Yusuf sighed after finally getting rid of his troublesome elder sister, he didn't tell her he already knew about Neon Corporations, how can someone if his status not know about a company that released a groundbreaking game, the likes of which that's never been seen before.
But it was satisfying to see that she finally saw defeat ,maybe she'll double more effort and put more effort I to her profession before it's too late, he was one of the people cleared to know about the nature of the game that's and it's impact on their own reality, something that really blew his mind, that's why he didn't resist when his parents requested for his leave and grounded him to his lab, what more could he ask for and thanks to his unreliable sister, at least she was useful this time around and got him a gaming pod, something that would've been hard to get by himself since his parents will question him about his motive again thereby wasting precious time.
Yusuf walked past all the laboratory equipment that were clustered together and went into the room adjacent his laboratory it was a simpler self-contained room with all the necessities for when he decides to take a break during his research and changed from his lab coat and then took a quick shower and wearing a simple clothes for ease of movement, then he stepped back into the laboratory and the sitting on the gaming chair then giving the command to install and start Tower of Apotheosis that his sister took her time setting up for him.
…
That's how Yusuf found himself in front of the Mages Tower building while staring at the panel in front of him and going through his experience with the guidance orb he saw while he entered the game and the subsequent actions that took place, he shook his head then smiled looking forward as he reached for the door of the building "I hope you give me a worthy challenge or it won't be worth it" he muttered and then pushed it open and walking in seeing other players already in all engrossed reading with bitter expressions, obviously none of them were reading on their own obligation, probably having no choice, some looked up when they noticed someone came in and smiled mysteriously seeing someone join them in sharing the same woe.
Yusuf was looking around in confusion before he noticed an old man with white hair and neat beards that reached toward his chest, looking handsome sitting on an elevated chair at the corner of the library, maybe noticing his gaze the old man looked up to Yusuf, smiled at him and said, "Pick a book from this section and read them until your Intelligence reaches 30, a Mage's power comes from his accumulated knowledge, only those patient and enduring enough to accumulate knowledge and elevate their mind can pass this test." The man went back to reading again after he finishing not minding Yusuf anymore.
he was surprised after he heard the kind of test it was, typical of a Game, he didn't mind though as reading is second nature to him after breathing, he walked towards a shelf lined with books and picked one, immediately a panel showed up in front of him showing the details of the book he took
Ding!
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Book Title: Echo of the Void
Author: ???
Book Grade: Epic
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Yusuf took a seat at one of the empty chairs closest to him and looked around noticing everyone concentrating on trying to comprehend what was written in the book before them some of them even disappearing into pixels, obviously trying to delete their account and creating new ones, Yusuf shook his head, he knew there must be some mechanism that must prevent them from opening a new page until they've finished the current page, disregarding everyone and focusing on his own book he decided to see what the book in this game looked like, the moment he opened the book a white light beamed covering his whole body before vanishing together with Yusuf, obviously he passed already.
"What!",
"Impossible",
"What kind of book did he read that he passed easily!"
"What do you mean easily, he just opened the body before he was taken away he hadn't read it at all, he was sitting opposite me!"
Different people were voicing their shock, even the Old NPC who was in charge was amused:, "Oho, what do we have here, looks like the human race prodigies are starting to appear, this should be fun" he spoke before going back to his book.
the rest of the players were complaining amongst themselves when the door to the library opened once again, every player looked towards the door anticipating who's it was and they all expressed shock when it turns out to be Yusuf who just left few seconds ago, even the NPC looked up in intrigue, he was looking forward to what's going to happen this time around.
"why are you back, did you lose your way?" a player couldn't keep his curiosity.
Yusuf looked at them all and answered, " I haven't read the book I took " and started looking forward to his former seat once more.
"wait a minute", a female player asked confused "how did you pass the test the first time, maybe it can help she asked very eager to know.
"Umm... my Intelligence stat is already more than 30 points since the beginning, I already passed before I took the test" Yusuf explained as he took out the book that was already back in the shelf and sat himself ready to continue reading the he remembered he hadn't checked his interface so he brought it up.
Ding!
------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Quantum Sage
Race; Human
Grade: Commoner
Level: 1
Experience: 0%
Main Class: None
Sub-class: None
Strength: 5
Agility: 6
Endurance: 5
Intelligence: 40
Charm: 9
Luck: 11
Abilities:
Mind Simulation:
[you can simulate any scenario or experiment with 100% as long as you hold the necessary variables],
Intuitive Thinking:
[you can solve any known problem in real-time with your fast exceptional cognitive ability.]
Savant Mode:
[in this mode your all abilities and skills works at 1000% ]
[Duration: 60 seconds]
[Cooldown: 1 day]
Skills:
Inspect
Appraise
Universal Tongue
Reputation: 0
Legend: 0
Remarks: Glad you are Here.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ding!
------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations you've completed Demigod Merlin Test:
A Mage's power comes from his accumulated knowledge, only those patient and enduring enough to accumulate knowledge and elevate their mind
Reward: 100 Exp, access to the Mage Tower.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ding!
------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations on completing the Hidden Quest:
Read a Book above Rare Quality
Reward: Mage's Grimoire (Growth)
Description:
A magical tome containing starter spells, with blank pages for future spell additions. It grows with the mage, evolving into a personalized arsenal of powerful magic
------------------------------------------------------------
Yusuf couldn't make much sense of what he was seeing since it was first VR Game, now we have something that could stump even the Prodigious Quantum Sage.
the NPC seem to know his plight called him over to join him at his seat.
"why don't you join me for a cup of , little friend" the NPC Merlin called Yusuf over.
"Sure thanks for the invitation " Yusuf said as he sat opposite Merlin who brought out a kettle from nowhere and filled two cups with aromatic coffee.
"smells good" Yusuf complimented
"yeah I get that a lot" merlin replied
Yusuf's lips twitched and smiled he's got experience dealing with these old men, he got plenty of them at the lab
"Confused, are you?" The old man's voice was warm, yet held the weight of ages. His long, silver beard swayed gently as he took a sip of his coffee. "I am Merlin, as you've already seen on your quest panel and it seems you need guidance, young one."
Yusuf nodded, glancing back at the panel. "Yeah… What's the deal with these stats? Strength, Agility, Endurance... It's a bit overwhelming."
Merlin chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling. "Ah, let me explain. Strength governs how hard you hit in combat your power, your raw force."
Yusuf raised an eyebrow. "And Agility?"
"That's your speed and reflexes. It determines how swiftly you move and how easily you dodge attacks." Merlin tapped his staff on the ground. "Endurance, on the other hand, is your stamina how long you can endure hardships, both in battle and in survival."
Yusuf nodded slowly, processing it all. "What about Intelligence?"
"Ah, a vital one. Intelligence fuels your understanding of magic, strategy, and tactics. The smarter you are, the more spells and knowledge you can unlock."
"And Charm?" Yusuf asked, intrigued.
Merlin smiled. "Charm is the art of influence. It helps you sway hearts, win allies, and navigate tricky social situations."
Yusuf's gaze shifted to the final stat. "Luck... Seems random."
"Luck is the unseen hand of fate," Merlin said cryptically. "It can turn fortune your way or cast you into misfortune. A double-edged sword."
Yusuf straightened, feeling the weight of his choices already. "Thanks, That helped a lot."
Merlin nodded, his gaze lingering. "Use your attributes wisely, Yusuf. This world can be unforgiving."
"Next is my reward, it has a 'Legendary' and 'Growth" what does that mean.
"Ohoh, that is a different subject entirely" merlin smiled as he cleared his throat "now where do I begin..."