Good morning, Daniel. Due to your actions during the previous day, you have been awarded the following stats: Strength +1, Constitution +1, Dexterity +1, Intelligence +2, Willpower +5, Perception +6.

  What in the…?

  Daniel stared at the screen that had woken him up. At first, he’d been pleased to confirm that stat updates were a morning occurrence, just as he’d hoped. Yesterday’s screen had been straightforward enough, awarding him a handful of stats. But as he stared at today’s update, his initial satisfaction gave way to confusion.

  I only earned, what, four stats yesterday? How in the world did I end up with sixteen?

  He rubbed his eyes and looked again, half-expecting the numbers to change, but they didn’t. The screen just stayed there, silent proof that what he was seeing wasn’t a mistake. This didn’t make any sense.

  Yesterday’s haul? He could explain it—sort of. It was possible to tie it to specific quests. But now? This was over the top.

  Yesterday had been… hectic. Exploring the forest, breaking through whatever was hiding this place, and then running and hiding from both bugs and reanimated corpses, he’d been active, sure. But this? Sixteen stats in one day? He replayed his actions, trying to piece it together.

  He thought about the quests he’d completed—the ones he could remember at least—and how they might tie into his stat increase. There had been a lot of exploration ones, which could explain the Perception boost, and he had gained Willpower from finding this place. Still, as he went over the details, it didn’t quite add up. He couldn’t match every stat boost to a specific quest.

  A thought crept into his mind—training. Was it possible the System didn’t just give rewards based on quests? Could it instead be factoring in the effort he’d put in along the way? That would explain a lot.

  But then why such a massive jump? Willpower and Perception alone accounted for eleven points, more than double the rest combined. Those kinds of easy gains didn’t make sense.

  If the System handed out that much from simple actions then anything that had a system would be monstrously strong—unstoppable, even. The idea left him unsettled. If something this simple could result in that kind of power, what else was the System capable of?

  Daniel shook his head to clear those thoughts and pulled up his status.

  Status

  Name: Daniel

  System: Quest

  Stats

  Strength: 3

  Constitution: 3

  Dexterity: 4

  Intelligence: 11

  Willpower: 13

  Perception: 16

  He stared at the numbers for a long moment, a faint sense of satisfaction creeping in. They were big numbers—or at least bigger than they’d been before. Testing them seemed like the logical next step.

  Quest Gained: Test your stats

  You’ve grown since you first appeared. Put your newfound strength to the test by experimenting with each stat.

  Why not start now?

  Daniel focused on the far wall, narrowing his eyes slightly as if willing his Perception to activate. What he saw nearly made him stagger. Every groove, crack, and imperfection in the stonework stood out in sharp, vivid detail. It was like seeing the world in high definition for the first time.

  He blinked, stunned. Yesterday, he’d been too preoccupied—and his increases too incremental—to notice the difference. But now, with the quiet of the moment and the chance to focus, the effect of his boosted Perception was undeniable.

  Curious, he strained his ears, and the world sharpened even further. A faint skittering sound reached him from outside. His stomach tightened, and a shudder ran through him.

  The bugs.

  They were out there, somewhere, moving. He didn’t know exactly how he’d deal with them, but for now, he could put that off and focus on testing his other stats first.

  His eyes returned to the screen, and Daniel hesitated. Willpower was the next largest stat—it made sense to test it next. But how? What even was Willpower in this context?

  After a moment’s thought, he decided to keep things simple. One step at a time. Intelligence was the next largest stat after Willpower, and at least he had some ideas on how to measure its effects. If he figured out a way to test Willpower later, he could always come back to it.

  For now, focusing on something concrete seemed like the smarter approach.

  During his high school years, Daniel had competed in several mental math challenges. He hadn’t been a standout competitor—usually finishing somewhere in the middle—but he knew his general speed and accuracy, even after years away from it.

  He hadn’t thought to test this after the wolves earlier, mostly because he’d wanted to get away from that clearing as quickly as possible.

  Between the constant movement and the looming threats, there hadn’t been much room for experimentation. But now, with the time and quiet to concentrate, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to see what such a large Intelligence boost could actually do.

  He started with mental math, challenging himself with increasingly complex calculations. Numbers and equations seemed to slot together effortlessly, his thoughts moving faster and with more clarity than ever before.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  He didn’t have any way to keep accurate time, but he could tell he was solving problems far faster than he’d ever managed before.

  Next, he tried reciting the alphabet backward. It was a little silly, but it was something that had always tripped him up in the past.

  “Z, Y, X...” Daniel started.

  The letters rolled off his tongue smoothly, one after another. By the time he finished, he felt a grin spreading across his face.

  He couldn’t help but grin, a giddy thrill bubbling up inside him. He’d always liked the idea of getting magically smarter—like a supercharged version of himself. Now, it was real. This wasn’t just a boost; it felt transformative.

  Feeling the rush of newfound confidence, Daniel scanned the room. His eyes landed on a thick, wooden chair tucked against a nearby desk. Solid and heavy, with ornate carvings hinting at its craftsmanship, it seemed like a good test for his Strength.

  He stepped over, gripped the chair by its arms, and lifted. The weight was substantial, probably more than he’d normally attempt, but it didn’t feel as heavy as he’d expected. His muscles tensed as he hoisted it higher. The effort was far less taxing than he’d imagined a day ago. He set it down with a satisfied exhale.

  Okay, so that’s how that works.

  Next, Daniel reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of small, smooth rocks. Why not try a bit of juggling? He’d never done it before, but maybe with the boost to his Dexterity, it was possible.

  He tossed the first rock into the air, followed by the second. It felt clumsy at first—his hands moved too slowly, and the timing was off. One rock slipped, and he barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground. But after a few tries, he started to find a shaky rhythm.

  The two rocks bobbed unevenly in the air, his movements jerky but improving. With growing confidence, Daniel tossed a third rock into the mix. The added challenge proved too much; he fumbled the rocks, sending them scattering across the floor.

  “Not bad for a first attempt,” he said with a small grin, picking them up again.

  He didn’t get far enough to feel like a natural, but he could tell his hands were quicker, his reactions sharper.

  If this is where I’m starting, maybe I’ll get better with practice.

  When it came to testing Constitution, Daniel wasn’t sure where to start. He assumed the stat had something to do with physical resilience, but how could he test that without pushing himself into danger?

  No immediate answers came to mind. For now, he decided to wait—maybe the system would offer a suggestion, or he’d figure it out in the heat of the moment.

  Ding!

  Quest Complete: Test your stats

  You’ve tested your limits—those you feel comfortable with at least! For your experimentation, you receive +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, and +1 Perception.

  Daniel glanced at his status to confirm the boost, then closed both screens. Turning toward the door, he noticed several holes scattered across its surface, allowing glimpses into the hallway beyond. He crouched down and peered through the largest one, taking a moment to survey the space.

  Now that it was morning, the hallway—once shrouded in darkness—still appeared as a mismatched blend of crumbling and intact features. But without the oppressive shadows, it felt less threatening, more inviting.

  Still, the danger was far from gone.

  Crawling along the walls were the same bugs that had chased him into the room the night before. This time, with no need to flee, Daniel was able to observe them more closely.

  They resembled a cross between a centipede and a mole. Their elongated exoskeletons glistened with a wet sheen, and dozens of spindly legs moved in synchronized waves as they burrowed through the cracks in the walls. Their mandibles clicked ominously, sharp enough to slice through flesh with ease.

  He couldn’t help the shudder of revulsion that ran through him as he watched them. The bugs seemed to be going about their day normally. It was like he was inside an anthill undetected, able to observe them in their natural habitat.

  Beyond just the bugs were those corpse things. He’d called them zombies when he first saw them, but they didn’t look like any zombie he’d seen on TV. The two he’d encountered were like the fortress—parts of them were pristine, while other parts were decayed and falling apart.

  He needed to get out of here. The previous night had left him with little choice but to stay, but now he had no excuse. The looming threat of both the bugs and the decaying corpses made it clear—he had to hightail it out of this place and never look back.

  Ding!

  Quest Gained: Escape the Fortress!

  You entered a dark and foreboding fortress in the middle of the night. Inside, you found corpses and bugs that both don’t seem friendly. Escape the fortress at all costs.

  He mentally ran through the path he had taken to get to this room. It seemed like his best shot at escaping. With his newfound Intelligence, he was relatively certain he remembered the exact path. He took one last look around the room, scanning for anything useful.

  Stone shelves lined with books. A desk cluttered with paper, and what looked to be a quill. The chairs and chaise. He went over everything but couldn’t find anything he thought would help.

  Maybe I could throw the chaise at a bug...

  The thought did little to ease the knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach. He had no idea what those things would do to him if he were captured, and the last thing he wanted to test was how his newly enhanced senses would handle pain.

  Taking one last, steadying breath, he leaned down to the hole in the door, peering through it to check the hallway one last time. The bugs were still there, their bodies scuttling across the floor and walls, oblivious to his presence so far. He psyched himself up and braced for what was coming.

  3, 2, 1...

  Without any more hesitation, he pulled the door open and burst into the hallway.

  The moment he did, a cacophony of noise filled the air as the insect horde realized an intruder had entered their midst. Their clicking mandibles echoed off the walls, and the sharp scent of their chitinous bodies filled the air, as they skittered in a chaotic frenzy, eyes locking on him.

  He sprinted down the hallway toward the large entrance hall. There were none of those walking corpses to be found, which he was thankful for.

  Pillars, both broken and intact, lined the hall. Between them, he could spot paintings on the more intact parts of the walls—paintings of a powerful man, his eyes cold and glaring down. He hadn’t been able to see them in the dark, and he didn’t have time to admire them now.

  Wrenching open a door, he found himself face to face with a much larger version of the bugs he’d been running from. Its segmented body was larger, its mandibles thicker and sharper, glistening with venomous promise. The creature’s beady eyes locked onto his, recognizing him as prey. Both parties seemed surprised to see the other.

  “Shit.”

  Slamming the door shut, his heart pounded in his chest, Daniel scanned the room. He could hear the echo of clicking mandibles getting closer.

  He couldn’t go back down the hallway he had just left—there was a horde of angry bugs more than happy to rip the flesh off his bones.

  He looked at the other hallways. Some were more maintained while others were more decayed. Without much time to think, Daniel chose one of the more maintained hallways and started running.

  His breath quickened as he weaved through the stone hallways, the sound of his boots hitting the ground sharp and loud in the eerie silence of the fortress. Each step felt like a reminder of his presence.

  He darted from one hallway to the next, trying to stay focused on his escape, but the surroundings blurred with every turn.

  As he rounded a corner, he spotted something—an imposing figure. Cloaked in dark armor, its back to him, a massive mace hanging at its side.

  Before he could make a move, the figure’s head snapped toward him, its eyes glowing beneath its helmet. A split second later, the figure lurched forward.

  Heart racing, Daniel turned as fast as he could and bolted in the opposite direction, feet pounding the stone as he pushed himself harder. The figure's heavy footsteps were relentless behind him, closing the gap with every stride. Despite its bulk, it moved with unnatural speed. Each movement was stilted, its limbs jerking with a harsh, unsettling rhythm—as though its body could barely keep up with its own drive to chase him.

  His lungs burned, the sound of the figure’s armor scraping along the stone growing louder. He pushed himself harder, the hallway seeming to stretch on endlessly as panic took hold.

  He glanced back—too late.

  The armored figure swung its heavy weapon, a massive mace, aimed right at his head.

  The impact came with a sickening crunch. Despite the terror and confusion, Daniel could only think one thing before everything went black.

  Well, at least it was quick.

  Quest Failed: What’s going on?

  Quest Failed: Escape the Fortress!

  Greetings Daniel, you have died. Generating system…