The Real Life System

His body, which had been running on pure adrenaline, suddenly felt the weight of exhaustion and hunger.

Now that the danger had passed, a gnawing emptiness settled in his gut, a reminder that he hadn't eaten properly all day.

"The system's right," he muttered, rubbing his abdomen.

His mind was still reeling from everything that had happened, but one thing was clear, if he wanted to unlock this so-called 'accelerated training,' he needed fuel.

He pushed himself off the bed and made his way to the kitchen, his legs still weak from the earlier rush. His apartment wasn't big, just a cramped space with barely enough room for a table and a few old cabinets. The fridge hummed softly in the corner, the only sound in the otherwise silent room.

Adrian pulled it open, his eyes scanning for anything remotely nutritious. Half a loaf of stale bread, a carton of milk nearing expiration, a couple of eggs, and a leftover piece of chicken from two nights ago. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

"Alright, let's see…"

He grabbed the chicken first. Protein—check. The eggs could help, too. But 1500 calories? That was a lot more than he usually ate in one meal. He'd need carbs, fats something dense. His gaze landed on a half-empty jar of peanut butter.

"That should work."

He wasted no time. He cracked the eggs into a pan, reheated the chicken, and smeared a thick layer of peanut butter onto the stale bread. It wasn't gourmet, but he wasn't here to impress anyone, he just needed fuel. As he shoveled the food into his mouth, he felt an odd sense of urgency. The system had given him a goal, and for the first time in his life, he actually had a reason to push himself.

He finally finish and start eating , when he finish a system message appear

[ CALORIE INTAKE: 1178/1500 ]

[ PROTEIN INTAKE: 23.4g/25g ]

"Still not enough," he mumbled through a mouthful of bread.

His eyes darted around the kitchen. There had to be something else. Adrian's stomach twisted as he scanned the kitchen one last time. Nothing. No more meat, no more eggs, nothing remotely nutritious left.

He rubbed his chin, thinking hard. The problem wasn't protein—it was calories. He only needed 1 gram more of protein, but he still lacked over 300 calories.

"What has calories but barely any protein?" he muttered to himself.

His tired brain struggled for a moment before the answer struck him.

Sugar !!

His eyes darted to the counter where a small container of sugar sat beside the sink. He grabbed it, hesitating only briefly before dipping his fingers into the white grains and shoving them into his mouth. The raw sweetness nearly made him gag, but he forced himself to swallow.

He repeated the process three more times.

[ CALORIE INTAKE: 1499/1500 ]

"Almost there..." He needed just one more calorie.

His gaze landed on the eggshells left on the counter. Desperate times call for desperate measures. He picked one up, hesitated, then ran his tongue over the inside, trying to extract whatever minuscule protein remained. It was gritty and disgusting, but as soon as he swallowed, the system chimed again.

[ CALORIE INTAKE: 1523/1500 ]

[ PROTEIN INTAKE: 25.1g/25g ]

Adrian exhaled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

[ REQUIREMENTS MET. ACCESS GRANTED. ]

Before he could react, his vision blurred violently. A strange, pulling sensation yanked at his entire body like he was being ripped from the real world. The kitchen vanished in an instant.

Entering the Training Zone…

The world around him shifted. Gone were the cramped walls of his apartment. Instead, Adrian stood on an endless black stone floor, stretching into the horizon. The air buzzed with an eerie energy, and an ominous storm swirled overhead, casting flickering shadows beneath him.

A new notification appeared before his eyes.

[ INITIAL TRAINING: ENDURANCE TEST ]

[ OBJECTIVE: RUN OR DIE ]

Before he could process what was happening, another message appeared.

[ SIMULATION LOADED. ]

[ ENEMIES: 4 TARGETS ]

[ DISTANCE: 1KM BEHIND YOU ]

[ TIME LIMIT: 30 MINUTES ]

[ WARNING: IF THEY CATCH YOU, YOU WILL DIE. ]

Adrian's blood ran cold. His surroundings had changed again. The dark stone floor beneath him dissolved, replaced by cracked pavement. A narrow alley stretched ahead, damp and dimly lit by flickering streetlights. The distant sound of heavy boots crunching gravel sent chills down his spine.

He turned around.

They were there.

The same men who had nearly killed him before. Their faces twisted in cruel grins, their weapons glinting under the pale light.

Adrian's instincts screamed at him to move.

The system beeped one last time.

[ STARTING IN 3… 2… 1… ]

A gunshot rang out.

Adrian bolted.

The system had said they were 1 kilometer behind. That meant he had a head start, but they were chasing him for 30 minutes.

Could he last that long?

Another gunshot cracked through the air, closer this time. Adrian threw himself forward, barely dodging as a bullet shattered the bricks beside him.

"Shit—shit—shit!" he gasped, forcing himself to sprint faster.

His legs screamed in protest, his lungs felt like they were about to burst. But he couldn't stop.

He rounded a sharp corner and nearly lost his footing. The alley opened into a wider street, littered with abandoned cars and debris. He needed a plan.

I won't last 30 minutes like this.

His mind raced. He had to use the environment outmaneuver them. He needed to find obstacles, places to slow them down.

Adrian's legs felt like they were made of lead. Every muscle burned, screaming at him to stop, but he knew he couldn't.

7 minutes had passed.

His chest heaved as he stumbled into a side alley, bracing himself against a brick wall. He bent over, hands on his knees, sucking in deep gulps of air.

A notification blinked in his vision.

[ DISTANCE: 800m ]

[ TIME LEFT: 22m:12s ]

He swallowed hard. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He had gained some distance at first, but now… they were closing in.

He looked again.

[ 750m ]

His breath caught.

[ 700m ]

A wave of panic surged through him.

[ 650m ]

Adrian pushed off the wall, forcing his trembling legs to move.

"Come on, move!" he growled, clenching his fists.

He inhaled as deeply as he could, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs, then launched himself forward with all his might.

The street blurred past him. He dodged a pile of trash bags, jumped over a fallen street sign, his feet barely touching the ground before pushing off again.

The numbers still changed.

[ 660m ]

[ 680m ]

They were getting closer.

His body wasn't fast enough. His stamina was failing.

[ TIME LEFT: 17m:19s ]

"Dammit!" he hissed.

He had to do something NOW.

Adrian's breath was ragged, his vision slightly blurred from exhaustion. The simulated environment around him was nothing but an endless, empty plain no buildings, no obstacles, nowhere to hide. Just a vast, barren landscape beneath a dark, endless sky.

His legs ached, his lungs burned, and worst of all, they were still gaining on him.

[ DISTANCE: 670m ]

He forced himself to keep moving, but his speed was dropping. He was slowing down, and he knew it.

"Think, think!" he muttered, forcing his tired brain to work.

If he couldn't outpace them, he needed to outlast them.

To be continued ....