Lin ran to his room and shut the door. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring into the empty air where the yellow screen hovered. He closed his eyes, and a vivid flashback hit him: the cold bathroom tiles, and that glowing neon menu asking if he wanted to revive the character.
"It wasn't a dream," he whispered, opening his eyes to see the screen still there.
He focused on the text. It mentioned that he needed a High Protein Meal to "repair the vessel." He stood up and headed back down to the kitchen, moving quietly so he wouldn't wake his mother.
He opened the refrigerator and went through the shelves until he found a carton of eggs. He groaned there were only two left. He fried them quickly, toasted two slices of bread, and ate it all in a few bites.
As soon as he finished, the system flickered:
[ALERT]
Nutritional intake below required daily threshold.
A detailed stat sheet appeared in front of him:
Age: 24
Height: 6'0" (183cm)
Weight: 76kg
Status: Recovering
Objective: Consume 180g of Protein and 3000 kcal to repair vessel and increase Max HP.
"I need more," Lin muttered. He grabbed his coat, intending to go to an eatery. Just as he reached the front door, another door opened. Yada stepped out, stretching her arms and yawning. Lin froze. She was wearing a tiny crop top that showed the shape of her breast, and her smooth thighs were exposed by her short pajamas. Her hair was messy, and her nipples were clearly protruding against the thin fabric of her shirt.
Lin felt his heart beat faster. She is so hot, he thought, his face turning bright red.
The system chimed:
[BIOMETRIC UPDATE]
Elevated heart rate detected. Hormonal surge confirmed.
Recommendation: Sexual activity is ideal for stress reduction at this time.
You've got to be kidding me! Lin shouted in his mind, swiping the screen away in a panic.
"Lin? Where are you going so early?" Yada asked, her voice husky from sleep.
"I'm... uh... going to go eat breakfast," he stammered. Yada smiled kindly. "Don't go out just for yourself. You can buy whatever you want, bring it back, and I'll cook it for everyone. It's the least I can do for the hospitality."
Lin nodded quickly, desperate to escape the "recommendations" of the system. Before he left, he stopped and turned to Yada. "Yada... do you see a floating yellow screen in front of my face right now?"
Yada blinked, looking at the empty air, then back at him with a worried expression. "No? Lin, are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Lin laughed awkwardly and bolted out the door.
As he ran down the stairs, he suddenly pictured the long-haired man from Lay-mart. His face went pale. Not going back there, he thought. Just to be safe, I'll find a store on the other side of town.
Across the street from the new grocery store Lin was heading to, a black car with tinted windows sat idling. Inside, the tall detective from the hospital sat in the driver's seat, holding a pair of binoculars.
"He's going inside," the tall man said out loud.
Sitting in the passenger seat was a different man. He had long dry hair and a cold expression. He had a metallic prosthetic left hand.
"I hope this isn't a waste of my time," the man with the metal hand growled. "I don't get paid to watch civilians buy groceries."
"Trust me," the tall detective replied. "You're the best in the business at spotting 'Those things.'"
Inside the store, Lin moved through the aisles. He didn't have to guess what to buy; the system highlighted items in a faint green glow. He grabbed cartons of egg whites, chicken breasts, Greek yogurt, and steaks. He felt like a bodybuilder preparing for a competition.
He paid and left, unaware that the black car was trailing him slowly at a distance, stopping only when he went back into his apartment complex.
Back home, the smell of sizzling chicken and eggs filled the air. Yada was a great cook, and soon the whole family was sitting down to a massive feast. As Lin ate, the yellow screen calculated the macros of every bite. By the time he finished his third plate, a notification popped up:
[RECOVERY COMPLETE]
Vessel repaired. HP: 100/100.
Xai looked at this plate, "You're done already? That's your third plate. You worked up an appetite." Lin burped from a full stomach, "I have something important to do upstairs," Lin announced, wiping his mouth and rushing to his room.
He locked the door and stood in the center of the room. "Appear!" he whispered. Nothing happened. "Menu! Screen! Open Sesame!"
He felt like an idiot. Then, he tried simply thinking about the menu.
The screen buzzed into existence. He saw a new tab labeled [TRAINING SCHEDULE]. He clicked it, and his face instantly turned white. He fell back onto his butt, staring in horror. The list was endless: 200 pushups, 200 situps, 20km run... and that was just the "Morning Warm-up." If he missed a day, the penalty was "Immediate HP Depletion."
"I'm going to die again," he groaned.
He clicked another tab: [WEAPONS & ITEMS]. The screen showed silhouettes of daggers, swords, and strange glowing crystals.
"What is this about?" he asked aloud.
Then, a flash of the woman in the red dress appeared in his mind. He clutched his fist.
"I have to find out the truth," he whispered. "Whatever this system is, it's the only thing that can protect me from something like that again."
This was no longer his old life. This was the start of something new, and it was going to be violent.