The university cafeteria was crowded, but Tyler walked between the tables with the same usual loose calm. The same calmness that many confused with laziness. In reality, it had always been a mix of cheap philosophy and chronic exhaustion.
Today, however, his steps had a different nuance.
Others didn't notice it... but he did.
The System was still active. He had checked it several times on his phone screen, hiding it under the table as if it were compromising messages.
Every so often, new notifications appeared, almost invisible, like a digital heartbeat.
$$Passive Drop Activated: "Sense Boost I"$$
– Slightly increases your perception.
It wasn't spectacular, but he had already felt it.
He had noticed people before they bumped into him, he had unintentionally overheard distant conversations, and he had even reacted faster when the waiter spilled coffee.
Small things... but real.
Tyler slumped into a chair. He wasn't hungry. He was only there because he needed a place to think.
The problem was that every time he tried to, someone else appeared in his mind.
Mia.
The girl who had helped him without asking for anything.
The first person in weeks who had been kind to him just for... him.
And he couldn't lie to himself: he had enjoyed being near her. Her soft laugh. Her questions. The way her eyes didn't evaluate or judge.
It was too early to think of anything more, of course.
But the feeling was there, alive, pulsating.
The phone screen lit up again.
$$New Mission Available$$
Tyler swallowed and opened the window silently.
Mission: "The First Right Step"
Description: "A single kind gesture can change your destiny."
Objective: Significantly help someone today.
Possible Rewards:
Digital Item (Rarity C)
$1,500
Random Skill (Rarity D–C)
Difficulty: Easy
"Help?" Tyler murmured, swiping his finger across the screen. "Easy to say."
Though in reality... he wasn't a bad guy. He was just tired.
He closed the panel and remained silent, watching the cafeteria.
"Help someone today... what am I supposed to do? Save a cat? Stop a robbery? Be a decent human being?"
He got no answer, but the system had proven to have a special sense of humor.
He stood up. He had to get out of there. The air smelled of reheated food and bad academic decisions.
Stepping into the hallway, he heard a familiar sound: papers falling, someone muttering "shit," another frustrated sigh.
And there she was: a dark-haired girl, kneeling, trying to gather what seemed like endless forms.
Tyler approached almost by reflex.
"Need a hand?"
The girl looked up. Her eyes were tired, but kind.
"Seriously?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure," he replied, kneeling down without thinking.
He helped her pick everything up, even sorting the documents by numbers and dates as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She watched him with increasing surprise.
"Thanks... I'm Laura, by the way."
"Tyler."
"Well... thank you, Tyler. This would have taken me ten more minutes alone."
"No problem," he said with a quiet smile. "Rough day, huh?"
"Too rough. Sometimes I feel like this university wants to kill me."
Tyler let out a soft laugh.
"Believe me, I understand perfectly."
She laughed too, and the atmosphere completely eased.
Then the phone screen vibrated in his pocket, almost with a little jump of satisfaction.
$$Mission completed$$
Laura was already walking away when she turned and said:
"Hey! If you ever need help with anything... I'm around."
"I'll keep that in mind," Tyler replied.
When he was alone, he opened the notification.
Reward obtained: "Skill Drop – Quick Study (C)"
Description: Increases your ability to learn new skills.
Effect: +20% learning speed.
Additional Item: "Keycard: Urban Storage Locker (C)"
Description: Digital card linked to a private locker in a city warehouse.
Status: Empty.
"A locker...?" Tyler frowned. "This is starting to get interesting."
The phone vibrated again, as if the system shared his humor.
$$New Feature Unlocked: **Expanded Inventory**$$
Every line of text seemed to open a new door.
"Money, skills, objects..." Tyler muttered, walking towards the campus exit. "It's clear this isn't going to stay small."
And without realizing it, as the afternoon fell over the city, Tyler began to walk with a different step.
Not because he thought he was special. Not yet.
But because for the first time in years...
He had possibilities.
And something inside him knew that this was far from over.
Very far.