Shin woke up the next morning. It was the weekend, and he had a flight to get to. For the first time in seven years, he finally had vacation.
Upon his arrival to Jeju Island and the resort, he was met with staff awaiting for him. They brought him to a condo on the roof of the hotel.
From there, he was welcomed by a group of other staff to assist him. Chefs, maids, massage therapy, even a bartender. It was like paradise for him.
Not to mention, he loved the view he had from the outdoor pool where he could watch over the entire island. He went to the bedroom and put his stuff where they needed to be. He laid down in the bed, and it was pure ecstasy. He's never laid in a bed so comfortable, not to mention how soft it was.
As he was closing his eyes, the silver panel made an appearance.
>>「First Quest: Self-Care」
>>「Task: Before going to sleep, you must:
☐ Drink 4L of Water (No Soda or Alcohol!)
☐ Consume nutrient-dense and balanced meals. Eat 2,800+ kilocalories a day. Limit processed foods!
☐ Train the Body (100 Pushups, 100 Sit-ups, 50 Pull-Ups, 200 squats, run 8km (~5 miles))
☐ Train the Mind (50 Pages of a Non-Fictional Book, learn knowledge from the system)
☐ Meditate for 30 minutes
☐ Optimize Sleep Cycle (8+ Hours of Sleep)
☐ Stretch every muscle!」
>>「Failure to complete all routines will result in a degraded performance, and a rude surprise!」
In an instant, the feeling he was once having dissipated.
He mumbled, "System... are you serious? I finally have my vacation and you want me to spend my limited time on... this?"
>>「Answer: Yes. Are you implying that self-care is not a necessity?」
"N-no," he spoke, sighing in disappointment. "Just, can't we start in two weeks? Or you can just go to sleep and take a break, like me, for those two weeks?"
>>「Answer: No. A tree falls the way it leans. Get to it!」
>>「Time Left: 13 hours」
The hours passed, and Shin refused to comply with the system.
>>「Time Left: 10 hours」
>>「Time Left: 7 hours」
>>「Time Left: 3 hours」
>>「Time Left: 1 hour」
>>「Notice: Host has not completed quest. Initiating punishment.」
>>「Notice: Good luck...」
Shin had been sleeping, and suddenly fell to the ground. When he opened his eyes, the area around him was pitch black and covered in a strange fog.
"Where am I?" he asked. The system did not appear. "Hello? Answer me!"
From the fog, footsteps could be heard. A silhouette of the figure approaching became increasingly defined.
"So," a deep voice roared through the fog. "You decided not to comply? What a naughty child!"
Shin took a step back, terrified. When the being appeared from the fog, he was much larger than what the fog had shown.
He was extremely tall, muscular in a broad way, and had black scaled skin. On the top of his heads were black antler-shaped horns, and he was wearing a black crown on his head with a black robe. His appearance was majestic, but he gave off a sense of death.
He spoke, "You know #@$!@#...?"
"W-what..," Shin responded. "I can't understand you. Where am I?"
"Ah..." he muttered. "That's right, well, whatever. Ignore me all you want, I'll fix this right here and now anyway."
In the eyes of Shin, the man had instantly vanished. He felt a hard, sharp pain hit his back and he went flying into the fog. When he landed belly first, he couldn't move. His back was broken.
The dragon-like being approached him and grabbed him by the hair, lifting up his head before slamming it on the ground.
Blood drizzled from Shin's nose, and a tooth became crooked. His face seared with pain, his tooth aching. "P-please, I'm sorry...!"
The being ignored him, flipping onto his back. "I'm sure you are," the being spoke, grinning. "This the last thing before you go, enjoy!"
He stomped on Shin's lower area (you know what). Shin's eyes widened, and he was suddenly back in his hotel room bed. He rushed over to the toilet and vomited. He felt dizzy, a sense of nausea washed over him.
It was as if his lower internal organs were cramping and being stabbed at the same time.
>>「Notice: Pain is too great. Putting host to sleep...」
Shin woke up on the bathroom floor, still shivering from the pain. Though his wounds were fake, his head throbbed as he read the glowing silver panel hovering above him.
>>「First Quest: Self-Care」
>>「Failure to complete all routines will result in a degraded performance, and a rude surprise!」
>>「Time Left: 18 hours」
>>「Tip: If you don't want to experience that again, I suggest complying!」
He groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Comply. Easy for you to say when you don't have to do anything!"
Dragging himself up, he splashed cold water on his face.
"Alright," he muttered. "Water first. Four liters? That's... doable"
He stumbled into the kitchen area. The minibar glistened with temptation: whiskey, soda, bottles that practically whispered 'drink me'.
>>「Warning: Soda and Alcohol are prohibited, remember!」
"Relax, I wasn't even-"
>>「Detection: 62% Temptation. Increasing system supervision.」
"What does that even-"
A sudden electric snap zapped across his arm. Shin yelped, shaking his hand like it touched a live wire. The staff looked at him in confusion.
>>「Reminder: Compliance is mandatory.」
"Alright! Alright! I'll drink the water, I wasn't even going to drink all of that other stuff anyway!"
He slammed open the fridge. Rows of sparkling water and soda. One lonely bottle of still water sat in the corner.
"...Well, how am I supposed to do this then?"
>>「Tip: Ask the staff.」
"Oh, great," Shin muttered as he called room service. "Hi, uh... can I get like, fifty bottles of water? The big ones? No... no, it's not for a pool party or anything. I just need to hydrate."
Thirty minutes later, Shin had a lineup of bottles that looked like a small army. He cracked open the first one.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
One down, eight to go.
The system pinged, >>「Progress: 0.4L / 4L」
He stared at the panel. "This is going to take forever..."
By noon, Shin had chugged enough water to fill what felt like a kiddie pool. He laid flat on the floor, groaning. "My organs are swimming..."
>>「Progress: 4L / 4L, Hydration Completed!」
"Finally..." he spoke, scrolling down the checklist:
☑ Drink 4L of Water
☐ Balanced Meals (2,800 kcal)
☐ 100 Pushups
☐ 100 Sit-ups
☐ 50 Pull-Ups
☐ 200 Squats
☐ 8km Run
☐ 50 Pages of Non-Fiction or System Knowledge
☐ Meditation
☐ Stretching
He laughed weakly, a single tear falling from his eye. "Oh, sure. No big deal. I'll just train for the Olympics on my vacation, hahah..."
The gym was on the second floor. Shin walked in wearing resort flip-flops and swim shorts, earning strange looks from the staff. He eyed the treadmill like it was a guillotine.
"Eight kilometers," he whispered. "That's five miles. No problem. People do this all the time... and system, they're called LUNATICS!"
He started slow. The first kilometer, he was already sweating. The second, he began panting. By the fourth, his lungs were screaming for mercy.
>>「Progress: 4/8km completed. Heart rate consistently elevated, perfect!」
"Hey... what about this is perfect?" Shin wheezed.
At the fifth kilometer, the system pinged again.
>>「Notice: Form deterioration detected. Straighten your posture, bring up your knees.」
Another electric zap scorched up his spine. Shin yelped, nearly flying off the treadmill. A staff member ran over, "S-sir! Are you okay!?"
"Y-yeah!" Shin panted, forcing a smile. "Just... cardio... makes me emotional, you know, it's such a g-great thing!"
By evening, Shin was sprawled on the condo floor. His arms felt like jelly after pushups. His legs were shaking from squats. Every time he tried to pull himself up for another set, the system's seemingly smug voice echoed in his head.
>>「Progress: 160/200 Squats Completed, 40 left!」
"Kill me..."
>>「Suggestion: Death is inefficient. Complete the quest!」
When he finally crossed the last 50 pages of reading, eyes half-closed, he collapsed in the bed. The panel appeared, glowing softly like an angel from hell.
>>「Quest Complete!」
>>「Reward: TBD, Requirement not met. Will be provided when it is.」
>>「Notice: Congratulations! You didn't die!」
Shin flipped it off weakly before passing out.
As he slept, another panel appeared.
>>「Next Quest: Obtain Player/Awakened Rights!」
>>「Daily Quest refreshed, Self-Care. 24 Hours to Complete!」