Time passed by, and Liam woke up a day later. Now, only a day and a half remained for the one-week deadline to end. As he opened his eyes, he glanced around, but he didn't see anyone. He noticed a bowl filled with water beside him, so he assumed whoever was with him must have left a few minutes ago.
Liam was worried about the others and couldn't help but think about whether they had achieved the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm or not. He felt a pang of concern, knowing that their success was crucial for their survival.
Despite the soreness in his body, Liam felt energetic. He quickly sat up and assumed a lotus position. He took out the pills he had looted from the guards and began cultivating, feeling the energy coursing through his veins as he consumed them.
A few minutes later, Liam had fully absorbed the pills. He could feel the difference in his body—the soreness was fading, and his strength was returning. He began to practice his daily routine, pushing his body to its limits.
But after a few minutes, he stopped, when he felt hungry and thirsty. He knew there would be no food during the day, so he opened the XP store and searched for something to eat. However, all he could see were pills and potions.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his voice. He quickly left the cage to find Rin and the others
Liam made his way to the training ground, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of Rin and the others. After a while, he spotted the Joon brothers practicing their forms with intense focus.
"Hey, guys," Liam greeted them, his voice steady despite the lingering soreness in his body.
Joon Seok turned and a smile spread across his face as soon as he saw Liam. "Lee! You're up. How are you feeling?"
Liam nodded, returning the smile. "Much better, thanks. How's your progress? Have you both achieved the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm?"
Joon Seok's grin widened. "Yeah, both Joon Ho and I have. We've been pushing ourselves non-stop."
"That's fantastic! Congratulations, both of you. Where's Rin? I need to check on her progress too."
Joon Ho glanced around before shaking his head. "We don't know. She stayed in the cage to look after you. She never came to practice."
Liam went quiet for a few seconds, then asked, "What about Soo Min? Have you seen her?"
Joon Seok answered, "We're helping her out. She's making good progress, but she needs more time."
"Alright." Liam's expression turned serious. "I should go help Rin out. She can't afford to fall behind."
Without another word, Liam rushed back to the cage. As he approached, he saw Rin standing there, her back turned to him. He greeted her from behind, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Rin jumped, startled by the sudden touch. She spun around, her eyes wide with surprise. "Lee! You scared me."
Liam offered her a small smile. "Sorry about that. How are you doing?"
Rin's expression softened as she looked at him. "I'm good. Congratulations on your recovery."
Liam's smile faded, replaced by a serious look. "Rin, why did you avoid your training to look after me? You know how important it is for all of us to achieve the first stage."
Rin's eyes widened in surprise. "But Lee, I was looking after you. You needed rest and—"
Liam cut her off in a firm voice. "I appreciate that, Rin, but you can't neglect your own training. I won't let you fall behind. We're going to make sure you achieve the first stage, and I won't let you rest until you do."
Liam spent the entire day helping Rin train and practice various techniques. He pushed her to her limits, guiding her through every movement and form. Rin tried her best, but she struggled as well. As the day wore on, Liam's worry grew.
Liam quietly asked the system in his thoughts, "Will Rin be able to achieve the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm?"
The system responded promptly, [She has only one day left. Judging by today's progress, it's impossible for her to achieve it in time.]
Liam's heart sank, but he refused to give up. "Is there any way to boost the process? Anything we can do to speed it up?"
The system's reply was blunt, [There are no shortcuts to becoming strong. She must earn it through hard work and dedication.]
Liam felt a pang of guilt and anger at himself. If Rin didn't complete the task given by the commanders, she would be killed. He knew that she could have achieved the first stage if she hadn't wasted her time looking after him when he was sick. The realization weighed heavily on his conscience.
He had developed feelings for Rin, though he wasn't fully aware of them yet. In the real world, Liam had no experience with love. People married for political, financial, power, or fame—but never for love.
It was his first time experiencing such emotions, and he couldn't quite figure them out. At just sixteen years old, living alone with no one to love or care for him, Rin's actions had deeply moved him.
After training for a while, Rin took a moment to rest. Just then, Soo Min rushed over and announced. "Rin, Lee, the food distribution has started!"
Rin and Liam exchanged a quick glance before hurrying over to the distribution ground with Soo Min. As they approached, they saw that a crowd had already gathered. The atmosphere was tense and with commanders watching over them, it was suffocating.
Iron Fang stepped forward, his voice booming across the ground. "Listen up, you worthless scum! Due to recent events, we are cutting the food distribution by another 20%."
"Fuck!" Liam cursed under his breath, his fists clenching in anger. 'That makes it 60% less than the original amount. This is going to make things even harder for everyone, especially for those who are weak and already struggling to survive.'
The hostages erupted into a ruckus, their voices filled with outrage and despair.
"This is bullshit!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"How are we supposed to survive on this little food?" another voice cried out.
The crowd surged forward, their fists raised in protest. The commanders stood their ground, their expressions cold and unmoved by the hostages' plight.
"Silence!" Iron Fang roared. "You will take what you are given, or you will starve. The choice is yours."
The crowd fell into a sullen silence as they all waited for the food distribution to start.