Chapter 40 – System Updates

I head out the front door of Luna's building, stepping out into the cool night air. The mountain of a doorman (seriously, this guy could probably bench press a small car) nods at me with that same gentle smile he had when I arrived. I nod back, trying to match his professional demeanor while internally wondering what his workout routine looks like and if it involves lifting actual buildings.

The moment I'm a few steps from the entrance, I realize my system is trying to get my attention.

Ding! You've completed the quest: Get Closer to a Friend!

Rewards:

Ding! Quest log updated.

I nearly stop walking to check it, but then my brain catches up with the rest of me. Okay, that's great and everything, but it's really getting late. My priorities are: Get home first, check quests second.

I break into a light jog, feeling the cool spring air brush against my skin. My improved endurance makes the run actually pleasant instead of the wheezing nightmare it would've been a month ago. The streets are mostly empty, just the occasional car passing by and the distant sounds of the city doing its late-night thing.

Despite the chill, my heart feels weirdly light. Today was just... perfect. Luna's amazing, and I can't believe I'm lucky enough to call her my friend. This whole "having friends" thing? Highly recommended. Ten out of ten, would befriend again.

I make it home in record time, okay, maybe not record time, but definitely quicker than normal. I push open the front door to find most of the lights off. Selene and Bianca are probably already asleep, but Mom's sitting on the couch, reading a book under the soft glow of a lamp.

"Mom, you didn't have to wait up," I say softly, not wanting to startle her.

She looks up from her book, those emerald eyes crinkling with warmth. "Oh sweetie, I wasn't waiting up. I just got caught up in my book, you know how I am." Her face breaks into that warm smile that could probably end wars. "How was your evening, honey?"

Yeah, I'm not winning any arguments against that smile. I learned that lesson years ago.

"Yeah, it was really fun," I say, and I can hear the dopey happiness in my own voice.

She sets her book aside and stands, walking over to pull me into a hug. Her embrace is warm and comforting, she smells like… home. The usual happens between my face and her chest. Then she kisses the top of my head, the height difference making this effortless for her.

"I'm so glad, honey," she murmurs, giving me one more squeeze before pulling back. She picks up her book and starts heading toward the stairs.

Halfway up, she pauses and turns back with a playful glint in her eyes. "You know, tomorrow at dinner, we're all going to want to hear about your day. The girls have been very curious about it."

I groan. "Of course they were. They were already harassing me in the group chat!"

Mom laughs, that warm, melodious sound that makes everything feel right in the world. "That's what family does, sweetheart. Now get some rest, and don't stay up too late."

"I won't, Mom. Love you."

"Love you too, honey. Goodnight."

She disappears upstairs, and I pull out my phone to text Luna.

Me: Hey! Made it back safe. How about you?

The reply comes almost immediately.

Luna: I’m glad you’re safe! Wait, but I'm still home, I was always home

Me: Okay but what if someone broke in while you were seeing me off? What if you got kidnapped on your way back to your room? I'm just being a responsible friend here

Luna: Okay, you’re just messing with me.

Luna: ?

Luna: But thanks for checking on me anyways ?

Luna: And I had a really fun time today. So, thank you for being my friend

My heart does this weird happy flutter thing.

Me: I had an amazing time too. Thank you for letting me come over. And for the food. And for showing me around. And for gaming with me

Me: ...Alright, this is getting too wholesome. I'm gonna go work out now. Talk later?

Luna: Okay, good luck with your workout! ?

I head upstairs to my room, carefully avoiding the creaky step that sounds like a dying whale, and immediately pull up my quest log. Time to see what the system has in store for me:

From Average to Excellent

Description: Incredible progress, Adam! You've transformed from someone who got winded walking up stairs to someone with genuinely respectable physical stats. But here's the thing: average isn't your ceiling, it's your starting line now. You've tasted what it feels like to improve, to see real changes in your capabilities. Why stop here? Imagine having a body that can keep up with anything your mind dreams up. Want to go rock climbing? Do parkour? Impress someone with your physical prowess? Or maybe just enjoy "wrestling" ? in various positions without cramping up? Keep pushing, and you'll unlock abilities that most people only fantasize about.

Quest Details:

Quest Progress:

Quest Rewards:

Romance

Description: You’ve made a friend, congratulations! Friendship is wonderful, but you've always wanted more than that with someone, haven't you? You never made a move because you assumed you'd be rejected before you even tried. Well, guess what? You're not the same person you were a month ago. You're more confident, more capable, and more attractive. So here's a challenge: stop being such a coward and actually try! Flirt a little. Show interest. See what happens. Just one rule: don't be creepy about it. Be genuine, be respectful, and let things unfold naturally. You might be surprised by the results. And hey, even if you get rejected, at least you tried, right?

Quest Details:

Complete all of the following in the same encounter:

Quest Progress:

Quest Rewards:

I blink. Then blink again.

"Okay, I see you, system," I mutter. "Real subtle with the romance quest showing up right after I spend the evening with Luna."

But... I'm not interested in her that way. Right?

…Right?

I shake my head. Nope. Not going down that rabbit hole right now. Let's focus on the quest that won't give me an existential crisis about my feelings: The "From Average to Excellent" quest. Two hundred points. Two. Hundred. And those rewards...

"Hyper-Optimized Physique? Kinesthetic Mastery?" I read aloud. "Jesus, I'm going to become a superhero at this rate."

The thought hits me: I've had this system for barely over a month, and I've already gone from a guy whose idea of exercise was reaching for the TV remote to someone with genuinely decent fitness stats. If this keeps up, where will I be in a year? Could I compete in the Olympics? Become a professional athlete? The sky’s the limit!

And I've barely scratched the surface. There are upgrades in the shop worth thousands of points. And there’s still that mysterious "System Upgrade" option that requires Divine Power (whatever that is), to unlock. What's the endgame here? Do I become some kind of god?

Well, okay to be honest, both of these quests will be completed when they're completed. I mean, I'll still do tough workouts, and I guess I'll... try to be more flirty? But I'm not going to force myself to do it randomly, so it might take me a while to finish that quest.

And... a kiss?

My mind immediately goes to Luna, and I feel my face heat up. Which is stupid. We're friends. Just friends.

...Yeah, I'll get to that quest when I'm ready for it.

"Okay, enough theorizing," I tell myself.

I close the quest window, and pull up the system shop and make some purchases: Training Expert and Efficient Sleeper.

I stare at my remaining points. I still have quite a few left. You know what? Screw it. If I'm going to be working out twice a day, I need every advantage I can get. I upgrade Efficient Sleeper to Advanced Sleeper for another 25 points.

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: 130 → 45

Attributes

Body Enhancements

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Perks

"Nice," I grin at my stats. "Finally starting to build up a decent arsenal of perks."

Things are going really well right now. Almost too well.

...Which gives me a bad feeling. I feel like bad things usually happen when I think things are going well. It's like some cosmic rule: the moment you get comfortable, the universe decides it's pranking time.

"You know what? I'm saving the rest of these points," I decide. "Just in case shit hits the fan and I need to buy something in a hurry."

Suddenly:

Ding! You've completed the quest: Daily Routine

Rewards:

I glance at my phone: 12:00 AM.

Damn, only one point. It makes sense though, I sort of completed my daily jog today: I jogged to school, and jogged back from Luna's, but I completely forgot about my skincare routine before midnight hit.

Well, enough playing around with my system. Time to get to work.

I drop to the ground and start doing pushups, beginning my workout routine that I'm determined to do twice a day now.