The Tycoon's Odyssey

DRIP! DRIP! DRIP!

Beads of sweat rolled down Evan's forehead as he swayed up and down with each pushup.

Though he was naturally athletic and accustomed to exercise, with his body already recovering from injuries it was hard to keep up. Still, he persisted, after all, he was used to enduring pain.

"What is this QP?" Evan asked, springing to action after an hour of his exercise regime.

Fortunately, his stamina was great. Though he lacked strength, his ample endurance was enough to push him through.

Except for the 2 km run, he had completed the rest and was now finishing the pushups.

[QP or Quest Points are used for buying things from the system's store.]

"What do you have in store now?" Evan asked, quite excited.

[The store will open once you have accumulated 1000 QP.]

"What a bummer! Then tell me about the missions?"

[The missions are essential for the host's growth along with enhancing the system's functions. Completion of the missions will grant access to more rewards and QP.]

"If I failed the mission, what are the penalties?"

[There won't be any severe penalties except for the loss of QP. However, you will lose a chance to get your hands on gifts that could prove to be quite essential for your growth.]

Evan sighed in relief though he didn't care. As long as the missions aligned with his goals, he had no problem participating in them unless they hindered him.

After finishing his workout, Evan took a shower to clean himself up, while carefully avoiding the areas covered in bandages which made him feel stuffy.

What surprised him the most was his healing rate. What should have taken a month to heal and another month to get back to normal had been achieved in just 14 days.

Yesterday, he was having trouble walking after exercise, but after a long rest, he felt almost refreshed. At first, he was afraid of working out, thinking that his already fractured bone might break, but thankfully nothing disastrous happened except for a slight ache.

After inspecting himself, Evan was certain that his body had almost healed, except for the wounds on his head that would have left scars if not for the system's healing enhancement.

As for the scars all over his body, they had become faint and might disappear before long, but Evan had already asked the system to stop this process.

As long as his face looked good, he was okay. He was handsome to the point he had received an offer from a modeling agency, which he denied and erased all traces due to the horror of his fake parents finding out once they saw him somewhere.

"System is this rapid healing permanent.''

[No, it isn't. It was just an emergency measure and will soon wear off once you are completely healed. At present, your health has recovered to 73.9932022.....]

[Once your body recovers to 90%, it will stop.]

"I understand, so skip that."

Evan shook off his dizziness after hearing the exact number.

[However, this is a skill that the host may acquire in the future depending on his luck and condition.]

'I have to get this skill no matter what,' Evan muttered to himself after hearing of the possibility.

It was almost 3 PM, an hour before the restaurant began its evening service.

Evan worked as a waiter at that restaurant and had taken five days leave for his visit to his hometown but…

"I hope I still have that job."

Evan walked out of his apartment wearing a casual white T-shirt and black trousers, hurrying his way to work.

...

Blue Lagoon Family Restaurant, BBSR…

Located on Park Street, near the University, the Blue Lagoon Family Restaurant offered a blend of continental as well as local dishes. At the center of the restaurant stood a grand acoustic piano worth 300,000 rupees, which was often played to entertain the guests or during parties, where people would gather around to enjoy the music.

JINGLE!

After a 27-minute journey, Evan entered the restaurant, headed to the staff area and began changing into his waiter's uniform.

He had used the mask to cover himself but couldn't continue doing so now, could he?

The patrons who had already arrived were taken by surprise to see Evan, who had gone viral a few days ago. His presence aroused their curiosity.

"Wait! Evan, is that you? You are back?"

"What the hell happened to you?"

"What was that scandal with Suri?"

"What do you mean by Scandal?" Evan rolled his eyes seeing his colleague's nosiness.

Their faces were etched with concern, but Evan could see their underlying intentions.

He wouldn't be surprised if their conversation would end up trending on the headlines tomorrow. Though they seemed concerned, they were trying to pry out his inner anger.

If he were a brain-dead fool with a big ego, he might have already started cursing, which could be recorded and sold to the press for a hefty sum.

"Friends, I am fine now. The incident was an accident and it was my parents' fault. It was indeed a mistake on our part."

Evan assured them with his everlasting gentle smile which made a few frowns, making them drop their facade of worry.

"Hey, don't say that. Your parents wouldn't be stupid to fight with someone if they were at fault. I am sure it's the other party's fault."

"Yeah, just look at how injured you are. Your head is still wrapped in bandages."

Hurls of sympathetic comments were thrown at Evan, who just kept smiling without answering, drowning the hopes of the melon eater who wanted something juicy to gossip about.

"Stop shouting. This is a restaurant, not a zoo," the manager yelled, silencing everyone.

As he looked around the room, his gaze fell on Evan.

"Evan, Fred is calling you to discuss something. Go and see him."

A dread chilliness washed over Evan for a moment hearing this.

Gripping his tightening heart, Evan made his way to the inner chamber where Fred, the boss and Head Chef of the restaurant sat, smoking a cigar.

"So, Evan, you're here," Fred smiled, putting down his cigar and stubbing it on a plate.

"I was really worried after seeing all that shit on the news. I was really scared for a moment when that angry mob rushed at you."

"That was an unfortunate event," Evan nodded his head.

Fred sighed, seeing Evan's gentlemanly demeanor and felt guilty for what he was going to say next.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke slowly and gently, but it sounded like thunder in Evan's ears.

"Evan, I won't mince my words. Given the way things are right now, I don't think I can allow you to keep working here."

"Sadly, for the best of both of us, you can't work here anymore."