"Bro, I'm also glad to hear your voice. I managed to meet with the ladies, and they are fine. They lost their phones and their apartments during the flood and attack," Roger said.
Ivan sighed in relief. "That's good to know. Have they been moved to another place yet?" he enquired.
"They haven't, but they've received emails from the Disaster Relief Ministry to be on standby. The relief workers will attend to them soon."
Two notification sounds rang out on Roger's end. Roger paused, his expression unclear to Ivan as he tilted his head back. "The girls just messaged me. They got themselves new phones."
"Honestly, it shouldn't come as a surprise, but it is indeed quite surprising," Ivan admitted.
"Where are you? Or where are you heading?" Roger asked. Ivan was currently walking down the street.
"Uhh..." Ivan deliberated whether he should reveal what he had been up to moments ago. He quickly decided against it. "I'm heading home. I just went out to get some necessities. I'm yet to receive a report about my car. Did I tell you that I was at the crux of the attack?"
Roger's eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding," he said, horror evident in his tone.
"I kid you not. The street was first flooded. Cars' engines got jammed, and they couldn't move. People had to escape their vehicles because of the rising water. Then Merlin_13 happened; parents selfishly abandoned their kids in the cars to die. I had to help save some children."
"Bro!" Roger interjected with an exclamation of disbelief.
"The last kid I saved got blasted to bloody pieces right in my face. It was utterly traumatising, and I was so angry with myself, at the selfish parents, and at the heartless aliens. Everyone had to flee the scene to save their dear lives."
Roger said, "Bro, that's a lot to unpack. And here I was thinking that me surviving a small stampede, which was caused by the news of the alien attack, was a big deal."
Ivan proposed, "I think we and the ladies should meet up tonight to talk and get some fresh air."
Roger nodded. "We should, definitely. Usual spot, no?" he confirmed.
"The usual spot. Wait, the restaurant survived?" Ivan asked, referring to Gustav's Al Fresco Restaurant, their customary outdoor eatery.
Roger chuckled. "Bro, I'm starting to think that place uses some kind of juju. It was unscathed during the whole commotion. I stopped by a few minutes ago and spoke with one of the waiters. He informed me that the entire staff remained inside to survive the chaos. He said no one dared to barge into the place or accidentally crash into it with their car. I was kind of mad. I wanted something to happen to the place."
Ivan laughed. He offered his closing words, "We'll catch up later today at the place. Don't forget to tell the ladies. I'll be a bit busy sorting out some things."
Ivan arrived back in his apartment. He checked his phone again after ending the call with Roger. He was yet to receive an email from the Disaster Relief Ministry concerning his car. He cooked himself a nice meal for the afternoon—a classic spaghetti dish.
Strangely, his appetite had grown ravenous. While cooking, he felt that one pack wouldn't be enough to feed him, so he cooked two. He didn't bother serving the food onto a plate. He took the pot from the kitchen and walked into his bedroom. There, he sat on the floor and wolfed down the delicious spaghetti.
After finishing the meal, he wasn't satisfied. He desired to cook more, but he was too lazy to do so. He simply left the pot in the sink, awaiting washing. He opened the lone window in the bathroom to let in some fresh air.
He then sat on a chair close to the window and gazed at the sky. He reflected on his recent achievement and pondered what to do next. He remembered the checklist he had made for himself before leaving for the gaming hub. He found a pen and a jotter from the chest of drawers beside his bed. He meticulously penned the list onto a page.
He picked up his phone and searched for a well-equipped and affordable gym nearby. The second point on his list was to improve his physique. He soon found a gym he could afford. Exclusive monthly membership cost 750 GP (game points). Ivan looked at his savings of 5000 GP and felt he could comfortably cover the cost.
Ivan changed his attire into a comfortable grey jumper and joggers. He took the last good kit bag he owned and packed a change of clothes. He then departed for the gym.
Moments later, a gym instructor was showing Ivan around the various sections and equipment of the gym. After the introductions, the gym instructor advised Ivan to do some light push-ups and stretches before commencing other, more strenuous exercises.
Ivan stretched his limbs and flexed his joints. He felt a nervous anticipation about doing push-ups. The best he had ever managed was eight. But today, he felt an unusual surge of confidence. He got down on the floor and heaved himself up and down. In the blink of an eye, he had done twenty-five push-ups and showed no signs of stopping. He continued, reaching eighty push-ups before he felt his biceps and triceps begin to ache. He finally stopped at eighty-five push-ups.
'Is this the strength that comes with being a base-rank martial artist? Amazing,' Ivan mused, genuinely impressed.
He stepped onto the treadmill and set the speed to 10 mph on a zero-degree incline. He ran for ten minutes before he started to feel aches in his thighs and calves. Ivan stopped the treadmill and got off the machine. His breathing was heavy. This was the first time in a long while that he had done such serious exercise. He was, by all accounts, grossly unfit for strenuous physical activity.
It was only because of the enhanced physique that came with being a special character that he lasted ten minutes on the treadmill. Otherwise, he would have collapsed within two minutes.
'This stuff is tough. How do people like doing this regularly? My thighs are killing me,' Ivan's thoughts flared up with lamentations.