Chapter 2: The First Quest

Jaden stared at the glowing screen in front of him. It floated in the air, clear and bright, but only he could see it. The blue light flickered softly, casting strange patterns on his face. Quest: Fix the power for Slum Sector 12 Reward: Solar Microgrid Blueprint Time Limit: 48 hours He looked down at the streets. Slum Sector 12 was quiet now. Dark homes made from broken bricks and metal scraps lined the roads. People sat outside with lanterns, using candles and small fires to cook. It had been this way for too long. He rubbed his eyes, then stared back at the screen. "I don’t know how to build a solar grid," he muttered. You do now. Use your system. Open your tools. Another screen opened before him. [Blueprint: Autonomous Microgrid – Solar] Status: Unlocked Ready to Build Jaden tapped the floating panel. Suddenly, a 3D image appeared above his hand. It was a clear model of a small solar grid—solar panels, battery units, and a controller. The design spun slowly, and when he touched it, the parts separated so he could see inside. "Whoa..." he breathed. The parts, the labels, the instructions—it all made sense. The system wasn’t just giving him tools. It was helping him understand. Materials Needed: 10 solar cells 5 lithium battery packs 20 copper wires 1 controller chip He knew where to find some of these parts. The junkyard. Jaden got to his feet. His knees were sore from crouching. He slung his bag over his shoulder and climbed down the back of the building. The stairs were narrow and rusty. At the bottom, he moved through the slum like a shadow, keeping his hood up. He passed children sitting outside their homes. Some stared. Others looked away. He heard a voice call out, "Hey, fix the lights, man!" "I’m working on it," Jaden answered. He reached the edge of the city, where the massive junkyard sat. It stretched for blocks—piles of broken tech, rusted robots, crushed drones, and wires tangled like vines. The smell of metal and oil filled the air. He climbed into the piles and started searching. Hours passed. He found three solar cells from a wrecked delivery drone, batteries from an old scooter, and wires inside a broken washing machine. The hardest part was the controller chip. Just as the sun began to set, he spotted a half-buried tablet. He opened the back and smiled. The chip was still good. Back on the rooftop, Jaden laid everything out. The system showed him how to connect the parts, how to solder the wires, and how to test each piece. He followed every step. He worked through the night, hands shaking, eyes burning. But he didn’t stop. By dawn, the microgrid stood on the roof—four solar panels and a battery bank beside a small control box. He pressed the activation button. The panels clicked open. A soft hum filled the air. Lights below flickered. One by one, homes lit up. A cheer rose from the street. "We’ve got power!" Jaden stood still, staring at the lights. He had done it. Quest Complete +1 Blueprint: Smart Cooling Shelter +100 XP +1 Build Token Level Up! Architect Level 1 → Level 2 He smiled. This was just the beginning.