In a hospital's corridor.
Liam was currently sitting on a bench near the reception area. He was waiting for something that can be useful to him.
"Hey, I'll use my vacancy now. Don't fall asleep or we will get scolded!"
"Yeah, yeah. Just go already."
The two receptionist talked to each other until the other one went somewhere in the hospital.
'Finally. This is my chance.'
Liam stood up as soon as the receptionist walked past him, then he slowly walked at the side of the reception.
His goal was simply to get a nurse's uniform. The reception area always have an extra nurses uniform in case of an emergency. If he get it and wear it, he can freely walk inside the morgue without alerting the securities who were probably watching from the CCTV cameras.
"Stealth."
As soon as the word came out from his mouth, he walked behind the receptionist guy who was struggling to keep his eyes open because of the tiredness.
Liam with the Stealth skill can still be seen by anyone, but his move can't be heard by them so his plan was to get behind the guy and sneakily grab the uniform under the table. It was before noon where the canteen would open so there were not many people wandering around the hall so this was the best chance that he got.
He quickly grabbed the folded uniform under the table and immediately ran far away. After wearing the uniform in the bathroom, he went to find the morgue.
He walked past many nurses and doctors but they didn't seem to care about him so he managed to find the morgue easily and safely.
CREAK
Liam looked around and saw a countless of body containers inside the room.
'Ahh. What a pain in the ass. I don't even know his name.'
After a moment of reading the information in the paper which he found in a table, he saw the word 'Criminal' written under the name of that person before he immediately went away and find the container with the same numbers as the paper.
"Here it is,"
Liam said after moving around and found the one that he was looking for.
RUSTLE
The container was pulled and a cold and lifeless body can be seen from inside it. Dead bodies are definitely not a normal sight that you can see every day so people would sicken and feel disgusted or scared and Liam was not an exception. He almost threw up but he managed to somehow stop it.
'So this is the guy I had killed. I-I'm actually doing this for a skill. F*ck! But... there's no turning back now.'
"Appraisal." He firmly said the skill name then looked at the window that showed up at his front.
『
Name : Artyom Sorlov
Level: 14
Job: Fighter//Executor//Leader
HP: 0
MP: 1
Stamina: 0%
[Stats]
Strength: 10+
Dexterity: 10+
Intelligence: 10
Endurance: 10+
Perception: 7
[Skills]
Passive Skills:
> Hand Fighting Techniques Lv. 2
> Kicking Techniques Lv. 1
Active Skills:
> Fast Hands Lv. 2
> Grip Strengthening Lv. 1
> Blade Hands Lv. 1
』
"A Foreigner? What's with the one mana poi-" Liam saw the MP wand was about to say something but it got cut as soon as he saw the skills of the guy.
'T-this guy... Isn't he just way too strong? He didn't use all his skill to me. I... was just lucky at that time. I might be dead if I fight him head-on. With guys like him, I really need to get stronger real fast.'
"Hand Techniques is quite handy when fighting someone if I guess its use correctly, and Blade Hands would probably become OP if it's leveled up. I will choose these two then."
He immediately decided to choose the one that he thought the most useful to him.
Liam then put his left hand on top of the dead body's head.
『 What skills would you like to choose. 』
『Random. P// Hand Fighting Techniques. A// Fast Ha...』
"Random? I can randomize what skills I will get?"
Liam asked inwardly then proceeded to read the text written.
"Hand Fighting Techniques and Blade Hands!" He said after reading the entire skillset and decided what skills to choose.
『The Passive and Active skill has been learned. Half of a random attribute of the person will be given to you immediately.』
"H-HOLY! I suddenly learned boxing and another good technique. This... This is crazy. I'll check the techniques later."
Liam was frightened by the sudden knowledge that surged through his mind. Learning something so fast was somewhat terrifying for him.
'Oh. I still didn't increase my attributes with the stat points. I'll also do it later then.'
He continued to read the contents so that he can calm his heart down from what happened. He then moved his left hand back and pushed the container to the compartment.
『The Intelligence attribute has been chosen. 5 points of Intelligence has been given.』
"Eh? I feel like my brain started consuming knowledge, but I still don't know what's the other use of it apart from making me more smarter." Liam made quite a dissatisfied expression.
He was not very pleased with the intelligence attribute as the other physical attributes are much better to increase, but he just accepted it because he was a free gift given by the system and there was no need for him to complain.
"Okay, let me see my stat now."
『
Stat Window
Name: Liam Keene
Level: 11
Job: none
HP: 100
MP: 20 (Replenish 1 pt every 1 min and 35 sec.)
Stamina: 95%
[Stats]
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 15
Intelligence: 14
Endurance: 13
Perception: 16
Stat Distribution Points: 11
[Skill Menu]
«OPEN»
[Task]
Task Remaining: 46
』
"Oh yeah! I just leveled up. How do I even level up? My system has really no intention of answering my questions... and also, WOAH! The mana points decreased the time of replenishment. Is it because my Intelligence has been increased? If it is then... I can always use my skills without worrying much about mana."
He was surprised after seeing his stats with great improvement.
'I should see my skills too.'
『
Skill Menu
[ New option has been added on the Skill Menu. Technique has been added in the subcategory of the Passive Skill. Techniques can also be leveled up and upgraded.]
Passive Skills:
> Health Recovery
> Firmness {CD 10 min}
> Regeneration
> Immunity
> Hyperthymesia
Techniques: «NEW»
> Hand Fighting Techniques Lv. 1
Active Skills:
> Athletic Lv. 2 - {5 MP, 1 min CD}
> Crystal Vision Lv. 1
- {5 MP, 10 sec CD}
> Accurate Throw Lv. 2
- {1 MP, 1 sec CD}
> Appraisal Lv. 1
- {0 MP}
> Mental Boost Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 10 sec CD}
> Discerning Eye Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 10 sec CD}
> Absorption Lv. 3 - {0 MP, 20 min CD}
> Stealth Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 1 min CD}
> Dull Time Lv. 1 - {10 MP, 25% STA, 9 hrs CD}
> Blade Hands Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 10% STA, 15 min CD}
«NEW»
> (P) Hand Fighting Techniques - Basic Hand Fighting Techniques for Boxing and Bajiquan.
> (A) Blade Hands - A skill that make your hands move slightly faster. Hitting a target with this skill will make your hands much sharper that can cut the target making a shallow wound to them. Can be used for 1 minute.
』
"So that's why I learned boxing and the other one. Martial arts master had a hard time practicing something like Bajiquan. And here I am cheating with my system. Learning, or... Stealing skills by another skill. Techniques sure are scary, but it is OP."
Liam didn't know if he should be ashamed or be happy but he smiled for a moment.
TAP
"Is that guy you're talking about here?" A faint voice can be heard from outside the room.
Liam turned around to the door and felt something strange again.
'Ah, shit! There's people outside.'
"Yes. I saw someone come in. His face is unfamiliar and no one can't come in there without permission from the operators and all the staff in this hospital all knew that." Another voice was heard coming from outside the door.
'Ah! What should I do? I can't use stealth with the lights on.'
"Okay. Luckily, we're here. You should probably get back now. Me and my partner will handle this."
CLICK
'Ah f*ck. I guess I will have to use my trump card here.'
CREAK
"Put your hand-"
Two arms that are holding a gun can be seen from the door. It was a police officer walking in. He said something before barging inside.
But Liam didn't completely hear it as the time was slowed for him...
"Dull Time." He already said it before he even saw the gun which came from behind the door.
'Ah! There's only twenty-second to escape.'
Liam then walked in front of the door then he slightly pulled it backward.
He saw a man in his early thirties police officer walking in the room and another one who seemed a bit younger with blonde hair, and there are also three nurses standing at the back.
He immediately walked past the officers and didn't make even made a small physical contact with their bodies because he still doesn't know what would happen if a person was hit by a fast-moving thing like he was right now.
15 seconds left and Liam was still stuck in the narrow corridor because the only way to get out there has been blocked by the three nurses at the back. He was panicking at first but he soon calmed down when he thought that there was still more time.
The skill Dull Time was given to him originally because he only needed more time to think but it was truly a godly skill to use in a dangerous situation.
10 seconds left, Liam was still thinking hard and cold sweat started to pour down on the floor but he realized something and thought of a quick plan to get out of the place he was currently standing.
"Athletic," Liam said hurriedly.
As soon as he said that, strong energy filled his entire body before he quickly ran forward again. A few inches away before he could hit the nurses, he jumped and kicked the wall from the side that made his body turned 90 degrees in the air. He spun for a while and he soon landed on the ground.
3 seconds left, he immediately ran inside the closing elevator with no people inside it.
DING
"Going up to the VIP floor."
The voice from the elevator's speaker spoke.
"Haaah...Whoooo." Liam heaved a sigh of relief. He can finally be relaxed, now that he wasn't caught by the police and he isn't going to jail.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
At the morgue
"If you are sure that someone really came inside here, then why is there no one here."
The police officer spoke with a high tone on his voice to the nurses.
"Y-yes. I'm really sure. His face was even covered by a nurse mask. But I definitely saw him came in earlier."
"Hey partner. Do you believe this guy here... Hey."
The officer shouted when he saw his partner, who was not budging an inch and still looking inside the morgue with a confused looked on his face.
"Earlier... When you pushed the door open, I saw a shadow of a man inside this room." The police officer who was behind the guy who opened the door earlier spoke and said something to his partner.
"What!? Are you going crazy? Don't joke around now."
"We've been a partner for years. You know that I'm not into jokes when in an investigation."
"Then how? How is it that there's no one inside now eh?"
"I don't know too... But also when you came inside this room earlier, suddenly, a bit of an air pressure moved towards me."
"I felt that too but... Argh okay! I know you just want to investigate something again. You're always into this "Strange things". But it does always turned goo- Hey, Derek! Are you even listening?"
"Hm?" The other officer crouched down to look at something.
He glanced at the floor then slit his eyes on it.
"Look here. There is sweat and thin footprints. I guess we'll have to check the whole hospital then."
"WHAAT!"
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
In the VIP room
As soon as Liam walked inside his room, he got rid of the nurse uniform that he wore earlier and threw it at the trash can.
"Whew. I'm safe here. I definitely got much smarter earlier. hehe. I probably would not be able to get out of there when I didn't increase my Intelligence. I hope the police are outside this hospital now."
Liam said out loud as he lied down on his bed.
"I can't really get my thoughts away for the techniques that I got earlier. It's so amazing just by thinking about it in my mind again. It feels like it is I trained for years and it was like a part of me now. I suddenly want to try it."
Liam said helplessly as he was urging to try his new skill.
'Oh! I have lots of distribution points. I better use it now. Stats first.'
Liam opened his system and he began to use the Stat Points.
'I just upgraded Strength and Dexterity earlier this day so I will have to increase the others.'
『
Stat Window
Name: Liam Keene
Level: 11
Job: none
HP: 99
MP: 11 (Replenish 2 pt every 1 min and 20 sec.)
Stamina: 68%
[Stats]
Strength: 16 +
Dexterity: 15 +
Intelligence: 14 → 18
Endurance: 13 →16
Perception: 16 →19
Stat Distribution Points: 0
』
"Ah. The change is incredibly fast. It really feels like I became a bit smarter now or... maybe not. And also, I'm more sensitive. I think I can feel that someone is intentionally walking towards my room."
Liam pet out a soft chuckle as he thought that he changed greatly in just a short time.
He stopped laughing when he realized something.
"Wait. What?"
KNOCK KNOCK
'Shit. I already throw my bandages in the trash. And I just used the Dull Time skill earlier...'
CREAK
'This is bad...'