The morning after the festival, I woke up to the sound of Mom humming a cheerful tune as she scrubbed the kitchen counter. Dad was outside, probably polishing the same set of tools he'd already cleaned three times this week. Everything felt oddly calm, which, in my experience, usually meant something chaotic was about to happen.
That's when it hit me—the system.
[SYSTEM ALERT: NEW QUEST AVAILABLE!]
I blinked, groggy from sleep, as the glowing blue screen popped into view. The text floated in front of me like a personal invitation to disaster.
Quest: "The Balanced Diet"
Objective: Consume three unique food items in one day. Reward: +1 Strength, +1 Agility.
"Oh, come on," I muttered internally. "I just woke up, and you're already giving me homework?"
The system didn't reply, obviously, because it wasn't sentient. But it felt smug, the way it just hung there, silently daring me to figure out how to accomplish this with a menu consisting of mashed peas and milk.
Mom swooped in to scoop me up from the crib, smiling brightly. "Good morning, my little genius! Did you have fun at the festival?"
I babbled in response, mostly to keep up appearances. Inside, I was plotting. If I wanted to complete this quest, I'd have to diversify my diet—fast.
As she carried me to the kitchen, I spotted the leftovers from the festival sitting on the counter. There was a chunk of roasted chicken, a half-eaten pie, and something green and mushy that I prayed wasn't part of Dad's experiments with "healthy snacks."
"Perfect," I thought. "Let the gourmet journey begin."
Step one was convincing Mom to feed me something other than the usual baby food. This turned out to be easier than expected.
"Let's try something new today, Andreas," she said, reaching for the chicken.
"Yes! Mom, you absolute legend!"
She shredded a tiny piece and held it out to me. I opened my mouth eagerly, and the flavor hit me like a revelation. Juicy, savory, and seasoned to perfection. If this was what the system meant by a "balanced diet," I was all in.
[SYSTEM ALERT: FOOD REGISTERED! 1/3 COMPLETE.]
The notification popped up just as I swallowed, and I had to fight the urge to fist-pump in celebration.
Next up was the pie. Mom seemed hesitant at first, muttering something about "sugar being bad for babies," but one well-timed giggle from me was all it took to sway her. She scooped a tiny piece of the crust and offered it cautiously.
I took a bite, and my taste buds threw a party. Sweet, buttery, with just the right hint of fruit—this pie was a work of art.
[SYSTEM ALERT: FOOD REGISTERED! 2/3 COMPLETE.]
I could practically hear a drumroll in my head. One more to go.
The final hurdle was the green mush. Dad walked into the kitchen just as Mom was scooping some into a tiny bowl.
"You're feeding him that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's spinach," Mom replied defensively. "He needs his vegetables."
Dad shook his head. "Spinach is gross. No one actually likes spinach, not even adults."
"Speak for yourself," Mom shot back. "Andreas is going to love it, aren't you, sweetheart?"
I stared at the bowl like it contained liquid despair. But a quest was a quest, and I wasn't about to let my system down. With the determination of a warrior facing their greatest foe, I opened my mouth.
The taste was... not great. Okay, it was terrible. But I swallowed it down like a champ, earning an approving nod from Mom.
[SYSTEM ALERT: FOOD REGISTERED! QUEST COMPLETE.]
Reward: +1 Strength, +1 Agility!
I felt a warm sensation spread through my tiny body, like I'd just finished a workout montage in a sports movie. My limbs felt slightly stronger, my movements a little smoother. The system wasn't kidding about those stat boosts.
While Mom and Dad bickered about the merits of spinach, I tested my new agility by wiggling out of Mom's grasp just enough to grab a nearby spoon. She gasped in surprise, and Dad laughed.
"See? The kid's already using utensils. He's a genius," Dad said, giving me an approving pat on the head.
Mom looked proud but suspicious. "He's too smart for his age. What if he's... gifted?"
"I mean, I am gifted," I thought smugly, twirling the spoon like a mini baton.
Mom's eyes narrowed. "Or what if he's hiding something?"
Cue internal panic.
"Relax, lady," I thought. "I'm just a baby. A totally normal, super-cute, spoon-wielding baby."
As the day went on, I couldn't stop thinking about the system. If a simple quest like this could give me tangible improvements, what else was possible? Could I eventually unlock magic? Super strength? The ability to charm people into giving me candy?
The possibilities were endless, and the system seemed to agree.
[SYSTEM ALERT: NEW QUEST AVAILABLE!]
Objective: Discover a new skill. Reward: +2 Intelligence.
"Well," I thought, staring at the glowing text. "Looks like tomorrow's going to be interesting."
With that, I leaned back in my crib, clutching my spoon like a trophy, and drifted off to sleep.