"Next Task: Try meditating for five minutes."
With a resigned sigh, he sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind.
At first, it was impossible. Thoughts bounced around his head like ping-pong balls: What's for dinner? Did I leave the stove on? Is the dog from the park okay? Did I message my girlfriend? Do I even have one...
But as the minutes passed, his mind began to settle. The chaos faded into the background, replaced by a strange sense of calm.
When he opened his eyes, the app buzzed.
"Task Complete: You have received +1 Wisdom."
Alex chuckled.
The day had been exhausting, but somehow, Alex felt like he'd accomplished more than he had in weeks.
The Quest App was turning his lazy, uneventful life into something... better.
"Alright, Quest App," he said, staring at his phone. "What's next?"
The smell of ramen wafted through Alex's room as he sat cross-legged on the floor, slurping noodles and eyeing the Quest App on his phone.
It had been a few hours since his last task—organizing his sock drawer—and the app had gone eerily silent.
"Come on," he muttered, jabbing at the screen. "Don't leave me hanging now. I actually made my bed this morning. You owe me."
Dylan, sprawled on Alex's couch with an open bag of chips, raised an eyebrow.
"You know, you're way too into this thing. What's next? 'Pet a dog for +5 Empathy' or something?"
"That'd actually be kinda cool," Alex replied, twirling his chopsticks. "But no, it's weird. It's like it's waiting for something."
Dylan popped a chip into his mouth. "Maybe it's testing your patience. Like a 'meta quest' or whatever."
Alex groaned. "That's dumb."
"You're the one talking to an app, dude."
Before Alex could retort, his phone buzzed. He almost spilled his ramen scrambling to grab it.
"New Task: Cook a meal for two people."
"Cook?" Dylan asked, leaning over. "You? Cook? Are they trying to kill you?"
Alex glared at him. "Hey, I made a salad yesterday. Sort of."
"Pretty sure tossing carrots on a plate doesn't count."
Ignoring him, Alex read the fine print. "It says 'for two people.' Guess that means you're eating whatever I make."
Dylan recoiled. "No thanks. I'd like to live to see tomorrow."
"You're the one who keeps stealing my snacks," Alex shot back, already heading to the kitchen.
"So unless you want me to report you to the Snack Police, you're stuck with my cooking."
The fridge offered little inspiration. Some eggs, half a loaf of bread, a lone tomato that had seen better days.
Alex frowned. "This is gonna be... experimental."
Dylan hovered at the doorway. "Experimental sounds like code for 'please call an ambulance.'"
"Shut up and preheat the oven," Alex replied. "We're making... uh... a casserole. I think."
Two hours later, the "casserole" sat on the table like a defeated boss monster in a video game.
It was an unholy amalgamation of bread, eggs, cheese, and whatever else Alex had found lying around.
"Well?" Alex asked, gesturing grandly. "Feast your eyes on the future of cuisine!"
Dylan stared at it. "I think it's staring back at me."
"Just try it!"
With great reluctance, Dylan took a bite. He chewed slowly, as though expecting the food to fight back. After a long pause, he swallowed and said, "Not bad. Like... surprisingly not bad."
Alex grinned. "See? Told you I'm a culinary genius."
His phone buzzed.
"Task Complete: +1 Creativity, +1 Cooking Skill."
"Cooking skill?" Dylan read over his shoulder. "Wait, is this thing serious? It gives you actual skills now?"
"Guess so," Alex said, a little too smugly. "Looks like I'm leveling up in life."
"Great," Dylan replied. "Now level up your cleaning skill and deal with this mess."
Later that evening, after Dylan had left and the kitchen was semi-clean, Alex lay on his bed scrolling through the app's stats page.
[Name: Alex]
[Charisma: 2]
[Health: 4]
[Strength: 5]
[Wisdom: 3]
[Dexterity: 2]
[Luck: 1]
[Creativity: 1]
[Cooking: 1]
"Still pretty low. How am I supposed to become a sage with these numbers?"
He frowned. Alex didn't know the baseline of the stats panel but looking at the low numbers, he could guess how low it was.
"Based on how much stats I gained minus the current stats..."
Alex tried to calculate how much stats he has before the Quest App appeared.
[Charisma: 1]
[Health: 2]
[Strength: 2]
[Wisdom: 1]
[Dexterity: 1]
"Is this my stats?. is 1 normal? and what about luck? Does this mean I have 0 luck, creativity, and cooking?"
Alex was puzzled with how the app calculated his stats.
The app buzzed, as if in response.
"New Task: Help a neighbor."
Alex sat up. "What is this, Who even needed help this late?"
He checked the time. It was almost 8 p.m.
But the app's tasks were non-negotiable, so he threw on a hoodie and stepped out into the hall.
The familiar scent of his neighbor's overused incense greeted him immediately.
Mrs. Hernandez lived across the hall, and her apartment smelled perpetually like sandalwood and optimism.
He knocked on her door.
It opened almost immediately. Mrs. Hernandez, a sprightly woman in her seventies, beamed up at him. "Alex! What a pleasant surprise."
"Hey, Mrs. H. Uh, do you need help with anything?"
Her eyes lit up. "Actually, yes! My TV's been acting up all day. I was just about to call someone, but if you're here..."
Alex followed her inside, where an old CRT television sat blinking ominously.
He fiddled with the antenna, checked the cables, and pressed random buttons until the static finally cleared.
"There you go," he said, stepping back.
Mrs. Hernandez clapped her hands. "Oh, you're a lifesaver! Thank you, Alex."
As he left, his phone buzzed.
"Task Complete: +1 Empathy, +1 Wisdom."
Alex chuckled. "Called it."
Back in his room, Alex flopped onto his bed, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and exhaustion.
The tasks were mundane, sure, but they had a way of making him feel... accomplished.
He stared at the app. "Alright, what's next?"
The screen flickered for a moment before a new notification appeared:
"New Task: Get some sleep."
Alex snorted. "Okay, now you're just being bossy."
He didn't argue with the app as he is also tired.
He set his phone down, pulled the blanket over his head, and let the Quest App guide him into the easiest task of all.