The morning started like any other.
The blaring of his alarm clock jolted Kaito awake, and he groaned as he rolled over to hit snooze. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in his blinds, illuminating the cramped one-room apartment he called home.
Another day, another shift at the convenience store.
Dragging himself out of bed, Kaito shuffled to the sink to wash his face. As he reached for the faucet, a sudden chime echoed in his head.
Ding!
A blue screen materialized in front of him, floating in midair.
————————————————————
SYSTEM INTEGRATION INITIALIZED
Welcome, User. Integration Level: 1%.
Basic Functions Unlocked.
Beginner Quest Assigned.
Quest: Collect your morning coffee.
Reward: +10 EXP.
————————————————————
Kaito blinked. "…What the hell?"
He waved his hand through the screen, expecting it to disappear. It didn't. He even tried closing his eyes and shaking his head, but the glowing interface remained stubbornly in place.
"Hah, I must still be dreaming," he muttered, but when he reached for the coffee machine on his counter, a small ping echoed in his ears.
————————————————————
Quest Completed!
Reward: +10 EXP.
Level Up! You are now Level 2.
————————————————————
A warm sensation surged through his body. He stumbled back, gripping the counter for support as a flood of information rushed into his mind.
Strength: +1. Agility: +1. Luck: +1.
"What… is this?" Kaito whispered.
Before he could process what was happening, his phone buzzed violently on the table. He snatched it up, only to find a barrage of messages from his friends, coworkers, and even his landlord.
Hikaru: Dude, you seeing this System thing? What's going on?!
Manager: Store's closed today. Stay safe.
Landlord: Rent's still due, even with this System nonsense.
His stomach twisted. He opened social media and found chaos. People were sharing screenshots of their status windows, arguing over quests, and speculating wildly about what was happening.
Kaito scrolled until a particular post caught his eye:
BREAKING NEWS: Hospitals Overwhelmed as "Failure Penalties" Strike Users.