[Welcome, User. Begin Tutorial? Y/N]
Wayne stared at the prompt.
It didn't go away.
He rubbed his eyes. Still there. Hovering faintly, like a transparent heads-up display in a video game.
"This is a prank," he muttered. "It has to be."
No one responded. Of course.
Then he remembered something—back in high school, he'd dabbled in coding. No augmented-reality software he knew of could mimic this without gear.
Against his better judgment, he whispered, "…Yes."
The world stilled.
[System Tutorial Initiating…]
[Basic Functions Unlocked.]
Suddenly, a weight lifted from his chest—like invisible chains snapping loose. His vision sharpened, colors deepened. The cold felt…less cold. The fatigue in his legs, dulled.
[Stat Panel Unlocked.]
[Skill Slot: 0/3 Active.]
[Inventory: Empty.]
[System Currency: 0 Credits.]
[Passive Perk: Adaptive Growth Lv. 1 — You gain small increases in physical stats by completing mundane tasks.]
"Okay… okay," Wayne whispered, heart racing.
He took a hesitant step.
[+0.0002 STR | You walked.]
[+0.0001 DEX | You balanced on uneven terrain.]
[+0.0003 END | You resisted the cold.]
Wayne blinked again.
This was real.
The system wasn't flashy. It didn't hand him superpowers or an instant six-pack. But it worked.
Every movement made him slightly… better.
The smallest improvements, but they were there. It felt like someone had finally taken the ceiling off his life and whispered: "Go ahead. Climb."
Wayne smiled bitterly. "I don't know who you are, or whoever sent you to me."
He clenched his fists.
"But im not wasting this."