Chapter 2: Daily Grind
Kai woke up early the next morning. His alarm beeped loudly. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. The apartment was quiet. Last night's binding felt like a dream, but the glowing words in his vision proved it was real. He checked his stats quickly.
[Kai Harlan - Level 1 System User]
Health: 100/100
Mana: 50/50
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 15
Perception: 13
Experience: 50/100]
The numbers were still there. Kai smiled. He felt sharper. Smarter. The System had boosted his brain. He got ready for work. Jeans, a t-shirt, and his old sneakers. Breakfast was quick—a piece of toast and coffee. He grabbed his lunch bag and headed out.
The warehouse was busy as always. Trucks rumbled in and out. Workers shouted orders. Kai clocked in and started his shift. His boss, Mr. Reed, was a grumpy man with a clipboard. "Harlan, you're on loading today. Move fast."
Kai nodded. "Got it." He walked to the conveyor belt. Boxes piled up. He lifted one. It was heavy, but his boosted strength made it easier. The System helped already.
A notification popped up in his vision.
[Quest: Daily Grind. Objective: Complete your work shift at the warehouse. Reward: 100 XP, Skill Point. Hint: Observe for anomalies.]
Anomalies? Kai looked around. The warehouse was normal. Dusty floors, stacked shelves. But his new perception picked up details. A loose bolt on the belt. A crack in the wall. He fixed the bolt quickly. No one noticed. But the System logged it.
[Anomaly Detected: Prevented Minor Accident. Bonus XP: 25.]
His experience ticked up: [Experience: 75/100]. Nice. Kai kept working. He stacked boxes faster. His dexterity helped. By lunch, he had done more than usual. His coworkers chatted.
"Hey, Kai. You look energized today," said Tom, a guy from the next aisle.
Kai shrugged. "Just a good night's sleep." He didn't tell them about the System. It was his secret.
Lunch break came. Kai sat outside with his sandwich. The sun was warm. He thought about the System. It gave quests for work. But he wanted more. The hint said "observe for anomalies." Maybe there were hidden things in the city.
As he ate, a woman walked by. She was about his age, with brown hair tied back. She wore a warehouse vest like his. Lena. She worked in shipping. Kai had seen her before. She was friendly.
"Hi, Kai," she said, sitting nearby. "Mind if I join?"
"Sure," Kai replied. His heart beat a little faster. Lena was nice. They talked sometimes.
"How's your day?" she asked.
"Good. Busy. Yours?"
"Same. Boxes everywhere." She laughed. It was a soft sound. Kai liked it.
They chatted about work. Lena shared a joke about the boss. Kai laughed too. She seemed kind. Smart. He wondered if he could trust her. But the System was secret. No one else knew.
Break ended. Back to work. Kai finished his shift. The quest completed.
[Quest: Daily Grind. Completed. Reward: 100 XP, Skill Point.]
Level up! [Level 2 Achieved. Health: 120/120, Mana: 60/60, +1 Skill Point.]
Kai felt stronger. He allocated the skill point to Interface Manipulation. It went to Level 2. Now he could tweak small things, like making his phone charge faster.
On the way home, Kai stopped at a store. He had some cash. He bought lottery tickets. With his boosted perception, he "felt" lucky numbers. He picked them using Rule Bending—a small glitch in chance.
[Rule Bent: Lucky Draw. Cost: 10 Mana.]
Mana dropped to 50/60. But he won $50. Small, but a start. The System rewarded it.
[Bonus XP: 20 for Resource Gain.]
Experience: 95/100. Close to Level 3.
At home, Kai checked the Shop. It unlocked at Level 2.
[Shop Function Activated. Points: 10 (From Initial Rewards).]
The Shop had everything. Boosts, gear, potions. He browsed. A +1 Strength boost cost 50 Points. Too much. He needed more Points.
How to get them? System rewards or exchanges. 10,000 USD = 1 Point. He had savings—about $200. That was 0.02 Points. Not enough. He could earn money with the System. Trade stocks. Use his smarts.
He opened his laptop. Searched for stock tips. With boosted intelligence, he spotted patterns. He invested $100 in a small trade. It went up. He made $20 profit.
[Bonus XP: 15 for Smart Gain.]
Experience hit 100/100. Level up again!
[Level 3 Achieved. Health: 140/140, Mana: 70/70, +1 Skill Point.]
Kai allocated to Rule Bending. Level 2. Now glitches were stronger.
He smiled. This was working. But he needed to be careful. No one could know.
As he ate dinner, a new quest appeared.
[Quest: City Exploration. Objective: Walk around Nexus Prime and observe for anomalies. Reward: 50 XP, Shop Discount. Hint: Look for odd patterns.]
Kai nodded. He would explore tomorrow. Lena texted him. "Hey, want to grab coffee tomorrow?" Work friends did that.
Kai replied yes. His first real outing. Maybe more.
The day ended well. Kai felt hopeful. The System was his edge. He would build from here.