Alex's fingers trembled as he picked up the crisp ten-dollar bill from the floor. It felt real—the faint scent of ink lingering on the paper. He held it up under the dim light, turned it this way and that. Not a hallucination. Real money.
His gaze returned to the hovering blue interface. It was still there, unnervingly stable.
[Origin System]
[User: Alex Chen]
[Level: 0]
[Stamina: 1.1 (original 1.0)]
[Agility: 1.0]
[Intelligence: 1.1 (original 1.0? System bonus?)]
[Charisma: 0.9 (uh…)]
[Available Attribute Points: 0]
[Skills: None]
[Inventory: Empty]
[Current Task: None (New tasks can refresh)]
Alex's heart raced, threatening to burst from his chest. Fear, confusion, disbelief—but above all, a near-crazed excitement surged.
This "system"… it was real!
It had given him ten dollars. He even felt… lighter, somehow, though barely. Yet after years of exhaustion weighing him down, he noticed even the slightest change.
"System?" he whispered in his mind, voice dry with tension.
No response.
He took a deep breath, recalling sci-fi movies and games he had seen and played. He focused, thinking: "Interface… menu… tasks…"
[Ding! Consume 1 System Energy to refresh daily tasks? Current System Energy: 10/10. Restores to 10 automatically daily.]
A prompt appeared, with two options: [Yes] and [No].
Alex hesitated. Energy was limited; he couldn't waste it. But he needed confirmation, needed more. He willed it—and chose [Yes].
Energy dropped to 9/10. The task panel updated:
[Daily Task 1: Jog 2 kilometers. Reward: Agility +0.1, $15.]
[Daily Task 2: Study/Read 1 hour (any book). Reward: Intelligence +0.1, $10.]
[Daily Task 3: Initiate a 5-minute conversation. Reward: Charisma +0.1, $5.]
Tasks! More tasks! More money, more stats!
Poverty was engraved in Alex's bones. Seeing the dollar signs, his eyes lit up. Attribute points were important, but right now—real money solved immediate problems. Like the landlady's threatening rent note.
It was still raining outside, though lighter. Reading? He could stare at his old textbooks for another hour. Talking to people? That was harder; no one really wanted to talk to him.
But jogging! That was immediate, straightforward!
He glanced at the flat tire on his battered bike. Tomorrow could wait.
A strange impulse surged within him. He shed his soaked jacket, changing into a slightly drier old T-shirt and sweatpants—worn, but sufficient.
"Two kilometers…" he muttered. His fitness was average, but he could push through. For fifteen dollars!
He dashed downstairs, ignoring the imagined glances from the landlady, plunging into the drizzling night rain.
The cold rain hit him again, but this time… it felt different. Not the despairing chill of before, but something… invigorating. He even felt the tiny effect of that +0.1 stamina—the air felt slightly easier to breathe, his legs a little lighter.
He began jogging along the street. At first, it was painfully hard; his lungs burned, legs heavy as lead.
One kilometer… one and a half… his chest felt ready to explode.
[Hint: 200 meters remaining to complete the task.]
The system's alert sounded like music, giving him the final push. Teeth clenched, he sprinted the last stretch.
[Ding! Daily Task 1 completed.]
[Reward issued: Agility +0.1, $15.]
Another subtle warmth coursed through him, mostly in his legs and core, making his movements lighter, more coordinated. His pocket felt heavier—he reached inside. Two bills: a ten and a five.
He stopped, hands on his knees, gasping, rain streaming down his face—but he smiled. Not from relief, but from an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
Twenty-five dollars now! Add the previous ten, thirty-five dollars! And… he felt amazing. Not just physically, but mentally—the sensation of controlling his life, earning tangible rewards!
He practically ran back to his apartment, steps lighter than before. Passing the landlady's door, for the first time he didn't hunch over, trying to be invisible.
Back in his room, he grabbed a programming book he'd read countless times. For ten dollars and +0.1 intelligence!
An hour later…
[Ding! Daily Task 2 completed.]
[Reward issued: Intelligence +0.1, $10.]
Another ten-dollar bill appeared. His mind felt sharper; logic flowed more clearly. Not an illusion—the intelligence boost was real!
Only the "5-minute conversation" task remained. Charisma at 0.9 stung, but five dollars was five dollars.
Who to talk to? Mark and his cronies? Impossible. Neighbors? No one wanted to engage.
His eyes fell on his phone. Aha!
He opened a delivery riders' chat group—mostly complaints and info-sharing. Normally he never spoke.
Taking a deep breath, he typed: "Is it raining heavily in Midtown Manhattan? Lots of orders?"
A few replies came quickly. "Yeah, crazy out there." "Orders are plenty, but streets slippery; just saw someone fall."
Cautiously, Alex engaged—asked about traffic, shared info about slow restauran