Lenny's gaze remained fixed on the task displayed on his phone, his brows furrowing in deep contemplation.
'…It wants me to not only fight but defeat the goons? H-How is that achievable…? I'll be typically signing my death certificate if I challenge them! Wasn't this app supposed to manifest my innermost desires as the task? So why is it challenging me to confront a situation I want to escape…?'
He swiped his hand up his face and ran it through his disheveled hair in frustration.
On one hand, he was excited to be receiving a new task—another chance to gain viral points. But on the other hand, the nature of this particular task gnawed at his nerves.
"Don't fool yourself." He remembered the words of the stranger.
Shaking his head, he confessed to himself, '…I don't have the luxury to lie to myself right now. Am I not tired of running from Boss Falcone and his men? And being honest with myself, don't I want revenge for all the years I spent working my ass off just to pay a debt with such outrageous interest rates and all the constant beatings? That fucker practically has my life in a chokehold!
'For all the humiliation and embarrassment I've faced from them, I should have my revenge! Plus, how am I sure they won't come back here to check for me? And who knows, they might have already made calls for backup. Sigh, staying here is still far from safe, I have to act fast…'
Lenny's mind raced, considering the situation carefully. There appeared to be no viable way out of this predicament without him confronting Boss Falcone's men, either now or later when he got home.
He thought of offering the goons the money he just earned from Top Idol, but he knew they could simply share it amongst themselves and serve him up in a plater of gold to the Boss. He would have to place his life on the wims of their personal and moral virtues, which would be outright foolish and dumb because the people in question were bloodhounds for a loan shark, their ways and tactics were never honorable.
He had nowhere to run, and they were capable enough to chase him to the ends of the earth to recover the massive loan. With organ harvesting on the line, he was nothing more than a walking target in their eyes. It was evident that his only option was to fight back, armed or not.
After the self-convincing session, Lenny decided to engage in the task.
'…First things first, I'm not strong enough, fast enough, or experienced enough. I'm even tired from all the running, so there's no way I can face them like this. Hmm, but what a perfect chance to explore the effectiveness of the app…'
He navigated to the Attributes tab and scrutinized his current statistics, mentally crossing out attributes that weren't essential for the upcoming battle with simple analysis.
[Attributes]:
Strength — 7.
Perception — 12.
Endurance — 9.
Charisma — 5.
Intelligence — 15.
Agility — 11.
Looks — 8.
At the moment, Lenny only possessed a mere 15 v-points for investment. With three well-armed and skilled adversaries intent on capturing him for organ harvesting, there was no room for missteps, not a single one.
Naturally, his Looks, Charisma, and Intelligence attributes were entirely irrelevant in the life-or-death confrontation he faced.
After careful deliberation, he decided to cross out Endurance as well. As for Agility, a swift and agile approach would be greatly beneficial in dodging and evasion, but he couldn't ignore the importance of sheer Strength.
Taking the current pitch-black environment into consideration, the smart options were Perception, Agility, and Strength. With only 15 v-points, he was more inclined to upgrade only one of them, so they could reach their limit since he truly wished to be effective and maximize his chance for success.
However, before settling on a decision, he recalled some unique products he had recently come across in the Shop tab, so he headed there first.
[Insta-Power Booster Capsule]
Type: Consumable.
Tier: I.
Description: More greenery, more energy. Re-energize thyself by restoring lost stamina and clearing built-up fatigue.
Price: 1 VP.
This product was a simple injector capsule, resembling the [Insta-Health Recovery Capsule] he had acquired a while ago but sporting a green icon, instead.
'…This one's not too bad. I can re-energize myself and not feel as tired anymore. Plus, it's cheap…' he thought.
Hissing at the dumb description, Lenny scrolled down further.
[Invigoria!]
Type: Consumable.
Tier: I.
Description: Viagra, invigoria, adrenalinegoria, don't worry—not gonna give you gonorrhea. Restores stamina, clears fatigue, and sustains max energy output for 15 minutes.
Price: 5 VP.
The product was represented by a simple green pill icon.
Squeezing his face and ignoring the horrendous description as time was of the essence, he thought, '…This one doesn't seem bad too. I can opt to get this pill and just invest the remaining v-points in my perception.'
However, his cautious attitude caused him to doubt himself, '...But, what if I don't get the job done in 15 minutes and it wears off and I'm totally weak as a side effect or something? Since I won't be done with the mission, I'd have zero v-points too! Dammit, that'll typically spell my death…'
Lenny pondered his choices before scrolling down to the next product. It was depicted as a canned energy drink with a green logo and a glossy black body.
[BeastMode Energizer!]
Type: Consumable.
Tier: II.
Description: Unleash your inner beast! Relish your deepest need! Go BeastMode! Restores stamina, clears all fatigue, and doubles max energy output for 15 minutes.
Price: 15 VP.
Staring at the energy drink, Lenny found it particularly intriguing. It also had a more appealing description compared to the other products.
'…Perhaps I should opt for this one? It outright doubles my maximum energy output, potentially allowing me to complete the task in 15 minutes. But, it'll leave me with fewer points to invest in my perception. Hmm… what would be the point of enhanced speed, strength, and reflexes, if I trip and fall because I can't see…?' he contemplated.
After careful consideration, Lenny made his choice.
He purchased the [Insta-Power Booster Capsule] for just 1 v-point. Although the energy capsule lacked the added benefits of [Invigoria] pill—which maintained maximum energy output for 15 minutes, and the [BeastMode Energizer!] energy drink—which doubled maximum energy output and still maintained it for 15 minutes, the main selling point for Lenny was simply… because it was the cheapest.
Thud!
An unexpected thud resounded in the stall, similar to the one he heard before when he 'used' the health consumable.
He cautiously activated his phone's torch and surveyed the area. A peculiar 5-inch medical packet had dropped onto the grimy bathroom floor.
Without hesitation, Lenny retrieved it and wiped away the filth with his shirt. He came from deep in the trenches, so he was immune to feeling disgusted by these kinds of things.
After opening the packet, he took out a canister identical to the [Insta-Health Recovery Capsule]. However, this time, it contained a bright green viscous liquid.
'…I should invest in my perception first…'
Lenny thought as he quickly swiped to the Attributes tab.
Perception — 12.
He selected the attribute and noticed it was marked with the number '1' and a plus sign. By incrementing the value to 13, he attempted to add the remaining v-point, however, it didn't increase further. This was because the attribute had reached its maximum limit of 25 units.
With a click of the green checkmark next to the red 'x', the change was finalized.
Perception — 12 >> 25 [MAX].
Out of 15 v-points, Lenny had bought the [Insta-Power Booster Capsule] with 1 v-point and invested 13 v-points in Perception, leaving him with only a single point left.
Quite happy with this, he mused to himself, '…Heh, now if I get tired again, I can buy one more booster. Like the wise man once said, "When you go cheap, you can never go broke"…'
However, he realized a very obvious issue.
'…Wait, when would I even start seeing the effects of the upgrade? Would I need to have some rest first, or…'
After about a minute, Lenny was moved to switch off his phone's torch, calming himself as he observed his surroundings.
Although the area remained dark, his vision had become astoundingly acute, allowing him to discern objects and navigate confidently as though his eyes had adapted to the darkness.
He could very well feel the faint but steady rhythm of his heart's beating. The faint odor of rotten dead rats, birds, bats, and other scavengers and the foul smell of the restroom's toilets teased his olfactory senses. From the droplets leaking from the open ceiling to the chirps of birds and the fluttering of bats. His hearing had sharpened significantly, along with a heightened sense of smell.
Upon running his hand across the wall, Lenny could discern its rough texture and formulate a precise mental image of it. His sense of touch had likewise reached its maximum human potential.
With these heightened senses, he could discern the location of objects within a 2-meter radius based on scent, sound, and tactile sensations. Beyond that range, he had to rely primarily on sound and smell.
Observing these extraordinary changes within his body, Lenny furrowed his brows, remarking to himself, "This is… This is miraculous."
Lenny was slightly taken aback by his actions, '…I can't believe I'm actually going through with this. Why don't I just run away? No, that's just my cowardice talking. I have nowhere to run, and they will eventually capture me. Moreover, it's not just about revenge now; I need those 15 v-points…'
Then and there, he decisively stabbed the [Insta-Power Booster Capsule] injector into his arm, and pressed the top, allowing all its content to enter his bloodstream.
He drew in a deep, deep breath before exhaling slowly. In the darkness, a faint green glint briefly sparkled in his eyes.
A sinister grin crept across his lips as he uttered with an eerie calm, "Truly re-energizing…"