The dismissal bell shrieked, a jarring contrast to the lingering tension in the room. Students scrambled for their bags, eager to escape Ma'am Reyes' disappointment. Samantha lingered by her desk, a knot of unease twisting in her stomach. Ren… was he alright?
A soft chime echoed in her mind.
[Sub-Mission Reminder: Kiss Your Best Friend on the Cheek]
[Time Limit: 1 Hour 30 Minutes]
[Penalty for Failure: Uglification and Bad Odor]
[Sub-Mission Reminder: Touch Your Best Friend's Chest]
[Time Limit: 1 Hour 30 Minutes]
[Penalty for Failure: Uglification and Bad Odor]
Her eyes widened. Time limits? Penalties involving… uglification and bad odor?
"What in the actual—"
"Sam-chan! You coming or what?" Liza's voice cut through her thoughts.
Samantha blinked, realizing she'd been frozen in place. Liza stood a few feet away, her brow furrowed with concern.
"Uh, yeah! Just… zoned out for a sec," Samantha replied, forcing a smile.
Liza didn't look convinced, but she shrugged it off. "Well, come on! I'm starving!"
As they walked out of the classroom, Samantha risked a glance at her main mission notifications.
[Main Mission #1: Make Someone Fall in Love with You!]
[Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆]
[Time Limit: 30 Days]
[Reward: Enhanced Stamina]
[Penalty for Failure: Partial Muscle Growth Activation]
[Main Mission #2: Save Your Older Brother]
[Difficulty: ★★★★☆]
[Time Limit: ???]
[Reward: ???]
[Penalty for Failure: ???]
The main missions remained unchanged, a stark reminder of the conflicting tasks before her. Make someone fall in love? Save Ren from impending doom? And… those ridiculous side quests.
"Mochi," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The little ghost zipped into existence beside her, its usual cheerful demeanor replaced with a hint of… sheepishness?
"Yo," Mochi offered, its voice oddly subdued.
Samantha stopped walking, pulling Liza to a halt with her. "What the hell is with these new time limits? And the penalties? Uglification? Bad odor? Are you kidding me?"
Mochi fidgeted, its tiny form wiggling in the air. "Well, you see… the system… it likes to keep things interesting?"
"Interesting?!" Samantha's voice rose despite her efforts to keep it down. Students glanced their way. Liza stared at her, an eyebrow arched high.
"Lower your voice!" Mochi hissed.
Samantha glared at the ghost, then forced a strained smile at Liza. "Sorry, just remembered I forgot to feed my… uh… virtual pet."
Liza snorted. "You and those weird phone games."
Samantha turned back to Mochi, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "Explain. Now."
Mochi wrung its tiny hands. "Okay, okay! The system… it has a sense of humor? A weird one, but still. It probably thinks it's funny to add time limits and… creative penalties."
"Creative? Mochi, if I start smelling like a dumpster and sprout zits all over my face, there's nothing 'creative' about it!"
"Hey, don't blame me! I just deliver the missions!" Mochi protested.
Samantha clenched her fists, resisting the urge to strangle the floating dumpling. "So, what? I have less than two hours to kiss Liza and… and grope her? This system is officially insane."
Mochi shrugged. "Technically, you have one hour and twenty-three minutes now."
Samantha's eye twitched. "Thanks for the update."
Liza tugged on her arm. "Earth to Sam-chan? You're starting to scare me. What's with all the whispering and weird faces?"
Samantha plastered on her most innocent smile. "Nothing, Liza! Just… thinking about lunch! I'm starving, remember?"
Liza's eyes narrowed. "You're acting super weird today."
"Just hungry!" Samantha insisted, pulling Liza along.
"Fine," Liza said, her voice laced with suspicion. "But you owe me an explanation later. And maybe some extra fries."
As they walked towards the cafeteria, Samantha's mind raced. How was she supposed to complete these ridiculous missions? And more importantly, how was she going to protect Ren when the system seemed more focused on turning her into a rom-com protagonist?