8 A Visitor.

[Please select what aspect you'd like to train? (Strength)

(Agility)

(Endurance) ]

Ryan stroked his chin as he looked at the screen, weighing his options in his mind. 'If I get strong enough, maybe I can break these bars?' he concluded. Strength would be crucial for his escape from this place, so he tapped on strength.

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[Strength Enhancement training initiated]

[Task: 100 push-ups/daily]

Progress----> 0/100

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"What the hell?" Ryan exclaimed at the outrageous task. He could barely move his tired muscles, and he was completely starved. And yet the system is asking him to attempt the most push-ups he had ever done.

'I can't do that,' Ryan thought to himself before clicking on the Agility option. Perhaps it would be easier, and he could train that before coming around to the strength training.

[Enabling Augmented Reality training]

[Training begun.]

Ryan's gaze shifted up after reading the words, and then he saw something else. Floating in the air was a small pyramid-shaped object in the same blue glow as the screen before him. Ryan watched as the crown of the pyramid faced him.

"oh," Ryan let out in awe as he observed the object. Then it moved, fast. Ryan couldn't even react to it as the pyramid shot at his face with great speed before shattering into blue particles upon impact.

"What the...?" Ryan flinched, his gaze turning to the red notification that popped up to his side.

[Failed to evade projectile]

[Progress-->0/100 evaded]

Ryan watched as three more small pyramids materialized in thin air. Now he understood what was going on; he was to dodge the pyramids as a way to hone his speed and reflexes.

His body still ached, and his stomach still roared in hunger, but if he decided to refuse every training task, that would mean he would be stuck here forever with no possible way of escape. He had to do this...he needed to do this.

He stood up, his legs wobbly and his vision not at its sharpest, yet he concentrated his gaze on the blue pyramid, waiting for even the slightest movement so he could evade it. Then it did move, but just like before, Ryan could not react, and it smashed into his face, turning to blue particles upon impact.

[Failed to evade projectile]

[Progress-->0/100 evaded]

"Fuck, again," Ryan muttered with determination as another pyramid shot at him, smashing into his face again.

"Again."

"Again."

Ryan didn't stop. For him and him alone, a subtle blue glow illuminated his cell with every impact the blue pyramids made with his face. He failed and failed and failed, yet he kept at it, sweat running from his face and dropping on the floor, his legs close to giving up at any time.

How many times had he tried now? How long had it been? It didn't matter. What mattered was the blue pyramid in front of him, his gaze fixed on it with concentration he had never achieved in all his life.

Then it moved.

Like before, it shattered into blue particles on impact, but not with Ryan's face, with the wall behind him—he dodged it.

"I did it," Ryan mumbled in disbelief. However long ago he started, it felt almost impossible for him to do. Then he glanced to his side to see his progress.

[Successfully evaded projectile]

[Progress-->1/100 evaded]

As he looked at the screen, it seemed to snatch the smile away from his face immediately. He was only one percent done, and this was just for Agility alone.

"Fuck me..." Ryan sighed as he dropped his head down, sliding back down to the floor. He leaned back on the wall as his chest heaved in exhaustion; he felt like he could faint at any time, his stomach aching with hunger.

Then he heard it.

Not the suffocating silence that mingled with the darkness, not the constant dropping of water, and not his own breath and mumbles. No, this was a different sound, and Ryan knew it immediately.

He could hear it approaching from the distance; they were footsteps—someone was coming here. Ryan wondered who it could be, and he hadn't thought of it before, but could other people see his blue screen? How tried to hide it, but he didn't know how.

The steps continued, echoing through the silence as the person got closer and closer. Ryan's heart rate subtly rose in anticipation, then the person appeared in front of him.

Her hair was dark, maybe; he wasn't sure, he couldn't see it well, but her eyes seemed to glow, like lit orbs of purple in the darkness. She held something—a tray? Food?

Ryan was hungry. He wanted to rush at her and grab the food, but he held himself. He jaf been hungry for so long; he didn't need to act desperate now. He had been panicked since he got here, and that had gotten him nowhere. Now he would be calm and collected. He would be in control.

"It's been a while since someone's been put down here." Her voice was soft and smooth but carried an imposing tone regardless.

"Really? I'm honored to have been chosen after so long." Ryan's voice told nothing of the fatigue and sorrow that burned through his entire body; he was always a good actor.