The next week became a blur of grinding monotony punctuated by small moments of progress. Wake up at 5 AM, complete daily quests, survive school, hit the gym, work his shift at the gas station, then spend hours hunched over his laptop completing homework assignments for strangers.
Sleep. Repeat.
By the following Wednesday, Jayden had completed forty-seven assignments for a total of $143. Each dollar felt like it had been extracted from his soul through sheer force of will. A geometry worksheet for $2.50. An essay on "The Great Gatsby" for $8. Basic chemistry problems for $3.
The work was mind-numbing, but the system's intelligence boost made it bearable. What would have taken him two hours before now took forty-five minutes. His improved concentration meant he could work longer without mental fatigue. Even his typing speed had increased, though he wasn't sure if that was a system enhancement or just practice.
[QUEST PROGRESS: FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE]
[Current earnings: $143 of $500 required]
[Time remaining: 11 days]
[Current rate insufficient. Acceleration recommended.]
The system's cold assessment matched his own anxiety. At his current pace, he'd barely make $300 by the deadline. He needed higher-paying assignments, but those required credentials and ratings he hadn't built up yet.
One step at a time, he reminded himself during his morning workout. Just keep moving forward.
•
School had developed a new rhythm as well. Jayden had started deliberately arriving early to the library, where he'd inevitably run into Maya. Their interactions were brief but consistent—she'd be shelving books as part of her library assistant duties, he'd be finding a quiet corner to study before first period.
"Morning," he said on Thursday, nodding to her as she pushed a cart of returned books past his table.
Maya glanced up, startled as always, then offered a small nod. "Morning."
Progress. Two weeks ago, she would have just hurried past without acknowledgment. Now she was actually responding, even if her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Big math test today?" she asked quietly, gesturing to his open textbook.
Jayden looked up, surprised. It was the first time she'd initiated conversation beyond basic pleasantries. "Yeah. Mr. Peterson's class. You have him?"
She shook her head. "Different period. But I heard he's tough."
"That's an understatement," Jayden said with a slight smile. "He makes questions specifically designed to trip you up."
Maya's lips quirked into something that might have been the ghost of a smile. "That's because most students just memorize formulas without understanding the concepts. If you understand the 'why' behind the math, his tricks don't work."
It was the most she'd ever said to him in one go. Jayden found himself genuinely curious. "You're good at math?"
A faint blush colored her cheeks. "It's one of my better subjects."
Before Jayden could respond, the warning bell rang. Maya quickly pushed her cart toward the shelving section, but as she passed, she said something so quietly he almost missed it: "Good luck on your test."
[SIDE QUEST PROGRESS: MYSTERIOUS HELPER]
[Relationship status: Acquaintance → Friendly Acquaintance]
[Maya Reyes: Trust level 15%]
Reyes. So that was her last name. Jayden filed the information away as he gathered his books and headed to first period.
•
The gym had become his sanctuary. Even with his body still healing from Jake's beating—the bruises had faded to yellowish shadows, though his ribs still ached when he twisted wrong—the physical exertion felt cleansing.
"You're getting stronger," Trina observed on Friday afternoon as Jayden completed his third set of chest presses. "That's fifty pounds now. You were struggling with twenty your first week."
"Doesn't feel like much," Jayden said between breaths.
"That's a hundred and fifty percent increase in two weeks. Most people take months to see that kind of progress." She studied him with professional curiosity. "You eating enough protein? Getting enough sleep?"
Jayden thought about his diet of cheap carbs and whatever was on sale. "Doing my best."
Trina made a thoughtful sound. "Nutrition matters. Your body can't build muscle without raw materials." She disappeared into the office and returned with a container of protein powder. "Sample pack from one of our vendors. Try mixing a scoop with water after your workouts. It'll help."
"I can't—" Jayden started, knowing he couldn't afford even basic supplements.
"It's a free sample," Trina interrupted firmly. "Company gives them to us all the time. Otherwise it just sits in the office collecting dust."
The lie was transparent but kind. Jayden accepted the container with a nod of gratitude. "Thanks, Trina."
"Don't mention it. Just keep showing up and putting in the work."
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETED: Physical exercise]
[BONUS: Proper nutrition guidance received]
[+5 XP, +2 bonus XP]
Walking home from the gym, Jayden saw a familiar figure struggling with grocery bags outside the apartment complex. Mrs. Kowalski—the landlord's wife—was trying to balance three overloaded bags while searching for her keys.
"Need help?" Jayden offered, approaching quickly.
She looked up, startled, then relieved. "Oh, you're from 3B, aren't you? Jayden?"
"Yes, ma'am." He took two of the bags, surprised by their weight. What did she have in here, bricks?
"Thank you, dear. My husband usually helps with the groceries, but he's been… busy lately." Something flickered across her face—an emotion Jayden couldn't quite identify. Disappointment? Resignation?
Mrs. Kowalski was probably in her late thirties, with tired eyes and the kind of worn beauty that suggested she'd been stunning once. She moved with a slight limp, and Jayden noticed a fading bruise on her forearm that her sleeve didn't quite cover.
"I can carry them up for you," he said.
"That's very kind."
They climbed the stairs in silence, Mrs. Kowalski moving slowly. Their apartment was on the second floor—nicer than the units above, with better maintenance and newer fixtures. The privilege of being the landlord, Jayden supposed.
"Just set them on the counter, please," she said, unlocking the door.
Jayden complied, trying not to stare at the apartment's interior. It was neat and clean, but there was something sad about it—like a stage set for a happy home rather than an actual happy home.
"Thank you so much, Jayden. You're a good boy." She smiled warmly, and for a moment Jayden caught a glimpse of who she must have been before life with Kowalski had worn her down. "Your sister is lucky to have you."
The mention of Carmen made Jayden's stomach tighten. "Mrs. Kowalski, can I ask you something?"
"Of course, dear."
"How did you and Mr. Kowalski meet?"
The question was inappropriate, and he knew it, but he couldn't help himself. Looking at this kind woman and thinking about the predatory way her husband had looked at Carmen—it didn't make sense.
Mrs. Kowalski's expression grew distant. "High school sweethearts. He was different back then. Charming, ambitious, full of dreams." She touched the bruise on her arm unconsciously. "People change, I suppose."
He doesn't deserve you, Jayden thought but didn't say. Instead he just nodded and headed for the door.
"Jayden?" She called after him. "Be careful around my husband. He's not… he's not always a good man."
The warning hung in the air between them, heavy with implications. Jayden nodded again and left, his mind churning with dark thoughts.
Those dark thoughts crystallized into cold reality when he reached his own apartment door and found Kowalski waiting there, leaning against the wall like he owned the place. Which, technically, he did.
"Jayden. Perfect timing." The landlord's smile was all teeth and no warmth. "We need to talk."
"About the rent," Jayden said flatly. "Carmen said we'd have it by—"
"Friday, I know. But I wanted to talk to you about an alternative arrangement." Kowalski pushed off the wall and stepped closer, invading Jayden's personal space in a way that made his skin crawl. "See, I'm a reasonable man. A kind man. I like to help people."
A kind man doesn't proposition his tenant's sister, Jayden thought, but kept his expression neutral.
"I've noticed your sister—Carmen, right?—is quite remarkable. Smart, hardworking, beautiful." The way he said 'beautiful' made Jayden want to put his fist through the man's face. "I'd like to get to know her better."
"She's not interested," Jayden said coldly.
"Now, you don't know that. See, I think there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not suggesting anything improper—I'm married, after all." The lie came easily to him. "I just think Carmen and I could be friends. Maybe I could mentor her, help her with career advice. She's trying to become a nurse, right? I know people in the medical field."
"She has her own mentors."
Kowalski's smile thinned. "You're not being very cooperative, Jayden. I'm offering to help your family, and all I'm asking is for you to put in a good word for me. Be my wingman, so to speak. Just help me get a little closer to Carmen so we can build a friendship."
"You have a wife," Jayden said, nodding toward the second-floor apartment.
The landlord's expression darkened. "My relationship with my wife is none of your concern. And frankly, she's not relevant to this conversation."
"Then neither is Carmen."
For a moment, Kowalski's mask slipped completely, revealing something ugly underneath. His voice dropped to a threatening whisper. "Listen to me, kid. I've been patient with your family—two weeks late on rent, another month coming up. But my patience has limits."
He stepped even closer, and Jayden caught a whiff of alcohol on his breath. "You're what, seventeen? Eighteen? You're becoming a man, and men sometimes need to make hard choices to protect their families. I'm not asking for much. Just help me spend some time with your sister, maybe invite me over for dinner, talk me up a bit."
As he spoke, Kowalski licked his lips—a quick, nervous gesture that made Jayden's stomach turn. The implication was clear: his interest wasn't limited to Carmen.
"I'm not helping you with anything," Jayden said, forcing himself to meet the man's eyes despite every instinct screaming at him to back down.
Kowalski's expression went flat and dangerous. "Then you better have that rent money by Friday. All of it, plus next month's in advance. Because if you don't, I'm starting eviction proceedings. And trust me, I can make that process very… unpleasant."
He leaned In close enough that Jayden could feel his breath on his face. "You've got one week to think about it. Either you help me get what I want, or your family is out on the street. Your choice, Jayden."
The landlord stepped back, his predatory smile returning. "I'll see you Friday. Think carefully about your decision."
Jayden watched him descend the stairs, rage and helplessness churning in his gut. When he was sure Kowalski was gone, he let himself into the apartment and slumped against the door.
[CRITICAL THREAT IDENTIFIED]
[FAMILY SECURITY COMPROMISED]
[TIMELINE ACCELERATED]
[URGENT: Complete financial quest within 7 days or face severe consequences]
The system's warning blazed across his vision in red text instead of the usual gold. Jayden didn't need the notification to understand the stakes. He had one week to come up with rent money—probably close to $1,200 between what they owed and what Kowalski was demanding in advance—or find a way to deal with the landlord problem permanently.
$143 of $500. Eleven days left on his original quest, but Kowalski had just cut that timeline to seven.
Jayden pulled out his laptop and logged into AcademicAssist. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he searched for higher-paying assignments, anything that could accelerate his earnings. A college-level English essay for $25. A complex statistics project for $40. A research paper on environmental policy for $50.
All of them required skills he barely had, but the system's intelligence boost would help. It had to help.
He accepted three assignments that terrified him and got to work. There was no time for hesitation, no room for failure. His family's safety hung in the balance, and for the first time since activating the system, Jayden understood why it had chosen him specifically.
Because he had something to fight for. Something worth conquering the impossible.
As his fingers flew across the keyboard, transforming half-understood concepts into coherent academic prose, the system hummed with approval.
Now you understand, it whispered. This is what desperation forged into determination looks like. This is how victims become victors.
Jayden worked through the night, fueled by protein powder, cheap coffee, and the kind of focused rage that came from having no other choice. By dawn, he'd completed two of the three assignments and was halfway through the third.
$115 earned in a single night. Still nowhere near enough, but it was a start.
And if money wasn't enough to solve his problems… well, the system had other rewards in store. Strength. Intelligence. Skills he was only beginning to understand.
One way or another, Robert Kowalski was going to regret threatening his family.
The conquest system hummed its agreement, and Jayden Martinez got back to work.