Aster woke up late, the soft morning breeze brushing against his face. He stretched his arms, eyes half open, and found himself lying on a wooden chair in the backyard. The sun felt warm, and the sky was clear. He had a small basket of grapes beside him, which he lazily picked from while staring up at the drifting clouds.
"This is life," he muttered. "No bosses. No deadlines. No alarms. Just me and the sun."
But boredom crept in fast. He opened the system out of habit. A floating blue screen appeared, listing new features: Lottery Draw, Inventory, Daily Missions, and Gamble Games. The lottery caught his eye first.
"Ten coins for a single draw, huh," Aster said, squinting at the glowing button. "Where am I supposed to get coins? You didn't exactly give me a salary, you floating parasite."
The system's voice replied calmly, "Coins can be earned by completing missions or by performing good deeds that contribute to the world's balance—helping people, animals, or the environment."
Aster froze. "Wait. There's actually people here? So this world isn't empty after all. And what's this about 'helping the world'? You expect me to play hero now?"
The system didn't answer.
Aster sighed, scrolling through the other functions. "Lottery, inventory, and gambling games. You're turning me into some kind of cosmic gambler." He closed the screen and lay back on the chair, finishing the last grape. "Forget it. I'll just relax here."
The system suddenly spoke again, "Host is advised to begin basic training to grow stronger."
"Training? Why not give me a sword first? You gave me a house instead of a weapon! What am I supposed to do, slap monsters with furniture?"
Silence. Then a notification appeared. Mission generated: Clean the house. Water the garden. Chop wood. Deadline: 5 hours.
Aster sat up. "Are you serious? You're sending me chores as missions?" He walked inside, grumbling—but the moment he entered, he stopped. The grand mansion-like interior he saw before was gone. It was now a small, simple house.
"What the hell happened?"
"Host failed to maintain the environment. The advanced housing feature has expired. To unlock it permanently, the host must complete growth milestones."
Aster groaned and slumped onto the chair. "So if I don't clean, you downgrade my house. Great. A celestial system that nags like an old landlord."
He eventually gave up and did the chores. Days turned into weeks. Aster spent a whole month cleaning, chopping wood, and tending to his small garden. He even started working out, thinking that maybe it was time to build some muscle.
One morning, a notification chimed. Reward: 5 Free Lottery Draws.
"Huh? I didn't even know I was earning these." He smirked. "Alright, let's see what your stupid gacha gives me."
First draw: A dog.
Aster stared at the animal standing in front of him. It wagged its tail. "You've got to be kidding me. A dog? Fine… I'll call you Little Puppy."
The dog barked, and Aster sighed. "At least I've got someone to talk to now."
Second draw: A bird in a cage.
Aster rubbed his temples. "What is this, a pet daycare? Next thing you'll give me a fish tank." He opened the cage and let the bird perch on his arm. "You'll be Chirpy. Try not to annoy me."
Third and fourth draws: 'Thank you. Please try again.'
"Are you mocking me now?"
Fifth draw: A bow and arrows.
He picked them up, unimpressed. "An ordinary bow. Fantastic. Because I'm definitely going hunting with my new zoo."
He threw the bow into his inventory, not realizing that it carried an ancient spirit bound inside.
Frustrated, he sat by the pond and argued with the system again. "How am I supposed to grow stronger doing chores and collecting pets? You're worse than my boss in my past life."
"Progress requires patience. Every mission contributes to your growth."
"Yeah, sure," Aster muttered. "Patience my ass."
He brewed some tea from herbs in his garden, sat outside, and watched the sunset. The sky turned orange and pink, reflecting off the pond's surface. Little Puppy lay beside him, snoring softly, while Chirpy pecked at crumbs on the table.
Aster took a slow sip. "You know what? Maybe this isn't so bad. I used to work every day and night without rest. At least now, I get to breathe. If this is what saving the world feels like, I'll take it slow."
He leaned back, watching the fading light. For now, the world could wait.
Far away, hidden in the mountains beyond the forest, the faint glow of a crumbling barrier flickered. The kingdom of Eldras was beginning to tremble.
And Aster had no idea that his peaceful days were already numbered.