Chapter 2: First Surge
The blue screen floated in front of Nolan, glowing in the dark park.
[First Quest: Prove you are not trash.]
[Task: Spend $100 within 10 minutes.]
[Reward: Extreme Physique Boost + 300%.]
[Timer: 9:59…]
His heart pounded.
"Ten thousand dollars…" he whispered. "Just like that?"
He had never seen that much money in his life. Even his total savings after years of work were nowhere close. It felt unreal.
But the cold rain on his face was real. The ache in his chest was real. Lila's voice in his head was real.
"So pathetic. I'm tired of pretending."
The timer kept ticking.
9:40… 9:39…
Nolan swallowed. "Spend… I have to spend."
The screen shifted.
[Nearby Spending Options Detected.]
[Street food stall – 70 meters away.]
[24/7 clothing store – 120 meters away.]
[Cheap gym membership booth – 200 meters away.]
His stomach growled again, louder this time. He hadn't eaten a proper meal all day. The thought of hot food made his mouth water.
He started to run.
His wet shoes slapped against the pavement as he left the park and headed toward the lights on the main road. He saw the small street food cart ahead, parked under a flickering streetlamp. Steam rose from the grill. The smell of meat and oil hit him like a punch.
A tired-looking man in a cap stood behind the cart. Skewers of meat, buns, and noodles were lined up. A handwritten sign said:
"Burgers – $5
Large fries – $3
Milkshakes – $4
Combo – $10"
Nolan stopped, panting.
The man glanced at his soaked clothes. "Rough night?" he asked.
"You have no idea," Nolan muttered.
He looked at the screen again.
[Balance: $10,000.]
[Amount to spend: ≥ $100.]
[Timer: 8:55…]
His hands shook as he reached into his pocket out of habit, then stopped.
"Do I… use a card? Cash?" he asked the screen softly, feeling stupid.
A new line of text appeared.
[System Card Generated.]
He felt something in his back pocket. He reached behind and pulled out a black card with no logo, only his name in small silver letters:
"Nolan Drake"
His throat went dry.
He turned to the vendor. "Uh… can I… buy ten combos?" he said.
The man blinked. "Ten?"
"Yeah," Nolan said. "Ten burgers, ten fries, ten milkshakes. To go."
The vendor stared for a second, then shrugged. "Sure. That's $100."
Nolan held out the black card with shaky fingers.
The vendor frowned. "Never seen a card like that before."
"Please," Nolan said. "Just try it."
The man swiped it on his small card reader.
The screen on the reader flashed "Approved" instantly.
"Damn," the vendor muttered. "That was fast."
At the same time, Nolan's blue screen changed.
[Purchase: Street Food Combos – $100.]
[Quest Complete.]
[Physique Boost + 300% Applied.]
[Stamina Greatly Increased.]
Warmth exploded inside him.
It started in his chest, like someone lit a fire there, then spread through his shoulders, down his arms, into his back, and all the way to his legs. His muscles tingled. His skin felt tight.
He doubled over, gasping.
"What the—?" the vendor asked, startled. "You okay, kid?"
Nolan gritted his teeth. It didn't hurt exactly, but it was intense. His heart raced, not from fear, but from pure energy.
He felt his shirt pull tighter across his chest. The damp fabric stretched around his shoulders. His sleeves felt smaller, clinging to his arms. His jeans gripped his thighs more than before.
He looked down.
His thin forearms were no longer sticks. Veins rose under his skin. His hands looked stronger, tendons clear. His legs, once skinny, now filled out his jeans, lines of muscle pressing against the fabric.
He straightened slowly.
His back no longer slouched on its own. His posture was straight, almost naturally proud. His chest felt heavy, not from sadness, but from solid weight.
Every breath came easier, deeper.
He felt light and strong at the same time, like he could run a marathon or punch through a wall.
The vendor blinked at him. "Did you… just get taller?" he asked.
Nolan swallowed. "I don't… think so," he said. "But I feel different."
The blue screen appeared again.
[Status Panel Unlocked.]
[Show Current Status?]
[Yes / No]
"Yes," Nolan said quietly.
The screen shifted to a simple panel.
[Host: Nolan Drake]
[Age: 22]
[Strength: 3 → 9]
[Physique: 4 → 12]
[Stamina: 3 → 9]
[Charm: 10 → 15]
[Intelligence: 14]
[Balance: $9,900]
Nolan stared at the numbers.
"Strength… six more," he whispered. "Physique tripled. Stamina… I feel it."
He did.
The exhaustion from work was gone. The heavy, dull ache in his muscles vanished. Instead, there was this constant, buzzing energy in his body, like a battery fully charged.
His heart didn't feel slow and heavy anymore. It beat steady, strong, ready.
He rolled his shoulders. They didn't crack like before. They felt solid, wide, steady.
He curled his hands into fists.
Before, his grip felt weak when he tried to lift heavy boxes at the store. Now he felt like he could carry double the weight without breaking a sweat.
He flexed his right arm a little.
A visible bump formed in his sleeve. A real bicep. Not huge, but there. Firm.
He almost laughed.
The vendor handed him several plastic bags filled with burgers, fries, and drinks. "Here," he said. "That's a lot of food. You feeding an army?"
Nolan shook his head. "Just… myself," he said. "Eventually."
He took the bags easily. They should have felt heavy, but now they didn't. His arms barely noticed the weight.
He turned away from the cart.
The rain seemed softer now. The cold didn't bite as much. His clothes were still damp, but he didn't shiver. His body felt warm from the inside out, like he had been sitting near a fire for hours.
He looked at his reflection in a dark shop window as he passed.
He almost didn't recognize himself.
He was still Nolan. Same face, same height, same messy hair. But the guy in the glass didn't look like a scared, starving student anymore.
His shoulders were broader, pushing the jacket wider. His chest pressed against the fabric. His neck looked thicker. His cheeks had a bit more life. His eyes seemed sharper, less empty.
He looked… normal.
No, more than normal. He looked like a guy who went to the gym regularly and actually ate three meals a day.
He glanced at the panel again.
[Stamina: 9]
"What does that even mean?" he muttered.
As if it heard him, the screen flashed another line.
[Basic Explanation:]
[Strength – raw power.]
[Physique – body toughness and muscle quality.]
[Stamina – energy, recovery speed, and endurance.]
[Charm – overall attractiveness, presence, and first impressions.]
[Intelligence – learning speed, memory, and thinking ability.]
[Higher stamina allows the host to move, train, and fight longer without getting tired. Also improves performance in… other physical activities.]
[Charm increased due to improved appearance and confidence. Intelligence unchanged: no mental upgrade purchased.]
Nolan snorted despite himself. "Great," he said. "So now I can suffer longer. At least I look a bit less pathetic doing it."
But inside, he felt something new.
Not joy.
Not yet.
Just… the smallest spark of hope.
He walked back toward Riverside Park, bags in hand. The wet ground didn't bother him. His steps were steady, strong.
Lila's face tried to rise in his mind again. Her moans. Chad's laugh. His chest tightened, but not as much as before.
The pain was still there.
But now, there was something else balancing it.
The knowledge that he wasn't completely helpless anymore.
When he reached the bench where he had first seen the screen, he sat down and opened one of the burgers. He took a huge bite. Juices dripped down his fingers. The hot, greasy taste filled his mouth.
He almost groaned.
"This is… so good," he said, surprised.
He had eaten junk food before, of course. But now, every bite felt like his body was sucking in fuel. He ate fast. One burger, then fries, then a milkshake.
The food didn't sit heavy in his stomach. It burned. It turned into more warmth, more energy.
He checked the panel again.
[Calories absorbed efficiently due to increased Physique and Stamina.]
[No fat gain. Muscle recovery improved.]
"Cheat," Nolan muttered. "This system is a cheat."
He finished three combos before he slowed down. His stomach felt pleasantly full, but not sick. He put the remaining bags under the bench to take home later.
The blue screen appeared again.
[Quest Chain Updated.]
[New Quest: Show the world you changed.]
[Task: Tomorrow, go to class and confront Chad and Lila.]
[Optional Goal: Make them regret under everyone's eyes.]
[Reward: Additional Stat Points + 5, Random Skill Unlock.]
A cold edge slid into Nolan's thoughts.
"Confront them…" he whispered.
He pictured Chad's grin. Lila's moans. The way she never let him touch her. The way she called him pathetic while holding on to someone else.
His hands clenched around the empty burger wrapper.
He looked at his reflection again in the dark screen of his phone.
He didn't see the same helpless boy.
"Tomorrow," he said slowly, "I go back."
He stood up from the bench. His legs felt ready to move. His body felt like it wanted to run, to jump, to do something.
He checked the time. It was late, but he didn't feel sleepy.
[Stamina Effect: You can stay active longer without fatigue. Sleep needs reduced, recovery increased.]
He walked home with heavy bags that now felt light, boots splashing in smaller puddles. The city around him looked different. The same buildings, the same lights, the same cars.
But he was not the same.
When he reached his tiny studio, he kicked off his shoes and looked around the cramped space. One small bed. One rickety table. A cracked mirror.
He set the food on the table and stepped in front of the mirror.
He pulled off his wet T‑shirt.
He stared.
Before, his chest had been flat, ribs almost visible. Now there was shape. His pecs were not huge, but they were there, firm under his skin. His shoulders were rounder, arms thicker. Lines ran along his abdomen. Not a full six‑pack, but no longer a soft, thin belly.
He raised his arm and flexed.
A real muscle rose under his skin.
He laughed quietly, almost in disbelief.
"This is just from spending a hundred dollars," he said. "What happens if I spend more?"
The system blinked.
[Higher spending will bring stronger rewards.]
[Warning: Power attracts attention. Use wisely.]
Nolan's eyes hardened a little.
"Attention…" he repeated. "Good. Let them look."
He thought about Chad again. About Lila. About everyone who laughed.
Stamina, strength, physique.
He could feel it all humming under his skin, ready to be used.
He opened another burger and took a bite, chewing slowly this time.
He didn't know exactly what he would say tomorrow. He didn't know how far he would go.
But for the first time in his life, he was not walking into class as the weakest guy in the room.
He was walking in with a system.
And a body that could finally fight back.