The Top Idol app had nine tabs: Profile, Attributes, Leaderboard, Inventory, Shop, Marketplace, Notifications, Achievements, and Help & Support.
Lenny navigated the app and briefly checked his stats in the Attributes tab once more. With the 'i' sign in the corner, he had learned that the maximum amount allowed for each stat was 25; with approximately 13 being average, and 25 being the human body's peak.
[Attributes]:
Strength — 7.
Perception — 12.
Endurance — 9.
Charisma — 5.
Intelligence — 15.
Agility — 11.
Looks — 8.
Lenny's face contorted with a hint of annoyance.
This was the fifth time he had checked his attributes, but he just couldn't accept what he saw. Now, with the confirmation of the legitimacy of the app, the annoyance he felt was more palpable.
Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, and Perception — these attributes were within Lenny's expectations, to say the least.
However, the corners of his mouth and brows twitched slightly as he stared at the values of his Looks and Charisma attributes.
'…Dammit, I'm not that ugly! And I'm a pretty charming guy. Nana even calls me her prince charming. This app must be bugged. At least, they somewhat got my intelligence right. But still, it should be a few points higher…'
Shaking his head and pushing his dissatisfaction to the back of his mind, Lenny continued on with his plan.
He entered the Shop tab and was immediately greeted with a particular item with an icon of a pinkish-red substance in a cylindrical container.
[Insta-Health Recovery Capsule]
Type: Consumable.
Tier: I.
Description: Healiosa-Nowiosa! Recover from all minor ailments and injuries instantly.
Price: 1 VP.
Seeing the consumable item once again, Lenny couldn't help but criticize inwardly.
'…What on earth are these silly wordings on the descriptions of these items? Healiosa-Nowiosa, meaning Heal Now? They were most likely trying to imitate a Harry Potter spell with this one. Tsk, how can one even take this app seriously…?'
Not minding the childish and unprofessional description, he purchased the [Insta-Health Recovery Capsule] and then proceeded to the Inventory tab.
The icon of the product he had just obtained was the only thing in his inventory, and it occupied one out of nine slots arranged in a grid.
He clicked on the [Insta-Health Recovery Capsule] icon and was presented with two options: [Use] or [Sell].
'…Hmm, I would like to try out this 'sell' feature sometime…' Lenny thought to himself before tapping 'use'.
He glanced around the bathroom, curious to see how the item would be delivered.
Thud!
"What the!" Lenny jumped in fright at the sudden sound.
He turned around and spotted a cuboid packet on the bathroom floor. It resembled a common medicine packet but was about 5 inches in length, unlike the typical ones which were much smaller.
'…How is this possible? It appeared out of nowhere!'
With cautious curiosity, he picked up the item and scrutinized it.
The packet was a plain white surface, devoid of any design. On the side, the instructions were simple: "Place the bottom part, which has an opening in the middle, anywhere on the arm, neck, or thigh; and then, use your thumb to press down on the top part."
Nodding thoughtfully, Lenny carefully opened the packet and took out a cylindrical container crafted from a metallic material and glass-like transparent material, encasing a flowing reddish-pink liquid.
Lenny conducted a visual comparison, noting its thickness in relation to a whiteboard marker, although slightly thicker.
Following the provided instructions, he positioned the bottom of the canister with an opening in the middle on his left forearm.
Gently pressing the top of the capsule, it emitted a soft 'prf' sound, akin to the deflation of a balloon.
Lenny emitted a subdued groan as he felt a slight pricking sensation. He realized the bottom opening of the capsule most likely harbored a thin needle within, which promptly delivered all the reddish-pink liquid into his blood vessels.
He tossed the empty canister into the bathroom wash sink and leaned forward, gripping the corners of the sink as he studied his reflection in the mirror.
A mild sense of lightheadedness washed over him, and then…
And then, he bore witness to something truly extraordinary and only found in fiction: The bruises that had marred his shoulders, ribs, back, thighs, and even his bloodshot and swollen left eye, all began to fade away.
To be precise, they were healing at an astonishingly rapid pace!
Lenny's eyes widened in sheer astonishment. Tentatively, he ran his hands over his body, particularly the areas where the bruises had been.
"What the hell…"
His fingers repeatedly explored his body, his lips gradually curling.
'…This is incredible! There's—There's no pain anywhere! In fact, I've never felt so healthy in my life!'
"Hahaha!" Lenny burst into playful, triumphant laughter.
Then, he reached for his phone.
"This can't be a dream, can it?" he furtively asked himself.
Pa… He lightly slapped his face and saw that he was very much awake. It was an undeniable reality.
Running his hand through his hair, he grinned at his reflection.
"It's fuckin' legit!"
While Lenny had already started to believe Top Idol wasn't a scam when he received that cash reward, this experience just put the icing on the cake.
"...Oh my, what should I do next?" he joyously voiced, utterly flabbergasted.
Then, he quickly checked the phone's time.
'…Only 20 minutes left till the shift ends. I'll test the Go Viral feature with short videos on TinkTonk with the remaining 15 v-points when I get home. Hmm, I should also add some to my looks and charisma.
'Should I close up early today? If I do, I'll be able to go back to Old Town and visit that stranger who saved me. He must have been the one who sent me the invite, so he must be an admin…'
Lenny wished to thank the weird stalker, but he also harbored a significant number of questions. Therefore, he quickly decided to close early and began wearing his clothes.
…
Under the moonlight, from the shadowy corner of the street, Lenny was discreetly observed as he exited Jack's QuickStop convenience store, wearing a joyful expression as he hailed a taxi cab.
"Start the engine," a deep voice said from within the darkness.
Silently, the engine revved, and the car began to follow the taxi cab ahead, all while remaining concealed in the shadows.