Chapter 116: Bonus chapter (Magic castle reward)

As Zafron burst through the front door, his face split into a grin that threatened to break free from the confines of his cheeks. Mara and Matilda looked up from their evening activities, startled by his exuberant entrance."Ladies," Zafron announced, puffing out his chest, "you are now looking at the personal guard of none other than Cassandra Beaumont!"

Mara's eyes widened, a delighted smile spreading across her face. "Oh, Zafron! That's wonderful news!" She rushed forward, enveloping him in a warm hug.

Matilda, however, remained seated, her expression a mix of surprise and something else Zafron couldn't quite place. "Well," she said, her voice carefully neutral, "that certainly is... unexpected." Sёarch* The ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'Uh-oh,' Zafron thought, his excitement dimming slightly. 'I know that tone. That's the "I'm happy for you but also worried and maybe a little suspicious" tone. I've heard it before... usually right before something goes terribly wrong.'

But Matilda didn't voice her concerns. Instead, she stood up and joined the celebration, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Congratulations, Zafron. You must be thrilled."

As they sat down to dinner, Zafron regaled them with tales of his day, from the attack to the luxurious mansion tour. There was no point keeping some of the details from them anymore since everything worked out eventually. He realized then that he was partly being paranoid.

He conveniently glossed over the part where Cassandra had effortlessly dispatched three attackers, focusing instead on the opulence of her home and the generous salary.

"One thousand Thalens a day!" he exclaimed, still barely able to believe it himself. "Can you imagine? We'll be living like royalty in no time!"

Mara clapped her hands excitedly, but Matilda's smile seemed a bit forced. "That's certainly... generous," she said carefully. "I hope you're prepared for the responsibilities that come with such a position."

'There it is again,' Zafron thought. 'That tone. Like she's trying to be happy for me but can't quite manage it. I wonder what's really going on in that head of hers.'

But as the night wore on, even Matilda seemed to relax, joining in the celebratory mood. By the time Zafron crawled into bed, his head was spinning with visions of his new life.

'Personal guard to the richest woman in Drakoria,' he mused as he drifted off to sleep. 'Not bad for a guy who was a slave some while ago. I wonder if the job comes with a weapon. Maybe a sword, I've always wanted a sword...'

The next morning, Zafron awoke to the familiar ping of his system activating a new daily quest. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, focusing on the floating text before him:

[Daily Quest Activated]

Quest: Morning Challenge

Complete 60 push-ups

Run 5 kilometers

Perform 150 squats

Reward: +7 Strength, +5 Endurance, +4 Agility

Time Limit: Before sunset

'Well, well,' Zafron thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips. 'Looks like my system has decided to up the ante. It must have heard about my new job and thought, "Hey, this guy's moving up in the world. Let's see if we can make him collapse from exhaustion before his first day of work!"'

Despite his internal grumbling, Zafron couldn't deny a certain excitement at the challenge. He quickly dressed and headed out, deciding to tackle the run first.

As he jogged through the slowly awakening neighborhood, his mind wandered to the day ahead. 'Personal guard to Cassandra Beaumont,' he mused. 'It still sounds surreal. I wonder what my first official duty will be? Fending off overzealous suitors? Taste-testing her morning coffee for poison?

Or maybe just standing around looking intimidating... I should practice my stern face in the mirror.'

By the time he returned home, slightly winded but feeling invigorated, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. Zafron dropped to the ground, ready to tackle the push-ups.

'Sixty push-ups,' he thought as he began. 'No problem. I'll just pretend I'm pushing away all the doubts and insecurities that have plagued me my entire life. One... two... three...

oh gods, why did I agree to this?'

As he struggled through the last few push-ups, his arms trembling with exertion, Zafron couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of his situation. 'Here I am, about to start a job as a bodyguard, and I can barely do sixty push-ups without feeling like my arms are going to fall off. I'm sure Cassandra will be thrilled to know her safety is in such capable hands.'

Finally, it was time for the squats. Zafron took a deep breath, steeling himself for the challenge. 'Alright, legs, don't fail me now. We've got 150 of these bad boys to get through. Just think of it as practice for bowing to all the rich and important people I'll be meeting. Down...

up... down... up... oh look, I can't feel my thighs anymore. That's probably fine, right?'

By the time he finished, Zafron was a sweaty, panting mess, but a sense of accomplishment filled him as the system screen appeared, confirming his completion of the quest. He pulled up his profile, eager to see his improved stats:

-Name:- Zafron

-Potency Level:- 3

-Vitality XP:- 40/350

-Physical Attributes:-

- -Strength:- 24

- -Endurance:- 19

- -Agility:- 17

- -Vitality:- 8

-Eros Attributes:-

- -Virility:- 8

- -Pheromone Production:- 8

- -Reproductive Health:- 9

-Social Attributes:-

- -Charm:- 9

- -Confidence:- 8

- -Attraction:- 7

-Eros Skills:-

- -Stamina:- 8

- -Technique:- 6

- -Intimacy:- 8

-Status:-

- -Overall Health:- 98/100

- -Potency:- 60/100

- -XY Virus Resistance:- 35%

'Not too shabby,' Zafron thought, a grin spreading across his face. 'At this rate, I'll be bench-pressing mansions in no time. Or at least not embarrassing myself completely in front of Cassandra

"Alright, let's see if all this work paid off," he muttered to himself, approaching the wardrobe with renewed confidence.

He bent his knees and gripped the heavy piece of furniture, feeling the familiar weight in his hands. 'Here we go,' he thought, bracing himself. With a deep breath, he lifted the wardrobe.

To his astonishment, it felt almost weightless. The wardrobe rose effortlessly as if it were nothing more than a feather. He carried it across the room with ease, setting it down in its new spot without breaking a sweat.

"Well, well, well," Zafron chuckled, admiring his strength. "Looks like all those push-ups, squats, and running really did the trick."