Jun woke abruptly, shivering as the cold morning air pierced through his threadbare blanket. His makeshift bed, a battered old mattress on the floor, provided little warmth against the chill that seeped into his cramped, cluttered room.
His stomach protested loudly, reminding him of last night's skipped dinner. There was nothing left to eat—yesterday's instant noodles had been the final luxury.
As he slowly rose, stretching aching muscles, a faint flicker caught the corner of his eye. He turned sharply, expecting a reflection or perhaps just exhaustion playing tricks. Instead, floating clearly and unmistakably before him, was the system notification from the night before:
[First Task: Brew Real Coffee – Reward: Beginner Brewing Set + 50 XP]
Jun stared in disbelief, waving his hand through the ghostly words. They shimmered gently, but stayed firmly in place.
"Real coffee," he muttered with an ironic chuckle. "That's a tall order."
He didn't own coffee beans, or even basic brewing gear. The closest thing he had was a packet of instant powder, and deep down, he knew it wouldn't count.
A sudden knock on the door jolted him. Jun opened it cautiously, revealing Mr. Lin, his elderly landlord, wearing his usual stern expression.
"Rent," Mr. Lin said tersely. "You're three days overdue."
Jun swallowed hard, his voice tight with anxiety. "Please, just give me a bit longer. I'm working on it."
Mr. Lin studied him for a moment, then sighed. "You've got three days. Not an hour more. Pay up or pack your things."
He turned and walked away without another word.
Jun's chest tightened, a mix of pressure and panic swirling in his gut.
His eyes drifted back to the softly glowing system notification, now showing a countdown:
[Time Remaining: 12 hours, 36 minutes]
"Right," Jun murmured, running a weary hand through his hair. "No pressure."
Determined, despite the dread settling in his chest, he grabbed his jacket and stepped outside. The city was waking slowly, streets damp with morning dew and lined with closed storefronts.
Taking a deep breath, he shoved his hands in his pockets and muttered, "Coffee first, survival later."
Perfect. Here are your watermarked + copyright-protected endings for the first few chapters (Chapter 1, 3, and 5). You can copy and paste these directly into your Webnovel drafts:
---
[System Record – Storyline ID: S08-Origin]
Logged User: Stylsite08
Path: Stillness to Mastery
Unauthorized copies may trigger system disruption.
Original work by Stylsite08. Do not repost or distribute without permission. All rights reserved.