Leon stared incredulously at the words floating in the air before him. “Congratulations, you’ve reached Level 1!” The words seemed so tangible, as if they had been physically projected into the room. He squinted, thinking that perhaps it might make the window disappear. “Is this some kind of Matrix bug?” he thought.
Before he could sort through his thoughts, he heard a voice in his head. It was soft, androgynous, but slightly masculine. “Congratulations on leveling up, Leon,” said the voice, as clear and distinct as if someone were sitting right next to him.
Leon leapt from his chair, palms sweating, heart racing. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
“Don’t worry, Leon. I’m not here to harm you. In fact, now that you’ve ‘awakened,’ I’m your Companion,” the voice replied, this time with a hint of humor.
“Companion? Awakened?” Leon shook his head, as if it would clarify the surreal situation. He grasped his forehead, trying to process it all. “Is this some Isekai situation? Did I die and get reborn in a fantasy world?” He looked around his room, recognizing his familiar posters and the stack of video games next to his computer. “But no, that can’t be. I’m still here, in my own room.”
“Since your awakening, it’s my job to accompany you on your life journey,” the voice explained. “You’ve reached a new level, and not just metaphorically. Your reality has changed, and I am here to help you navigate the new challenges and opportunities that now lie before you.”
His heart pounding, Leon took deep breaths, trying to gather his thoughts. He’d heard of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, but this was without any device. This was another level of reality. “If this is a dream, I’d like to wake up now,” he muttered.
“A dream, you say? You could consider it a sort of awakening—a new reality that has opened up for you. But rest assured, this is as real as your previous existence,” the voice replied, now with an undertone of seriousness.
Leon stared at the space in front of him, as if he could somehow find evidence that this was all imaginary. But the room’s silence revealed nothing, and the words of the voice still echoed in his mind. Something about what the voice had said made him pause.
“Okay, let’s say I believe you, that this is all real,” Leon retorted, his voice shaky. “What now?”
“In your life, there are now more possibilities and challenges than ever before. You’re at the beginning of a new chapter, a new adventure,” the voice answered.
Those words echoed in Leon’s ears as he felt his initial panic shift to a strange form of acceptance. It was as if a switch had been flipped inside him, from fear to curiosity.
“What should I call you?” Leon asked, his voice wavering between curiosity and a hint of fear.
“I am the answer to questions you haven’t yet asked, the key to doors you haven’t yet seen,” the voice replied cryptically, before adding, “But you can call me Al.”
“The adventure starts now, Leon!” Al’s voice sounded excited, before commanding, “Status.” Another floating window opened in front of Leon’s eyes, complex and packed with information and graphics that he initially struggled to process.
On the left side of the window was a life-sized depiction of himself, dressed in the clothes he was currently wearing. The depiction was so detailed that he could even see the small stain on his T-shirt that he had made during lunch.
On the right side were a series of values and categories:
Leon Harper (Level 1)
Race: Human
Class: N/A
Attributes
Strength: 5
Constitution: 7
Dexterity: 7
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 4
Charisma: 6
Free Attribute Points: 3
Skills
Programming: Level 4
Piano Playing: Level 6
Multiverse Online: Level 9
Cooking: Level 2
…
Reputation
Emily Harper: Loved (5400/6000)
James Harper: Loved (5100/6000)
Sophie Harper: Loved (5500/6000)
Izzy: Trusted (2250/3000)
Tom: Friendly (800/2000)
Jenny: Friendly (700/2000)
Mrs. Schmidt: Neutral (500/1000)
Leon stared at the listed information, his thoughts racing. “What is all this? Are these my… real stats? Like a video game character?”
“Exactly,” the voice replied. “This is your status display, a representation of your abilities, reputation, and attributes. It will change and adjust over time, depending on how you make your decisions and develop your skills.”
Leon shook his head, unable to put his feelings into words. “This is… unbelievable. What do I do now?”
The voice sounded encouraging. “Now, Leon, you have the chance to shape your life like never before. You have free attribute points to allocate, and your decisions will have direct effects. But this is just the beginning. Ready for the adventure of your life?”
Leon looked at the numbers, then at the depiction of himself. He felt a mixture of fear and excitement, but also a newfound resolve.
“Yes,” he said, “I’m ready.”
Leon examined the status display before him more closely. When he focused on the individual attributes, small information windows appeared.
Strength: Affects physical power and endurance. Constitution: Determines resilience and health. Dexterity: Influences speed and hand-eye coordination. Intelligence: Determines cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. Wisdom: Affects judgment and emotional intelligence. Charisma: Determines social skills and influence on others.
“This feels like Dungeons & Dragons,” Leon muttered, fascinated by the unexpected parallel. He looked at his attributes and weighed his options. “Should I balance my abilities or focus on my already high intelligence? What would be more useful in this new reality?”
He focused on the ‘Class’ field and noticed it was empty. “Do I not have a class?”
“You will have the opportunity to choose a class once you reach level 10,” Al informed him.
Leon focused on his level and saw a progress bar appear, showing 0 out of 500 XP. “How do I collect experience points?”
“By completing quests,” Al replied. “You don’t have any quests yet, but you will soon find out how to get them.”
After a moment of contemplation, Leon decided to invest two points in ‘Strength’ and one in ‘Intelligence’. As soon as he made the decision, he felt a warm energy pulse through his veins. His muscles initially felt slightly tense, and a gentle tingling spread through them. The tingling slowly intensified, as if his cells were working at full throttle, synthesizing proteins and strengthening his muscles.
After a few minutes, the physical tingling faded, but a new sensation emerged. In his head, it felt as if a veil was lifting. His thoughts became clearer, sharper, as if a new level of understanding had been reached. He could practically feel the neural connections in his brain strengthening and reforming.
The state that remained was not the same as before. His muscles felt firmer, strengthened from within, and his mind was clearer and more focused. It was an almost ceremonial sensation, a mix of enlightenment and physical transformation that filled him with a new kind of self-confidence.
Another notification appeared:
[Genius] Skill Acquired!
Curious, he focused on the new skill and read:
Genius (passive) Level 1
You receive 10% more XP for completing quests.
Your skills improve 10% faster.
Leon felt a tingling of anticipation flow through his veins as he read the details of his new skill ‘Genius.’ “This could be a game-changer,” he thought, his mind jumping from one possibility to the next like a river winding through a new valley.
But before he got lost in speculation, he wanted to test his increased strength. Curious, he stood up and walked to the dumbbells that lay in a corner of his room. The weights were once a well-intentioned gift from his father, more as a sporty decoration than a serious training device. However, they always posed a physical challenge that pushed him to his limits.
Leon grabbed one of the dumbbells and lifted it. He was amazed at how much lighter it felt. The weight that had previously driven his muscles to their limits now felt almost effortless. He could feel the muscle fibers in his arm no longer struggling for stability but carrying the load with newfound ease.
“This is… incredible,” he muttered, still skeptical whether all of this was real. But the evidence was clear. He had changed, both physically and, it seemed, on a deeper, existential level.
Finally, he sat back down at his desk. “Homework for tomorrow,” he thought and opened his math book. Although he had always found homework annoying and uninteresting, he now felt an unusual motivation. The equations and formulas that had previously bored him now commanded his full attention. He flew through the tasks as if an invisible energy was driving him. His increased intelligence seemed to have not only improved his cognitive performance but also his attitude towards work itself. It was as if an inner switch had been flipped, filling him with a newfound enthusiasm for learning.
Math: Level 4 Reached!
He blinked and immediately opened his status window. Next to the entry for ‘Math,’ the number ‘4’ now lit up. A wave of satisfaction flowed through him. His English level was already at 7, which did not surprise him. He had always had a passion for literature and languages, which was now reflected in this unexpected ranking.
Just as he was pondering what to do next, he heard a gentle knock at the door. His mother entered and looked him directly in the eyes. “Leon, could you please take out the trash?”
The moment the words cut through his room, he felt as if time itself would freeze for a moment. The atmosphere in his room briefly thickened, as if reality wanted to make sure he fully grasped the significance of this moment.
Quest: Take the Trash to the Street
On Success: +1 XP On
Refusal: -10 Reputation with Emily Harper
A wave of amusement flooded him. So this was it—his very first quest. Simple, yet so symbolic. It was an everyday task, but with his awakening, it felt like the beginning of something bigger.
His mother noticed his hesitation and asked with a slightly puzzled expression: “Is everything okay, Leon?”
“Sure, Mom, I was just lost in thought. I’ll do it right away!” he called out, his voice vibrating with unspoken excitement.
He stood up and went to the door. As he picked up the garbage bag from the kitchen, he was amazed at how easily he lifted it. It was as if his arms and hands were supported by an invisible force that facilitated this mundane task.
He stepped out into the evening. The dusk cast a violet veil over the world, and the first stars began to twinkle in the sky. The wind carried the scent of damp earth and falling leaves. He carried the garbage bag to the street, a feeling of satisfaction spreading within him as he set it next to the other trash cans and the confirmation came immediately.
Quest Successfully Completed! +1 XP Received
Leon stood still for a moment and looked out onto the street. He could feel his inner progress bar filling up a tiny bit. It was just a hint of change, yet it felt like the beginning of an epic journey. He turned around and made his way back to the house, and as he walked, each step seemed to be in sync with the pulse of the universe.
As he closed the door behind him, he could no longer suppress a broad smile. “This won’t be an ordinary school year,” he thought, his heart nearly bursting with excitement, wonder, and newfound determination. He felt as if an invisible threshold had been crossed and a new world of limitless possibilities lay before him. “The adventure has just begun.”
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