The walk home to the Henderson's felt different. Li kept his gaze forward, focusing on the suburban sidewalks and manicured lawns. Every rustle in the bushes, every car slowing down made his pulse spike. Don't look back. Twice is the limit. He consciously forced his neck muscles to stay stiff, resisting the urge to scan for Brad's crew. He only glanced back once – a quick, paranoid sweep near the park – and then forced himself not to again. The blue panel flickered reassuringly.
[QUEST: THE LONG WALK HOME - COMPLETE!]
Reward: +50 XP, +1 PER (Perception), Skill: [Situational Awareness Lv.1] (Slightly increased chance of detecting hidden threats/opportunities)
A subtle shift occurred. Sounds seemed sharper – the distant bark of a dog, the specific squeak of Mrs. Gable's gate three houses down. Colors felt slightly more vivid. Perception… Li filed it away. Useful.
The Henderson house, a cozy blue split-level, smelled like cinnamon and furniture polish. "Li? That you, honey?" Mrs. Henderson's warm voice called from the kitchen. Lisa Henderson was pure Midwest kindness, perpetually baking and worrying.
"Yeah, Mrs. H," Li called back, dropping his backpack by the stairs. He saw his reflection in the hall mirror – still the same slightly-too-thin frame, dark hair falling into his eyes, the faint shadow of the locker bruise on his cheekbone. But the eyes… they held a new spark. Determination? Or just system-induced exhaustion?
[DAILY TASK GENERATED: ACADEMIC FOUNDATION]
Objective: Complete Math & Science homework with >75% accuracy.
Reward: +75 XP, +1 INT (Intelligence)
Failure: Status Effect: Mental Fatigue (-5% to all cognitive actions for 12 hours)
Homework. Right. The bane of existence, now a literal quest. Li trudged up to his small, neat room. He booted up his laptop, the pre-algebra problems glaring on the screen. Usually, it was a slog. Tonight… something felt different. The numbers seemed less intimidating. He remembered the formula Mr. Davies explained just that morning with unusual clarity. He worked steadily, the system panel hovering in the corner of his vision, tracking his progress bar: 35%... 60%... 82%... He double-checked his answers. Come on, just a few more.
[DAILY TASK: ACADEMIC FOUNDATION - COMPLETE! (Accuracy: 88%)]
Reward Claimed: +75 XP, +1 INT (New INT: 13)
Level Progress: Level 2 (175/200 XP)
A cool, clear sensation washed over Li's mind. It wasn't like suddenly knowing calculus, but the fog of confusion that often plagued him during homework lifted significantly. Concepts clicked faster. Intelligence… He grinned. This was a stat he could get behind.
Dinner was meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Lisa chattering about her book club. Mr. Henderson, a quiet man who worked in insurance, asked Li how school was. Li gave his usual, non-committal "Fine," but this time, he met Mr. Henderson's gaze steadily, channeling that [Stubborn Resolve]. The older man just nodded, a flicker of something – approval? – in his eyes.
Later, lying in bed, Li pulled up his full status.
**HOST STATUS - Li Wei - Level 2 (175/200 XP)**
HP: 100/100
INT: 13 (Above Average)
STR: 9 (Below Average)
AGI: 9.5 (Below Average)
DEF: 7.5 (Poor) + [Stubborn Resolve Lv.1] (+2 DEF vs Intimidation)
PER: 12 (Average) + [Situational Awareness Lv.1] (Minor Threat Detection)
Skills: Stubborn Resolve Lv.1, Situational Awareness Lv.1
Abilities: None
He was still weak. DEF 7.5 was basically tissue paper. But he had a plan now. Stats. Levels. Quests. He focused on the system.
"System? What are you? Where did you come from?" he whispered into the darkness.
[QUERY RECEIVED. DATA INSUFFICIENT. PRIMARY DIRECTIVE: HOST OPTIMIZATION AND SELF-PRESERVATION. ORIGIN: CLASSIFIED (HOST LEVEL INSUFFICIENT).] The blue text pulsed calmly.
Frustrating, but not unexpected. It was a tool. His tool. Tomorrow was Friday. School. Brad. But also... opportunity. A slow smile spread across Li's face. For the first time since landing in America, he fell asleep not dreading the dawn, but anticipating it. The underdog had just found his teeth.