"Everything," Zara said with a smile. "But we'll start with the basics. What else makes Eric Reid-Leveson tick?"
"I like running now, apparently," Eric said with a self-deprecating smile. "Never used to exercise before this week. Always stayed in decent shape naturally, but actual dedicated exercise was never my thing. Then I started running Sunday morning and discovered I actually enjoy it. Pushing my body, seeing what it can do, testing limits."
"That's the endorphins talking," Zara said knowingly. "They're incredibly addictive once you get past the initial pain phase. Your body starts craving that rush, that sense of accomplishment. Plus the mental clarity that comes with sustained cardio is better than any drug."
"I'm definitely experiencing that," Eric agreed. "The clarity part especially. My mind works better after a run. Problems that seemed complicated before suddenly have obvious solutions."
"Exactly." Zara took another drink, then capped her water bottle. "What about hobbies? Interests beyond work and running?"
Eric thought about it. "Honestly? I don't have many. My life has been pretty focused on work for the past two years. Before that it was academics. I read sometimes, usually business theory or economics. Watch movies when I have time. But mostly I work and think about work."
"That's depressing," Zara said bluntly. "You need more balance. All work and no play makes Eric a very dull boy."
"I play plenty," Eric countered with a grin. "My work is very play-focused."
Zara laughed, the sound bright and genuine. "Fair point. But seriously, you should develop some interests outside of sex and business. Join a gym, take a class, find a hobby. Otherwise you're going to burn out hard."
"Is that advice from experience?"
"Absolutely. I burned out at twenty-three running my company eighteen hours a day. Had to force myself to develop outside interests or I was going to have a breakdown. That's how I got into running seriously. It was either that or therapy, and running is cheaper."
"Speaking of which," Zara said, smoothly transitioning. "Your turn to ask questions. What do you want to know about me?"
"Everything," Eric echoed her earlier word with a smile. "But we'll start with the basics. Who is Zara Hughes when she's not running ten kilometers before most people have their coffee?"
"I'm twenty-four," Zara began, settling more comfortably on the bench. "Born and raised in Stardale, which makes me something of a rarity since most people here moved from somewhere else. My parents still live in the Heights, both doctors, very achievement-oriented. Sound familiar?"
"Very," Eric agreed.
"I love track-related activities," Zara continued. "Running obviously, but also cycling, hiking, anything that lets me move and think at the same time. I find sitting still impossibly boring. My brain needs motion to function properly. Some people think best in silence and stillness. I think best when I'm moving."
"That's a good quality in this city," Eric observed. "Stardale has enough sitting-still opportunities to drive anyone crazy."
"Exactly!" Zara's enthusiasm was infectious. "This city is designed for cars and offices, places where you're trapped and sedentary. I hate it. I need movement, fresh air, the feeling of my body working. That's why I run every morning without fail. It's not just exercise, it's mental health maintenance."
"And when you're not moving?" Eric prompted.
"I work." Zara's smile turned slightly proud, her posture straightening. "I own TechNova Solutions. We do software development, app creation, some hardware integration for local businesses and government contracts. Started it three years ago with money I inherited from my grandmother. We're now one of the leading tech companies in Stardale with fifty-three employees and annual revenue in eight figures."
Eric's mind catalogued that information rapidly. TechNova Solutions. He'd heard the name, seen their logo around the city on storefronts and websites. They were big, legitimate, the kind of company that had government contracts and corporate clients. The kind of success that took real business acumen to achieve.
"So you're rich," Eric said bluntly, matching her earlier directness.
"Very," Zara confirmed without embarrassment or false modesty. "The Riverside Heights condo didn't give it away?"
"I had suspicions. Riverside Heights is expensive even for the ground floor units. But owning a successful tech company confirms it."
"I believe in being honest about these things," Zara said seriously. "Money changes how people interact with you, whether you acknowledge it or not. People either treat you differently because they want something, or they pretend not to notice and create weird tension. Better to be upfront than pretend otherwise."
"That's refreshing," Eric admitted. "Most wealthy people I meet try to downplay it, act like they're just regular folks who happen to have nice things."
"Most wealthy people are insecure about how they got their money or what it says about them," Zara said with the bluntness of someone who'd thought about this extensively. "They inherited it and feel guilty, or they earned it through morally questionable means, or they're afraid people will like them only for the money. I'm not insecure about any of that. I earned my company's success through hard work and smart decisions. I'm proud of it. Why would I hide that?"
"No reason to," Eric agreed. He found himself genuinely impressed, not just by her success but by her attitude toward it. "How did you start TechNova? That's ambitious for a twenty-one-year-old."
Zara's smile turned nostalgic. "My grandmother died and left me two hundred thousand dollars. Most people would have saved it or invested it conservatively. I saw an opportunity. Stardale had dozens of small businesses struggling with outdated technology, but they couldn't afford big consulting firms from Capitol City. So I hired three talented developers, rented a small office, and started offering affordable tech solutions locally."
She leaned forward, her enthusiasm building as she talked. "First year was brutal. We barely broke even, worked eighty-hour weeks, lived on ramen and coffee. But we delivered quality work, built relationships, got referrals. Second year we doubled our client base and hired five more people. Third year we landed our first government contract and everything exploded."
"And now you're running a fifty-three-person company at twenty-four," Eric said, genuinely impressed. "That's incredible."
"It's exhausting," Zara corrected, but she was smiling. "Amazing and fulfilling and sometimes I want to scream, but mostly incredible. I love what I do, love building something, love seeing my team succeed."
They talked for another fifteen minutes, the conversation flowing easily. Zara explained the challenges of managing rapid growth, the technical side of her business, her plans for expansion into Capitol City. Eric found himself fascinated not just by her success but by how she thought about it, the strategic mind evident in every decision she described.
She asked him more questions too. About his PhD research, why he'd chosen business administration, what his dissertation had covered. Eric found himself explaining market disruption theory and economic modeling to someone who actually understood the concepts and asked intelligent follow-up questions.
"You're wasting that brain doing what you're doing," Zara said eventually, but there was no judgment in it. Just observation. "Not that there's anything wrong with your work, but you have legitimate business acumen. Have you ever thought about doing something with it?"
"All the time," Eric admitted. "I don't want to do this forever. It's good money and I enjoy it, but it's not a long-term plan. I just haven't figured out what the alternative is yet."
"You should consult," Zara said immediately. "Actual consulting, not the euphemism. You have the education and clearly you understand people. That's what consulting actually is, understanding what people need and helping them get it."
"I'll think about it," Eric said, and meant it. The idea had merit, especially now that his system was giving him advantages beyond just the physical.
Finally, Zara checked her expensive watch and stood with fluid grace. "I should finish my cooldown routine and head home. Got a meeting at nine and I need to shower and actually look professional."
"Tech company CEO meetings at nine AM on a Wednesday," Eric said, standing as well. "That's dedication."
"That's survival in a competitive market," Zara corrected. "The moment you slack off is the moment your competition overtakes you. I didn't build TechNova by taking it easy."
She stretched, her movements drawing Eric's eyes automatically to how her body moved in that bodysuit. Zara noticed and smiled, clearly aware of the effect she had.
"You should visit me sometime," she said, pulling out her phone and tapping something quickly. Eric's phone buzzed in his pocket. "At TechNova. I'll give you a tour, show you what we do. Maybe we can grab lunch after, talk more about your business potential."
"I'd like that," Eric said, meaning it. "A lot."
"Good." Zara's smile held promise, her warm brown eyes meeting his crystalline blue ones directly. "But call first. Don't just show up randomly like some stalker. Call, make an appointment, visit properly like a civilized person."
"Yes ma'am," Eric said with mock seriousness, pulling out his phone to check her text. It contained an address in the business district along with a note: "TechNova Solutions HQ. Call before visiting or I'll have security escort you out. - Z"
Zara laughed at his expression. "I'm serious about the calling ahead part. My schedule is insane and I don't appreciate surprise visits."
"Noted. Professional appointments only."
"I like you, Eric Reid-Leveson," Zara said, her tone shifting to something more genuine. "You're interesting. Not many interesting people left in this city. Most people are either boring corporate drones or trying too hard to be unique. You're just... yourself. That's refreshing."
Before Eric could respond, she started jogging away, pink hair bouncing with each step, that bodysuit doing absolutely unfair things to his concentration. She glanced back once, caught him staring at her ass, and winked before disappearing around a corner.
Eric stood there for a long moment, processing everything that had just happened.
'A tech CEO,' he thought, his enhanced intelligence already cataloguing possibilities. 'Rich, beautiful, direct, apparently interested, and sees potential in me beyond just physical attraction. What the hell kind of luck am I having lately?'
A notification appeared in his vision, the familiar translucent blue screen.
‐‐‐
[Quest Complete: Physical Foundation III]
Progress: 5/5 km
Objective: Complete ✓
Rewards Earned:
+10 DP
+30 EXP
+1 strength
+1 stamina
‐‐‐
The familiar rush of stat increases flooded through Eric's body. His muscles felt denser, more capable. His breathing steadied even further, the residual fatigue from the run vanishing completely. Stronger, faster, more durable. The changes were becoming more noticeable each time.
Then another notification appeared, this one different. The text was larger, more prominent, demanding attention.
‐‐‐
[LEVEL UP!]
You have reached Level 2!
Experience: 0/100
‐‐‐
Eric's breath caught, his heart rate spiking despite the enhanced stamina. 'Level up. I actually leveled up. The system is progressing exactly like a game.'