By the time Vincent finally made it back home, dusk had already spread its lazy arms across the sky. As usual, he dragged himself to the market, filled his bags with ingredients, and returned home to begin prepping. It had become a rhythm—chop, marinate, stir, portion, store. A rhythm his body was starting to resent.
When he was done, he collapsed onto a chair, his whole body screaming in protest. His arms ached from wielding knives all day, his back felt as though he'd been carrying sacks of rice, and his legs throbbed like they'd walked a thousand miles. Every joint burned.
For the first time since starting this crazy venture, Vincent felt like he'd hit a wall.
He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "I don't think I can keep this up…" he muttered, his voice hoarse. "If I keep going like this, I'll collapse before I even get halfway."
With a sigh, he looked up at the glowing blue screen of the system. The timer blinked back at him in cold indifference:
—————————————
Mission: Acquire a restaurant
Rewards: |unlock 2 new recipes| +50 points| +10 increase across strength, speed, agility & intelligence| +5 increase all core stats| Restaurant blueprint — Grade C| Support Unit Protocol Unlock|
Time Limit: 26 days
Penalty: Failure will result in the host's termination
—————————————
Twenty-six. Still plenty of time on paper, but at this pace, it might as well have been an impossible mountain. He could already feel tomorrow's exhaustion clawing at his bones before it even arrived.
He buried his face In his hands. "This is insane. I'm exhausted. I don't want to work tomorrow. But I have to…" His voice trembled with frustration. "I have to, because it's working. People actually love my food. But—" he clenched his fists— "what's the point if I burn out before the finish line?"
For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the room.
Finally, with a mix of desperation and irritation, Vincent looked at the screen again and called out. "System… hey, aren't you supposed to help me? I can't keep this up. Not like this."
The air shimmered faintly as the familiar robotic tone of the system answered, calm and almost cold:
[As your system, I exist to guide and support you. For your dedication, perseverance, and refusal to quit despite overwhelming fatigue, you are rewarded.]
The screen flashed, and a line of glowing text appeared:
—————————————
+3 Speed | +3 Strength | +2 Agility | +2 Vitality | +5 Fatigue Resistance | +1 Recovery speed | +1 Stamina
Status Window
Name: Vincent Locke
Level: 1
Core Stats:
Strength: 6
Speed: 6
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 4
Stamina: 35 / 35 (pool of physical energy)
Vitality: 8 (durability & life force)
Fatigue Resistance: 12 (reduces stamina drain rate)
Recovery Speed: 2 (stamina/health restored per minute at rest)
System Exchange Units (SEU) balance: 0
(NOTE— All point rewards directly convert into SEU. SEU can be used by the host to purchase the following: Special Skills, Recipes & Culinary Knowledge, Upgrades, Ingredients & Supplies, Equipment & Tools, Stats Boost & Perks, Restaurant Development, Special Utilities and Mystery Unlocks)
Derived Effects:
•Host can sustain peak exertion for 9–10 minutes straight before stamina collapse. After stamina collapse, movement efficiency drops by 60% until recovery.
•Each minute of rest restores +2 stamina
•Natural healing: +1 HP per hour (from Vitality 8).
•Very low resistance to poison, disease, and wounds due to low vitality.
•Takes 7% less exhaustion damage due to Fatigue Resistance
Notes:
•Endurance training, prolonged exertion, and consuming stamina-rich foods/elixirs will raise Stamina.
•Vitality increases by surviving near-fatal wounds, resisting toxins, cultivating life energy, or strengthening the body's foundation.
•Recovery Speed improves through adaptive physiology, willpower discipline, exposure to healing environments & meditation techniques
•Fatigue Resistance increases passively with long-term strain on the body, overexertion, pushing beyond limits, and mastering efficient movement/technique.
General Stat Growth can be achieved via:
•Leveling up (system rewards)
•Training & practice (natural improvement)
•Completing missions.
•Special encounters (mutations, life or death survival, environmental trials, combat epiphanies)
•Items & consumables (rare foods & ingredients, elixirs)
•Environmental resonance (recovering faster in specific conditions)
——————————————
Vincent blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
Almost instantly, the tension in his muscles seemed to dissolve. The ache in his back eased. His lungs felt clearer, his heartbeat stronger, steadier. It was as if life had been poured back into him in one rush. His body felt lighter, his mind sharper.
He grinned despite himself. "Now that's more like it."
The fear of collapsing melted away, replaced by something else: determination. Now, he believed he might actually be able to see this through without breaking.
The text hung before him, steady and unyielding. His heart hammered, but not from exhaustion anymore—from possibility.
"Alright," he said slowly, rubbing his temples. "If this is real… I need answers. You said rare foods and elixirs can improve me. What exactly counts as a 'rare food'?"
The screen pulsed.
[Clarification: Rare foods are imbued with natural energy, they are nutrient-dense and scarce. Examples include: special herbs, fruits nourished by elemental environments, preserved roots, fermented tonics, or produce grown in untainted soil. Consuming them strengthens the body's foundation.]
Vincent frowned. "So… not something I can just buy at the market, huh?"
[Affirmation: Common markets lack such goods. Seek dangerous zones, hidden places, shrouded valleys, sealed chambers, forgotten ruins, trial zones, silent caverns, resonant site or merchants who deal in the extraordinary.]
He sighed, already regretting the answer. "…Fine. Then what about elixirs? You said those too."
[Explanation: Elixirs are concentrated restoratives created from herbs, minerals, and precise preparation. They accelerate recovery, restore stamina, and permanently enhance growth when consumed. Creation requires alchemical knowledge or acquisition through trade and quests.]
Vincent leaned back against the wall. "So basically—eat monsters, hunt treasures, and hope I don't die. Great."
The system hummed again, words forming sharper this time.
[Correction: Survival is the test. Risk and reward are inseparable. The greater the danger endured, the greater the growth obtained.]
He narrowed his eyes at the glowing panel. "…Fine. Then what about those 'special encounters' you mentioned? What kind of… phenomena would actually help me grow?"
[Examples:
• Enduring harsh weather: freezing nights, days of heat, weeks of rain.
• Withstanding exhaustion from labor or travel beyond the body's limit.
• Recovering from illness, infection, or injury without assistance.
• Survive life-or-death duels.
• Surviving deprivation—hunger, thirst, lack of sleep.
• Endure extreme environments (volcanic heat, frozen wastes, poisoned swamps).
• Witnessing rare natural events such as solar eclipses or storms.]
Vincent's breath caught. "…So you're telling me… if I go freeze to death in a blizzard, or let a lightning storm fry me, I'll get stronger?"
[Correction: Survival brings strength. Death brings nothing.]
That sent a shiver down his spine. He clenched his fists, looking at the status screen again—his new numbers, glowing faintly like promises.
"Ugh, come on. Dangerous food, alchemy, storms, danger. You really don't make it easy, do you?"
[Strength is not given. It is seized. Choose your path, and the system will remember.]
Vincent's resolve burned brighter than fatigue, yet with it came the chilling truth: every reward was a reminder of the danger waiting ahead.