Harry leaned back against the tree, a faint smile playing on his lips as he stared at the fading status screen. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft chime, and another message blinked into view:
[Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked your Personal Fragment and gained an understanding of the process.]
[Rewards: 5 End Points, Wisdom +1.]
Harry's smile widened. "Oh," he murmured, amused. "So I get rewarded for things like this too? Nice."
He chuckled to himself, the thought sending a ripple of excitement through him. It reminded him of achievement systems in games—earning bonuses for doing specific things.
But, he reasoned, there must be conditions involved.
Maybe being the first to figure something out, discovering specific locations, or completing unique tasks would grant more of these rewards.
Harry leaned forward, his mind buzzing with possibilities, when Tim's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Harry… what are you doing?" Tim asked, staring at him with a mix of confusion and suspicion.
Harry glanced at him and grinned. "Oh, you can't see mine, huh? Nice."
Tim's confusion deepened, his brow furrowing. "What are you talking about? See what?"
Harry stood and stretched lazily, his grin widening. "Alright, Tim. Say these words: [Show Status]."
Tim blinked, his expression skeptical, but he knew better than to doubt Harry when it came to things like this, especially now. With a hesitant nod, he spoke the words aloud. "Show Status."
For a moment, nothing happened, but then Tim flinched as a translucent screen flickered into existence before him. His eyes widened, his mouth falling open.
"T-This… it looks like a status window!" he stammered, glancing between the screen and Harry. "Just like the ones you always used to show us in your games! But why does it only show my name, health, and stamina?"
Harry's smile turned knowing.
"Exactly what I thought," he muttered to himself, Tim's reaction confirming his earlier theory. Before he could elaborate, another chime interrupted his thoughts:
[Your Wisdom has increased.]
There was no number attached to the notification this time, but Harry's smile faltered for a brief second. A new idea crept into his mind. He stood abruptly, brushing dirt off his pants, and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Hey!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the resting group. "I've discovered something good! Everyone, listen up! Say these words out loud: [Show Status]. Trust me, it'll be worth it!"
The crowd froze, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as they turned to stare at Harry.
Some exchanged puzzled glances, while others rolled their eyes. But then, familiar faces—his classmates, the ones who knew Harry's eccentricities—hesitated before muttering the words themselves.
"Show Status," one boy whispered hesitantly. A second later, his eyes widened. "I-It worked! I can see it!"
Another girl gasped, her hands shooting up to cover her mouth. "Woah, it's real!"
The reactions spread like wildfire. People all around the clearing began repeating the words, their faces lighting up as the shimmering screens appeared before them.
"It's true!" someone exclaimed. "It's like a video game status window!"
Harry stood in the middle of it all, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold with a smirk. His gaze lingered on the leaders—Jess, Darrow, and Kyle.
Jess's sharp eyes narrowed as she stared at her own screen, her expression unreadable. Darrow tilted his head slightly, studying his display with quiet intensity. Kyle, on the other hand, let out a bark of laughter, his rough voice carrying over the noise.
"Alright, alright," Harry called out, raising his voice to regain their attention. Slowly, the chatter quieted, and all eyes turned to him. "I'm sure most of you are only seeing your name, health, and stamina, right? And now you're wondering—where's all the other stuff? Attributes? Skills?"
A few people nodded hesitantly, their curiosity piqued.
"Well," Harry continued, his tone light but confident, "I just received a message when I figured out how to open the status window. It said my Wisdom attribute increased, and I earned something called End Points. After that, they appeared on my screen — my Wisdom and End Points."
He let the words sink in, watching as realization flickered across their faces.
"So," he added, gesturing to the crowd, "it's not just about looking at your status. It's about discovering things, completing actions, and probably meeting specific conditions. That's how you unlock more."
The group buzzed with renewed energy, whispers and murmurs spreading as people processed what Harry had said. Some looked excited, others anxious, but all of them were thinking the same thing: what could they do to unlock more?
Tim nudged Harry's arm, his expression still a mix of awe and disbelief. "You're loving this, aren't you?"
Harry chuckled. "Maybe a little."
His smile faded slightly as he glanced back toward the forest, his grip tightening on his knife. "But let's hope we get the chance to figure it all out before something else decides to eat us."
"Haha, we left behind those things, I'm sure-"
"ROARRR-!"Harry froze, his grin slipping instantly.
Tim stiffened beside him, his face draining of color.
"W-what was that?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Before Harry could respond, a sharp, whistling sound cut through the air.
"WHIZZZ-… THUNK!"
A jagged, stone-like projectile shot past Tim's head, missing him by mere inches before slamming into a tree trunk. The impact sent splinters flying, and Tim stumbled back, nearly losing his balance.
"Tim, duck!" Harry yelled, grabbing his friend by the shoulder and pulling him down.
The clearing erupted into chaos. People screamed, their earlier excitement evaporating as panic took hold. Harry's heart pounded as he instinctively crouched lower, his eyes darting toward the direction of the attack.
In the midst of the commotion, a familiar chime echoed in his ears, and a translucent message appeared before him:
[Congratulations! You have earned 10 End Points for your earlier actions.]
[Attributes Updated: Intelligence +1, Wisdom +3.]
Harry blinked at the notification, his brain struggling to process the sudden flood of information. "At this time?" he muttered.
The whistling sound returned, sharper and closer this time.
"WHIZZZ-… CRACK!"
Another stone projectile zipped past, striking the ground nearby and sending up a cloud of dust. Harry flinched, his instincts screaming at him to move.
"RUN!" Jess's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding. "Those are the Jonkeys! Everyone, MOVE!"
Harry's head snapped toward her. "Jonkeys?" he echoed, bewildered. He barely had time to question it before the answer revealed itself.
From the trees came movement—dark, hulking shapes leaping from branch to branch with unnatural agility.
Their forms became clearer as they closed the distance: monkey-like creatures, their bodies grotesquely muscular and covered in coarse, matted fur. Their eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and in their clawed hands, they held jagged stones, which they hurled with terrifying accuracy.
"Move! Move! Move!" Jess shouted again, waving her dagger to spur the group into action.
Harry didn't need to be told twice.
He grabbed Tim by the arm and hauled him to his feet. "You heard her! Everyone RUN!"