Chapter 23: Chapter 22: Unexpected Occurrence

“Wait a minute….You’re Zoey, right?” The man asked as he stroked his chin, which had a small moustache, contemplating deeply, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yes, that’s me.” Zoey replied, somewhat awkwardly. “Are you…” Zoey’s eyes narrowed as she studied the man infront of her, not only was he more powerful than her, but he also looked very familiar.

“Cain Raiden!” Zoey suddenly exclaimed softly, her eyes widening slightly as she recognized him. This was Zolorius’s hero, the one who was actively raiding dungeons to protect the city from a possible dungeon break.

“You can take this spot, I’m done with my workout today.” Cain Raiden said as he turned around to leave, but not before glancing at Zoey one more time.

‘This girl….’ He thought, he had heard all over the news about her accomplishments. Defeating an F-Rank dungeon by herself upon awakening, having much higher stats then most Hunters upon awakening, and Awakening an A+Rank Talent.

He could already tell that her potential was massive, and soon, she would be scouted by many of the guilds from powerful cities. Her power, although weaker than him, was still very close to catching up to him.

Thanks to his multitude of Skills that mainly supported his Berserker style of hunting, his strength was enhanced significantly. A small smile formed on his face as he proceeded to walk away.

‘….That…was weird…’ Zoey thought, slightly confused. ‘I thought that he’d atleast say something, but he is a busy man after all.’

Zoey turned her attention back to the equipment she had before her, grinning excitedly she first took the Strength Supression Band and tied it around her left arm, immediately her entire body felt weaker than before, making her feel heavier.

[Warning: Host’s Strength Has Been Reduced By 30 Points.] The system informed her, much to her shock.

‘Damn..is this what he was using to train? I only applied one band, there’s still more I haven’t applied yet.’ Zoey thought, astonished by Cain’s strength, but also somewhat intimidated by the Strength Suppression Bands.

Zoey moved and grabbed the second band, she hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether she should put it on and push herself to her limits, or stay content with just one band on her arm.

‘No, I must use this band to better enhance my strength training. I need to push myself to my limits If I wish to grow stronger!’ Zoey said inwardly, determination etched on her face as she quickly tied the band around her right arm, a strong shock penetrating her being.

[Warning: Host’s Strength Has Been Reduced By 30 Points.]

Zoey almost fell to her knees, her body felt so heavy in that moment. But she stayed strong and steeled herself, determined to push through with her training.

“Let’s start with some push-ups…..” Zoey muttered to herself as she gently lowered herself on the ground, placing her hands under her shoulders and gently holding herself up, lowering her back in a straight position.

“One!” Zoey said as she lowered herself on the ground, before lifting herself off with her arms, building a steady momentum as she continued to push through with her push-ups.

Her arms were burning as she continued to blaze through the push-ups, she was suprised that she was still somewhat stronger than herself from a day ago, even with her reduced Strength, Zoey knew that she could do alot that she couldn’t have from when she was Unawakened.

“40…50….” The strain in her arms started to catch up to her as each push-up demanded more effort and resilience, sweat starting to form on her face as she fought through the pain, determined to push through and atleast reach one-hundred.

“80….90…94..” The pain was unbearable, it felt like her limbs were about to give out as they trembled hard, barely able to keep her in a steady position. With grueling effort she pushed through, gritting her teeth and letting out a silent roar as she forced herself to continue pushing up.

“100!” Zoey exclaimed softly as she fell on her back, panting as if she had just run a marathon. Her arms were aching, each breath was laboured, and she started to sweat profusely.

A few minutes passed as she continued to lie there on the ground, resting till the pain in her arms subsided a little. After a few more minutes she finally pushed herself off the ground.

“This….was a a lot harder than I thought I’d be.” She muttered to herself, stretching her arms a little. Zoey removed the Strength Suppression Bands from her arms, a wave of strength returning to her body as she felt back to the peak of her strength, the strain in her arms still present, but more bearable.

“Now for some stamina training…”

———

The orange sky was present as the sun started to set on the horizon, casting a beautiful, and serene glow. Zoey exited from the Hunter Gym, after all the continuous exercises, and gruelling training she had done, a huge sense of accomplishment washed over her.

“That was brutal, but atleast I got a decent workout from it.” Zoey said as she moved from the Hunter Gym, proceeding to walk back to her apartment.

She took a quick sniff of herself, realizing that she smelled really bad, and that she needed to prepare herself for when Christine was going to pick her up.

A blush forming on her cheeks as she thought about the “Date” they were going to have. She stopped in her tracks for a moment, thinking of the best outfit she could wear.

‘No, that won’t work. I need to look my absolute best, now that I have some money I can spend, I can buy myself something good to wear.’ Zoey thought, placing a finger on her chin as she gazed upward.

She clenched her fists as determination flooded her being, her eyes roamed the City grounds as she searched for a nearby mall. Her eyes landed on a nearby mall, just what she was looking for.

“I need to hurry…” Zoey thought as she quickly made her way towards the mall.

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