[WELCOME TO THE SYSTEM]
"What?!" Tanner's eyes shot wide open.
"What happened?" He scratched his face softly, trying to remember. "Time God IX. I've already been set for this so it's no use trying."
He sighed and stared at the screen.
[WELCOME TO THE SYSTEM]
[ONE MESSAGE AND THREE BOXES FROM–IX]
[Would you like to read?]
"Yes."
[Before you start cursing, this is a pre recorded video.]
"Damn."
[I knew you would try that. Now, I have given you three boxes. These should aid you in your progression. The path of magic is hard, don't die on me.]
Box I opened – New element awakened – Water
Box II opened – New skill acquired – Energy Manipulation
Energy Manipulation LV. 1
– Allows the user to manipulate all forms of energy in a 10m zone.
Box III opened – 50 Points acquired
[Data]
Name: Michael Tanner
Level: 1
Mana: 100/100
HP: 100/100
EXP – 0/100
[Stats]
Strength – 5
Agility – 3
Speed – 5
Intelligence – 10
Energy – 100/100
[Magic]
Water
– Basic realm
– Beginner stage
[Miscellaneous]
Points – 50
Stealth – 0
Magic Control – 10
Charm –4
Bravery – 2
Resistance – 2
"I have such low stats. However, maybe the points can help. Then later I can level up." He concluded.
He stared outside the window of the small room he was in. It was an inn in a city he could not even deduce. The sun had set already and the endless stars lit up the sky alongside the moon. For some reason, happiness overcame him.
He smiled broadly. "I'm not useless. Just watch me world."
"System, set ten points to Agility and Speed."
[Agility – 13]
[Speed – 15]
"Add five to Magic Control and Strength."
[Magic Control – 20]
[Strength – 15]
"Amazing. It really does as it says. Hahahaha!" Tanner laughed wildly. However, he quickly calmed himself down.
He stood up and left his room. Going downstairs, he stared at the different people sitting on tables. The 1st floor seemed to be a restaurant of some sort.
He was a bit hungry, so he got some food, ate it quickly and went outside.
The starry sky glowed with full splendor. Tanner basked in the rays of the moon, feeling extremely refreshed. He walked around for about an hour, enjoying the sightings.
"Invalid? Ha. I shall climb slowly to the top and show everyone." Tanner clenched his fist. He quickly decided to head to a small training center to test his skills.
______________
"Just a small room, that will do." Tanner took out some gold from his account and paid the person managing the rooms.
"I'll need a changed name. I'll have to withdraw my funds, so as not to leave traces behind." Tanner shook his head. It was time to test out his skills.
"Water Wave!" Mana was slowly being drawn. Tanner's brows were furrowed as he did this. The spell was not executed.
He sighed audibly "I may have gotten it, but magic is still foreign to me. I'll have to train for the entire night to familiarize myself with Water magic."
Quickly making another quick change with the manager, he had paid a substantial amount of gold for a room for the entire night.
This one was much larger. He had to familiarize himself with everything involving the system, else he would plunder, wasting IX's resources.
"Let's try again. Water Wave!" Tanner failed two times in the accumulation of mana.
After about an hour, a weak wave struck a dummy in front of him.
"Again!"
"Again!"
"Again!"
[THE NEXT MORNING]
"Time limit has been exhausted, young sir. Would you like to renew?" a woman walked in and informed him.
Tanner, who looked like he had run two miles, had sweat all over his body, completely drenching his clothes.
His hair was wet, it was unknown how. His eyes had hollowed inside, and he looked like a ghoul from hell.
"Give me another hour, and some food." Tanner paid the woman.
"We don't pro–" Tanner had already gently pushed her out and closed the door.
___________
"Sir, he requested for another hour of use and some food."
"Well, get it! This is our first big customer, and we can't afford to lose him because of food. There's a restaurant a few minutes away."
__________
"Water Wave!" A fast wave struck a dummy, and a figure one hundred appeared on a projector.
"It's improved. Last night, I could barely achieve forty. A hundred should mean I'm almost into the middle stage of the Basic realm. Just a bit more." Tanner had exhausted both his Mana and Energy various times. He had waited for some hours to regain them halfway and continued.
He had realized something about Energy. With it, he casted faster but weaker, and he could manipulate it a bit with Energy Manipulation. However, it cost a ruinous drain of Energy at his stage. Furthermore, it posed a mental burden on him.
Just then, his food arrived. He took it and thanked the woman. He wolfed down the food quickly and rested for some moments. After half an hour, he practiced a bit and then left the center.
"Many thanks to young sir!" the manager tanked him endlessly. He hurriedly left the center, else the man would not stop.
"I have now familiarized myself with my strength. Although I cannot battle at peak capacity, I'm still better than other people at my level."
He headed to a bank. Using his card, he withdrew all his funds, broke his card and got a Inferior Spatial Ring. He had completely shed all signs of his former existence, and now went by the name, Tanner Julius.
An Inferior Spatial Ring was an equipment used for storing any non living item. It was as big as a small room, so he needed to be careful with what he kept in it.
By evening, he had gotten a new ID card after paying a painful amount of gold.
"I need to get a source of payment. I originally had five million gold, and it's now down to two million. Maybe I'll need to join a guild for now. Later I can head to a sect." He concluded. He looked at the red sky, and head to the same room again.