The sun was setting by the time Samantha and Ren made it back home. Her legs ached, her arms felt like jelly, and she was pretty sure she was going to collapse the moment she hit her bed. And yet… she felt amazing.
"This… this is weird," she muttered, flexing her fingers. "I should be dead tired, but I feel—"
"Like a battle-hardened warrior?" Mochi supplied helpfully, zipping around her head.
Samantha shot the floating dumpling a glare. "I was gonna say 'surprisingly okay,' but sure."
Ren, meanwhile, was still trying to process what he'd just witnessed. He had started the run thinking he'd be the responsible older brother, watching over his frail little sister. Instead, he had barely managed to keep up.
"Seriously," Ren said between breaths, "what… the hell… happened to you?"
Samantha wiped the sweat from her brow. "Uh. Growth spurt?"
Ren gave her a look that said he wasn't buying it. "You used to get exhausted walking from the kitchen to the couch."
"Hey, my stamina sucked, I admit it. But maybe I was just, y'know, holding back all these years?"
Ren narrowed his eyes but didn't push. "Fine. But don't think I'm letting this go. You're still my little sister, and I'm keeping an eye on you."
Mochi whispered excitedly in her ear, "Aw, big bro's worried~."
Samantha swatted the ghost away. "Shut up."
Then, just as she was about to step inside the house, her system screen flickered to life.
[Sub-Mission Completed!] Rewards:
Strength +2 Endurance +3 Muscle Definition ++ Charisma +1 Intelligence +1
Samantha blinked. "Wait. Muscle definition? What does that mean?"
A small, hand-mirror-sized screen popped up beside her, showing her reflection. She squinted. At first glance, she looked the same. But when she lifted her arm, she froze.
Was that… a bicep?
A small one, sure, but still.
"W-what?" Samantha gasped, flexing experimentally.
Mochi grinned proudly. "Congratulations! You're officially out of the 'stick figure' category!"
Ren frowned. "Samantha?"
She quickly dropped her arm and coughed. "Nothing! I'm fine! Totally normal!"
Ren gave her another suspicious look before sighing. "Alright, whatever. Just—don't overwork yourself, okay?"
Samantha nodded quickly. "Got it."
As soon as he stepped inside, she turned to Mochi, whispering, "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
Mochi floated smugly. "Simple! You completed your quest, so you leveled up! You're officially stronger, more enduring, and—bonus—slightly more attractive!"
Samantha's eye twitched. "I'm fifteen, what do I need charisma for?!"
Mochi wiggled its tiny arms. "For the romance quest, duh!"
Oh. Right.
Samantha groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "This is ridiculous."
She wanted to argue. She really did. But… she flexed her arm again, watching the faint outline of a bicep ripple.
"Huh," she muttered, a tiny smile creeping onto her lips. "So... I'm getting ripped by a floating marshmallow. This is my life now, isn't it?"
Mochi zipped around her, practically vibrating. "Yep! And it's gonna be awesome!"
Samantha sighed, but the smile remained. "Fine. But if I wake up with abs tomorrow, I'm blaming you.