CHAPTER 8
A searing pain ripped through his muscles.
Vincent's body jolted awake—his heart pounding in a frantic rhythm.
He gasped, his breath ragged, eyes wide as he took in his surroundings.
Then—
A slow exhale.
He was still in his room.
Relief washed over him like a calming tide.
The trauma from the electrocution incident still lingered—so waking up in his bed after experiencing something abnormal was always met with a moment of panic.
His mind raced through the events of the last day—or rather, the last few hours.
Then—
Something felt off.
Vincent shifted, preparing to stand up—
And stumbled.
His balance felt wrong.
His legs wobbled, nearly sending him crashing back onto the bed.
He caught himself—his hand pressing onto the mattress for support.
But something wasn't right.
His hand felt… longer?
His fingers trembled as he lifted his hand, turning it over, inspecting it.
His pale skin was the same.
But—
They were longer.
He blinked.
Then—his eyes widened.
"Oh crap! It was real!"
His voice cracked with disbelief.
He really grew taller.
That strange floating sensation wasn't in his head.
The floor felt far away.
His perspective had changed.
'Wow… really, wow.'
Vincent's lips stretched into a grin.
An unexplainable joy bubbled inside him—an overwhelming, elated rush that sent a thrill through his veins.
He really grew taller.
But then—he looked down.
His track pants had risen above his ankles, now awkwardly hovering around his calves.
He looked like he was wearing his younger brother's clothes.
'…Seriously?'
A painful realization settled in.
New clothes.
He was going to need new clothes.
Especially for school.
His new uniform was already in order, but he'd have to submit his updated measurements to his homeroom teacher.
And then—
What about his current wardrobe?
Every single pair of pants he owned would now be too short.
"I have no choice… I need to buy new ones."
He sighed, scratching his head.
A boutique. He needed a tracksuit or something quick so he wouldn't look ridiculous walking around like this.
'Alright, that's the plan.'
With that decision made, Vincent rummaged through his crate of clothes, eventually pulling out a khaki short—something he usually wore to sleep.
It was better than looking like a guy who stole a kid's trousers.
But then—
Another realization hit.
Money.
Vincent froze.
Then, slowly, he picked up his phone and unlocked it.
A few taps later—
He stared at the screen.
And his stomach dropped.
---
Bank Balance: $2,150
---
His face darkened.
'…This is what I have saved up to survive the rest of the year.'
And it was barely even May.
A hollow chuckle left his lips.
The events happening in his life were exciting.
He loved the change.
But—
He hated spending money.
And now?
He was about to burn a chunk of his savings just to get clothes.
He didn't even know how much a tracksuit would cost.
And even if he didn't buy one, $2,150 wasn't enough to sustain him for the rest of the year.
Vincent swallowed the bitterness in his throat.
No choice.
No choice at all.
His fingers clenched into a fist, determination burning in his eyes.
"Yosh! Let's do this! Today, I take my life into my own hands. Everything changes from this point on!"
---
[Congratulations.]
[You have unlocked the MAIN QUEST.]
---
Vincent froze.
His eyes snapped to the floating blue panel.
"…Main quest?"
---
[First Main Quest is loading…]
[You will be alerted when the Main Quest is ready.]
[You can now access PLAYER PROFILE and STATS. This allows you to track your strength and progress. You may command it vocally or mentally.]
---
A thrill shot through him.
"I'll be able to see my strength."
Vincent's heart pounded.
His excitement soared.
"I wonder how strong I am now."
He was confident.
Back in his village, he was an unparalleled lifter.
Of course—
That was a village of old people, kids, and lazy men.
But still—
Vincent took pride in his strength.
With bated breath, he passed the mental command.
---
[USER PROFILE]
Name: Vincent Fallen
Title: Little Heir
Attribute: GLUTTONY
Attribute Abilities: [Malleable], [Eat and Be]
Cards [2]: [Oh! Here's My Coffee!], [Swift Serpent Strike]
---
[STATS]
Strength: 7
Stamina: 10
Potential: 5
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 15
---
Vincent stared.
Then—
"…Eh?"
Something felt wrong.
His expression twisted.
This was bad.
This was really bad.
"…Is this right? What are these numbers? Surely it can't be right."
He scratched his hair, staring furiously.
"My intelligence is fifteen? No, I refuse to accept that, I am not a dullard, except if intelligence here is to count for something else."
Silence.
Vincent lingered.
Then—he sighed.
"So, care to explain about this main quest?"
---
[Certainly, but further information is locked. You must progress through the MAIN QUEST to access it.]
---
Vincent paused, for a moment, he wished he could smack the head of the voice speaking in his head right now.
But he couldn't.
Sadly, there were other pressing matters in his mind, a bother.
'…'
He was weak.
A bottom-level character.
The weakest of the weak.
For a moment, he had thought himself capable—
That maybe, just maybe, his stats would be amazing.
But reality crushed that delusion.
Still—
His frown deepened.
But this time—
It wasn't frustration.
It was determination.
'Not for long.'
His jaw clenched.
'I will use this system to get stronger and stand fearless against anyone.'
This was just the beginning.
But first—
He needed to get some tracksuits.
And strangely…
He was hungry.