[Attributes Unlock]
[Pay: 1,000 Credits to Unlock]
[Pay] [Cancel]
"Arrgh!" Archie let out a cry of frustration as he hit yet another paywall to unlock the [---MISSIONS---] menu.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Archie grumbled, pacing around the room in an attempt to soothe his rising temper.
"This Rift Watch is like a free video game with in-game currency tricks."
The burden of his impending enrollment at Rhoman Academy weighed heavily on Archie. He had already committed to joining and was now pinning his hopes on his Rift Ethereal and Rift Watch to fight like Mechanic and Deadbeat.
Gradually, Archie felt as if he was being engulfed by a sea of pay-to-unlock features.
After a few minutes of restless pacing, Archie took a deep breath and came to the conclusion that the only way to amass Credits was through the Missions menu.
"I need the Missions menu to increase Credits, but other than that, I only have one way to get credits."
Archie navigated to his Inventory menu and selected the ‘Chef’s Chopsticks.’
He was reluctant to do this because the idea of his shop’s food being deemed unsatisfactory made his blood boil. But at this point, if he wanted to be ready for Rhoman Academy, this was his only option.
Archie took the money he had earned from selling his old computer and skateboard and set off to another shop to eat.
He didn’t want to see any prompt ridiculing his shop’s dish, so he decided to dine at a different establishment.
Archie left the shop without informing his father and stepped outside. The sky was a canvas of orange clouds, with the sun slowly sinking as evening approached.
The streets surrounding his shop were teeming with people who were eating on the go and purchasing food.
Archie’s shop was nestled in one of the old food street districts, sandwiched between schools and residential areas. As a result, the streets were bustling with students around his age.
Archie pulled his hoodie over his head to avoid being recognized and made his way to another shop.
He headed straight for a burger joint, reasoning that a burger wouldn’t be on Chef Yami’s list. After all, Yami probably preferred traditional foods that required chopsticks, unlike burgers, which were typically eaten with hands.
Archie arrived at the burger place, ordered a standard patty burger, and then made his way to a pizza place to order a small pizza. After that, he stopped by a fried chicken shop.
Archie visited each shop that served the best food on his street, purchasing French fries, nuggets, and a beef roll.
Struggling to carry everything, Archie drew attention as a kid wearing a hoodie and carrying a multitude of bags.
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He returned to his shop and began to devour everything in one sitting.
Eating with chopsticks was a challenge, but he persevered, fearing that if he paused for even a second, he might throw up.
After a gastronomic battle, Archie finished everything and collapsed onto his bed, clutching his stomach in agony. He had never consumed this much food in a single day.
Archie waited for a notification, but none came.
After a few minutes, Archie checked his Inventory, but there were no changes.
He lay down again, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
'Why didn’t it recognize these as new dishes? Has Yami already eaten these foods?'
'Hold on, it didn’t show a notification for the cup noodles either, but it gave rewards for my father’s dish.'
'Does it only recognize freshly cooked or hand-cooked dishes, not those made by machines? Which one is it?'
Archie pondered for a few minutes before reaching a conclusion.
"I’ll try cooking the noodles myself and see if it adds them. If not, I’ll eat everything I see."
Archie waited for his father to close the shop, which he usually did around 10 PM after tidying up.
In the meantime, Archie explored other menus on his Rift Watch E-Screen.
He clicked on the fifth menu, which prompted:
[---SHOP---]
[Locked]
Archie smirked upon seeing another paywall and clicked on [Locked]:
[Attributes Unlock]
[Requirements Not Met]
[Requirements:
Reach Level 10
Pay 1,000 Credits to Unlock]
Patiently disregarding these messages, Archie swiped to the next menu:
[---SKILLS---]
[Locked]
---
[Attributes Unlock]
[Requirements Not Met]
[Requirements:
Reach Level 10]
Archie face-palmed and swiped to the seventh menu:
[---PLAYER UNKNOWN'S ORDER---]
[Locked]
---
[Attributes Unlock]
[Requirements Not Met]
[Requirements:
Reach Level 25]
Archie swiped again, cycling through the [--- PLAYER---] menu. He noticed that the circular menu looped back to the starting point, confirming there were only seven options.
Archie got up from the bed, left the shop, and ventured outside to get some fresh air. As he strolled down the street, he struggled to contain his anger.
"AHHHHH…. Are you kidding me? What a scam, buying things and meeting requirements."
Archie let out a scream in the middle of the crowd, drawing attention.
Some of the crowd and shop owners recognized Archie from his father’s shop and murmured,
"Poor Elbert, his only son has gone mad already."
Archie returned to his shop around midnight after aimlessly wandering around the district.
He went into the kitchen and saw some dough prepared for the next day. He used it to make some noodles, found some leftover broth and vegetables stored for their meal, and whipped up a simple vegetable noodle soup in a small bowl within an hour.
Archie ate the noodles, keeping a close eye on his Rift Watch. After finishing the bowl, a notification appeared:
[DING!]
---
[Chef’s Delicacy]
[Tasted a new dish: Vegetable Noodle Soup]
[Added a new Dish to Yami’s Unsatisfactory List]
[Reward:
HP and EP Increase by 1
Credits: 100]
---
[Rewards & Attributes Credited]
[Credits Balance: 400]
[HP: 12
EP: 4]
"THUD!" Archie slammed the bowl down on the table in irritation.
"So, what does it consider to be satisfactory?"
"Well, at least my credits have increased."
Archie decided to cook another dish to boost his credits. He figured that the E-Screen recognized freshly cooked food, not frozen or reheated foods.
He decided to make a mushroom noodle soup, grumbling,
"It’s going to consider my cooking unsatisfactory anyway. What’s the point of cooking perfectly?"
That’s when he stumbled upon a realization that would forever change his life.
Archie quickly grabbed the mushrooms, tossed them in the mixer, added spices and ingredients, juiced them down, and poured the mixture into a bowl of hot noodles.
He ate the noodles, feeling nauseous with every bite, but managed to finish the dish without throwing up.
[DING!]
---
[Chef’s Delicacy]
[Tasted a new dish: Mushroom Noodles]
[Added a new Dish to Yami’s Unsatisfactory List]
---
[Rewards & Attributes Credited]
[Credits Balance: 500]
[HP: 13
EP: 5]
"Hell Ye..." Before Archie could celebrate, he rushed to the sink and threw up.
After emptying his stomach, Archie decided to cook another dish that he despised and eat it.
With this newfound, albeit nauseating, method, Archie resolved to unlock the Missions menu.