Hearing that simple word made Jessica’s heart flutter in a way she couldn’t control. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, the warmth rushed to her cheeks.
A smile bloomed on her face like a flower in spring very gentle, bright, and impossible to ignore.
Jeff catching a glimpse of her expression, paused mid-bite. For a moment, her usual shyness seemed to vanish, replaced by something radiant.
"Why is she so happy?" he wondered, raising an eyebrow.
With no answer coming to mind, he decided not to think too hard about it and simply went back to eating his meal.
As Jeff focused on his food, Jessica was enjoying hers in her own quiet way.
She tore off a piece of bread, dipped it into her coffee, and took a bite, humming softly in between like she was in an unusually good mood.
Jeff having already finished his meal, leaned back for a moment as he noticed something dawning at him.
That is, he was still hungry.
Calling over the waiter, a young woman soon approached with two more plates of rice, just as he had requested earlier.
He dug in again without hesitation, only to realize after a few bites that even that wasn’t enough.
With a baffled expression, he raised his hand again.
"Waiter, please add another two. No, make it three more rice, please."
The girl blinked in surprise at his growing order but nodded politely and followed his instructions.
Jeff glanced at his plate, noticing something missing, "Also, add another fried egg," he added casually.
"Sure, dear customer," the waitress replied with a smile, placing the order and returning shortly with his egg and additional rice.
Right then and there, he dove back into the food, his eyes gradually widening in disbelief.
He finished everything, every last grain of rice and the egg too and yet his stomach still felt like a bottomless pit.
Not even a hint of fullness, and hunger anymore, just emptiness.
Staring down at his plate, completely clean once again, he raised his hand slowly, as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.
"Waiter, give me five more rice, please."
The girl, who had just turned to walk away, glanced back and nearly dropped her notepad.
That handsome guy had devoured everything in mere seconds, as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
"Ahh, please wait, dear customer," she said, her voice slightly dazed as she hurried back to the counter to fetch more rice.
When she returned with the next set, she decided to stay nearby out of sheer curiosity. And what she saw left her speechless.
He cleared the entire plate in less than a minute and again he ordered.
"Give me another three," he said without skipping a beat.
"I want another three," he added, still chewing.
"Can you please give another five?" he asked, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
The waitress stood frozen, questioning if she had accidentally served a reincarnated devourer in disguise.
Because of his endless orders, the poor waitress was now drenched in sweat, running back and forth from the kitchen like it was a one-man buffet challenge.
She carried stacks of rice plates, her arms trembling as she placed them down. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽
The once-empty table now had a towering mountain of used plates, each one were wiped and clean.
And yet, Jeff just sat there, completely calm and was slightly confused.
"Umm... am I having some kind of problem inside of me?" Jeff muttered, staring at the empty dishes in disbelief.
"I’m not feeling full but I’m not hungry either. This is very strange." he said as he wondered about it.
He raised his hand, ready to order more that is until Jessica reached across the table and gently grabbed his wrist, stopping him mid-gesture.
"That’s enough," she said, her eyes wide with concern.
Since eating that much couldn’t possibly be good for anyone, Jessica had frozen in disbelief earlier so it took her a moment to snap back and react.
"Hey, can you stop ordering more rice? Look around everyone’s staring at us," she whispered to him.
Jeff blinked, then slowly turned his head. Sure enough, the cafe was now a bit crowded, and every single pair of eyes was on him.
Some were whispering, others just stared wide-eyed.
To them, this wasn’t just some handsome guy. This was a monster with a bottomless stomach. The plates on the table?
Easily over twenty, stacked like a fortress of porcelain.
"Ahh... sorry about that. Can you count how much all of it costs?" Jeff asked the waitress, finally realizing it was time to stop.
The girl, whose legs were visibly shaking, sweat clinging to her face, let out a breath of pure relief.
With trembling hands, she started counting the mountain of plates, silently thanking his girlfriend making him finally call it quits.
Since she was the only server in the entire cafe, it had been exhausting for her. Running back and forth while also tending to other customers pushed her to the edge.
"You have ordered a total of 8 fried eggs and 34 rice," she said, catching her breath.
"While your girlfriend only had coffee and a piece of bread."
She paused, counted on her fingers, then gave the final amount.
"That will be about, 723 pesos."
Jessica froze for a second, shocked by the price. It wasn’t a problem for her since she had more than enough money on her.
But still, hearing the total for what was supposed to be a simple breakfast left her stunned.
She looked at Jeff, who seemed completely unfazed by it all, and her chest tightened a little.
For him to eat that much, Jessica couldn’t help but feel a quiet sense of pity.
Was he only eating once a day? Was he skipping meals to save money? Or was something else going on?
"Does he only eat once a day? Should I start cooking for him every day?" she murmured, lost in thought.
Then suddenly, she snapped herself out of it.
"Jessica, there you go again with your silly ideas. You’re not his wife. You’re not even his girlfriend yet. But..."
Her expression softened, "This is for his health. Yes, yes... if it’s for his health, then there’s no problem. I’ll cook for him. That’s totally reasonable," she said with a small smile blooming on her lips.
"Umm, miss... can you, uhh, let go?" the waitress asked awkwardly.
Jessica blinked and looked up and noticed that she had been clutching the 1,000 peso bill in her hand this whole time, completely forgetting to let go.
Her face turned bright red as she quickly released it.
"S-sorry!" she stammered, realizing how deep she had gone into her little daydream.
Jeff, on the other hand, was staring down at his stomach, puzzled beyond reason.
"Where did all that food go?"
He wasn’t even a big eater to begin with. Usually, he could handle three cups of rice or five if he was starving.
But today? He had taken down more than thirty, it was over thirty. And he didn’t even feel bloated.
He once heard about someone named Stefanno, a ridiculously thin guy who had been banned from both Jollibee and Inasal for devouring all their rice refills, leaving none for other customers.
"Did I become Stefanno?" Jeff muttered, his expression frozen in disbelief.
And just as that thought left his lips, a glowing panel flickered into existence before him it was floating in the air.
Of course, that very one is none other than the system itself.
[Your increased appetite is a direct result of the physiological transformation caused by the activation of the Kinetic Vein Art]
[To explain it to you, your body has undergone a high-energy metabolic shift. The Kinetic Veins installed by the system act as internal conduits for collecting and refining kinetic energy and that energy derived not from external sources, but from micro-movements, heartbeat, breath control, and internal muscular pressure]
[This process itself is continuous, meaning your body is now operating in a heightened energy state at all times, even while sitting still. You are, in simple terms, idling like a running engine. And just like an engine, the fuel required to maintain that output has drastically increased]
[So that is why your caloric requirements have spiked due to several reasons]
[First is the increased in ATP consumption. Adenosine triphosphate is the energy currency of the body, it is being burned rapidly to support the micro-contractions of muscles during cultivation]
[Next is enhanced cellular regeneration. Your muscle fiber, neural pathways, and even bone density are subtly reinforced during kinetic circulation. This demands high levels of nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, and essential minerals]
[Another is the stimulation of neurokinetic receptors, these receptors were added alongside the Kinetic Veins. They simulate fight-or-flight stress response, keeping you in a semi-engaged battle-ready state. This results in a hyperactive metabolism]
[Lastly is the activation of a synthetic Motion Core embedded near the solar plexus. This very core acts like a mini-reactor, compressing all harvested kinetic energy. However, to keep it stable and operational, your body must maintain consistent biochemical energy input]
[Your current consumption about those 34 servings of rice and 8 eggs it is barely sufficient. Your body can digest it in under minutes. Without this intake, you would begin to experience dizziness and even weakness]
[And lastly. No, you are not Stefanno. His hunger was uncontrolled. Yours is calculated, system-regulated, and biologically necessary]
Hearing the system replied in a very long explanation made him held his temples. Yep, such a powerful technique actually had its own drawbacks and that is food.
"Then doesn’t that mean I have to consume a lot of food every day just to function properly? Can you tell me the reason for this? And are the agents in Terra X struggling like me? Also, are there any alternatives?" he asked.
[Correct, host. As one of the users of Kinetic Vein Arts, your body now requires significantly higher energy intake on a daily basis.]
[This is due to the continuous operation of the Kinetic Veins and the Motion Core. Your body burns calories at a hyper-accelerated rate to generate and refine kinetic energy even during rest]
[This isn’t exclusive only to you. Omega agents in Terra-X faced the same challenge. Despite their strength, they struggled during early stages of adaptation, often consuming the equivalent of 20,000 to 30,000 calories per day just to maintain stability]
[Their solution was twofold that is naturally occurring kinetic-rich foods, and synthetically engineered bio-nutritional cells developed by Terra-X’s research sectors. These alternatives condensed weeks, months and there are even years’ worth of nutritional value into single meals, and were optimized for rapid absorption]
[Also, if you eat enough food, you can survive for weeks or even months without eating again as long as the provided consumption is proper and rich in kinetic energy.]
Hearing this, Jeff sighed. There was actually another alternative, but it was useless to him since he didn’t possess the resources the system mentioned.
If he could spin one, it would be a blessing, "Are there any other alternatives where I don’t need to overconsume food?" he asked.
[Well additionally, there exists a high-efficiency recovery method classified under Omega-tier protocols]
Hearing this, his eyes lit up, "Then why are you keeping me hanging? Hurry up and tell me," Jeff said inwardly.
[If you want to know, it’s called Synchronized Biofeedback through Intimate Energy Exchange, commonly referred to as ’Dualition.’]
[This kind method allows for fast restoration of kinetic balance, rapid tension release, and enhanced nerve reset. It is biologically the most effective method of kinetic recovery currently known]
"Intimate??? you mean that kind...?" Jeff said, his expression blank.
[Yes host, that is sex. It is currently the most effective option for you, considering that food here is not the same as in Terra X, and you also lack the necessary serums and pills to support your energy needs]
"What the heck system, are you serious? I’m only sixteen years old. Even in my past life, I never experienced that kind of thing," he grumbled inwardly.
[Then focus on eating food if you don’t want to do it. It totally depends on you whether you choose to or not.]
"Oh yeah, I just remembered," Jeff uttered inwardly.
"Who was it that said he wasn’t going to talk to me for over a week?" he said with a teasing look.
Then the system disappeared, leaving Jeff alone to contemplate everything in silence.
Special thanks to ’Meiwa_Blank👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Golden Tickets! Love you, brotha!
Special thanks to ’Devon1234👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Gifts! Love you, brotha!