Family Calls
He groaned as he turned over in his bed, the sunlight streaming through the curtains irritating his still-half-closed eyes.
Every muscle in his body ached, a lingering reminder of the brutal training session from the previous day. He rubbed his sore arms and stretched, but the motion only made the pain worse and also resulted to a few cracks from his joints resetting.
With a sigh, he pressed his left breast—activating the stats display system embedded within him. A translucent, blue holographic interface popped up in his vision.
[HOST NAME: JAXON LIN
AGE: 22
HEIGHT: 189CM
LEVEL: ROOKIE (50/100)
WEIGHT: 79KG/174 IBS
HEIGHT: 189CM/6'2
BODY FAT PERCENTAGE: 18%
MUSCLE MASS PERCENTAGE: 32%
STRENGTH: 4/10
STAMINA: 4/10
ENDURANCE: 3/10
AGILITY: 5/10
GAME IQ: 7/10]
"Still the same," he muttered, his voice laced with frustration.
[TO LEVEL UP, HOST MUST WORK HARDER. CURRENT OUTPUT IS INSUFFICIENT FIR SUCCESS]
Jaxon groaned, rolling his eyes. "Work harder? Are you kidding me? Coach Morgan literally gave me today as a rest day. I barely have the strength to get out of bed right now."
[EXCUSES ARE THE FOUNDATION OF STAGNATION. IF YOU WISH TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, REST MUST BE BALANCED WITH NUTRITION AND DISCIPLINE.]
He sighed, leaning back against his pillow. "Fine. What do you suggest, Oh Almighty, oh wise one?" He teased.
[YOUR DIET LACKS OPTIMIZATION. CONSUMING FOODS RICH IN PROTEINS, HEALTHY FATS, AND COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES WILL ENHANCE YOUR RECOVERY AND OUTPUT. RECOMMENDED FOODS INCLUDE: EGGS, BANANAS, CHICKEN BREAST, OATMEAL, SPINACH, AND NUTS.]
Jaxon squinted at the display with concern, lifting his head ever so slightly from the pillow. "Sounds expensive. You know I'm not exactly rolling in cash, right? I earn 50k a week—barely enough to cover my training expenses, rent, and food."
[A TRUE WARRIOR MAXIMIZES AVAILABLE RESOURCES. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. ELIMINATE NON-ESSENTIAL PURCHASES.]
He frowned, his stomach growling as the system continued. "You sound like my dad..." He chuffed silently in attempt to not let the system hear but soon remembered it can also hear his thoughts too.
[AVOID THESE HARMFUL SUBSTANCES: SUGARY DRINKS, FRIED FOODS, AND PROCESSED SNACKS. CONSUMING SUCH ITEMS WILL RESULT IN PENALTIES.]
"Penalties?" Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "Now you sound like my dad if he was a strict dietitian".
[PENALTY FOR CONSUMING FORBIDDEN ITEMS: 5 DEDUCTION FROM HP AND A 24-hour LOCK ON STAT PROGRESSION]
Jaxon groaned. "You're really out to ruin my life, aren't you? I really love me some soda you know, helps calm the nerves down..." He said rubbing his chest in a to and fro movement.
[DISCIPLINE IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENT. SHALL WE PROCEED?]
With another groan, Jaxon swung his legs over the bed and stood up, wincing as his stiff muscles protested. He trudged to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and splashing cold water on his face to wake up fully. After a quick shower, he returned to the kitchen, eyeing the scanty contents of his fridge.
Two bananas sat in a basket on the counter, and a lone egg rested in its carton. "Not much of a breakfast," he muttered, peeling the bananas and wolfing them down. He cracked the egg into a glass and hesitated.
[EGG YOLKS ARE RICH IN ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS. CONSUME IMMEDIATELY FOR OPTIMAL RECOVERY.]
"Gross," Jaxon said, holding his nose as he gulped the yolk down. He shuddered. "Happy now?"
[AFFIRMATIVE. NUTRITIONAL INTAKE APPROVED. PROCEED WITH LIGHT EXERCISE TO PROMOTE BLOOD CIRCULATION AND RECOVERY.]
Jaxon changed into his track clothes—a black T-shirt and matching shorts—and laced up his running shoes.
On his way to the door, he caught something from the corner of his eye, something that flashed a brief light. It came from above the freezer, it immediately picked his interest as he had never once looked on top the fridge with the little amount of time he had lived here.
He made a beeline for the fridge top and drapped his hand across the top looking for what gave off the light.
He felt something, grabbing it and bringing it down to his face. Realizing it was a cell phone and it had been ringing. A number saved as "Mom" had called about 15 times that morning already and had called randomly every other day without anyone picking up.
He immediately assumed it belonged to the previous owner of this body, maybe his family members were worried he had gone missing or maybe they were excited to see him especially after they watched him score a buzzer beater in the last game.
He nodded firmly and proceeded to go through the other contacts in the phone looking at their address and any other information he deemed important.
These were people in his life now, whether he liked it or not. He shoved the phone deep into his right pocket and exited the door and into the elevator, through the lobby and out the building.
He stepped outside, the crisp morning air refreshing against his skin. Despite his aching body, he started a slow jog down the sidewalk, his mind replaying the system's words.
"Use what I have to get what I want," he murmured. "Alright, system. I'll play along—for now."
He jogged for at least 30 minutes straight before coming to a stop to rest on a wooden bench that stood at the side walk in a park. The morning air was cold and frosty as usual at this time of the year and that added to the discomfort he had to indure.
He straightened his spine and let out a huge sigh as he watched around the park to notice a few people that were as well going about their morning jogs as he was.
He pressed his left breast to reveal the holographic system interface that displayed a human physique rotating, clearly displaying it's statistics and qwerks.
"Huh, I'm just at 50 HP..." He grunted. "I would need to have a full HP for the weekend game... Isn't that right? " He finished clearly referring his question to the system.
A dialogue box popped up immediately.
[CERTAINLY, HOST SHOULD BE AT A 100 HP TO ENSURE AS MUCH MAXIMUM OUTPUT AS POSSIBLE DURING THE GAME]
"I see, then why wouldn't you let me rest..." He chuffed jokingly.
[HOST HAS ALL THE TIME TO REPLENISH HP, AND CAN ALSO GAIN HP BY PERFORMING CERTAIN TASK]
"I know, like yesterday... But I'd much rather get it naturally you know... You probably wouldn't understand, it's a human thing" he said with a slight laughter.
He used his breath to warm his cold hands as he watched a frail old man with an ugly Christmas sweater and a black gown all the way to his strode past him dragging an oxygen tank that had a long strip of pipe connecting it and his nasal pathway. It looked odd to him, as someone with that kind of condition is usually not seen outside at that time of the day.
"I brought Jaxon's credit card with me... " He blew off his thoughts as the old man passed his field of view. "My credit card... My credit card. I'm Jaxon Lin... " He reminded himself as he used a subtle fist to gently tap his temple.
"I also found his phone... Uh, damn. My phone.. and my family members are still alive and hearty and they've probably been looking for me. Their were a lot of missed calls... "
"I'm gonna jog to the nearest supermarket and purchase some groceries... System! Pull up a list of food supplies I would need to have a good output as an athlete" he said.
The system chimed.
*Ching*
[BY ANALYSIS OF HOST'S BODY NEEDS, DEFICIENCIES, AND ALLERGIES, THESE ARE THE VARIETIES OF INGREDIENTS AND FOODS THAT SHOULD BE CONSUMED REGULARLY:]
Protein Sources: Chicken breast, eggs, lean beef, fish (salmon, tuna), tofu, and Greek yogurt.
Carbohydrate Sources: Brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole-grain bread, oats, and quinoa.
Healthy Fats: Avocados, nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds (chia, flaxseeds), and olive oil.
Vitamins and Minerals: Spinach, kale, carrots, broccoli, oranges, bananas, and berries.
Hydration: Water, electrolyte-infused drinks, and coconut water.
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD THESE TO YOUR GROCERY LIST OR MODIFY THEM?]
He stared at the list, his brows furrowing as he muttered, "That's a lot, but it makes sense. I can't compromise on my nutrition if I want to dominate on the court."
"Yes, add them to the grocery list," he confirmed.
[CHOICE SELECTED. FOOD ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO YOUR GROCERY LIST.]
"Sure, pull it up," he said, lacing his sneakers. "I'll keep jogging on the way there". he murmured as he began jogging, his pace steady and controlled.
Each step fueled his determination. His mind raced with plans to improve his athletic skills, and he couldn't help but smile as he imagined his future self crushing opponents on the court. This was the first step—nutrition, discipline, and consistency.
The supermarket came into view after a few minutes, and he slowed his jog to a walk, catching his breath. "System, pull up the grocery list," he commanded as he stepped inside.
[DISPLAYING GROCERY LIST...]
[Protein Sources: Chicken breast, eggs, lean beef, fish (salmon, tuna), tofu, and Greek yogurt.
Carbohydrate Sources: Brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole-grain bread, oats, and quinoa.
Healthy Fats: Avocados, nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds (chia, flaxseeds), and olive oil.
Vitamins and Minerals: Spinach, kale, carrots, broccoli, oranges, bananas, and berries.
Hydration: Water, electrolyte-infused drinks, and coconut water.]
He grabbed a basket and began navigating the aisles, his focus sharp as he ticked off items one by one.
In less than an hour he had finished shopping and walked out of the supermarket. He transferred the huge bag of groceries he was carrying in his right hand to the under arm of his left and dipped his hand into his pocket to reveal the phone he had found ontop of the fridge earlier that morning.
He pulled up the contact with "Mom" saved as, and revealed the address attached to its location.
"Number 12 Danish Avenue on the 35th..." He murmured to himself. He lifted his head to determine which route he would take to get their faster.
"System..."
"Breakfast would have to wait... I've got to attend a- family reunion..." He said softly.