"Kade?" my mother peeked into the room. "What are you doing?"
I flinched and quickly hid the system window.
"Nothing much," I said, turning to her. "Just checking what tasks are available. Nothing interesting, as usual. Just the same useless stuff."
She stepped inside and hesitated for a moment, as if unsure where to start. Then she held out a few bills.
"It's not much…" she said. "Some pocket money. For transport, for food."
I took the money automatically.
"Mom, things are already hard for you…"
"I know," she interrupted gently. "But our money has always been shared. And it's a good thing the account was under my control. I picked up a couple of side jobs. We'll manage."
She looked at me more closely.
"You were… at work, right?"
I nodded.
"I got fired yesterday," I said calmly. "You probably understand… I wasn't in the right state to work properly. I messed up. So they let me go."
She tensed.
"But don't worry," I added quickly. "I already found a side job today. Courier work. I'll start tomorrow, working properly, at full capacity."
She exhaled, as if she had been holding her breath this whole time.
"Just be careful," she said after a pause. "Please. Don't do anything stupid. Don't get involved in anything illegal. Don't make bets like your father did…"
Her voice trembled.
"You're… you're the only precious person I have left."
I nodded.
"I promise. I'll be careful."
She gave a faint smile and left, quietly closing the door behind her.
I stared at the door for a few seconds, then exhaled.
Alright.I have a job.So things aren't completely hopeless yet.
I summoned the system again.
"Are there any additional tasks?"
####################
SYSTEM — RESPONSE
No additional tasks available.
####################
"Figures…" I muttered.
Then I tried another option.
"Intelligence development."
The window changed almost instantly.
####################
SYSTEM — TASK
Read one magic book.
Reward:
• Intelligence +1• Charisma +1• Secret artifact
Failure penalty:
• Intelligence -2• Intelligence development requests blocked for 10 days
####################
I froze.
The same task.
I narrowed my eyes, as if the text might change if I stared hard enough.
"So you really didn't go anywhere…" I muttered.
I calculated the route in my head.Where the nearest library was.How long it would take to get there.How long the reading itself would take.
One day.
It was risky.
I didn't accept the task.
Instead, I asked a different question.
"System. What are the ways to increase levels?"
The window didn't disappear. It… changed.
####################
SYSTEM — REFERENCE INFORMATION
Methods of development:
• Completing tasks• Independent self-improvement• Using artifacts• Attribute certificates• Hidden mechanics
Additional note:
Attribute growth is not a linear process.Some methods accelerate growth, while others alter its direction.
Note:
Discovered items, certificates, and artifactsrequire study and conscious application.Accumulation without understanding reduces efficiency.
Warning:
The system records user behavior.Choices made at early stagesaffect available development paths in the future.
####################
I read the text twice.
"So… just collecting things isn't enough," I said quietly.
The "Luck +1" certificate came to mind.
I realized I hadn't even tried to understand what I had actually been given.
The system wasn't pushing me.It wasn't explaining things outright.It was just leaving hints.
As if testing whether I would think—or just press "Accept."
I closed the window.
"Alright," I told myself. "First, I look. Then I decide."
I changed clothes, taking off my worn-out sports gear. I found a relatively clean jacket, jeans without stains—enough to not get kicked out the moment I walked in.
I checked the money. My documents.
"Well then," I smirked. "Time to start for real."
I left the apartment and headed toward the library.