Liam didn't think twice. Yes.
Points spent: 75,000
Points remaining: 22,023
Updating system...
A strange sensation washed over him. It wasn't pain, but a reconfiguration. As if the separate parts of himself — Leo the adult fanatic, Liam the lonely teenager, and the emerging new consciousness — were finally aligning.
Update completed. Welcome to the Integration Cultivation System.
Initial path mission: "The First Bridge"
Description: Connect two characters who don't normally interact deeply, facilitating meaningful interaction.
Suggested characters: Jay and Manny, Claire and Cameron, Phil and Mitchell
Reward: 5,000-15,000 points + Initial integration skill
Liam smiled. This... this felt good. It felt authentic.
The next day at school, the world looked different. Not because it had changed, but because he had changed how he saw it. Instead of seeing opportunities for points, he saw opportunities for connection.
At lunch, he observed the different social groups: the athletes, the artists, the brainiacs, the popular kids. All in their silos. And he thought: what if someone could move between them? Connect them?
It wasn't that different from the Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker family, really.
After school, Hayley stopped him. "Hey, my parents are having a little crisis. Luke wants to join the soccer team, but Alex says statistically he's likely to get injured. Phil is on Luke's side, Claire is on Alex's. Wanna come? They say they value your 'objective perspective.'"
Liam laughed. "My objective perspective? I know nothing about soccer."
"But you know about... people. And that seems to be what my family needs more."
Mission detected: "The Soccer Crisis"
Connect sports perspectives (Jay/Luke), scientific (Alex), and parental (Phil/Claire)
Potential reward: 8,000 points + Basic mediation skill
Liam nodded. "Sure. Let's go."
At the Dunphy house, the situation was exactly as Hayley had described. Luke in full soccer uniform (including shin guards over his jeans), Alex with a laptop showing injury rate graphs, Phil attempting to demonstrate dribbling techniques and tripping over the coffee table, Claire with an exasperated expression.
"The probabilities of concussion in players under twelve are 23% higher than in teenagers!" Alex argued.
"But Pelé started at eleven!" Luke countered.
"And how many times did Pelé break his legs? I don't have that data, but I bet it was several."
Phil got up from the floor. "The important thing is passion, Alex. Sportsmanship. The... uh... teamwork."
"Teamwork won't prevent stress fractures," Claire said dryly.
At that moment, Jay and Gloria arrived, apparently on a casual visit. Jay quickly assessed the scene.
"Soccer, huh?" said Jay. "Good sport. Toughens up boys."
"Exactly!" said Luke, victorious.
"But it also toughens them literally," Alex added. "Broken bones, torn ligaments..."
Gloria looked at Liam. "And what do you think, mijo? You're the neutral one here."
Everyone looked at him. Liam felt the pressure, but also a strange clarity. His new integration path activated almost instinctively.
"I'm no soccer expert," he began, "but I see multiple legitimate concerns here. Alex is right about the risks. Luke is right about growth opportunities. Phil is right about the benefits of teamwork. Claire is right about parental responsibility. And Jay is right about toughening up."
"That doesn't help," said Claire.
"Wait," Liam continued. "Instead of seeing this as 'soccer yes vs soccer no,' what if we see it as 'how to make soccer as safe as possible while maximizing the benefits'?"
Alex blinked. "That... is a logical reframing."
"We could research leagues with better safety standards," Liam suggested. "Teams with coaches certified in injury prevention. Concussion protocols."
"And we could set conditions," Claire added, excited by the approach. "Minimum grades, prior training..."
"And he could start with training before actual games!" said Phil. "Like a training camp! I could be the coach!"
Luke seemed less excited but still committed. "As long as I can eventually play?"
Jay nodded slowly. "That's... reasonable. Start with the basics, see if he has the discipline before fully committing."
Gloria smiled. "Look at that. Everyone happy. You're a good negotiator, Liam."
MISSION COMPLETED!
Points earned: 12,000
Skill unlocked: Level 1 Mediation - You can identify points of agreement in seemingly irreconcilable conflicts
Total points: 34,023
But more important than the points was the look on the family's faces: relief, respect, even affection. He had helped not by manipulating, but by facilitating. Not by acting as a character, but by being authentically useful.
That night, walking home under the stars, Liam finally felt at peace with himself. He wasn't Leo. He wasn't the original Liam. He was something new: an integrator, a bridge, a facilitator.
The system showed a new message:
Integration Path Progress: 5%
Next milestone: Connect two separate families (Pritchett-Dunphy already counts as one)
Estimated time: 2-4 weeks
Liam turned off the system. He didn't need to see it constantly. He knew what he had to do. Live. Connect. Grow.
And maybe, in the process, help this dysfunctional family he loved (both on screen and now in real life) be a little less dysfunctional. Not because he earned points, but because it was the right thing to do.
For the first time since his death and reincarnation, Liam smiled genuinely, without calculation, without the system, without an agenda. Just a boy, on a starry night, feeling that perhaps, finally, he had come home.