The morning light cut through my bedroom window, pale and uninviting, but I didn't care. I had points to spend and skills to explore. The quiet thrill of possibility pulsed through me.
"Enhanced Perception active. Best Welder at level 3. Points available: 930," Notice said.
I frowned. Points. Skills. Tools. All of it felt like a ladder, and I was ready to climb—but which rung first?
I stared at the rusted bike I'd fixed yesterday. Then at the piano in the corner, keys chipped, strings loose. Then at the metal scraps piled by the window. My mind raced. Why settle for what I knew? Why not push further?
"Experimentation recommended," Notice added. "Learning through challenge accelerates growth."
I grinned. Dangerous? Maybe. Fun? Definitely.
I started small. I imagined the metal scraps aligning into something useful—something I hadn't tried before. The pieces floated, shifted, clicked… and I formed a crude but functional tool: a multipurpose lockpick. My chest swelled. I had built something new, not just fixed something old.
Next, the piano. I tried something harder: a melody I had never played before, intricate, haunting. My fingers stumbled, notes screamed, but I persisted. Slowly, the music began to flow. Imperfect, jagged, yet beautiful. My heart lifted with every note.
"Skill efficiency improving," Notice said. "Confidence and creativity feed each other. Your limits are expanding."
I leaned back against the floor, chest heaving. I realized something—my skills weren't just tools to survive. They were a way to express myself, to take control, to experiment. My broken past didn't have to define me. I could shape, create, repair… and maybe even inspire.
Then a shadow of doubt crept in. Could I handle what was coming next? I had small victories, some courage, a few upgrades… but the world beyond my small room was messy, chaotic, and unpredictable. Could my skills save me when the stakes weren't just furniture or instruments, but people, choices… life itself?
I clenched my fists, letting the tension settle. For now, this—creating, experimenting, learning—was enough. The rest… I'd face when it came.
"Prepare for growth," Notice whispered. "The next challenge will require all you have learned and more."
And somehow, for the first time, I didn't feel afraid. Not completely.
I was Mizu. I was learning. I was ready to see how far I could go.