The familiar chat history tugged at his heart, like an old wound that hadn’t quite healed. He’d been trying to distract himself for days now, with Amelia’s rescue, the exams, and everything else life had thrown at him.
It had worked, sort of. He was busy enough that his mind didn’t dwell on the situation with Sarah as much, but he knew deep down that this wasn’t a long-term solution. Ignoring it wouldn’t make it go away.
He stared at her name on the screen for some time, his thumb hovering over the chat. The memory of their last conversation flickered in his mind, the ache in his chest stirring again.
“I have to deal with this,” he thought. “But not tonight. Not now.”
Noah clicked out of the app, locking his phone and tossing it on the bedside table. He would deal with Sarah, but not today. Pushing that thought aside, he decided to turn his attention to something else entirely. He remembered something—the system reward.
His gaze sharpened as he recalled the reward he had received earlier, a treasure chest he hadn’t opened yet. Sitting up a little in bed, he opened the system’s interface, his fingers hovering over the inventory tab. There it was.
[System Treasure Chest x1]
{Gives a random reward}
A moment of hesitation flickered through him before he tapped the chest icon. The familiar prompt popped up in front of him.
[Would you like to claim?]
[Yes/No]
Noah pressed “Yes”.
[Ding! 1x System Treasure Chest Opened!]
[Reward: Basic Magical Tea Leaf Production Manual]
His eyes widened, and before he could process it, a description popped up.
[Basic Magical Tea Leaf Production Manual: The finest tea is brewed with grace,
Its warmth and aroma fill the space.]
Effect:
> +1 Relief
> +1 Smell
> +1 Taste
For a moment, Noah just stared at the screen, his jaw practically hitting the floor.
“Basic?” he thought incredulously. “This isn’t basic—this is… uh… fantastic!” A grin began to spread across his face, the gears in his mind turning.
“If this is ‘basic,’ I don’t even want to know what advanced tea production looks like! This is literally a money machine in disguise.” He sat up a little straighter, his excitement building. The potential of this hit him like a train.
“If I can open a tea house,” Noah muttered to himself, his voice a mix of disbelief and joy, “I can finally… finally get my dad to stop breaking his back for a couple of bucks!”
He chuckled to himself, imagining the scene. His dad, a self-proclaimed tea enthusiast, would probably jump at the chance to run the place. In fact, the old man would probably throw himself into the business with full force, considering how much he loved tea. Noah could already picture him meticulously crafting the perfect cup, completely oblivious to the fact that the tea leaves themselves were infused with magical properties.
Noah’s grin widened. “My dad is going to freak out,” he murmured, the idea taking hold of his mind. His dad had always been passionate about tea, and Noah could use this newfound skill to bring in money while giving his dad something he loved doing. It was a win-win situation. His dad would enjoy every minute of it, and Noah wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Well, not entirely true—he would be the supplier behind the operation, the secret ingredient.
He flopped back down onto his pillow, staring up at the ceiling with a smile. “A tea shop,” he thought, amused at how life had taken such a strange turn. “Who would’ve thought?”
But he was already thinking ahead. This “basic” tea might be just the beginning. If he could figure out how to produce it in bulk, market it as the finest tea in town—no, in the world—he could practically see the money rolling in.
And his dad would be the perfect front for the operation. A tea enthusiast with a shop full of “Rare” tea leaves that made people feel better with each sip? It was too perfect.
“I’ve gotta get this started,” he thought, his excitement keeping him awake long after he’d set his phone down.
Pressing on the icon of the “Basic Magical Tea Leaf Production Manual,” Noah skimmed through the effects of the magical tea once more.
The promise of its rich aroma, fine taste, and soothing relief was enticing, but what really caught his attention were two new additions to the list.
Purchase Leaves: $10/100g of Tea Leaves
Purchase Machine: $10,000 (Automatically turns normal tea leaves into Magical Tea Leaves)
Noah stared at the details on his screen for a long moment, considering his options. The purchase machine was listed at a steep $10,000, but the price didn’t dissuade him in the slightest. It wasn’t just the money that made the decision easy for him—it was the efficiency, the convenience.
For a split second, he considered the alternative: Always being the only one to provide the tea leaves, transforming them manually using the system, and restocking every time they ran out.
He could already see the hassle that would come with it. Even with the money he’d earned from his choices with the system, time was still his most precious resource.
But then, the machine—it was a game-changer. The business wouldn’t rely on him anymore.
Just feed it normal tea leaves, and out comes the magical product, ready to go. The simplicity of it was brilliant.
It meant his dad could run the entire operation smoothly without needing Noah to manage. It would give Noah more time for his personal goals, his life and, most importantly, dealing with the system.
“It’s decided then,” muttered Noah, as he leaned back against his pillow and stared at the ceiling, imagining the future ahead.
He’d talk to his dad tomorrow, break the news to him, and propose the tea business. It was time to take the next step—not just in terms of earning more money but also giving his family a better life.
But even as the idea of the tea house excited him, there was something else simmering in his mind. Maybe it’s time to spoil myself a little, he thought with a grin. For as long as he could remember, Noah had always wanted a gaming PC, the kind with LED lights and the smoothest setup money could buy. He’d watch videos online of gamers showing off their rigs, and though it was just a dream back then, it felt so close now. He imagined having a high-end gaming setup in his room—his own personal space where he could unwind after a long day.
“Yeah, I’ll build a sick gaming setup soon,” he muttered to himself, almost laughing at how easily he could do it now with the money he has right now. “I will go crazy with it…multiple monitors, the best graphics card, everything.”
The thought filled him with excitement as he imagined his future room, complete with the tea business thriving in the background, his dad happy, and Noah finally getting some much-deserved leisure time after a day of school and system missions.
“I will also check out the mansion tomorrow, it’s a hassle to keep ordering Uber every day. Specially when you have a Lykan HyperSport.” Said Noah, with a slight grin on his face.
But first things first, he had to sleep. His mind was buzzing, but his body was tired, and he had school in the morning. Glancing at his phone, it read 10:30 PM.
“Alright, time to call it a day,” Noah said to himself, setting his phone on the bedside table.
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