You ever stare at a city so long it starts looking like static? Like all the lights and movement blur into white noise?
That was me. Every damn night.
Same hoodie. Same fire escape. Same routine.
But under that repetition—beneath the ache in my legs and the calluses on my feet—was change. Slow, brutal, deliberate change.
I worked. I cooked. I trained.
And I didn't stop.
---
**Week One Recap:**
Max texted twice. Brie called once. I didn't answer.
I wanted to. Hell, I missed them. The laughs, the inside jokes, the nights we stayed up trash-talking movies and debating whether Vin Diesel could beat Batman in a fight.
But I couldn't afford distractions. Not now.
One evening after work, I messaged our group chat:
> "Hey. Not dead. Just grinding life. Gonna be off-grid for a bit. Don't take it personal. I'll explain soon."
Max hit me back with a "You good?"
Brie sent a skull emoji and a gif of a raccoon doing karate.
I smiled, then turned off notifications.
---
**Training Log – Day 18:**
Two hours on footwork. Thirty minutes perfecting the vertical double spin kick (Sanji made it look easy—he lied). Cooked miso soup with soft tofu that didn't dissolve into sadness. Managed not to collapse in the shower this time.
Small wins.
I used alleyways, rooftops, the back of the bodega—anywhere with space. I duct-taped a water jug to a broomstick as a dummy. My balance improved. My kicks hit faster. I even stopped slipping during sweeps.
Cooking? That became therapy. With Sanji's instincts, every chop, flip, and flame felt like second nature. But I didn't stop there. I studied. I watched pro chefs, read recipes, learned plating and modern technique.
Mr. Halit stopped calling my meals "chemical accidents." He called yesterday's omurice *"shockingly decent."*
---
**Flashback – Last Spring**
"Bro, if you flake on Brie's birthday again, I'm stealing your PS4," Max said, wiping pizza grease on his jeans.
We were at his place—me, Brie, Max, and a few others—watching *John Wick 2*. Empty soda cans. Greasy boxes. Loud laughter.
Brie lobbed a pillow at me. "You're the one who ghosted last time too, loser."
I grinned. "Had work."
"You always have work," she said. "You gonna retire by 24 or die trying?"
Maybe both.
---
**Day 30 – Saturday, 11:47 PM**
My shirt was soaked in sweat and soy sauce. The fire escape creaked as I leaned out into the cool night and opened the system menu.
---
**\[Mission Summary – One Month Complete]**
✔ Walk 10,000 Steps ×30 (+5 pts ×30 = 150 pts)
✔ Cook a Meal ×30 (+3 pts ×30 = 90 pts)
✔ 50 Combat Kicks ×25 (+5 pts ×25 = 125 pts)
✔ Train for 2 Hours ×25 (+10 pts ×25 = 250 pts)
✔ Sanji Template Progression +15% (cumulative training reward)
✔ Passive Bonus – No Missed Days: +10 pts
**Total Earned: 625 pts**
**Previous Balance: 181 pts**
**Current Balance: 806 pts**
---
I'd done it. Four weeks of hustle. My body was finally listening to Sanji's techniques. My legs? Steel springs. My balance? Tight. My food? Flavor bombs.
'phew.. finally '
**Gacha Pulls Available: 26**
I took a deep breath and said, "Let's roll."
---
**Gacha Pull #1 – Naruto Headband (Normal)**
*Cosmetic item. Offers no power boost. May attract weebs.*
**Pull #2 – Amazon Gift Card – \$50 (Normal)**
*Usable on any universe-synced Amazon store. Good luck finding one.*
**Pull #3 – Healing Potion ×1 (Normal)**
*Restores minor injuries. Smells like cinnamon and regret.*
**Pull #4 – Recipe Card: Icelandic Grilled Fish (Normal)**
*Traditional technique. Unlocks unique fish debuff when served correctly.*
**Pull #5 – Cash Stack – \$10,000 (Uncommon)**
*Neatly bundled bills. No serial tracing. Pocket-sized security.*
---
**Pull #6 – Anime Glasses – Auto-Shatter (Gag Item – Normal)**
*Instantly cracks when wearer "gets serious." Useless, but dramatic.*
**Pull #7 – Combat Slippers (Rare)**
*Shock-absorbing, self-cleaning, ultra-light footwear. Buffs footwork speed by 10%.*
**Pull #8 – ICHIRAKU RAMEN RECIPES (rare)**
*Food of gods.dattebayo.*
**Pull #9 – Bank Check – \$50,000 (Rare)**
*Legit check. Requires smart laundering or discreet banking.*
**Pull #10 – Secret Cooking Notebook (Rare)**
*Filled with high-tier mystery recipes. Some pages are in Italian. Some... are alive?*
**Pull #11 – Black Pepper Grenade (Uncommon)**
*Explodes in a cloud of concentrated spice. Causes blindness and sneezing.*
---
**Pull #12 – Chef Knife Set (Rare)**
*Top-grade stainless steel blades. Auto-sharpens, never rusts. "Feels right" in your hands.*
**Pull #13 – Anime Hair Dye – Pink (Gag Item – Normal)**
*One wash. Glows under moonlight. Why would you—never mind.*
**Pull #14 – Sake Bottles ×3 – Vintage (Uncommon)**
*High-quality. May boost morale or ruin your liver. Flavor stats: +Taste, -Decision-making.*
**Pull #15 – Game Console (Rare)**
*From an unknown parallel Earth. No charger, but boots up with angry anime voiceovers.*
---
Then it hit.
**Pull #16 – Briefcase of Untraceable Cash – \$1,000,000 (Legendary)**
*Exactly what it says. Clean. Crisp. Dangerous in the wrong hands.*
*Note inside: "Don't be stupid."*
I stared at it.
"…Jesus."
---
**Pull #17 – Yukihira Soma Template (Rare Template – 80% Assimilation)**
*Assimilation Boosted by Sanji's Advanced Cooking Skill.*
My brain *flared*. Like someone lit a fire behind my eyes—but in a good way. Dishes, techniques, tricks. Fusion cuisine. Competition mindset. Culinary daring.
Yukihira wasn't a cook. He was a flavor brawler.
And his instincts were now.. mine.
---
**\[Template Assimilation: Yukihira Soma – 80%]**
– Advanced Culinary Creativity
– Cooking Battle Instincts
– Flavor Layering Techniques
– Trait: Culinary Provocation (Unlocked)
– Passive: Kitchen Improvisation
**Missing 20%: Modern Culinary Base not fully synced**
---
'so..templates can boost one another if there's similarity between the character'
'the reason it shorts 20% maybe because sanji don't know modern style food recipe'
I let out a breath.
One million dollars. The legs of a pirate prince. The brain of a gourmet gladiator.
And I was just getting started.
---
**System Status – One Month Later**
**\[Gacha Reincarnation System – Beta Access]**
**User:** Alex Walker
**World:** MCU – Earth-199999
**Timeline:** April 2010 (1 year, 10 months before Battle of New York)
**Gacha Points:** 5
---
**Active Templates:**
**Vinsmoke Sanji – 25% (Baratie Era)**
– Black Leg Style: Intermediate
– Enhanced Leg Strength: Intermediate
– Cooking Talent: Advanced
– Trait: Smoking Habit (Inactive)
– Minor Fire Resistance
– Passive: Culinary Intuition
**Yukihira Soma – 80%**
– Advanced Culinary Skills
– Cooking Battle Instincts
– Trait: Culinary Provocation
– Passive: Kitchen Improvisation
---
**Inventory Highlights:**
– Briefcase – \$1,000,000 (Legendary)
– Cash Stack – \$10,000 (Uncommon)
– Bank Check – \$50,000 (Rare)
– Combat Slippers (Rare)
– Chef Knife Set (Rare)
– Secret Cooking Notebook (Rare)
– Black Pepper Grenade (Uncommon)
– Flip Phone (\$4.75)
– MetroCard (Dead)
– Ichiraku ramen recipes (rare)
– Sake Bottles ×3 (Uncommon)
– Parallel Console (Rare, Useless)
– Photo: Brie & Friends
---
**Mission Board:**
– Daily Missions: Active
– Weekly Goals: Reset in 02:13:44
– Special Missions: \[LOCKED]
– Template Sync Status: Stable
---
I leaned on the railing, eyes on the glowing city.
I didn't know where this was all going.
But I wasn't the same guy who woke up in this body.
I stopped for a second.
'uhh... should i open a restaurant??? '
**To Be Continued…