Haaaah! Haaaah!
Jason jumped up in bed; his face was red, full of tension. His chest felt heavy; he was unable to breathe properly. His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he grabbed the bedsheet unconsciously. He was covered in sweat, and his t-shirt was soaked in it.
Haah! Haah!
He could hear his heartbeat thudding; he was breathing heavily.
"System." Jason called the system; his voice cracked in desperation
[Pulse Card Balance: $454]
[Complete the Main Quest to level up the system.]
[Quest Log:]
[Pushups (100/4)]
[Sit-ups (100/10)]
[Squats (100/0)]
[Running (10/0 km)]
[Spends ($1000/100)]
Haaah~
Seeing the system panel appear, Jason let out a long breath of relief.
"Thank God… It was just a nightmare…" He muttered.
He now felt his breath lighter, and his heart's thudding was getting slower.
But what if this nightmare becomes true? No! Fuck that… I have to grind… level the system up and protect my future.
Jason grabbed his phone to check the time; it was 7:59 A.M. He dragged himself out of the bed, brushed off the blanket, and smoothed the pillow. He didn't leave the bedsheet tangled for the first time in his adult life. It was a sign he gave to himself, a declaration of war against his former self.
I'm done being that version of myself.
His hand moved toward the cigarette pack out of habit. It was his regular tendency, especially one that is hard to give up on. But he stopped halfway. He stared at the pack for a moment.
If I quit smoking cigarettes right from this moment, maybe I can finally change something in my life. And if I can't quit smoking cigarettes, then maybe I will stick to my former self.
Jason shook his head in thought.
"It's decided… I am not making the same damn mistake I have been making for over a decade. This is the part where I actually change my miserable ass life. From now on I will change my lifestyle, and if it needs to change my habit, then so be it.
Jason felt a will-of-fire light up in his heart. His face was full of pride.
[Ding!!!]
[Congratulations, Host. For completing a secret quest.]
[Secret quest: change your habit of smoking.]
[Reward: ??? (Unlock the rewards by upgrading the system.)]
"Ehh? So there are secret quests too? And I have to level up before I get the reward, huh?" Jason muttered.
He looked at the cigarette pack again. A slow smirk spread across his face. A thought came to his mind.
What happens if I try to smoke now?
He took one cigarette out and placed it between his lips. Then he reached for the lighter. But he stopped before sparking it. Something felt off. Not physically but mentally. His body just… didn't want it. Jason frowned.
For some reason I don't even feel like smoking anymore. Holy shit!... This system really is something.
Jason was amazed by the power of the system. He threw the cigarette into the trash and went to the toilet. After taking care of his business in the toilet, he freshened up and went to the kitchen to prepare himself two sandwiches with strawberry jam for breakfast and ate them.
After finishing his breakfast, He washed the plate, dried his hands, and turned his attention back to the main quest. He looked at his clothes. He didn't own any sports clothes aside from the tracksuit he couldn't buy in the dream. So he decided not to change his faded t-shirt and gray shorts, as they were already dirty with his sweat; he didn't want another pair of clothes to be dirty. He looked at the time, which was 8:54 A.M., and put on a pair of old sneakers. After that, he grabbed his phone and keys, took a deep breath, and left the apartment.
It took him almost a dozen minutes to arrive at the neighborhood park.
When Jason entered through the iron gate, he was shocked by the view.
Jason had imagined that in a park with a lot of trees, the air would feel fresh, birds would be singing, and he would get a beautiful nature view. But it was quite the opposite, as the place was packed with people; it felt full of chaos. The jogging path was cracked and mostly broken. The trees were covered in city dust. Joggers were moving in every direction. Some ran clockwise, some ran the opposite way, and none of it made any sense, just a bunch of moving human beings.
This is the opposite of what I was thinking. I was imagining smelling the fresh air of relief. Instead of fresh air, I got to smell sweat and bullshit. Sigh! I'll focus on what I have come here for.
Jason saw a group of elderly folks jogging in a loose formation, shoving past slow walkers, bulldozing their way through the crowd.
Perfect. A moving shield.
Jason thought of it as an opportunity and ran behind them, making them his front shield to use their momentum to clear his path.
After running for about two minutes behind his so-called shield, his legs started burning. Jason slowed, grabbed his knees, and bent forward as sweat dripped onto the path. His lungs felt desperately in need of air. He looked around to sit on the bench, but every single one was occupied, filled with people busy with their phones or elderly persons gossiping.
Haah!… Haah!…
Dammit! Why the hell are there so many people in this shitty park? It's like Mr. Best is giving away free food, and half the city showed up to line up for it.
Jason wiped his forehead with the bottom of his shirt, which was already soaked through.
I have to do it as fast as I can and get out of this hellhole. System!
[Pulse Card Balance: $512]
[Complete the Main Quest to level up the system.]
[Quest Log:]
[Pushups (100/4)]
[Sit-ups (100/10)]
[Squats (100/0)]
[Running (10/0.2 km)]
[Spends ($1000/100)]
What the fuck!!?? 0.2 km? That's it?
Jason looked at the semi-transparent panel in disbelief.
My body… They are too weak. I can't even run for 5 minutes straight without feeling my heart will explode. Years of smoking and relying on instant noodles had left me with the stamina of a sloth… If I continue like this, I'll die before I get rich. No! Fuck that. I'm not quitting. Even if I injure myself, I will complete 10km by the end of the day. Close.
As the system disappeared, Jason raised his back, tried to ignore the pain in his leg muscles, and started running once again.
Haah!... Haah!
As time passed by, the sun was climbing higher, and the weather grew hotter. The morning crowd began to disappear as the heat became unbearable, but Jason kept moving. He was now soaked in sweat, gasping for air. His throat is now fully dry. He couldn't even breathe properly. He felt pain rising from his kidneys.
Finally, his legs refused to raise themselves. Jason collapsed onto a now-empty bench. He rested for a few moments, catching his breath. His head was between his knees, trying to keep the world from spinning.
Water! I need water!
He was desperately in need of water. He looked around, but there were no facilities for water in the park.
Shit. I might have to buy a bottle, but there's no way I'm making it to the store right now.
Jason rested a few more minutes.
This quest… it's harder than I thought. System.
[Pulse Card Balance: $537]
[Complete Main Quest to level up the system.]
[Quest Log:]
[Pushups (100/4)]
[Sit-ups (100/10)]
[Squats (100/0)]
[Running (10/1.6 km)]
[Spends ($1000/100)]
Argh!! Only 1.6 km!?
Jason pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. It was 9:45 A.M.
I thought I had been out here for an hour, but only half an hour had passed.
Jason wiped his sweaty forehead with his already sweat-soaked t-shirt.
The heat is rising. If I keep going in this heat, I'm going to pass out. I should head back home and do other exercises. I will continue to run in the evening when the sun goes down.
His body was trembling, and his lips were dry as a drought. Jason stood up trembling. His legs jiggled like jelly.
It took him almost thirty minutes to reach his apartment building, which had taken fifteen minutes earlier, as he moved slowly, trembling, clutching his kidney side. He climbed the stairs and struggled with his keys. Finally, he managed to open the door and went straight for the refrigerator.
Jason grabbed a cold bottle of water, opened the cap, and gulped down about 750 ml in one go. He knew drinking cold water in this overheated, dehydrated body would have a bad effect on his health, but he couldn't care less and drank it anyway.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp. Haahhh!
Jason let out a long sigh of relief. He took a few relaxed moments before returning to the bedroom. As his body and clothes were dirty and full of sweat, he decided not to lie down on the bed and collapsed on the floor.
After taking a rest for a dozen minutes, Jason finally moved his body. He turned around and postured in a push-up position. He managed to do 4 push-ups again before collapsing on the floor. Jason shook his head in disappointment. He pushed his body again and managed to do 3 more push-ups and collapsed again on the floor.
Haah! Haaah!
Push-ups are harder than sit-ups. Let me complete sit-ups.
Jason shifted his body to a sit-up position and did 15 sit-ups in one go and collapsed. He took a minute break before trying another set. But this time he only managed to do 10 sit-ups. His whole body is now trembling in pain.
Ding!
A notification popped up on his phone. Jason grabbed his phone to check; It was a text message from Kaitlyn.