The bus ride home took forty-five minutes through three different neighborhoods—each one getting progressively worse. I watched the scenery change from Silverbrook Academy's manicured lawns and marble fountains to chain-link fences and boarded-up storefronts.
My stop was in front of Garden Heights Apartments, which had neither a garden nor any significant height. Just a run-down four-story building with peeling paint and a broken elevator.
But I barely noticed any of it today.
I was too busy staring at the blue screen floating in front of my face, invisible to the tired factory workers and sleeping college students around me.
[SKILL: STUDYING - LEVEL 1]
Current EXP: 1/100
To reach Level 2, you need 99 more skill uses.
Tip: Reading and comprehending academic material counts as skill usage. Quality of engagement affects whether usage is counted.
I pulled out my Calculus textbook and started reading the next chapter—derivatives of trigonometric functions. Normally, this stuff made my brain hurt. But with the Studying skill active, it was like reading a story. The concepts just... clicked.
Sin(x) derivative is cos(x). Cos(x) derivative is -sin(x). The pattern repeats because of the unit circle...
[SKILL USAGE DETECTED]
Studying EXP: 2/100
My heart jumped. It worked. Just reading and understanding gave me EXP.
I kept going. Chain rule for trig functions. Product rule. Quotient rule. Each new concept I genuinely understood triggered another notification:
Ding. 3/100.
Ding. 4/100.
Ding. 5/100.
By the time the bus reached my stop, I was at 12/100 EXP. Twelve percent of the way to Level 2, and I'd only been studying for thirty minutes.
"Not bad," I muttered, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.
I climbed the three flights of stairs to apartment 3C—the elevator had been broken for eight months. Mom had left a note on the kitchen counter next to a plate of leftover chicken and rice:
Working until midnight. There's more in the fridge. Don't wait up. Love you! - Mom
I heated up the food and ate quickly, my mind already racing ahead. The system had given me the tools, but I needed a plan. A strategy.
I pulled out a notebook and started writing:
ETHAN'S EVOLUTION PLAN
Goal: Level up all stats to become untouchable at Silverbrook Academy
Current Status:
All stats: Level 1 (0/100 Stat Shards each)
Studying skill: Level 1 (12/100 EXP)
Phase 1: Information Gathering
Test how to earn Stat Shards for each stat
Find most efficient grinding methods
Document everything
Phase 2: Balanced Growth
Focus on earning 100 Stat Shards for ONE stat
Use Equal Growth to level ALL stats simultaneously
Repeat infinitely
Phase 3: Revenge
Use new abilities to face-slap Marcus and his crew
Reclaim dignity
Make Mom proud
I stared at the words "Phase 3: Revenge" and felt that familiar heat in my chest. Three years of humiliation. Three years of taking it.
Not anymore.
But first, I needed data.
I changed into my only pair of athletic shorts and a faded t-shirt, then dropped to the floor of my tiny bedroom.
"Let's start with Strength," I muttered, and began doing pushups.
One. Two. Three.
My arms were shaking by fifteen. I'd never been athletic. Never had time for sports or gym memberships. By twenty pushups, I collapsed.
No notification.
I waited, catching my breath. Still nothing.
"Maybe I need to do more?" I wondered aloud. I forced myself to do ten more pushups, my arms screaming in protest.
Still nothing.
I tried curl-ups. Squats. Lunges. After thirty minutes of various exercises, I was drenched in sweat and gasping for air, but the system hadn't given me a single Stat Shard.
"What am I doing wrong?" I groaned, lying flat on my back.
Then I noticed something. A new screen had appeared:
[ANALYSIS: STRENGTH TRAINING DETECTED]
Current effort: LOW INTENSITY
Your body is at Level 1 baseline. To earn Stat Shards, you must:
Push beyond your current limits
Maintain consistent effort over time
Progressively increase difficulty
Recommendation: Establish a baseline, then exceed it consistently. Stat Shards are earned through genuine growth, not mere repetition.
Current Progress: 0%
"So I need to actually improve," I realized. "Not just go through the motions."
That made sense. The system rewarded growth, not just activity.
I thought about it strategically. If I could currently do 20 pushups before failure, then I needed to push to 25. Then 30. Each time I broke my previous record, I'd be genuinely growing stronger.
That's when I'd earn Shards.
But I was too exhausted to continue tonight. My muscles felt like jelly.
"Tomorrow," I promised myself. "I'll create a proper training routine tomorrow."
For now, I'd focus on what I could do: grind my Studying skill.
I grabbed my textbooks and laptop and got to work. Calculus first, then Physics, then Chemistry. With the Studying skill active, material that normally took me hours to grasp became clear in minutes.
Every chapter I completed gave me +1 EXP.
Ding. 13/100.
Ding. 14/100.
I worked through the night, only stopping when my eyes started burning from screen fatigue. By 2 AM, I'd made serious progress:
[SKILL: STUDYING]
Level: 1
EXP: 34/100
Current Effect: Learning Speed +100%
Thirty-four percent. In one evening.
If I kept this pace, I could hit Level 2 in three days. Level 3 in six days.
But I needed to be smarter about it.
I created a spreadsheet on my laptop:
STAT SHARD FARMING PLAN - WEEK 1
DAILY SCHEDULE:
5:30 AM - 6:30 AM: Physical Training (Strength/Stamina)
Pushups, squats, running
Track personal records
Goal: Earn first Strength/Stamina Shards
6:30 AM - 7:30 AM: Breakfast, shower, bus to school
7:30 AM - 3:00 PM: School
Use Studying skill in every class
Participate more (Charm practice)
Aim for 10+ EXP per day
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Bus home, study during ride
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Homework + Extra Study
Grind Studying skill
Aim for 20+ EXP per day
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Dinner, rest
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Advanced Study Session
Learn new skills (potential new skill unlocks?)
Test Intelligence Shard earning
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Social media practice (Charm)
Study charismatic people
Practice conversation
10:00 PM: Sleep
WEEKLY GOALS:
Studying Skill: Level 2 (need 66 more EXP)
Earn first Stat Shard in ANY category
Understand system mechanics fully
It was aggressive. Maybe too aggressive. But I had three years of humiliation to make up for.
I set my alarm for 5:30 AM and collapsed into bed.
For the first time in years, I fell asleep smiling.
[NEXT MORNING - 5:30 AM]
The alarm was brutal. My muscles ached from last night's training attempt. Every part of me wanted to hit snooze.
But I thought about Marcus's smirk. About my mom scrubbing floors. About being invisible.
I got up.
I changed into my workout clothes and headed to the apartment complex's tiny courtyard. It was empty at this hour, just cracked concrete and a rusty basketball hoop with no net.
Perfect.
"Alright, system," I said to the empty air. "Let's see what it takes."
I started with stretches to warm up, then dropped into pushup position.
"Current record: 20 before failure," I reminded myself. "Let's aim for 25."
I began.
One. Two. Three... fifteen... eighteen...
My arms were screaming at twenty. Everything in me wanted to stop.
But I thought about the system. About Equal Growth. About becoming someone who couldn't be pushed around.
Twenty-one. Twenty-two. Twenty-three.
My form was breaking down, but I kept going.
Twenty-four.
Twenty-five.
I collapsed, gasping.
And then I saw it:
[PERSONAL RECORD BROKEN!]
Pushups: 20 → 25
Genuine physical growth detected...
Calculating...
STRENGTH SHARD EARNED: +1
Current Strength Shards: 1/100
"YES!" I shouted, not caring if I woke the neighbors.
It worked! One shard! Only ninety-nine more to go until Level 2!
But more importantly, I understood the system now. It didn't reward mindless repetition—it rewarded breaking limits. Every time I pushed past my previous best, I'd earn rewards.
I rested for five minutes, then tried again. This time, I managed 22 pushups before my arms gave out.
No notification.
"Makes sense," I panted. "That's less than my new record of 25. I need to beat 25 to get another Shard."
So the strategy was clear: progressively overload. Keep beating my own records.
I moved on to squats. I did as many as I could with good form—forty-three before my legs turned to rubber.
No notification.
I rested and tried again, pushing to fifty.
[PERSONAL RECORD BROKEN!]
Squats: 43 → 50
STRENGTH SHARD EARNED: +1
Current Strength Shards: 2/100
Two down, ninety-eight to go.
I spent the next hour testing different exercises:
Running laps around the building
Jumping jacks
Mountain climbers
Burpees
Each time I established a baseline, then beat it, I earned one Strength Shard.
By 6:30 AM, I'd earned seven Strength Shards and I could barely move.
[CURRENT STATUS - MORNING UPDATE]
Strength: Level 1 (7/100 Shards) ⬆
Stamina: Level 1 (0/100 Shards)
Intelligence: Level 1 (0/100 Shards)
Charm: Level 1 (0/100 Shards)
Studying Skill: Level 1 (34/100 EXP)
"Wait," I frowned, looking at the stats. "I earned Strength Shards, but nothing for Stamina?"
Then I realized—all my exercises were strength-based. Short bursts of maximum effort. To train Stamina, I'd need sustained endurance activities. Long-distance running. Swimming. Things that tested my ability to keep going, not just my raw power.
"Tomorrow," I decided. "Today is already a win."
I dragged myself upstairs, showered, and got ready for school. My muscles ached, but it was a good ache. The ache of progress.
On the bus to Silverbrook, I studied Chemistry, grinding more EXP.
Ding. 35/100.
Ding. 36/100.
By the time I arrived at school, I had a clearer picture of the system:
Strength Shards: Break personal records in strength exercises
Stamina Shards: (Need to test endurance training)
Intelligence Shards: (Need to test mental challenges)
Charm Shards: (Need to test social interactions)
And I had all day to experiment.
I walked through Silverbrook's pristine gates with my head held a little higher than usual.
Marcus and his crew were hanging out by the fountain, laughing about something. Sophie Chen was there too, along with Jake Morrison, star quarterback, and Emma Hartley, whose father owned half the commercial real estate in the city.
Usually, I'd take the long way around to avoid them.
Not today.
Today, I wanted to test something.
I walked straight toward them, making eye contact with Marcus for the first time in three years.
His laugh died. "What are you looking at, scholarship?"
"Just heading to class," I said evenly. "Morning, Marcus. Sophie. Jake. Emma."
Sophie looked startled that I knew her name. Jake barely glanced at me. Emma was too busy on her phone to care.
But Marcus's eyes narrowed. "Since when do you talk to us?"
"Since always," I replied. "You just never listened."
I walked past them before he could respond, my heart pounding.
Nothing happened. No notification.
But as I entered the main building, I noticed something—Emma had looked up from her phone. Just for a second. She'd actually seen me.
Maybe Charm wouldn't be as hard to grind as I thought.
Maybe all I needed to do was stop being invisible.
I smiled and headed to my first class: Advanced Physics.
Time to earn some Intelligence Shards.
[END CHAPTER 2]
[CURRENT STATUS]
Strength: Level 1 (7/100 Shards)
Stamina: Level 1 (0/100 Shards)
Intelligence: Level 1 (0/100 Shards)
Charm: Level 1 (0/100 Shards)
Studying Skill: Level 1 (36/100 EXP)