Kai stared at the glowing blue screen floating in front of him, its presence both surreal and mesmerizing. Was this some kind of elaborate joke? A hallucination brought on by medication? He pinched himself lightly, wincing at the sting. Nope, definitely awake. Yet the screen remained, its text glowing steadily:
[User Stats]
Name - Kai Jones
Talent Grade - E (B)
System Level - 1 (0/1000)
Titles -
----------------------
Strength - 4(9)
Agility - 0(12)
Intelligence - 10
Stamina - 8
Charisma - 4(12)
Luck - ??
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Skills -
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Kai's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the stats. From his limited exposure to RPG games—mostly watching others play—it seemed straightforward: the numbers represented his abilities. But what about the numbers in brackets? Strength was listed as 4(9), and Agility as 0(12). Did the higher numbers represent some sort of potential? Or were they values he'd lost? The thought made his stomach sink.
"Could it be because of the accident?" he muttered. His gaze fell to Agility: 0, and his heart clenched. It was a stark reminder of his legs, useless and unmoving beneath the hospital sheets.
Just as the idea hit, a soft chime sounded.
+1 INT
Kai jolted as his thoughts seemed to sharpen, clarity cutting through the fog of confusion. His eyes snapped back to the screen, which had indeed updated:
[User Stats]
Name - Kai Jones
Talent Grade - E (B)
System Level - 1 (0/1000)
Titles -
----------------------
Strength - 4(9)
Agility - 0(12)
Intelligence - 11
Stamina - 8
Charisma - 4(12)
Luck - ??
----------------------
Skills -
----------------------
"Holy crap… this is real," he whispered, his excitement bubbling. No hologram or VR tech he'd ever heard of could do this. The implications were staggering. His mind raced back to the earlier message:
[Welcome User. The S.T.A.R System has been designed to help the host, a.k.a you, become the biggest superstar in Hollywood!]
"Biggest superstar in Hollywood…" Kai repeated, his tone skeptical but tinged with hope. Could this system actually help him achieve something? Help him walk again?
Just as that thought formed, a soft chime interrupted him.
DING
The main menu screen flashed back, and the [Pending Missions]tab began to glow faintly. Hesitant, Kai reached out and mentally selected it.
[Pending Missions]
[The host is suffering from paraplegia. Due to the extreme condition, user's stats have dropped significantly. Configuring the system to assign quests and rewards to rectify the problem.]
Kai froze. The words hung in his mind, weighty and overwhelming. "Quests… and rewards? To fix my legs?" His chest tightened with a mixture of disbelief and desperate hope. If this was real, if it worked, it could be his ticket out of this hospital bed. Out of this life.
But there was no time to dwell. The door creaked open, and Kai snapped his gaze toward it, quickly dismissing the glowing screen. Steven August stepped in, his demeanor calm and professional as always. Following behind was Jeffrey "Zephyr" August, his father, whose energy filled the room like a spark in dry grass.
"Good morning, Mr. Jones," Steven greeted with a polite nod. Jeffrey, on the other hand, beamed.
"Heya, kid! Slept well?"
Kai managed a smile, though his thoughts were still on the system. "Yeah, I did. Thanks for asking."
Before he could say more, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
DING
A new message appeared.
[System detects that host is near Musical Maestro Jeffrey "Zephyr" August. New Mission added to Pending Missions Tab.]
Kai's heart thudded as he opened the tab discreetly.
[Pending Missions]
[System detects that host is near Musical Maestro Jeffrey "Zephyr" August. System detects that the Maestro possesses Skill - [Singing - Level 6 or above.]]
[Quest - Upgrade your singing to level 3 or above.]
Time Limit - 15 days
Rewards - Mysterious Title, B-rank vitality elixir, 250 points.
Failure - The S.T.A.R System will be uninstalled, and the user will live a sad life.
Kai's stomach dropped. "What the—"
"Everything okay, Kai?" Steven asked, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. Kai forced a laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, just a little overwhelmed."
Jeffrey grinned. "I get that. You've been through a lot, but you've got heart, kid. That's what matters."
As Jeffrey launched into an anecdote about his early struggles in the music industry, Kai only half-listened, his thoughts consumed by the new mission. The stakes felt absurdly high. Was this system really threatening to uninstall itself if he failed? What would that even mean?
But then there were the rewards: a B-rank vitality elixir and 250 points. Could the elixir help him recover? And what was the "Mysterious title"?
His musings were interrupted by a knock on the doorframe. Eliza stepped in, her warm smile instantly softening the tension in the room. "Good morning, gentlemen."
"Morning, Eli!" Jeffrey greeted enthusiastically. Steven briefly smiled at his wife gave her a polite nod, then checked his watch. "We'll leave you to it, Kai. Rest up."
As the Augusts left, Eliza moved to Kai's bedside, her expression shifting to one of gentle concern.
"How are you holding up?"
Kai hesitated. "I'm… okay. Just trying to figure everything out."
Eliza pulled up a chair, sitting close. "You've been through a lot, Kai. It's okay to feel overwhelmed. But you don't have to figure everything out at once."
Her words struck a chord, grounding him. He wanted to tell her everything—the screen, the missions, the hope that burned so brightly it was almost painful. But he knew how it would sound. Instead, he nodded. "Thanks, Eliza. I needed that."
She smiled, her presence like a balm. "Just take it one step at a time, alright? You've got people rooting for you. Including me."
Kai's throat tightened. "I'll do my best."
As Eliza busied herself with tidying up, Kai's thoughts returned to the system. One step at a time, she'd said. Maybe that's how he'd approach this too. Figure out the system, complete the missions, and see where it led him.
And if it could really help him walk again… he'd give it everything he had.