Tutorial 1.2

He had avoided a grounding.

How?

Greg really wasn’t sure, to be honest.

He would like to say that it was most likely his well-reasoned arguments about how being punished for a little white lie was cruel and unusual. It was nice to think that his logical points had spoken to his mother and gotten her to realize how unfair she was being.

However, it was most likely due to the fact that his mother didn’t like to see him cry.

Not that he did.

Cry, that is.

No, Greg Veder does not cry.

He begs.

“Please, mommy, don’t take my games.”

“Greg…”

“I’m sorry for fibbing. It was a joke. Pleeeeease.”

“Greg.”

“Mom, it’s not fair. You can’t do this. I wasn’t lying. I was just joking around, Mom.”

“Gre-”

“Pleeeeeeeeeease.”

“Gregory!”

As she barked his name, Greg flinched and relaxed his grip on his mom’s mid-section, pulling back from the one-sided hug. As he stepped away from his mother, he gave her his best smile, the visual spoiled by the wetness all over his face. “Yeah, mom?”

Susan Veder let out a deep sigh, the sound coming from a place of deep frustration. A hand went down to her scrubs to brush off some imaginary dirt before she raised her head again to fix Greg with a tired stare. “Just keep your games, Greg.”

Greg lit up, his downtrodden expression replaced with a bright grin in an instant. “Thanks, mom!”

Greg moved in for another hug, only for his mom to stop his forward movement with a palm to his forehead. “Greg, just...." Susan let out another sighh.

"Enough with the hugs, sweetie. Just... go do something. I’ll see you when I get home.”

Ugh, that was close.

Greg let out a heavy sigh as he collapsed backwards onto his computer chair, the old thing creaking slightly as he dropped all one hundred and thirty-five pounds of himself onto it. Almost got grounded ‘cause I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

That’s nothing new, though. Greg scrunched up his face as he thought back to all the times his mouth had gotten him in hot water. At least, I got out of it this time.He paused, leaning back in his chair as his face turned down into a frown. Still, this one wasn’t even my fault.

Greg spun around in his chair, turning to face his unmade bed as he dropped his chin to rest it on a raised palm. “And I still don’t even know what the frick that screen thingy was. Seriously, what was that thing?”

Quest Created

What the Frick?

Details: Find out “what the frick that screen thingy is” by saying [Menu].

Time Limit: 24 Hours

Success: 200 xp

Failure: None

Another one.

Greg leaned forward in his chair, his jaw slowly falling open as he read this new pop-up. Neurons fired off in his head as realization slowly dawned on him as to what this could be. Swallowing a mouthful of nothing, Greg let out a slow, shaky breath. “H-h-ho... my God.”

Does this mean what I think it means? As carefully as he could, Greg raised a finger to poke the blue screen, the sensation feeling somewhat like a thin plastic film on his finger before it vanished a moment later. I think this means what I think it means.

Greg let out another uncertain breath, picking himself up from his seat slowly. His eyes were wary, but even then, he couldn’t suppress the eagerness that he was radiating. I swear to God, if I find out this is a prank, someone is going to die.

Shaking in raw excitement, Greg Veder let himself say the word.

“Menu.”

Greg rapidly inhaled as a screen popped into existence right in front of him, the words in front of him sending a feeling of raw excitement through him.

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“Holy...”

Quest "What The Frick" Success!

Gained 200 xp

Level Up! You are now Level 2.

You gained 2 stat points.

“...crap on a cracker.”

Jaw still hanging open, Greg raised a hand to rub at his eyes to make sure he was actually seeing this. “Please don’t be a prank. Please... don’t.” The whispered words were both eager and desperate, Greg’s blue eyes widening as he continued to read each of the words in turn.

“St… stats,” Greg muttered, voice suddenly dry.

Greg Lucas Veder

Age: 15 (and three-quarters!) Level 2 Experience 0/500 Health 80/80 Mana 50/50 Willpower 30/30 STR 2 SPD 3 VIT 2 INT 6 WIS 5(-80%) CHA 1(+9)(-90%) Stat Points: 2 Ctd...

“...uh-huh.” Greg blinked.

After a moment, Greg blinked again, his head moving backwards slowly before dropping back down to stare at his hands. "...uh-huh."

Without even looking behind him, he sat back down in his chair with uncharacteristic listlessness, the blue stat screen moving along with him. Thoughts and ideas rushed through his mind, each and every one of them related to the revelation that he had just experienced.

After a few long moments, Greg glanced back up to stare directly into the screen again. As he tilted his head, a gleam of excitement was visible in his eye and his mouth flashed into a grin.

“God exists and he’s a huge nerd.”