Infinite Skill Devourer
Chapter 40: An Age Older, Manageable

Chapter 40: An Age Older, Manageable

Ryuen woke up early the next morning, feeling a dull ache in his muscles—in fact, his entire body.

Despite his restoration skill steadily working in the background, his body still needed time to adjust.

The discomfort was manageable, though the stitches were particularly uncomfortable. Some had already fallen off, no longer needed.

As his eyes began to focus on his surroundings, the system screen floated in front of him, displaying the tasks for the day:

[Daily Tasks]

Leap Over Buildings: 0/50

Consume 3 Pounds of Meat (No Remains): 0/3

Countdown: 14:08:57

Ryuen sighed heavily. "Leap over buildings, huh? That’s a tomorrow problem," he muttered nonchalantly, tossing his legs off the chair.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he mumbled under his breath, "Looks like the meat task will have to be today’s focus."

Pulling himself off the sofa, he stood to his full height and made his way to the kitchen, where Daiki was already seated at the dining table, scrolling through his phone with a cup of coffee beside him.

Ryuen felt slightly upset—it was his coffee, and now he’d have to pay for more. But he decided to let it slide, heading to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

"Morning," Daiki greeted without looking up. "You seem well. Any new changes?"

"Barely," Ryuen replied flatly before raising the bottle to his lips.

As he lowered it, his eyes landed on the colorful stickers plastered across the fridge.

"So Yumi still puts stickers on the fridge, huh?" he murmured, scanning the colorful designs as he finished the contents of the bottle.

Daiki finally raised his head, surprised by how fast Ryuen had healed.

But what caught his attention even more was Ryuen’s change in appearance.

At first, Daiki had thought Ryuen was taller than he actually was, but now he seemed to match Daiki’s height—or perhaps was even taller.

He had a sleeper’s build, lean but undeniably strong.

Daiki’s gaze lingered for a moment, curiosity flickering in his eyes until Ryuen broke the silence.

"Any idea where I can get three pounds of meat around here?"

Daiki froze, almost choking on his coffee. "Three pounds? Are you feeding an army?"

Ryuen shrugged. "Something like that."

The fridge held a decent variety of ingredients—poultry, beef, and a neatly wrapped package of eggs.

Daiki pulled out everything that looked promising and set it on the counter. "Are you going for pork or...?"

"No," Ryuen cut in immediately, an irritated expression flashing across his face. "I don’t eat pork."

"And why’s that?"

"Too much fat, and I really don’t like how it tastes," Ryuen replied, grabbing the wrapped packs of beef and chicken. "These will do fine."

"You’re seriously going to eat all that?" Daiki asked as he sat back down, both amused and in disbelief.

If Ryuen ate this much and still managed to keep fit, then something was definitely up.

Ryuen shifted his gaze to the cooker and utensils, then sighed. "I have to."

Daiki leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the rare sight of someone other than Kaori doing anything domestic—especially cooking.

He didn’t even think Ryuen knew how to cook.

"Didn’t peg you for the cooking type," Daiki remarked with a sly smirk.

"Didn’t peg myself for one either, until I started," Ryuen replied dryly, slicing through thick cuts of beef with ease.

"I actually prefer cooking my own food. Fewer surprises that way."

Daiki chuckled softly. "Surprises like what?"

"Getting less food for a higher price."

"The case of what I ordered versus what I received. It’s all lies," Ryuen muttered.

"And I don’t appreciate someone I don’t know cooking for me," he added, still focused on cutting the meat.

"Fair enough," Daiki said, chuckling. "So what’s the plan? Meat feast for breakfast?"

Ryuen glanced at him, wondering if he was joking or actually serious.

When he noticed the seriousness in Daiki’s eyes, he sighed. "Yeah, it is. Might not be entirely meat, though."

"I have to finish without leaving remains."

Daiki raised an eyebrow. "Sounds oddly specific. You on some weird diet?"

"You could say that," Ryuen replied, turning to the oven.

He switched it on, placed two pots on the stove to preheat, and then reached for the spice drawer above.

"You know, you could just eat in small portions over time," Daiki suggested.

Ryuen glanced at him.

"Instead of trying to stuff yourself all at once."

It was actually a good idea—better than consuming everything at once.

But given the time constraints, and the fact that once he ate, eating again would be difficult unless forced, Ryuen dismissed the thought.

He barely had time to even think of himself.

His mind was too occupied with concerns about Yuta, making food feel insignificant.

"Not an option," Ryuen replied slowly as he began seasoning the meat. "I have little time, and I need to get ready to leave."

"You can’t leave without getting clarification from the head office. I hope you know that," Daiki reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. I’ll go there once I’m done."

Daiki smiled, but then a thought crossed his mind. "You could go with Kaori’s roommate. She works there."

"Who?"

Ryuen frowned. As far as he remembered, he hadn’t seen anyone else in the house besides Kaori and Daiki.

"The girl who let us in," Daiki explained, raising an eyebrow. "Didn’t you see her?"

"Nope," Ryuen answered as the sound of sizzling filled the room. He bent down to place the remaining meat in the oven.

After rinsing his hands, he turned to face Daiki, giving him his full attention.

"Where exactly is the headquarters?"

"Beside the hospital, but you’ll need to book an appointment."

"That won’t be an issue. What floor should I go to?"

"First floor. Ask for Katsuragi Manabu," Daiki said before lowering his gaze to his phone.

Ryuen nodded, mentally noting the name before heaving a sigh. He cared little about Kaori’s roommate—she didn’t matter. Unless he needed help getting in, she wouldn’t be of any use.

After asking Daiki to watch the food, Ryuen excused himself.

He strode quickly down the hall toward his room, hearing muffled sounds from the room beside his.

Knowing it wasn’t Kaori, he ignored it and walked into his room, locking the door behind him.

A system screen appeared before him, displaying his inventory.

Without hesitation, Ryuen reached out, and a vase materialized in his hands.

He read the description on the screen again, noting how many beans he was supposed to consume before lowering his gaze to the vase.

"A chance to be twenty-two again," he murmured, clutching the jar tightly in his fists.

He didn’t particularly like being nineteen—it made him seem small. Twenty-two had its regrets, but twenty was the year everything felt right. His job had become more interesting, and life had seemed full of promise.

A faint smile crossed his lips as he flicked the lid open.

Dipping his hand inside, he pulled out one of the beans and watched as the jar vanished.

"Alright, here goes nothing," he said, slipping the bean between his lips.

At first, it was tasteless. But when he bit down, crushing it between his teeth, the flavor hit his tongue.

Ryuen almost shed a tear.

It was the best taste of coffee he’d ever had—better even than the cup he drank last night. And he would know; he was an addict.

Heaving a satisfied sigh, he swallowed the bean and waited for something to happen.

Almost immediately, five system screens appeared.

[Age Regression Altered: A Year Has Been Added]

[Daily Task Upgraded]

[Host Has Leveled Up]

[Host Has Acquired the First Tier]

[Class Upgrade: D]