A Baby’s Secret Mission
Thaddeus stared at the glowing quest notification, his tiny legs kicking absentmindedly.
> [New Quest!]
Bending with Purpose!
Objective: Use bending to assist your family.
Reward: Enhanced Skill Efficiency
The system wanted him to help his family? That was new.
His first instinct was to refuse. He was a baby. Babies weren't supposed to work! But at the same time, this was a golden opportunity. He could practice bending discreetly, and if anyone noticed, he could just drool and act clueless.
Alright. Let's do this.
Step 1: The Wooden Bucket Incident
The first thing Thaddeus noticed was that his family's water bucket had a crack.
It was subtle but growing, and every time his mother, Flora, carried it from the well, she had to tilt it awkwardly to prevent leakage.
Perfect test subject.
One evening, while his parents were eating, Thaddeus was left alone near the bucket. He crawled toward it, his chubby hands reaching out.
The moment he touched the wood, his Bending skill activated.
The cracked portion of the bucket twisted and merged back together seamlessly.
> [System Notification]
You have subtly used Bending!
Skill Proficiency Increased!
He quickly backed away, pretending to be busy with a random cloth.
Minutes later, his mother walked over to fetch water.
She stopped. Blinked. Tilted her head.
"Alexander," she called, "did you fix the bucket?"
His father, Alexander, looked up from his food. "No. Why?"
Flora frowned. "The crack is gone."
Silence.
Thaddeus' heart raced. Did he overdo it? Was she suspicious?
Alexander shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't that bad to begin with?"
Flora hesitated before nodding. "Maybe..."
Thaddeus sighed in relief. First mission: success.
---
Step 2: The Crooked Table Incident
The next morning, as his father was preparing for work, he let out a frustrated groan.
"This table is wobbly again."
Alexander tapped the wooden table's legs, trying to find the problem.
Thaddeus, from his crib, saw his chance.
When no one was looking, he stretched his tiny fingers toward the table. A faint glow covered one of the uneven legs as it straightened and firmed up.
> [System Notification]
You have subtly used Bending!
Skill Proficiency Increased!
Alexander tested the table again.
"Huh?" He knocked on it. "It's fine now."
Flora gave him a suspicious glance. "Are you sure you didn't fix it earlier?"
Alexander sighed. "Honey, if I could fix things that easily, we wouldn't be living in a house that creaks every time we breathe."
Flora laughed, and the topic was dropped.
Thaddeus grinned.
Mission 2: Complete.
---
Step 3: The Bent Spoon Disaster
Feeling confident, Thaddeus decided to push his bending ability further.
That night, he focused on a wooden spoon, seeing if he could reshape it into a fork.
The moment he activated his power, the spoon twisted wildly—not into a fork, but into a horrifying spiral shape.
Crap!
Before he could fix it, Flora turned around.
She gasped. "What happened to the spoon?!"
Thaddeus, in full panic mode, did the only thing he could think of.
He stuck the spoon in his mouth.
Flora stared at him. "...Thaddeus?"
He drooled.
Her eyes softened. "Oh, you must've been chewing on it." She sighed. "Poor thing must be teething."
Thaddeus held back a laugh. Yes. That's exactly what happened.
Flora took the spoon away, shaking her head. "I'll ask the neighbor for a new one."
As soon as she left, Thaddeus collapsed backward.
That was too close.
> [System Notification]
You have subtly used Bending!
Skill Proficiency Increased!
Even if it almost got him caught, at least he was making progress.
---
Final Mission: Helping His Father
Alexander worked as a blacksmith's apprentice, helping repair tools and weapons.
One afternoon, Thaddeus saw him sighing as he examined a chipped hammer.
"If I take this to the smithy, it'll cost me."
Flora frowned. "Should we ask the neighbor for help?"
Alexander shook his head. "I'll just make do for now."
Thaddeus watched silently. His father worked hard but never complained.
He deserved a little help.
That night, when his parents were asleep, Thaddeus crawled toward the hammer.
Alright, let's try metal.
The moment he touched it, he felt a difference.
Metal was stubborn. Harder to bend than wood or stone.
But he was determined.
His fingers tingled as he focused. The chipped edge of the hammer smoothed out, returning to its original form.
> [System Notification]
You have bent metal for the first time!
Skill Proficiency Greatly Increased!
Exhausted, Thaddeus fell backward, panting.
I did it.
---
The Next Morning
Alexander woke up and went to pick up his hammer.
He froze.
"Flora?"
Flora turned. "What?"
Alexander held up the hammer. "Wasn't this chipped yesterday?"
Flora looked at it. "...It was."
Silence.
Thaddeus held his breath.
Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Are there house spirits?"
Flora rolled her eyes. "Stop joking."
Alexander slowly nodded. "Right. Must've been my imagination."
Thaddeus mentally cheered.
> [Quest Completed!]
You have used Bending to assist your family!
Reward: Enhanced Skill Efficiency!
Thaddeus felt the change. His bending was smoother, easier—like an invisible weight had lifted.
He wasn't just bending things randomly anymore.
He was learning control.
And with control... came power.
---
[Updated Status Window]
Name: Thaddeus Lore
Age: 6 Months
Race: Human
Class: Bender
Level: 2
[Attributes]
Strength: 2
Agility: 2
Endurance: 3
Intelligence: 6
Mana: ??? (Locked)
Luck: 4
[Skills]
Bending (Lv.4): Can manipulate and reshape objects with greater ease.
Touch of the Shaper: Allows detailed alterations to material upon contact.
Metal Bending (New!): Can bend soft metals with effort.
---
With his skill growing, Thaddeus knew he had only scratched the surface of his true potential.
But now he had a bigger question:
If the system wanted him to get stronger, what was coming?
Because if there was one thing he had learned from books and stories...
With great power comes great responsibility that's uncle Ben line.