So, starting today until you awaken, you will have to run 5 km on the treadmill, do 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, and 50 squats every day for the next 30 days."

Elder Abraham continued his explanation, unbothered by the few groans here and there about the difficulty of the training.

"Each exercise is limited to two hours. That means the total hours of practice will be eight hours each day of the week, except for Sunday. You can take breaks within those hours."

They sighed in relief upon hearing that. There was no way they could complete all the exercises every single day without a break.

As he had said, their fitness was trash, and even starting with these exercises was already enough to physically and mentally exhaust them.

"Finally, each exercise you complete within the allowed period will reward you with 200 merit points. That means you can earn up to 800 merits daily if you work hard. However, if you fail to complete an exercise, the same amount will be deducted. We've sent the details of the merit system to your emails, so read them later."

"Now, do as you wish. If you want to train, do it. If you want to play, do it. Just be aware that everything is being supervised and monitored."

He waved his hand and turned away, planning to leave with the rest of the elders. However, a junior's question soon stopped him in his tracks.

"What about the second month, Elder?"

"Oh, that will be for your pain tolerance drilling. But you don't need to hear the details about it now. Now leave my sight—I'm too tired."

He shooed them away and left with the elders and seniors hastily. They had an empire to run. It wasn't like they could sit around watching them train daily. No one had that much time.

The only elder left to supervise them was Robert, who had a wide grin plastered on his face while gazing at Felix like a hawk.

Noisy chatter engulfed the floor as the youngsters dispersed in groups. Some headed straight to the gym to begin training, while others went to clean up after vomiting their guts out.

Each to his own, the only thing that mattered was finishing the exercises within eight hours every day.

Meanwhile, Felix decided to start training as soon as possible so he wouldn't miss tonight's Solid Wall game.

As he walked absentmindedly, thinking about the match, he bumped into Olivia, who was waiting in front of the elevator.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going...Kyaaaaa, Felix!!"

Olivia didn't even finish her scolding before bolting towards the stairs on her small legs like she had seen a ghost.

'What the f*ck? I'm not going to eat you, so why are you running like that?' Felix's eyelids twitched at the sight.

He glanced at his bracelet and saw that he still had a few hours to kill. A wolfish grin spread across his face before he sprinted after her.

Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing and watched Felix chase Olivia around the building, floor after floor, room after room.

Olivia kept running, tears streaming down her cheeks as she screamed for help every time she encountered a cousin. But no one dared to assist her. The alliance had been broken by Felix's sheer brutality. At this point, everyone was on their own.

Olivia's friends could only pray that Felix would get bored and leave her alone.

Meanwhile, Robert watched the scene unfold on the monitors, holding a bucket of popcorn in one hand and a remote control in the other. He zoomed in on Olivia, who was sobbing while apologizing to Felix for provoking him earlier.

Then, he zoomed in on his grandson, who always kept just enough distance to prolong the hunt. His wolfish grin and evil laugh were clear evidence of the pleasure he took in tormenting this little sheep.

"This bastard never gives poor Olivia a break. I guess it's time to save her, or else she won't dare leave her room anymore."

Robert brought the microphone near his mouth and ordered sternly, "Felix, you have three seconds to leave Olivia alone. Otherwise, you'll have a date with my belt tonight."

Felix clicked his tongue and changed direction, heading toward the gym to start training properly.

Olivia glanced behind her upon noticing that Felix's wolfish howls had stopped.

'Did he really listen to Grandpa Robert?'

She chewed her lips while scanning the area. She knew Felix rarely followed his grandfather's orders, so he could be hiding anywhere.

After a while, she relaxed her tense shoulders and dropped to the floor, massaging her sore legs gently.

'It seems like he truly left. I really need to stop provoking him. He's always looking for a reason to bully me.' She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. 'But things will change once I awaken. He won't be able to bully me anymore.'

'I might even get my turn to bully him.' She laughed foolishly. 

With that thought, she stood up and walked toward the elevator, a cute yet mischievous smile on her face, imagining herself in wolf clothing, stepping on Felix as he begged for mercy.

Suddenly, her imagination shattered when she heard a teasing whisper in her ear.

"Gotcha, little Oli."

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

The moment she heard Felix's voice, she shrieked for several seconds before fainting, her eyes rolling into her head.

"FELIX, I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU TONIGHT IF YOU DON'T LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Robert's infuriated voice boomed through the entire building, sending chills down the spines of both elders and juniors.

"Fine! Can't one play a prank on family members these days or what?"

Aggrieved and irritated, he lifted Olivia in a princess carry. But shortly after, he switched to carrying her over his shoulder, letting her arms and legs dangle on either side.

'It's better this way. If I carried her like a princess, she might faint again just from seeing my face.'

He made his way toward the elevator, heading to the gym on the tenth floor.

This time, for real.

Three minutes later…

The elevator door opened slowly, revealing Felix carrying Olivia like a sack of potatoes.

Everyone froze, staring in stunned silence as Felix casually strolled toward the bathroom like nothing was wrong.

Felix noticed their gawking expressions but couldn't be bothered to explain. He simply stepped inside the bathroom and locked the door.

Clunk!

The sound of the lock clicking into place snapped them out of their daze.

'Is he finally going to drop the act and do the deed?'

'I knew it! He always bullied Olivia just to be close to her. He must have feelings for her.'

'Oh, I wish I could watch. Should I risk taking a peek?'

'What a monster, to do it while she's unconscious…'

'…' Noah.

Their thoughts ran wild as they stared at the bathroom door, not daring to approach or condemn Felix outright. If even Robert allowed it, why should they interfere?

It was always better to mind one's own business.

.....

Felix put Olivia on the toilet chair and sprinkled cold water on her face. After seeing a positive reaction, he left the toilet and closed the door on her.

A few seconds later, her eyelashes quivered, and her button-like nose wrinkled as cold water drops streaming through it. She scratched it reflexively and opened her eyes groggily.

As she regained full clarity, she noticed her current strange position.

'Where is Felix and who put me here? Is this one of his pranks?' She adjusted her training outfit cuffs while chewing on her lips.

"Little Oli, come out, and stop chewing your lips, I always told you to remove that habit of yours." Felix knocked on her toilet door two times and said, "We are in the bathroom without monitor cameras. I want to talk to you seriously about something."

His voice wasn't commending, or harsh. He simply soothed her with a gentle tone.

Olivia didn't scream in fear this time. She just sighed helplessly and opened the door. She popped her small head first, surveying the area with wide eyes, trying to locate Felix's whereabouts. She didn't want another jump scare.

Soon, her watery blue eyes locked into Felix's gentle eyes. She instantly lowered her head embarrassed, not daring to continue having eye contact with him.

However, Felix lightly knocked on the sink, bringing her attention back to him. He didn't take her to the bathroom to exchange those lovey-dovey eye contacts but for serious business.

"Little Oli, Don't take what you are about to hear personally." He faced the mirror, ignoring Olivia's confused look, and said, "You will die a horrible death if you awaken with your current bubbly none non-serious personality. Not just you, but at least 70% of our cousins will meet the same fate." He sighed as he saw her parted lips and befuddled eyes, through her reflection on the mirror.

"Everyone believes that they are the chosen ones, who will surely pass the pain using only sheer will like they were in a fantasy novel." He faced her, "But let me tell you something Oli. This is reality, where anyone who braved the awakening process with only their courage and determination, died horribly."

Olivia took a step back, after being frightened by his serious look and stern tone. He didn't seem like he was joking or pranking her at all, which scared her even more.

Felix didn't care about comforting her, as he simply narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you still dare to awaken now?" He added, "And if you do tell me why."

Olivia didn't answer him, as she was trying her best to process the fact that she would die during awakening. She always believed that she could handle the infamous painful process. Because she thought that since people could pass it successfully, why couldn't she do the same?

Yet, Felix blatantly made it clear that was merely wishful thinking. What bothered her, even more, was the way he said it so confidently and certain of it happening. She couldn't help but have some doubts in her mind.

However, doubts were doubts; it didn't mean she trusted his words entirely. She wasn't stupid to believe everything that he said, especially the reality that 70% of her cousins would die as well.

"How do you know about all of this? And if it was true, how could you know it while the family doesn't?" She fired her inquires while chewing on her lips again. A habit she always had since young.

"Don't tell me you found out about it, during one night in UVR, because the family had them for over five months now. This meant they would have already known about it long ago. But that's impossible, as they won't allow us to awaken if the majority of us will die just like you mentioned."

She stared into his eyes defiantly, unwilling to believe him and not wanting to. If she did, it would confirm one horrifying truth.

The family had no qualms about sending 70% of their children to certain deaths!

Felix gave a sinister smile and leaned in, his breath sending an eerie chill down her earlobe.

"Little Oli, you have no idea what the temptation of longevity can drive people to do."

"No idea at all."

4o