Day 2

Astra stirred awake, the harsh cold of the floor pressing against his back. Rubbing his eyes, he pushed himself up, his mind still foggy from sleep. The cell felt overwhelmingly constricting, as it always did. Astra settled into a familiar rhythm, employing techniques he’d used just like yesterday to cope with his claustrophobia.

He closed his eyes, visualizing open skies while focusing on his breath, tapping a steady beat against his thigh. Though the silence weighed down, he found a fragile peace within the crammed cell, letting the anxiety to fade.

Sigh. I just couldn't get used to this.

He then called for the NeuraEye interface, desperate to communicate with it.

"NeuraEye, can you hear me?"

Silence answered him.

Frustration simmered beneath the calm facade he tried to maintain. He remembered the requirements for basic communication is Level 20 and to access the storage is Level 40. which might hold vital information about his crew's whereabouts.

Tsk. I need to update the system to version three as soon as possible.

Yet, the reality of his situation weighed heavily on him. If his level had reset and his skills were gone, then all the stored information within the NeuraEye could be lost too and reaching that level seemed impossible in this state.

Sigh. I don't know what to do.

He then pushed himself off and wandered over to the old sink on the wall. The sink was made of dull metal and had spots of rust all over it. He turned on the tap, hoping for clear water to drink, but instead, a muddy brown liquid poured out, swirling with bits of dirt.

Bleurgh. I hate this place!

With anger clear on his face, he went back to sit down against the wall, his back pressed firmly against the cold surface, and attempted to meditate to calm himself.

As he drifted deeper into his thoughts, the faint sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor again, stirring his senses. The footsteps grew louder, stopping outside his cell once more. He heard the small flap door slide open with a metallic creak, and a moment later, something thudded to the floor with a wet splat.

He looked at the meat, his stomach churning with disgust at the thought of eating it. But the rumbling in his stomach reminded him of his need for food.

He picked up the meat, and the same feeling of disgust hit him as the day before. He forced himself to take a bite, swallowing hard despite the terrible taste. Each mouthful was a struggle, but he knew he needed to stay strong and healthy.

"How much longer do I have to be stuck here? Thanks to that four-eyed freak, I can't even tell if it's day or night."

Think again; the alien technology might be more advanced than ours. I don't think there is a way on Earth to downgrade people's status.

After finishing the meal, he scratched another mark into the wall with the bone. Two days down. This was the only way he knew time was passing.

Suddenly, a holographic interface appeared before him:

Daily Quest: [Fitting in Fitness]

Objective: Exercise to maintain physical and mental health while incarcerated.

Description: You've been stuck in this cell for long, and it's starting to take a toll on your body. With no clear end in sight, you've got to find ways to keep yourself occupied and healthy. Exercise is a great way to do just that. Your goal is to complete a series of workouts to maintain your physical and mental well-being.

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- Push-ups: 0/1000

- Squats: 0/1000

- Sit-ups: 0/1000

- Lunges: 0/1000

- Planks: 0/60 minutes

Reward: [250 EXP]

"Ah, come on! Isn't that too hard? No wonder many people hate the first version; can't you see my situation? At least make it easier, like 700+ reps for each workout."

Sigh, I really don't want to do it, but it's not like I have any other options. I guess I just have to do it.

Astra began with push-ups, his muscles protesting with each movement. His arms trembled as he forced himself up and down. He counted each one aloud, focusing on the numbers to distract from the pain.

“344… 345… 346..." His voice echoed in the small cell, a steady rhythm that kept him going.

Push-ups: 1000/1000 [Complete]

By the time he reached a thousand, his arms felt like lead. After the first set, he collapsed against the wall, sweat pouring down his face.

"Damn it! Get your act together, Astra. Don't even think about giving up now," he muttered, forcing himself to his feet.

Finally, he dropped into a plank position. His entire body quivered as he held the pose, counting the seconds in his head. Time seemed to stretch, each minute an eternity.

As the final second ticked away, the holographic interface flashed, indicating the completion of the quest. Astra collapsed to the floor, every muscle in his body screaming in protest.

Congrats! You have completed the

Daily Quest: [Fitting in Fitness]

Reward: 250 EXP

[You have leveled up! 1 > 2]

"I finally did it, damn it..." he gasped, his body trembling with exhaustion.

He lay there for a while, letting his breathing return to normal. Despite the pain, he felt a small sense of accomplishment.

Well, I'm glad I found another way to deal with my claustrophobia. But seriously, I have no idea how long I can keep my sanity in here.

⊶☽☬☾⊷

Day 3

Astra woke to the now-familiar sound of heavy footsteps echoing down the corridor. The flap door clanged open, and another piece of the strange meat was thrown inside.

He muttered, “Just like always, it tastes like shit. Not that I have tasted it before,” as he forced himself to swallow the last bite.

The aches and pains from yesterday's intense workouts, which had left him feeling sore and exhausted, were gone. It was thanks to one of his abilities, Biological Regeneration.

Biological Regeneration: Exhibits natural resilience, showing quicker recovery from minor injuries and illnesses compared to an average human.

His ability to heal quickly meant he could continue working out without needing a rest day. This realization brought a smile to his face, but it quickly shifted to frustration.

I mean, I'm happy that my body heals quickly, but then… I have to do it every day. Argh! It's not like I have better things to do!

Then he quickly shakes his thoughts and starts doing his daily quest without wasting time. The exercises were grueling, each movement a reminder of his captivity, but he pushed through the pain. When he finally finished, he received 248.75 EXP, noticing the decrease from the previous reward.

“System"

[ System Status ]

Name: Astra Viuex

Age: 18 years old

Race: Advanced Human

Level: 2

Experience: 298.75 / 400

He had already known the experience requirements for each level, which increased by 200 EXP each level. He initially thought that the experience gained from quests would remain the same with each level, but he realized that he had forgotten that if he completed the same quest, the experience reward from each quest would actually decrease by 0.5% with each level.

This is more than enough. The slight decrease in experience rewards per level isn’t a big difference. I'll just keep doing my daily quests and look for other ways to gain an advantage.

After scratching another mark into the wall, he sat back against the cold, hard surface, thinking about his situation. Suddenly he got an idea; The system skill VoiceSynth Mastery.

VoiceSynth Mastery: Enhances language mastery by listening to spoken words and can also acquire them through visual processing of written language

I have no choice but to learn their language.

Astra moved closer to the door, pressing his ear against the cold metal. He strained to catch any sounds from the other side. Muffled voices and footsteps were the only things he could discern at first, but he focused intently, hoping to pick up any discernible words.

As he listened, the NeuraEye system flickered to life before his eyes:

[An unknown language detected. Would you like to learn it?]

[Yes] [No]

“Yes.”

A progress bar appeared, moving excruciatingly slowly. It read:

VoiceSynth Mastery: [???? language]

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 0.1%

[99.9% left until completed]

Oh wow, thank you so much!

He sighed but remained determined. If he was going to survive, he needed to take every opportunity to gain knowledge and strength.

𓆩✧𓆪