Leorio the Shadow Monarch - Chapter 10
Chapter 10: The Longest Path & Resource Management
The ‘Majority Rules’ path eventually led them, not to another immediate choice, but to a stark, functional chamber that felt depressingly permanent. A single, heavy door dominated one wall, displaying a large digital timer already counting down from a staggering fifty hours. No buttons, no levers, no other exits. Just blank walls, basic benches, a primitive restroom facility, and a small kitchenette area with emergency rations. They were stuck.
A collective groan went through the small group. “Fifty hours?!” Gon exclaimed, his usual optimism momentarily dimmed. “We have to wait here for two whole days?”
Killua kicked moodily at the wall. “This is the stupidest trap ever. Talk about boring.”
Kurapika sighed, already pulling out a small book he somehow kept pristine within his tabard. “It seems this path tests patience as much as decision-making. We must endure it.”
Tonpa slumped onto a bench with a theatrical sigh. “Fifty hours… I didn’t bring enough snacks for this…”
Leorio stared at the timer, then mentally checked the clock on his system interface. Fifty hours. Two full days plus change. Initially, frustration pricked at him. This was a massive chunk of their 72-hour total limit. But then, another part of his mind, the part attuned to his system’s potential, saw an opportunity. A golden, uninterrupted opportunity.
He accessed his Quest Log, focusing on the `[Permanent Daily Quest: Path to Strength]`. Requiring 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run for completion, offering a tantalizingly unknown reward each time. He’d completed the running and squat portions multiple times over during the first phase’s marathon and stair climb, but the push-ups and sit-ups had been neglected. Now? He had fifty hours. He could do more than just one daily completion. He could grind.
Okay, system, he thought, a determined glint in his eyes. Let’s see how much stronger fifty hours of boredom and desperation can make me. His goal: complete the full cycle – 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and the 10km run equivalent – ten times before that timer hit zero. 1000 reps of each exercise, 100km of pacing this damn room. It sounded insane. It probably was insane. Perfect.
While the others settled into various states of boredom – Gon eventually coaxing Killua into some intricate hand-slapping games, Kurapika becoming utterly absorbed in his book, Tonpa attempting to nap or subtly annoy people – Leorio found a clear space on the floor and began.
Push-ups first. With his current Strength (STR 38), the first set of 100 felt almost insultingly easy. He powered through them quickly, focusing on maintaining form. Then, sit-ups. Again, his core strength made them manageable, but the sheer repetition quickly became monotonous. Squats followed, his leg muscles already well-acquainted with the motion after the Tower entrance stairs. For the run, he resorted to pacing relentlessly back and forth across the length of the room, a human caged tiger, tracking the distance mentally via his system’s internal calculations supplementing the daily quest counter.
After maybe an hour and a half of continuous effort, the first cycle completed.
`[Daily Quest: Path to Strength – Complete!]`
`[Reward Ready. Please Select:]`
`[1. Status Recovery (Full HP/AP/Fatigue Restore)]`
`[2. +3 Stat Points]`
`[3. Random Reward Box]`
Leorio didn’t hesitate. Recovery was unnecessary right now; his fatigue was minimal thanks to his VIT 42. The random box felt too unpredictable – could be junk, could be amazing, not worth the risk when guaranteed progress was available. He selected option 2. `[+3 Stat Points Acquired. Please Allocate.]` He banked the points for now, deciding to allocate them all at the end. Without pausing, he immediately launched into the second cycle.
The hours crawled by. Leorio became a machine. Push-up, sit-up, squat, pace. Repeat. The initial ease gave way to a grueling test of endurance. His muscles burned, not from the intensity of any single rep, but from the sheer, mind-numbing volume. Sweat poured off him, soaking his suit (which was starting to smell decidedly unpleasant).
Around the fifth cycle, Killua paused his game with Gon, watching Leorio with a curious expression. “Oi, old man,” Killua called out, using his favorite nickname for Leorio. “What’s with the sudden workout obsession? Trying to impress someone?”
Leorio grunted mid-push-up. “Just… staying sharp,” he gasped out. “Can’t let boredom make me dull. Besides,” he switched to sit-ups, “maybe you should try it? Looks like you’re getting soft just sitting there.”
Killua scoffed. “As if. Want a real challenge? How many push-ups can you do without stopping?”
Leorio, nearing the end of his sit-up set for cycle six, just smirked. “More than you, kid.” Ten minutes later, after finishing his current cycle’s requirements and collecting another 3 stat points, he accepted Killua’s impromptu challenge. Killua, relying on his Zoldyck conditioning, powered through push-ups with incredible speed and form. Leorio matched him, but instead of speed, he focused on relentless consistency, his system-enhanced stamina easily outlasting Killua’s more explosive but ultimately finite reserves. Killua eventually collapsed around the 200 mark, panting, while Leorio continued for another fifty just to make a point, barely breathing hard.
“Show off,” Killua grumbled, though there was a flicker of grudging respect in his eyes. Leorio just grinned and went back to his squats.
Cycle after cycle, Leorio collected the `[+3 Stat Points]` reward, banking them mentally. Nine cycles completed. Twenty-seven stat points waiting. He was nearing the end of the 50 hours, muscles aching with a deep fatigue that even his high Vitality couldn’t completely negate after nearly two days of constant exertion. He pushed through the tenth and final cycle, every rep an exercise in pure willpower.
`[Daily Quest: Path to Strength – Complete!]`
`[Reward Ready. Please Select:]`
`[1. Status Recovery (Full HP/AP/Fatigue Restore)]`
`[2. +3 Stat Points]`
`[3. Random Reward Box]`
This time, he selected option 1. He already had the stat points; this recovery felt far more valuable. A prompt appeared.
`[Status Recovery reward acquired. Effect: Instantly restores HP, AP to full and resets Fatigue to 0%. Can be stored indefinitely until activated manually via system interface or vocal command (“System, Activate Recovery”). Activate Now? Y/N]`
Leorio’s eyes widened slightly. Storable? Indefinitely? That was huge. It was exactly like a Senzu Bean from that old manga he loved. A complete reset button for desperate situations. He mentally selected ‘N’. A small, green cross icon appeared subtly in the corner of his vision, indicating the stored charge. “Well, hello there, panic button,” he thought with dark satisfaction. “Nice to know I have one life-saving miracle tucked away for when things inevitably go completely sideways.”
Now, for the fun part. He opened his status screen, navigating to the stat allocation section. 27 points available. He considered spreading them – AGI for speed, VIT for more toughness, INT for AP and system functions… but the memory of needing raw power, both against the pigs and potentially against future threats, swayed him. He dumped all 27 points into Strength.
`[Allocating 27 points to Strength…]`
`[Strength: 38 -> 65]`
He felt it immediately – not a dramatic outward change, but an internal one. A feeling of denser muscle, of greater potential force coiled within him. His grip felt stronger, his stance more solid. He mentally calculated the change: STR 65 x 500kg/STR point = 32,500 kg. 32.5 tons of lifting strength. Significantly more than Killua’s estimated base. He wouldn’t be tossing buildings around, but for smashing, lifting, or resisting physical force? He was a powerhouse.
With the training done and time still crawling, boredom led him to explore the system’s less obvious functions. He opened the `[Mall]` again. As expected, items from his journey were cataloged: `[Great Stampede Pig Meat (Raw) – 500 Jenny/kg]`, `[Spider Eagle Egg (Boiled) – 10,000 Jenny]`, `[Swamp Frog Leg (Questionable) – 20 Jenny]`. Prices seemed somewhat arbitrary, likely based on rarity or perceived value within the Hunter world. Still zero Jenny to his name.
He wandered over to the kitchenette area. There was a dusty refrigerator humming weakly. Inside? Some ancient-looking vacuum-sealed packs labeled ‘Emergency Rations’ and a truly horrific-looking wedge of cheese sporting several vibrant shades of green and blue mold. Curiosity piqued, Leorio cautiously poked the ration pack. Then he touched the fuzzy cheese, recoiling slightly. He checked the Mall interface again.
New entries appeared:
`[Standard Emergency Ration Bar (Edible?) – 50 Jenny]`
`[Purified Water (Dispenser Refill Cartridge) – 100 Jenny]` (He’d touched the nearby water dispenser too)
`[Ancient Moldy Cheese (Biohazard?) – 1 Jenny (WARNING: Consumption Not Advised By System)]`
Leorio blinked. It worked. The system cataloged items he physically interacted with, adding them to the Mall’s database with an assigned price. It wasn’t creating things from nothing, but rather creating access – the potential to purchase a replicated item later, provided he had the currency. It was a subtle but potentially powerful function. Need a specific antidote he once held? Maybe it’s in the Mall now. Lost a unique tool? Check the Mall. The possibilities were intriguing, though still locked behind the insurmountable wall of ‘0 Jenny’.
The final hour ticked down agonizingly slowly. Leorio sat, stretching his protesting muscles, feeling the quiet hum of his vastly increased strength and the reassuring presence of the stored Status Recovery. He felt ready. Stronger, more prepared, with a better understanding of his system’s quirks. The 50-hour wait had been mind-numbing, but far from wasted.
With a heavy, grinding groan, the timer hit zero, and the massive stone door began to slide open. Time to move.