The next morning hit different.
Damon woke up with no alarm — no groggy weight pulling him back down. He sat up, chest bare, hoodie tossed on the floor. For the first time in a while, the air didn't feel heavy. He didn't feel heavy.
Something inside him had shifted.
[Check-In Timer: 2 hours until reset.]
Next Bonus Trigger: Location-based reward (Unvisited Zone)
Hint: "Iron sharpens iron."
Damon squinted. "What the hell does that mean?"
Then it hit him.
The gym.
He hadn't been to one since high school — since before everything fell apart. But there was a hole-in-the-wall boxing gym six blocks down. Half the windows were boarded up. Nobody really went there unless they were chasing something… or running from it.
Damon threw on his cleanest black tee, stepped into his busted Air Maxes, and walked.
The gym hit him with the smell of old sweat, rubber mats, and rusted steel. The kind of place where boys became fighters, and fighters became men.
Inside, a middle-aged trainer with salt-and-pepper dreads eyed Damon like he could smell the pain on him.
"You looking for somebody?"
"I'm looking for a mirror," Damon said. "And maybe some gloves."
The man chuckled. "Aight. First hour's free. After that, you better bleed or pay."
Damon nodded. "Deal."
He checked in at the heavy bag.
[Check-In Detected: Underground Boxing Gym]
Reward: +10 Strength (Temporary Boost: 48 Hours)
Skill Unlocked: "Beginner Combat Awareness"
Bonus: +1 Muscle Density. +1 Adrenaline Surge Resistance.
The moment his fist touched the bag, he felt it — power. Not just in his body, but in his bones. Like his muscles remembered who he used to be… and wanted to evolve past that.
He punched.
Hard.
Again.
Harder.
Sweat poured. But so did something else — focus. Control. Each strike cracked the air like thunder.
"Damn," the trainer muttered under his breath. "That boy hittin' like he got a score to settle."
But Damon wasn't alone.
In the corner, a group of younger fighters watched him. One of them stepped forward — tall, muscled, eyes full of ego. Rico. Local enforcer. Street-connected. Known for breaking more jaws than laws.
"You new here?" Rico asked, voice laced with something just short of a threat.
Damon nodded. "Just passing through."
"You hit that bag like it owe you money."
Damon smirked. "Maybe it does."
The room went quiet. Rico's crew tensed.
"You got jokes, huh?"
Damon wiped his face with a towel. "Nah. Just vision."
[Passive Skill Activated: Street Hustler's Intuition]
Threat Detected: Rico. Aggression Level: 71%
Recommendation: Defuse or Dominate.
Damon's body tensed — not from fear, but from instinct. A part of him wanted to see what he could do now. Wanted to test the new muscles, the new mind.
But he also knew better.
"Don't worry," Damon said calmly. "I'll be out your ring in ten."
Rico chuckled. "We'll see."
As Damon turned back to the bag, the system whispered again.
[Optional Mission Unlocked: First Fight]
Win = Combat Skill Upgrade + $500 Bonus
Lose = No penalty. Just experience.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
Damon cracked his knuckles.
The storm wasn't coming. It was already here.