Alfred opened his eyes and saw various figures moving around in his hazy vision.
His body was confined.
His face was muzzled.
'Ah, this again.'
'Two times in three days. It looks like I will be a frequent visitor to this place.' He looked around while thinking to himself.
Through the transparent glass, he could see his father looking back at him with a smile. This surprised him greatly. The smile was genuine. Not as sinister as the ones before.
...
As Alfred got out of his health pod, John walked up to him and gave him a once over.
"Kid, although you didn't finish the task I gave you earlier, you did quite well. I imagine that you have awakened a talent?" John looked at him with expectation.
'Talent?' Alfred looked at his father, confused.
'System, did I awaken a talent?' His mind whirled.
...
[No]
[You unlocked a skill]
[See the details on your screen]
...
Alfred ignored John and scrolled through his notifications.
...
[Ding!]
[The host has reflected on himself and achieved sublimation of the heart]
[Unlocking new skill]
...
[Ding!]
[Skill: Heart Of The Strong, unlocked]
[Heart of the strong]
[Grade: S]
[Skill Type: Passive/Active]
[Description: When the user undergoes sublimation of the heart and gives birth to boundless courage, and ambition for the future; the strong shall rise]
[Properties: Removes the limiter on stamina (STA). Increases strength (STR) by 50%. Increases vitality (VIT) by 100%. Increases stamina recovery by 100%]
[Conditions: Stamina falls to 1 (passive), Health reaches 30% (Active)]
[Duration: 60 seconds]
[Cooldown: 1 hour (passive), 3 hours (active)]
[WARNING: If stamina reaches 0 during the activation of this skill, the user will fall into a coma]
...
(√©π©)√
'Such a busted skill!'
'With this, who can kill me? This is basically berserk and a tank skill combined! And with no stamina limit, I can flee if shit hit the fan!'
"Hahaha!"
He couldn't stop himself from laughing.
To have such a lifesaver as his second skill was really a God-sent. His real training would start soon, so unlocking such a skill was like being invited to a banquet after starving for forty days and forty nights. Even Jesus could not resist.
...
"What kind of talent is it?" John asked.
"..."
Alfred pondered how he should answer. After all, it's not like he could say "hey dad, I have an awesome system that can quantify all my stats, skills, and abilities with no effort. So I know everything there is to know about this skill, without running any tests" right? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
After he wrung his mind for a while, he went with half-truths.
"I feel like it's a life-saving skill. Before I fell unconscious, my stamina was relieved and I could run twice as long. I also felt my strength increase for a short while too." He said after some thinking.
"Mhm," John nodded.
"This is indeed a good talent to have. If you feel like your life is in danger, don't hesitate to flee. Remember, your talent isn't in martial arts. But as a Mage. If you want to double as a Battlemage in the future, it's possible. But for now, focus on building your foundation." John reminded him.
"I understand" Alfred replied half-heartedly.
Who knew what path he would walk better than himself?
"Alright, it's been two hours since you fell unconscious. The day is still young. Let's try to complete the tasks I set for you before lunchtime." John looked at him.
Noticing Alfred's grim countenance, John smiled bitterly.
"Relax, I won't push you so hard again. This time you can take it easy. If you finish before lunchtime, we can go hang out on the lake for a while." John encouraged him.
'Hmm?'
Alfred was pensive.
He looked at his father like he was seeing a ghost for the first time.
'Did this bastard grow a conscience?' Was his only thought upon seeing his weird, out-of-character behaviour.
...
Alfred once again got moving.
This time, he didn't start off jogging. Instead, he started at a medium pace, while watching his stamina bar on his status screen.
He realized that with every 15 meters he ran, his Fatigue would increase by 1, and his Stamina would subsequently decrease by 1.
After running for approximately 110 meters, his stamina bar fell by half. Something he also noticed, was that during this period his stamina did not increase while running in the slightest.
He slowed down and started jogging while gauging his stamina bar. This time, his stamina was only reduced by 1 after jogging for 20 meters.
He started sprinting at full speed. Well, the full speed of a little fatty that is.
This time, the change was obvious. His stamina started declining rapidly, at a rate of 1 per 10 meters.
'So one point of stamina can last differently depending on the actions taken.' He mused.
He stopped running after another 65 meters, as his stamina was closing in on single digits. Although he didn't know if he would fall into a coma if his stamina hit zero, he had no interest in tempting two comas in one day. Better safe than sorry, no?
...
Alfred used another 90 minutes to complete his father's task and the system's mission.
...
[Ding!]
[Mission Completed]
[Congratulations]
[50 Exp obtained!]
[10 silver obtained!]
...
Alfred didn't take his eyes off his status screen. He had more important things to look forward to.
...
[Ding!]
[Level up!]
[All stats +1]
[10 status points gained]
...
Huuuuuu!
Alfred let out a breath.
Finally, he had taken that step!
He could now truly begin his growth. While his stats blossomed crazily after equipping those OP items, something just didn't feel right about it. That type of strength although felt exhilarating, always felt foreign.
What did it mean to have strength that belongs solely to you? Isn't that the meaning of growth? Take earlier for example. If the stats from his gear belonged solely to him, would he have ended up so tragically? So how could he not feel excited and relieved?
As he was deciding how to allocate his stats, the system messages continued.
...
[Milestone achieved]
[New Title unlocked]
[Title: Baby Steps]
[Description: Not everyone can walk. But those who can, start with baby steps. One step at a time. As you have taken your first real step on the path to glory, the almighty system has decided to give you a helping hand to motivate you]
[Property: Experience +50%]
[Duration: 30 days]
...
50% Exp boost!
Alfred was shocked!
He forgot his fatigue and went searching for John.
...
When he found John, he didn't waste any time.
'Fuck hanging out on the lake! Ain't nobody got time for that!'
"Dad, let's head to the borders right away!"