Noah left the coffee shop in a daze, barely aware of the weight of the drink in his hand. The system panel still hovered faintly in his vision, semi-transparent, like a HUD in a video game only he could see.
He ducked into a quiet side street, heart pounding.
"Okay," he muttered to himself, "this isn't real. I'm hallucinating. Maybe I hit my head. Maybe I'm just—"
But the stats were still there.
And so was the card.
He took it out again, holding it up to the light. It looked like a sleek black credit card, but heavier, colder. There was no bank name, no chip. Just that strange inscription:
He turned it over. Ran his thumb across the edge.
The phrase burned in his mind like a riddle.
< Spend wisely. Not selfishly.>
"Only works if it's for someone else," he said aloud. "Someone older?"
His thoughts drifted back to the woman in the coffee shop. Probably late 40s. She'd looked exhausted—maybe a lawyer or something. And when he gave her that pastry…
___
[1 Point Earned]
___
That wasn't a coincidence.
He pulled up the panel again with a thought.
___
[ Point Balance: 1 TP]
Next Unlock at 5 TP: Stat Boost or Random Bonus
___
His eyes trailed down to the stats:
___
✦ Luck: 2
✦ Confidence: 1
✦ Charisma: 1
✦ Financial Sense: 0
___
"Well," he muttered, "they got that last one right."
But this was real. Somehow.
And now he had to know more.
He ended up outside a modest little bookstore he used to pass on his way to interviews—"Morgan's Books & Tea." Family-owned, always quiet. Inside, through the window, he saw a woman rearranging a display of paperbacks near the front.
Mid-40s, maybe. Smart glasses. Auburn hair tied in a messy bun. Worn cardigan over a long skirt. She looked like she belonged between the pages of an old novel.
She also looked tired. Not sad, just… stretched thin. Like she'd been doing everything herself for a long time.
Something tugged at Noah's chest.
He hesitated—then pushed the door open.
A soft bell chimed overhead.
The woman glanced up, startled for a second, then gave a polite nod. "Good morning. Let me know if you're looking for anything in particular."
He nodded. "Just browsing."
But he wasn't.
He walked slowly through the shelves, pretending to scan spines while watching her out of the corner of his eye. She moved stiffly, like she had back pain. Every now and then, she pressed her hand to her lower back and winced slightly.
She returned to the counter. There was a small stack of receipts beside the register and a tea mug that had long gone cold.
Noah swallowed. Then approached.
"Do you sell heating pads here?"
She looked up, confused. "Um… no. This is mostly a used book and tea shop. Why do you ask?"
"You just look like your back might be bothering you," he said, feeling dumb the moment the words left his mouth.
To his surprise, she smiled faintly. "That obvious, huh?"
He scratched the back of his neck. "A little. My mom used to get the same kind of pain. Said it helped to keep a heated wrap nearby."
"That… would actually be amazing." She glanced out the window at the gray morning. "But I don't really have time to shop for one these days."
Noah nodded slowly.
"Be right back."
—––
There was a drugstore two blocks away. He used the card.
The register blinked. Approved.
Purchase complete: $29.99 — Therapeutic Heating Pad
Reason: Altruistic
Recipient: Age 40–49 / Eligible
___
+2 TP awarded
Bonus: Sincere Thoughtfulness Detected
___
Noah felt the surge again. Like something waking up inside him.
Back at the bookstore, he handed the bag over the counter.
The woman blinked. "You… bought it? For me?"
He nodded. "You looked like you needed it."
She stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief, then softened. "That's… incredibly kind. I don't know what to say."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm Morgan, by the way."
"Noah."
She smiled. "Thank you, Noah."
—––
He left the store with the notification panel floating beside him like a quiet reward.
___
[Current TP: 3]
Next Unlock at 5 TP
New Passive Detected:
Empathy Sense (Basic) – Slightly enhanced perception of emotional fatigue in others.
___
Noah stopped walking.
And smiled.
For the first time in a long time, something in his life was moving.
And it felt like the beginning of something… big.
Noah rode the metro home with the system panel hovering faintly at the edge of his vision.
___
[Current TP: 3]
Next Unlock at 5 TP — Choose: Stat Boost or Mystery Reward
Empathy Sense (Basic) Active
___
Empathy Sense wasn't overwhelming, but it was real. He didn't hear voices or read minds—he just felt a little more. The tired weight in someone's posture. The forced smile. The hollow tone beneath cheerful words.
It was subtle. But powerful.
He glanced around the train. There—a woman clutching grocery bags, staring into nothing. There—an older man holding a newspaper upside-down, blinking too fast to be reading. And a teenager pretending to nap, jaw clenched hard.
The world had always been like this.
But now he could see it.
And for the first time in ages, Noah didn't feel invisible. He felt… awake.
Back at his apartment, the place still looked like a ruin of yesterday's heartbreak. The broken photo was still on the floor. He picked it up, not to keep it—but to sweep away the glass.
No more lingering.
He grabbed his laptop and opened a spreadsheet. Blank columns stared back.
——
Column A: Person
Column B: Age (Approx.)
Column C: Gift Type
Column D: TP Gained
Column E: Notes
——
He started filling it in. Not to game the system—at least, not entirely—but to understand it. There were rules. Patterns. Limits.
He remembered Sarah's voice in the café: "You're always waiting. For the right job. The right moment. The right reason to fight."
He wasn't waiting anymore.
The next day, Noah went out early with one simple goal:
Earn 2 more points.
Enough to trigger the first unlock.
He roamed neighborhoods he usually avoided. Not dangerous—just overlooked. Places with laundromats and public benches and corner stores that still used hand-written signs.
The system didn't ping at everything. But after an hour, he passed a small thrift shop and spotted a scene through the window: a young cashier—maybe college age—looking overwhelmed as she tried to help an older woman struggling with several torn shopping bags.
He stepped in without thinking.
"Do you need a hand?" he asked gently.
The older woman looked up, startled. She was in her 50s, maybe early 60s. Worn coat, kind eyes. "Oh—yes. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hold up the line…"
"It's no problem."
The store sold simple reusable totes for a few dollars. He grabbed three, paid with the black card, and handed them over.
"Please," he added, "these are yours now. No need to worry about the bags."
The system chimed.
___
[+1 TP Earned]
Bonus: Low-cost, High-Impact
___
She smiled, stunned. "Thank you. Young people don't usually—well. Thank you."
He helped her carry them to her car. She said her name was Miriam. She had a quiet, steady voice that reminded him of his late aunt.
As he walked away, the system flashed again.
___
[TP: 4]
Empathy Sense: Leveling…
___
One more.
Noah stopped for a cheap sandwich at a quiet park bench. The sky was heavy with clouds again. Across the street, he saw a woman standing in front of a locked storefront. Her arms were crossed tightly. She was muttering something, frustrated.
A handwritten sign on the glass said:
CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE
Back Tomorrow — Sorry for the Delay
The woman looked down at her phone. Then at the sign again. Then just stood there, staring.
Noah stood up and crossed over.
"Excuse me. Are you okay?"
She looked up—early 40s, maybe. Business-casual outfit, smeared eyeliner like she'd been rushing all morning. "I'm sorry, I'm fine. I just… this dry cleaner had my uniform. I need it for tonight's shift."
Noah paused. "What do you do?"
"Hotel front desk," she said. "They're picky about the dress code. I can't just show up in something else."
He nodded.
Then he did something risky.
"There's a 24-hour place on 9th and Larch," he said. "I'll pay for a replacement if they've got anything close."
She stared at him. "You're serious?"
"I am."
—––
They went. It took twenty minutes.
The cleaner didn't have exactly the same uniform, but they did have a plain black suit that would work for one night. He used the card again.
Purchase Approved
___
[+1 TP]
Bonus: Timely Intervention
___
Back on the street, she shook her head, smiling. "You didn't have to do that. Most people would've just walked past."
Noah shrugged, but smiled back. "Someone helped me once. I'm just passing it on."
She introduced herself as Teresa. Gave a little nod of respect before vanishing into the city.
Then—
___
TP: 5
UNLOCKED — Choose Reward:
① +1 to Any Stat
② Random Bonus Feature
___
Noah stopped walking.
A choice.
Finally.