Sunlight striped the classroom blinds. Rei was sitting in his seat, quietly tracing the edge of his desk with a pen. The usual classroom noise buzzed around him, but something felt… different.
Or maybe—it was him.
Yesterday, no one even glanced his way. Today, eyes flicked toward him more than once. Some students even leaned in and whispered.
"That's Rei, right?" He looks... cleaner now.
"Wait, didn't he get 8th in that test?"
Rei stayed quiet. He didn't lift his eyes, didn't smile, and flipped through his notebook as if nothing had changed.
But he still noticed everything.
The whispers. The glances. The atmosphere. Everything is happening around him.
Across the room, someone else noticed, too.
Across the room, a quiet girl with silver eyes rested her chin on her palm, a faint smile touching her lips as she watched him.
"He changed," she murmured. "He looks… livelier."
A few boys nearby turned their heads.
"Did she just smile?"She never smiles at anyone…"
Their eyes tracked to Rei, who simply packed his lunch and walked out, calm as still water.
—
Outside, under the tree behind the gym, Rei unwrapped his sandwich. He had barely taken a bite when—
[Ding! New Task Generated.]
Task: Perform one act of genuine kindness.
Reward: +200 CC, +1 Charm, +1 Karma Point, +Random Item Box (Tier 1)
"Huh. Karma point?" Rei muttered. That was new.
Then—another blink.
[Ding! Hidden Physical Task Triggered.]
Optional Task: Complete 25 push-ups in one go.
Condition: Must exceed your current physical limit.
Reward: +1 Stamina, +0.5 Strength
Rei paused. "Are you serious…?"
He looked down at his skinny arms.
"…Alright then."
He set his lunch aside, checked that no one was nearby, and dropped to the ground. His palms hit the grass.
"One… two… three…"
By ten, his arms began to tremble. At fifteen, sweat dripped down his forehead.
By twenty-two, his breath came in gasps. But he gritted his teeth.
"Twenty-three… twenty-four…!"
[System Warning: Physical limit reached.]
His arms nearly gave out, but he pushed through.
"Twenty… five!"
He collapsed flat onto the grass.
[Task Complete.]
+1 Stamina, +0.5 Strength Muscle
Ache: Light (Duration: 4 hours)
Rei lay there, chest heaving, a faint grin twitching at the edge of his lips.
[Physical Training Log Updated.]
Progress to Evolution: 6%
Later, just before the next class started…
A girl with foggy glasses and trembling arms entered the room, carrying several stacks of paper boxes.
She looked like she might drop them at any second.
Rei stood and walked over.
"Here. I'll help."
The girl blinked. "H-Huh? Oh—thank you…"
He took half the boxes without a word.
They walked together in silence to the third floor. She glanced at him now and then, wanting to speak, but unsure what to say.
In the student council room, he dropped off the last stack.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
Rei nodded and walked away without waiting for praise.
[Task Complete: Kindness Performed]
+200 CC
+1 Charm
+1 Karma Point
Item: Random Box (Tier 1) added to Inventory
[Total CC: 860]
[Stats Update Available]
His steps felt lighter, even with his aching arms.
Back in class, students watched him more openly now.
"Hey, isn't he the guy who helped Aika-senpai?"He's kinda cool… in a quiet way."
Some students who'd never spoken to him before even asked about his notes.
He answered briefly, then returned to silence.
Ding!
[Charm +1]
[New Passive Trait: Subtle Presence (Rare)]
You attract attention without trying.
He didn't know what to make of it. All he'd done was help someone and do push-ups behind the gym.
Still, it was working.
The system… was working.
From the hallway window, his teacher stood watching.
She wasn't sure why her eyes kept returning to him. There was nothing strange about Rei, on the surface.
But something old stirred in her blood when she saw him.
Like a memory that wasn't hers. A whisper that wasn't a thought.
"Who is he…?"Why does it tell me to obey him…?"
She shook her head. The thoughts vanished as quickly as they came.
But the unease remained.
That evening, Rei returned home, muscles sore from the surprise workout. He dropped his bag, cleaned up, and sat at his desk.
The system screen pulsed softly in front of him.
[Daily Performance Summary]
Tasks Completed: 3
Stats Gained: +1 Charm+1, Stamina+0.5 Strength
Karma Points: 1
Current Evolution Progress: 6%
Current Status:
Strength: 3
Stamina: 4
Charm: 6
Intelligence: 5
Battle EXP: 1
Luck: 2
Note: First Evolution unlocks at 100 points in all stats.
Unlock Condition: No stat below 100.
He stared at the numbers. Still far. But not impossible.
He scrolled to the next tab. One new feature caught his eye.
[Upcoming Events: University Sports Festival – Registration Open (5 days left)]
A slow smile crept across his lips.
Guess I know what's next.
—
Chapter End