It has been 2 days since Lucian's nightmare and the completion of his first quest.
Yesterday, Akasha gave him another one.
[Quest Generated]
Objective:
– Walk for 10 minutes without stopping.
Reward: +1 AP
Bonus Objective:
– Walk for 20 minutes without stopping.
Bonus Reward: +1 AP
Difficulty: F
Time Limit: 2 Days
Failure: None
—
So, now he was trying to walk. He wanted to complete it yesterday, but failed miserably. So he had to complete the quest by today.
Lia had nearly dropped the tray in her hands when she first saw him standing on his own, trembling but still upright.
But when he'd asked to walk outside, she immediately refused.
"No. You can walk when I'm home," she'd said, arms crossed, her tone final.
"But—"
"No buts! If you fall again, I'm not carrying you back from the road."
After enough pleading and promises, she reluctantly agreed—on the condition that he'd only walk in the hall, and only when she was present.
And Lucian, like a good brother… didn't listen, and now he was trying and failing again and again.
She had gone to her part-time job again, and he was here, in the hallway, barefoot, brushing against the cool floor.
"Ha.. ha… ha.."
Each step was heavy. His breath came unevenly, his legs trembling with effort.
[1 minute left.]
Akasha's calm voice rang inside his mind.
He was drenched in sweat, his hair sticking to his forehead. His body screamed at him to stop.
But he clenched his jaw.
"Not yet."
Nine minutes had passed– just one more minute to complete the main objective.
But he wasn't satisfied with that. He wanted the bonus reward. Not for the points—but to prove he wasn't weak anymore.
[Main Objective Completed!]
[Rewards Granted: +1 AP]
[10 more minutes if you want the bonus.]
Akasha's voice had a faint, teasing amusement to it.
Lucian smiled faintly.
"Ten more minutes, huh… fine."
Six minutes passed. His legs felt like jelly, his breath shallow, but he kept going– until–
Thud!
He collapsed to the floor.
[Bonus Objective Failed.]
"Fuck!!" Lucian slammed his fist against the floor, frustration surging.
"How can I protect anyone if I can't even complete a damn F-rank quest?" he muttered.
He sat there for a long time, his chest rising and falling, before he whispered,
"Can't I… do it again?"
There was silence for a free seconds. Then–
[You sure?]
Akasha's voice was soft but teasing, as if warning him.
"Yeah, damn sure."
Lucian didn't think much and accepted without hesitation.
A new window appeared.
[New Quest Generated]
Objective:
– Walk for 20 minutes without stopping.
Reward: +1 AP
Difficulty: F
Time Limit: 12 hours
Failure: Loss of body control for 6 months
—
Lucian's jaw dropped.
"WHAT!? Six months!? Why is there such a heavy penalty!?"
[Fufufu~ Its motivation. Now you won't stop until you finish it.]
Akasha giggled, clearly amused by his expression.
"Motivation, my ass. Why did I even ask you?"
He cursed, then sat back on the couch to recover.
After around 40 minutes, when his legs stopped trembling, he stood again.
This time, he focused on his breathing– slow, deep, and measured. Step by step.
Minutes ticked by.
[4 minutes left.]
His calves screamed in pain. Sweat rolled down his temples, his vision blurred, but he didn't stop.
Until finally—
[Quest Completed!]
[Rewards Granted: +1 AP]
He completed the quest.
"Haaah!"
He collapsed onto the floor, his legs trembling. His body refused to move anymore.
That was how Lia found him.
"Brother?!" Her voice trembled.
"What are you doing?!"
Lucian turned his head weakly toward her.
"I… just wanted to—"
"Shut up!" she snapped, her voice trembling.
She was already kneeling beside him, checking his pulse and breathing. Her hands trembled as she touched his face.
"Why are you like this? Why can't you just rest for one day?!"
Lucian looked at her, guilt stabbing through him like a knife. Her eyes were glistening, on the verge of tears.
He didn't like that look. He didn't like seeing her crying.
His eyes darkened, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I'm… sorry," he whispered while looking down, trying to hide his expression.
Before he could say more, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"You idiot," she mumbled into his shoulder, voice muffled by the sobs she was trying to suppress.
"You scared me…"
For a moment, Lucian froze. Then, hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her trembling back.
After a while, Lia pulled back, sniffling but firm.
"You're resting today. And tomorrow, we're going to the hospital."
He opened his mouth to argue– but one look at her face stopped him.
Her usually warm brown eyes had turned dark. There was no room for negotiation there.
"…Fine."
He sighed, defeated.
That night, during his bath, Lucian caught sight of himself in the mirror.
His black hair clung to his face with sweat.
He might have looked handsome if his eyes weren't dull and tired, with faint dark circles forming beneath them.
His frame was thin. Not skeletal, but clearly looked undernourished and lacked any activity.
'No wonder my charm is low.'
He sighed and turned away from the mirror.
Lia kept checking on him from time to time that evening, hovering in the doorway to make sure he wasn't doing anything reckless again.
He didn't. Not that day.
The next morning, they went to the hospital.
The doctor ran a few tests, tapping on his chart with a furrowed brow.
"Frankly, your recovery is… abnormal. Paralysis like yours doesn't just vanish without treatment."
Lia tensed, worried he'd push further, but the doctor simply shrugged.
"Still, your vitals look fine. Just take it easy and avoid overexertion."
He scribbled something on the prescription pad and handed it over.
"Some supplements and pain relief meds. That's all."
Lia thanked him and helped Lucian back to the taxi.
He watched the city blur past through the window, his reflection faintly visible in the glass.
He hadn't used his stat points lately. He could have. But he didn't.
He wanted to let his mind settle first.