Jacob began squatting with his weighted vest.

‘I already did the sit-ups, push-ups, and the 10 km run. All that’s remaining is a hundred squats.’

He was quite grateful he could complete his Daily Quest along the way.

‘1… 2… 3…’

The grind once again began. Jacob knew it was the last thing he had to do this time. So he persisted through the pain wrecking his body and kept going.

‘50… 51… 52…’

Jacob was aware a hunter was vastly superior to normal humans in their strength, speed, recovery, etc. So despite all this pain, he was sure he could heal quickly. If he consumed a healing potion, it would dramatically accelerate his recovery.

‘98… 99… 100!’

Jacob nearly fell as tension was released from his body. Nonetheless, the receptionist once again stepped forward with a chair and put it behind him, ensuring he fell on the chair and not on the ground.

Jacob looked up in astonishment since he didn’t expect to sit on a chair and expected to fall to the ground. But as he saw her there, he knew what had happened.

“You must be tired. I thought this might help you,” she gently smiled at him.

Jacob felt embarrassed that she had been so good to him even though he was a complete stranger to her and had never met her before.

‘Looks like she’s a really nice person. It might not be bad to get to know her.’

He shook his hand. “No no, I’m not tired at all!” He lied through his lips. “Thanks for the help though.”

The onlookers were more now after the people here called their friends over. They looked at Kaelen’s face which worsened with each interaction his daughter and Jacob had and felt sorry for the kid. 

As Kaelen heard Jacob boast, a slightly sinister smile flashed across his face. He approached them and said nonchalantly, “Since you’re not tired, give me a hundred more sit-ups.”

Jacob looked in front of him towards the imposing hulk in betrayal and disbelief. Kaelen added, “Don’t worry, I have all day. And if you’re still filled with energy, you can give me another set of everything you’ve done till now.”

No matter how dense Jacob was, he understood he had somehow offended the man. But how?

Jacob noticed the man looking behind him and remembered who stood there.

‘His daughter? Is she involved?’

He slowly connected the dots and got a plausible idea. Especially after everything he had been going through, his conclusion this time seemed correct.

‘Is he upset that she’s helping me? Does he want to keep his daughter away from all men? Why do these fathers dote on their daughters so much! My dad always lets Ruby have her way. Angela’s father’s ready to kill everyone who hurts her and this one’s so overprotective toward his daughter, that other people have to unnecessarily suffer!’

So many coincides made him realize that daughters with loving fathers had it easy in life. He even questioned why he was born as a male for a second.

‘No, no!’ Jacob shook his head. He looked between his thighs. ‘I want my little brother! I am very much happy I was born a male!

He looked at Kaelen who looked angrier.

“So you’re finally giving up, huh? I knew you didn’t have it in you. Return and I’ll tell Adam you didn’t make it.”

Kaelen looked satisfied and it confused Jacob.

‘When did I tell him that I don’t want to do it? How can I give up after coming all this way and going through so much torture? He even gave me all day so I can take long breaks and gradually do it.’

Jacob remembered how he shook his head a dozen seconds ago while he questioned his gender and realized how it appeared to Kaelen.

“No, no,” said Jacob. He stood up from the chair that didn’t feel comfortable at all and looked back at the receptionist with some helplessness before looking at her father. “I’ll do it! I will!”

Kaelen looked mildly upset.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to force yourself. I can see you’re at your limits,” said Kaelen with fake concern. Jacob got goosebumps hearing this and vehemently shook his head.

“I’m good. I can do it. After all, you gave me all day,” said Jacob emphasizing he had all day to do it.

Kaelen looked at a regular gym student and called him here.

“Watch him do a hundred push-ups, sit-ups, squats with the heaviest weights he can handle and see that he runs 10 km with his maximum speed downstairs. Can you do it?”

The student was flattered and also intimidated by the request. How could he dare reject it? He nodded his head and assured Kaelen that he would get it done.

“Rebecca my dear, follow me,” said Kaelen looking at his daughter. She nodded at Jacob and the student who was hired to monitor Jacob before leaving with her father.

“Is he always like this?” questioned Jacob after they had left the floor. His supervisor nodded with a wry smile.

“Do you need a break?” he asked.

Jacob nodded. “A few minutes.”

“Take your time. The day is still young and I finally have a reason to play all day.” He took out his phone, sat on a nearby bench and began gaming.

Jacob looked at him enviously then looked at a notification he just received but was too tired to pay it any attention back then.

[You’ve completed ‘Daily Quest: Preparations to become strong’.]

[Perfect completion rewards have arrived.]

[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)

Jacob mentally agreed and then got a new notice of his rewards.

[The following rewards are available.]

Reward 1. Six additional Attribute points

Reward 2. Two random boxes

[Would you like to collect them all?]

“Huh?” he muttered in reflex while questioning what he was seeing.

‘Wasn’t it three additional attribute points and one random box?’ 

He looked through the notification he had received yesterday after completing his Daily Quest and confirmed that his thoughts were correct.

‘Then why are the rewards doubled today?’ he thought. Naturally, he was happy in this situation. But he was eager to know if he could somehow replicate today’s rewards every single day.

‘Won’t that double the rate at which I passively get stronger?’ he thought with eagerness.

After reading word by word, he noticed a difference between the notification today and yesterday.

He got this yesterday.

[Completion rewards have arrived.]

Today, the notification changed.

[Perfect completion rewards have arrived.]

‘Why is it Perfect today?’ Jacob wondered. ‘How did I perfectly complete my Daily Quest today?’

When this thought came to mind, the answer swiftly followed.

‘I did my Daily Quest by giving it my all today.’ 

His eyes widened in realization. 

‘Maximum intensity, maximum weights my body can handle, maximum speed on the treadmill. I gave my very best today.’

Then it hit him.

‘If I want to get double rewards every day, then I need to give my very best every day.’

Phantom pain set in as his body sent waves of protest.

‘That means I need to exhaust myself every day by doing my Daily Quest at maximum intensity.’

Even his mind tried to disagree and gave him dozens of reasons why it was a terrible idea. But, it failed to dissuade him.

‘I am where I am today, because of the effort I put in and my attempts to make use of what I was given.’

Jacob remembered being attacked by Demonic Cows, chased by Scorpions, pierced by a scary Gargoyle, and more. He never gave in. He never gave up. Every time he overcame the challenges in his way, he got stronger in one way or another.

‘I’m going to hate every moment of this.’ 

He decided to schedule this suffering in his day. 

‘But I will love the rewards at the end of it!’

***

“Rebecca! Why do you have to do this? Haven’t we discussed this already? These boys are not good for you!” said Kaelen with folded arms while sitting on his chair in his office. Ahead of him stood a red-faced Rebecca.

“Daddy! You always do this! You’ve beaten all my male friends into submission! They don’t even contact me anymore or reply to my calls! How am I supposed to build a relationship like this? Now you cannot even tolerate me talking to a male!” she complained while clenching her fists and with tear droplets accumulating in her eyes.

Kaelen shook his head confidently despite his daughter’s obvious dislike for his methods. He looked at her lovingly while he tried to explain.

“Baby, these boys don’t really care about you. All their flowery words are nothing but lies. They’re only attracted by your beauty. That’s it! They don’t care about anything else! Please try to understand that I’m doing this only for you!”

Normally, Rebecca would have stayed silent, feel helpless and leave. But her father’s actions today toward Jacob made her see some light. If Jacob did not give up despite obvious harsh treatment and enormous physical pain, why should she give up in face of her desires?

“Daddy,” she gently said with a crying heart. “Your actions have kept me single since the day I was born. I do not know how it feels to hold the hand of a male other than you.”

Kaelen noticed how his daughter was behaving differently and he didn’t like this change.

“I’m already twenty-seven without a boyfriend or husband. Do you want me to stay single all my life?” she finally let out what was kept in her heart and looked at him with blaming eyes.

Kaelen could take a bullet with a smile. But he could not take this. Hurriedly, he shook his hands.

“No, of course not baby! I’ll never let that happen! I still want to see my grandkids. You’ll definitely get a perfect man! I’ll make sure of it!”

Rebecca sighed and bit her lips in frustration. With a soft voice that bordered sobbing, she said, “Then where is this perfect man? Have you found him yet?”

Kaelen awkwardly looked to the side and replied with less confidence, “I’m looking baby, I’m looking. I’m sure I’ll find one this year!”

Tears quietly dropped from Rebecca’s eyes which went unnoticed by her father who was looking to the side.

“You said that last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and you’ve been saying it since I wanted a relationship. How many times has it been now?”

She turned around as she didn’t want him to see her cry.

Kaelen heard the footsteps and looked at his daughter leaving in disappointment in pain.

“Trust me, baby! I’ll find the perfect man for you! He’ll take good care of you. Everyone else is just after your beauty!

Rebecca paused her footsteps and softly muttered, “Weren’t you the same? Didn’t you chase my mother because of her beauty?”

The door opened and closed as the room was left with a father who was too stunned to speak anything. The words repeated in his mind like a spell until he snapped out of it after a long while.

“She’s right,” he admitted to his dismay. “I chased her mother because of her beauty.”

When Kaelen thought of his wife and her ending, wrath and pain filled his eyes.

“Those damn demons!” He looked right at the wall beyond which stood his daughter.

“I’ll get you a man who can keep you safe from them! I promise you!”