Warm droplets of water hit my face. My body feels lighter than it did before, despite the added weight that’s hitting me constantly. My mind wanders to today’s adventure. It’s been so long since I had to work this hard for something. Surprisingly enough, I enjoyed it more than I ever expected. It was rough but satisfying. Not even mentioning all the materials we managed to scavenge.

On our way back – and after a heavy scolding for not flushing the toilet – Eva explained how potential worked. Pushing myself to the limit expanded my potential to hit higher limits in the form of points. These points, however, are meaningless on their own. To spend them, you need resources to strengthen yourself. No matter how often you go to the gym, you won’t grow if you don’t eat right.

I look down at my thin frame. All this instant food and frozen meals have been taking their toll on my body, I’m sure of it. I can’t cook. It would take too much time regardless. But picking out better meals would be a good first step.

Water continues to flow down my body as I realize that I’ve been in the shower for too long. Wash the hair, scrub the body, and get out of the shower quickly and efficiently, as I’ve always done. Wanting to have something to drink, I refrain from brushing my teeth. We still have to decide what route to take.

Eva is lounging on my couch, bored and waiting. “Good, you’re finally out. I was worried you might be working out some pent-up frustrations in there,” she remarked slyly. “So I’ve sorted out our gains. Most of it is semi-precious minerals and materials, more useful for crafting and not absorption. In general, the more precious the rock, the better skills and stats you can get. Diamonds and other gems are pretty much what we’re looking for. While everyone will be wasting their potential absorbing everything they find, we’ll invest in ourselves and plan our growth optimally.”

“We haven’t found any such gems despite my looting skills, sadly.” I bemoan. “But I do have some money saved up to buy some jewelry. If I were to buy stones in bulk, it’s only a matter of time before the feds come knocking on my door to investigate me. I’ll buy a wedding ring with a decent diamond tomorrow to absorb.” that was my first lesson dealing with money as a kid. Don’t make too much too quickly. People might catch on.

“Smart thinking! Now, all we need is to find a way to make use of all this crafting material or sell it for as much as we can.” She ponders a bit, looking expectingly at me. “Yeah, I could try to sell it off online. It’ll take some time, but it means fewer questions and more profit.” I answer, but she was expecting it, knowing my past and how I thought.

That just leaves us with one more problem to deal with, the long term. How will we buy and sell growing quantities without alerting anyone in the real world? Eva said that’s how a lot of other people get caught up and exposed in this game. They’re not careful enough and get found out by authorities. The police can’t harm people with inhuman power like that, but other players love to hunt down easy prey. Little fight to put up and a lot of power and potential to absorb. It’s scary, but that’s the way this world works apparently, and I’m not nearly strong enough to swim with the big fishes.

When I asked my companion how she knew all this, she genuinely seemed confused. “I… don’t know, it’s just a part of me, sorry.” I would guess that it’s common knowledge implanted into all menus. I don’t think I have a reason to distrust Eva. She’s the whole reason I managed to make it this far.

“That settles it then! Tomorrow we’ll deal with our resources short-term and look for ways to do it long-term. If we’re lucky, I might be able to get a nice stone to gain some strength.” I exclaimed, motivated. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been feeling pretty excited about this whole ordeal since getting back. Maybe the danger hasn’t fully set in, but I feel like I might just make it. I want to be someone I could be proud of. Hopefully, I’ll get there.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, though?” I don’t know what she means, but I can already sense this will be a drag. I sigh “what am I forgetting?”

“Oh silly, you’ll be going to the store tomorrow. You need toilet supplies, remember? Someone forgot to flush, and now everything is dried up and needs to be cleaned properly!”

I groan. Is this the right time? We’ve got so much to do, and she’s worried about some dried-up poop? I should just tell her to might her own business, I’ve got places to be!

“Yes, dear…” I whimper out. Damn it, Eugene, you coward.