Chapter - 4

As Ishida slowly opened his eyes, he noticed the ceiling above him.

"Hey, you're awake, Ishida!" said a voice nearby. Ishida turned his head to see who it was.

In the corner of the room stood a familiar man, busy with some herbs on a table in front of him.

As Ishida looked closer, he recognized the person. "Akira-San, what are you doing here? And why am I here?" Ishida asked, puzzled.

Akira replied, "You've been out for three weeks. Someone brought you here and asked me to take care of you. Once I made sure you were okay, they left." Akira then turned to face Ishida, walked over, and sat down beside him. "You've been unconscious for the last three weeks, Ishida," he added.

Ishida's expression shifted yet again, as he gazed at Akira with a mix of curiosity and a hint of hope. "What about my family?" he asked, his voice tinged with anticipation.

Akira paused, glancing out the window, seemingly trying to avoid meeting Ishida's eyes. "I spoke to that man," he began, hesitating before continuing, "and he told me... they passed away."

Although Ishida had already known the truth deep down, he couldn't help but cling to the hope that Akira might say something different. But when those words didn't come, his face fell back into its usual unreadable mask.

Breaking the silence, Akira gently asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"I want to go back home. Is that possible?" Ishida inquired, a longing in his voice.

Akira nodded, "If you wish to, you can go. You didn't have any major injuries that needed treatment. You were just unconscious, so I looked after you until now."

"Thank you for that," Ishida replied gratefully. "But I really need to leave now. I need some time alone." He paused before adding, "By the way, do you know who brought me here?"

Akira shook his head. "No, he arrived with you unconscious, and you were covered in blood, so I didn't ask too many questions then. From what I know, he was likely a member of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"I see. Thanks!" Ishida said

Some moments later,

Ishida got ready to leave as Akira packed some foods and medicine to take with him, which he might need if something goes wrong.

[Welcome Player]

Ishida stepped out of Akira's house and began his journey home, walking along the quiet road.

As he walked, a screen popped up in front of him, catching his attention. He paused for a moment, deep in thought,

[Quest To Become Strong has appeared: You have daily missions to complete. Do you wish to view the tasks you need to accomplish today?

[ YES NO ]

"Daily Tasks?" Ishida wondered aloud, pondering the idea for a moment before deciding, "Yes," he affirmed after a brief pause as he continued his walk.

QUEST DIRECTIONS

DAILY QUEST - GETTING READY TO BECOME POWERFUL

GOAL

[INCOMPLETE] PUSH-UPS. [0/100]

[INCOMPLETE] CURL-UPS. [0/100]

[INCOMPLETE] CURL-UPS. [0/100]

[INCOMPLETE] SQUATS. [0/100]

[INCOMPLETE] RUNNING. [0/10KM]

WARNING : FAILING TO COMPLETE THIS DAILY QUEST WILL BRING PUNISHMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS QUEST]

"These are the daily missions? Are you saying I have to do these tasks every day?" Ishida exclaimed, as he stopped walking and read all the tasks he was given.

[Yes, these are simple workout plans. However, today's daily missions hold extra importance.]

"Extra important? Why is that?" Ishida asked with curiosity.

[You'll find out once you complete today's daily mission!]

Though Ishida was in pretty good shape, he hadn't committed to a rigorous workout routine. He was accustomed to exercising and going for runs about three to four times a week, but nothing too intense.

The workout plan displayed on the screen, however, was far more demanding than what he was used to. It seemed overwhelming, with exercises that were several times more challenging than his usual routine.

"I suppose it's a good thing I had to come home already. I can probably manage to cover 5 to 6 kilometers on the way," Ishida thought to himself.

His house was situated in a sparsely populated area, quite a distance from the bustling town where most people lived. The main markets and shops were located there, so Ishida and his family often had to travel a considerable distance to purchase necessary items or food.

Living in the heart of the town, Akira's shop and home were about 10 kilometers away. This meant that simply running back to his house allowed him to finish his exercise routine.

"But how am I supposed to run with my arms full of groceries?" he muttered to himself, glancing at the bags of food he was carrying.

[INVENTORY ACCESSIBLE]**

*Would you like to view your inventory?*

[ YES NO ]

Ishida contemplated for a moment, then selected "YES."

[INVENTORY]

- [Food Supplies]

- *Empty*

- [Medicinal Items]

- *Empty*

- [Equipment]

- *Empty*

- [Miscellaneous]

- *Empty*

[Currently You have spot for 10 items In your inventory Divided in four categories,which you can increase later]

"Ok, So How do I put everything in Inventory!?" Ishida thought as he unknowingly put the bag in front of the inventory screen, and suddenly they disappeared from his hands.

The screen text changed instantly as well....

```

[INVENTORY]

- [Food Supplies]

- *Dried Fish* (x3)

- *Rice Balls* (x5)

- *Herbal Tea* (x2)

- [Medicinal Items]

- *Healing Ointment* (x1) - Restores health over time.

- *Antidote* (x1) - Cures poison effects.

- [Equipment]

- *Empty*

- [Miscellaneous]

- *Empty*

```

"Fantastic! That turned out perfectly!" Ishida cheered, relieved to have his hands free at last.

He positioned himself like a runner, closing his eyes for a moment. "I can do this!" he whispered with determination, as he began his running challenge.