The Animagus: From Hunter to Monster-Chapter 40: Daily quest
The faint light of early morning crept through the blinds in the hospital room where Buji was in, painting soft patterns on the wall and the bed where he lay. He reluctantly opened his eyes as a familiar chiming sound resonated in the quiet space.
It was the system’s screen. It hovered above him, blinking relentlessly as if to attract Buji’s attention.
On the screen was a notification reminder.
<Daily Quest>
- Push-Ups: 0/50
- Jogging: 0/10km
[19:00:00 remaining to complete quest.]
Buji stared at the screen blinking to clear his sleepy mind. The words were clear and to the point, and the countdown timer was already ticking down.
"Daily quest, huh?" Buji muttered, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His voice was still thick with sleep and fatigue. He hadn’t much strength to start anything at the moment but he had to.
He rubbed his face with his hands to steady himself. The air in the room was crisp and cool. Buji glanced at the clock on the wall, it was just a little past 5:00 a.m.
"No matter the fatigue, I still have to do this quest this morning. It’s the best shot," he thought aloud. "Afternoon heat? No thanks. Evening? Too distracting."
Stretching his arms overhead, he let out a deep sigh, hearing the sound of the muscles as they protest slightly. Though his body was still recovering from the ordeal in the dungeon, he still felt life coursing through him. That’s all thanks to the D.E.M.O.N.S. It was as if his body had been rewired and rescheduled to work in a different way, with a different pattern.
He threw the blanket which he used to cover himself off, swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. As his feet touched the floor, the cold floor sent a jolt through his bare feet, waking him up further.
Buji decided he was going to tackle the push-ups first. The room was spacious enough to accommodate him and his movements, and he figured starting indoors would ease him into the routine.
He positioned himself on the floor with his palms flat against the cool tiles and his legs, stretched out behind him.
"We go," he said and started. "One… two… three…"
The first few push-ups were smooth for Buji. His arms bent and straightened, his body rising and falling as he counted each repetition.
"Four… five… six…"
Buji hadn’t even gone half way and sweat started to form on his forehead. By the time he reached the tenth push-up, his arms pained, but he gritted his teeth and continued.
"Eleven… twelve…" he counted.
"Hmm… hmm… argghh…" he cried out as he tried his best to continuing pushing.
By the fifteenth push-up, his breath came in short gasps. His arms began to tremble and he muscle ached, but he still pressed on.
"Sixteen… seventeen… eighteen…"
"Nineteen…"
As he pushed himself up for the twentieth time, he wasted little time to know if he was going to regain strength but his arms gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.
"Twenty… that’s enough for now," he muttered, rolling onto his back to catch his breath. His chest rose slightly and fell as he stared at the ceiling.
"I’m not going to be completing this today, right? I mean, how on earth this system wants me to continue like this until the fiftieth count."
The system’s chime interrupted him. It hovered in his front above.
[Push-Ups: 20/50
Jogging: 0/10km]
Buji groaned at the notification but it didn’t make him to change his mind, or continue with the push-up at the moment. He knew he did have to pace himself to complete the quest, but not now. Not as tired as he was at the moment. And for now, he needed help with something else.
He struggled to raise his body up from the floor and with sluggish movements walked over to the telephone on the bedside table. He picked up the receiver and dialed the hospital’s front desk.
"Hello?" a soft feminine voice answered from the other end.
"This is Buji," he said. "Can I get the assistance of a nurse to my room? I need help removing some bandages."
"Of course, Mr. Buji," the feminine voice replied. "A nurse will be there shortly."
A few minutes, Buji heard a knock at the door. He guessed it was the nurse he had sent for.
"Come in," Buji called from inside, sitting on the edge of the bed.
The door opened, allowing a young nurse to step inside the room. She was petite, with a kind smile and warm brown eyes. Her uniform was expectedly, neatly pressed, and she carried a small tray of medical supplies.
"Good morning, Mr. Buji," she said cheerfully.
"Good morning," Buji returned the greeting. ’But I don’t know why they’re addressing me with that title. They should be older than I am, I guess.’
"You said you needed assistance with your bandages?" the nurse asked.
"Oh, yes, please," Buji replied as if he had suddenly forgotten. He gestured to the bandage wrapped around his torso and arms.
The young nurse set the tray on a table nearby and approached him. She began to carefully unroll the bandages with precise and gentle movements.
When she removed the final layer of the bandage, she froze with her eyes widening in surprise.
"Oh my…" she breathed, patting her oval opened mouth with her hands.
At the reaction from the young nurse, Buji glanced down at himself to be sure of what had startled her. He too was shocked but he didn’t make show the expression.
His physique had changed.
His muscles were more defined, his skin unmarred by the injuries he did suffered just days ago. He looked like a man who had spent years training his body to peak condition.
If it wasn’t for the sudden change in his physique, he wouldn’t have been surprised with the sudden disappearance of his injuries.
"You… you look amazing," the nurse stammered, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of pink. She quickly averted her gaze, flustered by her own words.
Buji chuckled at her reaction, scratching the back of his head. "Thanks I guess. The recovery process has been… unique."
’Huh, did I just mention that. She shouldn’t know, she shouldn’t.’
Luckily enough, the nurse’s attention seemed not to focus on what Buji had said. Instead, she nodded, still avoiding direct eye contact. "Well, you’re in definitely in great shape. If there’s nothing else you need, I will take my leave."
"Actually," Buji said, "can you help me plead my discharge from the doctor?"
"You were going to be discharged today anyway, that’s one of the reasons I got the instruction to unwrap you," the nurse said and stole a glance at Buji’s body again.
"I was going to be discharged?"
"Yes," the nurse replied. "I should take my leave now."
After her last statement, she dashed out of the room. Once she came outside, she gasped in awe and said, "I should have collected his number..."
**Back to Buji**
Buji was happy that he was going to be discharged that day. The two days he had spent conscious in the hospital was going to contribute to another sickness.
Right from when he was young, he hated hospitals.
He went to the side of his bed and collected his robes which were folded neatly on the table there. He pulled out the hospital pants he wore and changed into the robes. After which he slipped on his shoes. He grabbed his earpiece, connected it to music in his phone and headed outside.
Once he was out, he felt what he had felt in the room early the morning of that day. The crisp and refreshing air of the morning was also a stark contrast and of the stable atmosphere he always felt in the hospital room.
He made his way down the stairs of a large expanse and alas, he was there. He was at the field near the hospital. An expansive field with a well-maintained track circling its perimeter.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
Buji took a deep breath before inserting the earpiece into his ears, selected an upbeat playlist and started jogging.
