Chapter 8: 8. Tireless efforts in the cell
Fifteen days passed since Ryota was assigned the Normal Quest, each day brought a new set of challenges and opportunities for him within the confines of Impel Down. Without fail, he diligently completed his daily quests, honing his skills and enhancing his physical abilities to prepare for the daunting task of escaping the prison.
During this time, Ryota remained vigilant, carefully observing the guards' shifts and patterns as they patrolled the fifth level. He noted their routines, memorizing the timing of their rounds and the gaps in their surveillance. Yet, despite his efforts, he couldn't be certain of the perfect moment to make his move. The stakes were high, and any miscalculation could jeopardize his chances of success.
However, with a month still remaining to plan and prepare, Ryota remained determined and focused. Sitting on the cold floor of his cell, he reflected on the changes he had undergone in just 15 days. His physique had transformed, no longer frail and weak but now adorned with lean muscle and defined abs. Even his face seemed more chiseled, though he had no mirror to confirm his transformation.
The guards took notice of Ryota's physical evolution, but they attributed it to the nourishing food he received and to the rigorous training and exercise regimen he followed in the cell. They ignored Ryota's little gimmicks as they knew that no matter how much Ryota did those push-ups, sit-ups, he wouldn't be able to escape anyway.
As Ryota strategized and planned his escape, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him. The quest, "Escape and Descend," loomed before him like an uncharted adventure, beckoning him to test his limits and overcome the impossible.
Each passing day brought him closer to his goal, yet also heightened the tension and uncertainty of his situation. Time was both his ally and his enemy, ticking away relentlessly as he raced against the clock to complete his quest within the allotted 45 days.
Ryota let out a heavy sigh, watching his breath turn into mist in the chilly cell. He stared at the plain box in his hand, wishing for something useful inside. For fifteen days, he'd been opening these boxes, hoping for something useful that would come out of it, which might help him in his escape. But each time, he found nothing helpful, just more disappointment.
Inside those boxes, he found ordinary things – paper, a pen, an empty book to write on. It felt like the system wanted him to become a writer, which made Ryota chuckle bitterly. Sometimes he would often think of writing his own story but than would reject the thought after laughing at himself.
Sometimes, he got even more useless stuff, like little trinkets such as a spoon an empty water bottle that didn't really serve any purpose in his cell. Even though they weren't useful, he kept them hidden away, worried the guards might get suspicious if they found them. They could start asking questions, messing up his plans.
Of all the stuff he got, only two things made Ryota happy. One was a bottle of hot water, a real treat in the chilly, dark place of Impel Down. The other was a bit of French fries, a little taste of happiness in his dull days locked up. Ryota felt more thankful for simple joys than ever when he got those unexpected gifts.
As Ryota sat there, looking at his few belongings, he couldn't shake the feeling that these random boxes held some kind of meaning. Maybe they were a test to see how tough he was, or maybe just a mean trick to show how powerless he was in this prison.
But no matter what, Ryota knew he couldn't just hope for luck to get out of here. He needed to keep training, planning, and thinking smart to outsmart whoever put him here and find a way out. It was a big challenge, but Ryota was ready to face it, no matter what came his way.
'Please God, please! Let it be something good at least. No more pen and paper, please,' Ryota prayed and opened the random box.
As the box disappeared from his hand, he found that there was nothing in his hand or in front of him. Usually once he opens the random box, things either appear on the palm of his hand or sometimes they appeared on the floor in front of him.
He got up and tried to check the entire floor wondering whether he had missed something.
Just as he was about to do that a system notification appeared before his eyes.
[Understanding of the Japanese language is being transferred to the host's brain..
...]
Ryota's eyes widened as he read the notification. For a moment, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The notification hovered in the air before him, its words glowing faintly in the dim light of his cell. This was unlike anything he had encountered in the previous fifteen days. No useless items this time—this was something good.
As the process began, Ryota felt a warm sensation in his head, like a gentle, soothing current flowing through his brain. He sat down on the cold floor, closing his eyes to focus on the experience. The sensation intensified, and he felt a series of rapid, almost imperceptible changes occurring within his mind. Memories of unfamiliar symbols and yet familiar sounds started to arrange themselves into coherent patterns. He began to understand the structure and nuances of the Japanese language, as if he had been studying it for years.
Images of Japanese characters flashed before his mind's eye, each one now familiar and meaningful. He could see the strokes and understand their meanings. Words and sentences flowed naturally, and he could mentally construct phrases with ease. It was as if a hidden reservoir of knowledge had been unlocked, filling his mind with a new sense of clarity.
[Process Completed]
The process lasted only a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity to Ryota. When it finally ended, he opened his eyes, blinking in the dim light.
'God, I was feeling tried of just repeating Arigatho and Nani to the guards bringing me food,' Ryota was glad that he had finally learned how to speak in Japanese.
'These guys must have definitely thought that I might have lost a screw or two just because I kept repeating those two words,' Ryota had a light smile on his face as he opened his system panel to check his progress over the past fifteen days.
________________________________________
••Status••
-Name: Ryota Hoshiro
- Level: 1
-Job: None
-Title: None
••Stats••
-HP: 2620
-MP: 10
-Fatigue: 0
-Strength: 25
-Stamina: 31
-Agility: 19
-Intelligence: 10
-Perception: 16
-Available Stat Points: 0
••Passive Skills••
-Tenacity: Level 1
-Cold Resistance: Level 1
••Active Skills••
••Store••
••Inventory••
________________________________________
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