Smoking addiction?

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The truck neared the city, which was bustling with life. People of all ages were moving about, going about their business. As the truck pulled up to a bus stop and halted, I stepped down.

"Thanks for the ride, sir. It was a huge help," I said, grateful.

"No problem, son. Stay safe, and don't get lost again," the driver replied with a smile before driving off.

I stood there for a moment, watching the truck fade into the distance. "What a great man," I thought. "He didn't know me, yet he still helped. It shows there are still some kind people out there."

After a brief pause, I looked around and began walking in a random direction. I soon came across a clothing store and decided to step inside. As I walked in, I noticed people giving me strange looks, but I ignored them. They were the type to judge a book by its cover.

I wandered over to the shirt section and picked out two—one light blue, the other white. Moving on, I grabbed three t-shirts: a plain black one, a white one with a logo on the chest, and a yellow one with black stripes down the sides. I also picked up a pair of shoes, a blue trench coat, and two pairs of blue jeans.

After trying everything on, I headed to the cashier. The woman at the counter was glued to her phone.

"I'd like to check these out," I said.

"Okay, put them here," she replied, not looking up from her screen.

I placed the clothes on the counter, and she scanned them.

"That'll be $28.95. Cash or card?"

"Cash," I answered, handing her the money. She counted it, gave me my change, and I walked out of the store with my purchases.

I found a quiet alley nearby and changed into the black t-shirt, blue jeans, and my new trench coat. Checking my wallet, I saw I had about $70 left.

"I'll run out of money soon," I thought. "I need to find a way to earn some cash fast."

As I was lost in thought, I bumped into someone. "Sorry," I mumbled, trying to walk away, but someone grabbed my collar and yanked me back.

I turned to see a large black man, who looked like he might be part of a gang. His face was twisted in anger as he held my collar tightly.

"Did you think you could bump into me and just walk away, huh?"

"I said I was sorry. I didn't see you," I replied calmly.

"Nah, sorry ain't gonna cut it. You gotta pay me now. Give me what you got, or I'll beat you to a pulp."

I glanced around, noticing the crowd gathering to watch. Some were filming the incident, likely for social media. Across the street, two cops were eating donuts and watching the scene, but making no move to help.

I realized then that no one was going to step in. I'd have to handle this myself.

"There are kind people like that truck driver," I thought, "but most people won't help unless it benefits them."

I took a deep breath and exhaled, staring the thug in the eye with a serious expression.

"Let go of me."

"What did you just say?" he snarled.

"I said, LET GO!"

With a burst of strength, I shoved him away. Maybe it was my anger, or maybe it was something else, but the force of my push sent him flying into a streetlamp. He hit his head and collapsed, unconscious.

The crowd gasped in shock. Even the cops across the street looked stunned.

Before anyone could react, I bolted, running at a speed that made everything around me blur.

"So, this is the effect of superhuman physiology, huh?" I mused as I ran.

After five minutes, I slowed down, finding myself in front of a building where a large crowd was lined up. Curious, I asked someone in line what was going on.

"They're signing people up for a cooking competition. It's a contest to find the best chef in California. I heard Gordon Ramsay's here, and whoever wins gets to compete in MasterChef America."

Hearing this, I decided to sign up. While waiting for my turn, a notification popped up in my system.

< +2 Character Template for defeating a thug >

"So, I earn points even outside of missions. Nice," I thought.

When it was my turn, they handed me a form. I filled in the necessary details, they took my photo, and then they handed me a card, telling me to come back tomorrow.

I hailed a cab and asked the driver to take me to the nearest hotel. Booking a room for five days only cost me around $20. Once inside, I took a shower, lay down, and quickly fell asleep. The day had been exhausting.

I woke up in the evening, hungry. My eating schedule was messed up, but I decided to fix it tomorrow. After eating at a nearby Chinese restaurant, I felt somewhat unsatisfied for reasons I couldn't explain. As I walked back to the hotel, I felt an odd urge to smoke. My hands were twitching.

I bought a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and took a puff.

"Hey June, why do I have an urge to smoke?" I asked my system.

< It's because of your character template. It affects the host's personality to some degree. >

"Ah, that explains it."

I exhaled the smoke, muttering, "Smoking killed me once. I'm not afraid if it does it again."

Back in my room, I sat on the bed, taking a drag from my fourth cigarette of the night. I thought about something.

"Why not complete the hidden quest?" I mused.

I summoned the cooking book I had received from the system. The book was thick, packed with countless recipes. I smiled, took another puff, and said to myself, "It's back to studying again."

With the competition tomorrow, I had to cram as much as I could tonight.

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Sorry for the previous chapter 😅.

Pls give stones.

To be continued....