Level up the Colony

The same female voice from before echoed in his mind.

Timothy froze.

This wasn't his imagination.

It was real.

The screen expanded, and he tapped the first message.

His hand phased through it.

"…Right. Not touch-operated."

He ignored the first message, it was the same thing he had heard when he was dying.

The second one, though…

"Open."

[The King Player system exists to assist in the growth of the King.]

[Quests will be given. Success will be rewarded. Failure will result in severe punishment.]

[Daily Quest: A Strong Body...]

Press-ups, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)

Sit-ups, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)

Squats, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)

Running, 10 km: Incomplete (0/10)

*Warning: Failure to complete daily quests will result in a penalty.

_

"Close."

The screen vanished.

Timothy sighed.

"Yeah… this isn't for me."

Grabbing his bag, phone, and the box with the ant, he left the hospital.

Timothy went straight to bed after reaching home.

His room was small, shared with his sister, but comfortable.

The moment his head hit the pillow, exhaustion took over.

He didn't even hear the usual noisy household.

By the time he woke, the moon was high, and the house was silent.

He needed the bathroom.

Groggy, he walked in, did his business, and returned to bed.

But he couldn't sleep.

He tossed, turned, forced his eyes shut, but nothing worked.

Checking the wall clock, it was 11:55 PM.

It's not even midnight yet…

Something felt off.

Restless, he grabbed his phone, planning to play a game.

No data.

Fine.

Maybe a movie.

But then he remembered, he didn't download any.

That was his sister's thing.

Frustrated, he got up, deciding to take a short walk around the house.

Just as he reached the door...

THUD.

Pain shot through his foot.

He had kicked something solid.

Looking down, his eyes widened.

It was the box.

The one with the ant.

Did it escape?!

A cold sweat broke out on his back.

A possible dungeon creature, loose in his house?

As he frantically checked the box...

DING.

The clock struck midnight.

A notification flashed in his vision.

_

[You have failed to complete the daily quest.]

[You will be transferred to the Penalty Zone for punishment.]

—

Timothy's breath hitched.

He looked around.

Nothing changed.

No monsters.

No attacks.

He sighed in relief.

"It isn't real" He told himself

Until...

His sister was no longer on the bed.

He turned.

The furniture started disappearing.

One by one, his room faded into nothingness.

Eyes wide, Timothy bolted for the door, yanking it open.

Only to step into a forest.

The last thing he saw behind him

The remains of his room collapsing into dust.

Timothy's breath hitched as he stood frozen.

The fog stretched endlessly around him, limiting his vision to just ten meters.

Towering trees loomed above, their thick canopies blocking out the sky.

The ground beneath his bare feet was an unpleasant mix of mud, grass, and something solid, but his mind was too overwhelmed to register what.

DING!

[Penalty Quest: Survive the Jungle.]

[Optional Quest: Complete one of the daily quests 10×.]

[Time allotted: 3:59:59.]

Timothy's breath turned shaky.

His pulse pounded in his ears as he turned in circles, scanning the misty, unfamiliar jungle.

Too fast.

Too sudden.

"Calm down, Tim. Just survive." He forced himself to think rationally.

He had seen survival tutorials online before.

He just needed to...

Find water.

'If the wind is salty, water is nearby, If dry, head in the opposite direction.' he told himself inwardly

But as he turned to test the air

His stomach dropped.

There was no wind.

That's… impossible.

CRUNCH.

A twig snapped behind him.

Timothy spun around.

"Hey! Is someone there?"

Silence.

His fingers clenched, reaching for something, anything solid. He spotted a stone and bent to grab it when his eyes locked onto a pair of red pupils.

Lurking just beyond the fog.

Timothy's breath stilled.

Slowly, he stood up.

The pupils stayed level with his.

No matter how high he lifted his gaze, the creature's stare never wavered.

That meant one thing.

It's huge.

And in just a blink, The red vanished.

And a searing pain slashed across his leg.

His knickers tore, blood trickled down his thigh.

Instinct kicked in.

Timothy turned and ran.

A roar erupted behind him.

The chase had begun.

---

Timothy bolted upright in his bedroom.

4 AM said the wall clock.

Sweat drenched his skin, his chest heaving like he had just run a marathon.

At some time he had been spawned in his room again

His sister was already awake, preparing food in the kitchen.

The twins were still fast asleep.

Timothy, however, looked like hell.

His body was covered in cuts, bruises, dirt, and…

He was only in his underwear.

For five full minutes, he couldn't catch his breath.

DING!

[Penalty Quest Completed.]

[You have received your rewards.]

[Optional Quest Failed. No rewards granted.]

This time, Timothy didn't ignore it.

He read every word.

The pain in his muscles and the ache in his bones made sure of it.

Slowly, he forced himself up.

Every inch of his body screamed.

Still, he dragged himself to the bathroom, making sure to avoid his sister.

The moment he stepped under the running water... Darkness.

Some time later...

Cold water splashed over him.

Timothy's eyes shot open.

He skimmer around his surroundings and noticed he was still in the bathroom

And he was Naked.

His mother stood over him, arms crossed.

"Are you okay?"

"…Yeah." His voice was hoarse.

Forcing himself up, he saw the sky through the window was already dark.

"…Dinner?" He muttered in disbelief.

"You've been asleep all day."

Timothy froze.

Had he really lost another entire day?

His mind raced.

His injuries were somehow unnoticeable.

"What's happening to me…?"

Shoving his questions aside, he finished his bath and changed into comfortable house clothes.

As he stepped into the living room, the aroma of jollof rice and vegetables hit him.

He took the plate from his mother with a quiet "thank you."

The TV played a Kpop drama, which his sister was glued to.

His younger brothers, a pair of twins, were engaged in their usual battle for food.

Timothy barely heard any of it.

His mind was elsewhere.

The system.

The jungle.

The punishment.

He had almost died

Without thinking, he muttered

"System."

DING!

A window appeared.

[Do you wish to receive rewards for the Penalty Quest?]

Timothy blinked.

But even weirder...

The entire room fell silent.

Four pairs of wide eyes turned to him.

He had just spoken while eating.

Something he never did.

The awkwardness was unbearable.

Timothy stood up abruptly.

"…Goodnight."

He grabbed his plate and left the room.

The moment the door closed behind him, his sister whispered to the twins.

"Brother's been sleeping since yesterday…"

Her words spiraled into playful teasing between the kids.

His mother, however, remained quiet, her eyes filled with concern.

---

Back in his room, Timothy placed his plate on the table and took a deep breath.

"…Yes."

DING!

[You have received the rewards for the Penalty Quest.]

Choose one:

1. Full Recovery

2. +3 Stat Points

3. Random Box

Timothy didn't hesitate.

The first thing he had learned was that the system was real.

Its motives?

Unclear.

But for now…

He needed proof.

"Reward 1."

A wave of euphoria flooded his body.

The aches vanished.

The fatigue evaporated.

The stinging pain of cuts and bruises became non-existent.

His mind snapped into clarity.

For the first time since waking up... Timothy felt alive.

Timothy felt a surge of energy course through his body as the warm glow enveloped him and faded.

His fatigue vanished.

His aches dissolved.

His muscles felt light and fresh, like he had been remade from the inside out.

"This is real," he whispered, flexing his fingers.

"Better than a random box. I needed this." he released a satisfied sigh

A small movement caught his eye.

There, on the corner of his work desk, the gray ant twitched its antenna in smooth arcs.

Timothy's brows furrowed.

Is it… happy?

It was the same ant, he was sure of it.

Finding another gray ant was unlikely, and unless this one reproduced, it had to be the same creature from before.

Timothy leaned closer.

"This doesn't make sense," he muttered.

"Ants don't have emotions. They communicate through pheromones… right?"

The ant stared at him.

Timothy stretched out a finger to nudge it.

It clung onto him instantly.

Lifting it up for closer inspection, he noticed something strange.

"I might be overthinking it, but… why do its antennae bend forward like that?" He tilted his hand.

"And its body, it looks more robust than before. Is this normal for dungeon ants?"

DING!

[Daily Quest: A Strong Body]

Push-ups – 100: Incomplete (0/100)

Sit-ups – 100: Incomplete (0/100)

Squats – 100: Incomplete (0/100)

Running – 10km: Incomplete (0/10)

*Warning: Failure to complete will result in a penalty.

Timothy exhaled sharply.

"There's a reason it's called a daily quest."

Anf he had been sleeping the whole day.

He couldn't afford to miss this one and risk punishment again.

The thought bringing up trauma.

Without hesitation, he placed the ant down and dropped into position.