"An adult male should have an average of 1.0 in strength, agility, endurance and perception." I heard Rahul's voice as I was concentrating on the watch.
I frowned a bit when I heard that.
"Does that mean that my strength, agility and perception are all lower than that of an average adult male?" I asked with indignation.
I had always thought of myself as a strong person. Such a revelation hurt my pride quite and bit and I naturally didn't wanted to accept the results.
"The Black Watch never shows any wrong stats. You may doubt it, if the results hurt your pride but that won't change the anything." He said and in mocking voice.
"Here look at my stats. It might make you feel better." He said and a 3D hologram showing his head was projected out of his Black watch was well. I went ahead and looked at his interface.
User name:- Rahul Singh Rana (Second-Timer)
Stats:-
Strength - 0.9
Agility - 0.8
Endurance - 0.7
Perception - 1.4
Mana - 0.0
Skills:-
None
Equipments:-
None
Wealth:-
None
I was stunned for a moment before I asked in puzzlement "Oi. Brother. Why the hell is your Perception so high?"
I looked at him and found that he was also staring at the screen with an incredulous expression. As if he'd seen something completely out of his expectations.
"I… I don't know." He said with with staring his own stats with a foolish look.
I had the sudden urge to laugh but then I noticed something else and asked in puzzlement.
"Oi Rahul. Why is there a 'Second-Timer' ahead of your name? What does this mean? Have you used this interface before?"
"Huh! What?" This time his gaze fell toward his name and the 'Second-Timer' title and a look of deep shock appeared in his eyes before he quickly closed his hologram as if to hide it from me. After that he fell into deep thought.
'What's he thinking about? Is the 'Second-Timer' thing really that special.' I thought to myself but since I didn't knew anything about it, I threw it at the back of my head and tried to learn more about the interface.
There were other icons in the hologram as well.
I glanced at them and realized that they were named Buy, Sell, Settings, Contact, Exchange, etc.
After giving them a quick glance my eyes fell back on one of the stats that seemed to be the most interesting of all.
Mana
'What's Mana?' I thought in my mind.
'Mana is the amount of supernatural power that can be contained in your body.' I sweet girlish voice rang into my ears.
'Huh!' I was surprised to hear that answer and turned around to find the source of that voice.
'I don't have a physical form. There's no point in looking around.' The voice rang in ears once again.
'You can read my mind?' I thought.
'Yes. I'm connected with your nervous system after all.' I voice answered.
'Connected with my nervous system! What do you mean?'
'That Black watch that you're wearing is connect with the nerves in your hands.'
'And… Who are you again?'
'I'm the AI in the Black Watch. My name is 08712493D.'
'08… what? How the hell's that supposed to be a name?' I asked in puzzlement. And AI. Is there really such an advanced AI in the world that can talk so casually with you.
'If you don't find it convenient then you can give me another name.' The girl replied. 'And yes I'm indeed an AI but I'm not from this world.'
'I forgot you can read my name. But… what do you mean by not from this world.' I asked in surprise.
'Indeed. Since the Black watch is not from this world, then why the hell would the AI inside it be.'
'This question is classified under 'Top Secret' information. The user currently doesn't have necessary authorization to get access to the information.' She said.
'Well… alright then.' I sighed and asked. 'Can I really name you as I wish?'
'Yes. You're my master after all.'
'Hmm… let me think then.' I fell into deep thought for a moment before I finally said.
'I'll call you Lily. That is a beautiful name and matches up with your voice.'
'Yes master.' She replied.
'Don't call me master. It gives me a weird feeling.' I said. 'Call me by my name.'
'As you wish Ashok.'
'Now tell me more about Mana.'
'Mana is the amount of supernatural power that can be contained in your body.'
'Oi I'm not asking about it's description damn it. Are you making fun of me. Tell me how I can use the mana.'
'You can only use your Mana if you have a skill that uses mana. There are no other ways to use it.'
'Huh! Skill.' I thought about the one slot below the Skill which showed a 'None' sign.
'Do I have a skill?' I asked.
'No. You don't have any skill currently' she replied.
'Then how do I get a skill?' I asked
'First you should open the 'Buy' icon in your interface. Then go to the Skills section. From there, you'll see a large selection of Skill books that you can buy and use for your purposes.'
'Hmmm. Interesting.' I looked at the huge selection of Skill books. It was similar to how I used to buy songs in my smartphone. There was a search bar at the top and the skill books had tags on them like Defense, Offense, Long Range, Melee, Darkness, Mana, etc.
'Isn't this interface a bit too similar to the apps that I used in my smart phone?'
'It has indeed been created so that it is easier for humans to use.' She replied even though I had not really intended to ask her.
'Interesting. Who created this interface?' I asked.
'This question is classified under 'Top Secret' information. The user currently doesn't have necessary authorization to get access to the information.' She said.
'Alright then damn it.' I said 'How can I buy the skill books?'
'The cost of each skill book is written beside their names. The user can buy the skill books with the White Coins.'
'White Coins? The hell. Do I have any of that?'
'No. You currently don't have any balance in your account.' She replied.
'Is that so. How do I earn white coins.' I asked.
'The user can Exchange Crystals from Abnormals, Nucleus from Mutant trees or Cores from Mutant animals/birds/fishes for White coins.'
'But user has the privilege to buy a skill book worth below 50 white coins for free as his first purchase.'
'Really. I was excited to hear this piece of information and was instantly hooked as I started searching for a cheap skill book in the section.'
'But even after scrolling down dozen of pages I was still not able to find any skill book worth 50 white coins.'
The cheapest one I saw so far was worth 75 white coins. And the most expensive one went for more than a 1000 white coins.
'Damn it. Are there even any skill books that are worth 50 white coins?' I asked in indignation.
'There are currently five skill books that are worth 50 white coins.' She replied.
'Show them to me.' I said.
The interface in front of me suddenly changed and 5 skill books prized at 50 white coins were presented in front of me.
Strength Booster:- User's Strength is increased by 100% for 30 seconds. After use, User's Strength will decrease by half for a day. The skill cannot be used during recuperation time.
Cost- 50 White Coins
Level- Tier 1
Agility Booster:- User's Agility is increased by 100% for 30 seconds. After use, User's Agility will decrease by half for a day. The skill cannot be used during recuperation time.
Cost- 50 White Coins
Level- Tier 1
Endurance Booster:- User's Endurance is increased by 100% for 30 seconds. After use, User's Endurance will decrease by half for a day. The skill cannot be used during recuperation time.
Cost- 50 White Coins
Level- Tier 1
Perception Booster:- User's Perception is increased by 100% for 30 seconds. After use, User's Perception will decrease by half for a day. The skill cannot be used during recuperation time.
Cost- 50 White Coins
Level- Tier 1
Mana Booster:- User's Mana is increased by 100% for 30 seconds. After use, User's Mana restoration speed will decrease by half for a day. The skill cannot be used during recuperation time.
Cost- 50 White Coins
Level- Tier 1
After seeing the 50 white coins tag, I knew that I should not have expected a lot out of this skill book. But still. Are these books really all that useful.
'Maybe a veteran fighter might have been able to put them to good use during critical time and use it to somehow defeat his enemies like how they showed in movies and cinemas. But I don't really think it'll of much help to me.'
'After all. I don't even know how to fight.'
'And the 1 day handicap given after using the skill made me feel even worse..'
'If I used it correctly then I gain a boost for a very small amount of time. But if I make a mistake somewhere, then I will most likely become toast.'
'Should I even buy these Skill books.'
'Maybe I should ask Big Bro to give me some recommendations.' I thought and looked at Rahul who was still lost in some deep thoughts of his own.
"Oi brother. I need a bit of you help over here." I said.
"Huh!" my words broke his chains of thoughts as he suddenly looked up at me smiled. "Sorry I was thinking about something else. Tell me, what do you need my help for."
"I cannot decide which skill book I should buy. Can you give me some suggestions."
"Huh!" He showed a surprised expression. "You already know about Skill books? You youngsters surely learn about these things faster than us."
"But you still missed one piece crucial information." He smiled and said "You forgot to look at the price tag beside the Skill books. Without White coins we cannot buy any of these skill books."
"Yeah I know. But Lily told me that I can buy my first skill book for free as long as it's price is under 50 white coins."
"Huh!" Rahul gave a puzzled look. "Who's Lily?"
"Ah! I forgot to tell you. Lily's the name of the A.I in my interface. Lily Say hello to my Big Bro."
'Ashok, except for you, I cannot talk with anyone else.'
"Oh! Is that so." I sighed and said. "Sorry brother it seems like she can only talk with me."
"A.I?" Rahul frowned when he heard that word.
"Why. You don't have one in your watch." I asked.
But he didn't reply to my questions. Instead he said. "There should be only 5 skills books prized at 50 white coins as far as I can tell."
"Yeah. You're right. Look. It's these five ones." I said as I showed the hologram to him.
"Indeed, I remember these 5 skill books." He smiled but then shook his head. "It best if you don't buy them. You'll not be able to put them to good use."
"There effects are not bad. But their handicaps can be lethal and put your life in danger. Plus, the recuperation time is very long." He said. "Why don't you ask the AI if you can save the 50 white coins for later. Would it still count if you buy a skill book worth more than 50 white coins."
'You heard him Lily. Is it doable.'
'Yes. User can retain his rights to the 50 white coins and can use them later whenever he buys his first skill book.'
"She said yes." I said.
"Very good then." He said then added in a serious tone. "Is there anything else that's special about that interface of yours."
"Special. Like what?"
"Special in the sense that… Is there anything in there that stands out. Anything."
I looked at my hologram clearly once again then shook my head. "I don't know. Mine is the same as yours as far as I can tell."
"Oh!" he said and went silent as if he'd went into deep thoughts.
After a while he spoke once again. "Can you ask the AI a question for me."
"Go ahead."
"Ask her if there's a way to put a Mutant beast under mind control. And if it's possible then how can it be done."
"Huh! What?" I wondered what he meant by that. And what the hell's a Mutant beast?
"Just ask her."
"Alright."
'Lily you heard the question. Tell me the answer.'
'This question is classified under 'Highly Secretive' information. The user currently doesn't have necessary authorization to get access to the information.' She said.
I conveyed her message to Rahul who then asked. "Ask her what level of authorization is necessary to access the information."
'You heard him Lily.' I said.
'To get the answer to this question, you need a 7th level authorization.'
"7th level authorization." I told Rahul.
"Ask her about the criteria to achieve the 7th level authorization." He said.
'All stats above 64.0' This time she replied directly which was more convenient for me.
But, then I realized what I'd just heard.
All stats above 64.
'Does that mean having all of my Strength, Agility, Endurance, Perception and Mana to above 64. Isn't the stat of a average made adult around 1.0. Then does 64 stat means being 64 times stronger and faster than a normal person.
Is it even possible for a human to become 64 time more powerful.'
'No. It's not possible for a human to gain 64 stats.' Lily replied.
'Then isn't it impossible for me to get the 7th level authorization.' I said incredulously.
'It's not impossible for you to achieve the 7th level authorization. In fact you can go even higher than that.'
'How so?' Is asked but then I looked at Rahul's impatient face and realized that I had remained silent for a long time. I showed an apologetic face to him before saying "All stats about 64."
"Is that so. Hmmm… I understand." he said and made an understanding expression as if he understood everything.
'Understood my foot.'
"Oi brother are you kidding me. How the hell am I supposed to become 64 times powerful than an average adult. How is something like that even possible. Do you expect me to go to gym and work on muscles or something."
"Let me tell you, even if I work ten times harder than Arnold Schwarzenegger, I won't be able to reach even 10 stats." I said indignantly.
In reply to my questions, he just smiled and shook his head. As if mocking my foolishness.
'Damn you bastard. Are you looking for a beating.'
'I don't think he's looking for a beating.' Lily said with a giggle and her words left me speechless.
'You. Don't talk when the elders are talking.'
'But you're only thinking about him.'
'You. Zip it.'
'Alright.'
I looked up and realized that Rahul was looking at me with his All-Knowing smile. More like, his annoying smile.
"You done talking with your girl."
"Oi. Are you making fun of me or something?"
"Indeed." He said proudly but then his expression turned serious as he said. "Come. I need to show you something important."
After that, he went inside the house and brought the head of an old looking guy whose face was filled with wrinkles.
Then he put that head along with the head of the two corpses lying outside and said "You wanted to know how to increase your stats don't you. Well, then I'll tell you how it's done."
He raised and took his axe from the ground.
"I've not done this for a long time. So don't expect me to do a clean job." He said and brought down the axe and chopped the head in half.
After that, he brought up the axe and struck two more time before all the heads were chopped in half.
'What he doing?' I asked Lily in my mind.
'You'll know soon enough.' She replied with a giggle as if enjoying the show in front of me.
Rahul put his axe down and bent down to search the mutilated heads. After searching for a while he brought out three thumb sized things filled with blood and brain matter.
I could already fell my stomach wrenching as I saw this.
'This is disgusting.'
"Bring some water from the bag." He said. "Wait. Bring the whole bag after packing the thin blankets inside it."
"Roger."
—————
"Slowly." He said as I poured the water on his hands. He washed the three thumb sized bloodied things for a while before all the blood was washed away and the gems inside were revealed.
That's right. Gems. I don't think I could describe those small things as anything aside from precious gems. They had a octahedron shape and were of three different colored namely, Red, Blue and Yellow.
'How the hell did they get inside their heads?' I looked at the corpses of the three people and wondered in puzzlement.
Did the people who gave me this Watch also put those crystals inside their heads.
'Wait! Do I have a crystal inside my head.' I touched the back of my head in horror. 'I hope not.'
I looked at the three crystals and realized that although they were not the best looking gems out there, there was something about them that deeply attracted them to me.
The more I looked at those gems the more I understood my own feelings and when I finally understood why I was attracted to the crystals, the answer shocked me to the core.
'Those gems seem tasty doesn't they.' I heard Lily's playful voice in my mind and although I wanted to shake my head and reject her words, I knew that what she had said was right.
For some reason, I really wanted to eat those crystals.
"Brother." I said while gulping. "What's the use of these things?"
Rahul put the crystals in his palm so that I could see them clearly and his next words gave me a jolt. "These are called crystals. There are five type of crystals in the world for Each of the stats. Eating one of them can increase one of your respective stat by 0.1"
0.1 increase in stat. What does that mean.
That means that eating 10 such crystals would double my strength. Something like that would have been possible only after going to the gym for a few years. But now, I can just eat 10 such crystals and become twice as powerful?
My heart beat rose quickly upon this revelation and my mouth started salivating.
"Oi Rahul." I said "This crystal. Isn't it a bit too OP."