"As the crisp tendrils of dawn unfurled, he rose before any alarm could intrude, as if the sun itself had only just ascended. Yet, it was David who emerged, not the sun."
He had about 15 minutes or so before the early head call.
The cell lights had yet to be turned on, the early morning chill still lingering in the air. He extended his limbs and inhaled deeply, steeling himself for the forthcoming day.
He quickly washed his face at the small, meager sink tucked away in the corner of his cell, pondering whether what happened yesterday had been a dream or reality.
"With a few minutes to spare, he seated himself on his bed, waiting for the guards to come around. 'Open the window,' he instructed, his command laced with a trace of doubt."
A window popped up, accompanied by an imperceptible sense of peace on his face.
[ INFO ▾ QUEST ▸ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
PROFILE
NAME : David
LVL : 01 [ ▴ 0/30XP ] or [ ▴ 3 SU ]
TITLE : User
SYSTEM UNITS : 0
STATUS
HP : ▰▰▰▰▰ ¹⁰
DEFENSE : ▰▰▰▰▰ ¹⁰
MANA : ▰▰▰▰▰ ¹⁰
STATS
STRENGTH : 10 ▴
AGILITY : 07 ▴
STAMINA : 09 ▴
INTELLIGENCE : 91 ▴
POWERS
LIGHT POWER : E Class [ ▴ 10 SU ]
DARKNESS POWER : D Class [ ▴ 30 SU ]
"‘Huh, the stats are full today. Could it be because I had a good rest?’ he wondered, seemingly unaware."
The alarm began to blare following the completion of the usual transmission.
David asked the system to close the window.
When the guards arrived, he was prepared for the headcount, and afterward, he proceeded to breakfast.
Upon finishing his breakfast, a new notification popped up.
The startled David thought others might take notice of it, but it seemed their vision was oblivious to it.
▪ ▪ ▪ THE DAILY QUESTS
ARE NOW AVAILABLE ▪ ▪ ▪
"‘Open quest menu,’ David whispered, so others would not think he was speaking to himself."
[ INFO ▸ QUEST ▾ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
MAIN QUEST
▫ Escape the prison
DAILY QUEST
▫ Visit the library
[ Reward : 1 System Unit ]
▫ Find the book cover
[ Reward : 1 S-Class healing barrier ]
Finally, a normal quest! He threw a weak fist into the air, momentarily forgetting he was in a hall full of prisoners.
"But first things first, he looked around and approached an unfamiliar face among the guards. ‘I would like a parole application form,’ he said."
The guard could have obtained the application form and handed it directly to David, but instead, he directed him to the prison administration office with a more experienced guard, unwilling to jeopardize his position by making any errors in his new role.
Both were walking. David had been participating in rehabilitation programs but had no support from his family on the outside. The only thing that strengthened his parole application was the educational certificate he recently earned through a two-year program offered in the prison library.
Nevertheless, David wasn’t placing his hopes entirely on the educational certificate for his parole. The notion of applying for parole to shorten his sentence by clearing Rifts was the only viable option, a persistent thought that occupied his mind.
"‘Give me a parole application,’ the guard directed the man seated inside the administration office through a small window upon their arrival."
David began filling out the form as soon as it was given to him, remaining focused and undistracted. Upon finishing, he returned the form to the officer, who immediately began registering it online to schedule his parole hearing.
"‘Your hearing will be held in three days,’ the officer informed David, peering at him intently as he adjusted his glasses."
The guard escorted David back to the recreation yard afterward and then proceeded on his way.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Well, it's time for killing two birds with one stone, he thought, before walking towards the library."
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
A new notification popped up as he entered the library.
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +1 SYSTEM UNIT +10 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
"Oblivious to his surroundings, he inquired, 'What exactly are system units? I neglected to ask about them earlier,' only to be interrupted."
"System unit? Hmm, I don't believe I've encountered such a term. Perhaps you are mistaken in your terminology," the librarian responded, presuming David was directing the question at him.
"Oh, Mr. Robert, it's nothing," he said, attempting to divert his attention. Concealing his near fright, he added, "But why weren’t you present in the library yesterday?"
"Well, that's a story for another time," he replied sarcastically, while continuing with, "And that time is now."
David had always thought Mr. Robert to be a kind man, who made an effort to cheer him up in one way or another, especially since he was one of the few who regularly visited the library.
"I had the opportunity to meet an A-Rank RiftWalker, so I seized it to add more information to my private bestiary that I am compiling, which contains details about various beasts, including their elements, habitats, hunting patterns, and their actual locations within the Rifts."
"Rifts are a paradoxical realm, strange but beautiful, dangerous yet comforting. They represent a world far surpassing the limits of human comprehension," he continued, speaking without any indication of stopping.
Mr. Robert always enjoyed sharing information, but David was not in the mood for it today, as he needed to find the book cover to resolve his doubts.
"I hope that one day you might allow me to read that book," David said with a weak smile as he spoke to the librarian.
"Sure, why not?" Mr. Robert replied.
Without a moment to lose after the pause between dialogues, David swiftly moved toward the table behind the shelves, eager to avoid being drawn into another conversation.
A chilling surge of apprehension coursed down his spine as he found that the table offered no cover. He commenced a thorough search of the shelves, but despite his efforts, the cover eluded him.
Frustrated, David turned to the librarian and inquired whether he had happened to see a worn-out book cover.
"Oh, I threw it in the trash bin outside the library, as the cover didn’t match any of the books here," he replied.
David hurled toward the trash bin outside the library, which startled Mr. Robert, making him think about how enthusiastic this young man was about the books, almost giving a smile.
"Here it is," David said, breathing heavily. "I thought I would have to do a wild manhunt in order to find you," he said, something strange directed at the book cover.
He retrieved it and subjected it to a meticulous examination once again, but, despite his thorough inspection, he ultimately found no new information.
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUEST COMPLETED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : +1 S-CLASS
HEALING BARRIER +20 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
In an instant, David began to feel a heaviness in his body; he started burning up and sweating for no apparent reason, a sensation that lasted for a minute or so.
He grabbed hold of the nearby wall, just in case he might collapse.
▪ ▪ ▪ LEVEL UP SUCCESSFUL ▪ ▪ ▪
David immediately felt better, perhaps even better than before, as the heaviness and burning sensation vanished without a trace, just as a new notification appeared.
"So, while it resembles the concept of a game, it is entirely different; leveling up is painful, and the quests aren’t as simple as slaying slimes. Essentially, reality is harsh," he remarked with a sigh.
"Open the info menu," he commanded the system.
[ INFO ▾ QUEST ▸ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
PROFILE
NAME : David
LVL : 02 [ ▴ 0/50XP ] or [ ▴ 5 SU ]
TITLE : User
SYSTEM UNITS : 1
STATUS
HP : ▰▰▰▰▰ ²⁰
DEFENSE : ▰▰▰▰▰ ²⁰
MANA : ▰▰▰▰▰ ²⁰
STATS
STRENGTH : 10 ▴
AGILITY : 07 ▴
STAMINA : 09 ▴
INTELLIGENCE : 91 ▴
POWERS
LIGHT POWER : E Class [ ▴ 10 SU ]
DARKNESS POWER : D Class [ ▴ 30 SU ]
"Now that I’m at level 2, the painful process makes sense. My HP, defense, and mana have each increased by 10."
"What are system units?" David asked the system.
▪ ▪ ▪ SYSTEM UNITS ARE
A TYPE OF CURRENCY ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ YOU CAN UPGRADE YOUR LEVEL AS WELL AS YOUR PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OR YOUR ELEMENTAL POWERS WITH THEM ▪ ▪ ▪
So essentially, I can continue to improve if I have enough system units; it's not much different from money.
"Open the inventory menu," he commanded again.
[ INFO ▸ QUEST ▸ INVENTORY ▾ SHOP ▸ ]
ITEMS
▪ 1 S-Class healing barrier [ RARE ]
▪ Mysterious book cover [ ??? ]
David made a discovery as he looked at his hands and found that the book cover was no longer there, wondering when it had moved to his inventory.
"So, I can add items to the inventory; that’s actually quite convenient, I must say," he remarked, his tone reflecting satisfaction.
"What about this rare S-Class Healing Barrier I received as a reward? The fact that I received such a rare item at the very outset of my progress suggests the book cover is of considerable importance. Yet, intriguingly, the cover itself is marked with question marks," he thought.
This leads me to wonder what kind of reward I will receive upon collecting the shards.
"Oh, obviously, reviving my memory," he remembered. "But would it be alone, or with something else?" he asked himself.
"‘Close the window for now,’ David thought to himself as he decided to try something new, hoping it would work."
The window closed, thereby validating his assumption.
"‘That’s better; I appear rather absurd speaking into thin air,’ he said, before making his way back to the library."
***
Somewhere outside the prison.
An intern ascends to an office positioned on the top floor of a skyscraper. Although the building’s dimensions are not extensive, its elegant, slender profile and striking design elevate it to a status of architectural distinction.
"A new parole application has been submitted by the administration office of the Gifted Juvenile Center."
"I thought this application might interest you, as you previously conducted two hearings for this inmate," the intern conveyed to a young woman who seemed to be his superior.
He placed the documents on her desk and then returned to his route outside the office.
"Oh dear, it’s him again. I wonder what you have in store for me this time," she intoned, her visage remaining impassive, betraying not the slightest hint of emotion.