The morning sun painted the sky in soft gold as Kai Valtor shuffled down the cracked sidewalk of Oakridge High. Backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, earbuds in, hoodie up, he looked every bit the classic "just surviving school" senior.
His world was average. Boring, even.
Classes, homework, caffeine-fueled all-nighters, repeat.
But as he stepped through the school gate that Friday morning, everything changed.
> [System Initiated.]
Welcome, User. You have been selected.
System: Missionary Protocol — Bound.
Status: Synchronizing with Host.
Kai froze mid-step as a glowing blue screen popped up in front of his face, completely visible—floating—like something out of a sci-fi anime.
He blinked.
"...The hell?"
> [System successfully linked.]
Initializing first quest…
[Mission: Make the school queen smile before sunset.]
Reward: 50 XP, Skill – Observe (Lv.1)
Penalty: Electric Feedback Pulse (Minor).
Kai staggered backward, nearly tripping over a trash can.
A few students glanced his way. None seemed to notice the glowing interface hovering in front of him.
"Am I hallucinating? Is this one of those hidden camera pranks?" he muttered, waving his hand through the screen—it phased through like mist.
And the words didn't go away.
> Time Remaining: 9 hours, 43 minutes
"…Right. Okay. Sure. Just a dream. I'll wake up in detention any second now."
The day rolled on in a blur. Kai couldn't focus during homeroom or chemistry. The screen hovered in his peripheral vision constantly—mocking him.
Worse yet, he knew exactly who the "school queen" was.
Alina Rowe.
Captain of the student council. Straight-A student. Practically royalty. Elegant, untouchable, and rumored to have turned down a dozen guys in a single week last semester.
Kai didn't even orbit her social stratosphere.
He slumped into his desk during lunch, tray untouched. His best friend, Tyler, plopped down across from him with a concerned look.
"You good, man? You look like you saw a ghost."
Kai glanced around.
"Tell me something. Do you… see any glowing blue text floating around me?"
Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Uhh… no? You high?"
Kai sighed. "Thought so."
> Time Remaining: 5 hours, 12 minutes
He stood abruptly. "Screw it. If this is real, I'm not getting zapped just for playing it safe."
---
By fourth period, he'd come up with a plan.
Operation: Smile.
Step 1: Get close enough to talk to Alina.
Step 2: Say something clever.
Step 3: Hope she doesn't report him to the principal.
He found her alone near the lockers after the final bell. Her long black hair shimmered under the overhead lights, and her piercing blue eyes scanned a book in her hands.
She looked like someone from another world.
Kai gulped.
No backing out now.
He approached her, trying not to look like a serial killer.
"Hey. Alina, right?"
She looked up, brows arching. "Yes?"
Kai gave the most awkward smile in recorded history. "So, uh… what do you call a sad strawberry?"
She stared. "What?"
"A blueberry."
Silence.
Dead. Soul-crushing silence.
Alina blinked slowly. "...That's the worst pun I've ever heard."
She turned and walked away without another word.
> [Mission Failed.]
Applying Penalty: Electric Feedback Pulse (Minor).
A jolt ran through Kai's spine. Not enough to knock him over—but enough to make him yelp and twitch like a broken robot.
He collapsed against a locker, groaning.
"I hate this system already."
---
That night, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the faint glow of the system interface still hovering in his vision.
Then a chime echoed.
> [Mission Retry Unlocked – Bonus Chance Activated.]
[Mission: Make the school queen smile before sunset tomorrow.]
Reward: Skill Upgrade + Special Bonus]
Failure Penalty: Increased electric feedback.
Kai gritted his teeth.
"One more shot. And this time… no dumb jokes."
---
Saturday morning. School was off, but Kai knew Alina volunteered at the local library—he'd seen her there while skipping class once.
He headed there, mentally rehearsing every possible approach. He had nothing to lose now but dignity—which he'd already donated to science.
She was there. At the front desk. Alone.
Deep breath.
He approached slowly. "Hey. Sorry to bother you. I'm not here to make any bad jokes this time."
Alina glanced up, amused. "Oh? You're the berry guy."
Kai chuckled. "Guilty. I just… wanted to say, you were right. It was a terrible pun. But thanks for not calling security."
She looked at him for a moment, as if weighing something. Then—a tiny smile tugged at her lips.
Not mocking. Just… amused.
> [Mission Complete.]
+50 XP. Skill Obtained: Observe (Lv.1)
Bonus Reward: System Favor +1
Kai blinked as the screen flashed briefly in victory. No shocks. No pain. Just… a strange warmth in his chest.
"Anyway," he said, trying to sound casual. "I'll let you get back to work. Later."
He turned to leave, but paused as Alina spoke up.
"Hey… that joke? It was kind of funny. In a stupid way."
Kai smiled to himself.
---
Later That Night...
Kai sat on his bed again, screen dimmed, his hands behind his head.
"Okay. That happened. So… this thing is real."
> [New Feature Unlocked: Skill Tree]
[Skill Acquired: Observe (Lv.1)]
— View basic info on people and objects.
— Upgradeable through use and XP.
> [New Mission Available]
[Mission: Survive until sunrise.]
Warning: Hostile creature detected within proximity.
Reward: Combat Skill or Random Power Draw.
Failure: Termination.
Kai sat upright.
"Wait. What?!"
A strange sound echoed outside—like claws scraping pavement.
And then—
> [Monster: Shadow Wolf – Tier E – Approaching.]
His heart pounded.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."