"Another uneventful day," a youthful convenience store employee muttered. He greeted the regular customers as they entered, smiling and waving as per the given training.
The district he lived in was large, yet he recognized most of the people entering the store. He was one of the two clerks in the convenience store. The other one was in the breakroom, currently on break while the store owner was away.
"Hello, Frizz!" A customer greeted and he returned the greeting with a strained smile. He was dying inside, albeit slowly.
A minimum wagie wasn't his first choice but it was late to complain, he needed money. The job was okay and it was relatively stress-free, also the salary was enough to buy an electric scooter, so he kept his mouth shut.
The young employee behind the counter had a name tag, 'Frizz,' displayed on a rectangular plate. Frizz's hair was black and slightly unkempt; behind the bangs were dull white eyes.
He tinkered with the cash register since it was hitching again, a depressing regularity. "Obviously need a damn new one." He muttered, strongly tapping it with a screwdriver. Intending to break it.
Whatever the problem was, he wasn't paid to care. The cash register mostly worked, and that was enough. He bit on the screwdriver's handle, rested on the camping chair, and glared at the empty blue sky outside.
« Welcome user, you now have a system*.»
A voice broke him from his thoughts, breaking away from the view and then spotting a glowing notification screen right in front of him, emanating a comfortable light blue hue.
"Welcome, user. You now have a system." Frizz read the words visible on the system window. He stared at it for a minute before the realization dawned on him. With a quick snap, he grabbed the soda can on the counter and gulped it down.
"This is real life! Systems are real! Super powers are real!" An awestruck Frizz crushed the soda can on his hand. A nasty, trembling grin then twisted his teary face; this was, he felt, the first genuine smile he had ever managed, the first moment he truly felt alive.
[System]
« Hello user, insert a new name. »
A sudden voice broke him from his trance, and he looked directly at the system window in front of him. There were words etched on the system window.
"New name?" Frizz read and muttered.
[System]
« New name acknowledged; you will be known as New Name.»
« Welcome to perk-leveling. »
Broken from his blissful trance, Frizz snapped at the system. "What? No!? Change that; I was just reading the notification." He reached for the system window, and it phased through his right hand.
[System]
New Objective for New Name.
New Name registered: Deploying a starter pack.
Received: Three perks.
A small loading icon, a throbber, is spinning in the middle of the system window.
[System]
New name received: [In Good Faith], [Daily Life], and [Telekinesis].
Perks:
[In good faith] -Praying towards any god grants a minor increase in all stats for twenty hours.
[Daily Life] -A minor increase in both physical and mental aspects during the day.
[Telekinesis] -The perk user can manipulate their environment with their mind.
<< Tip: Some perks grow along with the user. >>
A confused and frustrated look forms on Frizz's face. (That's it? What the fuck? No SSS tier perk or talent? No high-quality equipment? No summons or anything? Just this and telekinesis?)
Frizz put his hand on his face. (In manga or novels, they usually get some powerful item or equipment that sets them apart. They would sometimes get a girl....)
"So, why do I get these lame-duck perks?" Frizz shouted at the system.
(No wait, I am focusing on the negatives. I still have a system, which in itself is a miracle. I guess I am going to have to grind to get stronger.)
Frizz crumpled the soda can in his hands, struck a three-pointer pose, and launched it toward the trash can.
*Clank!* It missed.
He straightened his posture and, with renewed energy, he shouted. "System, show me my class and attributes!"
[System]
NewName
Level: 1
Experience: [Hidden]
HP: 15/15 (+2)
MN: 15/15 (+2)
Class: Classless.
Perks: [In Good Faith], [Daily Life], [Telekinesis]
Talents: None
"That's it? Where are my strength, intelligence, and magic stats?" Frizz asked the system, waiting for a reply. "Also, why is my experience stat hidden?"
He scrubbed the back of his head; there was no reply nor a pop-up. The confusion coursed through him, noting that the systems in the novels have stat blocks to increase, but his has none.
"Based on some MMORPG that I've played. Perks aren't anything special; they supplement your character but do not provide anything meaningful." He mulled, tapping his finger on the counter.
"Now, what do these modifiers mean? Where am I getting the plus two?" Frizz asked himself.
[System]
« You get stat modifiers from perks, talents, class, and equipment. »
"Oh?" Frizz gasped, surprised by the sudden text notification. (Now, you give me an answer.)
Frizz rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
(These plus two modifiers must be from my daily life perk. It said that it gives a minor increase during the day, and it is currently...)
He turned and glanced at the wall clock. (12:38 am, the modifiers have to be from that perk.)
Frizz then focused on the class section, his left brow raised. "Classless, huh? I recently started, so it makes sense. I'll unlock it later on." He reasoned, before spotting the word 'mana'.
A smile formed on his face, beaming slowly.
"Oh damn, I didn't notice. I have a mana stat." He commented, his grin widening, his eyes gleaming, and his face brightening.
"I can cast magic. That's great!" Frizz stretched out his arms and faced the tiled ceiling. "I can cast magic!" His maniacal laugh was loud, but fortunately, no one heard. "I can be the strongest!"
He stretched his back as far as he could; the button from his shirt popped and plopped on the floor.
Frizz's legs suddenly gave out, and he fell, landing on his buttocks. His back knocked the cardboard box behind him, scattering several tools on the ground.
His eyes are still watering while his heart beats rapidly from the excitement. "This feeling... this unexplainable ecstasy... am I high?" He muttered, looking at his trembling hands.
He exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself. (I can finally be something; I can finally be worth something.) As his head slowly cleared, he looked up at the status window in front of him.
[System]
New objectives.
Empty the trash bins: 0/3.
Wipe the glass panes: 0/5.
"Cleaning duty? I guess this is the system's way of getting me acquainted with the leveling." Frizz said, rising and putting away the scattered tools on the floor.
"Okay, let's get this over with." He sighed, heading for the entrance. He picked up the crumpled soda can he threw earlier and slowly emptied the trash bins inside the store, dumping the contents in a huge trash container outside.
With that done, he stepped behind the counter, grabbed a soft cloth and a bottle of window cleaning solution, and began wiping down the glass panes.
He hummed while cleaning, clearly in a good mood.
"Whew, that should do it," he muttered, stepping back to admire his handiwork and waiting for the system to notify him about the objective completion.
[System]
Objectives completed.
Received: 100 experience.
Level: 1 » 2.
Received: [Enrage] -Upon a successful roar, strength and endurance are significantly increased for five minutes.
"Finally," Frizz commented, smiling happily. "Not a bad perk, it's like a battle cry."
*Ring!* Six students then loudly entered the store and went straight into the beverages section. Frizz straightened his uniform and went behind the counter, forming a smile.
(I might be strong now, but I am still a cashier. I still have to do my job.)