"I still don't understand how it works," muttered Jalk, a middle-aged goblin who'd once been a lumberjack. He stared at the silver ring on his finger, tapping it again.
A glowing screen floated in the air, just like yesterday.
[Name: Jalk]
[Skills: Woodcutting Lv. 5, Carpentry Lv. 3, Strength Lv. 2]
[Status: Good – Blue]
"I've been cutting trees for years," he said to the younger goblin beside him. "But no one ever told me I was good at it."
The younger one, Miru, had a ring too. She was barely thirteen and had used it after cooking breakfast that morning.
[Cooking Lv. 1]
[Cleaning Lv. 2]
[Alignment: Blue]
"I thought it was broken," she whispered, holding her hand up. "But then I realized… I have skills too."
They both sat quietly by the river, watching others pass by with similar silver bands shining on their fingers. Some were tapping theirs repeatedly, laughing. Others were crying. A few stood frozen, reading the floating words with disbelief.
Across the village, Laro—a thin elf who once wandered in as a traveler—stood in front of his stall. He'd spent all night making small carvings of animals, unsure if anyone would buy them. But when he wore the ring this morning…
[Skill Unlocked: Wood Carving Lv. 2]
"I guess it does count," he said aloud, proud for the first time in months.
A woman stopped by his stand and admired the wooden fox. "This is lovely," she said. "How much?"
"Ten coins," he replied shyly.
She handed him the money without a word.
Laro stared at the coins in his palm. For a moment, he didn't move. Then, slowly, a smile broke across his face.
The ring had given him more than a skill. It had given him worth.
Inside a half-built classroom, three kids were lined up in front of Tikka, their teacher.
"Now," she said, smiling gently, "who wants to show me their reading level?"
One boy raised his hand nervously. "Mine says Reading Lv. 1," he said. "Is that bad?"
"No," Tikka replied warmly. "It means you've started. Keep reading, and it'll go up."
The kids looked at their rings as if they were magic—real magic. One girl whispered, "It's like the ring can see inside you."
Tikka smiled but didn't say anything. She looked at her own ring later, after class ended.
[Teaching Lv. 4, Reading Lv. 5]
She placed a hand on her heart.
"Guess I really am a teacher now."
Even the farmers were talking about it.
Garin walked through the fields, listening to the quiet murmur of voices. Some were proud of their new farming levels. Others argued about who had the highest cooking skill. One man had even discovered a hidden talent in fishing.
"You mean you didn't know you could fish?" a young girl asked him.
He shrugged. "I just liked sitting by the water. Turns out, I've been training all along."
The girl laughed. "Then maybe I'm training too, just by baking!"
A few days ago, most of them just worked to survive. Now, they worked to grow.
Inside Dorgrim's ring shop, things were getting busier. His assistant, Lyelra, worked nonstop writing down names, managing orders, and handing out rings.
One villager, a human woman named Rina, stared at her ring for a long time after buying it.
"Something wrong?" Lyelra asked.
"No," Rina whispered. "It just… I didn't think I'd see 'Good' under my name."
She wiped her eyes and left quickly.
Lyelra looked at the book of names—hundreds of them already. Each one a person trying to find themselves. Each one hoping to be seen.
Even the guards were affected.
A young trainee named Tovin tapped his ring after a morning of sword practice.
[New Skill Unlocked: Swordsmanship Lv. 1]
He laughed out loud. "It worked! It actually worked!"
An older fighter beside him nodded. "Keep at it. You'll hit level two soon."
For the first time, training felt like progress. It wasn't just sweat and repetition. It was real growth.
The village tavern buzzed that night.
"Did you see mine? Baking Level 4! My pies finally count for something!" a large goblin woman yelled, slamming her cup on the table.
Another boasted, "I unlocked Leadership just by organizing that fishing trip!"
Everyone was sharing their stats like stories. People who never spoke before were laughing together, exchanging tips, and pushing each other to grow.
Even quiet types found comfort. They didn't have to say much—just show their ring.
It said enough.
Back in her home, Zira sat on her bed, staring at her ring.
[Name: Zira]
[Swordsmanship Lv. 5, Survival Lv. 4, Teaching Lv. 2]
[Status: Good – Blue-Green]
She touched the hologram gently. "Teaching," she repeated softly.
She'd never thought of herself that way. But it was true. She had been training the younger goblins to defend themselves. She had been showing them how to stand tall.
A soft knock on her door. It was Garin.
"You good?" he asked.
She nodded. "Just… thinking."
He showed her his ring too.
[Farming Lv. 5, Cooking Lv. 3, Leadership Lv. 2]
They both smiled.
"This village," Zira said, "isn't just growing. It's becoming."
And somewhere near the edge of town, Caelen sat quietly by a tree, watching the stars.
He tapped his own ring. Not to check his stats. He already knew them.
He just liked seeing it. Liked knowing it was out there—on fingers of farmers, hunters, kids, elves, goblins, dwarves, and strangers alike.
Rings of reflection.
Mirrors of progress.
Steps toward something greater.