By the time the sun was halfway down the sky, James had already weaponized his new academic skills like a flexing machine.
He spent the entire afternoon doing what every overpowered protagonist should do after gaining cheat codes casually humiliating his under-prepared friends.
It started with a group study chat.
His friend Martin. "Yo, anyone got notes for Modern Political Theory?"
James. "Sure. Want a breakdown of Hobbes, Locke, AND Marx with citation-ready commentary?"
Cue stunned silence.
Another friend, Clara. "Dude, who ARE you? When did you become a philosophy major overnight?"
James just replied with a meme of Gandalf returning as the White Wizard.
He couldn't help himself.
"KHCS," he muttered with a smirk, "making losers look legendary since this morning."
By evening, he descended from his room like a man with a mission.
The house was warm with the smell of onions and soap.
His mom, Maria Rivera, was standing by the kitchen counter, cutting vegetables with the precision of a home cook who'd done it a thousand times.
His dad, David Rivera, had just walked in still in his dusty work boots, the weariness of forklift duty clinging to his shoulders like an extra uniform.
He dropped his keys, gave a grunt of greeting, and headed toward the fridge.
"Hey, Ma," James said, already rolling up his sleeves, "put that down. I'm cooking tonight."
Maria blinked. "You?"
His dad paused mid-sip of his beer. "You know where the stove is?"
James grinned. "Yes. It's that hot thing we pretend is decorative."
Maria chuckled. "Sweetie, you don't have to. I already started..."
"I insist." James moved to gently take the knife from her hand. "I'm going to make something really special tonight. You and Dad just relax."
She tilted her head. "Are you okay? You didn't join a cult or pyramid scheme, right?"
"No cults," he laughed. "Just culinary confidence."
"…You mean 'overconfidence.'"
"Same difference."
He paused. "Also, can I borrow twenty bucks?"
"Ah," she said, raising an eyebrow. "There it is."
She handed him the money with a wry smile. "Don't blow it all on garlic bread."
"No promises."
Once outside, he opened his hand like a magician summoning power. "System?"
"Yes, James Rivera?"
"I need a cooking skill. Something practical. Something homey. Cheap ingredients, but flavor bombs. The kind of stuff that makes tired parents forget their exhaustion for a second."
"Scanning request... Search term: Emotional cuisine for low-income households. Result: 'Budget Gourmet: Family Comfort Meals.' Estimated cost: 65 KHCS Units."
"Sixty-five?" James whistled. "That's a steal."
"Package is targeted, not comprehensive. Recipes: five. Difficulty: low. Emotional impact: high."
"Sold. Let's turn this food into a thank-you letter."
"Transaction complete. Neural imprint successful. No rest required for light batch uploads."
James's brain tingled, but not painfully.
The new knowledge settled in like a memory he'd forgotten he already had.
He made his way to the local grocery store.
Potatoes.
Onions.
Garlic.
Butter.
A pack of chicken thighs.
Some spices.
A cheap but effective soy sauce.
Fresh cilantro.
A block of sharp cheddar.
The total came to $19.47.
Budget: mastered.
He returned home triumphantly, shopping bag in hand, and marched into the kitchen.
His mom raised an eyebrow.
His dad lowered the TV volume.
James snapped on an apron that read "Grill Sergeant" a gag gift he never thought he'd use.
"Alright," he said, clapping his hands. "Tonight's menu: chicken paprika skillet with garlic mash, cheddar veggie fritters, and caramelized onion rice."
"Is this… a prank?" David asked.
"Just trust me."
James chopped with surprising grace, explaining as he went
"See, Ma, always start your mash with garlic in the boil saves time, blends better. Chicken thighs? Cheap, but juicy if you hit them with paprika, cayenne, and a soy butter glaze. The fritters? Use leftover veggies, sharp cheese, and flour it's practically economic alchemy."
His mother was quiet.
His father whispered, "He watched MasterChef without us, didn't he?"
James flipped a fritter in the pan with a flourish. "No, Father. I became MasterChef."
Steam filled the kitchen.
Spices danced in the air.
Plates warmed.
Napkins were folded.
James plated each dish like it belonged in a food magazine no one could afford to subscribe to.
Then he served.
The three of them sat at the tiny kitchen table.
Maria took a bite.
Her fork paused halfway to her mouth as her eyes glistened.
James froze. "Ma?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, dabbing at her eyes. "It's just…"
She smiled through the tears.
"This is… the first time I didn't come home and have to keep going. I just sat. And you… cooked for us."
David looked away, eyes suspiciously shiny.
James stood, walked around the table, and wrapped an arm around his mom's shoulders.
"You've worked too hard for too long," he said quietly. "Both of you. I'm gonna make it worth it."
Dinner was finished in silence, the good kind the kind soaked in comfort and understanding.
James insisted on cleaning the dishes.
His mother protested, but he waved her off.
"Go. Watch some TV with Dad. I got this."
They left, murmuring quietly to each other, a softness in their voices that made James's chest ache.
He stood at the sink, soapy hands scrubbing plates that had been emptied of everything but gratitude.
"System," he said quietly, "I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Can I use my hours to buy money? Like stocks? Or a company?"
"Yes. However, this function is currently locked due to early synchronization phase."
"Define 'early.'"
"A second major sync unlocks entrepreneurial and financial conversion capabilities. Estimated time: three months."
James stared at the running water.
Three months.
That was exactly when his semester would end.
He grinned.
"So when university ends, I get to start everything."
"Affirmative."
He looked at the reflection in the window above the sink.
Tired. Happy. Hungry for more.
"I'm gonna be someone they brag about one day."
[KHCS STATUS - USER: JAMES RIVERA]
Total Reading Hours: 12,487
Hours Spent:
Academic Skills (Humanities Suite): -560
Budget Gourmet Cooking (Targeted): -65
Remaining KHCS Balance: 11,862
Skills Acquired:
Humanities Academic Crash Pack
Budget Gourmet: Family Comfort Meals (5 Recipes)
Next System Sync Unlock:
Time Remaining: 3 Months
Unlocks: Financial Marketplace, Entrepreneurship Tools, Investment Transfers