"Achoo!"
Sho sneezed before he could proceed.
The three had a eureka look knowing something slipped their mind.
"Ah! I forgot! You should open your inventory and take out the Curing Potion there. It's a complimentary potion that the system has given us since our mission took a toll in our body. You might've received the notification while you were unconscious." Hikari explained hurriedly.
Sho's jaw dropped. Now he suddenly came to realize why the three who still wore wet clothes were not shivering or showing signs of illness. It turned out that they took another potion that cured their sickness.
But he was intrigued by the knowledge of inventory!
"Inventory."
When he followed Hikari's instructions, he was amazed at his "inventory"; it was like an invisible bag that held a single test tube with green liquid. He experimented with it for a while nonetheless he couldn't put any items on the inventory. So he put that aside for now.
He examined the green liquid that was considered strange before downing the potion voluntarily. He forthright felt the warm feeling inside him, he could even forget his wet clothes if he didn't pay attention to it. He was once again awed. If the medical professionals saw these potions, they would be glad to investigate it. It was truly magical!
Subsequently finally removing any trace of illness, he proceeded to modify his own User System Interface. He didn't have any trouble once he heard their instructions. For the original Sho who was used to gaming, those simple instructions were user friendly.
"Setting."
He blinked. He had to give the system a 10 star review, to be honest. This kind of advanced technology that wasn't available to their world was quite pleasing to the eye of someone who understood the gaming world.
He had noticed it earlier when he first activated his Character Information Window. The interface was integrated in both reality and illusion. Only the user could see it but it didn't clutter his view of reality. He just didn't pay heed to it earlier because the situation felt like a life or death struggle.
But now that they had a breather, he could appreciate how the system was indeed a gamer's dream to have. If Earth were ever successful in producing a Virtual Reality Game, this is the one every Gaming Company and Developers would want to attain.
It wasn't the Character Window that was glued in his eyes. The Character Window was outside his body but the placement was very decently adjusted. He bet that if he had bad eyesight, the system would adjust it so he could read it even without glasses. This kind of setup was just superb.
Too bad, the game system would be implemented with their own survival at stake. Only daredevils would love this kind of change. Even for the original Sho who loved gaming, this kind of change was something he would be too lazy to care about.
If it was the original Sho, he would surely just experiment and then when he was safe and sound, he would continue with his usual hobbies. And in the end, it would come back to one thing. He would just laze around.
Thinking about the original Sho's mentality, even he uncontrollably nodded in approval. The original Sho had a stronger mindset after what he had experienced in his graduation. Even he wouldn't provoke this lazy kid. Provoking him would be akin to provoking "Snorlacks." He might get body slammed. But otherwise, he would just be like that big fat lazy bear, harmless while sleeping.
In short, don't provoke.
Although the kid was lazy, he was so smart that anything he could think would be put into action. It was one of his features that made people jealous of him. It was also the reason he could think of why Sho got targeted on the day of his graduation.
Humans were really scarily cruel. Especially for those who grew spoiled and still are underage. Law didn't put a limiter to what they could do and they got away with it by saying they are still minor. Juvenile Law in Yamato states that anyone under the age of twenty was considered a minor.
To be honest, he wasn't sure how to feel with the original Sho.
Being someone who took over his body, he felt guilty. But thinking about Sho's personality, all his guilt vanished. Even without Sho saying it, or even if he had a choice, he knew he wouldn't care about him taking control of his body. Unless he brings ill intention to his best friend, Sho wouldn't really care.
*Don't worry, Sho. You can rest in peace. I won't bring harm to Asahi. And I promise I'll do my best to protect him.*
He had actually had a specific question. Why was he and Sho chosen? Was it just a coincidence? If he would transmigrate, wouldn't it be usually choosing a dead body? Why did he have to take over someone's body who was alive and breathing?
But he knew no matter how many questions he brought up, the only way he could get his answer was to rank up. Now that he knew about the system, he now realized that Tanzanite Rank should be a ranking in the System.
"Customize."
Eventually, following their command, he was finally able to set his setting so that he didn't need to talk when using his skills. It became easier to customize everything thanks to Sho's memory of gaming life.
And now that all of that was fixed, it was time to explore the system.
*Hmm… glitches information.*
*Hm? I'm not sure how this would be useful. Next.*
*Huh? So I need to use it before I know how it works? This is risky. And definitely not enough time to test. I'm not even sure what the effects would be. What if I release a virus that would kill anyone who came into contact with the air? That sounds scary. Forget it. It's better not to use it unless the situation calls for it. Next.*
*Wow, is this really my plot armor? Seems like a cheat skill. Maybe Sho is really lucky. Is this enough for me to be the main character of a story?* He inwardly quipped around, trying to relieve some tension he was feeling.
*Next.*
He nodded, realizing that what prevented him from breaking down earlier was the Mental Barrier. It was good that the skill is passive.
In the gaming language, there's two types of skills, Active and Passive. Active skills are those that call for the user's desire. Using Active skills are akin to swaying a knife. It would only activate with action, whilst the Passive Skills were permanently activated. It's like equipping armor or in a more layman's term, it's like having a skin. It's always there and you don't really need to do anything to activate it.
Sho as a gamer almost always preferred Passive Skill than Active Skill. He was too lazy to even activate his own Active Skill, that's why.
*Can I rename this?*
*Huh? Upgrade 1?*
*Whoa! A level up of skill! Does this mean I'm amazing?* He kidded.
*But sadly, it's not offensive. Why are all my skills weird? It seems I only have one attack skill, Virus. But I'm getting bad vibes with this Virus skill. I'm not gonna use it just to be sure. Anyway, rename Mental Barrier.*
Sho already thought of an easier name to use. After all, he experienced it and reminded him of the original Sho. He could also tribute this to the original body owner.
*Hobbies.*
*Good. Easier name, easier cast. Let's see. Overview: Shop best offer.*
He wasn't sure if it would work. But since the voice told him the skill has different uses depending on the user, he just had to try. And shockingly it worked!
Sho consciousness soon entered the world of information. As always, it was a dizzying effect. Too much information was never good in one's mind. Although compared to before, the information he was getting was fewer compared when he used his skill as it is. Even so, it still felt like his brain would explode any minute. Nevertheless he endured. He knew he needed to get used to this if he wanted to be useful in the next quest.
He realized something while fighting the murlocs.
*If I want to be followed, I need to show my usefulness. I'm not like Brother Gouki who has the charisma to lead naturally. Even if my ideas are correct, not everyone would trust me. I need to show them how trustworthy my skill is. In a way, I'm really lucky to experience this. If I didn't complete this Hidden Quest, and proceeded with the Super Phenomena that the angel said, I think there's a high probability of me dying.*
*I can't let that happen. I won't die until I find my answers. Why did I get here? Am I dead? Is that why I got here? Where is my real world? What am I fighting for? I need to know.*
"Just because it's currently boring doesn't mean that one day it won't be fun. Just take one step at a time and enjoy."
A random memory emerged in his brain. It was Sho's memory. Sho was always bored in life and that was what Asahi said to him. That's why Sho tried all he could to act as normal as possible. He hangout like a normal teen. Partying when he gets invited. He even flirted with the girl he liked just like any other teen. He was constantly looking for ways to get rid of the boredom he was feeling.
*Asahi, is this the fun you're talking about for Sho? What a twisted fun it is. I'm sorry that Sho won't be here to enjoy this. But, I will survive. I must survive. I need to make sure Asahi will survive this. It would be what the real Sho would've wanted.*
After enduring the pain, he finally focused his consciousness on his surroundings.
*If there's an upgrade, then probably this is the Upgrade 0 zone.*
Sho decided to let it go of random thoughts and focus on the words in front of him. His goal is to exceed four special clues. He noticed that when he used his skill twice, he could only get four words. And he didn't even really know how to use it. He was hoping that he would be able to get more than four words and more specific hints with his skill.
Sho couldn't hold it anymore so he ended the skill. Overwhelming pain in his head forced him to stop trying to get five words. He was at his limits.
But unlike before, he felt too weak. And because he was sitting when he used his skill, the burden on his body seemed unnoticeable. He didn't feel staggering or collapsing at all. This time, he endured the unbearable pain and gritted his teeth, trying to resist the urge to catch his head with his palms.
His ultimate goal on using the skill was to limit the side effect. If he couldn't even control himself whenever he used the skill, then he is basically useless. Yes, his skill would be OP if used right. But the burden was too much that he could become useless at a crucial time. And knowing how humans think, he knew he would be tossed or sacrificed to save themselves.
It was the cruelty of humanity that Gouki was talking about.
Even without his memories, he knew it all too well thanks to Sho's painful memory of his graduation.
After more than two minutes, he was finally able to open his eyes.
*I need to also practice keeping my eyes open. This won't do. Considering the difficulty earlier, it's basically asking to die if I close my eyes. More than two minutes of spacing out? Yeah. I'll die for sure. This is minutely courting death.* He jokingly thought.
"What did you discover?" Hikari asked curiously.
He discovered that three pairs of eyes were locked on him.
*I'm too obvious when I use my skills, huh?*
He figured why the three noticed it. Beads of perspiration were obviously glimmering in his forehead. His fist was also tightly clasped, as if he was fighting a battle no one knows. And lastly, he had his eyes closed tightly for more than two minutes. Of course, the three noticed those changes and because they also knew that Sho had a mind ability that somehow solves or discovers what they should do, they were curious at what he discovered.
"Ah, just practicing my skill. Wait. I don't have much time. Forty minutes. Let me get back to getting used to my skill. I'll tell you immediately if I really did find something good." He apologetically said.
He felt apprehensive interacting with this heroic lady. It felt like the more they interact, the more he would get her heroic vibe. Like Sho, he felt that he shouldn't act like a hero. Just like what Gouki said, it was courting death. Without the ability to protect himself, he couldn't wantonly seek his own death. But then, he also knew that if he would go through the same process, he would still do the same. As such, he felt complicated, questioning what he really wanted to do and who he really is without Sho's memory.
Hikari simply nodded, understanding him clearly.
*Hmm… okay time to try this. Oh wait. I need to check my stats too. I might not have time later on. As a quote in Sho's memory, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom." Good thing I've tweaked my setting so that this thing would get commanded with mind.*
Character Information!
「 Character Information |
Name: Sho Chad [XXXXX XXXXX] |
Age: 18 |
RANK: Bronze |
CLASS: No Class |
STATS: |
Strength: 7 |
Agility: 5 |
Intelligence: 13 |
Dexterity: 1 |
Accuracy: 3 |
Stamina: 5 |
Wisdom: 15 |
Luck: 37 |
Mana: 0 |
Critical Rate %: 0.45% |
Critical Damage %: 0.36% |
GLITCHES: |
Contract : [0%] |
Virus : [0%] |
Overview : [0.00%] |
Mental Barrier (Hobbies) U1 : [0.00%] 」
*Huh? Sho was fairly surprised. My Skills Overview and Hobbies are both on 0.00%. It seems it has changed after using it, it was 0% before. But the heck is this effect. I don't even know how much I progress. So, did I just progress 0.001% or lower than that? I'll just have to assume that 100% is the max. What's U1?*
*Okay, nothing new. Next, I need to see if this would work...*
Overview: Character Information Gouki Setsuhi!
He was damned curious as to how good Gouki's stats and skills are. Judging from how he fought those murlocs, he could only say he should have high stats and a pretty much complete set of attack and defense skill.
「 Character Information |
Name: Gouki Setsuhi |
Age: ?? |
RANK: ??? |
CLASS: ??? |
STATS: |
Strength: ? |
Agility: ? |
Intelligence: ? |
Dexterity: ? |
Accuracy: ? |
Stamina: ? |
Wisdom: ? |
Luck: ? |
Mana: ? |
Critical Rate %: ? |
Critical Damage %: ? |
GLITCHES: |
? : [?] |
? U3 : [?] |
? U3 : [?] |
? U3 : [?] |
? U3 : [?] |
? U2 : [?] 」
"What the heck? Four upgrades 3? And one upgrade 2! What kind of monster are you?!" Sho couldn't help but blurt out at Gouki.
Gouki immediately frowned, he paused for a second and then instantly understood what Sho was implying. His frown was replaced with a cold expression. "Don't look if you don't want me to forcefully shut you up."
Sho winced amidst the curious gaze of Hikari and Akihiko. He could feel Gouki's murderous intent.
"How come you look honorable but you feel like you could be a killer." he sarcastically grumbled. He quickly raised his hands in the air, surrendering to Gouki's sharp eyes. "I'm joking, I'm just joking. Genius, I'm never going to look. Looking at your statistics makes me depressed."
*This time, I'm not joking at all! Damn. I thought I was lucky enough to have useful skills. Turns out luck loses to geniuses! World is never fair at all! And all those question marks! Isn't the only reason why someone shows a question mark on a game is when they have a huge gap between them?!*
*Brother, come on, you've really got it all! And I was just fantasizing about being the protagonist with plot armor because of my Overview Skill!*
Sho really felt like crying. Life is just so unfair.