The pressure was back in full force. He waddled nervously in place, flippers twitching.
"I'm almost there, but 80% isn't good enough!" he said, honking softly.
Aylin watched him closely, her arms crossed. "You're doing fine, but you've got to stay calm. Panic is going to make things worse."
"I'm not panicking!" Jiang replied, his voice rising in a very panicked tone.
She raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Look, you've learned how to make those ice bullets work for you. What else can penguins do? Maybe there's something more natural to your form that'll get you to the final 20%."
Jiang blinked. "Penguins eat fish," he said sarcastically. "That's about as natural as it gets."
Aylin rolled her eyes. "You can't seriously think that the system is going to synchronize you for eating fish."
Jiang's stomach growled at that exact moment, and Aylin snorted in laughter.
Jiang honked in embarrassment, but then a lightbulb seemed to go off in his head. He waddled closer to Aylin, his eyes narrowing. "What if it does? Penguins need food to survive, right? Maybe eating like a penguin is the final key to hitting 100%."
Aylin stared at him, blinking slowly. "You're joking."
"I'm serious!" Jiang replied, flapping his flippers in earnest. "The system clearly wants me to embrace this form. Maybe if I eat like a penguin, it'll push me over the edge."
She considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "It's worth a shot. I mean, if waddling around got you some points, why not eating fish?"
Jiang nodded and glanced around the room. There was no fish in sight, but there were a couple of leftover food wrappers from some fast food place.
"Ugh," Jiang groaned, waddling toward the discarded wrappers. "No fish, but this'll have to do. Maybe the system doesn't care about the details."
He nosed one of the wrappers open, revealing the remains of a soggy burger patty. It wasn't exactly appetizing, but Jiang was desperate. He poked at it with his beak, grimacing at the texture.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, taking a small bite.
Aylin watched with an expression that was somewhere between amusement and horror. "You… really think this is going to work?"
Jiang honked, already feeling foolish. "It better."
He choked down the rest of the patty and sat back, waiting for the system to respond. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Jiang felt his heart sink. Of course, it didn't work. He was starting to feel ridiculous for even trying.
But then, the familiar ping of the system echoed in his mind.
Synchronization increased by 5%. Current Synchronization: 85%.
Jiang's eyes widened. "It worked! Eating like a penguin worked!"
Aylin stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "You're kidding."
Jiang flapped his flippers triumphantly, his earlier embarrassment forgotten. "I told you! It's all about acting like a penguin. I just need to do more… penguin things."
Aylin pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe this."
He was about to revel in his small victory when the system chimed again, this time more urgently.
35 minutes remaining.
The pressure was back, and it hit Jiang hard. 85% wasn't enough. He was close, but he needed more.
"I've got to do something else," he muttered, pacing back and forth. "What else do penguins do? I need something that'll give me more points."
Aylin tilted her head, thinking. "Well, penguins slide, don't they? You already did some of that earlier with the ice bullets. Maybe doing it again could push you over."
Jiang nodded, though doubt crept in. "Yeah, but I already got points for that. What if it's not enough this time?"
Aylin shrugged. "You're almost there. What do you have to lose? If it doesn't work, we'll think of something else."
He sighed, realizing she was right. It was worth a shot. With a deep breath, Jiang threw himself down onto the floor and began sliding on his belly, just like he had seen penguins do on nature documentaries. He skidded across the room, his small form gliding smoothly over the tiles.
As he slid, he focused on his movements, trying to embody the perfect penguin. He pushed harder, building up momentum, and let his instincts take over.
Aylin watched him, a small smile playing on her lips. "You're getting the hang of this."
But before Jiang could celebrate, the system chimed once more, this time with a notification that made his heart drop.
Synchronization increased by 2%. Current Synchronization: 87%.
He screeched to a halt, his flippers slapping against the floor in frustration. "What? Only 2%?!"
Aylin frowned. "I thought that would do more."
Jiang pulled himself back up, flippers trembling. 87% wasn't enough. He was running out of time, and he wasn't sure what else he could do to close the gap.
"What now?" he asked, his voice a little more desperate than he intended.
Aylin bit her lip, thinking hard. "Maybe… maybe there's a skill or ability you haven't tapped into yet. Something that could give you that last push."
Jiang shook his head. "I've already used everything! Ice bullets, sliding, eating like a penguin—what else is there?"
Aylin sighed. "There's got to be something. The system wouldn't give you this mission if it wasn't possible to complete."
Jiang honked in frustration. "Then why is it so damn hard?"
Just as he was about to give up hope, the system chimed again, but this time, it wasn't giving him a progress update.
New Ability Unlocked: Cold Aura.
Jiang froze. Cold Aura? He hadn't even seen that as an option before. His heart raced as he considered what it could mean.
"What's going on?" Aylin asked, noticing his expression.
Jiang honked excitedly. "I just unlocked a new ability—Cold Aura! I don't even know what it does yet, but maybe it'll help!"
Aylin's eyes widened. "Well, don't just stand there—try it!"
Without wasting any time, Jiang focused on the new ability, willing it to activate. Almost immediately, a cold, shimmering mist began to spread out from his body, enveloping the room in a thin layer of frost. The temperature dropped sharply, and Jiang could feel the power radiating from him.
Aylin shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "That's… definitely cold."
Jiang could feel the energy of the Cold Aura coursing through him. It was different from the ice bullets—this was more passive, more natural. He let the cold seep into the room, hoping it would push his synchronization higher.
After a few moments, the system chimed again.
Synchronization increased by 5%. Current Synchronization: 92%.
Jiang let out a relieved sigh. "It's working!"
Aylin grinned. "You're almost there. Keep going!"
Jiang's heart raced as he felt the cold power swirling around him. 92% synchronization wasn't enough, but it was close—so close he could almost feel it within his reach. The Cold Aura ability had brought him further than he'd expected, but time was slipping away fast.
30 minutes remaining.
The system's relentless countdown echoed in his mind, a constant reminder that failure was not an option. His penguin body trembled with both the chill of his aura and the weight of the pressure.
"Come on," Jiang muttered under his breath, flapping his flippers in frustration. "I need more… just a little more."
Aylin stood nearby, her eyes darting between Jiang and the room as if trying to piece together a plan. "You're so close, Jiang. What else can penguins do? Maybe you can combine another instinct with the cold aura?"
Jiang flapped his flippers in frustration, the air growing colder as frost began to creep up the walls. "I've been waddling, sliding, using the ice bullets—what else is there?"
Aylin crossed her arms, frowning. "Penguins adapt to survive in harsh conditions, right? Maybe it's not just about the powers—it's about resilience. The system might want you to act like a penguin mentally, not just physically."
Jiang honked softly, considering her words. She might be onto something. He had been focusing so much on what his body could do, he hadn't fully embraced the mindset of a penguin. His human thoughts were still fighting for control. Maybe the system wanted him to let go of that entirely.