《Transmigrated as an NTR’ed protagonist.》Chapter 16
Advertisement
The following six days were akin to torture. Yet, no matter how hard I worked out, I felt more or less alright the next day. Was this the effect of the game, or was it good genes, and I wasn't actually bullshitting before?
After waking up, I was eating a rather heavy breakfast then going straight to the gym. Waiting for Jessie to come and instruct me on what to do.
I thought that I would do the same course of exercises, but she changed it every day.
"We need to assess different things," was what she said as I was dying on the Treadmill.
Greg caught me on one of the days and started talking that he was exercising in his youth. He was mostly doing weightlifting, and he got overly excited while talking about it, giving different tips to me.
"You should show them how our family does things. Give it your all." It was his way of cheering me up.
I didn't know if I was 'showing' anything, but the number of people watching over me increased the more tests I passed.
On the first day, there were two guys, but they left when we returned from the infirmary.
On the second day, these guys were in the gym. When I asked Jessie who they were, she told me that they were part of the team. They were resting and recovering from the recent fights. When I saw the exact manner in which they rested, I once again doubted if I chose the right path for myself.
On the third day, the number of people watching somehow increased. I remember a girl and one more guy entering the gym and walking towards the previous duo. They talked about something and looked in my direction.
On the fourth day, even more people came. When I asked Jessie if everything was alright, she told me, "If you have enough strength to talk, then do more exercises."
I couldn't ignore what happened on the fifth day as the number of people increased even more. They were cheering for me. I pressed Jessie for answers because I didn't like the attention of this crowd, and she told me. Too many times I came near breaking records. And this feat wasn't anything worth any attention unless these records were broken by a single person. As they belonged to different men and women, I was one of a kind reaching such high numbers.
I didn't know what would come out of this trial. So hearing this, I felt a wave of euphoria. I have always envied those guys in the gyms, professional athletes or fighters. How they went against all odds and won. Their feeling of hardly achieved victory. As I was rather lazy and unmotivated, the feeling of my blood boiling wasn't enough to move me.
But right now, I've had everything without training. This body was already maxed out, so all the grinding was done before me. I could get a victory depending on the strength of my willpower. And the more I got into it, the more I wanted to show them that I had the willpower.
On the sixth day, a rather small gym was packed with people who were cheering for me. I lost my shyness somewhere in the middle of this road, and I tried to give their cheering back to them. However, I wasn't able to top any record.
"You know, it would be terrible if you would gain an injury so slow down a little," Jessie probably felt how hot-blooded I was.
Advertisement
But I didn't listen to her advice.
On the seventh and the last day, what was waiting for me was weightlifting. Jessie told me it was to measure my actual muscle strength. Two big dudes were acting as my assistants in case something would go wrong. When I asked if I needed any helping equipment, they told me that this one didn't need it.
This day would end as all the other ones if it wasn't for the ending. I was frustrated with the way I was nearing the records but couldn't even match any of them. The last chance to do it was an overhead press with a barbell. As it was weight training, the number of my tries was limited.
My veins bulged, and I started groaning through tightly clenched teeth as I was doing my first try. It had a slightly lower weight than the record. On the second try, I asked to add more weight. Jessie protested, but she was silenced and pushed away by two big guys who added two more plates.
I was feeling that it would be easy to repeat this, but I was wrong. Two more plates that didn't even weigh as much as a large bottle of water made a huge difference. I bet my face was redder than a tomato when I was lifting it.
As I was looking around, I saw a lot of expectant eyes all around me. With one last push, I lifted it over my head and threw it down.
""YEAH!!!""
"GO FOR THE NEW RECORD!!!"
"MORE WEIGHT!!!"
The crowd broke into cheers as I managed to match the record. But I still had one more try.
"Do you want to go for a new record?"
I turned to look at the one who was talking. It was one of the big dudes that were ensuring my safety. I couldn't quite understand what was happening around me, and I looked for Jessie, but she was nowhere to be found.
Lifting it twice was hard enough. I didn't know what was harder, actual training on the first few days or this one. The first two tries completely drained my strength.
But then this feeling that was in the depth of my stomach returned to me. I think I understood what it was, dopamine and adrenaline. I wasn't sure, but the feeling of happiness was probably because of these hormones.
As my eyes grew focused, I looked into the eyes of the one who asked me.
"Yeah, I want more."
He nodded, and with the help of the other dude, two more slates were added.
I took the barbell and started getting in the proper position.
"HUP!" I lifted the barbell and placed it on my shoulders and chest muscles. I was getting even more lightheaded. I thought that I would lose consciousness at any second. I had a feeling like my muscles were tearing up while my lungs were burning. It felt like someone poured molten metal into them. While I was holding this position, the people around me turned into a blurry picture while the shouts were no longer reaching my ears.
I remembered how I asked my parents to buy me a dumbbell when I was young. But after a week or so, I forgot about them. I remembered how I gave up on studying for the best college and ended up in one with Andrew. I remembered how I liked the girl but didn’t want to change myself, thus leaving this love buried deep inside me.
All the times I gave up halfway were replaced by one of the most recent memories.
Advertisement
How I freaked out when I ended up in this world, how all those around me were driving me into the enclosure. Act like this guy, do what you're told. Pushing me around imposing their will on me.
One step in the right direction, one step in the left direction, is rejected. The role you should play is already determined.
"You know, when I was feeling that it was impossible to do the weight, I would roar and push every little bit of energy out of my body. It helped me a lot of times" I remembered Greg said something like this.
"UOOOOH!!!" I roared and pushed my hands. I felt something dripping from my nose. Not only my muscles but my ligaments were also stretching far more than they could while my bones started creaking.
"AAAGH!!!" Every cell in my body was screaming as I pushed the barbell higher and higher. With one last push, I lifted it up in one swift motion. I held it in the position above my head for a second or two before slamming it down.
As I didn't need to do anything anymore, I started falling down. That's when Jessie held me from behind. Where was she hiding before? My view changed from the blurry crowd to the white ceiling, then to her face. She handed a handkerchief to me as she was talking about something. I couldn’t hear her. As my sense of hearing was returning, I heard only whistling.
When Reid punched me, I was shocked. It was hard to say that he stunned me. While right now, I felt my soul leaving my body.
"Erlig, can you hear me?" as I closed and opened my eyes a few times, I finally regained my senses. Now I could see how worried Jessie was. As well as hearing the roar of the crowd cheering. Screaming that this time they found an absolute monster.
"Yeah, I'm alright." I tried to stand up but almost tumbled down. If it wasn't for the help of Jessie and that big dude, I would probably fall flat on my face.
"Patrice, why the hell did you do it?" Jessie sounded angry, to say the least.
"He wanted to do it." I heard a deep, soothing voice.
"So what? Didn't you see, he was already feeling bad enough after the second try."
"Yes, I saw it. Still, It's up to him to decide. If he wants to continue or give up." I finally managed to take a good look at him. He was a tall black guy with a short spiky haircut. He didn't look as brawny as I, but he was definitely taller than me.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Patrice Vidal. Jessie told me that she found someone good, but I thought it was all big talk," he extended his hand for a handshake.
"Erlig, Erlig Grimes." as we shook our hands, he flashed me a smile.
"At first, I looked at you and thought you were so-so, but after seeing your results, you proved me wrong. Especially with the strength of your spirit." He looked not so nice and kind, but the way he spoke was notably gentle and amiable.
"What about them?"
"Gosh, you long ago made a new record by gaining constantly good results. Even without this stunt you did, you would pass the trial with distinction." Jessie was still fussing over the thing I did.
Nevertheless, it felt great to do it. I started laughing at all the things that happened these days. The thing that was dripping from my nose turned out to be blood, so Jessie insisted on going to the infirmary. I've probably been there more times than in my whole previous life. After a thorough checkup, they told me that everything was alright.
As I rested while they looked at me over, I reassured Jessie that everything was alright. After all, the healing capabilities of this body were top-notch.
I insisted that I was alright and wanted some time alone. After that, Jessie gave me a long lecture stating that I should visit the gym tomorrow and be careful. Saying my goodbyes to everyone, I started walking home.
I plugged in my earphones and started listening to some music. I was feeling great. The way I handled this last test and apparently passed the trial was a good sign. While the things that emerged from the depth of my consciousness were not so good. I didn't know whose feeling it was or why I thought like that. If I got some spare money, I should probably visit the professional.
I was standing on the crossroad while waiting for the traffic lights to change colors. There was a rather large group of men looking unappealing. I saw groups like that every day when I was going to college in my previous life, but this particular group somehow caught my attention.
They had more people than a team of football players. And the way they looked smelled like trouble. Some of them even had bandanas hiding their faces.
I started feeling nervous while looking at them and decided to go around them. That was until they started pointing in my direction. While a few of them were pointing in my direction, the one that looked bigger than the rest took out his phone.
I heard a whistle from their side of the road through my earphones. A second later, they were already running in my direction.
"CATCH HIM FIRST!"
What the fuck this was?
One more second later, I was running away from them. I didn't even know why I started running. If it was a usual situation, I would first talk to them. But my legs started running before I could think. I heard cars screeching, even through the music.
One of my earphones was unplugged because I was running fast. And I started hearing what they were shouting much better.
"STOP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"
"THROW SOMETHING AT HIM!"
"CIRCLE HIM!"
FUCK!
I turned my head backward while running on the absurdly wide street and saw a big group of thugs running after me. They didn't stop even if there were people in front of them. Shoving everyone who was in front, they tried to catch me. Luckily, the distance between us was slowly growing because I was faster.
That was when someone threw a rock or a brick at me. As I tried to dodge it, I didn't manage to spot a step in the road and fell down, rolling on the ground.
I hastily stood up and looked at the crowd that started hurling everything they could at me while the rest of them almost caught up to me.
FUCK!!! SHIT!!!
I didn't know what to do. If I was hit by the things they threw at me, I would probably be done for. What to do?
As I once again started running, I saw a narrow branching of this street. So I turned and started running there. If I enter a small, narrow street, they won't be able to run after me with the whole crowd, thus losing some of their men.
"FUCK, CIRCLE HIM AROUND!!! THE REST ARE TO GO WITH ME!"
I heard the voice that issued an order to catch me shouting again.
This side street was tight as well as curving and turning all the time. I don't know how many times I shifted directions.
As I looked sideways through the passages I was running by, I saw another group, besides the one behind me. These ones were running alongside me.
DAMN! WHAT TO DO?! FUCK!!! I still didn’t manage to recover from the trial, and my muscles started hurting like hell.
As I was running here and there, I completely lost track of where I was.
FUCK ME!
That was when I ran into the wall.
It was a dead end. I heard the sound of countless shoes as well as shouting. Fuck it! I dropped my bag and saw a trash bin. Using it as a trampoline, I somehow managed to grab the edge of the wall.
"AAARGH!!!" If breaking the record was tough to do, right now, this pull-up felt as if the weight of the whole earth was on my back.
"FUCK, DON'T LET HIM CLIMB OVER."
I felt a dull pain resounding in my back. They were probably throwing something at me.
I felt how one of them caught my leg. As I looked down, the guy who caught me was smiling.
"LET! ME! GO!" I hit him with the other leg knocking him down. I felt the biggest outburst of strength so far as I finally climbed the wall in a swift motion. I fell down on the other side of this wall.
Landing on my legs was probably a bad idea. They were now hurting like hell. As I looked around, I didn't see anyone near me, but I saw my bag. I didn't have any time to think about why it ended up here. I grabbed the bag and started running in what felt like the opposite direction of this gang.
I saw how this tight, tunnel-like alleyway finally widened. But what terrified me was that a guy was standing in front, and he looked like he belonged to the same gang.
Advertisement
Nero Zero
Monsters plagued the lands for too long. No matter if one had fangs, beak, teeth, skin, fur, or feather, or was tall, stout, or diminutive, the people suffered. Until the Gadgeteers came with a device that could allow people to fight back. Powered by one's own magical power, feeding off of monster Essence, the Arbitrium bracer turned the tables. It also changed society. Strength of one's level cap was all that mattered. The strongest were Kings and Emperors. The weak or those too poor to afford the marvelous device, destitute. And so it has been for millennia. All that mattered was one's level cap. High, low, a fate decided the moment the strange contraption came alive. Too high and you were a threat to those interested in keeping the status quo, a weed to be nipped before it could grow and take root. Too low and you were nobody, fated to be a bit more than a simple farmer. What if someone, somewhere, came up with a zero for their level cap? Unable to use Essence, unable to level up. On all of recorded history, it never happened. Until it did. In a small village of fur-less and tail-less ape-beastkin, a boy found out he was uniquely handicapped. Nero's level cap was Zero. But he'd never let that stop him from reaching his goals. ------------------------------------------------ All stories have already been told. We merely reuse elements from them. From Joseph Campbell's Monomith to Stephen King's advice, and that encyclopedia of tropes you've visited, fiction has been dissected and reassembled countless times. One will surely find elements inspired on other works here. Just like cooking from basic ingredients, the recipe and presentation is what really matter. This is a fantasy adventure, of someone that goes from a zero to a slightly bigger zero. It will have romance but no harem. Cruelty but with hope dimly shining ahead. Lightweight where it can be, heavy where it must. Thanks for reading. Cover Credits (The cover is CC-BY-NC-SA): Steampunk Spider Bracer, by Daniel Proulx. CC-BY-NC-SA Picture Frame, @anaterate, Pixabay license. Some odds and bits from here and there.
8 262The Uneventful Life of Elaine
Elaine Aleytia is a girl that was born into a wealthy household. 16 years of age and certainly a beauty. Although her life might be a luxury that is surely envied by others, they might think that it would be ironic when they see Elaine's true thoughts. For a long time now Elaine has been thinking about what could be the outcome of her life if she was born as a simple girl? away from the attention of other rich and influential people. Where she could spend her life idly sitting in the vicinity in the forest and enjoying the setting sun. Nobody would really know except Elaine herself. At the celebration of her older brother's engagement, a gathering was to be held within their palace like house. Little did Elaine know that a new chapter in her life was about to unfold. Elaine drank a wine that was poisoned; she choked and fell to the ground. She thought to herself. "Ah... what a pitiful life this has been, I never asked to be an aristocrat's daughter, If only I could have been born simple, yet, happy...." She closed her eyes, accepting her demise. Only to suddenly wake up in an unfamiliar location. She looked around and saw things that could have not existed in the modern era where she was living. "Where is this place? I... don't remember going out of the country" Thus, bringing a new chapter to Elaine's Uneventful Life.
8 79D-INJECT Second Birthday
Heaven's memory of the past three years has come to a close. The supernatural battles in Evo City have become few and far between. The Demons have resigned themselves to peace for the time being. But the silent peace of the last three years is torn apart when Nina launches a devastating attack that sets the eyes of the world upon Evo City. Now countless new enemies take their positions on the board, and in the midst of the coming battle, Heaven faces a truth that destroys him. He is left lost at a fork in the road. He can either fade away with the dying city, or change himself entirely. life.
8 192The Endless War
New chapters will be posted weekly on Mondays and Saturdays. ---------------------------------------------------- Seers are the only defense that Terra has against the monsters that lurk about in the world. Terra is a city fighting for its own survival in a fantasy world with finite resources. One of the main ways to survive is to fight. War is a common practice and more often than not the leaders of the world cannot get along with each other. In the end, however, all of this fighting does more harm than good. A young boy wishes to put an end to the wars, this boy's name is Isaac. He holds a strong belief that everyone can be saved in this world and that no one should be given up on. Peace is something that he truly believes will help the world and allow civilians to see another day. In order to reach such an impossible goal, he will have to fight in the name of his Region. Does he have what it takes to finally bring peace to the world with the help of his friends, or will he fail before he can even scratch the surface?
8 313The Time I Became a War Golem
Oh hey! Welcome! It's a pleasure for me that you stumbled here and found this story. What? What exactly is this story? Oh you know, it's like those run-of-the-mill Isekai stories, the main character dies and then gets reborn to another world, fights all kinds of evils and stuff until they finally get a happily ever after. I am the Main Character in this story, your's truly Nigto Zed. In this story, you would follow my life (of course) in the World of Gaia, where I would be involved in fights of both Good and Evil and also the ones inbetweens. You would also read about some of the lives of the people that I meet here from their perspective so it's not all me. Oh well, enough with this. Again, I welcome you to the World of Gaia, wherein, Man and Demi-humans alike experience the two sides of Life, The White and Pure along with the Black and Stained. This is the story of both Suffering and Healing. Of both Successes and Failures. A world where Souls paves the way to Destiny, and where Relationships ensures Victory. This is the World of Gaia and this is also the Story of the Time I Became a War Golem. Enjoy!
8 159A Knights Sin ( Seven deadly sins x male reader)
Y/n Alastor, a young boy that wants to become a holy knight in the land of Britannia. Y/n learns all of his fighting skills from a group higher than the holy knights, the seven deadly sins. He soon befriends him and wants to be like them, but when he finds out that they are framed, will he go against his own code to help his allies?
8 351