Chapter 2
Karl was totally glued to the holographic screen floating in front of him, his eyes widening at the sight of a brand spankin' new quest popping up. His heart was pounding like crazy.
"Changing Major common sense?"
He muttered, still shook by what had just gone down. If people were already busting moves in front of the cashier like it was no biggie in the first quest, what would happen if he changed a rule that was way bigger?
The holographic panel kept on shining, displaying a tiny timer in the bottom right corner with 24 hours counting down.
"I can't just wing it," Karl thought.
"If the first quest was all fun and games, this one could stir up major trouble."
But, on the flip side, an unstoppable curiosity was creeping up on him. He knew this system was legit - and more than that, it operated in a bonkers way.
Karl let out a sigh and glanced around the still empty store. The group of teens who were busting moves in front of the cashier had already bounced, but the silence lingering inside the Convenience Store made his head spin. He started brainstorming, trying to figure out how to make use of this system without causing too much chaos.
"Maybe I can try something that's not too flashy at first," he thought.
An idea popped into his head. Karl typed rapidly on the holographic panel.
> People don't need to wait for the traffic light to turn green to cross the street.
He stared at the text, hesitating for a moment. This change wasn't too huge - but it could still make a significant impact. "Alright, time to see what goes down," he muttered as he hit the Enter key.
---
[Hijack Successful]
- Hijack Duration: 00:59:00
---
The timer started ticking down, giving Karl exactly one hour to observe the consequences of this hijack. Karl gazed out the Convenience Store window, monitoring the usually bustling street outside. Across the street, there were a few people standing on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to turn green to cross. Karl held his breath.
In a snap, without any signal, one of them, a sharp-dressed office dude, looked left and right before stepping onto the street to cross, even though the traffic light was still red. The others glanced at him briefly, hesitated, but then followed suit. They crossed as if the traffic light was no longer a thing, as if the rule about waiting for the green light suddenly vanished from their minds.
Karl watched them in complete awe. This was legit happening. No one seemed to think what they were doing was wrong. It had become part of their common sense - that they could cross whenever.
But the effect didn't last long. A few minutes after people started crossing without caring about the traffic light, the honking of car horns started echoing, signifying chaos was brewing. Drivers on the move began jamming on the brakes, puzzled by people casually walking all over. Karl could see some drivers getting mad inside their cars, incessantly honking away.
"This is starting to go haywire," Karl muttered, holding back the anxiety bubbling up in his chest. He looked back at the holographic screen. The timer still showed 57 minutes.
"I can't let this go on for a full hour."
Karl quickly opened his hijack panel again and started typing something to fix the situation. But as his hand was about to touch the screen, the system suddenly popped up a new notification.
---
[Early Hijack Termination Available]
- Do you want to end the hijack effect earlier?
- Cost: 10 Hijack Points.
---
Karl felt relieved. Without a second thought, he hit the "Yes" button and confirmed the deduction of his Hijack Points. In a flash, the holographic panel disappeared, and he saw people outside reverting back to their normal habits - waiting for the green light to cross. The irritated drivers began to calm down, and the street atmosphere returned to normal.
Karl let out a long exhale.
"I need to be more careful," he thought to himself. This seemingly simple quest could cause major issues if not handled properly.
He glanced at the holographic screen showing his point status.
---
[Status Hijack Points: 40]
[Experience: 20 XP]
---
Karl was a bit disappointed to see his points decrease, but he was more content because the chaos didn't last long. He then leaned back in the cashier's chair, contemplating his next move.
"Alright, this big quest isn't something I can just mess around with."
But before he could refocus, the store's doorbell rang again. A woman with a worried look rushed in.
"Sorry, I'm in a rush, can I pay quickly?" she said as she pulled out her wallet.
Karl looked at her for a moment, then his mind went back to the system he had just discovered. Could he use this system for something more... helpful? It didn't always have to be about wreaking havoc, but maybe actually assisting someone?
A new thought arose in his mind.
"What if I change something to make people better?" he mumbled while glancing at the holographic screen.
He didn't have enough points for a big hijack yet, but he could try something smaller first.
Karl typed slowly on the panel.
> People don't need to rush for everything, and always find enough time for whatever they do.
After typing that, he hesitated for a moment, then hit Enter. It didn't take long before his panel confirmed.
---
[Hijack Successful]
- Hijack Duration: 00:30:00
---
The woman suddenly stopped rummaging through her wallet. She seemed puzzled for a moment, before slowly taking a long breath.
"Wait, why do I feel like I don't need to rush anymore?" she said with a slightly awkward smile to Karl.
Karl grinned broadly.
"Maybe because there's nothing that needs to be rushed too quickly," he replied in a lighthearted tone, even though he knew what had just gone down. The woman then calmly paid for her items, as if all her worries about time had vanished just like that.
As the woman left, Karl felt satisfied. He had just proven that hijacks didn't always have to have a negative impact. There was a way to use this system wisely. However, he also realized that there was still a time limit, and the world would return to normal once the hijack effect ended. But for now, it was enough.
Karl sat back in the cashier's chair, his eyes gazing out at the street outside.
"Damn, my life will get better with this system!"