Monday morning was brutally cold. Harry shivered in his cupboard, the usual early light barely penetrating the vent. Day seven. The final day of the Survive the Week quest. A wave of determination mixed with trepidation washed over him. Just get through today.
He focused his internal vision, not on the cold or the sounds of the Dursleys, but on the System.
π [LEVEL UP PROCESSING COMPLETE!] π
π [LEVEL UP!] π
User Harry James Potter has reached Level 3!
Current Level: 2 --> 3
Your base stats have increased!
STR: 4 --> 5 (+1)
DEX: 8 --> 9 (+1)
INT: 9 --> 10 (+1)
WIS: 8 --> 9 (+1)
LUK: 16 --> 17 (+1)
CHA: 10 --> 11 (+1)
All Primary STATs have gained +1 Point! (Applies after skill bonuses from previous level)
New Maximum HP: 60 --> 75 (+15)
New Maximum MP: 12 --> 15 (+3)
Experience Required for Level 4: 400. Current: 27/400.
The rush of information, of numbers climbing, was intense but anchored by Gamer's Mind. He was Level 3. Every core stat up by one. His DEX was now an incredible 9 for his age, combining base gains with skill bonuses. INT and WIS both hit 10 and 9. His capacity felt expanded, sharper, faster. HP and MP pools larger. He was 27/400 towards Level 4 β Level 3 required 200, he'd finished yesterday with 227, leaving the surplus 27.
He reviewed his new status and skills with quiet satisfaction.
π [STATS]
Name: Harry Potter
Level: 3
HP: 75/75
MP: 15/15
STR: 5
DEX: 9
INT: 10
WIS: 9
LUK: 17
CHA: 11
Experience: 27/400
π― [QUEST ACCEPTED!]
Title: Survive the Week
Goal: Avoid Dudley's violent games. Minimize interactions with Petunia. Ensure daily food intake (minimum one meal/day). Do not reveal the existence of the System.
Progress: 6/7 days survived safely (Current Week Status: Mon)
Reward: +100 EXP, +1 LUK, unlock passive skill [Pain Resistance I]
Failure: Serious injury, revelation of the System, prolonged starvation. Unknown penalties.
Only this day. Survive Monday. Achieve the last food goal. Avoid Dudley. Stay out of Petunia's way. Keep the System secret. Then the rewards. Then the other quest.
πΊοΈ [PRIMARY QUEST LINE DETECTED!]
Title: Embrace the Unknown: A Wizard's Journey
...
Status: PENDING ACCEPTANCE
User can now accept the Primary Quest upon completion of current Active Quest.
π [ACQUIRED SKILLS]
Gamer's Mind Lv. 1 (Passive)
Observe Lv. 1 (Active)
Agile Evasion Lv. 1 (Passive)
Stealth Lv. 1 (Passive)
Situational Awareness Lv. 1 (Passive)
Five passive skills, each bolstering his ability to endure and navigate his life. He felt fundamentally changed from the terrified six-year-old who'd wished for things to be different just a week ago. He hadn't just wished; he had gained.
"BOY! Get moving!" Uncle Vernon's bellow shook the cupboard door.
Harry scrambled out, his enhanced Dexterity making the movement feel quicker, less awkward than usual. He was careful to maintain Stealth as he moved through the kitchen, his Situational Awareness subconsciously processing the positions and moods of the Dursleys even before he looked at them. Breakfast was the usual routine (+5 EXP, 32/400). Cleaning duties followed. He moved efficiently, silently (+EXP).
Dudley and Piers tried their luck Harry-hunting after school. Harry, forewarned by his Situational Awareness and quickened by Stealth and Agile Evasion, used the clutter in the garage as cover, slipping behind stacked boxes (DEX 9, Stealth 1, SA 1 working in concert) and remaining utterly invisible until they left in frustration. He didn't even need to actively run. Subtle evasion was more effective.
π [Evasive Maneuver: SUCCESSFUL!]
[High Application of Stealth & Situational Awareness detected!]
[+15 EXP]
Current EXP: 32 + 15 = 47/400
Another good chunk of EXP for skillful evasion. This level-up road would be longer, 400 EXP, but the gains felt larger for higher-level actions.
He completed his remaining chores, ensuring no fuss was caused (+EXP), waited anxiously for dinner, which came (watery cabbage soup and half a slice of bread), and ate every bit (+10 EXP, 57/400), finally fulfilling that objective for the last day.
π― [QUEST PROGRESS UPDATED!]
Survive the Week: Ensured daily food intake (7/?) (Day 7 Goal Achieved)
Goal: Ensure daily food intake (minimum one meal/day). Status: Achieved for Day 7.
[Task Related to Surviving the Week: Achieved Minimum Sustenance]
[+10 EXP]
Current EXP: 47 + 10 = 57/400
And now... all objectives met. The notifications flooded in, not subtle pings this time, but a fanfare of silent triumph in his awareness.
β [QUEST COMPLETE!] β
Survive the Week
User has successfully completed all stated objectives!
Avoided Dudley's violent games.
Minimized interactions with Petunia.
Ensured daily food intake (7/7 days).
Did not reveal the existence of the System (Crucially achieved).
Rewards Claimed:
+100 EXP (Applies now: Current EXP 57 + 100 = 157/400 towards Level 4!)
+1 LUK (Applies now: LUK 17 + 1 = 18)
Unlock Passive Skill [Pain Resistance I]!
π [STATS Update!]
Name: Harry Potter
Level: 3
HP: 75/75
MP: 15/15
STR: 5
DEX: 9
INT: 10
WIS: 9
LUK: 17 --> 18 (+1 from Quest Reward)
CHA: 11
Experience: 157/400
π [NEW SKILL ACQUIRED!] π
[Pain Resistance Lv. 1 (Passive)] β Reduces the perceived severity of minor physical pain. Provides a percentage chance to ignore effects of minor injuries.
Effect: Reduces perceived minor pain by 15%. 5% chance to ignore stagger/flinch from minor impacts.
The pain from the cold, the stiffness, the ever-present dull ache of undernourishment β it didn't vanish, but it felt less sharp, somehow distant. The edges of his discomfort were softer. Pain Resistance Lv. 1 was now active, a permanent part of him. The final, most direct reward for enduring the Dursleys.
The fanfare subsided, leaving the soft, expectant hum of the last banner he needed to address.
πΊοΈ [PRIMARY QUEST LINE DETECTED!]
Title: Embrace the Unknown: A Wizard's Journey
Description: User has encountered undeniable evidence of "Magic," an unseen world, indicating User's innate connection to this energy form. The associated message invites User into this hidden world.
Main Objective: Explore and Integrate into the Magical World.
Proposed Major Steps:
Investigate the Source of Magical Communication (Understand the message and its origin: "Hogwarts").
Navigate Prerequisites for Entry (Determine requirements, Acquire Supplies).
Integrate into the Detected Magical Society (Attend the "Educational Institution").
Investigate "Magic" as a System Category.
Status: PENDING ACCEPTANCE
User can now accept the Primary Quest. Accepting will set long-term objectives related to the Magical World. "Survive the Week" has been archived as an [Introductory Quest].
The simple Yes/No options were gone. The System wasn't just asking anymore. It was stating readiness. This wasn't about immediate action, but about choosing his ultimate purpose. He was free of the immediate confines of the Survival Quest. He was Level 3, capable and skilled in ways the Dursleys could never guess. He had endured his start.
The future was calling, a future of magic, wizardry, Hogwarts. A future outlined by the impossible letter hidden under an armchair.
He looked towards where he knew that armchair was, imagined the thick parchment hidden deep in the dust. He didn't hesitate. He wasn't the helpless child crying in the dark anymore. He was Harry Potter, Level 3 Player, survivor, with skills and stats and quests.
He focused on the glowing banner, the promise it held. This wasn't just surviving anymore. It was beginning.
His will settled, clear and resolute. He embraced the new path.
[PRIMARY QUEST ACCEPTED!]