Leo woke to the sound of something threatening to explode his eardrums.
He shot upright with a sharp inhale, eyes flying open as his heart pounded violently against his ribs.
Before he could settle, the noise came again—louder this time—followed immediately by an all-too-familiar voice.
{OI. WAKE UP.}
Leo groaned and collapsed back onto the mattress.
A sharp clang struck the side of his bed.
He cracked one eye open.
"Do you know what time it is?" Leo asked.
{Yes,} Primo replied instantly. {Quest time.}
Leo shut his eye again. "I am not doing chores today."
Primo leaned in, his voice sharp with emphasis.
{Daily. Quests.}
A translucent blue panel snapped into existence directly above Leo's face.
{DAILY QUESTS}
• 100 Push-ups
• 100 Sit-ups
• 100 Squats
• 10 km Run
Leo blinked.
"…Wait. It's the same thing?" he asked, confused. "Shouldn't it change or something?"
{Nope,} Primo said casually. {This is your daily base quest. It's not going anywhere. You'll get additional ones once in a while, but this? This is permanent.}
Leo stared at the panel for a long moment before letting out a tired sigh. He rolled off the bed and landed on his feet with a dull thud.
"Well," he said, stretching his arms above his head, muscles already protesting, "if I can't escape it—"
a grin crept onto his face,
"—then I'm just gonna nail it."
The mountain loomed close to his domicile, its rocky slopes cutting sharply against the sky.
Leo was already halfway up when sweat began pouring down his face. He wore a white hoodie this time, now clinging uncomfortably to his back. His red hair was matted with sweat, strands sticking to his forehead as he pushed forward.
He had decided—this time—to take the run to the mountain.
"Ting."
{Daily Quest — Status: Completed}
{Reward: 10 EXP}
"Huh… so it reduced to ten, eh?" Leo muttered. He clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Figures."
He slowed to a halt, hands resting on his knees as he caught his breath. Even though the moment the notification appeared his energy had been fully replenished—muscles easing, lungs clearing like they'd never been pushed to the brink—habit still forced him to pause.
Old instincts died hard.
After a few seconds, he straightened and glanced up the slope. The peak was close now, just a short walk away.
Might as well, he thought.
Leo began walking toward the summit at an easy pace, boots crunching softly against gravel and stone. The air grew cooler with each step, the wind brushing past him, carrying the quiet stillness that only high places possessed.
From up here, the world felt..... different. Leo stood at the peak.
From this height, the entire city lay spread out beneath him—rooftops catching the light, streets slowly stirring awake. The sun crested the horizon, its golden rays spilling across the land and bathing everything in a soft, almost magical glow.
"…It's beautiful," Leo murmured.
{Well, it is,} Primo replied. {That's exactly why you have to grow stronger—and quickly.} "I know" Leo said. {No you don't realize the exigency behind it, the dungeons are but the first phase. Humans were not the only creatures to react to the descent very soon the animals in this world will also begin to evolve}. Primo said solemnly.
Leo let out a quiet sigh. "I kinda expected that but i didn't want it to be real, alas.." After one last look at the awakening city, he turned and began his descent.
The path down was calm at first.
Then—
Rustle.
Leo froze.
Another sound followed—branches snapping. Whatever it was, it was moving fast.
He spun around just as the trees behind him burst apart.
A massive, gorilla-like beast emerged, its frame towering and corded with muscle. Its eyes burned an unnatural red, locked onto Leo with terrifying focus.
"ROAAARRRRRR!"
The creature beat its chest, the sound echoing across the mountainside.
Leo's instincts screamed.
This is bad.
Before the beast could charge, his bracelet reacted to his will. Metal shifted and flowed like liquid, reshaping itself in a flash of light until a short dagger rested firmly in his grip.
Leo lowered his stance, feet digging into the ground, blade angled forward. His heartbeat steadied—not from calm, but from resolve.
"Alright," he muttered, eyes never leaving the monster. "Let's see which of us is the real beast."
The creature roared again—
And lunged. Leo locked into combat with the gorilla-like beast, steel flashing as his dagger met thick, corded muscle.
Too thick.
His blade struck again and again, each slash landing true—yet barely biting into the creature's hide. Sparks flew where metal scraped bone-hard skin, the impact rattling up his arm.
"Damn it—!"
The beast backhanded him with terrifying force. Leo barely managed to twist aside, the blow grazing his shoulder and sending him skidding across loose stone.
He rolled, came up on one knee, and raised his dagger just in time to block a downward smash. The impact drove him into the ground, cracks spiderwebbing beneath his feet.
It was strong.
The gorilla roared and hammered its fists down relentlessly, each strike heavier than the last.
I'm not doing enough damage.
The realization hit hard—and fast.
A misstep sent him flying. He crashed into a tree, bark exploding behind him as pain flared through his back. He gasped, barely managing to stay upright as the beast charged again, earth trembling beneath its weight.
'Think,' Leo told himself desperately.
The monster reared back, preparing a finishing blow.
Leo's mind raced.
He was being overpowered.
And if he didn't act—right now—he would be meat paste in a few seconds. He flipped backward, twisting midair and landing hard, creating much-needed distance between himself and the beast.
The gorilla roared in frustration and charged again.
Before it could close the gap, his dagger began to melt.
Metal flowed like liquid fire, crawling up his forearm and hardening as it went, plates locking together with sharp, mechanical clicks. In seconds, his left arm was encased in a solid gauntlet, its surface etched with faint, glowing lines.
Leo inhaled sharply.
"Let's try something new."
Without hesitation, he brought his palms together.
The remaining metal surged, splitting and reshaping itself, racing across his skin. It wrapped around his right arm as well, forming a second gauntlet—sleek, heavy, and alive with power.
The beast skidded to a halt, red eyes narrowing as it sensed the shift.
Leo straightened, rolling his shoulders as the gauntlets settled into place, their weight familiar—as if they'd always belonged there.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Round two," he said quietly.
The gorilla slammed its fists into its chest and charged—
And this time, Leo stepped forward to meet it head-on. Leo exchanged blow after blow with the gorilla, each strike ringing through the mountainside. Surprisingly, he was holding his own. His gauntlets moved fluidly—every punch precise, every block timed perfectly—but he knew deep down that if he wanted to win, he had to push further.
A spark of an idea brightened his eyes.
He sped up his punches, a blur of motion, forcing the beast onto the defensive. Sparks flew as metal met muscle, and finally, he landed a solid blow to the creature's chest, shoving it back several steps.
Without pause, he pivoted—left, then right—and then broke into a full sprint, circling the beast at incredible speed. The gorilla swung its massive fists wildly, each strike missing by inches, its red eyes flickering with confusion and mounting frustration at the fly-like pest tormenting it.
Step by step, the creature began to falter. Its movements grew sluggish, balance unsteady, dizziness creeping into its monstrous form.
Leo stopped suddenly in front of the beast. The gorilla lunged, fist raised high, aiming to slam him into the ground.
Leo leapt, swinging out his legs. Time slowed. Then, BAM.
He kicked the gorilla square in the face with his right foot, sending the massive creature sprawling to the ground.
He didn't hesitate. Closing the distance, he pressed his right palm against the beast's chest and muttered,
"Requiescat in pace."
The gorilla's eyes widened in shock as a spray of blood burst from its mouth. Leo withdrew his palm to reveal a blade projected from the gauntlet, which had pierced deep into the creature's chest. The blade began to shrink, retracting smoothly until it disappeared entirely.
Leo clenched his left arm.
The gauntlet was gone from his left hand. A sleek boot now covered his right foot.
That explained it—the explosive force behind his kick. At some point, he had morphed the gauntlet into a boot and used it to his advantage. He had the thought mid battle and he decided to bet it all. He realized that he could actually try to switch weapons mid battle and also add some modifications to aid him, after all his imagination is the limit here.
Leo straightened, chest heaving, surveying the fallen gorilla. The mountain was quiet again.
For a moment, he allowed himself a small, satisfied grin.
'That… went well.'