I almost want to laugh evilly like a cartoonish supervillain. But I barely hold myself back. No need for my whole family to think I've finally lost it.
I'm spending my Wednesday night sitting on my bed, staring at my system shop like it's Christmas morning and I'm about to unwrap the best present ever. And honestly? I'm not that far off.
Evolution Points: 104
Holy shit.
I mean, I'm trying to keep my cool here, but holy shit.
I'm earning around fifteen points daily now. Which is frankly insane. I mean, compared to the measly three points I was obtaining through my daily routine quest, I've increased my efficiency severalfold!
Look out everyone! There's a new rich evolution point tycoon in town! I should get a monocle and one of those fancy top hats.
...Okay, I need to calm down.
I scroll through my system shop with the kind of giddy excitement that would be embarrassing if anyone could see me right now. The appearance section calls to me like a siren song. Height increases, skin quality improvements, dick size enhancements. It's all there, waiting, taunting me.
But no. Not today.
Soon, I tell myself. Soon I'll transform into someone who doesn't get mistaken for a middle schooler. Soon I'll be tall enough to reach the top shelf without a stepladder. Soon my dick will be... well, larger than average.
Today, I have more practical concerns. Like the fact that my ribs still feel like they're held together with duct tape and prayers.
I navigate to the body enhancement section and find what I've been saving for.
Enhanced Recovery - Slightly speeds up natural healing from minor injuries or physical fatigue [50 Evolution Points]
That's right. Faster healing. Faster recovery from fatigue.
No more feeling like a medieval torture victim every time I try to do a push-up. No more wincing when I twist wrong or move too fast.
Could I have bought this earlier? Yes. Absolutely. But the thing is… I'm paranoid. What if something happens? What if I suddenly need points for some emergency upgrade? What if dragons suddenly become real and I need heat resistance?
Do dragons exist? No. Will heat resistance even help against dragon fire? Probably not. But you know what? When you're running from a fire-breathing lizard the size of a house and you don't have enough points for the one upgrade that might save you, don't come crying to me.
Anyways, now I have enough points that spending fifty won't completely drain me. I'll still have a comfortable cushion for emergencies. You know, like spontaneous dragon attacks or alien invasions or suddenly needing to buy a passive skill to talk my way out of a situation.
I click on the upgrade, and the familiar prompt appears.
Purchase Upgrade?
Body Enhancement: Enhanced Recovery
Do you wish to enhance your body now? The upgrade may take up to thirty minutes to complete.
(Note: The user may feel some pain during the upgrade)
[Yes] [No]
No time like the present. I click [Yes].
My Evolution Points drop from 104 to 54, and I feel a small pang of loss watching that number decrease. But it's for a good cause. A necessary cause.
I lay back on my bed, and for a few minutes, nothing happens.
Then comes the itch.
It starts in my chest. A tingling sensation that spreads outward like ripples in water, flowing down my arms, up my neck, down my legs. It's not terrible, it's just this weird pins-and-needles feeling, like my entire body fell asleep and is now waking up.
Then comes the pain.
But honestly? It's not that bad. Don't get me wrong, it's not comfortable. My chest feels warm, almost hot, and there's this weird pulling sensation throughout my body, like my skin and internal organs are being gently tugged and kneaded by invisible hands. But compared to the Optimized Body upgrade, this is almost pleasant.
The process takes about twenty minutes. By the end, the sensations have faded to a dull warmth, and I feel... fine. Normal.
I pull up my status screen to admire my purchase.
Adam Gray
Age: 18 | Height: 5'2"
Dick Size: 3.5 inches (flaccid), 5 inches (erect)
Current Occupation
Student
Part-time worker at the Midnight Café
Inventory
Minor Shop Voucher [Appearance]
Evolution Points: 104 → 54
Attributes
Appearance: 13
Charm: 13
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 13
Endurance: 14
Willpower: 26
Intelligence: 28
Body Enhancements
Optimized Body (All workouts become more effective; much faster recovery from fatigue)
Improved Hearing (Heightens ear sensitivity, offers minor protection against loud noises, and improves ability to distinguish between overlapping sounds)
Intuitive Thinking (Sharpens intuition and quick thinking, improving predictions about situations and people based on the Intelligence stat and available information)
+ Enhanced Recovery (Slightly speeds up natural healing from minor injuries or physical fatigue)
Active Skills
Will of Iron (Dulls negative sensations and emotions based on Willpower stat while active. Drains energy and Willpower while in use. Automatically deactivates when energy or Willpower is depleted)
Passive Skills
Expert Programmer (Greatly increases programming ability)
Novice Cook (Slightly increases cooking ability)
Novice Sneak (Slightly increases effectiveness of stealth, enhancing your ability to move undetected when desired)
Novice Pickpocket (Slightly enhances your ability to steal items unnoticed)
Perks
Advanced Sleeper (+15% Sleep Efficiency)
Genius Intellect (+50% effectiveness for all intelligence-based activities)
Training Expert (+50% Workout Efficiency)
Increased Training Effectiveness (+10% Workout Efficiency)
There it is. Enhanced Recovery, sitting pretty in my body enhancements list. Fifty points well spent.
I drift off to sleep feeling accomplished, dreaming of a future where I can do push-ups without collapsing onto my face.
I wake up the next morning, and the first thing I do is slowly stretch my body, testing my new enhancement.
I feel... uh... better? I think?
I was hoping for something dramatic. Like, I'd wake up and all my wounds would be gone, my body would feel brand new, and I'd discover I'd suddenly gained Wolverine's healing factor. Maybe some adamantium claws would pop out of my knuckles. That would be cool.
But no. Nothing that exciting.
I stand up and slowly rotate my torso. There's still some soreness when I twist too far, but it's noticeably less sharp than yesterday.
I flex my muscles experimentally. Still sore, but better.
Then I drop to the floor and attempt a push-up.
Then another.
Then another.
Okay, that's painful. Still very much painful.
I stand back up, deciding that I value my continued ability to move my arms. I'm not going to risk extending my recovery time by being stupid.
I opt for a light jog instead, keeping my movements gentle and controlled. Even that's easier than yesterday. The improvement is subtle, but it's there.
Progress is progress, even if it's not the instant-healing miracle I was fantasizing about.
Thursday passes in a blur of normalcy.
Classes are actually kind of engaging now that I'm generating quests for them. It's like I've turned school into a game.
The system's gentle ding as I complete each Academic Excellence quest has become my new favorite sound. It's like a little hit of dopamine every time I push myself beyond the standard curriculum.
My sisters are still escorting me around everywhere, which makes me feel simultaneously loved and suffocated. But hey, at least it means I actually get to spend time with them during school, and I also get to keep an eye on them as well. So that's nice.
Although I could do without the constant attention it draws. Everywhere we go, people stare. I've heard at least five different conversations speculating about my relationship with Bianca and Selene. No, we're not dating (yet).
During Computer Science class and lunch, I spend time with Luna, and honestly, those are still some of the best parts of my day. We're both almost done with our respective side projects, so we spend a lot of time chatting about implementation details and potential features.
Eventually, I find myself at work.
I'm moving through the café gracefully, refilling glasses, taking orders, and delivering food.
When new guests walk in, Mr. Vale and I take turns getting them seated.
I grab a pitcher of water and walk up to a table where a middle-aged couple are dining. The woman has perfectly styled blonde hair that probably required an appointment made three months in advance, and the man is wearing a polo shirt that's definitely way more expensive than it looks.
While refilling their glasses, I ask, "How is everything?"
The woman looks up at me, and there's something about her expression that makes my internal alarm bells start ringing. It's hard to describe, just this particular set of her mouth, a certain look in her eyes. Like she's been waiting for an opportunity to complain and I just gave it to her.
"Well," she says, drawing out the word in a way that immediately tells me everything is definitely not well. "The food is fine, I suppose. But we specifically asked for no tomatoes on our sandwiches." She gestures at the plates with a manicured hand. "And there are clearly tomatoes."
I blink once.
No... They definitely didn't specify no tomatoes. I remember taking their order clearly. I even repeated it back to them. Two club sandwiches, no modifications mentioned.
But, well, people make mistakes. Maybe they thought they mentioned it? Maybe I somehow missed it? Who's to say, really?
I give them a professional smile. "I apologize for the error. Let me get those remade for you right away."
"Thank you," she says, in a tone that suggests she's doing me a favor by allowing me to correct my imaginary mistake. "We'd appreciate that."