Levelling Up By Only Eating, the main character thought as he logged into the Alternate Reality Game ‘Athens’. His rare disease made eating in the real world a life-threatening challenge but here in this game, he could eat as much as he wanted without consequence.
As his avatar spawned into the open-world of Athens, he immediately headed to the nearest tavern. He ordered several plates of delicacies and devoured them with abandon. With each bite, his avatar gained experience points and grew stronger. Though only a virtual reality, the main character felt thrilled to be eating so freely and gaining strength. This manga-esque world offered escapism and survival, all through the simple act of eating.
The main character made his way to the town market where vendors sold various foods from all corners of the virtual world. He had his avatar taste exotic dishes from different cultures with strange flavors and spices. His knowledge and palette expanded with each new item. Meanwhile, his avatar’s level grew with astonishing speed. Before long, he had become one of the strongest players in Athens.
The main character realized this alternate reality and its plentiful food sources saved him in more ways than one. While his mortal body remained frail in the real world, here his spirit stayed nourished. The social interactions with other players also provided a sense of normalcy lacking in his everyday isolated life. These indulgent feasts and celebrations in Athens made him forget the limitations of his condition if only temporarily. This surreal gourmet and to new life quests. The main character led to gradually emerge from his kingdom loss and want to stay logged into the land of endless food, into manga adventures.
This game world sustained him in a way that no medicine or treatment could. As long as the servers stayed online and his avatar avoided peril, he found solace knowing this second chance at life remained open to him. Levelling up by only eating – it seemed a fantastical notion but in Athens, it made him feel truly alive. This virtual gourmet evolution gave him the strength and morale to continue facing each day in the real world that seemed so stark by comparison. His future seemed less grim knowing this manga sanctuary would always be there to welcome him with open arms and full plates of food.
