It was the afternoon of the same day, and Theo was standing in the basement of the store; surrounding him were mountains of books, carefully wrapped in packaging to ensure their longevity over the years that had passed.
He'd already begun moving the inventory back to the main floor, though it had taken an extra few hours to rearrange the locations of the books depending on their genre and age. Theo had decided to use a more modern approach in comparison to how the store was displayed before.
Fortunately, he realized that he wasn't going in blind, as there were notes stored away depicting how the interior was arranged prior to closing.
Theo was now working through the older books: classics, poetry, and even Shakespearean plays. They were copies, obviously, but he was surprised by the breadth of genres the store had initially held.
It was now an 'official' break time, as the task of moving the items was becoming slowly, but surely, a headache for Theo. Taking a seat on one of the spare chairs placed in the basement, he pulled out a piece of paper with hundreds of lines written upon it.
It was his training plan—or training montage, if real life were like an anime.
Theo had noted that he would use a progressive overload type of training routine, in which he would push himself to his utmost limits in an attempt to see if his body would adapt and evolve. The first plan was to begin running that evening; though he wished he owned a treadmill, he'd be fine running around the town as the sun was setting.
'Saitama had a solid idea, to be quite honest. Running, pushups, sit-ups, and squats. One hundred of each sounded comical, but if I factor in weighted training, or even using nature's gravity in water, I could truly have explosive growth.'
He'd planned to eventually work on elevating himself to no longer need oxygen in water, and from there, go into a deep lake or ocean and hope the crushing pressure would evolve his body. He'd taken pages out of normal workout guides and the ones he'd seen in fiction because he knew eventually conventional means wouldn't be able to help him anymore.
'A gravity chamber would be a Godsend, honestly.'
Shaking away his wistful dreams of the Gacha System granting him something that would be beneficial to his training, Theo folded the paper and left it in the basement as he exited.
He spent the next hour dusting, mopping, and wiping down the store, removing the excess dust and grime that had accumulated in nearly four years. After he had completed the mundane tasks, Theo made sure the cash register still operated, along with the coffee machine. Surprisingly, both were functioning perfectly, meaning he wouldn't have to worry about replacing them.
He thought about the discussion with Charlie earlier in the day. If he did hire Bella, or someone else, he'd assign them to the cafe portion of the store first. The menu was simple, offering basic variations of coffee and tea which could be made by anyone with an hour's training. It may have been lazy on his end, but he disliked serving food and drink to people, regardless of it being his business or not.
After his checks, Theo turned off the lights and went back to his apartment. He had forgotten in the haste and urgency of the morning that it was a new day, meaning he had the opportunity to do another draw. He had no hopes of obtaining anything of value, but Theo was still excited about the idea.
Sitting on the couch, he mentally commanded the System to draw.
[Drawing...]
[Congratulations for drawing Sea King Meat!]
[Consumable: Sea King Meat (Calm Belt Variant)]
Type: High-Density Biological Material
Quantity: 500kg (Stored in Inventory)
Description: A massive, butchered slab of muscle tissue harvested from a "Lord of the Coast" class Sea King. The fibers are ten times denser than standard terrestrial beef and rich in exotic proteins found only in deep-sea gigantification species.
Nutritional Profile:
Caloric Density: Extreme (Approx. 20,000 calories per kg).
Effect: Consumption provides the raw biological building blocks required for rapid muscular reconstruction. Eating this meat while training accelerates muscle density growth and cures fatigue instantly. It is the ideal fuel for a heavy-metabolism entity.
Theo gawked at the words, his mind going through the memories of One Piece at alarming speed as the knowledge of the beasts came to the forefront of his thoughts.
'Holy, this is going to be helpful. I don't even need to go shopping for a while!'
From the anime and draw information, he knew that Sea King Meat was a highly dense protein source, but the fact that a single kilogram of the meat equated to twenty thousand calories was absurd.
'Athletes usually eat anywhere between three thousand to seven thousand calories a day, depending on their training. If I average it, a single kilo is four times that amount. It's possibly the best source of food I could get if I was training!'
His eyes sparkled with curiosity; he remembered Luffy gorging himself on it throughout the series, and now he had the chance to use it as well.
Though he didn't pull out the meat yet, Theo realized he should start his training. If he was going to ensure his own survival, he'd need to work day and night.
Finding a spare pair of sweatpants and a shirt that could be discarded if damaged, Theo changed and exited his home. The sun was dipping, and with that, so was the warmth. Instead of running through the town, Theo turned and focused on the long strip of man-made road that led into the forest.
'There might be some danger from animals, but I don't even remember an instance in the series where 'animal attack' wasn't synonymous with vampires. The nomads won't appear for another three months or so.'
With that thought, Theo began his run. The cool air of the darkening afternoon was a welcoming sensation as he jogged through the somewhat open path in the forest. Even after five minutes of jogging, Theo was surprised at how unfit he felt; obviously, the elevated terrain was harder than a treadmill, but the fact he was tiring so quickly made him feel weaker than he expected.
This continued for the next thirty minutes, and whilst the temperature was slowly plummeting, Theo's body and clothing became drenched in sweat as he gasped for air. Pushing past the increasing discomfort, he steeled his will and continued.
It took five more minutes before a strange sensation began to blossom in Theo's body. It was warmth—not the warmth from his exercise, but something else entirely. As he focused on the sensation in an attempt to disregard the pain of running, it finally happened.
A click. Like a tumbler turning over, ever so loud, but only in his mind, or soul.
The warmth blossomed further throughout his body as the burning in his muscles and lungs subsided instantly. He could feel it: his whole body strengthening, his lungs growing larger, his blood cells expanding to hold more oxygen.
The fatigue vanished as if he had never even gone out for a run; he felt refreshed, renewed. His steps changed slightly, as if there was a new form to his running, whilst his speed and strength increased.
Coming to an abrupt stop, Theo marveled at the feeling.
'Holy shit!' he thought. 'I feel fantastic. It's like weeks of training happened in under an hour.'
Theo wasn't incorrect in that statement. The adaptability and growth of his new genetics allowed him to bypass the phase of healing and rest needed for a normal human after pushing their limits; in its place, his body would figure out the weakness and forcefully optimize itself to a higher state or standard.
With newfound confidence, Theo turned and headed back to his home. Instead of taking it easier, however, he pushed himself even harder on the journey back, running without a break. This worked in his favor, as just before he arrived home, another click of the metaphysical tumbler sounded, and the benefits appeared once again.
Upon arrival at home, Theo worked with unbridled energy, moving from pushups to sit-ups, squats, lunges, planks, and more. He pushed his limits for hours, and the sensation appeared multiple times.
He could see the subtle shift in his muscles, feel the extra weight or density gained; his posture straightened, his balance enhanced, and even his resting heart rate lowered.
Stopping for the night, he took a grand, long shower in which he spent more than an hour scrubbing himself clean and enjoying the warmth of the hot water washing away the sweat and grime of the day.
Changing into clothes that noticeably fit better than they would have earlier in the day, Theo went to the kitchen and paused at the stove. With a bit of experimentation, he figured out how to pull out a single kilogram of Sea King Meat. The steak was thicker than anything he had seen before, and though it smelled surprisingly normal, he could see how unique the marbling was.
With no knowledge on how to cook it, he simply copied the process of cooking a normal steak, but with the addition of extra oil and herbs. Fortunately, the pantry had non-perishables in containers, or he would have needed to restock before cooking. It took almost fifteen minutes of maximum heat before the steak looked somewhat edible.
Taking a seat on the couch with the TV turned on to the local news channel, Theo took his first bite.
The first bite followed a second, then a third, and before he knew it, the piece of meat was devoured, his face stained with oils as a content smile sat on his face.
"Oh God, that was fucking incredible," he said aloud, wiping his lips. "It's like eating steak, but on steroids. Probably the best meal I've ever had."
With a content sigh, he leaned back deeper into the couch.
Somehow, he could feel the meat working and being digested into his body completely. The energy he'd lost and gained throughout the day once again brimmed within him as he could feel the nutrients flowing into his system.
"Maybe that's another reason everyone in One Piece was so strong and could heal after eating. It's like the ultimate food for someone who trains or fights."
With a stomach full of food, Theo washed his dishes and prepared to go to sleep. Though the day felt short, he'd accomplished many things, and he needed some time to mentally decompress from the stress.
Morning arrived swiftly, and with it, Theo awoke with a fountain of energy. The first thing he did upon waking was plan for the day, as he wanted to get the store up and running as soon as possible. He wasn't doing it for the money, honestly, but for some purpose apart from the physical training.
He was in a new world and town, with no friends or family to speak of, and he knew that isolation wouldn't be good for him. With those thoughts, he followed his standard ritual of showering and brushing his teeth. His hunger was still quenched from the meal the night prior, and he expected if he feasted on the meat daily, he'd only need to eat after training.
Popping down to the basement, Theo, with his surprisingly new level of bodily strength, began unloading the remainder of the books to their designated shelves, repeating the process for the following three hours.
Upon completion of the task, he stood inside the store and looked around.
"Shit, I didn't think I'd get most of the work done that fast." Scratching his neck in contemplation, he figured that if the store opened even sooner, it wouldn't be a bad thing. "I'll leave the cafe portion closed for now, until I find someone to do the work."
Reaching behind the register, Theo pulled out a book that had the contacts for the business, ranging from book suppliers to random miscellaneous stores that provided stationery supplies. It appeared as though there was a smaller corner of the bookstore that sold notebooks, pens, and pencils.
Another few hours passed in which Theo spent the majority of his time on the phone, calling and preparing to make the suppliers aware that he would be ordering from them in the near future. Sure, the books he held now were older, but he'd need to see how sales went before buying newer stock.
Stepping out of the bookstore with a bucket of water, a rag, and a broom, Theo began to clean the outside. It was a two-pronged approach: he wanted to ensure the store was clean from the outside, while also attempting to show people that the store was preparing to open once more.
Throughout his time cleaning, he was visited by more than one person, intrigued and curious as to what was happening. Some questioned where his grandmother was, and once they knew, they gave their condolences. Others were happy to see the store reopening, as even in a small town, technology was mainly used for emails and news, and purchasing a book would force them to drive to the closest town hours away.
He was content with the reception he'd received; some of the younger girls who were walking home from school were more than happy to flirt with him, whilst others were interested in the new face. Theo knew that gossip would flow through the town, and by the weekend, everyone would know who he was.
As he went about his chores, Theo's mind was stuck on what he'd do with his newfound genetics.
'Now, should I purchase some weights online and get them delivered? I could go and use the environment around me, but knowing how much progress grows with numbers would be better. On that note, I should probably get the motorcycle and car checked out as well; they probably need a service before I use them.'
Shaking his head at the ever-growing list of tasks he'd forced upon himself, Theo picked up his cleaning tools and began walking towards the front door.
"Excuse me," a female voice spoke out behind him.
Turning, Theo looked at the teenage girl standing there awkwardly; she seemed to be nervous, but focused.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"I, um, I was told you were hiring soon?" she said. "Charlie told me he met you yesterday, said you needed someone to work in the afternoons and weekends?"
Pausing to truly look at the girl, Theo could see it was who he thought it was. Bella Swan was a beautiful girl, if you looked past her awkward and nervous demeanor. She had dark brown hair that fell over a heart-shaped face and chocolate brown eyes. She was short, but her build showed hidden curves that her baggy clothes couldn't completely hide.
With a smile, Theo nodded.
"Bella, right? Well, Charlie works faster than I thought. Did you want to come inside and have a chat?"
*********
Hello! I'm spoiling you all on the first day of release, here's another chapter. Show some love and leave a comment, review or donate some powerstones!