Nutrition

[You have defeated Wandering Corpse Level 0: 5.25 xp, +1 soul chip.]

'Another empty corpse. It really is hard to earn money from level 0's, sigh. One more and this room is clear.' Locke walked over to the slow-moving undead and activated [Bert's Crushing Blow]. The unremarkable hammer came down quickly, the air pressure seemingly increasing in the space below the head. It struck the wandering corpse without any resistance.

-11

[You have defeated Wandering Corpse Level 0: 5.25 xp, +1 copper coin, +1 soul chip.]

[You can no longer gain experience from defeating <>]

'Tch, I'm only at 750/1000 xp, I guess I should log out and have breakfast. It should be sunrise soon.'

One of the various reasons Vellon Online was such a popular game, and also a very difficult game, is that it constantly pushed you to improve and challenge yourself. Early on, many players tried to game the system and stayed in the beginner map for a week killing the weakest monsters. They quickly figured out a hidden game feature which became known as 'muscle memory'!

Once you've killed enough of one enemy, you are no longer able to grow stronger from fighting them. In other words, you've gained all the experience possible from that monster. This type of function had made Vellon Online into the most novel MMO to have ever been made!

Locke let out a big sigh as the virtual world around him began to darken and shut down. He pulled off the helmet and sat up in his worn-out bed. Stretching his back, he heard several satisfying pops, as a soft sigh of relief escaped his mouth. He grabbed his phone and checked the real-world market.

"I collected 36 copper from the wandering corpses, 80 from the quest, and the 2 left over from before, so in total I have 1 silver and 18 copper. I already listed 20 copper before, and with the 80 I listed before logging off, I should make a decent amount"

Just as he finished mumbling to himself, he got a notification that all the coins he put up sold. Three-hundred credits entered his virtual wallet. A surge of emotion overtook him as he quickly got up and thrusted his fist into the air, accidently punching the ceiling

Embarrassed at that, he plopped back on the bed and held his throbbing knuckles. The smile on his face didn't fade and he began to open some pages on his phone. He ordered two-hundred credits worth of non-perishable meals and forty credits for a highly nutritious liquid meal.

Around the turn of the 23rd century, scientists were trying to create a nutritious meal for the moon colonies that could be sent into outer space. They discovered a way to grow a highly nutritious substance that raised the activity of cells, supplied the body with all the building blocks of life, and promote healing and bone density.

Due to the incredible effects, it became marketed on earth as well. The price for a single serving started at twenty credits based on its manufacturing cost, but quickly jumped to eighty credits in a few days.

Once it started mass production it finally settled on the, now standard, forty credits price. There were several companies making their own branded version, but the scientist who invented it had a sick mind and named it Soylent Green. Being the first branded name, it stuck.

Unfortunately, in order to keep up the supplies, there is a socially restricted amount available to purchase. A normal citizen is only allowed to buy up to one bottle a month, which contained a single serving. But the world already accepted the necessity of the nutritious liquid. Even consuming it once improved your quality of life by a significant amount.

This would be Locke's first time trying it. Due to the massive amount of nutrients, it is not safe to be consumed before the age of eighteen. He shuddered at the case of an eleven year old who grew so rapidly he died of starvation. Although he was nineteen already, he could never afford a bottle before due to his school expenses, and later living expenses. Since he stumbled on some luck in the game, he decided to try it once.

The delivery didn't take long and Locke quickly began opening his packages. Inside were several smaller packages labeled with different pictures. He had ordered a variety of dehydrated foods, only needing some water to prepare. After carefully setting all those packages aside, he stared at the plastic case. His heart rate increased with excitement while opening it. Inside was a single test tube filled with a clear liquid.

"Cheers to all those big shots that drink this stuff like water, I will finally get a taste of luxury!"

He popped the top and downed the liquid. It had an acrid scent, but it tasted only slightly tangy. After swallowing it he waited for several minutes but nothing happened. Locke felt disappointed, he expected some sort of marvelous reaction, like in those old comics where the character is reborn from a powerful medicine. As the delusions and disappointment cluttered his mind, his vision unexpectedly faded and he slumped down on his bed.

…

Locke slowly opened his eyes and what he saw before him was a vibrant world. Colors seemed more intense, the details on the metal of his ceiling seemed to pop out when before they blended in. He could hear voices on the other side of the wall behind him. The touch of fabric on his clothes and bed were extremely comfortable. The new vivid world seemed to be a dream, but even after several minutes of waiting, it didn't recede.

"What in the world…"

Locke stopped himself and put his hand on his throat. His voice had changed subtly, but to the person listening to it all his life, it was an obvious change.

'Just what is that soylent green. No wonder the world changed because of this stuff; this is incredible.'

He started thinking back to his days in school, where he learned the history of the world. His thoughts stunned him again. Locke realized he could remember more than half of everything he learned in school. His memory had expanded considerably!

He checked his phone and realized it had been twelve hours since he fell asleep. Immediately after realizing the passage of time, his stomach churned in pain. Locke hadn't ever felt this hungry before. It was as if every cell in his body was screaming in hunger. He crawled over to the dehydrated meals and began to eat them in their compact form.

After eating three days' worth of meals, his body finally relaxed. That's when he realized how sore and stiff his muscles were. He stood up and stretched his body, but a difference in height made him dizzy. Locke looked down at the nightstand and it seemed further away. He looked up and the ceiling felt as if it were a bit closer than before.

"Growth spurt? I guess that Soylent Green is truly a disaster. If I'd known the cost of drinking this, I wouldn't have bought it. Its going to cost more to keep myself fed now… They should really tell the customer this beforehand.

"Well, no use complaining at this point. I should try playing around with that [Early Grave] skill. I want to see what the limits are on grade. If I can guarantee kill an indigo, emerald or even golden grade monster… I'm shaking just thinking about it."

Taking advantage of the strength and clarity he felt, he began working out. His muscles responded well to his activities and the compulsory training he did in the past came back to him. Locke followed all of his old regiments and when he finished, he could feel the effects of Soylent Green fading.

For short-term users or new users, the enhanced senses and memory were temporary but extremely obvious. Once one drank it every day they would naturally get acclimated to it and function at those levels. Although he wasn't filled with energy, he still retained the physical benefits.

He laid back down on his bed and slipped the helmet on again. After going through the login sequence, he found himself in the cave where he left. He peeked out into the next room, and noticed the monster seemed different.

Wandering Corpse Level ???

'Another wandering corpse? That is disappointing. [Early Grave] only works on living beings. I guess I'll look around for something else and come back later. There is only a few hours left on the cooldown for [Soul Anchor] so I should be fine until then.'

Locke left the cave, but the first thing he spotted was a mass of brown fur near the entrance. He stood frozen and started to panic. Only after a few minutes passed did he realized it hadn't noticed him. After a quick observation his brow furrowed, he was in quite the predicament. A golden name floated before him…

Esos, Guardian of the Forest Level ???