Morning. After closer inspection of my new powers, I realized I can write down notes, set up alarms, make calls, and also take photos and stuff with like 100K quality. I also have a flashlight that is only visible to me. Quite handy for school, if I have to say so myself
While in class, I paid attention to yet another math lesson. I was patiently waiting for the teacher to ask a question because my main quest was this:
[Main Quest: Answer one question correctly (It has to be a teacher's question)]
REWARD: Permanent card
Also, my brother from another mother, Astro, gave me a relatively easy side quest:
[Side Quest: Talk to an older woman ;)]
REWARD: 1x Card(s)
I HAVE to answer a question
"Hey dude, do you have any notes?" the guy sitting behind me asked
I had no need for notes since I literally took photos of the board in my mind
"Sorry dude, I don't have any. I'm a visual learner"
I'm just lucky
As I spectated the lesson, the best-case scenario played out
"Who can answer this question of mine, guys? Just so you know, if you are correct, you are going to have a slight increase in your grade, but if you answer incorrectly, you will have a major decrease in your grade!" our math teacher told us with a smile
I confidently raised my hand.
"Lucky Jack, you seem to be sure. Why don't you try to answer?"
Okay, now I use my card… But how… Do I... Use it…?
"Are you going to answer or did you want something else?"
Just the question I needed!
"Can I use the bathroom, please?"
"Go ahead, but don't raise your hand for this when I ask you a question, please!" She said, letting out a giggle
The class laughed too
[TWO MISSIONS COMPLETED!]
Huh? I guess "what do you want" is also a question, huh? I guess I got… Okay, I get it, I'm lucky, but this much luck has made me careless. I shouldn't depend on my luck but use it to enhance my other stats
Upon going to the bathroom, I played a bit with my power so I could figure out what I want to do. Turns out I have to drag the card out of my inventory to activate its effect, and if I want to cancel it, I just think of canceling it
"Actually, you can use them by thinking about them too," Astro told me. He sounded like he was in the back of my mind
"But that didn't work!"
"That's because you hesitated! Just go about it fearlessly and you will succeed."
I guess I should try again later, but now I got to see my rewards
TACTICAL: PERMANENT
God-like type
IN SIGHT: You can inspect other people's stats
Damn, that's good. I didn't realize that was needed, and it's a god-like too!
"Don't get excited about its type. This card is a guaranteed drop because it's essential. Now unbox the other; I wonder what you will get!" Astro told me, killing my vibe
TACTICAL: ETHEREAL
The next joke you are going to say has a good chance to make the other laugh {Luck/Charisma}
"Hey Astro, what's that symbol mean?"
"It basically means that this card scales with that stat, meaning your luck and charisma are affecting this card's success," Astro explained
I guess I can make others 100% laugh. Cool, I guess, but it's not going to help me… Now I have three cards in my arsenal but probably no use for them…
When I returned to class, I realized nobody had answered the question, so I asked, "Is the offer for the grade still up?"
"Not for you! You went to the bathroom and probably searched for the answer! Not that you would understand it…"
Her appearance makes her look so harmless, but her actions prove otherwise
"Then try me! If I'm wrong, kick me out of the school!"
When I said that, I attracted quite the crowd
"Let him answer, ma'am!" one person said
"I can't wait to see him fail" Said a girl at the back of the class
"Okay then, Jack, answer the question written on the board"
I took a deep breath and tried to answer, but as soon as I spoke, it was over. The class was surprised, and the teacher was laughing
"Not a single flaw! I guess I underestimated you! Bonus points to you!" Our teacher said with a smile
Astro was right! I shouldn't doubt this power he gave me. Also, what should I do with the other card? Wait, let me use the stat card on the teacher
Strength: 6/10
Defense: 5/10
Speed: 7/10
Intelligence: 9/10
Charisma: 7/10
Luck: 5/10
She is super smart. I guess she doesn't teach three university-level subjects for no reason. She is also stronger than me? I guess I have to hit the gym before I get beat up again, unable to fight back. I should also use this card on Joya when I get the chance to
…
After that, everything went smoothly. I didn't have anyone mess with me, and I also didn't see the guys that attacked me last time, which is slightly alarming. But I figure that's because of their injuries. I wouldn't have come either, because my body hurts, but I wanted to test out the power
…
I enjoyed a free meal, which is provided to everyone in the cafeteria, and then headed to shop for some things. Many items you can get at the shop depend on your grade, so the expensive stuff is only accessible to the top students. But even if you are the worst of the worst, getting free stuff is a nice thing here. I guess if all the countries came together, they could create a real paradise on Earth
Now I'm walking through an alley, which is a shortcut to my dorm, but when I passed through it, I saw someone familiar
"Miss me?" The white-haired guy told me. He had stitches and bandages on his face.
Strength: 5/10 -
Defense: 2/10 -
Speed: 3/10 -
Intelligence: 4/10
Charisma: 3/10
Luck: 4/10
Some of his stats had a minus sign near them, so I assume it's because of his injuries. I might stand a chance if he is alone
"What, are you going to fight back? Do you know what group I belong to?"
"It's just you though, I don't see your group, so I don't care"
"Is that so? Then come at me, fucker!"
The guy said as he charged at me. I threw a punch that landed. It must be because of my speed, but he also landed one, which wasn't that damaging. Punch after punch, the guy, even though he had no defense, wouldn't fall. My strength sucks, and I'm getting too tired to throw any meaningful punches
BANG!
His next punch came in like a missile. I was stunned. Even with my defense stat at 6, I still got beaten up by him… I guess he has fighting experience, and I don't…
But I have this!
"What do you call a hornless unicorn?" I asked him
Clearly confused, he answered "What?"
"A horse, stupid!"
Suddenly, he started bursting out laughing. That's when I pulled my whole body back and struck him with the strongest punch I could throw, knocking him out
[SECRET QUEST COMPLETED]
REWARD: 1x physical card
Secret quest? Astro didn't tell me about anything like that! And was the quest to take revenge on him? I guess this encounter was better than I thought
…
"Secret quests? That must be an error because I never planned something like this. But who cares? It benefits you anyway, so don't worry!" Astro said as he simply shrugged this off
"I guess… Astro, one more thing! Would you mind telling me what the types mean?" I asked, confused
"Oh, I forgot to when I told you about them? Why didn't you remind me? Anyway, physical cards improve your physical stats and can vary from anything like a strength boost or jump boost to others. Tactical cards are mostly things you need experience to do, like a basketball shot or cooking something you don't know. And lastly, theoretical cards provide you knowledge of stuff like predicting someone's words or acquiring good knowledge on topics like math."
After the explanation, I revealed my card.
PHYSICAL: ETHEREAL
Your next critical hit will deal 500% more damage rather than 200%
Critical hit? I can do that too? I wonder what I could do to trigger them? Maybe a kick straight to someone's nuts is considered a crit…
After asking Astro, he too had no idea, so I stopped bothering with my power today and texted Joya. I told him about my encounter, and he congratulated me on my victory
…
Tomorrow came, and our day was packed with physical exercises. We started with running, followed by push-ups and sit-ups before finally doing some weight training. I was out for good! Our teacher, who happened to also be our math teacher again, told us to get some measurements so she could grade us based on our improvement. I guess even PE is tough in this school
"I'm surprised you lasted more than two days" A brown-haired girl said as she sat next to me.
"What?"
"You are the lucky student, aren't you? I'm assuming you have no money and no talent since you don't seem to be any more special than a 16-year-old boy I see in the streets. So I guess you are either smart, which I doubt, or the lucky pick" She explained her reasoning very well, and I can't really tell her she's wrong but…
Haven't I seen this girl somewhere?
Strength: 6/10
Defense: 5/10
Speed: 8/10
Intelligence: 7/10
Charisma: 7/10
Luck: 4/10
Her speed is amazing, so she must be her, right?
"Maria Ronison, come forward!" Our teacher said.
Yeah, that's it! She is the famous acrobatics and track team chick who won the gold medal at the junior level of acrobatics! I only know of her because my crush used to be into gymnastics, and she used to talk about her. Small world…
"Most of our students are not as flexible as you, and flexibility is a valuable trait. Why don't you demonstrate for us how a human body should work?" our teacher told her
Maria did many amazing things like bringing her leg up to her face. She also managed to hug her legs, and then did an impressive split. After that demonstration, she sat next to me. I felt many eyes looking in our direction, but I guess that's logical considering what Maria just did
"Everyone, pick the closest person to you to be your partner for flexibility exercises!" Our teacher said
I awkwardly looked at Maria
"What? I get it. We are partners for now. Why are you staring?"
"Oh, it's nothing! I'm Jack Troin! Nice to meet you! A friend of mine is a big fan of yours!"
She didn't respond. What a cold woman…
"So, now for starters, help your partner stretch their back!"
I helped Maria first because we would finish quicker this way, but in reality, Maria didn't even need my help. I just slightly pushed her on the back
Now that it's my turn, I'm getting sort of nervous. I got into stance, and Maria pushed me very hard. I could hardly go as low as Maria could, but she kept on pushing
"Wait a minute, it hurts! I can't go lower!" I told her through my moans of pain
"Because you have never pushed yourself! If you always think you can't go further than this, you will never progress! Just take it in like a man!" Maria told me as she kept on pushing
After a long minute, it was over, and honestly, it felt nice after we were done
"Alright, kids, now let's move on to the legs!"
Shiiiiiiit…
…
After the torture was over, I sat near a vending machine that was out and enjoyed a cold orange juice. It was a hot September day, after all
[Main Quest: Make a new friend]
REWARDS: 1x permanent card and 1x random card
The main quest updated too! I guess I have to get moving!
"Hey, what's up?"
It was Maria
"Eh… Not much. I just figured out this is a good place to relax…" I told Maria with a smile
She then got a drink of her own and silently sat next to me
"What group did you get into?" She asked
"I'm a soloist. I prefer not to be in debt or under anyone. I know that's dangerous, but I'm willing to live like that, and if I die, then I'm okay dying"
At that moment, it hit me… A beautiful girl talking randomly to me out of nowhere and then asking my group? She definitely wants to hurt me
"Whoa, why did you get so defensive? I know this school is a mess, but not everyone wants each other dead!" She said as she laughed at my actions
It was a bit embarrassing
"I'm sorry, but on the first day I was here, I almost got killed. If it wasn't for a random guy, I would be dead…"
She giggled
"Random guy? You mean a friend? Nobody would risk being the target of a group for someone they didn't know. He must really like you!" She told me with a smile
"I guess you figured me out…"
"Haha, I knew you weren't the smartest person! But don't worry, I acted mean to you because I didn't want to seem weak in front of others. To be honest, I can't really show weakness around anyone here…" She said with a sad tone to her voice.
"But here you are, talking to me…"
She slowly looked at me
Oh shit, I said that out loud…
"You seem naive, so I guess you wouldn't hurt me if you knew I wasn't hostile. And turns out you are a soloist so I guess I was right!" She said as she smiled
"What group are you in?" I asked her as I took a sip of my juice
"The Crimson Butterflies group. Our maestro is a pretty crazy guy who accepted me because of my track team association and my gymnastics experience! I guess I got lucky, many groups take in women for pleasure…" she said as she curled up
"Hey Maria, can people in different groups be friends?" I asked her, considering my quest
"Well yeah, but only if you are not very associated with the group. I mean, I am probably used for the group in sports, so I don't have any reason not to be friends with someone else. But people in the fighting force or close to the maestro must not have any friends from different groups"
I guess I can ask her to be my friend then, not just because of my mission but also because I want to
"Do you think we can be friends with a soloist?" I looked at the ground while asking that
"Sure, we can be friends! After all, you are lucky, Jack!" She said as she laughed
[MISSION COMPLETED]
AWARDS:
PHYSICAL: PERMANENT
GOD-LIKE TYPE
Crit chance: You have a low chance when you hit an enemy to heavily damage them with a critical hit {Luck}
PHYSICAL: ETHEREAL
Improve your flexibility by 5%
Damn, I guess one-time use cards like this are like candy in a Pokémon video game. I quickly activated the ethereal card, and I already felt more flexible. Also, now I can finally use the other ethereal card I got! I'm starting to get excited with this new power
"So who's your friend that helped you? There aren't many soloists in the school!" She told me, confused
"He is Joya. I doubt you know him"
When I told her his name, Maria jumped
"No way… I heard that our maestro had set up a duel under the north bridge with a guy named Joya! It was something about a girl…" She said anxiously
I have to find him…
"SORRY, MARIA! BUT I HAVE TO HELP HIM!"
I said as I ran as fast as I could to the north bridge