Somewhere in a cold space filled with bones and spiderwebs sat Joaquin on a throne of iron bones and a peculiar smoke ghost nervously bolted around. The ground was dry and grey, it seemed to go on forever.
[WHAT IS THAT THING OUT THERE?]
'I should be asking you Mr. Allknowing.'
The smoke ghost stopped screaming and walked around in circles for a few seconds before having an idea hit him and jumping at Joaquin.
[Did you activate the grimoire at before the attack.]
'Yeah, why?'
[We can use it to leave this place.]
'It just looks like a journal with my personal information on it. I don't how that will help in any way.'
[Open it up then boy.]
Joaquin sighed and the journal appeared in front of him, he flicked the pages with a tired gloom on his face.
It had tables and graphs on many different pages, but was most intriguing about it was the video game-like element the first page possessed. Joaquin didn't want to admit this, but seeing almost every single detail about him quantified in numbers and not just obscure word of mouth made his heart race.
'I feel like I am a science experiment,' he thought within his mental cage.
[Do you like video games that much? Such a child.]
The voice coming from behind him made Joaquin jump and almost drop the book. After calming down, he stood because he doesn't like being looked down on.
"Name..." Joaquin read.
[Name: Alder Z. Joaquin
Race: Brawn Cosmic]
Joaquin paused, I've never heard of this before.'
[What a brawn cosmic? But you've seen one before, not only that but your journal says that you are one.]
'Really, can you tell me who it is?'
[Of course not.] The smoke ghost laughed. [You ask as if I've told you my name.] It flew to the opposite side and shined its eyes on him.
'This is stupid, I am normal human. Both of my parents are normal humans.'
[That's the beauty of brawn cosmic blood, unless one was already aware of its presence it will only awaken on those chosen to be emperors.]
'Emperor? Do you mean like the greater kings that rule over the 9 continents?'
The smoke ghost rubbed its chin and hummed, [why are they still using the dialer king's system?]
Joaquin sighed yet again and decided not to further this matter because his helper didn't appear to be competent enough. He went through the statistics in the book skipping the basic details of his biography mostly because they didn't differ at all from what he already knew.
He then realized that his physical and mental stats were all but accurate. He ruled this by comparing it to a popular game he and his brother used to play as children called "The King's Men".
It was a game that felt like it threw people into an alternate dimension to start a new life. The way it measured people's actual stats and recorded them was so on point that the same stats he had in the game the last time he played were also the ones on the book.
'What the heck is this?' Joaquin turned the book to the smoke ghost and showed him a stat which read: INTELLIGENCE: 25
[I don't see anything wrong with it.]
'Of course, you don't see anything wrong but I do, this is the intelligence of an idiot. Someone Rue and not me.'
[Your point being?]
'Your grimoire is fake, so I will not at all thank you for it or anything you think you've done for me.' Joaquin said with a placid look on his face.
[ARE YOU INSANE? I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE PROTECTING YOU FROM THAT MONSTER OUT THERE!]
'From the looks of things, you might as well have died and my life still wouldn't have changed.'
[It hasn't even been 10 minutes since you got that thing. Speaking of which, don't you think that it's about time you woke up?]
'I have to wait it out a little bit more. My fast healing ganders me too much unwarranted attention.'
[But I don't like having you here.]
'It's my head.'
[Are you sure it's not your heart?]
'I found something interesting, it says here that you are my mentor...'
[AHHH GAGAGAGAGAGA]
[I told you boy... Oh.] Something showed up on the smoke ghost's face and from Joaquin's perspective, it looked like a game notification. It was exactly that, the smoke ghost read out loud the words, {Simple Mentor System for Dummies}. He then cringed and looked at Joaquin as if he was the one who made it.
Joaquin with his keen eyesight was able to read what was written and so smirked at the smoke ghost's despair.
Just then the smoke ghost's system dinged, he looked and fond out he had received a new skill. Joaquin wasn't able to see all the details but what he did see was, {Mission Maker.}
Joaquin did not like the sound of it one bit, especially because of how much the ghost was grinning. The smoke ghost even found a way to darken his system notifications and ultimately hide them from Joaquin.
'What in the world are you planning?' Joaquin said as he pounced at the smoke ghost. It disappeared before he could grab and everything around went along with it.
[New quest created: Conquer the school. do you accept ]
'Are you out of your goddam mind?'
[If you don't accept there will be dire consequences.]
'I am so scared I'm trembling right now.' Joaquin said in a mocking and childish voice.
[No for real, you might never get any abilities if you don't accept the root quest.]
Joaquin fell silent, inhaled, and exhaled. "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?" He screamed as he unconsciously stood upright on his hospital bed. Some light rushed into his eyes so he paused to take in the atmosphere, he looked around and saw a girl with big green eyes staring at him.