Stage 0 [3]

Harry leaned back against the tree, a faint smile playing on his lips as he stared at the fading status screen. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft chime, and another message blinked into view:

[Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked your Personal Fragment and gained an understanding of the process.]

[ Rewards:

- 5 End Points

- Wisdom +1. ]

Harry's smile widened. "Oh," he murmured, amused. "So I get rewarded for things like this too? Nice."

He chuckled, a ripple of excitement coursing through him. It reminded him of achievement systems in games—earn bonuses for figuring things out. But there had to be conditions. Maybe it rewarded first discoveries, unlocking hidden mechanics, or completing unique tasks.

Harry leaned forward, his mind buzzing with possibilities, when Tim's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Before he could delve further into his theories, a voice snapped him back to reality."Harry… what are you doing?"Tim stood nearby, arms crossed, a mix of confusion and suspicion on his face.

Harry glanced at him and grinned. "Oh, you can't see mine, huh? Nice."

Tim's confusion deepened, his brow furrowing. "What are you talking about? See what?"

Instead of answering, Harry stretched lazily and gestured toward him. "Alright, Tim. Say these words: [Show Status]."

Tim blinked, skeptical but used to Harry's weird ideas. With a hesitant nod, he muttered, "Show Status."For a moment, nothing happened. Then—Flicker.A translucent screen materialized before him. His eyes widened, his mouth parting in shock.

"T-This… it looks like a status window!" he stammered, glancing between the screen and Harry. "Like the ones you always showed us in your games! But why does it only show my name, health, and stamina?"

Harry's smile turned knowing.

"Exactly what I thought," he muttered to himself, Tim's reaction confirming his earlier theory. Before he could elaborate, another chime interrupted his thoughts:

[Your Wisdom has increased.]

There was no number attached to the notification this time, but Harry's smile faltered for a brief second. A new idea crept into his mind. He stood abruptly, brushing dirt off his pants, and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Hey!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the resting group. "I've discovered something good! Everyone, listen up! Say these words out loud: [Show Status]. Trust me, it'll be worth it!"

The clearing fell into silence.Some exchanged puzzled glances. Others rolled their eyes. But then, his classmates—those who knew Harry's eccentricities—hesitated. One by one, they spoke the words."Show Status."Flicker."I-It worked!" A boy gasped. "I can see it!"Another girl clapped a hand over her mouth. "Woah, it's real!"Excited murmurs spread through the group as shimmering screens popped up before them."It's like a game interface!" someone shouted.

Harry stood in the middle of it all, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold with a smirk. His gaze lingered on the leaders—Jess, Darrow, and Kyle.

Jess's sharp eyes narrowed as she stared at her own screen, her expression unreadable. Darrow tilted his head slightly, studying his display with quiet intensity. Kyle, on the other hand, let out a bark of laughter, his rough voice carrying over the noise.

"Alright, alright," Harry called out, raising his voice to regain their attention. Slowly, the chatter quieted, and all eyes turned to him. "I'm sure most of you are only seeing your name, health, and stamina, right? And now you're wondering—where's all the other stuff? Attributes? Skills?"

A few people nodded hesitantly, their curiosity piqued.

"Well, worry not for I am here." Harry continued, his tone light but confident, "When I first figured it out, I got a message. It said my Wisdom increased and I earned something called End Points. After that, more details appeared on my screen—my Wisdom stat and the End Points."

He let the words sink in, watching as realization flickered across their faces.

"So," Harry continued, "it's not just about viewing your status. It's about unlocking it—through discoveries, actions, maybe even specific conditions."Understanding flickered across their faces. A hunger for more.Tim nudged Harry's arm. "You're loving this, aren't you?"Harry chuckled. "Maybe a little."

His smile faded slightly as he glanced back toward the forest, his grip tightening on his knife. "But let's hope we get the chance to figure it all out before something else decides to eat us."

Tim laughed. "Come on, we left those things behind. I'm sure—"

"ROARRR-!"

Harry's grin vanished instantly.Tim stiffened, color draining from his face. "W-What was that?"

Before Harry could respond, a sharp, whistling sound cut through the air.

WHIZZZ—THUNK!

A jagged, stone-like projectile shot past Tim's head, missing him by mere inches before slamming into a tree trunk. The impact sent splinters flying, and Tim stumbled back, nearly losing his balance.

"Tim, duck!" Harry yelled, grabbing his friend by the shoulder and pulling him down.

The clearing erupted into chaos. People screamed, their earlier excitement evaporating as panic took hold. Harry's heart pounded as he instinctively crouched lower, his eyes darting toward the direction of the attack.

[Congratulations! You have earned 10 End Points for your earlier actions.]

[Attributes Updated: Intelligence +1, Wisdom +3.]

Harry barely registered the notification. "Now?! Really?!"Another whistle—closer.

"WHIZZZ-… CRACK!"

"RUN!"Jess's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Those are Jonkeys! Move! NOW!"

Harry's head snapped toward her. "Jonkeys?" he echoed, bewildered. He barely had time to question it before the answer revealed itself.

From the trees came movement—dark, hulking shapes leaping from branch to branch with unnatural agility.

Their forms became clearer as they closed the distance: monkey-like creatures, their bodies grotesquely muscular and covered in coarse, matted fur. Their eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and in their clawed hands, they held jagged stones, which they hurled with terrifying accuracy.

"Move! Move! Move!" Jess shouted again, waving her dagger to spur the group into action.

Harry didn't need to be told twice.

He grabbed Tim by the arm and hauled him to his feet. "You heard her! Everyone RUN!"