Weirdo

As the ceremony was as good as done, both Josh and Clay walked home, Mrs. Mapa was left behind as she wanted to catch up with her friends, the same goes for the mother of Josh Daskt, Mrs. Daskt. The two good friends went their own separate ways once they were nearing their home.

As Clay was walking home after bidding farewell to Josh, he was thinking about how to complete his quest as he suddenly saw a silhouette in the corner of his eye residing in a less frequented part of the town. Struck with curiosity he turned to look at the figure in the alleyway, then turned to look back at the way he was walking.

'Wait, was that person waving at me?' Clay looked at the alley again, only to find the person standing right beside him on his left side at half an arm's reach. Spooked, Clay took a step away from the person that was a head taller than Clay, and Clay wasn't short mind you, rather he was quite tall, standing at 5'10, the mysterious person was at least 6 feet, wearing an all-black coat, scarf, hat, and boots, you couldn't see his face even if it wasn't covered by anything, all that Clay could see was a black mist residing where the mysterious man's face should be, as if daring any person to try and find where his face was.

While on guard, Clay asked the mysterious person "What do you want?"

"I believe you are looking for something, yes?" The mysterious person said in a deep and rough voice.

"Looking for what?" Clay was puzzled.

"Papyrus paper, a quill, and a small jar of ink" Responded the man.

Clay's hair stood on end, he hadn't told anyone about his quest, yet this man suddenly appeared and had accurately guessed what he needed to complete his quest? It seemed way too suspicious. Clay tried to feign ignorance to get more information.

"What are you talking about" Clay furrowed his brows, still on guard of the man before him.

"I know what you are thinking but I'm just here to deliver materials" The man reached out, and Clay took a step back. The man opened his palm and 3 items appeared out of thin air. The three items being exactly what Clay needed to complete his quest. The man placed those materials on a table that had also appeared out of thin air in front of him. Then, he left. Walking back to the alleyway he came from and disappearing from Clay's sight. Clay looked around making sure that he was actually gone, Clay was confused by this whole ordeal, everything seemed way too convenient. Then Clay remembered that people were around him, he turned to look at other people, only realizing that they were walking passed him as if they had not seen the mysterious man and the items that had appeared. Clay grabbed the items he needed and left fast, thinking that the man would appear again.

*Ding!*

<Detected completion of quest!>

<Claim reward now?>

[Yes/No]

Clay looked at the system notifications and decided to select no. He needed to get to a more comfortable and safe place, not out in the open where the man or someone else like him would appear.

As Clay walked back home he was thinking about the random event that he had encountered. 'What a weirdo' Clay thought of the mysterious man.

Soon he arrived home, excited to claim his rewards for completing the quest. As he opened the door to his house, Clay could not help but think about what his younger sister would say when she learned of the matter of his F rating.

'Well, there's nothing I can do about it anyway, better think of a way to retort just in case she makes fun of me' Clay devised a clap back at his younger sister in case she tried to make fun of him. 'This will do'.

As Clay closed the door and placed down the materials for the quest, he heard footsteps coming toward him. 'Speak of the devil' Clay mentally groaned as he tried to put on the most 'Nothing is wrong' Face he had ever put on in his entire life.

"Your back!" Belle excitedly exclaimed, gleeful at the thought of not needing to wait anymore.

"Yep, I'm back, as you can see" Clay grimly smiled.

"So...What system did you get?" Belle asked in a curious tone.

"I got a mapping system" Clay said as he tried to look proud, but to no avail. Clay omitted the part where he got an F rating.

"Oh" Belle's enthusiasm vanished, replaced with confusion and curiosity.

"What's a mapping system?" Belle tilted her head.

"It lets me create maps" Clay said, trying not to cringe at his own words and trying to maintain his poker face.

"Pfft" Belle tried to contain her giggle which almost failed.

Clay's face darkened.

"Ahem" Belle coughed "What about your rating?" she asked in a curious tone.

Hearing this Clay's face darkened more. "An F rating" Clay whispered.

"What did you say?" Belle didn't hear properly.

"An F rating!" Clay said in a slightly loud voice.

An awkward silence ensued.

"PfftHAAHHAHAA" This time Belle couldn't control her laughter "You actually got an F rating?!" Belle asked while wiping tears from her eyes.

Clay couldn't contain his poker face anymore. "WELL, at least I have a system!" Clay snapped back, saying the lines he had prepared beforehand in case she had tried to make fun of him. His preparations were not for naught, as he had effectively quieted his sister.

"That's not that much of a comeback, considering I would also get a system in 3 years" Belle muttered but Clay heard it clearly.

"Well that means I can brag about MY system for 3 years before you get one" Clay smugly replied.

"That's mean, that's really mean" Belle said with tears in her eyes as she ran to her room.

'Heh, serves you right for trying to make fun of me' Clay snickered in his mind.

Though, Clay could not help but think if he had gone a little too far. 'Meh, talk crap, get face slapped' Clay shrugged his shoulders.

'Back to the system. Open system!' Clay thought.

*Ding!*

<Opening System>

</|Mapping System|\>

[Stats]

[Quests]

[Achievements]

[Shop]

[Abilities]

'Open quests'

*Ding!*

|Quests|

\View your ongoing/completed quests/

[Ongoing Quests]

[Completed Quests]

'Open completed quests'

*Ding!*

|Completed quests|

\Shows host's completed quests/

[Beginnings]

'Open Beginnings'

*Ding!*

|Quest name: Beginnings (Complete)|

\Gather materials for creating your first map/

{Gather 1 sheet of Papyrus Paper, 1 Quill, and 1 Small Jar of Ink}

|Quest rewards: 10 SC, 20 EXP, and 2 Stat Points|

|Quest Failure Penalty: None|

|Quest Time Limit: None|

<Claim Rewards?>

[Yes/No]

Clay focused on the yes button at the bottom of the screen and mentally said 'Yes!'

*Ding!*

<Are you sure?>

[Yes/No]

Clay was taken aback, almost second-guessing his choice. Then after hesitating, he chose 'Yes'.

<Received 10 SC, 20 EXP, and 2 randomly allocated stat points>

<Vitality increased +1>

<Agility increased +1>

Immediately Clay felt a warm feeling wash over him as his cells rapidly absorbed the energy given by the system. Feeling refreshed and cool Clay took a look at his stats

|Stats|

|Race: Human|

|Level: 3(20/110)|

|Health: 60/60|

|MP: 15/15|

|Strength: 11|

|Agility: 11|

|Intelligence: 10|

|Dexterity: 12|

|Vitality: 12|

|Mystic: 1|

|Mapping: 0|

|Remarks: Above average human specimen for their respective age|

'Good Stuff' Clay nodded.

*Ding!*

<Host has received quest, open quest?>

'open'

|Quest name: Beginnings(2)|

\Make a map/

{Create a tier 1 map of your area}

|Quest rewards: 10 EXP, and 1 Stat Points|

|Quest Failure Penalty: -2 Level|

|Quest Time Limit: 1 week|

<Accept Quest?>

[Yes/No]

Clay widened his eyes. 'What's with this reward penalty ratio?!?!'. At this moment Clay remembered that an F class rating growth rate was abysmally slow, 64 x slower compared to an S rating. Now his question about why an F class ratings growth rate is so slow was answered, it was because when he failed a quest he would take 2 steps backward, and when he completed a quest he would take half a step forward.

Then another question sprouted in his mind. 'What if I was level 1? Would I still get my level subtracted? Or would I lose my stats?' But Clay wasn't willing to find the answer to his questions. Clay was pressured once again as if the universe told him that he wasn't under enough pressure already.

Clay looked at the Accept Quest button and hesitated, but gradually, his hesitation was replaced with a resolute will. 'What will my family and Josh think if I stayed a coward my whole life?' Clay shuddered at that thought.

"I accept" Clay solemnly said.

"What was that?" Belle poked her head out of her room as if they didn't just have a verbal fight.

A vein popped on Clay's head. 'You still have the guts to talk?!?!' Clay mentally screamed as he tried his best to ignore her.

<Accepted Quest>

<Host can now view this quest in the [Quests] section (Don't show this prompt again?)>

[Yes/No]

'Hmm, sure! Don't show this prompt again'

<Are you sure?>

[Yes/No]

'THIS AGAIN?!' Clay hesitated as if he was afraid of the commitment. He began having second thoughts. Finally, he chose. With tears in his eyes, he mentally pressed No.

'I spent way too much time thinking to choose yes or no' Clay thought as he was finally relieved.

'Man today was a long day' Clay experienced more emotions in a single day, than in his whole entire life.