Real Life

The bright sun was already about to set when Aldrin was roused from his sleep. The first thing he noticed was his phone ringing non-stop placed next to his computer.

Due to not having a bed, he was laying down on the ground with only a thin blanket sprawled beneath him.

As he lazily stood up to reach for his phone in order to make it stop, his mind gradually cleared up and remembered the events that transpired earlier.

'I didn't think it would be that tiring to just stare at your computer without doing anything at all… Why was it that different when I was playing those MMORPGs? Ugh…'

Remembering how he almost burned his seat from how hot his ass became from sitting on his chair for more than five hours, Aldrin couldn't help but reach for his behind to rub it.

"Ugh… I should start working out for this part of mine as well. Or I should try to actively control my Dimensional Clone when the reset happens later. That way, I wouldn't be that bored at just watching it move on its own."

Moving from where he was lying down to where his computer was located, Aldrin only needed three steps to do it.

As soon as he picked up his phone and read who was contacting him, he almost cursed again.

Bert Daymon. His high school friend who was always contacting him whenever an event involving their alumnus class would have a get-together or a reunion.

He was already invited numerous times by Bert before but he only went there the first time. When he was still trying out to be accepted into college.

Seeing his former classmates settling into society or becoming college students became some kind of torture to him.

He was envious. Envious that some of them managed to get in. Or some of them had connections that landed them in a better job even though they failed the college entrance exams. Furthermore, he was also envious of his classmates who hailed from an Energy Refiner.

Even if those classmates of his weren't lucky enough to awaken as an Energy Refiner, having one or two of them in their family was already enough to lift them up in the social pyramid.

Bert was one of them. He's now living his life like a young master from an ancient novel with all the money he was getting as an allowance.

Instead of going to college, Bert opened a restaurant business that was probably thriving now.

Aldrin did ask him to hire him before. However, Bert refused by telling him that he was only hiring attractive females for his restaurants as waiters and chefs.

Nonetheless, the guy had helped him a few times before so he wasn't that envious of him. In fact, he was even thankful.

Just that, Aldrin wished that Bert would stop inviting him to the reunion given that Bert was aware of his current situation.

"Aldrin! Did you hear?" Bert's lively voice immediately filled his ears as soon as he answered the call.

"What should I hear? Out with it. I just woke up."

"You just woke up? What did you do? Did you pull up an all-nighter again? I told you, man. You should go out once in a while."

"If you had just given me a job, I would've long been out into the society. Anyway, I don't need it anymore."

"And I told you why I cannot. I boasted about my business being filled with cute and attractive women. That's how my business boomed, you know?"

"Right. Right. Stop bragging and tell me when the next reunion will be. If I have time, I will go."

"Huh? This call isn't about that. But now that you mentioned it, it's about time to gather everyone again. Especially if you hear this news!"

"Stop keeping me in suspense, man. I still have something to do."

"Alright, alright. You still have your games to grind on. Here it is. Someone from our class became an Energy Refiner!"

'Wait that's not me, right? No one should know about the windfall I got earlier…' Aldrin instantly suspected. However, he also instantly shook his head and dropped it. 'Why do I instantly point to me when I still haven't awakened as one despite being injected by that much Dimensional Energy. Wake up, Aldrin! Don't be so conceited already when you have nothing to show for yet.'

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I'm serious. Did I ever tell you fake news before?"

"Who is it? Hurry up!"

"Calm your balls, man. It's Renissa."

"Renissa? That Renissa?"

Renissa Evergreen. She couldn't be said to be a popular girl in our class but Aldrin remembered her to be someone he hadn't interacted with even when he went to that reunion before.

Aside from that, he only had limited knowledge about her. Still, Aldrin could boast about remembering everyone from his class or even those from the neighboring class. And among those, there were some who also ended up like him. However, compared to him, they didn't give up and were still trying their best to fit into society as adults.

"Who else has that name?"

"Doesn't she hail from a normal family?"

"True. Based on what I heard, she experienced the Awakening when she got almost run over by a truck. If you look at the Refiner Association's dimsite, you'll see her name registered!"

Almost run over by a truck… Aldrin almost laughed upon hearing that but he managed to hold it in.

"… That's amazing."

"Right? Even I, who has relatives that are Energy Refiners, is this unlucky to not awaken as one. Should I also try to have myself be run over by a truck?" Bert seriously wondered.

And with a monotone voice, Aldrin replied. "Yeah, you do that."

"Man, what kind of encouragement is that? Anyway, I'll set up a reunion for us. That way we can hear the details from Renissa herself. You better show up! I'll give you a present if you do."

"Now you got me going with that present, I will go. Message me when you finally have a date."

"No problem. See ya. Stop playing games, dude."

"You don't have to remind me."

Truthfully, Aldrin agreed not because of the present but because he was looking forward to seeing a real Energy Refiner. He had no idea how many IDLE Points he still needed to awaken himself as one so for reference, he wanted to interact with someone like that. Even if he could only get in a few words, he believed that he would be enlightened.

After putting down his phone and stretching his body once more, Aldrin prepared to leave his apartment to buy food.

He hadn't eaten ever since last night and his stomach was already grumbling wildly.

There were still a few hours before the day ended so he wanted to prepare himself for staring at his monitor for hours once more.

However, when he reached the ground floor of his apartment, he felt his phone vibrating.

Upon pulling it out to see if there's another phone call or a message sent to him, Aldrin froze on the spot.

In the application list, he saw a familiar icon and a familiar name.

[IDLE Database]

That program also made its way to his phone?!