A hundred push-ups. For a former professional fighter like Chris—now Hulk—it should've been child's play.
Without hesitation, Hulk pressed his rough palms into the dirt of the encampment and started his push-ups.
His orc body was thick, solid, and heavier than his human frame used to be, but orcish strength was another thing entirely. Each repetition was like a hammer striking an anvil.
Within moments, he finished.
[Newbie Quest Completed. Reward: +1 Strength]
The voice echoed in his mind, and Hulk felt the subtle shift—his arms swelling slightly with new power, veins bulging beneath green skin.
"Hmph... not bad. Let's see what that gets me."
Nearby, a jagged slab of stone caught his eye.
[Cracked Blackstone Slab]
[Weight: 1500 pounds]
Hulk moved over to it, planting his feet deep into the soil. He squatted down, wrapped both arms beneath the slab, and with a roar, he lifted.
"Grah!"
The slab shifted slightly—dust crumbling off its base—but then thudded back to the ground as Hulk released it, panting lightly.
Couldn't lift it before. Now he could, barely. That was enough proof.
Before he could even wipe the dirt from his hands, the system chimed again.
[Newbie Quest Triggered: 500 push-ups. Time Limit: 10 minutes. Reward: +1 Strength]
Hulk cracked his knuckles and smirked. "Now this... this is more like it."
But the more he thought about it, the more his brow furrowed. 500 push-ups in 10 minutes? That was rough, even for him. Orc muscles were about brute force, not stamina. And with his orcish bulk, doing that many that quickly? Mad.
Then it hit him.
"Didn't say I had to do them properly, did it...?"
A wicked grin spread across his tusked face. If there was one thing orc warriors knew, it was how to bend rules in a brawl—and apparently, in quests too.
Without delay, he flopped down, planted his feet, and instead of proper push-ups, began thrusting his hips against the ground, driving his pelvis upward again and again—like he was rutting an invisible enemy into the dirt.
"1, 2, 3... 287, 288... 499, 500!"
[Newbie Quest Completed. Reward: +1 Strength]
Hulk flexed, feeling the heat of fresh strength flood his limbs.
"Hah! Outsmarted your damned quest, didn't I?!"
But just as quickly, a new prompt surfaced:
[Newbie Quest Triggered: 1000 push-ups. Must be standard form. Time Limit: 30 minutes. Reward: +1 Strength]
Hulk's grin faltered. "Fuck."
The loophole was patched instantly.
This was going to be hell. Sure, the time limit was longer, but it was standard form only, and that kind of repetition was brutal for an orc weighing as much as a horse.
Hulk glanced around his family's tent, the crude woven walls barely shielding the moonlight filtering in through the cracks. He needed help—or else this wasn't going to happen.
Then he remembered—the tribe's shamans brewed all kinds of strange potions. Maybe one of them could help.
He dove into one of his mother Vrakka's old storage crates, rummaging through trinkets and supplies.
"Let's see here..."
[Buzzroot Gourd]Effect: Vibrates rapidly when squeezed. Popular among orc maidens.
"...What the hell."
[War Maiden's Brassiere]Size: F-Goblin.Description: Not even sure why we have this...
[Boarhide Sheath (condom) - Used]Durability: 0/100Description: Protective, kind of. Probably shouldn't trust it.
"By the ancestors... am I the only sane one in this family?"
Finally—something useful.
[Endurance Draught]Alchemical Grade. Increases stamina and strength for 30 minutes. Causes weakness for 10 minutes afterward.
"That's the one."
Without hesitation, Hulk popped the cork and chugged the thick, coppery brew. It burned down his throat like drinking lava, but the moment it hit his belly—
"RAHH!"
He could feel the surge—strength and stamina rolling through his veins like wildfire. No time to waste.
He dropped, form perfect, muscles tightening like coiled steel, and started hammering out the push-ups with the discipline of a champion fighter.
Fifty... one hundred... two hundred...
By the time he hit 1000, Hulk was laughing like a lunatic, high on strength and adrenaline.
[Newbie Quest Completed. Reward: +1 Strength]
[Newbie Quest Triggered: 100 one-handed push-ups. Reward: +1 Strength]
"Bring it on."
With the potion still coursing through him, he wasn't about to stop now.
One-handed push-ups? Done. Left arm, right arm. Standard form. Perfect reps.
[Quest Completed. Reward: +1 Strength]
New quest. Double the amount. Time limit reduced. Hulk didn't care. He powered through.
By the time the potion's effect began to fade, Hulk's Strength stat had climbed three full points, sitting at 11.
That boulder wouldn't be a problem anymore.
But then came the next quest prompt:
[Newbie Quest Triggered: 10 push-ups without using hands. Reward: +1 Strength]
Hulk blinked. "The fuck...?"
Without using his hands? What the hell was he supposed to use? Feet? His tusks?
His gaze drifted downward... to his crotch.
"...Surely not."
Hulk glanced at his orc shaft. Thick, heavy, unyielding, but only when properly motivated.
But now it's soft, it wasn't going to do the job.
Now the question was...
"How the hell do I make it hard?"