I stared in bewilderment at the blue screen that I had only seen in games and heard about in stories. It had sharp edges, a square shape, and a captivating blue colour. The screen seemed to pulsate
with an otherworldly energy.
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Congratulations
You Have Earned A Skill
Bloodthirsty Aura
To View Skills Say [Skills]
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I quickly realized that this was not the afterlife upon witnessing a game screen materialize before me. The question that lingered in my mind was, "where am I?" I whispered, filled with curiosity.
In a hushed voice, I uttered, "Skills."
The screen vanished, only to be replaced by a new one, showcasing my skills.
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Skills
Skill Cost Type
Bloodthirsty Aura (F) I 1 mana I Active
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Seeing that it worked, I quickly realized that if this functioned like a game system...
"Player," I said, but nothing happened.
"Inventory," I said, but again, nothing happened.
"Menu," I said, and another menu flashed before my eyes.
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Menu
Name: Drasker Limnosqun
Gender: Null
Creature Type: Monster
Creature: Dungeon Core
Health: 10 / 10 I Health Regen: 0.1/min
Mana: 9 / 10 I Mana Regen: 0.1/sec
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Intellect: 12 I Wisdom: 12 I Vitality: 5 I Willpower: 10
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I stared at the various numbers displayed before me, contemplating the meaning of "mana 9/10." I wondered why it was at 9/10, then realized that I had already used a skill since I had to use it to discovering it.
"Name... Gender? Creature Type? Creature?" I mused aloud. Regardless of my thoughts, it appeared that this system was suggesting that I was not human but rather a genderless monster known as a dungeon core.
"Well, at least I still have my original name and not 'null'," I sighed in relief.
"Close," I said, but nothing happened.
"Menu," I said, and the blue screen disappeared. It seemed that in order to close a panel, I had to repeat its name.
"Skills," I uttered, and the blue screen flashed into my vision. I wanted to test if this system truly worked, and to my satisfaction, it did. I was able to manipulate the screen, moving it with my mind. Although I couldn't see my hands or the rest of my body, it confirmed that the screen couldn't illuminate or provide light to reveal my surroundings or myself.
I closed the [skills] tab and started exploring theories related to mana. Attempting to meditate proved challenging without the ability to feel my body, so I abandoned that approach. Instead, I visualized mana as streams of blue light flowing in every direction, attempting to merge and manipulate the streams.
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Congratulations
You Have Earned A Skill
Mana Manipulation
To View Skills Say [Skills]
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Excitedly, I swiftly opened my [Skills] tab.
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Skills
Skill Cost Type
Bloodthirsty Aura (F) I 1 mana I Active
Mana Manipulation (F) I null I Passive
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After realizing that I had acquired yet another skill, I started paying attention to what the (F) symbol meant. I speculated that it could be some sort of grading system for skills, with the possibility of improving it to a higher grade.
With that in mind, I focused my concentration on the skills, and to my surprise, a mini blue screen materialized on top of the previous one.
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Effects
Bloodthirst aura: causes slight fear in beings 2 meters around you
Mana Manipulation: you can move mana slightly better
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After examining the skills effects, although it wasn't exceptional, it was still better than having nothing at all. As I shifted my gaze away from the mini screen, it promptly vanished.
It seemed that by concentrating on the skills, I could perceive their effects, and when I diverted my attention from the mini tab, it would disappear.
"Interesting," I inadvertently blurted out, captivated by this newfound discovery.