Zack woke up. This time, there was no alarm. His body just... knew it was time. The sun was still a faint promise, a purpled-grey line on the horizon. He lay still, taking stock.
The deep, aching soreness from his first few nights of training was gone. He felt a light, satisfying stiffness in his muscles, but it wasn't pain. It was a feeling of fullness. His 34.6 Stamina and 33.5 Defense weren't just numbers on a screen. They meant his body was healing and adapting at a speed he'd never known. He felt like a coiled spring.
He got out of bed, not with the old, tired shuffle, but with a smooth, single motion. He walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
The changes were subtle, but they were there. His frame, which had been thin and almost frail, was now filling out. He wasn't a bulky Warrior, but his muscles were becoming dense. His shoulders were broader, his arms more defined. His face, however, still held the same kind eyes. It was a strange contrast—a face that invited trust, and a body that was slowly, secretly, being forged into a weapon.
He showered, the hot water feeling good on his muscles. He thought about the grind. He was averaging about 34 points in every stat. His goal was 50. It was a long way to go. He still had 16 points to gain in everything. At a rate of 2-3 points a night, that was... another six or seven nights. A full week. A week of fighting the same E-Rank goblins, just to be ready to start fighting D-Rank monsters.
"A grind," he whispered to himself, a small smile touching his lips. "That's exactly what it is."
He drove to work. He walked into the Cole Logistics lobby at 7:30 AM. The atmosphere was different. The fear that Barros had spread was gone, replaced by a quiet, busy energy.
His new secretary, Sarah—the same young woman who had been so nervous around Barros—looked up as he entered. She smiled, a real, relaxed smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Cole," she said.
"Good morning, Sarah," Zack replied, his voice just as kind as his expression. "Please, just Zack is fine."
Sarah blushed. "Okay... Zack. Your coffee is on your desk, and the morning reports are printing now."
"Thank you, Sarah. You're doing a great job."
He left her at her desk, looking a little stunned but happy.
Zack sat in his father's chair. It was starting to feel like his chair. He spent the first two hours of his day doing what he had done for the past few days: reading. He was reading every file, every contract, every email his father had ever sent. He was learning the business from the ground up. He wasn't just a Healer, and he wasn't just a God-Eater. He was the owner of this company, and he would be ruthless in protecting it.
Around 10:00 AM, an email came in. It was from a company called "Trident Logistics," one of his company's key suppliers for their shipping containers.
The email was short, cold, and arrogant. It was from the CEO, a man named Marcus Vale.
It said that, due to the "sudden and unstable" changes in Cole Logistics's leadership (meaning Barros was gone and a kid was in charge), Trident would be adding a 30% "risk premium" to their contract, effective immediately. They were also delaying their next shipment until the fee was paid.
Zack read the email twice. This was a bully. This was a shark, just like Barros, smelling blood in the water. They underestimated him. They saw an F-Rank Healer kid and thought they could squeeze him for money.
His old self would have panicked. He would have called Emily's father.
His new self picked up the phone.
Sarah patched him through to the CEO's office.
"Marcus Vale," a gruff, impatient voice answered.
"Mr. Vale, this is Zackary Cole from Cole Logistics," Zack said. His voice was perfectly level, polite, and kind.
"Ah, the kid," Vale said, his voice dripping with condescension. "I assume you saw my email. Look, it's just business. You pay the fee, we send the containers. Simple."
"I did see your email, Mr. Vale," Zack said, leaning back in his chair. "And I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding."
"Oh? What misunderstanding is that?" Vale laughed.
"The misunderstanding," Zack said, his voice becoming cold and sharp, "is that you think you are in a position to make demands. You aren't."
There was a pause on the other end.
"You have a contract," Zack continued, his voice ruthless and precise. "A contract you are currently breaking. And a clause—section 4, subsection B—about 'prompt delivery,' which my father's old management was kind enough to let you ignore. I am not."
"Now, you listen here, you little—"
"No, Mr. Vale. You listen," Zack cut him off. "Here is what is going to happen. Your shipment will be at my warehouse by 8:00 AM tomorrow, as per the original contract. If it is not, my new legal team—I'm sure you know Mr. Han—will be filing a lawsuit for breach of contract and all lost damages by 8:01 AM. Also, I am giving you your 30-day notice. At the end of the month, our business with Trident Logistics is finished. You underestimated me. You thought I was weak. You were wrong. Have a wonderful day."
Zack hung up the phone before Vale could say another word.
He looked up. Sarah was standing in the doorway, her hand over her mouth, her eyes as wide as plates. She had heard everything.
Zack gave her his kind, gentle smile.
"Sarah, could you please get me another coffee? That one went cold."
"Y-yes, Mr. Cole! Right away!" She hurried off, looking at him with a newfound mix of awe and fear.
Zack turned back to his computer. The problem was handled.
The rest of the day was quiet. He worked, he read, he learned.
At 5:00 PM, his phone buzzed. It was Emily.
"Hey, Mr. CEO!" her cheerful voice came through the speaker. "How was day... whatever-it-is of your new empire?"
Zack laughed, the coldness from the morning melting away.
"Hey, Em. It was quiet, actually. Handled a supplier issue. How's the D-Rank life?"
"Ugh, so boring," she complained. "Just patrols around the city gates. My dad is making me do paperwork for the guild. I think it's his punishment for having fun. Anyway, just checking in. Don't forget to eat a real dinner, okay? Don't just train all the time."
"I won't," he lied. "Talk soon, Em."
He hung up. He loved talking to her, but her words reminded him. He couldn't just be a good CEO. He had to be a strong Hunter.
That night, he locked his door. The anticipation was a familiar, electric hum in his blood.
He entered the dimension.
[Welcome, Host. Host Rank: E (Beginner). E-Rank Dimension selected.]
He took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders. He looked at his stats.
Strength: 34.4
Agility: 33.9
Stamina: 34.6
Spirit: 33.5
Defense: 33.5
His goal—50 points—was still far.
"Let's get to work," he said.
[New wave spawning...]
The six goblins appeared: four Warriors, one Rogue, one Shaman.
Zack didn't hesitate. His left hand shot up. [Minor Soothe]!
The emerald flash-bang lit the gray void. The goblins shrieked, blinded.
His 33.9 Agility felt good. He was fast. He was on the Shaman in an instant. His shadow-cloaked [God-Eater] hand chopped down. The Shaman died.
[Spirit Cube (Red) x2 obtained.]
The Rogue lunged, its dagger aimed at his back.
Tink!
The blade scraped off his 33.5 Defense. It couldn't hurt him.
He spun, his elbow, wrapped in dark energy, crushing the Rogue's skull.
[Agility Cube (Red) x2 obtained.]
The four Warriors charged, their eyes clearing.
Zack met them. He was ruthless. He punched, he kicked, he dodged. He was a shadow, and every one of his touches was death.
In seconds, they were all dead.
[Strength Cube (Red) x2, Stamina Cube (Red) x1, Defense Cube (Red) x1 obtained.]
[New wave spawning...]
Six more appeared.
Zack repeated the process. Flash. Kill. Flash. Kill.
He did this for thirty minutes straight. It was a rhythm. It was a dance. It was work.
He was sweating. His 34.6 Stamina meant he wasn't gasping for air, but he was breathing hard. This was the grind. It wasn't glorious. It wasn't heroic. It was just bloody, repetitive, and necessary.
After 45 minutes, he was getting tired. His movements were a little slower. He was getting sloppy.
[New wave spawning...]
The six goblins appeared.
Zack shot out his [Minor Soothe] light.
But this time, one Warrior goblin—maybe it was bigger, maybe it was just angrier—shook its head and recovered faster than the others.
Zack was moving in to kill the Shaman, as he always did. He didn't see the Warrior.
It roared and swung its spiked wooden club right at Zack's head.
Zack's instincts screamed. He didn't have time to dodge. He only had time to bring up his right arm to block.
CRACK!
The sound was loud in the empty dimension.
Pain exploded up Zack's arm. The wooden club shattered into splinters.
Zack was thrown back, hissing. He looked at his arm. It was already bruising. His 33.5 Defense had held—the club hadn't broken his bone—but it hurt.
The Warrior goblin roared, raising its broken stick to swing again.
It had underestimated him. It thought it had won.
A cold, ruthless anger took over Zack. It wasn't the blind "Rage Mode." It was a focused fury.
"My turn," he snarled.
He didn't bother with the Shaman. He flashed forward, his 33.9 Agility just fast enough. He appeared right in front of the Warrior.
He grabbed its throat.
The goblin choked, its eyes wide with shock.
Zack's [God-Eater] skill activated. The dark mist flowed from the goblin into his hand. He didn't just kill it. He drained it.
The other five goblins were charging him.
He threw the husk of the Warrior at them and followed right behind it. He was a storm of dark energy. He didn't dodge their clubs. He let them tink off his body, and he walked through them, his hands chopping and punching, until they were all dead.
He stood in the silence, breathing hard. His arm throbbed.
He held his left hand over the dark purple bruise.
[Minor Soothe].
The emerald green light was warm and strong. His 33.5 Spirit pulsed, and the light sank into his skin. The pain faded. The bruise lightened. In seconds, his arm was completely healed.
He looked at his left hand, the Healer hand, then at his right, the God-Eater hand.
"A perfect cover," he whispered.
He had 15 minutes left.
"Back to work."
[New wave spawning...]
When the final second ticked down, he was drenched in sweat, but his arm was perfect.
[Time limit reached. Exiting dimension.]
He reappeared in his room.
He opened his hand. A pile of 28 red cubes glowed in his palm. A good night's work.
He crushed them. The warm, steady power flowed into him.
He checked his watch, eager to see the results.
[ Reader's Note: Zack's Stats ]
Rank: E (Beginner) / (System Rank: E (Beginner))
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 35.0(+0.6 from 34.4)
Agility: 34.6(+0.7 from 33.9)
Stamina: 35.1(+0.5 from 34.6)
Spirit: 34.0(+0.5 from 33.5)
Defense: 34.0(+0.5 from 33.5)
(Note: Zack has gained 2.8 stat points. He is now at an average of 34-35 points. His next System goal is still 50 points in all stats.)