6. Daily Quest Rewards

Lying on the cold floor, panting heavily after completing the entire quest within nine hours, Ryota's exhaustion weighed heavily on him. As he gasped for breath, a system notification appeared before his eyes, offering him rewards for his efforts.

[Would you like to accept the rewards?]

(Y/N)

Without hesitation, Ryota pressed yes, feeling the weight of exhaustion evaporate and energy returning to his body. He didn't feel a bit tired after all the physical exertion he had done just now.

'Status Recovery is quite magical,' He thought as he opened the status panel.

Just as he was about to allocate the stat points, the sound of footsteps approached his cell, jolting him from his recovery. Sitting up, he glanced toward the entrance, where a guard appeared, holding a plate of hot, delicious-looking food and a utensil filled with water. The guard pushed them through the gap within the cell bars, some of the food and water spilling onto the floor.

Ryota stared at the feast before him, his stomach growling in anticipation. It was a stark contrast to the frozen bread and icy water he had endured earlier. He tried to rub his eyes to check whether he was hallucinating or something.

"Chief Warden ni kansha shinasai. Kono tsumetai jigoku de sonna atsui oishii tabemono o taberareru no wa kare no okage desu. Ima sugu tabete samui mae ni," The guard spoke as he looked at the dumbfounded Ryota.

The guard spoke in Japanese, the words falling on Ryota's ears like gibberish. He furrowed his brows, unable to make sense of the unfamiliar yet familiar language.

It was clear that Ryota hadn't learned how to speak in Japanese in his past life.

Well apart from the line earlier and few words like Nani, Arigatho, Baka and Kawaii, he knew nothing about this language.

The only word he recognized was "Chief Warden," but the rest was lost on him. Ryota's confusion deepened as the guard continued to speak to him, his tone growing more insistent.

Unable to decipher the guard's words, Ryota's thoughts raced. Was he being scolded? Advised? He couldn't tell. Maybe the guard was urging him to eat before the food got cold? It seemed like a reasonable assumption.

Without overthinking, Ryota reached for the utensil.

"Arigatho," he spoke one of the words from his Japanese vocabulary and began to eat, the warmth and flavor of the food flooding his senses.

The guard, who had been speaking animatedly, fell silent, observing Ryota with approval. Ryota caught the shift in the guard's expression and understood that his actions were deemed appropriate.

As Ryota savored the meal, the guard eventually left.

Ryota drank the water from the cup, feeling the icy liquid flow down his throat. It was so cold it was almost turning into ice, a clear sign of how harsh the conditions were. The cold water was a sharp contrast to the warm food he had just eaten, causing him to shiver slightly. The warmth of the meal had brought him some comfort, but the cold water quickly reminded him of where he was.

'Why did they suddenly give me something so tasty?' he wondered, staring at the now-empty plate. The food had been delicious, far better than the frozen bread and icy water he had been given before. He had no idea what the dish was, but the flavors had been rich and comforting, a small respite in his otherwise grueling existence.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, 'Wait, what if it was poisoned or something?' The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. In his hunger, he hadn't considered the possibility of the food being tampered with. He had gulped it down without much thought, driven by his gnawing hunger.

'No, but why would they poison me?' he reasoned with himself. As he was now, if he hadn't received the system's help, he might have died in a few weeks anyway. The harsh conditions of the cell were enough to break him. Poisoning seemed unnecessary when his survival was already hanging by a thread.

Moreover, if they wanted to kill him, there were far simpler ways. The guards had complete control over him, and any one of them could easily end his life without the need for subterfuge. There had to be another explanation.

'I also need to learn the language,' Ryota thought and looked at the cells adjacent to him. They were empty, they had been empty since he had arrived here. Either there was no one here in the first place, or the prisoners in the cells may have died and their body was moved somewhere else.

He tried to observe the cells a distance away from his, but due to the Icy fog he was barely able to see anything.

'It would have been good if I had a fellow cellmate here. Maybe he would have taught me the language... On second thought, all the guys held down here are heinous and strong criminals. I am glad that there is no one here to bother me,' He thought.

Ryota sighed, pushing the thought aside for now. The system's status recovery had done wonders, and the meal had replenished his energy. He felt better than yesterday, both physically and mentally.

He lay back on the cold floor, closing his eyes for a moment. The warmth from the food lingered, providing a small comfort against the chill of the cell. He thought about the quest he had completed, the rewards he had received, and the new stat points he needed to allocate.

Without wasting any time, Ryto opened the system panel and quickly added the three points to stamina rasing it to 16.

As soon as the points were allocated, he felt an immediate surge of energy coursing through his body. His breathing steadied, and the persistent cold that was bothering him constantly seemed to slightly lessen in intensity.

The coldness of the cell floor no longer bit into his bones as harshly, and he could feel a renewed resilience against the icy environment.

He decided it was time to check his inventory. He opened the system panel once more and navigated to his inventory. The random box he had been given as a reward for completing the quest stood out prominently.

He willed the box to appear in his hands, and in an instant, it materialized before him. The box was small and nondescript, but Ryota's heart raced with anticipation. He hoped it contained something useful, like a weapon or a tool that could aid in his escape or survival.

With a deep breath, he willed the box to open. It glowed for a moment before disappearing, leaving behind a small object in its place. Ryota squinted his eyes and focused on the item. As its form became clear, a wave of disbelief washed over him.

A string of curses filled Ryota's mind. 'An eraser? Freaking eraser? The fu*k am I going to do with this? At least give me something to write on or with! What will I do with just an eraser? Stuff it into my ass or something?' A huge frown appeared on his face as he stared at the small, seemingly useless object.

He picked it up and examined it closely, hoping there might be more to it than met the eye. It was a standard rubber eraser, white and slightly worn at the edges.

Ryota tossed the eraser aside, letting it bounce off the cell wall and come to rest on the floor. He felt a surge of anger and disappointment.

After what he had endured, he had hoped for something more substantial.

But as his anger faded, he tried to think clearly.

Ryota took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He was never a person who was easily angered, but the stress and desperation of his situation lead to this small outburst .

As he sat there, staring at the seemingly useless eraser, he reminded himself that he had always prided himself on his resilience and ability to adapt. The situation might have changed him, but he refused to let it break him.

Just as Ryota was gathering his thoughts, a system notification appeared before his eyes.

[Assigning Normal Quest.....]

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..

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[Normal Quest Assigned]

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