Stroke, Squat, Repeat

Later that night, the room was dark, lit only by the soft orange glow of a broken neon sign outside the window.

The light slipped in through the small space between the curtains that separated the room. The air was warm and heavy, filled with the smell of old fabric and machine oil.

Zayela lay on her thin mattress. The fabric underneath her made a small noise as she shifted. One arm was under her head like a pillow, the other rested on her stomach. The heat in the room stuck to her skin, making her sweat glowing faintly on her collarbone in the dim light.

Her tank top, old and stretched from years of use, clung to her body. It held on tight in some places, loose in others. As she moved, the top slid slightly, not quite covering her chest the way it should. 

She let out a quiet breath, then she turned her head a little.

Through the gap in the curtain, she could see Nash, lying on the other mattress. He was on his back, breathing slowly, completely asleep. He looked calm in the soft light, wearing only a tank top and boxers. One leg hung off the side like he didn't even try to sleep properly.

Zayela watched him for a while, saying nothing.

She used to think of him as just a stubborn kid, skinny, always talking big. Always dreaming about breakball, about his girlfriend, about getting them both out of this place and into something better.

She'd believed him at first.

But then everything fell apart. The rejection, the failure.

She had stepped up to hold things together for a long time, paid the bills, kept them fed, took on debts, all while he stayed quiet, ashamed. Deep down, she'd expected him to give up.

But tonight... tonight was different.

She touched the curtain softly. Her eyes stayed on him.

The way he stood up for her earlier, he wasn't scared. He wasn't pretending. He meant it. He finally looked like someone ready to take the weight. It caught her off guard. It meant something.

"Maybe you really are a man after all," she whispered, barely loud enough to hear.

She leaned back slowly, her hand still resting on the curtain.

The night slowly turned into morning. The ambient noise from the lower levels of the district never really stopped, but it dimmed, shift change.

In the alley, the broken neon sign still blinked through the curtain crack, but the hue faded as overhead arc-lights shone across the sector.

Inside the room, Nash slowly opened his eyes. Artificial daylight peeked through the curtain. He sat up fast and checked the small clock near his mattress.

9:03 AM blinking in dull red digits.

"Damn," he muttered, rubbing his face.

He had planned to start early and do his quests three times today. Now he was already behind.

He got dressed in a hurry, tank top, shorts, sneakers. Grabbed a half-eaten protein bar from the shelf, and rushed toward the door.

Zayela was at the entrance of the shop, sitting low with tools spread around her. She was fixing an old radio, wires and screws all over the floor. Her tank top had oil stains, and her hands were covered in grease.

"Hey! Wait up!" she called out. "I was gonna give you some change, get yourself a real breakfast."

"I'm late!" Nash said without stopping. "I'll eat later!"

She watched him run down the street for a few seconds before he vanished around the corner.

Then she looked up at the flickering "REPA" sign above the door, her lips tightening into a smile.

"If he's trying this hard... I've got no excuse not to."

The neon buzzed. A new day had begun.

Nash jogged through the lower market corridor and made his way to the nearest open zone, an old exercise yard once used for emergency drills.

The floor was a cracked mesh of uneven pavement, old paint lines barely visible. A few support beams bordered the open space, and a half-crushed storage crate sat at one end like a bench.

Above, rows of shifting industrial lights mimicked natural time, cycling every eight hours. The current glow was low and dusty, Sector Daylight Mode.

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

His plan: finish the Body Discipline Grind three full times before the next light cycle.

If he pulled it off, he could get stronger fast. That meant more muscle, better recovery, and a real chance at improving his game.

He stretched his arms behind his head, rolled his neck side to side, and cracked his knuckles.

"Let's get it."

[DAILY QUEST – ACTIVE]

BODY CATEGORY: Strength & Discipline Grind

(Reward: +2 BP upon completion)

• 100 push-ups

• 100 squats

• 3 minutes total plank time

• 1 minute cold rinse

Optional Bonus (+1 BP): Complete all exercises in sequence with no rest longer than 1 minute.

He started with push-ups.

At first, they were fine. But after thirty, his arms began to shake. Sweat dripped from his forehead. His tank top stuck to his back.

He dropped lower, kept going.

Then came squats.

His legs burned halfway through. By the end, they felt heavy like bricks.

Next was the plank.

He dropped to the ground, elbows tight, back straight. His arms hurt. His stomach hurt. Every second felt like five. But he stayed still.

And finally, the cold rinse.

There was an old water pipe near the edge of the park. He bent over and splashed the cold water on his face. It shocked his system, but it helped.

One round done.

He barely rested. Just enough to breathe. Then went again.

Push-ups. Squats. Plank. Rinse and repeat.

By the third round, Nash felt like his body was giving up.

His arms were weak. His legs were shaking. His chest burned, and his head felt dizzy. He almost puked. But every time that thought came, he remembered Zayela.

He pictured her alone at the shop and he remembered, If he couldn't get stronger, she'll pay the price.

He clenched his teeth and kept going.

Finished the last plank. Fell flat on the ground, chest rising and falling fast.

Then, a soft sound popped in his head.

[SYSTEM UPDATE: Quest Completed ×3]

[+6 BP Earned]

[Reward: Full Stamina Recovery – Granted]

Nash blinked.

He sat up slowly. His body still ached, but something felt different. Like he had rested for hours in just a few seconds.

His breathing calmed. His legs stopped shaking.

"For real?" he muttered. "I get all my stamina back after finishing it three times?"

This was unexpected, and terribly welcomed.

He couldn't tell if it was a one time thing, but if it was a reward for every time he did the dailies three times, then it was a game changer.

If he started every day with this grind, pushed himself hard, the system would reset his energy. He could go all-out again later. That was huge.

He stood up, wiped his face, and smiled.

Time to upgrade.

He opened the system and added 3 points to Muscle Mass. He wanted to look and feel stronger. Then he added 3 points to Recovery, so his body would heal faster between sets.

His muscles still felt sore, but solid.

He cracked his knuckles and looked toward the direction of the breakball court.

Time for the second quest.

Nash walked toward the breakball court.

His shirt clung to his back, still damp from sweat, but his body didn't feel as heavy as before.

The recovery bonus from the system really worked. His arms weren't shaking anymore. His legs felt solid.

The court wasn't busy yet. A few kids shot hoops on the far end. No sign of Sarra or Lina. They usually showed up later, in the afternoon, and always came together.

Nash knew he'd have to wait if he wanted to try anything for his seduction quest.

But that wasn't why he came back.

He was here to grind.

He stepped onto the court, took a breath, and pulled up his system.

[DAILY QUEST – ACTIVE]

BASKETBALL CATEGORY: Ball Control & Precision

Reward: +2 PP per completion

• 150 wall passes (left/right hand)

• 50 dribble cone-weaves

• 30 fake-and-pass drills

Optional Bonus (+1 PP):

Complete all three drill types without dropping the ball more than twice.

He picked up a ball and went straight to work.

The passes echoed sharp against the concrete wall. Left hand, right hand, fast, steady, like he'd done it a hundred times before.

The muscle memory bonus kicked in, and everything felt smoother.

The dribble drills came next. He set up old water bottles as makeshift cones and weaved between them with speed. His footwork was sharper than yesterday.

The fake-and-pass drills were last. Quick movements. Eyes up, each pass was clean.

Set one, done.

He rested for just a moment, then ran it back.

Second set. Then a third.

Each round felt easier. Not because he was stronger, but because his body bounced back faster.

His breathing stayed steady. His arms didn't give out. It was like the pain never stuck.

After the third run, the system chimed:

[DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ×3]

[+6 PP Earned (Includes 3× Bonus)]

[Reward: Minor Recovery Boost – Applied]

Nash wiped his forehead and grinned. His heart still pounded, but it wasn't overwhelming.

"Alright," he muttered, catching his breath. "Today's a great day."