"Mmm, man that was great!" Xiao Ying said after getting out of the bath. He felt so clean.
After drying off and getting dressed, he saw a mirror.
"That's right. I haven't even been able to see how I look since I took over this body."
Walking up to the mirror, Xiao Ying was a little astonished. Staring back at him was a boy with blacker-than-black hair and eyes. His eyes seemed like an abyss that could swallow you if you looked into them for too long.
His hair was pretty long due to being practically homeless and poor for many years.
Although his looks were not killer like Dan's due to the condition his body is in, once his body bulks up and he gets a hair cut, Xiao Ying would have an intimidating air around him.
He was wearing a grey T-shirt and black shorts; it seemed like this combination was Dan's signature.
"I look pretty hot, not going to lie." Xiao Ying said.
After a few moments of admiring himself in the mirror, he left the bathroom and went to the dining room.
It took him around 15 minutes to bathe and all that, so surely the food has been served. Walking around the corner, Xiao Ying saw that the food had indeed been served.
"Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Erica, thanks for letting me use the bath and get cleaned up." Xiao Ying said before turning to Dan and saying, "And thank you for these clothes."
"Like I said Xiao Ying, no worries." Daniel said while Erica just nodded and smiled.
"No problem bro. They look good on you. All you need now is to get some meat on your bones and get some muscles, and you'll definitely be able to steal the ladies' hearts with nothing but a glance." Dan spoke to Xiao Ying.
Everyone laughed.
"Grab a chair, sit down and eat, young man" Daniel told him.
"Yes sir." Xiao Ying agreed respectfully.
He grabbed a chair and decided to sit between Michael and Dan.
"Can I sit between you two?" He asked.
"Sure." Michael told him.
"Of course," Dan spoke.
Putting the chair down and sitting at his decided place, he looked at the table.
It was paradise.
There was so much meat. They had tons of chicken and steak; potatoes and gravy; green beans and corn; and corn bread and plenty of sweet tea.
Oh, it was paradise.
Xiao Ying stared at the food with his mouth hung open, almost drooling.
Daniel laughed and said, "Eat as much as you want, son."
Not being polite, he did just that.
One plate.
Two plates.
Three plates.
And even four plates.
"I guess he was hungry," Daniel said while scratching his head.
"Ohhhh that was so gooooood. Thanks for the meal." Xiao Ying sighed in satisfaction, rubbing his full stomach.
"Well, its about time for bed. Goodnight everyone. Dan, show him to his room please." Erica asked.
"Goodnight," everyone told each other.
"Okay mom. Follow me, Xiao Ying." Dan spoke.
Following Dan, they went upstairs. On the second floor, there was one long hallway with 4 doors spaced evenly apart on the side facing the street.
On the other side of the hall way, there was the bathroom, along with many other doors Xiao Ying didn't know where they led to.
They walked to the far end of the hallway to the last door spaced evenly from the rest.
"This will be your room. Beside your's is Michael's room; beside Michael's is my room; and well, beside my room, toward the very start of the hallway, is Elizabeth's room." Dan explained.
"Okay, goodnight Dan." Xiao Ying said before walking into his room.
His room was basic and not decorated. It only had a bed, a night stand, a desk and chair, and a closet.
He decided to lay on the bed, and to his surprise, it was the most comfortable thing he'd ever felt.
After a few seconds, Xiao Ying actually drifted into the land of dreams. Or the land of nightmares.
Throughout the night, Xiao Ying suffered from nightmares. When morning came and light hit him through his window, he woke up screaming.
He had cold sweat running all down his body; so much so that his clothes, and even his bed was soaked.
"Again….why do I have to dream of this? Why do I have to relive her killing me over and over...and over….AND OVER!" Xiao Ying whispered to himself before shouting.
It seemed like he had dreamt of the last moments of his past life again and again last night.
"Fuck her," was all he said before getting up out of bed and walking downstairs. It seemed like the more he had to relive that moment, the more cold and unable to trust he became.
"???" Xiao Ying didn't find anyone downstairs. Since no one was down there, he decided to just walk back up to his room and interact with the system.
'Show me my status,' he thought.
As if answering his call, the system's signature grey smoke or fog appeared into a panel
____________________________________
____________________________________
Name: Xiao Ying
Age: 16
Status: Alive and clean
Level: 1 (40/100)
Stat Points Available: 0
Absorption: 10
Perception: 10
Strength: 3
Intelligence: 3
Agility: 3
Vitality: 3
Cultivation: None
Skill Points Available: None
Skills: None
Quests: 1 available
Item Shop: Unavailable
____________________________________
____________________________________
'Oh, I have a quest? System, show me the quests.'
Another panel appeared beside Xiao Ying's status.
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____________________________________
Quests:
Getting Stronger!(Daily quest)
Quest Details:
Do 100 push-ups(0/100), 100 set-ups(0/100), and a 10 km. run(0/10) before midnight.
Quest Rewards:
20 experience points toward next level
Fatigue
Four stat points
Quest Failure Consequences:
Host will remain weak
System will disappear
Note: Working out for extended periods of time will eventually increase which ever stat that work out corresponds to. Push-ups, set-ups, and etc. would increase host's strength stat. Running would increase host's agility stat. All work outs increases host's vitality stat; however, the vitality stat increases at a much slower rate than the strength or agility stat. This also works for other training as well, but system will explain when host gets to that point.
____________________________________
____________________________________
"HERE WE GO WITH THE FAILURE CONSEQUENCES AGAIN!" Xiao Ying yelled.
Grabbing his mouth so he doesn't wake the others up, he resigned hisself to the system's task assigned to him.
"Push-ups first."
"1…..2…..3...4"
Many hours and many breaks later, he had finally accomplished it; however, he was gasping for air as if he had just almost drowned.
"…..100. Gasp~~~! Gasp~~~!" Xiao Ying said in a hoarse voice.
'MY ARMS!' he yelled in his mind.
'Now sit-ups.'
"1...2....3....4"
Again, after what seemed like an eternity, Xiao Ying finally finished two of the three tasks he had.
"…..100. Gasp~~~! Finally. Gasp~~~!" he said in between deep breaths of air.
The panel now showed:
____________________________________
____________________________________
Quests:
Getting Stronger!(Daily quest)
Quest Details:
Do 100 push-ups(100/100), 100 set-ups(100/100), and a 10 km. run(0/10) before midnight.
Quest Rewards:
20 experience points toward next level
Fatigue
Four stat points
Quest Failure Consequences:
Host will remain weak
System will disappear
Note: Working out for extended periods of time will eventually increase which ever stat that work out corresponds to. Push-ups , set-ups, and etc. would increase host's strength stat. Running would increase host's agility stat. All work outs increases host's vitality stat; however, the vitality stat increases at a much slower rate than the strength or agility stat. This also works for other training as well, but system will explain when host gets to that point.
____________________________________
____________________________________
It was now around early afternoon. All day the other people living in the house heard strenuous counting, grunts, and panting.
After a few moments of resting and catching his breath, he walked out of his room. Coincidentally, Dan and Michael was walking out of their rooms.
"Where are you going, Xiao Ying?" Dan asked him.
"A little run. Want to come?" he invited Dan.
"Sure, I'll come with you." Dan gave his answer.
"What about you, Michael?" Xiao Ying extended the invitation.
Michael just nodded his head and said, "Mhm," indicating he would tag along.
They walked downstairs and out of the orphanage before they began their run.
Both boys went Xiao Ying's pace even though they knew they could have went faster than him.
Xiao Ying was determined to finish his run.
It was dark out before the boys returned home. Dan was carrying Xiao Ying on his back. He had collapsed as soon as he hit the 10 km. mark.
He was awake; however, he was just exhausted to the extreme. In front of his face floated two panels no one but him could see.
They were his status panel and quest panel.
____________________________________
____________________________________
Congratulations host for completing
the quest .
Quest Rewards generating...
Quest Rewards received....
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Name: Xiao Ying
Age: 16
Status: Alive
Level: 1 (60/100)
Stat Points Available: 4
Absorption: 10
Perception: 10
Strength: 4
Intelligence: 3
Agility: 4
Vitality: 3
Cultivation: None
Skill Points Available: None
Skills: None
Quests: 0
Item Shop: Unavailable
____________________________________
____________________________________
Xiao Ying was currently conversing with the system.
'System, why is my agility stat and strength stat up by one?'
____________________________________
____________________________________
As host was told, if host does a workout that corresponds to that stat, the stat will eventually increase. In host's case, the 100 push-ups and 100 set-ups host did increased host's strength stat by one. The 10 km. run host did increased host's agility stat. However, host, do not get used to getting stronger this easily just by working out. The higher host's stat is, the harder it is for host to increase said stat just by working out.
____________________________________
____________________________________
'Makes sense. Allocate one stat point to strength, agility, intelligence, vitality.'
Xiao Ying's status screen refreshed.
____________________________________
____________________________________
Name: Xiao Ying
Age: 16
Status: Alive and clean
Level: 1 (60/100)
Stat Points Available: 0
Absorption: 10
Perception: 10
Strength: 5
Intelligence: 4
Agility: 5
Vitality: 4
Cultivation: None
Skill Points Available: None
Skills: None
Quests: 0
Item Shop: Unavailable
____________________________________
____________________________________
A unique energy enveloped his body, energizing him again; his body once again improved, however, it wasn't noticeable to Dan.
Xiao Ying decide to continue playing exhausted so he wouldn't have to walk.
"Dan, just take me to my room and bring me a plate of everything and a glass of water for dinner please? I'm tired and decided to just sleep after I eat. I appreciate both of you coming out, by the way." Xiao Ying said weakly.
"Okay, I will. And no problem bro; you're part of the family now." Dan told him.
"It was fun." Michael spoke, which he rarely ever does.
While Michael went to take a bath before dinner, Dan took Xiao Ying up to his room and went back downstairs to prepare him a plate.
After around 10 minutes, Dan knocked on the door before opening it and giving Xiao Ying his plate and glass of water.
"Everyone asked about you today. Mom told me to tell you to wake up early so that you guys can go shopping for some clothes and other things." Dan said.
"Thanks for the food Dan. Tell everyone I said goodnight and Mrs. Erica that I'll be up. If they ask why I was out most of the day, just tell them that…..getting stronger is hard!" Xiao Ying told him.
After that Dan left the room, and Xiao Ying ate his dinner. Just like the other night, there were tons of meat and other good stuff. He also drank his water before laying down, ready for bed.
The only thing on his mind was…..
'Getting stronger is hard.'