An unknown amount of time passed before Silas slowly opened his eyes. He looked around the room and picked up his phone to check the time.
*8:23*
"It's late already? I got home by 3 and slept till 8. Five hours of sleep. When was the last time I actually slept this long?" he asked himself with a smile.
He was no longer feeling angry, nor was he still feeling the stuffy sensation he always had in his chest. He felt so calm and free that it seemed like an illusion. He felt so relieved.
He was about to put his phone away when he noticed that its battery was nearly drained. He immediately connected his charger and started charging it.
Silas was not able to enjoy the newfound feeling for long when his stomach growled, indicating its empty state.
"So hungry. I wonder if there's anything to eat at home," he said as he stood up and made his way to the kitchen.
The house he lived in was average, with a living area, kitchen, and dining area all connected downstairs, and three rooms upstairs.
He and his brother each had a room to themselves, with his father taking the slightly bigger one for himself and sharing it with his girlfriend.
When he got to the kitchen, he walked to the fridge, took out a glass cup and a jug filled with water, and poured himself some.
As he drank the water, it tasted different than usual. It tasted sweet.
'Ha. The things hunger can do to you.'
He returned the jug to the fridge and washed the cup before putting it away. Then, he looked at the second occupant of the kitchen, the lady who had previously opened the door for him.
He saw that she was cooking something and walked toward her.
"Cooking dinner?" he asked as he looked at the hot, steaming pot on the cooker.
Silas' voice seemed to have startled her as her body shook slightly before she turned to look at him.
"Ah... Silas! It's you! You gave me a scare there. Yeah, I'm cooking dinner. You can go to your room; I'll let you know when it's ready," she said with a light chuckle before smiling at him.
Looking at the smile on her face, Silas sighed silently and went back to his room.
For those who are curious, the lady in the kitchen is Kim, his father's girlfriend.
Honestly, he can't seem to understand how and why she fell in love with his father. The man has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Though she is not a jade beauty like some novels will describe, she's above average, and her character is okay.
The first time he met her was seven months ago, when his father introduced her as the woman he wanted to marry next.
After that day, she visited regularly until she finally moved in, and it's been four months since then.
Though it has been four months since she started living with them, Silas still hasn't gotten used to her presence in the house and his life.
Maybe it's because of his experiences growing up. Silas now finds it hard to trust anyone, especially women, and whenever he sees them smiling at him, it irks him to his bones, and Kim's smile is no different.
Silas decided to push the thoughts about his dysfunctional life and family to the back of his mind as he made his way to his younger brother's room.
When he got to the door, he knocked gently, and it was opened by a little boy.
Slowly, the door opened, and a 10-year-old boy stood in front of him.
"Brother! I wanted to come to your room, but Mom said you're tired and I shouldn't disturb you," the boy said as he hugged Silas.
Silas smiled as he hugged the little boy tightly, and he patted his head affectionately. His younger brother, Alex, had always been the closest person to him after he lost his stepmother, Alex's mother.
Since her death, he had done his best to take care of him and raise him to the best of his ability.
"Hey, Alex, what are you doing in your room?" Silas asked as he let go and bent down to match the little boy's height.
"Watching cartoons," Alex replied with a cute smile on his face.
"What's the name of the cartoon, Champ Champ?"
"Spiderman!" the boy replied with a big smile on his face, indicating that he was enjoying the cartoon he was watching.
"Okay then, you can continue what you were doing. Dinner will be ready soon. After eating dinner, make sure you brush your teeth and take your bath before going to sleep, okay? You have school tomorrow, remember?"
"Mm-hmm," little Alex nodded, acknowledging his brother's words.
"Good! That's my boy!" Silas ruffled his hair with a smile before letting him go back to watching his cartoons.
After Alex went back into his room, Silas decided to return to his own. When he stepped inside, he frowned when he saw how disorganized it was.
Immediately, he got to work, making his bed, taking out the laundry, and opening the window for some ventilation.
When he finished what he was doing and was satisfied, he lay down on his bed.
"Maybe I shouldn't go to work tomorrow? I think it would actually be best for me," Silas muttered to himself.
He was still thinking about his boring and monotonous life when he heard a sound in his head, and a cyan screen with words appeared in his retina.
[Ding!]
[Reminder: Host is yet to complete today's daily mission.] Please complete the mission to obtain today's daily mission reward.
"Host?! Daily mission?! Daily mission's reward?!" Silas was in complete shock.
It's not that he didn't understand what was happening, but he found it too hard to believe. It felt like a dream to him—an impossible wish come true.
It's actually normal human nature. When something bad happens to them, they take it as it is, but when something good happens, they start doubting and questioning the truth of the situation, and Silas is just that type of person.
Still in doubt and denial, he closed his eyes, but he could still see the same screen with the same messages.
He opened his eyes, and a solemn expression appeared on his face. He stood up from the bed and slapped his cheek tightly, making it almost red and swollen.
The pain from the slap made him wince. Unfortunately—and fortunately—for him, he could still see the screen.
"That really hurts! I will never try something like that again! Now for final confirmation," Silas said, with his excitement growing slowly.
"... Status."
[Name: Silas Kurt]
[Age: 20]
[System Level: 0]
[Level Daily Reward and Perk: Daily reward of $10, $10 for every mission completed when host is still in said level.]
_____
[Strength: 3.5]
[Agility: 2]
[Stamina: 2]
[Intelligence: 3]
[Charisma: 0.5]
_____
[Skill(s): None]
_____
[Mission(s):
Daily Mission(s): Improving and Perfecting Body Condition.
Press-ups, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)
Sit-ups, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)
Squats, 100 times: Incomplete (0/100)
Running, 10 km: Incomplete (0/10)
[Mission(s) Reward: $40]
"YES!" Silas screamed as he pumped his fist into the air, in excitement and exhilaration.
*******
Loud scuffling footsteps could be heard as someone ran up the stairs, and the door to Silas' room opened forcefully as Kim entered, followed by his little brother, Alex.
"Silas, I heard your scream from the kitchen. Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.
Seeing the worried expression on Kim's face and his little brother's scared face, Silas instantly felt stupid for shouting like an idiot—especially so late at night.
"I'm sorry. I just received a message that I have been waiting for. I'm sorry for disturbing you and causing a ruckus," Silas said apologetically.
Hearing Silas' words, Kim decided not to ask further, as she understood his attitude toward her.
"It's okay, but you should try to tone down your voice. It's quite late, and most people have gone to bed," she said and left the room.
"Oh, and you can come down for dinner," she added before leaving.
"Brother!" Alex said with a concerned expression on his face as he moved toward Silas and hugged him tightly.
Silas hugged Alex back as he tried to pacify him. "It's okay, Alex. Everything is okay."
"Brother, promise me you won't go like Mom, okay? I don't want anyone to go again!" Alex said as he sobbed softly in Silas' embrace.
"Don't worry, Alex. I won't leave, and I will do my best to make you happy, okay? Trust your big brother," Silas said as he caressed Alex's hair.
"Mm-hmm. Alex will trust Big Brother," Alex nodded as he stopped sobbing.
Silas smiled and ruffled Alex's hair as he held his hand, and they made their way downstairs.
'Thank you, Universe, for granting my wish.'