10:03 p.m.
Atlas stared at the glowing screen.
You Are A Vanguard.
His brow pulled tight. "Vanguard…?" The word instantly dragged him to thoughts of RPGs—frontline fighters, the ones who got hit first. "This is… what is this even turning into?"
Before he could close the app, more tabs slid onto the screen.
Stats — Inventory — Skills — Daily Tasks — Quests — Messages
He tapped Stats. A crisp card popped up:
— Strength: 4
— Defense: 7
— Skill: 5
— Speed: 4
— Luck: 4
— Resistance: 4
— Constitution: 4
Beneath: Points Available: 0
He switched to Inventory. Four slots. Two empty. One bottle of water. One collapsible staff? He tapped it—an image spun in place: compact baton form, metal sheen, extendable locks.
His phone buzzed—group chat lighting up.
Atlas: So… uh… mine says I'm a Vanguard. Got stats now.
Rei: What the hell is a Vanguard?
Mira: Did you pick that?
Atlas: No. Just gave it to me. Strength, Speed, Skill… all that.
Rei: …wait. I have stats now too. "Shadowblade." Sounds cooler than yours.
Mira: I'm "Medic." My tasks changed—now it's stuff like helping people.
Rei: Mine says "complete stealth objective" and "land precision strikes." How am I supposed to do that??
Atlas: Mine's still kind of normal… but I have an inventory. With a staff in it.
Mira: Same. I've got a med kit.
Rei: I've got knives. This is getting weird.
Atlas: XP too. Completing tasks gives points now.
Rei: Yep, got that bar at the top 79 out of 200 EXP
Mira: Why would we need stats, XP, and weapons?
Atlas: Maybe it turns into some interactive text-based RPG?
Rei: Nerd.
Mira: Big nerd.
Atlas: You're literally playing it too.
Rei: Yeah, but I'm cool about it.
Mira: I'm here for the XP, not the roleplay.
Rei: Wonder what happens when we level up.
Atlas: I'm sure we'll get points for our stats, question is, what happens after that?
Rei: Nerd.
Mira: Big nerd.
They teased him until Mira finally said: It's late. Let's meet tomorrow, see what this thing actually does.
Rei: Whole day. I'm in.
Atlas: Sounds good.
8:15am
Saturday morning, they met at a small gaming café off campus. Rows of PCs, snack bar buzzing, quiet groups playing in booths.
Rei was already scrolling through his phone. "Tasks are all over the place today."
Mira checked hers. "Mine says 'provide first aid to three people'—basically hand out water or snacks. And 'assist someone with carrying a load.'"
Atlas read his. "'Jog one mile,' 'complete twenty push-ups,' 'hold a plank for a minute,' and 'take a photo of a local landmark.'"
Rei snorted. "Mine's like a mix of parkour and dares—'climb a three-foot obstacle,' 'tag an object without being seen,' 'take a picture from a high point.'"
They decided to knock out quests together.
First stop—park down the street. Atlas ran the jogging task while Rei timed him, Mira handing him a bottle halfway through to finish one of her own. Rei disappeared into the playground, vaulting over the low wall for his obstacle climb.
Mira pointed to an older man struggling with a box near the benches. "Hang on." She jogged over, helped him carry it to a picnic table, and her phone pinged. "One down."
They moved through the day like that—Atlas knocking out push-ups in the grass while Rei snapped photos of him mid-rep for "proof." Mira bought bottles from a vending machine and passed them to two kids playing frisbee. Rei scaled the outside steps of a public library to get his "high point" shot.
Back near the café, Mira spotted a couple with an overstuffed grocery cart. "Perfect," she said, grabbing a bag to the trunk. Another ping.
Rei grinned, holding up his phone. "125 out of 200 EXP. I can't wait to level up!"
Atlas wiped sweat from his brow. "Yeah. I want see where this goes."
They grabbed late lunch from the café's snack bar, checking off small filler tasks like "eat a fresh fruit" or "drink a hot beverage." Between bites, they compared progress.
Mira leaned back. "I didn't think I'd enjoy this, but… I kind of do."
"Same," Rei said. "It's like getting paid in XP for living."
Atlas smirked. "It's clever. I'll give it that."
By the time they stepped outside, the light was already shifting. Mira checked her phone. "It's getting dark. Let's call it."
"Fine," Rei said. "See you tomorrow."
They split at the intersection—Rei heading east, Mira north. Atlas walked alone toward his dorm.
His hands stayed in his pockets, phone clutched. Every few steps, he pulled it out again, swiping through the tabs.
Stats, Daily Tasks, Quests, Inventory… Skills is locked.
He frowned. Why the specific numbers? Why give him a weapon before he'd even done anything combat-related? The inventory descriptions were vague, just "Item: Collapsible Staff – Reinforced." No details on why, no explanation of how to use it.
He switched to the Messages tab—empty. No tutorial, no notifications beyond the ones he'd already seen.
"Points…" he muttered. "If it is like an RPG, we'll get stat points for sure once leveling up, but what's next after that?"
He was so wrapped up in thinking through the possibilities that his right foot splashed into something cold.
Atlas stopped, startled. He looked down—his sneaker sat in a wide, dark puddle.
His gaze followed the thin trail, and his chest tightened.
Down the alley, half in shadow, a body lay sprawled on the pavement. The red spread under it, thick and glistening. A man stood over it, breathing hard, his grip still tight on something long and sharp.
Atlas froze.
The man's head turned, slow and deliberate. Their eyes met.
Then—ping.
The app projected a holographic screen in front of Atlas.
First Major Quest: Kill or Be Killed
Target: Murderer — Reward: 100 XP
Below it:
Would You Like To Equip 'Reinforced Collapsible Staff?'
Atlas's breath hitched.
"Wh—What…?"