The Real Life System

day before. His muscles were sore, and the fatigue was heavy in his bones. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so drained, but the moment he hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep. His mind desperately needed rest after everything he had experienced in the training zone.

"I think I will sleep all tomorrow with this effort I've done in the training zone,"

He had thought before drifting off to sleep, but now, as the sound of an alarm echoed through the room, his peaceful slumber was shattered.

The clock read 6:00 AM, but Adrian hadn't set any alarms. The sudden ringing startled him. His vision was blurry, and the world around him felt distant as his body fought to stay in the comfort of sleep. But just as he was about to let the sleepiness pull him back under, a sharp, electric jolt coursed through his body, like an invisible shock sent through his muscles. It was as if an electric pistol had been fired directly into his system.

His body jerked, and he gasped, the shock almost making his heart skip a beat. He shot up from the bed, disoriented, breathless, and still reeling from the strange sensation.

The system's voice immediately followed :

[WAKE UP!! NO MORE SLEEPING UNTIL 00:00. ELSE STUNNING UNTIL DEATH.]

Adrian's eyes widened, the words echoing in his mind. His chest tightened as panic set in. There was no room for rest. No time to recover. The system's warning made it clear: the consequences of sleeping again before the specified time would be lethal.

Adrian stood there, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. His heart raced, but the shock made sure he was wide awake now. He rubbed his face, trying to make sense of it all.

Adrian wiped the sweat off his forehead and tried to steady his breathing. He understood now, this wasn't just about improving himself; it was about survival. The system treated him like a difficult coach, relentless and unforgiving.

"It wants me back in the training zone. But which factor should I focus on today?" he thought.

He couldn't just pick randomly. He needed to be strategic.

He considered his options carefully.

"If I'm going to make progress, I need to focus on something that will give me some kind of reward. I could advance in fitness, but I'm not sure if that's enough. If I want to move forward in the rankings, I need to make some money."

The idea of increasing his Richness ranking seemed appealing. Money could open doors, maybe even provide him with more services or a way to accelerate his progress.

With determination, he pressed the Training Zone option under Richness ranking. But as soon as he did, a new message flashed on the screen, one he wasn't expecting:

[Warning: You can access the training zones only twice a day: from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM and from 9:00 PM to 00:00.]

Adrian stared at the message, taken aback. Only twice a day?

He had thought he could access the training zone whenever he wanted, but now the system was placing strict limits on it. That was frustrating, especially with the constant pressure to keep advancing.

Adrian took a deep breath, trying to calm his frustration.

"If I want to survive in the training zone, I need to train on my own first."

He had learned the hard way that the system's exercises were brutal, and if he wasn't ready, he would fail again and again.

He thought for a moment about the best way to prepare. His biggest weakness was endurance in the last exercise, he barely made it to the end before collapsing. If he wanted to pass the second exercise in the fitness factor, he had to improve his stamina.

"The best way to do that is to run," he decided.

He didn't have access to the training zone until noon, but that didn't mean he had to sit and do nothing. If he trained now, he could improve his body and increase his chances of success when he re-entered the system's challenges.

Determined, he grabbed his sneakers and quickly put them on. He set his chronometer to 30 minutes, his goal was simple:

"I should run this time without stopping."

 No matter how hard it got, no matter how tired he felt, he had to keep moving.

With that, he stepped outside. The early morning air was crisp, the sky still a mix of dark blue and orange from the rising sun. The streets were quiet, only a few people were outside, going about their routines. Adrian took a deep breath, stretched his legs quickly, and started running.

At first, it wasn't so bad. His legs moved steadily, his breathing was controlled, and he felt good. The rhythm of his footsteps echoed in the empty street.

"I can do this," he thought.

But as the minutes passed, the reality of his weak endurance hit him hard. After 11 minutes, his chest started burning. His lungs felt tight, and every breath became harder. His legs felt heavy, and sweat dripped down his forehead.

"I can't breathe…" he thought, panic creeping into his mind.

But he refused to stop.

"Just a little more… just a few more steps."

 He clenched his teeth and pushed himself to 15 minutes before his legs gave out, forcing him to stop.

He collapsed onto a lawn chair nearby, gasping for air. His whole body was shaking. He set his timer to one minute, just a quick break to catch his breath. His heart was still pounding, but he felt a small sense of victory. "Fifteen minutes… that's better than nothing," he thought.

As he sat there, trying to recover, something caught his attention.

Not far from him, a beautiful girl, who looked about his age, was standing near a wall. But she wasn't alone. A young man with a cigarette was standing too close to her, his posture aggressive. Even from a distance, Adrian could tell she was uncomfortable.

The man blew smoke in her direction and said something that made her take a step back. She looked around, clearly trying to find a way to escape.

Adrian's breath slowed as his exhaustion faded into something else anger. He could tell this wasn't a normal conversation. The girl was being harassed.

His muscles were sore, his legs felt like lead, He remembered the four killers from his last challenge the helplessness he felt, the way he had barely escaped.

"I'm too weak. I can't do anything."

The thought repeated in his mind as he forced himself to start running again, ignoring the scene behind him.

"Someone stronger than me will help her. I'll just get hurt if I try."

But then, the girl's finally desperate scream tore through the air.

"AAAOOUU!! SOMEONE HELP ME!! A HARASSER!!"

Adrian's steps slowed. He clenched his fists.

The street was still empty. No one came.

His heart pounded, his mind racing with excuses.

"I should just keep going… I don't have the strength… I don't even know how to fight…"

But suddenly, his mind went silent.

His feet turned on their own.

He wasn't thinking anymore, he was moving.

Adrian sprinted towards the young man, his exhaustion forgotten. His eyes locked on the harasser, and without hesitation, he raised his hand and pressed against the glowing text on his interface:

[ SERVICES NUMBER: 1 ]

A new message appeared instantly.

[ DO YOU WANT TO USE A SERVICE? Y/N ]

Adrian didn't even think.

He pressed YES.

The moment his finger made contact, his vision blurred. A sharp shock rushed through his body, as if something inside him was unlocking.

Then, a new message appeared:

[ THE SERVICE IS : ??? ]

To be continued ....