I’d always been good at putting things off. It wasn’t laziness exactly, more like a finely honed skill of doing nothing until the last possible moment. That’s how I found myself in my car, parked outside the security booth where I worked, staring at my phone with a mix of dread and boredom.

The job was simple—sit in front of monitors, watch for anything unusual, and occasionally patrol the hallways. But the thought of walking in there right now felt unbearable. I leaned back in my seat, one hand on the wheel, the other scrolling through my phone. The sun was beating down, turning my car into a sauna, but I couldn’t bring myself to move.

Fifteen minutes ticked by. I glanced at the clock, knowing I should get inside, but instead, I closed my eyes. Just a minute more, I told myself. I’ll go in soon.

Minutes stretched on, and before I knew it, I was drifting. The warmth of the car, the hum of distant traffic, and the monotony of my life pulled me into a half-sleep. Maybe I’ll just rest my eyes a bit longer...

***

I woke up to a sharp pain in my ear, yelping as I snapped awake. But I wasn’t in my car anymore. The sky above was a strange purple, dotted with symbols that seemed to float in the air. The ground beneath me was soft, covered in moss and leaves, and something was gnawing at my ear.

“What the hell?” I swatted at the creature, panicking. It was a jackalope—a rabbit with antlers, its tiny teeth digging into my skin. I managed to fling it off, watching as it chittered angrily before bounding into the underbrush with a chunk of my ear in its mouth.

I touched my ear, wincing at the torn skin. “This isn’t the parking lot…” I muttered, looking around in confusion. I was in a dense forest, the trees towering above me. No sign of my car, no sign of the security booth—just wilderness.

“What the hell is going on?” I pulled out my phone, hoping for some answers, but it was dead. No signal, no power—just a black screen.

Before panic could set in, a strange, holographic interface appeared in front of me, floating mid-air. It displayed my name, health, mana, and some other stats that looked straight out of a video game.

“Max Idle, welcome to The Idle Quest!” a cheerful voice announced. “A world where procrastination is not just a pastime—it’s the key to survival. Complete quests, level up your skills, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find a way back home.”

I stared at the interface, trying to wrap my head around what I was seeing. “Wait, what? Quest? What is this?”

The voice didn’t respond. Instead, a new notification popped up:

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

First Quest: Survive the First Hour

Rewards: Yay, you are still Alive!

I blinked at the screen, trying to process the situation. “Survive the first hour? What kind of game is this?”

Taking a deep breath, I focused on the interface, which now displayed a set of skills:

Daydreaming (Level 1): Drift off into a trance and potentially gain insights or ideas from your subconscious.

Endless Distraction (Level 1): Remain unfocused on anything serious, making it harder for enemies to detect you.

Procrastination Mastery (Level 1): Delay tasks with such skill that it often leads to unexpected outcomes.

Infinite Scroll (Level 0): Scroll endlessly through information, keeping yourself entertained or distracted indefinitely. Currently inactive due to lack of mana.

“Okay… this has to be some kind of joke,” I muttered, but there was nothing else to do except test them out.

I started with Daydreaming. Closing my eyes, I let my mind drift, hoping for some kind of clue or insight. Images and thoughts swirled through my head—fragments of memories, ideas, and possibilities. It wasn’t anything concrete, but it was oddly calming.

Next, I tried Endless Distraction. It was easy for me; I’d spent years perfecting the art of not paying attention. I wandered through the forest, letting my focus drift. The usual sounds of the forest seemed to fade, and for a moment, it felt like I was part of the background, unnoticed by anything that might be lurking nearby.

“Not bad,” I muttered, though I wasn’t sure how useful it would be in the long run.

Curious about Infinite Scroll, I pulled out my phone again, hoping to use the skill. The screen flickered weakly, displaying a message: Out of mana. Recharge Item required.

“Mana? Recharge Item?” I groaned, slipping the phone back into my pocket. “So much for that.”

With nothing left to test, I started walking, my mind still racing with questions. The forest seemed endless, but eventually, I reached a small hill overlooking a village nestled in a valley below. It looked peaceful—smoke rising from chimneys, people going about their day. I was tempted to head down, find out where I was and what was going on.

But just as I was about to take a step toward the village, a deafening roar shook the air. I froze, heart pounding as I watched in horror. A massive dragon, its metallic scales glinting in the sunlight, swooped down from the sky. The creature unleashed a torrent of fire, engulfing the village in flames. The peaceful scene below turned into chaos, villagers running in every direction, trying to escape the dragon’s wrath.

My breath caught in my throat. If I hadn’t been procrastinating—if I’d gone straight to the village—I would’ve been caught in the carnage. The dragon’s attack was swift, brutal, leaving nothing but destruction behind.

As the dragon soared back into the sky, leaving the burning village behind, cold sweat trickled down my spine. “That… that could have been me.”

The interface flickered again, reminding me of the quest. I’d survived, but the cost was unimaginable. The village was gone, and I realized this world was far more dangerous than I had ever imagined.

I turned away from the smoking ruins, heading deeper into the forest. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew one thing: I couldn’t rely on luck or procrastination alone. I needed to be smarter, faster, and more prepared if I wanted to survive.

As I walked, my thoughts drifted back to the jackalope that had woken me up. “At least something bit me awake before it was too late.”

And with the dragon’s roar still echoing in my ears, I set off on a journey I never asked for, in a world as dangerous as it was strange.