Dave wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished his final set of pull-ups. His body had changed so much in the last few weeks, becoming leaner and more muscular. His reflection in the mirror showed the hard work: toned arms, defined abs, and a posture that exuded confidence. He looked every bit the part of someone who had been through hell and back—and he was just getting started. His stats had improved dramatically, too.
Strength: 40
Agility: 32
Endurance: 38
Intelligence: 15
His daily missions had helped increase his physical stats considerably, but his intelligence lagged behind. He'd been so focused on building his body that he hadn't paid much attention to his mental capabilities. That was about to change.
'System, didn't you say you were going to reduce the difficulty of the weekly mission?' Dave asked as he scrolled through the shop, looking for something useful.
[System Notification: Calculating… The weekly mission has been adjusted. You now need to accumulate 25,000 System points within the week.]
Dave let out a small sigh of relief. 25,000 points was still a massive challenge, but at least it was more manageable than the original 50,000. He had 5 days left before the deadline. And in just over 10 days, it would be his friend John's birthday—an event Dave had mixed feelings about. Seeing his ex-girlfriend with her new rich boyfriend wasn't exactly something he looked forward to. But with his newfound strength, confidence, and wealth, maybe it wouldn't bother him as much.
Turning his attention back to the System, he noticed a section labeled "Knowledge Boosts." If he was going to keep up with his investments and future plans, he needed to get smarter, not just stronger.
'Let's buy some knowledge,' Dave thought.
He clicked on a general intelligence boost option for $10,000. It wasn't a massive upgrade, but it would help sharpen his mind.
[System Notification: $10,000 spent. 10 System points earned.]
[System Reward: General Knowledge Boost acquired.]
Suddenly, a warm sensation spread through his mind. He felt a sharp clarity wash over him, as though his brain had been rebooted, running faster and more efficiently. Ideas came quicker, and information seemed to stick more easily.
'This will definitely help with my investments,' he thought, feeling pleased with the purchase. With each passing day, he was becoming a better version of himself—not just physically, but mentally, too.
Dave closed his eyes for a moment, mentally preparing for the week ahead. The challenge was still steep, but this time he felt a little more prepared. He was getting stronger and smarter by the day, and soon enough, even the System's most difficult challenges wouldn't be out of reach.