Part-9

  A wave of astonishment washed over James. The holographic s pulsed once more, transf into a more eborate window showg his statistics.

  Pyer Name:-James Khan

  STR - 7.1 (0.1 Up)

  - 12

  DEX - 6

  INT - 3

  WIS - 3

  CHA -1 0

  A wave of bewilderment washed over James. The holographic s flickered once more, revealing a new window that unfolded before him like a digital scroll. It dispyed a list of statistider the bold heading "Pyer Name: James Khan." Numbers followed each category, mirr the ones he'd seen on the s before the push-up mission – STR, , DEX, INT, WIS, and CHA.

  [System Message: Here's a breakdown of the stats and their meaning:]

  [STR: This likely represents Strength, a measure of James' physical power and endurahe fact that it increased slightly after the push-ups suggests the system is somehow modifying him.]

  [: This could stand for stitution, which reflects James' overall health and stamina. His high ight expin why he has no lingering paie the beating.]

  [DEX: Dexterity likely indicates James' agility, reflexes, and coordination. ]

  [INT: This likely represents Intelligence, a measure of James' itive abilities, problem-solving skills, and knowledge.]

  [WIS: This could stand for Wisdom, which reflects James' perception, intuition, and ability to make sound judgments.]

  [CHA: This likely represents Charisma, a measure of James' persuasiveness, social influence, and attractiveness.]

  This suddeio James' mind rag. Where did these stats e from? Was this a video game somehow ied into real life? Or was it something more…? He tentatively reached out a fihe s shimmering slightly at his touch. Each stat seemed to hold a hidden potential, a path to improvement.

  Suddenly, a new line of text materialized at the bottom of the window:

  **New Mission Avaible!**

  Intrigued, James tapped the message, and a new holographidow materialized, outlining the details of the mission.

  A shiver ran down James' spine as a new window materialized before him, embzoned with the uling title: "Bully System." A cold dread settled in his stomabsp; Was this system somehow ected to the night he was attacked? His gaze flitted down to the details of the mission:

  **Mission 2: Strengthen Yrip with Stress Ball (1000 Squeezes). Reward: Skill - Thundercp (Sp).**

  James' initial fear gave way to a strange mix of apprehension and curiosity. A thousand squeezes with a stress ball? It seemed mundane, almost ical, pared to the brutality he'd endured. Yet, the reward – a skill called "Thundercp (Sp)" – piqued his i. Could this be the key to defending himself iure?

  A surge of determination coursed through James. The memory of the alleyway attack flickered in his mind, fueling a burning desire to be stroo never feel so helpless again. The "Bully System" felt like a twisted path, but the reward – the "Thundercp (Sp)" – offered a glimmer of hope. He o find a way to plete the mission.

  Then, a memory surfaced – his older sister, Lily. She always had a bright yellow stress ball tucked away in her backpack, fidgeting with it duris or tense moments. Maybe... just maybe, that could be his ticket.

  However, James knew Lily like the back of his hand. She was fiercely possessive of her belongings, rarely sharing them with anyone, not even their parents. Asking for the stress ball, especially for this strange mission, would be an uphill battle.