Chapter 13 – From Riches to Rags

The rest of my classes pass in a blur.

I have a friend!

An actual, real-life friend who shares my interests and doesn't look at me like I'm a particularly unfortunate science experiment. A friend who's into anime, manga, and video games. A friend who's adorable enough to make my heart do gymnastics routines it has absolutely no training for.

By the time the final bell rings, I'm practically vibrating with residual excitement. I gather my stuff and head out, already planning to message Luna on Quickgram tonight, when I notice something.

That familiar itch. The one that's been sitting at the back of my consciousness all afternoon like an unopened notification on my phone.

"Oh yeah," I mutter to myself, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "I have a system."

Ding! Your Charm has increased by 1

Ding! You've completed the quest: Make a Friend!

Rewards:

Ding! Quest log updated

I feel a grin spreading across my face as I pull up my quest list, not even caring that I probably look like an idiot smiling at nothing in the middle of the hallway.

Available Quests:

My cursor, or whatever you call the mental focus I use to navigate this system, hovers over "Get Closer to a Friend!"

Get Closer to a Friend!

Description: Experiences become more meaningful when shared with someone who matters. Try stepping outside your comfort zone with your new friend, and you might discover sides of yourself you didn't know existed.

Quest Details:

Quest Progress:

Quest Rewards:

I stare at the list, and for once, this quest doesn't fill me with existential dread. Usually, these things feel impossible. But this? This actually sounds... nice?

The realization hits me like a truck full of warm feelings and mild panic. I want to do these things. Not just for the evolution points, though those are a very nice bonus, but because spending time with Luna sounds genuinely fun.

I'm still riding this weird high of optimism when I make a decision. "Let's go check out the computer science club."

The computer science club meets in room T-1, which stands for the first room in the technology wing. I've walked past it a hundred times but never actually gone in. Why would I? Social interaction with people who share my interests sounds great in theory, but in practice, it usually just means watching everyone else bond while I sit in the corner being aggressively ignored.

But hey, new leaf and all that.

I push open the door and immediately stop in my tracks.

The room is... honestly kind of incredible. I hate that I'm impressed, but I am. The space is massive, probably twice the size of a normal classroom, with polished hardwood floors that look like they've never known the touch of a scuff mark. Floor-to-ceiling windows line one wall, flooding the room with natural light that makes everything gleam. The walls are painted this clean, modern white that somehow doesn't feel sterile, probably because of all the minimalist tech posters and motivational quotes about innovation scattered strategically around.

The computers are the real showstoppers though. We're talking top-of-the-line gaming rigs with curved monitors that probably cost more than my mom makes in a month. RGB lighting pulses gently from beneath tempered glass cases, revealing high-end graphics cards and liquid cooling systems that look like they belong in a tech enthusiast's wet dream. Each station has a mechanical keyboard and a gaming mouse that likely has more buttons than I'd ever know what to do with.

About eight people are scattered around these various battle stations, all of them so absorbed in their screens that nobody even glances up when I enter. No greeting, no acknowledgment, nothing. I could probably rob the place, and they wouldn't notice until I unplugged their computers.

Toward the back of the room, separated by large smart glass walls, is a lounge area that looks like it was ripped straight from a Silicon Valley startup. The glass is currently set to transparent mode, giving me a clear view inside. Plush bean bags in various colors are arranged around a low glass coffee table. A mini-fridge hums quietly in the corner, I can only imagine what kind of energy drinks and snacks are stocked there. There's even a small bookshelf filled with programming textbooks and what looks like manga volumes, because of course there are. A smart glass door provides entry to the lounge, its surface seamless and modern.

Above the lounge, accessible by a sleek metal staircase, is a second-floor office with more smart glass walls that overlook the entire room. Through the transparent barrier, I can see a large, opulent desk made of expensive dark wood, probably mahogany or walnut, that screams "computer club president's domain." The whole setup is probably worth more than the house I live in.

Despite all this opulence, despite the state-of-the-art everything, nobody's actually doing anything impressive with it.

I drift from station to station, peeking over shoulders to see what everyone's working on. Maybe I'll see something cool, something that makes me think, "Yeah, this is worth joining."

Station one: Someone's making a calculator app in Python. Basic stuff. Like, week-one programming class basic.

Station two: A website that's just a black background with "Hello World" in Comic Sans. I look around for a gun, but I'm unfortunately unable to spot one.

Station three: A guy is very intensely debugging what appears to be a Tic-Tac-Toe game. He's been working on this for how long, exactly?

Station four: Okay, this person is watching YouTube videos about coding instead of actually coding.

Station five through eight: Various states of beginner projects that wouldn't impress a particularly lenient computer science teacher, let alone me.

I make a full circuit of the room and nobody says a single word to me. Not even a "hey, are you thinking of joining?" Nothing.

This is exactly why I don't do clubs.

Ding! You've completed the quest: Check Out a Club!

Rewards:

Ding! Quest log updated.

Available Quests:

I look at the details of the "Join a Club!" quest and immediately dismiss it. I'd be required to show up here for weeks and work on a project with a few clubmates. All that for a measly two evolution points? Hard pass.

"My system shouldn't control me," I think, backing towards the door. "It should always remain just a helpful tool."

I mean, sure, I'm literally using it to transform myself from human disaster into functioning person, but there's a difference between using a tool strategically and letting it dictate every choice I make. I'm not about to join a club just because a floating notification told me to, especially when said club is about as engaging as watching grass grow.

I slip out of room T-1 and head home, already planning my evening. I have evolution points to spend!

My room is exactly as I left it this morning, incredibly tidy. I might be a mess of a human being, but I'm also a neat freak. I smell a faint trace of the cherry blossom air freshener my mom uses throughout the house. I drop my backpack by my desk and immediately pull up my status screen.

Current evolution points: 14.

Fourteen points. Not too shabby.

I navigate to the System Shop, and immediately, I'm reminded why browsing this thing gives me a headache.

"Once again, this system shop is overly extensive," I groan, scrolling through what appears to be an infinite list of options.

The shop is organized into categories: Body Enhancements, Perks, Active Skills, and Passive Skills. Each category is packed with options ranging from practical to bizarre to "why does this even exist?"

Body Enhancements include gems like:

And then there are the Perks, which range from somewhat useful to deeply concerning:

The Active and Passive Skills section is where things get truly weird. There's Dash, which lets me quickly accelerate and traverse a short distance for 20 evolution points. Useful, I guess, if I'm planning to become a track star or need to flee from social situations even faster than I already do.

Then there's Fertility Control, which lets me turn my ability to impregnate someone on and off like a light switch. Cool concept, very sci-fi, but it costs 500 evolution points. Five hundred! That's insane!

And then there's Novice Spearman. A passive skill that improves effectiveness with spear-shaped weaponry by 10%.

I stare at it for a long moment.

"What's the use of that?" I mutter. "Is... is my penis considered a spear?"

I might need to test that out one day.

After browsing for what feels like an hour, I notice something: directly increasing my attributes through the shop is expensive. Like, really expensive. On average, it takes about 50 points to obtain a single +1 stat increase.

But there's another option. An option I've had my eye on since the beginning.

Training Enthusiast - Increases the effectiveness of physical exercise by 10% [10 Evolution Points]

It's not flashy. It's not going to give me instant results. But it's an investment for my future, and if I'm planning to actually stick with this whole "getting in shape" thing, the earlier I get this perk, the better.

"Okay," I say to no one. "Let's do this."

I confirm the purchase, and immediately I feel... well, nothing, actually. No dramatic transformation, no surge of power, just a quiet notification confirming the perk has been added to my status.

Current evolution points: 14→4.

Time to put this new perk to work.

I get started on my routine. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, the whole basic repertoire that I've been doing for the past few days.

It still sucks. Exercise still feels like punishment for crimes I didn't commit. But I push through, focusing on form and breathing, and before I know it, I'm done.

Ding! Your Strength has increased by 1

Ding! Your Dexterity has increased by 1

Ding! Your Endurance has increased by 1

Yes! I can't tell for sure how much the perk actually helped here, since I knew I was getting close to these stat increases anyways. But regardless, it couldn't have hurt.

I immediately pull up my status screen, grinning like an idiot.

Adam Gray

Age: 18 | Height: 5'2"

Dick Size: 3.5 inches (flaccid), 5 inches (erect)

Current Occupation: Student

Evolution Points: 14 → 4

Attributes

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Perks

Holy cow... I'm going to reach an average level of fitness soon! Hmm, when I put it like that, my achievements seem underwhelming. Well, whatever, I'm ecstatic regardless!

"Dinner's ready!" Bianca's voice echoes from downstairs, slightly muffled but unmistakable.

I head downstairs, still riding the high of my stat increases, and find my sisters already seated at the dinner table. Tonight's meal is homemade ravioli with cream sauce, courtesy of Bianca's insane cooking skills, and it smells absolutely divine.

For about thirty seconds, everything is normal. Peaceful, even.

Then Selene strikes.

"So," she says, way too casually, twirling a forkful of ravioli. "Who was that girl you were sitting with at lunch?"

I freeze. "What?"

"The girl," Selene repeats, her pink eyes glittering with barely contained curiosity. "Purple hair, super shy-looking, super cute, sitting at your table?"

Bianca leans forward slightly, her teal eyes equally interested despite her more subdued expression.

I am surrounded. This is an ambush.

"Oh, just a friend I met in computer science class," I say, trying to sound casual and probably failing miserably.

Selene opens her mouth, probably to launch into a lengthy interrogation, but I see Bianca gently pinch her arm. Selene yelps, pouts, and then seems to reconsider her approach.

"Oh, that's cool," she says finally, though she looks like she's physically restraining herself from asking seventeen follow-up questions.

I find that weird for a second, but then it clicks. My sisters are being supportive. They can tell I'm uncomfortable, and they're backing off instead of teasing me into oblivion like they normally would.

"I love my sisters so much it hurts," I think, a wave of affection washing over me.

Then Selene reaches over and steals a piece of ravioli from my plate.

...

A moment later, Bianca sneakily does the same thing from the other side.

They both pop the stolen ravioli into their mouths with identical expressions of smug satisfaction.

"...I hate my sisters so much," I amend. "But I still love them."

The rest of dinner passes without incident, unless you count Bianca's attempt to steal a third piece of ravioli, which I successfully defend against with strategic fork placement.

After we finish eating, I volunteer to do the dishes, just because my sisters were so darn lovable today, and then head upstairs to shower.

The hot water feels amazing after my workout, washing away the sweat and leaving me feeling refreshed. Then, I go through my skincare routine again: cleanser, retinoid, moisturizer. The holy trinity of acne treatment.

Ding! You've completed the quest: Acne II

Rewards:

I've been noticing that my acne has been looking better lately, fewer active breakouts, less redness overall, but the moment I get the quest reward, the improvement becomes immediately visible. My skin clears up another notch, the angry red spots fading to something far less noticeable.

Ding! Your Appearance has increased by 2.

"Two?!"

I stare at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, stunned. Two whole points? That's huge! I mean, I'm still not winning any beauty contests, let's be realistic here, but I'm definitely starting to look less like the "before" picture in an acne treatment commercial.

"I do look much better now," I say to my reflection, grinning.

My reflection grins back, looking much less like a low-budget monster from a homemade horror film and more like an unattractive teenager. That's a big upgrade for me.

Ding! New Quest Available: Acne III

It has basically the same requirements as the workout quest, 14 days of consistently using skincare products. For five more evolution points and even clearer skin. Easy.

I head to my room, flop onto my bed, and pull out my phone. Luna's Quickgram profile is already pulled up from when I added her earlier, and I spend an embarrassingly long time trying to figure out what to message her.

"Hey" is too casual. "Hello" is too formal. "What's up" sounds way too cool.

Eventually, I settle on: "Today was fun! Excited to do it again tomorrow ?"

I hit send before I can overthink it any further and immediately regret the smiley face. Too enthusiastic? Not enthusiastic enough? Is there a socially acceptable emoji-to-text ratio I should be aware of?

My phone buzzes thirty seconds later.

Luna: "I had a lot of fun too! See you tomorrow ?"

One sentence. A simple sentence that makes me feel like I just won the lottery.

I fall asleep that night with a smile on my face, my status screen floating in my vision, and the comforting knowledge that tomorrow, I get to do this all over again.