In a small room without any lights on, a handsome young man was resting on a bed, he wasn't wearing anything above his waist, only loose pants to cover his hips and legs, a body full of muscles was on display, using his arms to support his head, the young man was looking towards the ceiling seemingly in a daze, but if one could focus more on his eyes, one could see that they were moving as reading something in the air.
[System interface: Status.]
[Host: Zhou Heng
Race: Human
Age: 16
Villain Soul Balance: 0
Current Strength: Healthy Human Male Adult (Base: Healthy Human Male 21 Years)
Skills (Range of classification: Beginner, Apprentice, Proficient, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Deity): Auroric Military Martial Arts: Proficient / Zhou Martial Arts: Proficient / Cooking: Apprentice / Handiness: Apprentice / Driving: Beginner / War Strategy: Apprentice / Other Minor Skills won't be shown in the Skill interface.]
''Hmm...'' Zhou Heng Couldn't help but focus his eyes on the blue words that appeared in his sight.
''Leaving aside the Balance, that should be the special currency of the system...'' Zhou Heng frowned at the words 'Current Strength'.
''What can physically be above a man in his 20? It can't be as simple as the 30s, maybe an athlete? or a martial artist? but if is like that...'' Zhou Heng lowers his gaze toward the skill section. ''It isn't either... well, the system is already something supernatural, so maybe superhuman isn't out of range.''
Even though Zhou Heng is only sixteen years old, he doesn't consider it outrageous that his strength is evaluated like a man in his twenties, since young age under the supervision of his military grandfather, Zhou Heng trained his body with great care, and even when the economic situation of the family isn't great, the household never spared on nutritive food. The main two expenses of the family were the food and Zhou Heng's education, he never complained about it either, if he wanted to take care of the family he needed both skills and endurance, one sick man was the limit if they wanted to keep going.
Zhou Heng was also very athletic biologically so he didn't betray any expectations for that part, he may be in the slim complexion of the human body, but even with that, he is already 5,9 feet tall, filled with muscles on his body that can't be seen at a single glance. Though he isn't as muscular or tall as his bear-like grandpa he is truly a healthy young man that looks above his age, which also helped him greatly at the hour of finding a job or even in school as he skipped grades to graduate quickly, getting himself in a heavy argument against his grandfather that appreciates his efforts of helping him, but at least wants Zhou Heng to enjoy more his teenhood.
Zhou Heng's eyes widened a bit in amazement when reading the skills section of the Status Interface.
''Zhou Martial Arts...? Congratulations old man, a supernatural existence like this system recognizes your efforts.'' A small smile slowly forms on Zhou Heng's face, Auroric Military Martial Arts was the set of combat techniques that Grandpa Zhou learned in his years of service, those techniques were more focused on disarming, incapacitating, and suppressing without lethality, wars in Aurora already advanced to the point of long-ranged weapons, so if two soldiers encounter each other at close range, it will be far more valuable to capture the enemy than going on a rampage, killing an enemy every five steps.
That is why Grandpa Zhou created his own set of Martial Techniques that only focused on killing the enemy! If the Auroric Arts were designed to attack the limbs, kidney, and lungs, to reduce the danger of the enemy to almost null, then, the Zhou Arts were designed to end quickly the life of the enemy, from the eyes, crotch, neck, temple, the more you attack the less time the enemy will remain in the world. In Grandpa Zhou's words: ''The military combat is good against civilian or to capture enemies, but not always you can rely on peaceful ways, will you upgrade the already high level of risk of the people that protect your ass when dealing with scum? heck, the enemy accepted death when he raised his weapon, so my fist is only answering him.''
For the other skills Zhou Heng only raised an eyebrow when he saw them, he understood them, like driving and cooking, even though any other person will say he is skilled when driving a car at work, or that his food is tasty for his years of experience on it, he understood that a skill with a name like that cannot be limited so much, driving encloses any kind of transportation method controlled by an individual so driving a car wasn't near enough to reach the second level of proficiency. As for cooking, the ingredients that are used in the Zhou Household are varied and nutritive, but the theoretical knowledge of ingredients, recipes, use of different knives, and kitchen tools, aren't something Zhou Heng could have.
Even if he cooks the perfect Rice with Eggs, to the point that it can be called Ambrosia, and grant eternal life to anyone that consumes it, he will never be called a master of cooking with only that, at most, he will reach the realm of deity on his own personal skill 'Rice With Eggs'.
Amused by his thoughts, Zhou Heng goes back to the first messages the system showed when he started resting on his bed.
[System interface: Status / Mall / World Hopping / Records]
Zhou Heng looks at the second option of the interface and tries accessing using his train of thought.
[Currently, the Host is unable to open the Mall Section of the System.]
''Why is that? Could it be that you need to pay to access?'' Zhou Heng asks with his brows raised, cursing inwardly that the supernatural system looks down on his balance.
[Host balance isn't necessary to access the Mall Section of the System, the Mall Section of the System is currently empty so the Host can't access.]
''Then, I ask; why is empty? What kind of things can I get when is filled? How can I increase my balance, and Why me?''
[The Mall Section of the System is currently empty as it needs the Host to use the World Hopping Section of the System to fill it.]
[The 'Products' the Mall Section of the System will display when the host uses the World Hopping Section of the System are deeply related to the actions the Host executes on said Section of the System.]
[The Host can increase his Villain Soul Balance while executing actions on the World Hopping Section of the System, the increase will depend on the performance of the Host.]
[The System is currently unable to answer the Host.]
''...''
Zhou Heng nods in a daze, even though so much information came, he didn't hate the idea of the system answering without pause, though he can admit that is pretty annoying how mechanical is the answer with the 'Section of the System' thing. For the last question, Zhou Heng expected something like that, if there is a sentient being controlling the arrival of the system to him, then that being will likely stay in the darkness enjoying the advantageous position of knowing about the other party.
''Expand my second question, about the 'Products' I can get from you, give a more detailed explanation. Why should I use you? also, stop using 'Section of the System' when talking about... your sections...''
[The 'Products' the Host can get from the Mall, are classified in 'Objects', 'Physical Improvements', 'Physical/Mental Experience in the form of Skills' and 'Special'.]
''Explain Special'' Zhou Heng's eyes light up the more he reads, but he remains calm and asks what he doesn't understand.
[Existences the Host cannot truly 'own' by normal means. The System suggests the Host wait until meet with a Special Product if given the chance.]
''Are the special products so rare?'' Zhou Heng assumes that if they have their own classification in the section of the mall, is because there are more than one, and the system considers that he has a chance to get one, right?
[The Host has a 1 in 100.000.000 chance to meet briefly and unknowingly a special product if it exists in the World.]
''...'' Zhou Heng's lips twitch a little remembering how naive he was just five seconds ago. But calming himself a little, he considers that his chance isn't that low, after all, knowing their existence will make a person open his eyes a bit more when walking, even if is not an 'If you search you will find' at least it should be 'If you search you are more likely to find'.
After this round of questions about the Mall Section of the System, Zhou Heng can clearly perceive that the World Hopping Section is the more important part, so he decides to leave it to the end and directs his sight towards the last option, 'Records', with that name, is nothing that difficult to imagine what represents, but he decides to test his luck opens it.
[Currently, the Host is unable to open the Records Section of the System.]
''I wasn't expecting it, explain it to me.'' Zhou Heng says with a helpless look.
[The Records will be useful to the Host when storing information about the actions of the Host in the World Hopping Section.]
''What kind of information?'' Zhou Heng starts to frown when reading the message.
[Memories.]
''...'' Zhou Heng's face adopts a solemn expression, thousand of theories came to his mind when this single blue word came, but all theories focus on the same point. 'World Hopping' is far more complex than his initial thought, even with that name, how can the memories, the experiences of a human be so heavy? that this powerful system, needs an option to store them.
''Why do you store them?'' Zhou Heng asks in a whisper.
[To protect the mental stability of the Host.]
Pondering for a few minutes, Zhou Heng breaths deeply and a resolute look appears in his blue eyes. He already knew it, since childhood nothing comes from nothing, he needs to risk, to work hard if he wants to be rewarded, this is a chance that even the ridiculous special product can't compare. So he didn't need to prepare too much to make his decision.
''Open the World Hopping Section.''
He said, with a firm tone.