Alex approached cautiously, crouching to appear less threatening. The cat hissed at first but didn't run, likely too uncomfortable to move.
"Hey, buddy," Alex said softly. "Let me help you out."
He gently held the ring in one hand and used his other to carefully loosen it, freeing the cat's paw. The cat hesitated, then meowed again, its tail twitching.
"There you go," Alex said, watching as it darted away.
Dramathor clapped his tiny gauntlets together. "Victory! You have shown kindness to a creature in need."
"Yeah, yeah," Alex said, brushing his hands off. "Let's see what the app has to say."
His phone buzzed almost immediately.
[Quest Complete]
[Reward: +2 Luck]
Alex blinked. "Luck? That's it?"
Before he could complain further, another notification popped up:
[Lucky Bonus Activated!]
[Reward Doubled: +4 Luck]
His jaw dropped. "Holy—four Luck?! That's a huge jump!"
"Your fortune has turned, Master Alex!" Dramathor declared, performing a small victory dance mid-air.
"Okay, so Dylan's theory worked," Alex said, still marveling at his updated stats. "Helping a cat really did tie into the reward."
"Perhaps the type of creature indeed influences the nature of the reward," Dramathor mused, tapping his chin. "You must explore this further, noble master!"
Alex smirked. "You just want to keep playing hero, don't you?"
Dramathor puffed out his chest. "A hero must seize every opportunity to grow stronger!"
Alex glanced at his updated panel and chuckled, sliding his phone back into his pocket.
"Whatever you say, Thor."
[Name: Alex]
[Charisma: 5]
[Health: 9]
[Stamina: 7]
[Wisdom: 9]
[Dexterity: 7]
[Luck: 5]
[Creativity: 4]
[Cooking: 3]
[Empathy: 3]
[Passive Skill: Lucky Bonus, Combat Instinct]
[Spirit: Name:? - Guardian Spirit]
...
Alex's cheek leaned against a vending machine. He squinted at the selection of snacks, his finger poised over the keypad.
"Alright, Thor," Alex said, lowering his voice. "Let's test this so-called Luck stat of mine."
Dramathor, hovering invisibly beside him, crossed his tiny gauntleted arms. "Master Alex, your fortune is not something to be trifled with for mere snacks. Surely, your newfound Luck should be reserved for grander pursuits!"
Alex ignored him, punching in the code for a bag of chips. The machine whirred, the chips dropping into the tray. But then, the unexpected happened: a second bag slid down right after it.
"Ha! Double chips!" Alex grinned, holding up his loot.
Dramathor puffed out his chest proudly. "A trivial victory, yet a sign of your rising fortune! Perhaps your destiny shines brighter than even I imagined."
"Yeah, yeah, let's not get carried away." Alex tore open one of the bags, popping a chip into his mouth.
Although Alex said it, he still tried to do it again. Unfortunately this time only one potato chip dropped.
"Well, it's to be expected." Alex was not that disappointed with the situation.
According to Thor, having a 1-5 stats is still in normal range, that means people having luck of 5 is not that uncommon.
As Alex strolled toward class, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw a new notification from the Quest App:
[New Quest: Navigate Chaos – Maintain composure in an unexpected situation. Reward: ???]
Alex groaned, rolling his eyes. "Another vague quest. What does that even mean?"
"Chaos," Dramathor said, his tiny sword raised dramatically, "is the crucible in which heroes are forged! You must face the storm with unwavering courage!"
"Great," Alex muttered. "Wait... What will happened if there's no unexpected situation?"
Dramathor thought for a moment.
"I don't know master."
Alex looked at his tiny friend dumbfoundedly.
...
At school, Alex spotted Mia sitting on a bench near the library. She was unusually quiet, staring off into the distance.
"Hey," Alex called out, walking over. "Everything okay?"
Mia glanced up, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, hey. Yeah, just... thinking about stuff."
Alex tilted his head, curious. "Stuff like what?"
Mia hesitated, then shrugged. "It's nothing. Just family things."
He debated whether to press further but decided against it. Instead, he sat down beside her.
"Family can be... complicated," Alex offered.
She looked at him, her gaze softening. "Yeah, I guess you'd know a bit about that."
Alex chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I'm basically an expert at... complicated."
Mia's smile grew a little warmer. "Thanks, Alex."
"For what?"
"For not pushing. Some things are just easier to deal with on your own, you know?"
Alex nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her silence than she let on.
Lunch rolled around, and Alex found himself in the bustling cafeteria. The air buzzed with chatter and clinking trays as students moved between tables.
He grabbed a tray and looked for an empty seat when chaos struck.
A student bumped into another, spilling their drink across the floor. Someone tripped over the mess, their tray crashing to the ground with a loud clang. And then, as if on cue, a stray dog darted into the cafeteria, barking and causing a small uproar.
Alex froze, his quest flashing in his mind.
[Quest: Navigate Chaos – Maintain composure in an unexpected situation.]
Dramathor materialized beside him, his visor glowing. "This is it, Master Alex! Your moment to rise above the bedlam!"
"It really happened?" Alex muttered.
"Start with the basics," Dramathor urged. "One act at a time!"
Sighing, Alex stepped forward. "Alright, let's do this."
He helped the fallen student pick up their tray, grabbed some napkins to clean the spilled drink, and even managed to coax the stray dog out of the cafeteria with a piece of his sandwich.
As the chaos settled, Alex's phone buzzed again.
[Quest Complete]
[Reward: ???]
He waited, half-expecting something dramatic to happen. Finally, the reward revealed itself:
[Passive Skill Acquired: Calm Mind – Maintain focus under pressure, reducing distractions in stressful situations.]
Alex raised an eyebrow. "That's it? No superpower? No cool item?"
Dramathor clapped his gauntlets together. "Do not underestimate the value of a clear mind, Master Alex! In the throes of battle—or cafeteria mishaps—it is an invaluable skill."
"Sure, if I was actually in battles," Alex muttered. "For now, I guess it's just... mildly useful."
Calm Mind is definitely useful for stressful situation. Unfortunately Alex rarely faced this kind of event as he usually doesn't care that much.
'Test taking, public speaking or presentation, decision-making under stress environment, emergency situation, playing games- ohh, this skill might be useful in playing later..'
Alex continued to think of when this skill could be applied. Almost all the situations he could think of is something that would be helpful but not really necessary.