1.
A dad-joke riddle:What's the heaviest thing in the world?
Answer: Eyelids.
When your whole body weighs a thousand pounds, your eyelids weigh ten thousand.
I simply could not wake up.
"Well… a lot did happen, didn't it?"
The night before the server opened, I pulled an all-nighter.
Right after that, I dug all day without eating.
Then I fought a psychological war with a greedy goblin.
And finally, I stood face-to-face with a being of massive stature.
Of course my body and mind were exhausted.
I needed rest. There were even studies showing that sleeping inside the game relieved fatigue more effectively.
So…
Let's sleep just a little longer.
Sleeping in is an investment for my future—an entirely rational deci—
—BZZZZT.
"AAAGH! AAAAAAAGH!"
The moment my eyelids covered my eyes, a shock like electric fire exploded from my neck down my spine.
"I SAID WAKE UP—AGH!"
"ARGH! ARGH! ARGH!"
No matter how much I screamed, the electricity mercilessly tore through my nerves.
Until I was completely awake and razor-sharp mentally.
"Huff… huff… I almost died trying to get a few more minutes of sleep."
A rule decided beforehand could never be broken.
The demon contract was watching.
The contract's effect is… incredibly real.
Shivering, I checked my chest.
A barely visible small necklace was hanging there.
[Token of Contract]
It was the same role as the tightening band the Monk Tripitaka used on Sun Wukong.
Literally gripping my leash and supervising me.
A small act like oversleeping resulted in small pain.
Hard to call that "small," though. I set it myself, but still…
A major act like missing my goal or harming my family would trigger great pain.
Enough pain to reach the verge of death—or to actually die.
I had even attached a step-by-step punishment chart to the contract.
Meaning for the rest of my life… oversleeping is gone.
Thud.
Still dizzy, I staggered and bumped my head into the wall.
"Damn it."
Last night, I slept on the bare ground, using a wall as a tent.
No inn? No money?
No, I have both…
I simply couldn't bring myself to spend the money.
Knowing that one coin today might be worth more than Bitcoin one day—how could I spend it?
I had no desire to become the guy who bought two pizzas for 10,000 Bitcoins.
As I was drifting off in thought—
Ting. Ting.
Two silver coins dropped onto my broken shovel, which I had used as a pillow.
"MARINES, FIGHTING!"
A chubby middle-aged man passing by shouted at me.
"...?"
"When I was young, I struggled a lot too. But the tough training in the Marine Corps made a man out of me. Every time I remember it—"
No need to get teary-eyed…
"Hard times pass quickly! You can overcome any hardship!"
He patted my shoulder.
"Let's relive the spirit! Brother! Comrade! Shout with me! AK! AK! AK!"
"Ah…"
Was that really the Marine Corps chant?
I felt oddly touched.
I'm rich… though.
Was I offended?
Would a rich guy dislike getting money?
Of course not.
Money is good. More money is better.
"Thank you, senior!"
Your reaction must always be genuine.
From this moment on, I was a Marine.
"Once a Marine, always a Marine! AK AK AK!"
"AK AK AK!"
We shouted with clenched fists.
"AK AK AK! (Farewell!)"
"AK AK AK! (Goodbye!)"
I saluted him with the chant that stirred the heart.
A great start to the day.Free money.
2.
While stretching lightly, I reviewed the results of last night.
You have met the first supreme demon in human history.
[Achievement: Reception] achieved.
Due to the unimaginable nature of this achievement, your reward increases significantly.
You receive a [Platinum Box]!
I spent a fortune with resolve, yet the items returned and the money came back too.
And the rewards didn't end there.
Having encountered a being of massive rank, the seed of spiritual power begins to sprout.
You have awakened the stat: 'Spirit Power '.
Wow… you can acquire it like this?
It was a famously rare stat.
A precious ability noble professions like Spirit Summoners would risk their lives to obtain.
Just meeting one being had given me so much.
Big shots were always profitable.
But it's not something I'll do twice.
If Belphegor had been in a slightly worse mood, or if it had been another demon, I would have died.
One could never predict a demon's whims.
In any case, risking my life had been worth it.
There was even some unexpected bonus fallout.
'Krk… th-thank you, thank you, THANK you, customer!'
Golden Goblin Kmuro bowed to me, tears streaming down his face.
Even after I handed him the blank check, he still felt grateful—so grateful he even gave me gifts.
Bronze Boxes, weapons, armor, potions, skillbooks—
He stuffed my inventory until it was ready to burst.
No more grueling life of farming mobs, buying gear with hard-earned money, grinding, buying potions, grinding again.
The so-called "no-ga-da" cycle was gone.
Feels like I went on a shopping spree at a department store for free.
Just looking at the haul made me feel full.
Of course, he didn't walk away a loser either.
Apparently, his "merchant rank" had increased or something like that.
If there was one thing that bothered me—
— I'll keep an eye on you with interest. Make sure you live up to my expectations. Understood?
Belphegor's melted, languid voice…
Something that clung to the back of my neck and tightened like a serpent.
I shivered from head to toe.
If I fail to meet them… what happens, hm?
…Naturally, I didn't dare ask.
In any case—
Now the basic preparations are complete.
I had gathered everything I needed to "attend school."
It was time to actually study at that school.
So, as a warm-up for my first class—
Let's run.
Because after all, the foundation of all training is running.
3.
Running.
It's a common exercise, but never one to underestimate.
It increases strength, endurance, stamina—all at once.
Even professional athletes acknowledge its value.
But it requires consistency.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
I had never pushed my body this hard in my entire life.
My breath was caught at my throat, my legs so heavy they felt almost paralyzed.
The old me wouldn't have even made it halfway before giving up.
But I couldn't give in to the temptation to collapse.
The regret and pain from the brink of death were still fresh in my mind.
More importantly—
Zzt. Zzt.
Whenever I got close to giving up, my personal trainer sent a "warning signal."
One more lap.
I forced my near-collapse body up again.
Stretching my legs. Stepping forward.
More. More. MORE.
The sense of accomplishment when I pushed just a little further was immense.
Running soon became part of my life.
Every morning, I ran along the inside wall of the village.
I often crossed paths with townsfolk during training.
Seeing each other daily, we became comfortable enough to chat.
"Good morning, Mr. Paul."
"A fine morning indeed. Seeing you means it must be six o'clock—time for shift change."
The guard used me to guess the time.
"The weather's wonderful, Mrs. Jeanne."
"Oh my, is it morning already? I should hurry and start the stew."
One mother woke her children and hurried to cook breakfast.
Feels like I've become this village's Kant.
Kant was called a "living clock" because he moved on schedule every day.
My strictly followed training routine had earned me the same reputation.
"Here's some yeast powder. Could you take it to Hans at the mill? He'll probably give you a loaf of bread."
"Of course, I'm heading that way anyway."
"And could you ask Jane's dress shop next door if the fabric I ordered arrived?"
"I'll ask and let you know on my way back."
I naturally took on small errands here and there.
But almost no players had this kind of relationship with NPCs.
"Wow, these NPCs are insanely realistic."
"Is this Unity AI or what?"
Some players treated villagers like programs, acting carelessly.
"You got any tasks? Anything come to mind when you see me?"
"Give me quests! Quests!"
That was the mild version.
"Kyaaa!"
"Nice, boob-grab success!"
"Great texture! Kekeke."
"You—! You horrible brats! Stop right there!"
Some crossed lines and ran off.
Most were caught by guards and thrown into the village jail.
They're gonna rage-quit for sure.
This wasn't a soft society where you get a slap on the wrist like in real life.
Even without physical pain, being stuck in jail was suffering.
They'd get frustrated and delete their characters.
Because so many players trolled, my polite behavior ended up giving me free goodwill.
"He's a good lad. A proper young man!"
"Polite, diligent, strong—if I had a daughter I'd marry her off to him!"
"Your daughter's almost forty, isn't she? You rascal, don't say such things."
"Most importantly, he has good character! Join our guard squad, son. I'll recommend you!"
Woooo!
Me—recognized for my character?!
My face tingled and my chest grew warm.
A feeling I had never experienced in my life.
Your affinity with the villagers has greatly increased.
The villagers now consider you a "highly trustworthy individual"!
Affinity had risen unintentionally.
Just a little bit every day.
Even full clan efforts don't raise affinity this fast…
This wasn't part of my min-max plan.
You can't force yourself to behave humanely with others.
But giving and receiving kindness felt unexpectedly good.
Maybe… there's a path here too.
What if I added enjoyment to my path of hard work?
What if I sometimes loosened my expression and smiled?
Still a distant idea.
But my heart felt a little lighter.
4.
"Huff-hhuff… huff. Huff-hhuff… huff."
Basic calisthenics—push-ups.
Inhale as you go down, exhale as you go up, stimulating the chest and deltoids.
"Grrngh… hup."
Deadlifts.
Lifting and lowering a boulder stimulated my spinal erectors.
"Ghhk… that pulls."
Then lunges—front leg bent like a ㄱ, back leg like a ㄴ.
"Kkeung…"
And squats—arms crossed, sitting as if an invisible chair existed in the air.
After morning runs, I trained strength in the afternoon.
When it comes to developing a human's basic physical power, nothing beats modern strength training.
This fact won't change even in the future.
Strength training works extremely well—but usually isn't fun.
If done alone, it's easy to slack off.
— Zzt, zzt.
"I am doing it, see?"
I talked to myself.
In my dictionary, "slacking off" did not exist anymore.
Because I trained more regularly than professional athletes, my body started changing immediately.
My chest broadened as the pectoral muscles developed; my movements grew sharp and solid as my abs and trapezius strengthened.
Unlike reality, the weather here was intensely hot.
Therefore, taking off my shirt and drenching myself in water for full-body cooling was unavoidable.
"Oh my, oh my, oh my."
"His face looks gentle, but his body is a beast—an absolute beast."
"Oh dear, how shameless."
Suddenly, gossiping aunties began gathering around.
"Child, don't look."
The mother covered her daughter's eyes.
Then why are YOU staring so blatantly, ma'am?
And of course, the daughter peeked through her fingers with wide eyes.
"Look at those muscles—he's like a horse, a stallion!"
"You're terrible. You say the wildest things."
"My husband… I'm not even sure if he's a man or a beer keg. If I could trade him for this one, I'd have no regrets."
Perhaps nagged by their wives, or perhaps jealous—
The next day, even the village guards joined in the training.
"It's just because we haven't been doing it! Once we start, we'll get big in no time!"
"Johnson! Come get pumped with me!"
"Iron! You can get tougher too!"
Seeing the guards fired up about strength training made me feel a little guilty.
"It's not… quite as easy as it looks…"
My rapid growth was thanks to optimization—Authority effects, skills, and doping all stacked.
I was using every cheat possible for growth.
It almost felt like cheating.
…But exercise is good for everyone anyway.
And a few days later—
'Warm-up complete!'
I was far more prepared than expected.
It was finally time to scratch all the lottery tickets I had stocked up.
Gulp.
Every "lottery ticket" I bought throughout life had been a loser.
Will it be the same this time? Or maybe…
"…!"
I hit the jackpot.
And not just once—but in a rapid, continuous cascade.