[Achievement unlocked! Die 100 times]
[User is granted 1000 Points]
[Shop is now available]
"What?"
Marlin was confused at what was happening. He had now died 100 times. Is that what it was saying? He didn't know much apart from making weapons and killing but knowing that he had now died 100 times according to this voice.
He did not know what was going on so decided to ask some questions.
"What is this shop that you speak of?"
[A shop is a location where goods and services are bought and sold]
"Ok, is that like when I want to exchange some of my deer for some leather? Is that right?"
[Correct]
"Ok I see"
Currently Marlin was within the void as he liked to call it. This was the space he would be transported to every time he died. In this space he had no body and the only thing here was just his thoughts.
"Now what do you mean I have got 1000 points and that the shop is now available?"
[Firstly, Points are granted by killing living beings or by accomplishing difficult things. Such as, slaying a demi-god or by establishing a kingdom. However, those are some of the most difficult ones to achieve]
[Secondly, the shop is granted to the user when a major achievement is unlocked for the first time]
"Ok. I think I get it."
"Also, why am I here?"
Ever since Marlin had been reborn in the body of that baby he had always wondered if there was ever going to be a way out. There had to be seem reason it was him. Although, he was strong in his past life he didn't think that wouldn't be the reason for some gods to do this to him.
[You are here to grow stronger]
"But why am I constantly being reborn in this world?"
[User's strength is insufficient to obtain such knowledge]
"Hmmm"
Since Marin couldn't get any information out of this voice it would be better to just focus on thinking on how to become stronger so that next time, he was reborn he could put up a fight. Marlin would be disappointed if this shop just had a couple wooden spears and then some food.
But Marlin thought that if that was the case, he would just go off himself but ironically, he would just be reborn again. Marlin knew that this shop was the key to becoming stronger. Maybe he could become strong enough to kill those wolves but Marlin highly doubted that.
If he could find something useful to survive in this shop maybe he might be hopeful again.
"Ok bring me to this shop"
[Transporting user to shop]
Suddenly, the darkness that Marlin was used to seeing was now being invaded by a bright light in the distance. This light came closer and closer until it was right in front of him.
What now laid in front of Marlin there three colossal square black pillars towering into the sky. There was a bright white spotlight shining upon all three pillars and as you looked up you could see no end to how tall these pillars were.
If you looked closer, you could barely see small indents that riddled all three of the pillars. Marlin then looked Infront of him and saw a small altar lecter with a small ancient leather book on top.
"Umm how is this a shop?"
[This is a special type of shop]
"So how do I buy things like a normal shop would let you do?"
[Pick up the book and read it. You shall understand how everything works]
"Ok. But I don't have hands or anything to pick it up with"
[Juts think that you are going to do something such as moving or picking up that book and its shall happen]
Marlin then imagined the book floating in the air towards him and it opening up. To his surprise it happened, and the book now laid in front of him open in its first page.
"Ummm, what is this book thing again?"
[A book is an object that holds certain information or knowledge. You can access it by opening the cover and flipping over the pages. You can use books to tell stories, retell parts of history, explain how parts of the world work and many other things]
"That sounds really complicated"
[Indeed, it is]
Marlin then looked at the characters but couldn't understand them and was about to ask the voice another question but was promptly interrupted by a large pain in his non existent head.
"AAAAAHH"
Marlin couldn't do anything but wait until this pain subsided. This pain was akin to a massive stone being hammered on top of his head. This pain came in waves and Marlin couldn't focus at all and put his thoughts in chaos.
After a while of this pain attacking him it finally calmed down. The pain was still there but not as strong.
"What was that? Did you do that to me?"
Marlin was quite mad at what had happened and wanted an explanation.
[This pain was the effect of the knowledge of the characters and words within the book being sent to your brain. This is because if you didn't understand what you were buying it would be akin to gambling. You might even go into debt and that is not what you want]
"Ok, well could you have done it in a way that wouldn't hurt as much"
[Do not worry, in the future when similar things such as this the pain will be much more mild so we may as well get it out of the way]
"I see"
After finishing his conversation with the voice, he looked closed the book again and looked at the cover of this book and the letters on it. Marlin didn't know why but these letters seemed to be swaying side to side in his vision and was like an illusion and had much difficulties understanding what it said.
At some moments he could discern the letters, but it was only for the briefest of a moment and even if he saw what it read, he would forget what it was the next second. It was very weird, as if something was stopping him from trying to read it but didn't mind it. This voice and whatever gods were playing with him had their secrets.
So, he may as well stop poking his nose into their business. They have granted him the power of being reborn over and over and have given him something to do with his life which he was kind of grateful for and unhappy at the same time for.
His past life was incredibly boring in his eyes. Now that something interesting was happening to him he couldn't really care. He just wants to live out his life and go with the flow.
Marlin then reopened the book and read the introduction
'Within this book lays the strength that will be necessary for survival within the cruel world below. There are 3 ways you can grow your power. Physical, knowledge and magic. You can buy these certain powers from the following categories by killing or achieving great things within your lifetime. There are no limits to what you can do. These things give you a corresponding amount of points which you can then buy abilities with. In order to buy something, you rip out the page of the ability that you wish to buy and the cost of it shall be deducted from your points. If the cost of the item exceeds the amount of points you hold then you will go into debt. If in your next life you cannot pay off the amount of points that you owe you will face punishment. The greater amount of points you owe the greater the punishment. In extreme cases you will be stripped of all abilities and be forced to be reborn as a slave serving a high-level power for 1000 thousand lives. You can unlock abilities by doing certain things. Such as, dying of starvation 1000 times will let you buy an ability that makes you not need to eat any food for your whole life. There are two different types of achievements. Major achievements and minor achievements. Major Achievements give you points and the ability that you unlock with it Is free. Minor achievements do not give points and the ability you unlock is not free. Now go, become stronger'
After reading the introduction he then understood how this whole shop worked. It felt like some demon ritual and as he looked at these 3 pillars, he seemed even more suspicious of what was going on.
He flipped over to the next page and saw his points count written on the page.
'1000 points'
"I don't want to become accidentally in debt and receive a punishment so I'll remember this number.
Marlin then looked through the whole book seeing everything he could buy while stroking his non-existent beard as if hoping he could gain insight on what was the best thing to buy. You know what they say, old men with beards are incredibly wise.
Animal Charm-
Due to your aura of friendliness and the wonderful smell that comes off you, most lifeforms will be less likely to kill you and might even become
[Unlock Requirements – Eaten by animals 10 times]
1000 points
Exercise Knowledge-
You will gain the necessary knowledge to know how to train your body and what exercises are best for what muscles
[push your body to the physical limit of complete exhaustion 25 times]
700 points
Painless Death
-All pain will go away but in return your whole body will go limp and you cannot move permanently
[Die 100 times]
(I wonder what you could use this for? -system, unknown date)
1500 points
Flexible Body
-Your body will be much more flexible
[Push your body to the limits of how much it can be bent to 50 times]
400 points
Plant Man
-You receive more calories from vegetable and fruit
[eat only plants for 10 consecutive lives]
(Over my extensive time studying this rare specimen of human I had discovered he could survive on one piece of lettuce for over a whole month despite being put through intensive exercise the hole duration – Doctor Stein, Wonders of the Human Body, AC 3001)
800 points
Nerve Strengthening
-Actions that are constantly repeated have nerve connections that are 10 times stronger and quicker to respond than normal.
[Repeat a particular action with the body until it becomes instinctual]
5 000
Animal Repellent
-The taste of your body is extremely horrific. Your body can even cause dizziness, headaches and vomiting to the lifeforms who eat you.
[eaten by animals 20 times]
1400 points
Young and pitiful
-Lifeforms will feel pity for you and they will be less likely to hurt you while you are a baby
[Die 25 times as a child]
500 points
Danger Sense
-Within a certain distance depending on how strong you are you will be able to detect the strength of lifeforms within your detection range.
[Killed by stronger opponent 25 times]
3000 points
Tears of a Goddess
-Lifeforms will feel much more sympathy for you while you are crying
[Cry 99 times]
550 points
[Coward's Run]
-You run 25% faster while running from enemies
[Run from opponents 25 times]
2000 points
Going Back To your Roots
-Your crawling is 150% faster
[Only crawl for 20 lives]
(He slaughtered all our men while just crawling on all fours – General Rainer, 1722 BC)
2000 points
The Need for Food
-You will receive more calories from food
[Die from starvation 5 times]
400 points
Virgin for Life
-The urge to participate in intercourse is much weaker than it normally would be
[Be a virgin for 69 lives]
-800 points
Dying Wish
-While under 10% health you receive 3x strength, 3x agility and all combat skills are improved. However, 3 minutes after you will pass out.
[Fight back even when on the brink of death 50 times]
(Although the Master of the One strike Dojo had been cornered on the battlefield by thousands of the Black Tree empire's men, His strikes cut down over eight hundred hundred men before collapsing to the ground due to exhaustion – Chapter sixty two of 'The history of the Black Tree Empire', Scholar Tian, 40044 BC)
10 000 points
Hard Teeth
-Your bite strength is two times stronger than normal
[Bite your enemies during combat 10 times]
800 points
Hidden power
-Opponents are more likely to underestimate you
[Injure or kill a stronger opponent 20 times]
(The city of Tross had been shaken when the unbeatable Arena champion had been beaten by but a street merchant – Chapter thirteen of 'The Rising Meteor's Academy book of Essential Fighting Concepts', Author unknown, 221 AC)
1000 points
Loner
-You have less need to socialize and are less likely to go crazy with extended periods of no contact with humanity
[Do not socialize for 10 lives]
300 points
Life is quick isn't it?
-You can expend your life energy to gain strength for a short period of time. The amount of Strength granted increases the more life energy that is expended. The longer your life expectancy is the longer you are granted strength for
[Live for less than 5 years for 50 lives]
(Using the forbidden art inherited by his forefather he greatly increased his strength in a short amount of time, quickly becoming the strongest person within the continent. He razed over half of humanity's land quickly killing over 70% of the continent's population. But, as he was razing one of the villages on the border of the continent he fell limp and died, Stanley An, Chapter one of 'The Short Lived Emperor', BC 103410)
5 000 points
750 points
Growing Boy
-Reborn as 5-year-old for all future lives
[die as a baby 50 times]
1000 points
Hide Life Energy
-Can hide all life energy from most lifeforms
[Die due to being detected by your powerful life energy]
(General Joki was a spineless coward who faked his death with underhanded tactics, Dictator Cakil, 19651 BC)
2500 points
As Marlin read through the book multiple comments went through his head.
"Oh, the wolves might not kill me if I had that but considering that I'm so yummy they won't spare me"
"If I have that I could train my body to as strong as I was in my past life with the right knowledge"
"I could use that if im about to die a really painful death, but I don't really need it. I can handle the pain"
"Yeah I probably got that because I got bent in really bad ways before dying. I thought I as gonna go crazy if that kept happening but luckily, I am very strong"
"I couldn't get my hands on any meat cause of how slow I was so those plants and fruits I could get my small hands on. Wait? What's this. Can you help me please.
[What is it]
"What are these things under the unlock requirements and between the point costs?"
[Those are quotes. Quotes are sentences said by a person and or a sentence written within a book]
"So, there is a guy who could survive with only one piece of lettuce for a month while doing a lot of hard work the whole time. What if it's not true and it's not as strong as it says"
[All of the quotes are true, and the examples shown are a certain degree of the ability. These people do hold that ability however, there are slight deviations from the one that you receive and how powerful the ability is most likely to be different from the on in the quote. The quote is to give an example of it and nothing more even if how powerful it is differing from the quote. That is also another part of buying an ability. If you are given an exact description of each ability, then it will be much easier to pick an ability. You are not a child; you are very mature and do not need that amount of help. You are only given only so much information about it and it is up to you to choose which one is best from the little information that you are given]
"Well, I shall take that advice"
Marlin then continued reading through the book.
"Virgin for 69 lives? Well that is quite a sneaky insult"
"WOAH, that master of the one strike dojo sounds really strong. I wonder if I can ever learn from him"
"Nerve strengthening? That's probably because of how much I crawled"
"Tears of a goddess? I cried every time I was reborn and had to stop it every time. That was annoying."
"So, I could be able to hide my life energy. Wait, did I keep dying because those wolves could see my life energy! No wonder."
"What? If I could be reborn as a child from now on, I wouldn't have to be crawling the whole time."
After looking through the whole book he came to a decision.
Marlin then flipped over the page titled 'Growing Boy'. Marlin ripped the page with his mind and the flawless white paper then crumbled up into a ball as it ripped off the page despite Marlin not thinking it. The paper then kept condensing. It was the size of tennis ball, then a grape and then a grain of sand. Marlin kept looking closer and closer as if it was some cool toy he had just found.
Suddenly, this ball of paper lit up and was now a large line of fire. Marlin moved back with his mind and saw this line of fire travel like a snake towards the first pillar. This ability was under the Physical section so he thought that this pillar must be for physical abilities.
The line of fire then went to and area about 5 meters from the base of the pillar and flew into the pillar like a ghost. The pillar then glowed a bright red hue and slowly the red hue travelled to where the small line of fire had entered from. When all the red hue light had travelled to where the line of fire had entered disappeared from some weird symbols appeared on the pillar. These symbols were incredibly complicated and seemed to be made from lava or fire. Marlin flew further to the pillar and suddenly met and invisible barrier sending pain into his head
"Ow"
Marlin then got a closer look and saw the small indents in the pillar were actually in a similar shape of those lave symbols. Marlin thought these pillars were cool and mysterious at the same time but didn't stop looking at the pillar until a couple minutes later due to being so consumed in those symbols.
Marlin looked around himself one more time and asked,
"How do I leave?"
[Shortly after, after you make a purchase you are supposed to leave but seeing you so interested in those symbols made me hold off the leave a bit as it would be rude interrupting someone who is doing something they are interested in]
"Thanks. See you soon then"
[Goodbye]