Zach Evans dragged his sore body off the wooden bed, feeling as if he had been pummeled by a gang of alien bodybuilders all night. As he rubbed his eyes and stepped outside, the glaring morning sun made him squint.
Rubbing his eyes harder, he yawned, his stomach growling in protest.
"Damn system, all it knows how to do is wring every ounce of energy out of me. Couldn't it at least throw me some startup capital?" Zach grumbled, heading into his usual routine for starting up the system.
He struck a painfully awkward pose: raising his right hand over his head, desperately trying to form a heart shape with his thumb and forefinger. He muttered under his breath, "For the peace of the universe, for love and justice, Super Mega Hyper System, activate!"
An awkward silence followed, before the cold, robotic voice echoed in his mind:
"Host's pose is incorrect. Please restart."
"What? This ridiculous pose has to be precise too?"
Zach almost spat out his coffee, "You weren't this picky yesterday! You're just messing with me, aren't you?"
"Host, please be mindful. This system is the 'All-Universal Supreme Positive Energy Collector Master-Class Super Mega Hyper System.' Proper startup protocol is required."
"Alright, alright, you win!" Zach muttered, defeated. After all, he still needed this stingy system to help turn his life around.
Clearing his throat, he tried to summon as much positive energy as possible and declared, "I am the All-Universal Most Bedazzling Super Mega Positive Energy Guru—uh... All-Universal Most Powerful..."
"Most powerful... what? Why am I forgetting this all of a sudden?" Zach stammered, struggling to recall the name.
"Most powerful... most powerful positive energy... thingamajig?"
Zach's tongue was tied in knots. "Who the hell came up with such a long name?"
"Host has exceeded the time limit for system activation. Activation failed," the system coldly informed him.
"No, wait! I'll try again!"
On the verge of tears, Zach cursed the developers of the system, mumbling every insult he could think of while preparing for another round of the activation process.
After what felt like an eternity, Zach finally managed to start the system. By then, he was drenched in sweat, completely worn out.
"System, just give me today's task," he sighed, flopping down on the ground like a deflated balloon.
"New task generated: Tend to existing crops to ensure their healthy growth (7 days). Upon completion, the host will be rewarded with $1,000 cash and Super Vegetable seeds along with a technology unlock."
Zach read through the task with a weary expression before trudging toward the greenhouse, still thinking about the super seeds he planted the day before.
This system had boasted endlessly about how amazing these seeds were, but Zach still had his doubts.
However, as soon as he stepped into the greenhouse, he almost slipped and fell flat on his face.
What he saw nearly knocked him out: in the once-barren soil, rows of tiny green sprouts had already emerged! The little seedlings looked like they were on steroids—bursting with life, their vibrant green leaves so intense that they practically sparkled in the sunlight.
Zach squinted, rubbed his eyes, and blinked several times, wondering if he was still dreaming.
"Wait… I just planted these yesterday. How the hell are they sprouting already? Are they enchanted or something?"
He crouched down and carefully poked one of the tender leaves. To his surprise, it was firm and springy to the touch.
"Holy crap, the system wasn't exaggerating. These veggies must be growing at warp speed!"
Zach broke into a wide grin, feeling like he had struck gold. For the first time, he was actually excited about the system.
He stared at the thriving seedlings, laughing to himself like a kid who had just found treasure.
"Man, this system is legit! I'm gonna be rolling in cash soon!"
Zach stood there, hands on his hips, laughing triumphantly at the sky. He'd already forgotten the ridiculous dance he'd performed to activate the system just minutes earlier.
He reached down, intending to pull out a sprout and inspect how fast the roots were developing, but before his fingers could get close, the system's cold voice interrupted him:
"Warning! Host is advised not to touch the seedlings."
Zach scowled and muttered a few choice words under his breath, but soon enough, his focus shifted to a more pressing issue: some of the seedlings' leaves were starting to turn yellow.
"Wait a minute... What's going on here? Are these plants sick?" Zach's heart sank, and he quickly asked the system, "System, what's wrong with my crops? Why do they look so wilted?"
"Upon analysis, the soil lacks sufficient nutrients to sustain the current growth of the crops. Host is advised to purchase 'Soil Nutrient Solution.'" The system's response was clinical.
"Not enough nutrients in the soil?" Zach's eyes widened.
"Host, please note: the crops you planted are 'Super Vegetables.' Their growth speed and nutritional requirements far exceed those of regular crops. The current soil conditions cannot support their development."
"I... I..." Zach nearly choked on his own words.
"How much does this 'Soil Nutrient Solution' cost per bottle?" Zach asked weakly, knowing full well he didn't have the cash for fancy upgrades right now.
"Soil Nutrient Solution: 100 positive energy points per bottle," the system replied flatly.
"100 positive energy points?! Why don't you just rob me instead?!"
Zach leapt to his feet. "How many positive energy points do I have right now?"
The system interface displayed a glaring red zero, mocking Zach's optimism.
"Zero?! Not a single point?!" Zach collapsed to the ground, feeling as if the universe had drained all the color from his life.
"How many bottles do I need for an acre of land?" Zach asked, already bracing for the worst, his voice trembling as he imagined the endless struggle ahead.
"Host will require… 10 bottles."
"Ten bottles? That's 1,000 positive energy points! Well, it could be worse, I guess…"
Zach breathed a small sigh of relief, but quickly did a double-take. "Wait a minute… How many bottles did you say?!"
"Ten bottles."
"Ten bottles?! That means I need 1,000 positive energy points just to buy enough nutrient solution?!"
Zach glanced again at the glaring zero in his balance, his vision growing dim as he felt lightheaded. He nearly passed out on the spot.
"This is ridiculous. No way I can handle all of this by myself," Zach muttered, his face etched with frustration, as if he'd already resigned himself to a future of eating dirt.
Just as despair began to settle in, the system's voice chimed in with impeccable timing:
"Host's labor shortage has been detected. A company has been automatically established. Please review the details. Initial capital has been provided."
"Initial capital? How much?" Zach perked up instantly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
The system displayed a number: 1,000,000.
"One million dollars?!"
Zach practically jumped to his feet, his eyes as wide as saucers. With that kind of money, I won't need to do all this grunt work! I can hire professionals and use the rest to invest. This is a game-changer!
His mind raced with visions of luxury cars, sprawling mansions, and the high life. He rubbed his hands together, imagining the glamorous future that awaited him.
But before he could revel in his newfound wealth, the system poured a bucket of cold water over his dreams:
"The company has been successfully registered as 'The Galactic Super Positive Energy Green Eco Development Corporation.' As the company's legal representative, you retain ultimate decision-making authority over its operations. However, all funds and future profits will be allocated as follows: 30% for employee salaries and benefits, 20% for charitable causes, and 50% for company operations and expansion. Host is only allowed to use personal funds obtained through system task rewards. Any profits from the company must be reinvested or used for employee welfare and charitable purposes."
Zach's triumphant grin froze in place. His dreams deflated like a balloon that had just been popped.
"Wait a minute... Are you telling me I can't touch a single penny of that million dollars? Not now, not ever? And I'm supposed to be the company's CEO?!"
"Host need not worry. All positive energy generated by the company will belong to you. As the company grows, your positive energy will accumulate rapidly, allowing you to exchange for system items and technology at an accelerated pace," the system replied, its tone as unfeeling as ever.
After a pause, it added, "Additionally, once your positive energy reaches 100,000 points, your task rewards will increase by 10%. At 1,000,000 points, task rewards will increase by 20%. At 10,000,000 points, you will enjoy a 30% increase in task rewards."
Despite the system's clinical delivery, there was an unexpected warmth in its final message.