A few hours later, he awoke with his body covered in cold sweat. He decided to take a shower, but once in there, a big surprise awaited the young man as he glanced down.
A monster was staring back at him.
'Oh.' Kaiden's brain finally caught on to reality when he realized that this creature was the reason why he had gone through that horrible experience. He had gone from 5.5 inches (14cm) all the way to 9 inches (23cm). Well, according to the system. He wasn't in a battle-ready stance right now to check the validity of the system's statement, but his flaccid 'little' brother had already dwarfed his previous greatest treasure in size.
It was like a sleeping serpent. Ominous and ready to strike at a moment's notice.
'How will I go about this mission, though... Should I even listen to this thing in my mind? I just got a giant shaft for free, basically—save for the most excruciating pain I've felt in my life—what if I ignored this system going forward...? But, on the other hand, if this is not a nefarious, invasive parasite, it could be completely life-altering. It also doesn't have a penalty for failure, which earns a positive note in my book. I hate those novels where the MC is a slave of the system.'
Kaiden decided to at least complete the tutorial mission. If some supernatural creature wanted to harm him, he would've long since been dead. Thus, the system deserved some trust as far as he was concerned. He didn't want to throw this opportunity away just to ease his paranoia.
Furthermore, even if he couldn't become one of those epic awakened guys who could waltz into dungeons and slay horrendous monsters, this pornstar system was still better than nothing. He didn't want to remain a simple, ordinary existence, no matter the cost.
Thankfully, it was summer break, so he had all the free time he could ever want. Now that things have come to this, Kaiden started to become visibly excited at the prospect of his future career. As far as he was concerned, he either does this and lives the life he wants or becomes an economist who spends his life sitting behind a computer while looking at boring financial charts in an office cubicle until he turns into a 70-year-old frail man and is finally allowed to retire.
The choice was obvious.
Live hard like a rock star.
He cleaned himself and then went to grab his phone, exiting from the adult site and opening his banking application.
$5
That was the depressing sight that welcomed him once he entered his credentials. Kaiden shed a manly tear at the view and then sighed dejectedly. He had so little money he would either have to take up a part-time job or move back with his family. The latter was something he truly didn't wish to do.
The friction back 'home' has been extremely high since he turned 20 years old, which is the final year in one's life when they have a chance to awaken. There had been some outliers, but they were one in a million. He was destined to remain a commoner until this strange day.
'It's time to go all-in by investing in myself and the future I might attain should I give it my all,' he decreed while nodding to himself resolutely. Kaiden opened his crypto account and sold all his scamcoins, soon receiving a transfer of $800.
'Finally, I don't need to watch these volatile pieces of shit going from red to green to red every other minute.' He couldn't help but feel somewhat liberated.
The first thing he decided to do was visit the nearest gym. While the 'getting fit' part of the mission could be achieved on his own, he thought that if he were to invest in himself, he might as well go all in and get state-of-the-art equipment and the guidance of a personal trainer.
His one-month timeframe given to complete the tutorial mission would fly by at a moment's notice, he had no time to fumble around by running laps in a park or watching Yout*be workout guides.
While it might be a weird dream for people, Kaiden truly wished to be a porn star. It was his dream job since encountering his first adult video. Well, besides being a mighty awakened, of course.
It was a perverted dream, yes, but he wasn't affected by the drawbacks of the job.
Kaiden liked attention, he loved gorgeous women, he wanted money, and he couldn't give a damn if his member was on tape for the whole world to see, especially now that it had become such a wonderful specimen. Haters could hate for all he cared.
He will be swimming in money and women, soaking in a luxury jacuzzi while snickering at the hate comments with a babe in each of his arms. 'What a life that would be...' He thought wistfully.
With his unrealistic daydreaming completed for the time being, Kaiden soon arrived at the gym, Titan Training. He waltzed through the door and went straight to the reception. "Welcome to Titan Training! How may I be of assistance?" a cute girl he recognized from his college's campus greeted him enthusiastically.
"I wish to get a month's membership along with the guidance of a personal trainer."
"Understood! This is a high-end facility with many activities available inside, like Yoga classes, organized basketball games, and more. Our equipment is also the best available on the market, and our pricing reflects that. A monthly membership is $100 for the local students and $200 for the rest of the populace. Our trainers are highly professional individuals, so their help is fairly priced as well, with a one-hour session costing $80."
'Yikes. I will need to find a part-time job pronto. However, I heard great things about this place from the gym rats in my class. It should be worth the price, I suppose.'
"I would like to sign up with the student discount and pay for an hour as well."
"Understood!" She processed his registration, and he was in. The receptionist stood from the counter and followed after him, giving him a brief tour of the essentials, as she called them, which lasted for more than ten minutes. It was a big place.
"Liam, Aria, please come here," she called out suddenly, and two people who were doing lifts and squats abruptly ceased their activities and presented themselves.
Liam was a real hulking man with giant muscles, a clean shave, and a trendy hairstyle. His appearance screamed 'gym bro'. Friendly, dedicated, macho, and confident. He sported a simple trainer attire with shorts and nothing on his upper body besides a towel draped over his right shoulder. He looked to be about thirty years old.
On the contrary, Aria was a slender, youthful, and exceptionally beautiful girl with long silver hair. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman Kaiden had ever seen, whether in real life or online. Her crystal blue eyes highlighted her flawless complexion, and her delicate features had a divine quality as if she had surpassed humanity and its many flaws.
The clothing she wore enhanced her attractiveness even more. She was dressed in close-fitting leggings that highlighted her ample curves, snapping to her body tightly. A sleeveless crop top exposed her stomach and shoulders for all to see, showcasing her slim waist and smooth skin.
The receptionist spoke up, bringing him out of the shock his brain suffered due to the girl's heavenly appearance. "Ehem. These two are Liam and Aria; they are both trainers who are free for the next hour. Please select one of them."
Kaiden was suddenly presented with an incredibly difficult decision.
A dilemma so great that ancient Greek philosophers would have to debate for a century straight and still not arrive at a clear-cut resolution.
Liam was the obvious choice for efficiency. Not only was he a man—thus, he could give him better tips and understand his struggles more—but he also had a decade on this girl by the look of things, meaning he likely had much more experience in their occupation. Aria, on the other hand, was simply his dream girl.
Furthermore, based on her body proportions, she was the typical female gym goer who worked mostly on her lady curves, so she truly didn't seem to be the ideal instructor for an ambitious man like him.
Once he examined Liam for a few seconds, who only nodded at him with a gentle smile, he looked at Aria once again. Sensing his attention was on her, she made an unprofessional gesture of puffing her bountiful chest out and nodding at him supportively.
'Damn...! This girl desperately wants my money, I can sense it.' He cursed inwardly while biting his inner lip until it bled. He had come to a decision. 'Ancestors give me strength, for I refuse to be a simp! I'm here to gain muscles so that I can score chicks like her as a man, not as a paying customer! Once I'm fit enough, I will strike up a conversation with her and earn her heart the way I was meant to.'
Kaiden gave the beautiful silver-haired girl a final pained glance that was akin to a farewell before turning to Liam. "I would like you, Liam, to help me if possible."
"But of course, young man," he nodded with a nonchalant smile.