Jax Carter stepped into his apartment, the door creaking open like even it was tired of him. He dropped his bag near the kitchen-slash-living-room-slash-laundry-corner and sighed. His apartment wasn't small. It was microscopic. Like someone had looked at a shoebox and thought, "Yeah, let's make that livable."
The microwave clock blinked 8:43 PM. He didn't remember if that was accurate. He didn't care either.
He flopped onto his mattress on the floor — calling it a bed was generous — and stared at the ceiling like it owed him answers.
"System," he muttered, "you still here?"
[Welcome back, Jax Carter. The Loser System™️ remains bound to you. Unfortunately.]
"Wow. Great to be appreciated."
[As part of your Newbie Bonus, you have been awarded:
• +200 System Points
• +20 EXP]
[New Quests Available:]
• Wash your face (+20 points, +5 EXP)
• Eat something edible (+20 points, +5 EXP)
• Stretch for 3 minutes (+30 points, +5 EXP)
• Throw away that expired yogurt in the fridge (+40 points, +5 EXP)
• Open your curtains like a human being (+40 points, +5 EXP)
[Bonus Reward: +50 points if you complete all. Total: 150 Points + 25 EXP]
Jax stared at the glowing list hovering above his bed.
"So you're paying me to clean my apartment and act like a person."
[Correct.]
It was stupid. It was mildly insulting. It was also 150 points. He got up.
—
Ten minutes later, Jax stood at the open window, breathing in the city air — a toxic blend of car exhaust and fried food from the alley below. Still, it beat the scent of expired yogurt.
[Quest Chain Complete. +150 Points | +25 EXP | Bonus Achieved.]
[Current Balance: 350 Points | 65 EXP]
"Status," he said.
[Status Window: Jax Carter]
Strength: F-
Agility: F
Endurance: F+
Intelligence: D-
Charisma: F+
Luck: F--
Available Points: 350
[Shop: Stat Upgrade Available]
Each upgrade raises the stat one sub-grade. Cost increases by 50% after each purchase per stat. Starting cost varies per stat.
"Okay. Let's start with intelligence. If I'm gonna be stuck in a gameified life, I should at least understand how to play it."
[Intelligence Upgrade: D- → D (Cost: 20 Points)]
→ D → D+ (30 Points)
→ D+ → C- (45 Points)
→ C- → C (67 Points)
→ C → C+ (101 Points)
Total: 263 Points
[Confirm?]
"Yeah. Confirm."
[Intelligence: D- → C+]
[Points Remaining: 87]
He sat back down, blinking. He didn't feel smarter. But the clutter in his head? It was quieter. Like someone had finally organized his brain's desktop.
"Alright, let's polish the social disaster too. Charm me up."
[Charisma Upgrade: F+ → E- (Cost: 20 Points)]
→ E- → E (30 Points)
[Points Remaining: 37]
"Throw the rest into strength. Maybe I can finally open jars without rage-quitting."
[Strength Upgrade: F- → F (Cost: 30 Points)]
[Final Points: 7]
He opened his fridge again. The door didn't squeak. He wasn't sure if that was real or psychological.
[Status Updated:]
Strength: F
Intelligence: C+
Charisma: E
Jax cracked a small smile.
Then paused.
"System... are there skills I can buy?"
[Skill Shop: Displaying Tier 1 Options…]
• Basic Cooking (Passive) – 60 pts
• Jogging Form (Active) – 50 pts
• Typing Speed +20% – 40 pts
• Game Development ( Tier-1) – 70 pts
[Skill: Game Development]
Description: Gain intuitive understanding of RPG Maker-style engines, event scripting, and basic pixel art. Enough to create a functional 2D RPG with standard mechanics.
Jax raised an eyebrow. "That last one... that's oddly specific."
[Estimated Passive Income Potential: Medium. Creative Freedom: High. Respect from Parents: Still Zero.]
He leaned back.
"A game dev skill, huh? I mean… I've played a ton of them. How hard can it be to make one?"
[Answer: Statistically, very hard.]
"Shut up. Let me dream."
He didn't have enough points left yet, but the thought lingered. Maybe, just maybe, this system wasn't just for petty self-improvement. Maybe it was a way out.
He closed his eyes. For once, he wasn't dreading tomorrow.
—
The Next Morning
The alarm screamed. Jax rolled out of bed without hitting snooze. That alone was new.
[New Daily Quests Available:]
• Take a proper shower (+20 points, +5 EXP)
• Make a real breakfast (+20 points, +5 EXP)
• Do ten push-ups (+20 points, +5 EXP)
• Water your dying plant (+20 points, +5 EXP)
• Say something nice to someone (+Bonus: +20 points, +5 EXP)
[All Quests Complete Bonus: +20 points]
[Total Available Today: 100 Points | +25 EXP]
He went through the routine like someone who suddenly had a reason to live. The eggs weren't great, the push-ups were tragic, and the compliment to Linda was extremely forced ("You… smell like… basil?"), but he got through it.
And of course —
[Side Quest Unlocked: Morning Coffee Run for Mia (Repeatable)]
Objective: Bring mint tea. Don't spill.
Reward: +15 Points, +2 Affection, +5 EXP
He smiled faintly. "Right. Let's do that."
—
That evening, Jax returned home, kicked his shoes off, and opened the system again.
[Current Points: 127]
[Purchase Skill: Game Development – 70 Points?]
He didn't hesitate this time.
[Skill Acquired: Game Development (Tier 1)]
[Sub-Skills Unlocked: Level Design Basics, Simple Event Coding, Pixel Art Templates Accessed]
A surge of knowledge filtered into his mind. Concepts, logic maps, even little images of RPG UI flowed in like he'd watched ten hours of YouTube tutorials compressed into one thought.
He opened his laptop, cracked his fingers, and said:
"Let's make something dumb, dramatic, and just barely functional."
He paused.
"…Like my life."
The screen lit up with a new project file.
Jax Carter wasn't just a low-level office worker anymore. He was a low-level office worker with stats, quests, and a skill that might — just might — be a step toward freedom.
Tomorrow he'd keep going.
For now, he had pixel trees to place.