Chapter 1: The Ding That Changed Everything
I used to think my life would stay boring forever.
Same classroom. Same uniform. Same seat at the back.
Nobody noticed me, and I noticed nobody. That was fine by me.
Until the day my world glitched.
It happened during math class. Mr. Kwabena was busy scribbling equations I didn't care about, and I was halfway into my usual daydream—beating Isaac, the school genius, in a quiz I never entered—when a sharp ding echoed in my ears.
[Real-Life Upgrade System Activated]
Welcome, Danaa. Initialization complete.
I blinked hard.
"Who said that?" I whispered.
"Mr. Prince, are you talking to yourself?" Mr. Kwabena asked, pausing his chalk mid-air.
The class laughed. I faked a cough and shook my head. "Sorry, sir."
But I wasn't hallucinating.
A translucent screen hovered in front of my vision like a video game HUD.
[Status Panel]
Name: Danaa Prince
Level: 1
XP: 0/100
Skills: None
Attributes:
Intelligence: 4
Strength: 3
Charm: 2
Luck: 1
New Quest:Answer a question correctly in class. Reward: +10 XP
I slapped my cheek. Nope. Not dreaming.
A game system? In real life? Why me?
Another ding.
[Hint: Complete quests to level up and upgrade real-life attributes.]
I stared at the chalkboard. The math question wasn't even that hard.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I raised my hand.
The room went silent. I never raised my hand. Not once since JHS.
"Yes, Danaa?" Mr. Kwabena sounded amused.
"The answer is 27," I said.
The teacher blinked. Then he smiled. "Correct. Very good."
+10 XP
Progress: 10/100
I felt a strange warmth spread through my body. Like I had just done a 2-hour workout, drank a gallon of water, and topped it off with jollof.
I was… energized.
After Class
I sprinted out like a madman and locked myself in the science block washroom. The screen was still floating in front of me.
[Skill Menu Unlocked]
Memory Boost (Locked)
Speed Boost (Locked)
Social Confidence (Locked)
Level up to unlock skills.
This couldn't be real. A system? In real life?
Was I hacked? Was this some prank?
Or was I… chosen?
The only thing I knew for sure was this:
Nobody else could see it.
Day 2 – The First Upgrade
I didn't sleep much that night. My mind kept racing.
If this system was real, I had to test it more.
The next morning, I purposely answered questions in Social Studies, helped the cleaning group mop the hallway, and even carried a stack of books for Madam Rose.
+5 XP
+10 XP
+15 XP
By break time, I had hit 100 XP.
Ding! Level Up!
Choose 1 attribute to upgrade:
I didn't even hesitate.
Selected: Intelligence +1
The change was instant. Notes that used to look like coded gibberish suddenly made sense. My memory sharpened. I even remembered a phone number I only heard once, two days ago.
This wasn't a game. This was power.
But I Wasn't Alone…
After prep, I was heading back to the dorm when I saw something strange.
Isaac—top of the class, my silent academic rival—was standing still under the mango tree behind the dining hall. His eyes were glowing faintly… blue?
Then I heard it.
A soft, glitchy ding—the exact same sound my system made.
I ducked behind a wall, heart pounding.
"System Boost Active: Memory Recall Level 2"
His voice echoed in the air, robotic and hollow. He wasn't speaking to anyone.
My stomach turned cold.
He has a system too.